Graceless Heart
by Isabel Ibañez

Isabel Ibañez is an auto-buy author for me — I’ve devoured everything she’s written, and Graceless Heart was no exception.
In this lush, magic-laced tale, we meet Ravenna, a gifted sculptress with a dangerous secret: she’s a witch. When her brother’s life hangs in the balance, she’s forced to reveal her true nature to save him — and stakes everything on a prestigious sculpting competition. If she wins, she can petition the Immortals for a boon that could save her brother.

But when Ravenna sculpts her Pluto and imbues it with nightflame using her magic, her secret is exposed. Cast out by her hometown and taken by the Immortals, Ravenna is ripped from the life she knew and thrust into the deadly games of the powerful.

Saturnino, an Immortal Knight, believes Ravenna may be the key his family has hunted for decades — the one who can finally extract the nightflame. He tries to bend her to his will through fear and intimidation, but Ravenna’s fierce spirit and warmth slowly chip away at the stone encasing his immortal heart.

With her homeland on the brink of war, Ravenna is caught in a web of dangerous politics and impossible choices. Torn between betraying Pope who hunts her kind and turning away from the Immortal Knight who has begun to claim her heart, Ravenna must decide where her loyalties truly lie.

I gave Graceless Heart 3.75 out of 5 stars. I adored the evocative setting and the delicious slow-burn tension between Ravenna and Saturnino. However, the pacing felt uneven — the first half drags with repetitive moments before the story picks up speed around the halfway mark. I also found the magic system a bit too sprawling at times and wished for a sharper focus.

Still, I’m so grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read this book early. Fans of lush romantic fantasy and tangled political intrigue will want to watch for Graceless Heart. Isabel Ibañez remains one of my favorite authors, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

I didn’t know that I was craving a magical-Italian-historical-Romantasy, but Graceless Heart DELIVERED!

I was swept away by Ravenna’s determination & the slow cracking of Saturnino’s stony heart to reveal the tender gems hidden beneath.

As an impossible love is carved between them, they are caught in a web of religious hypocrisy and lies, forced to risk everything they hold dear or lose their city and those they love to war. I think you’d love it!

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of this!
This is my third read from Isabel and Just like the others this did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed our FMC Ravenna. Her struggles were believable, her motivations as well. She was interesting, and bold, and she loves the people around her fiercely.
Our MMC Saturnino was equally interesting. Cold and brooding, with a tragic past. I really liked him and watching him warm to Ravenna. The tender moments between them were everything ✨
This book has magic, mystery, secrets, tension and a great slow burn!

There’s some good twists in this, and overall I really enjoyed the story!

Meh. There was a lot that worked for me and a lot that was left lacking. Ultimately, it was a very middle of the road fantasy book and not one that I would recommend to many people but I also wouldn’t tell you to stay away. I will say that it picks up around the 60% mark but getting there can be a slog.

What worked:

The setting was spectacularly moody and immersive. In so many ways I felt as if I had time traveled to Renaissance Italy and the intense descriptions around location, sights/sounds/smells and the characters was very thorough.

The magic system in the book is well thought out and unique. I wish we could have seen more of Ravenna learning to lean in to her powers and what they could do to help her. I also would have liked to see more magic being used by others (especially those cool sounding stones in the beginning). I especially liked the way that magic affected our MMC and all the implications thereof.

Speaking of Saturnino…. Loved him. The angst, the drama, the spooky vibes? All top notch morally grey, heart of gold hero behavior.

What didn’t work for me:

At times, the grammar in scenes with heavy amounts of action (fighting or smooching) felt stilted and repetitive and was lacking in varied sentence structure. It ended up feeling very clunky and inorganic to read and took me out of the story in parts that I believe were meant to be intense.

Additionally, a whole lot of the book revolved around things that happened to the FMC and she was continually torn in the direction she had to go with very little agency on her part. Ravenna spent sooooo much time trusting the wrong people and her pig-headed ideals of right and wrong became annoying the further the plot progressed and the more the “good” people showed themselves to be awful. I get that religious trauma is a thing but come on already and grow a backbone! When I said earlier that things picked up around the 60% mark, it’s in large part due to Ravenna starting to take responsibility for her magic, her decisions and her life. Once she leans into everything, the reading becomes exponentially easier.

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Ultimately I’m glad I read the book but I’m also glad I read it early on NetGalley. I would have eventually picked it up in stores or the library because of the description and pretty cover but I would have been disappointed to buy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read early in exchange for honest review!

I was instantly intrigued by the Renaissance Italy inspired setting of this book. The historical fantasy elements blended perfectly with the political and religious scheming, keeping the stakes high and the tension sharp throughout the story.
I really liked the FMC, Ravenna. She is strong, determined, and willing to risk everything for her family. And the slow burn romance with Saturnino was full of tension, banter, and just the right amount longing. Their dynamic added so much heart and emotion to the story.
This was such an enjoyable read with great worldbuilding, high stakes, and a romance that had me hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for the ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Solid enemies to lovers setup with a cool fantasy world, but the beginning throws a lot at you—names, magic, politics, all at once. Took a bit to get into it. Looking back, I should have brushed up on my Italian Renaissance history just a bit before diving in.

The middle had me HOOKED. Couldn’t put it down. Then one plot twist had me eye rolling but then the end picked back up again. I did not see all of the ending coming, at all.

This was billed as the author’s first adult fantasy so I was expecting more in that sense- there’s one moldy spicy scene and two that are mostly closed door scenes.

I was ecstatic to receive the arc for this book as I have been following the author’s social media ever since she announced that she was writing a new historical romantasy set in Renaissance Italy. I was instantly hooked by the unique plot and the main female character of this book, a sculptress with magical powers. Ravenna is such a complex character, struggling to figure out where her loyalties lie whilst uncovering political secrets unfolding in a land on the brink of war. There were so many twists that made me put the book down and stare into space as I was processing the new information alongside Ravenna. Also, the tension between her and Saturnino was on point. He had me giggling and kicking my feet with just how mysterious yet dedicated he was to her. I wouldn’t define their relationship as enemies-to-lovers, per se, but there is definitely a lot of secrets, banter, and forbidden longing between the two that is drawn out in a slow burn. Overall, there is something just so whimsical and comforting about Isabel Ibañez’s writing which is why she is one of my immediate-buy authors because this book and her others did not disappoint. With that being said, if you like her other books such as What the River Knows and Where the Library Hides, then you will definitely love this book too. I seriously had only the slightest of critiques for this read which was the repetitive use of a couple phrases like Saturnino’s constant eyebrow movements and the “virgin stone” Ravanna has to carve the Nightflame out of. It had me noticing every time they appeared but got easy to ignore after a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the arc! This was fine. It was just shy of good, even. Here are some takeaways:

The first half of this book is much better than the second. The second part was lost in the sauce of the romance.

Many elements stuck out to me as juvenile or meant for readers of a younger age despite being an adult book. The prose, and some aspects of the fmc herself are a couple examples.

Some character development was lacking and some was puzzling

There were some moments though that has my jaw on the floor. I was reeling in a good way

Some famous cameos

So yeah, this was okay, and I was engaged enough to read to the end, but it was nothing special, and instead very flawed in my eyes. -3.5 statues

Ibañez delivers a lush and emotionally charged sequel filled with political intrigue, romance, and rebellion. The characters shine as they grapple with love and loyalty in a vividly imagined world.

I really wanted to like this novel. The world building and historical setting was lush and interesting. However, it just falls flat for me as a romantasy. The pacing was very very slow. At 30% in hardly anything had happened and I was hoping for more interactions. It could have just been the timing of when I read this as compared to other books as I can definitely be a mood reader.

I think this book is great for anyone who likes historical fiction and wants a book set in an actual place within its historical context. The addition of magic should be an exciting addition for anyone who enjoys Italian history and nuances.

❤️
Y'all, with political tension, intoxicating attraction, and emotional awakenings, Isabel Ibanez has done it again!!!
Set in the peril of the 15th century Italian Renaissance, Graceless Heart is a historical fantasy filled magical realism and a forbidden desire. Ravenna Maffei, a 22 yr old sculptress, wins a prestigious contest only to be kidnapped by the mysterious, immortal family. Tasked with the impossible, Ravenna uncovers dangerous truths in her mission to keep her family safe and has to battle her brutal attraction if she wants to stay alive.

For fans of the Da Vinci Code and for those wanting something with unique worldbuilding and high stakes, I highly recommend Graceless Heart when it drops. As soon as I heard Isabel Ibanez was coming out with a standalone adult historical fantasy I ran to Netgalley to request it. This book was an intense clash of spiritual authority and revolutionary thought, where your loyalties constantly shift and tbh that is exactly what I need in these type of books. Isabel Ibanez knows how to write a well balanced book!!

The multiple POVS were a great touch, especially considering how many moving parts were at play. To say the least it enriched the plot and added a lot of depth to our beloved side characters. Ravenna's shifting alliances kept me on my toes, especially where the romance was concerned. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the romance, and Saturnino's emotional awakening made me love him even more,  the ending felt a little more rushed due to the timeline they were on. For those who have read it, Ravenna's  "Yes" felt a bit impulsive.

Overall, this book worked really well for a standalone. That being said, the mass amount of events that happened, I personally would have preferred a duology to give them a little but more breathing room. Even so, the worldbuilding was extremely impressive and consistent for a somewhat complex fantasy world; I never found myself confused by the technically elements of the story.

Overall I would say 4.25/5 stars for me!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Marketing wise, I would argue against characterizing it as "Enemies to Lovers". And while yes, they technically were enemies and many death threats were shared, I would argue that they were not TRUE enemies to lovers. They weren't enemies by choice - they were pawns in a game of immortal politics. In actuality, I would consider Ravenna and Saturnino's journey to be lustful to feelings to lovers, as opposed to enemies.😆

A huge thank you for the e-arc copy NetGalley and Saturday Books!

Graceless Heart was such an engaging and beautifully written historical fantasy! I was completely pulled into the richness of the world as it is Renaissance Italy with forbidden magic, political intrigue, and a sculptress MC who’s way too relatable for her own good. You can feel how much research and care went into this book, and it made the setting feel so lush and alive.

Ravenna was such a strong, determined heroine, and I loved how layered every character was. Seriously, even the side characters felt distinct and interesting. And don’t even get me started on Saturnino… broody, dangerous, slightly unhinged, and the perfect slow burn enemies to lovers romance material. The tension between them was really great.

My only tiny gripe? The pacing dipped a bit in the middle, and at times the romance felt like it overshadowed the main plot which was a shame, because the political intrigue and magic system are so fascinating. But the last third totally picked up, and the ending was super satisfying.

If you love lush historical vibes, forbidden magic, political scheming, and slow burn chemistry that will have you screaming into a pillow, this is definitely worth picking up. Isabel Ibañez is new to me, but after this? I’ll be reading more of her books for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley, Isabel Ibañez, and St. Martin’s Press/Saturday Books for the eARC of this book.

Unfortunately this is another DNF for me. While her world building is exquisite, it was hard connecting with the lead. I didn’t feel pulled by her. The chapter headings also were confusing because I thought it was going by place at first until i looked up what capitolo meant.

Graceless Heart was an engaging and beautifully written story that clearly had a lot of research and care put into it. I really appreciated the depth of the world and how much thought went into the setting and backstory—it added a richness to the narrative that I truly enjoyed. Every character felt distinct and well-crafted, and I found myself invested in all of them, not just the leads.

While I did enjoy the romantic elements, I felt that the pacing slowed a bit in the middle, and at times the romance seemed to take center stage over the main plot. I would’ve loved to see the central storyline come through more strongly, especially with such a fascinating world and premise to explore.

This was my first read by Isabel Ibanez and I loved it! So fun- love the romance, the action, the political intrigue and oved the strong female character! This had wonderful world building and was appropriately paced throughout the book!

Renaissance Italy, forbidden magic, sculptress MC, and a broody immortal knight? Yes, please. Ravenna Maffei enters a deadly competition to save her brother, unleashing magic she’s supposed to hide. Cue kidnapping by the enigmatic Saturnino dei Luni, hot, dangerous, and maybe slightly unhinged. As politics, the Pope, and magic wars swirl, the tension is nonstop, and the scenery is lush as heck.

What I loved:

Deep enemies-to-lovers chemistry with serious slow-burn payoff.

Gorgeous historical vibes, political intrigue, and forbidden spells.

High stakes: saving family, surviving immortal nobles, and dealing with a magic-fearing Pope.

One small nitpick:

The pacing can feel a bit dense in the middle history + politics + magic buildup = slow spots. But if you love immersive worldbuilding, it lands beautifully.

Overall? Strong must-read if you're into lush historical fantasy with steam, magic, and suspense.

It was the ideal book because of the crazy family dynamics, intriguing narrative, superb writing, lovely characters, and amusing banter. I really enjoyed this, and I would be thrilled if the author ever came back to this universe!

WOW! Yes, this was phenomenal! It's historical fantasy romance done right.
The story is set in Volterra, Italy, in the 15th century, but in this world, humans live alongside witches, fae, vampires and other magical creatures. While the Republic of Florence's leader was in favour of magic, the Pope was NOT, seeing magic as a sin and calling for the burning of all witches (sound familiar?). This book has multiple POVs but mainly follows Ravenna, a young woman who dreams of being a sculptor but does much of the work running her family's inn. She is also hiding from the world that she has magic. However, when her brother is imprisoned after the Medici family seizes power, she exposes magic during a sculpting competition to get a boon from the powerful Luni family (the immortal family). However, she is then kidnapped by the Luni family, who need her talents, dragging her into a battle between the powerful Medici and Luni family and the Pope himself. The heartless assassin, Saturnino dei Luni, is tasked with ensuring that she completes her goal; she must fight to save not only her life but the lives of the people of Florence.
As a lover of both historical fiction and romantasy, this book just gave me everything that I could want in a book. First, I loved that Isabel represented some essential facts about the Medici family in her story, for example, that they were patrons of art and supported artists like Leonardo da Vinci; they were also a powerful banking family and, of course, had many enemies! I also LOVED her commentary on the hypocritical nature of the Catholic Church; it is also very relevant to the current actions of many Christians around the world. This quote stood out to me the most " It's always amazed me how contrary to the New Testament most cardinals and priests and popes behave. The guilt and share they preach, spreading like sickness, like a plague .... Accepting payment in exchange for forgiveness and a place in eternity when it's supposed to be free. Grace for everyone, even someone born with a magical talent." Furthermore, she employs the Pope to illustrate how powerful men can proclaim something as a sin yet use it themselves to maintain power, rationalizing it as being for the greater good and assuring themselves of forgiveness. Something that is again being played out currently.

I loved the romance between Ravenna and Saturnino, the connection that slowly develops due to their attraction for one another, but also her vulnerability and confidence that begins to break down some of his barriers by showing him that humans are not all evil. Furthermore, Ravenna's ability to pick up on the smallest moments when Saturnino shows emotions and holds on to them as proof of his humanity reveals her profound hope as a person. The emotional development of Saturnino is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

My one critique is that I would have liked more from the world-building. How does the Fae King fit into the world? Does he have any influence at all? Is it a large kingdom? Also, did magical creatures come over from the fae lands, or have they always existed in the human lands? I was left wanting a little bit.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // ARC Review
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Saturday Books for the ARC of Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez! I was super excited to dive into this one after seeing all the hype, and the Renaissance Italy setting absolutely delivered. I loved how so many characters and events were inspired by real historical figures within the timeline—it gave the story a rich, immersive feel. At the end of the book she includes the historical links between reality and the fantasy she presented which I also thought gave it a really nice touch.

The writing was beautiful, and there were some wild plot twists, some I called, and others I was definitely surprised. I appreciated the clever foreshadowing that paid off in those “ah-ha!” moments later in the story.

That said, there were a few spots where the pacing dragged, and I had a hard time fully connecting with the main characters. But the final chapters really picked up, and I thought the ending wrapped things up in a pretty satisfying way. I just wish more of the book had that same spark I felt at the end!

Overall, this is a solid historical fantasy with gorgeous prose and a twisty plot. Fans of lush settings and Renaissance intrigue will definitely enjoy it.

Graceless Heart represents a compelling entry into the fantasy romance genre that successfully balances intimate character development with broader political intrigue. This book captivated me from beginning to end with a relatively fast-paced plot that kept me thoroughly engaged. The dialogue between the two main characters was particularly compelling, at times quite profound and thought-provoking for readers. The supporting characters were distinctively crafted, each possessing unique traits that made them memorable and unmistakable from one another.

Ravenna is a strong, courageous woman who is utterly devoted to her family and I found myself loving her just as much as Saturnino does. Speaking of this young man, you might think you have him figured out from his first appearance but throughout the story, secrets gradually unfold and you realize that Saturnino truly deserves to bring happiness to Ravenna. Oh, how I adore this couple!

Additionally, the magic system was constructed with reasonable thoroughness. I wish this element had been explored more extensively but if this is indeed a standalone novel, then everything feels just right as it is.