This was the first novel I’ve read from Ibañez, but it was a pleasant surprise. The historical setting and magic combined made for an intriguing combination and atmospheric read. It starts off slow but the pace picks up further into the story. I felt that the romance was a bit rushed, however, and compared to the other elements of the story, like the historical aspect, the romance plotline/development wasn’t as fully fleshed out as I would have liked to see.

This was a historical romance that I really did enjoy. I loved how the plot kept me guessing and the ending was not predictable in the slightest. The storyline was well constructed and you can tell the author did her research.

Graceless Heart is a historical fiction-fantasy with a plot set in Italy in the fifteenth century. I was interested in this book due to the fantasy elements mentioned but after reading the historical fiction aspects are what ended up blowing me away.
The uniqueness of the setting in combination with the writing style had me in a choke hold. I COULDNT GET ENOUGH. this book was so refreshing and the writing style was stunning.
The plot was purposefully crafted to where I was slightly suspicious of pretty much everything and even the parts that were predictable were satisfying as a reader.
My only criticism is that the magic system was somewhat confusing but I didn’t even care because I loved the story too much.
This will def be a hit in the fantasy space of books once it releases and would so recommend if you love fantasy, strong fmc, and enemies to lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the ARC!!!

Graceless Heart hooked me right from the start with its mix of emotion and drama. The characters felt real and flawed in the best way. But the cat was my absolute favorite and I loved every scene it was in.

Some parts moved a little slow but overall I had a great time reading it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Graceless Heart is a historical fantasy set in Medici Italy. It follows Ravenna, a young sculptress with magic lake powers who catches the eye of a powerful immortal family. Forced into their service she works tirelessly to escape but in the meantime gets caught up in blackmail and intrigue as well as developing feelings for their aloof oldest son.

I was totally caught up in the twists and turns this book had. You would think there was a big reveal when another one came crashing after. The political intrigue was handled well and not too confusing.

I love the enemies-to-lovers trope and this book did not disappoint. The romantic tension and buildup is high as well.

Ravenna’s powers could be explored a little more but overall I was satisfied. This is more heavily historical than world building fantasy so keep that in mind when reading.

I enjoyed learning about the real historical events and historical figures this was based on the in the afterward.

If you love morally grey characters, villain romances, historical settings, and political intrigue and a lot of back stabbing then this one is for you. I will review this book on my Instagram and TikTok : Hijabi.booknook and on my Goodreads violets_booknook as well as on my threads: Violet.rose.mary_

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I absolutely LOVED The Secrets of Nile Duology by Isabel and this is her magical standalone adult romantasy and it was SO GOOD. The way this story flowed flawlessly from page to page and the backdrop and vivid descriptions made you feel as though you were walking this story, made this such a magical book read. I loved the characters, I felt as though they were strong, well written and developed and they had amazing dynamics, the world building was perfectly done and the ending of this was absolutely the best. For a debut adult read, this hit the head on the nail, it was fantastic and I am going to give it a perfect little simmer of spice, just enough to give those romance readers a little hit and those beginner romance readers a little to dip their toes in. Put this on your TBR quickly friends.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Simmer Spice, Banter, Tension, Renaissance Italy Setting, Strong FMC, Fast Pace, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Magic, Forbidden Love, Politics

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books

A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book!

Alexa, play "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus..

"I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming, But there's a voice inside my head saying, you'll never reach it"..

my "dream" became reaching the end of this book and honestly I was starting to think I wouldn't see it. Overall I did love this book but I felt it could be told in half the pages. That's just my useless opinion however.

This book offers beautiful ambiance. I loved the dose of rich Italian history being brought to life, I love a good church conspiracy (especially when it's high up involving the Pope). I loved the fae being woven into Italian history. There aren't many books out there where the fae come across Italians and I really liked that combination. Being Italian with an extra special interest in witchcraft gave this book an extra special place in my heart.

And the ENDING!?!? Oh mio dio, era assolutamente meraviglioso! Perfezione in ogni modo, uno dei migliori che abbia mai letto!! 🤌🏻


Shout-out to the Author! In reading the about the Author, we learn this was the first book our author has given us after having TWINS!.. I'm sorry.. I had 1 kid at a time & could barely remember to wipe my butt, as she's just casually out here dropping masterpieces! GO GIRL! 👏🏼 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼Because other than my personal feel that this was a little too long, it was an otherwise PHENOMENAL read.


I will definitely be purchasing a hardcopy for myself. While there might be parts I skip through, there are also as many parts i'd like to relive forever


This is my review which as of today can be found on the following platforms:
Goodreads
Tiktok
Bookmory
Fable
StoryGraph

I overall enjoyed this book more than not. Ravenna was an interesting character and I loved her relationship with Saturnino. I loved Ibañez's writing; it really made it easy to fly through the book. For the things I didn't like, I did get a little tired or Ravenna's naïveté at times. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the character development among the side characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC! This was one of my most anticipated reads and I'm so glad I got to read it early.

I was immediately absolutely HOOKED by the premise of this book. I mean - immortal family, competition, THE POPE??? And all set in Renaissance Italy? I was seated like never before. And it's safe to say these aspects of the book did not disappoint one bit. I adored the setting and the political drama and the CHARACTERS and the magic. Ibanez truly created such an enchanting version of Florence, and I never wanted to leave it. I think the only reason it took me an absurdly long time to read this book was... the start. I genuinely didn't care about Ravenna's family, or her motivation - I found her life before quite uninteresting and I didn't really get her desire to get involved in the competition in the first place. Even the setting of Volterra didn't excite me as much. But I was so excited (and in love) with the rest of the book - I'm glad I stuck around! The romance also wasn't super obsession-worthy for me, but I just think the world, characters, and intrigue were all so great that I didn't mind it.

I heard there's another standalone in this series??? I will be tuning in!

Thank you so much for the ARC!

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, so when I see that genre combined with magic and all that is this fantastical, you bet I'm going to request it and read the hell out of it. Isabel Ibañez's Graceless Heart was a brilliant read. She has created characters, specifically Saturnino, that were richly complex but relatable and redeemable. Her descriptions felt so unbelievably vivid and had me hooked like I have not been for quite some time. The world-building was heart-stopping and, frankly, made me doubt my own writing skills at times... so, yeah, it was amazingly done. Ravenna annoyed me at times, as she could be somewhat whiny and frustrating, but this wasn't a deal breaker. I think I would've liked a bit more of a split between both MMC and FMC POVs.

This book is going to be big, I know it.

Amazing read that had me completely hooked. The story and of course the characters were absolutely amazing. Definitely everyone needs to read this book

A sculptress with forbidden magic. A dangerous rival. Renaissance Florence dripping with secrets.

Lush worldbuilding, gorgeous prose, and a slow-burn romance that’s equal parts dagger and kiss. This one feels like a masterpiece in motion.

⭐ 4.5/5 – enemies-to-lovers + forbidden magic = perfection.

Graceless Heart is a historical fantasy chock full of twists, turns, deceit and romance! Ravenna is just trying to be a perfect daughter and sister. She is so used to pushing down who and what she really is, but a situation with her brother forces her to start taking some chances. One thing leads to another and we are thrown into the world of two high power Italian families, the pope and the cities where they rule. This story will have you wondering who you can trust until the very end! There are so many characters who play major roles and each one will have you asking if they are friends or foes. The MMC is delicious and his story is heartbreaking. The FMC is put in an impossible position and she has to learn how to trust herself to be able to navigate it. This book truly has it all!

First things first, THE TENSION. I love when tension & yearning is done so right, and trust me… it was 👏🏼 It took me a little longer to get into this book then usual, I think it might of been the multiple point of views that I am not used to. Once I got into it though, I was hooked!! I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming, especially the brother?? Great storytelling, can’t wait to recommend this to my bookclub!

Miles better than her previous series in my opinion. I don't know why there's kind of been a gargoyle/statue love interest trend (or maybe my recs lately have decided that I, specifically, need to read more of this genre), but I am into it and I think it's a nice change from the norm. If we're gonna have our typical geriatric male lead, we're gonna have to switch it up to keep it fresh and Isabel Ibanez does it here. I also love anything Medici related, so I am definitely biased.

Graceless Heart was such an unexpected read for me! Ravenna is a multifaceted, complex character, and I never quite knew what to expect from her as the story unfolded.

This is a politically charged slow-burn romantasy set in Renaissance Italy. Our FMC, Ravenna, is a talented sculptress who enters a high-stakes competition in hopes of saving her brother, only to find herself in an unimaginable situation. Soon, she’s swept into a dangerous world of magic, rising political tension, the Pope’s ruthless influence, and her own conflicting religious beliefs.

The story builds slowly at first, with tensions gradually rising between Ravenna and Saturnino, our morally grey MMC. Saturnino was so frustratingly hot and cold in the best possible way. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he flipped again. It was giving yearning, but I can’t in the best way.

Isabel Ibañez crafted an incredibly immersive world, with period-accurate details that made Renaissance Italy feel authentic and alive. I especially appreciated the care taken with the setting and atmosphere.

While the pacing felt a bit slow in the beginning, it quickly picked up, and the inclusion of different POV chapters kept me engaged.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy magic, enemies to lovers tension, slow burn romance, and richly drawn, complex characters.

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a phenomenal surprise!

Beautiful cover, great plot, renaissance Florence, magic, the Pope, the Medicis, magic, witches, a black cat named Ombretta, feelings, families, betrayal, spies, fae, vampyres, magical gemstones. (As I texted a friend trying to get her to read this book right away!)

I was immediately deeply fascinated with the location and time period this book takes place in 15th century Florence during the 'rule' of Lorenzo de'Medici. Having been to Florence once I felt like I could imagine each scene taking place, and gosh does it make me want to go again. The city should endorse the book for the publicity! I was deeply intrigued by the plot, even more so since some of the events share a resemblance to historical occurrences, of course with witches and magic thrown in. This time period was so fascinating for the city and region that it astonishes me more people don't base their books in this time. I will need to seek out the ones that do now!

I found Ravenna a sympathetic and likeable FMC and particularly enjoyed her skills and passion for the art of sculpting! An uncommon trait for most heroines in the books I've read. Discovering the intricacies of her loyalties to her family, the town of Volterra, and the cultural role religion takes at this time made her actions all the more interesting. It felt particularly apt for what I know of Italy at this time and what a young woman might be thinking about.

The Luni family were fascinating and I was so excited that some of the chapters were from their point of view. A mystery inside a conundrum inside a perfectly beautiful and lethal family ruling alongside the Medicis of Florence. I found Saturnino's character development particularly interesting throughout the book.

This was such a great read. Excellent plot with so many twists and turns, phenomenal setting and historical realism, greatly interesting characters (even when they weren't 'the good guys'), and great writing. There were a few tiny plot points which left me wanting more, but I can't tell if there's going to be a followup book or if they're little misses (the courier??) Overall, I loved it! I feel so lucky to have been able to read it and feel like it could be something special for readers. Plus did I mention the cover is *stunning*.

Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really fun and enjoyable historical fantasy romance that includes murder, treachery, and magic. The book was full of some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, Who did this to you, and a male main character that would do anything to protect his love. This book was full of betrayals from characters I expected, and some I didn’t. There were many moments of shock and awe. There were plot twists I wasn’t anticipating and a few that I did anticipate and I was so happy to be right. I loved the slow burn between the main characters. I thought that the magic system was unique and creative.

Rich, vivid, and brimming with heart. Ibañez's storytelling feels like being wrapped in a lush tapestry - every detail is gorgeous, and the emotions run deep.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the eARC!

Graceless Heart was a thrilling, enchanting story. Ibañez brings Renaissance Florence to life through her gorgeous descriptions, and I loved getting caught up in the political intrigue full of opposing forces closing in on all sides. The tension and yearning of this romance were strong from the start, and Ibañez was able to keep that tension throughout the story, which I love in a romantasy! Ravenna and Saturnino are enemies-to-lovers done right, with true hatred slowly blooming into a deep connection.

The book did take a little bit to click with me. I had trouble initially connecting with Ravenna despite her complex characterization; however, once she arrived in Florence, her personality and the story crystallized for me, and I was swept away by the plot. So, if anyone else has a similar experience when starting, I think it's worth continuing! There were a few small questions left unanswered that left me a bit unsatisfied, and some things I wanted a bit more of, but not enough to really bother me.

If you're a fan of magic in a historical setting, political intrigue, and a romance full of yearning and complications keeping them apart, pick this up!