After a bitter divorce and years of corporate burnout, Francis Marino books a spontaneous trip to Italy, hoping to reconnect with the stories his grandfather once told him. He’s calculated, studied, and organized.

But fate has other plans. A simple act of kindness serendipitously upgrades Francis to first class, and a seat beside Carrie McCall, a sharp-witted punky bartender with ivy tattoos, a tragic past, and a ticket won in a prosecco sales contest. What begins as idle airplane banter evolves into something much deeper as the two wander through the alleys and piazzas of Venice, Florence, and Rome.

As the week unfolds and secrets emerge, Francis realizes Carrie is far more than her punky self-image suggests. Beneath her self-deprecating exterior lies a deeply artistic, thoughtful, and intelligent woman. Childhood trauma has left her believing she is unworthy and unwanted, pushing her to retreat into the misfit art community. There, she clings to the hope of finding the stability, love, and appreciation she was denied in her youth.

Carrie discovers Francis is unlike any man she’s ever known. She’s amused by his knowledge, organization, and stability. He is a considerate gentleman who makes her feel safe, cherished, and truly seen. As the week draws to a close, Francis and Carrie must decide whether this chance connection is just a flicker of amber light or the beginning of something neither saw coming.

Told with warmth, wit, and emotional nuance, The Amber Light in Venice is a character-driven, literary-leaning upmarket travel romance about second chances, emotional rescue, and the ways love can find us when we stop looking.