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Urban Venus
Broken-hearted art student, Lydia Irvine, spends her days wandering the atmospheric streets of Florence, soaking up the culture in its galleries and museums. She develops a strong pull to one painting in particular, Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' in the Uffizi Gallery. Lydia frequently falls asleep in front of the painting and starts to believe the dreams she has in the gallery 'transport' her to another time and place.
Who is this woman she becomes in the dreams and what is she trying to tell Lydia? With the help of her charmingly handsome tutor, Vincenzo Tizzaro, she starts to research the life of the artist and becomes deeply embroiled in the mystery which is beginning to unfold. Through the dreams, Lydia learns far more about the Renaissance era than she ever could from the history books, but when her life is put in danger, has she taken it all a step too far? (from product page at Amazon.com)
Who is this woman she becomes in the dreams and what is she trying to tell Lydia? With the help of her charmingly handsome tutor, Vincenzo Tizzaro, she starts to research the life of the artist and becomes deeply embroiled in the mystery which is beginning to unfold. Through the dreams, Lydia learns far more about the Renaissance era than she ever could from the history books, but when her life is put in danger, has she taken it all a step too far? (from product page at Amazon.com)
313 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2011
About the author
Sara Downing
11 books31 followersSara Downing is the award-winning author of the popular Head Over Heels contemporary romance series, plus a further romance, Stage Fright, and a historical novel, Urban Venus.
In 2016, Sara published The Lost Boy, her first foray into the world of the supernatural. Her latest novel, I Let You Fall, was the WINNER in the RNA awards 2023, Fantasy Romantic Novel category.
Sara lives in rural Worcestershire with her husband, three almost grown-up children, a Labrador and a cat. Before children she was a Chartered Accountant, but always knew her dream career lay elsewhere. She started writing in 2009 and hasn't since yearned to return to the world of accountancy.
In 2016, Sara published The Lost Boy, her first foray into the world of the supernatural. Her latest novel, I Let You Fall, was the WINNER in the RNA awards 2023, Fantasy Romantic Novel category.
Sara lives in rural Worcestershire with her husband, three almost grown-up children, a Labrador and a cat. Before children she was a Chartered Accountant, but always knew her dream career lay elsewhere. She started writing in 2009 and hasn't since yearned to return to the world of accountancy.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 24, 2012
Try this book if you enjoy chick-lit with a foreign feel! There are two simultaneous love stories, one in the present day & one in Renaissance times. But will they both have a happy ending?
Florence is a place I fell in love with the first time I went there, and I'd like to hope this comes across in the novel.
Happy reading!
Florence is a place I fell in love with the first time I went there, and I'd like to hope this comes across in the novel.
Happy reading!
March 20, 2013
This should be a warning against picking up free kindle books. I tried reading it several times and just kept waiting for the writing to get better... but it never did.
April 15, 2012
A lovely second book from this author, lovely description of life in Italy. Quite different from her first book but just as enjoyable. Really looking forward to book number 3 from this author.
June 4, 2019
Urban Venus: A Renaissance love story
Lydia Irvine went to Florence from Newcastle for a year for her studies. She enjoyed her flatmates and they her. When Lydia visited the Uffizi and saw the Venus and went to sleep dreaming of being the Venus. Maria was the Venus and after Maria’s story to Lydia she decided to write a book called Urban Venus A Renaissance love story.
Lydia Irvine went to Florence from Newcastle for a year for her studies. She enjoyed her flatmates and they her. When Lydia visited the Uffizi and saw the Venus and went to sleep dreaming of being the Venus. Maria was the Venus and after Maria’s story to Lydia she decided to write a book called Urban Venus A Renaissance love story.
February 8, 2019
Ok
I love historical fiction. This book is ok. The main character Lydia is a bit insipid & painful. I ‘sped read’ a lot of her parts. But I enjoyed Maria’s story. I struggled to get to the end.
I love historical fiction. This book is ok. The main character Lydia is a bit insipid & painful. I ‘sped read’ a lot of her parts. But I enjoyed Maria’s story. I struggled to get to the end.
February 18, 2012
FREE KINDLE DOWNLOAD FROM AMAZON.COM
Contemporary and historical fiction meet in this love story set in present-day and Renaissance Italy.
Broken-hearted art student, Lydia Irvine, spends her days wandering the atmospheric streets of Florence, soaking up the culture in its galleries and museums. She develops a strong pull to one painting in particular, Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' in the Uffizi Gallery. Lydia frequently falls asleep in front of the painting and starts to believe the dreams she has in the gallery 'transport' her to another time and place.
Who is this woman she becomes in the dreams and what is she trying to tell Lydia? With the help of her charmingly handsome tutor, Vincenzo Tizzaro, she starts to research the life of the artist and becomes deeply embroiled in the mystery which is beginning to unfold. Through the dreams, Lydia learns far more about the Renaissance era than she ever could from the history books, but when her life is put in danger, has she taken it all a step too far?
I have to admit I probably wouldn't have picked out this book had it not been a freebie. There wasn't much in the product description that really grabbed me. But, since all it would cost me was a little time (we can always DNF if a book is too bad, right?) I thought why not?
After all was said and done, I ended up liking Lydia. It took guts to pick herself up after being blindsided by her boyfriend and move to a whole other country for a year of higher education. A country, I should add, where she only has a passing grasp of the language.
Trooper that she is, Lydia endeavors to embrace the Florentine culture. It was amusing to see her become irritated with her Italian roomies for wanting to speak English with her when all she wants to do is improve her Italian. She assimilates well, however, making friends and even finding romance. And she does all this while trying to decipher her dreams, the mysterious girl who stars in them, and what her connection is to Lydia.
What made me like Lydia the most was the fact that she perseveres in her quest to unravel the mystery of the girl in the painting, in spite of her dubious friends who apparently think she's nuts but don't have the heart to tell her so. And, in the end, she makes a huge life choice based on what she thinks will make her happy, not what others think.
The flavor of the Italian Renaissance runs strong in this book, and I may have appreciated it more had I more knowledge of the art and artists of that era. But even with my limited knowledge of anything art-related, I was still able to enjoy the descriptive details of the museums, art, and Florentine culture.
Contemporary and historical fiction meet in this love story set in present-day and Renaissance Italy.
Broken-hearted art student, Lydia Irvine, spends her days wandering the atmospheric streets of Florence, soaking up the culture in its galleries and museums. She develops a strong pull to one painting in particular, Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' in the Uffizi Gallery. Lydia frequently falls asleep in front of the painting and starts to believe the dreams she has in the gallery 'transport' her to another time and place.
Who is this woman she becomes in the dreams and what is she trying to tell Lydia? With the help of her charmingly handsome tutor, Vincenzo Tizzaro, she starts to research the life of the artist and becomes deeply embroiled in the mystery which is beginning to unfold. Through the dreams, Lydia learns far more about the Renaissance era than she ever could from the history books, but when her life is put in danger, has she taken it all a step too far?
I have to admit I probably wouldn't have picked out this book had it not been a freebie. There wasn't much in the product description that really grabbed me. But, since all it would cost me was a little time (we can always DNF if a book is too bad, right?) I thought why not?
After all was said and done, I ended up liking Lydia. It took guts to pick herself up after being blindsided by her boyfriend and move to a whole other country for a year of higher education. A country, I should add, where she only has a passing grasp of the language.
Trooper that she is, Lydia endeavors to embrace the Florentine culture. It was amusing to see her become irritated with her Italian roomies for wanting to speak English with her when all she wants to do is improve her Italian. She assimilates well, however, making friends and even finding romance. And she does all this while trying to decipher her dreams, the mysterious girl who stars in them, and what her connection is to Lydia.
What made me like Lydia the most was the fact that she perseveres in her quest to unravel the mystery of the girl in the painting, in spite of her dubious friends who apparently think she's nuts but don't have the heart to tell her so. And, in the end, she makes a huge life choice based on what she thinks will make her happy, not what others think.
The flavor of the Italian Renaissance runs strong in this book, and I may have appreciated it more had I more knowledge of the art and artists of that era. But even with my limited knowledge of anything art-related, I was still able to enjoy the descriptive details of the museums, art, and Florentine culture.
October 22, 2013
'Novel set in Florence - Stottie or focaccia? '
A novel that brings two stories from different epochs together, set in modern day Florence.
From the Piazza della Signoria just enjoy the stunning view...."The sky is a strong azure blue: I can't believe what a perfect day it is. If you glance upwards and away from the crowds, the magnificence of the place is astounding. Wonders of architectural brilliance jostle from the sky line, and the campanile reaches high above us like a spear, away from the crowded foot of the Palazzo to the spacious heavens above, as if pleading to be plucked from the onslaught of visitors below" (extract from Urban Venus).
Transport yourself to Florence, with this short novel that interweavess the touristy, modern day city with the city of the 1540s, the era of Titian. You also have the opportunity to drop in on Bologna.
Lydia Irvine has come to Florence on her year abroad from Newcastle Uni and she is learning the Italian way of life, as she absorbs the flavours, smells and sights of the modern city. And the reader, too, will feel that the city just lifts of the pages of this delightful novel. There are quite a few Italian turns-of-phrase without translation, and rather than leaving the reader floundering as to their meaning, it just adds to the Italian feel (and leaves you believing you can really speak Italian!)
The book is peppered with interesting facts. For the true Italian, you will learn that there are absolutely no milky coffees beyond breakfast; pull some strings and get a ticket to check out the hidden passageway between the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti, via the Uffizi and a network of corridors across the city (all lined with works of art not generally seen by the public). Mmmmm, share Pandoro and Bombolone for breakfast.... and finally here's a bit of historical fact gleaned from the book: it was the French who brought syphilis to Bologna in 1495, apparently! And don't forget if you need an emergency ambulance you need to dial 118 (you might need to know this one day!).
A really enjoyable read, that truly brings Italy and Florence to life.
A novel that brings two stories from different epochs together, set in modern day Florence.
From the Piazza della Signoria just enjoy the stunning view...."The sky is a strong azure blue: I can't believe what a perfect day it is. If you glance upwards and away from the crowds, the magnificence of the place is astounding. Wonders of architectural brilliance jostle from the sky line, and the campanile reaches high above us like a spear, away from the crowded foot of the Palazzo to the spacious heavens above, as if pleading to be plucked from the onslaught of visitors below" (extract from Urban Venus).
Transport yourself to Florence, with this short novel that interweavess the touristy, modern day city with the city of the 1540s, the era of Titian. You also have the opportunity to drop in on Bologna.
Lydia Irvine has come to Florence on her year abroad from Newcastle Uni and she is learning the Italian way of life, as she absorbs the flavours, smells and sights of the modern city. And the reader, too, will feel that the city just lifts of the pages of this delightful novel. There are quite a few Italian turns-of-phrase without translation, and rather than leaving the reader floundering as to their meaning, it just adds to the Italian feel (and leaves you believing you can really speak Italian!)
The book is peppered with interesting facts. For the true Italian, you will learn that there are absolutely no milky coffees beyond breakfast; pull some strings and get a ticket to check out the hidden passageway between the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti, via the Uffizi and a network of corridors across the city (all lined with works of art not generally seen by the public). Mmmmm, share Pandoro and Bombolone for breakfast.... and finally here's a bit of historical fact gleaned from the book: it was the French who brought syphilis to Bologna in 1495, apparently! And don't forget if you need an emergency ambulance you need to dial 118 (you might need to know this one day!).
A really enjoyable read, that truly brings Italy and Florence to life.
April 17, 2012
The story begins with a sort of flashback from the 14th century of someone throwing herself from a carriage to take her life. This follows by present-day Lydia moving into her study abroad apartment in Italy. Lydia finds herself in a fairytale-like apartment, with fairy-tale, lovely friends all willing to show her the sights.
The only thing that isn't going well is her playboy tutor who keeps breaking all the girls' hearts who he is tutoring.
Lydia, an art student, dives into her studies at the art museums and finds that each time she visits the Venus of Urbino painting, she falls asleep and falls into a dream world where she takes on the role of another woman in another era.
Throughout the book Lydia goes back and forth from the world she lives in to the world she is dreaming about. When she begins dating one of her friends and tells him about the dreams he makes her choose between the real world and her fantasy world.
Spoiler alert!
While I enjoyed this book enough, a few things bothered me about this book. For one thing, there seemed to be a whole issue going on with her tutor loving and leaving his students, but eventually she decides this is all OK, because he loves her. No real resolve happens, besides her ending up with him because he is all of a sudden handsome and perfect, even though the first time she told him about the dreams on their first date he was rude about them, while the boyfriend she leaves for being jealous about the paintings was supportive of the dreams in the beginning. At some point her roommate has a miscarriage and the book lingers there, but then she feels better and the book never comes back to the character really besides her continuing to be a supportive friend of Lydia.
Overall, I like the idea of the book, but several times it feels like there will be parts of the book that will be picked up and explained further later that never seems to be resolved. I think it could be edited quite a bit more and become a really strong romantic comedy–type of book.
May 24, 2013
The story is about a British art student -- Lydia ran away from her broken heart relationship in the UK to Florence and experienced a so-called time travel to the 16th century and end up found out her connection to the characters in a famous painting.
There are some fun in the beginning, though I don't like that she keeps putting down everything in Britain and lifting up everything in Italy. Not that I don't like Italy, I obsess the Italian culture. It makes me laugh sometimes when she describes the typical lovely Italian character of her flatmates.
However, it starts to be creepy when the girl crazily obsesses her time travel to the 16th century. It is even worse when it reaches the middle, both the contemporary part and the 16th century old story are tedious. Lydia is presented to be a mental and immature teenage, (is that how year 2 student should be?). And this mental teenage successes to grab her professor's heart (who is described as a creepy playboy or a womanizer in the first half of the book) out of the blue. I started skim reading impatiently the second half of the book.Skipped a few chapters or I could not finish it.
If you expect to gain some knowledge about Florence or Renaissance art, I wouldn't recommend it. It is just one of the love novels for the youth.
There are some fun in the beginning, though I don't like that she keeps putting down everything in Britain and lifting up everything in Italy. Not that I don't like Italy, I obsess the Italian culture. It makes me laugh sometimes when she describes the typical lovely Italian character of her flatmates.
However, it starts to be creepy when the girl crazily obsesses her time travel to the 16th century. It is even worse when it reaches the middle, both the contemporary part and the 16th century old story are tedious. Lydia is presented to be a mental and immature teenage, (is that how year 2 student should be?). And this mental teenage successes to grab her professor's heart (who is described as a creepy playboy or a womanizer in the first half of the book) out of the blue. I started skim reading impatiently the second half of the book.Skipped a few chapters or I could not finish it.
If you expect to gain some knowledge about Florence or Renaissance art, I wouldn't recommend it. It is just one of the love novels for the youth.
December 1, 2011
I found this book very good. But i will say that i enjoyed Sara Downing 1st book just a tiny bit better than this one.
I enjoyed the book with how the way it was going back in time and this is shown in a different type print so you know that Lydia has been transport back into time via her dreams.
The book described Italy very well and also the descriptions of the paintings etc is very good. Makes you feel that you are there.
I found that i was keen to get to the last page to see how things all tied together and to why Lydia was getting these dreams, I felt that the outcome was very surprising.
Just a bit of insight to the book. It is about a Lydia who is a student that is taking degree in Art in Italy.
Whenever she looks at the painting of 'Venus of Urbino' for unknown reason Lydia falls asleep and starts dreaming as though she is Maria. But who is Maria.
Lydia starts to keep a diary to log down her dreams in hope that it all makes sense.
You find out why she has these dreams and who Maria is.
And if you like your romance this is also within the story in this century and past century.
I enjoyed the book with how the way it was going back in time and this is shown in a different type print so you know that Lydia has been transport back into time via her dreams.
The book described Italy very well and also the descriptions of the paintings etc is very good. Makes you feel that you are there.
I found that i was keen to get to the last page to see how things all tied together and to why Lydia was getting these dreams, I felt that the outcome was very surprising.
Just a bit of insight to the book. It is about a Lydia who is a student that is taking degree in Art in Italy.
Whenever she looks at the painting of 'Venus of Urbino' for unknown reason Lydia falls asleep and starts dreaming as though she is Maria. But who is Maria.
Lydia starts to keep a diary to log down her dreams in hope that it all makes sense.
You find out why she has these dreams and who Maria is.
And if you like your romance this is also within the story in this century and past century.
February 11, 2012
2 stars probably seems a bit low for this book - if I could, I would rate it somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars, although at times it could probably be worthy of 3.5. That was the problem, I think. This book was a bit inconsistent with holding my interest. A good premise and a wonderful setting, however at times I felt the storytelling lacked in intensity and tended to sound like the ramblings of a 20 year old recalling her day to her housemate. Maybe that's the feel the author was going for. I found the second half of the book a bit more interesting as the mystery unravelled and the "love story" sub-plot became a bit more exciting. Worth a crack if you're into art history and beautiful descriptions of Italy.
February 26, 2012
Really enjoyed this book - as a reader you got a great feel for the art galleries and life in Florence and Bologna, both past and present. Was hooked from the start and read in a couple of days as wanted to find out what happened to the characters in both settings. I loved the way the stories crossed over and thought the idea was really clever. Fun, interesting and informative. Main problem is I now want to go to Italy more than ever! Thoroughly recommend.
May 27, 2012
What an enjoyable, light read. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon! Lydia, an English student studying abroad in Florence, finds herself having dreams where she is transported back into the 1500's as the muse, model, and lover of Titian. Interspersed between the dreams of Maria and her artist, Tito, we see Lydia's relationship to the people and city of Florence flourish. Not a book that will change your life, but a lovely read nonetheless.
April 1, 2012
It didn't take long for me to be totally sucked in and engrossed by this book.
I loved the character of Lydia, and the way past and present mingled in the story was very clever.
A very different book to Sara Downing's first book, but equally, if not even more enjoyable.
I'm looking forward to her releasing her third!
I loved the character of Lydia, and the way past and present mingled in the story was very clever.
A very different book to Sara Downing's first book, but equally, if not even more enjoyable.
I'm looking forward to her releasing her third!
April 27, 2012
This would have been a three-star 'okay' book, but I just couldn't get over how creepy the student/tutor relationship was and how we're supposed to be perfectly fine with it by the end because the student thinks he's hot.
February 21, 2012
this was an ok read possibly more 3.5 stars,it was a nice simple read,did'nt have me fully engrossed but enjoyable to want to find out the ending.
February 20, 2012
Light reading after a few months of more intense, thought provoking books. An interesting glimpse at what might be the story of Titian's Venus or Urbino. A fun read.
Read
April 12, 2013Really a great read. Quite a nice surprise for a Kindle freebie. Well written, nicely developed story with great twists. Sort of a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants grown up.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews