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!

Graceless Heart is beautifully written, with a vivid setting that’s easy to get lost in. Isabel Ibañez blends intrigue, adventure, and a touch of magic in a way that really pulled me in at times.

While the pacing wobbled here and there, and I wished for a bit more depth with some of the characters, I still enjoyed the journey. Fans of lush, atmospheric YA fantasy will likely have a great time with this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a e-ARC of Graceless Heart.

I was very excited about the premise of this book since it’s set in an alternative history of the Italian Renaissance, following a young female sculpture.

The book had all the ingredients to bake the perfect cake, however, Ibañez used the wrong measurements. I did enjoy the lyrical writing and the historical research used to create the atmosphere of the book. There were even phenomenal and quite poignant quotes about human nature that I loved.

The pacing of the plot did the writing and the poignant quotes a disservice. There were often repeated descriptions of characters and scenes that bogged down the plot. Even though there was some pay off to the slow plot, a lot happened within the percentage of the book which gave me whiplash.

The world building could’ve been better also. Ibañez introduced us to some interesting aspects of her alternative renaissance Italy, but it was not explored as much as I wanted to (like the different gem stones).

Some POVS, I felt, were surplus and a bit pointless since I thought it didn’t add much to the story. There were also other POVS that I wanted to hear more from (I.E the Courier).

Overall, it was a fun historical fiction read that read like a fairytale.

I'm typically a big fan of Isabel Ibanez, but this was a disappointment. I felt that the magic system wasn't explained very clearly at the beginning, and I remained a little confused and unimpressed with the magic system throughout the book. There was barely any exposition, which I would have appreciated considering the interesting historical time period. I didn't really get the appeal of Saturnino, either, which made the romance, a huge part of the book, fall flat for me. Ravenna was an interesting main character, but it also felt like things were just happening to her, rather than her doing much for the first part of the book to influence her situation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for a copy of this book!

One thing I love about Isabel’s Ibañez’s stories is that they are wholly original and creative. I know when I pick up one of her books I will be thrown back in time to explore both fact and fiction.

This particular book was good. I think Ibañez wrote about an interesting time in history and had some interesting characters that we followed. One thing that didn’t work well for me was the pope’s story. I felt like I did not understand his true motives and felt like if we spent more time with him I would be able to understand him more. I liked the idea of seeing the POV of both the protagonist and antagonist in the story and hope to see more of that in her future writing.

I really really wanted to like this book. It had all the perfect pieces (beautiful Italian setting, rich historical connections, magic, fae, and political drama), but unfortunately those pieces somehow just did not fit well together. I feel like I would have enjoyed it significantly more if the story did not feel so drawn out. It easily could have been 100 pages less and would have been much easier to digest.

I did enjoy the main characters and the plot as well as the different POV’s. However, there were some scenes in the beginning that just made absolutely no sense and really undermined the plot. For example; what was Ravenna hoping to accomplish by escaping and going back home?? Was she really so dense as to think that she could just go back home and live her life normally? Or that the Luni family wouldn’t hurt her family for her disobedience??

It almost feels like no one went back through the story to omit redundancies or scenes that hindered the plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and comments are my own.

I really wanted to love this and was certain I would as I've always heard great things about Isabel Ibanez - unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment.

I enjoyed the writing style and historical setting, and I loved the idea of real life history clashing with fantasy. Ibanez does have a very easy to read prose with lush descriptions. The cover is also very pretty.

That is really where the positives end for me. The novel felt very YA, which is fine - except the main character is 23. The things she says and does are more suited to a 13-15 year old, not an adult. She says and does whatever she wants, is impulsive, makes terrible decisions without thinking them through, and is overall not very intelligent. She had no cunning, she kept trying to escape, or following through with decisions like demanding to be brought to the most powerful man (king, basically) and making demands of him with no leverage. She huffs and puffs at everyone and it's just ridiculous.

I cannot say the other characters are any better. The MMC is boring, a combobulation of any and all romantasy tropes, with tons of eyebrow quirking. He cycles between trying to seduce Ravenna and threatening her life, and for the life of me I cannot understand how she fell for it. Their romance is based on the fact he is inhumanly attractive. I was hopeful for their dynamic as she started off feeling very scared of him and he was threatening and intimidating the first 20-30% through, but then she starts to fall for him after he calls her 'good girl.' They fall in love pretty quickly after that and in something like 75% of the way through she is wanting to have children with him. The other characters were also not very smart and I have no connection to any of them. No emotional impact whatsoever.

There were also phrases and words used so repetitively it was almost shocking. I do not want to read the words 'virgin stone' or hear about Lorenzo Medici's lions ever again!

The plot didn't do it for me and none of it made any sense. I could see this being something I enjoyed as a teenager, but not as an adult. It did not feel thought out at all and in all honesty, reading this made me take the author's other novels off my TBR.

I went into this with the worst attention span—lately I’ve been leaning toward short, quick reads with simple writing—and Graceless Heart is none of those things. Yet somehow, it swept me away and became one of my favorite books of the year.
I’d never read anything by this author before, but the gorgeous cover caught my eye, and I’d heard nothing but good things. I’m so glad I finally took the plunge.
This is a historical fantasy—something I usually avoid—but it completely worked for me. It’s clear the research was meticulous, yet it never bogged down the story or gave me the “dry history” feeling I dislike. We follow Ravenna, a young woman competing to save her brother, only to realize she’s essentially being held captive by a strange, unnerving family who clearly want something from her.
That family dynamic hooked me right away—reminiscent of Bury Our Bones and Interview with the Vampire. But the real magic? This is exactly the kind of fantasy and romantasy I’ve been craving: more political intrigue than endless battlefield scenes (because honestly, I’m tired of fantasy that’s just about war). The language, setting, and historical touches were spot-on, and the dual POV approach—mainly Ravenna, with brief chapters from others—added depth without slowing the pace.
And the twists? I didn’t see any of them coming. That almost never happens. The clues were there in hindsight, but they still managed to surprise me.
If you want a book with a well-constructed plot, layered characters, romance that doesn’t rely on smut every chapter, and a story that will keep you glued to the page from start to finish—this is it. I can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you to NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Saturday Books and my queen Isabel Ibañez for the ARC of Graceless Heart. The second I saw this cover, I knew I needed to read this book. The second I got the email saying I was approved for the ARC might have been the best part of my summer! I’d previously read the Secrets of the Nile duology by Ibañez, so I was familiar with her writing and knew I would like this. But did I know how much I would love this? I could’ve never guessed. This is now my favourite book of the year and I will rave about it until I run out of breath.

From the beginning, the vibes were reminding me of Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar, but Italian, and I was so into that (another fabulous read by the way). The best part of this whole book though was Ibañez’s writing: the story was beautifully woven, and she has such a natural talent with words and descriptions. I was sucked into Florence as if I was actually there.

The story is told, for the most part, from the POV of Ravenna, the main character. Every now and then though, we’d get a chapter from a different characters perspective and I thought that was a great touch as they were perfectly placed through the story.

The tension between Ravenna and Saturnino was swelteringly hot. This took enemies to lovers to a whole other level, I am so ruined by this couple. All the other characters were morally grey, you could never know who to trust. And yet, I somehow felt bad for one of the villains? Unbelievable.

This story was plot twist galore. I could not in a million years have predicted why the Luni family needed the Nightflame stones. And the plot twist in one of the final chapters? Betrayal that I could’ve never guessed not have seen coming! But karma was served as deserved.

Anyways, TL;DR is READ THIS DAMN BOOK! Best read of 2025 (sorry to everyone who has to wait until 2026 to read it).

4.5!

This checked all the boxes!

- <b>Great and creative world building </b> ✅
The book is set in Renaissance Italy and incorporates so many details of the time period, along with ✨magic✨
- <b>Faithful Enemies to Lovers </b> ✅
They were very much enemies, and then very much in love. The yearning was *chef’s kiss*
- <b>Good Pacing </b> ✅

I would definitely recommend this for a creative, heartachey, standalone novel.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

Graceless Heart- I really, REALLLY wanted to love this book. I was so excited for it. I love the authors previous duology based in Egypt, and I figured I would get those same feelings with this story, but I very much did not. I’ll still take a chance with any future books she writes because she seems lovely and like she does so much work and research for her stories. I think her strengths lay in history, and I’m interested to see her lean into that. But that’s none of my business I suppose!

I’ll start with things I enjoyed:
-the cover is gorgeous!
-the author clearly did her research of the time and location where the story takes place. I could feel her heart and intentions for the story with every page. The setting is lush and descriptive.

And now to everything I didn’t enjoy, which is everything else:
-the characters fall flat. They have no personality. I felt nothing for them.
-the relationship between the FMC and the MMC was boring, unbelievable, and they had no chemistry at all.
-I wish for flashback chapters of her brother and her as kids or his pov in current times to show how close they were. His role in the book felt like a throwaway to try to add more emotional element and it didn’t work. She says she cares for him, but she doesn’t act like it. I won’t say too much more because I don’t want to spoil anything.
-the MMC is quite literally a murderer. He kills people for very little reason, and the FMC says it bothers her but then she goes on to immediately lust after him. He isn’t morally gray. He isn’t killing because he’s a hero. He’s killing because a guard fell asleep on duty? Nah. I’m out.
-Ravenna, our FMC, felt like a 15 year old girl with her internal dialogue. The author wrote the internal dialogue in a way that I don’t think humans actually think, and it made it feel VERY YA. She’s also very stupid and makes dumb decisions constantly. She also talks like a child. This is supposed to be her adult debut but the FMC did NOT feel like an adult.
-The most interesting and well rounded character was the Courier, whom we get very little time with but he seems to be a very important part of the story, yet we never actually find out who he is. I think the book would have been better had it been about him. I also felt that he and Ravenna had wayyyy more chemistry than she had with Saturnino, and I think he should have been the love interest. Saturnino is the biggest yawn.
-Saturnino is the biggest example ever of a copy paste, romantasy trope mmc. He’s tall with dark hair, he raises his eyebrows a lot. He’s very serious, and quite mean, but maybe there’s a soft heart in there somewhere? Oh wait yes there is because he changes personalities and becomes soft and in love in one second after being abusive and cruel the entire time before. Eye roll.
-Ravenna is petrified of her magic so we don’t get to see it much or have it explained, and there are instances where she could use it to protect herself but chooses not to (it’s not even brought up), and others where her magic flares and is used. I’m curious why sometimes it’s mentioned and other times not. She seems to get attacked ALOT. why is everyone trying to choke her constantly?
-Magic is mentioned but only seen once or twice randomly. It isn’t threaded into their everyday lives which I understand because the pope is anti magic but at the same time even at the Palazzo where it doesn’t there to be hidden it isn’t mentioned. It seems like she randomly remembers there’s supposed to be magic and adds it in a couple small places. I wish for either a ton more magic, or none at all. This could have been a solid story even without any magic.
-other things are mentioned that feel mentioned for the sake of making the book feel more “fantasy”, though we never hear much more about them or see them, such as werewolves, vampires, fae, etc. There is the barest sprinkle of information here and it would have been cool to have those other creatures intertwined with the story in some way instead of just knowing they exist out there somewhere.

Things I recommend:
If you’re going to read this, I would flip to the back and read and authors note first. I wish this had been at the beginning because it explains the actual history going on at the time and sets the scene for why and where the story takes place.

I would also go into the book with the understanding that’s it’s more of a historical fiction book, not so much a romance or even fantasy. It’s historical fiction with a couple of fantasy elements sprinkled in, and a very boring romance that I could have done without.

This novel really grabbed my attention with the magical historical combo. But in the end I felt like it fell flat to me - I just could not really get into the story or care that much about any of the characters. It’s neat that many of the characters are historical figures but somehow the addition of magic - plus random mentions of fae and vampires- just starts to feel odd. It doesn’t quite come together for me. 2.5 stars, rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

One stone tucked in the heart of a statue changed her fate. But at what cost?

💜💛Arc Review: Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez💛💜
This eBook was provided to me by @netgalley in exchange for a review.

Ravenna has always been unique, especially by the standards of her small-town community of 15th century Volterra, Italy. Cursed with forbidden and secret magic that puts a target on not only her back, but her family’s as well, Ravenna has worked hard to support those she loves by running her family’s inn, while also practicing her own passion, marble sculpting, in her free time. However, when the Medici family invades her community, her brother Antonio’s life is at stake. Ravenna decides to reveal her magic to the community during a sculpting competition held by a wealthy family of immortal fae, the Luni famiglia, much to her parent’s dismay, for the chance at a boon to save her brother’s life.

After winning the competition, she is whisked away with the Luni family to be their personal artist and fulfill their mysterious request for five pieces of art. While she does not want to give in to them, their beautiful and harsh son, Saturnino, makes it clear that she is no longer in control and must do their bidding.

In an alternate version of 15th century Florence, the home of the Renaissance, this story blends real history, including the Medici takeover, and magic, to create a whimsical and atmospheric tale that had me spellbound from the first page.

I was immediately obsessed with the mixture of recognizable Italian words with the English prose - it made me feel like I was in Italy. Callbacks to certain historical figures and events (Jeanne D’Arc, the Pope, Leonardo DaVinci) also made it feel like a tale that could have truly transpired.

The love story between Ravenna and Saturnino was gorgeous and perfect and everything that made me swoon.

The secondary characters in this novel are sublime - from Ravenna’s family to the evil Pope, all five of the Luni’s, sweet Ombretta the cat… I was excited to see each and every one of them whenever they came up upon the page.

This book is one of my new favourites of all time. I will be thinking about it well beyond the last page, and look forward to purchasing the hardback when it released in January.

3⭐️🥹
I really enjoyed the immersive worldbuilding and felt the plot was unique, but I struggled to connect with the characters. I often found myself putting the book down instead of eagerly picking it up. Unfortunately, the stakes didn’t resonate with me, and while the book contained adult scenes, the overall tone felt more young adult.

The magic system felt grossly underdeveloped, and several tropes I normally enjoy didn’t feel as well executed as I’d hoped.

Read if you like:
✅ Historical fantasy set in Renaissance Italy
✅ Forbidden magic
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Religious fanatics and political intrigue
✅ Bargains, mystery, and spying 🕵️

I did enjoy this story overall, but I went in with very high expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a novel of magical fantasy pinned onto history, that of Florence and the Medici family. Ravenna is a sculptor, she is also magical. She hates her magical ability and is afraid of its power. It separates her from her family and her community. In order to save her brother Ravenna enters a sculpture competition, adding a magic stone to her work. She succeeds. She is exactly what a powerful family of immortals was looking for and they whisk her off to Florence. A complicated tale ensues with intrigue, magic and romance. I personally found the overlay onto Medici Florence to be a bit awkward. I would recommend The Stone Witch of Florence by Anne Rasche for a better mash up of magic and historical fiction.

Out January 13th, 2026
Graceless Heart sweeps you into a lush, high-stakes world where magic pulses beneath every decision and love is as dangerous as it is irresistible. The story centers on a fierce heroine caught between duty and desire, navigating a kingdom on the brink of collapse. There’s political intrigue, forbidden romance, and a touch of rebellion—all wrapped in a setting that feels rich and cinematic. It’s the kind of fantasy that makes you want to stay up way too late just to see what happens next.

What really works is how the emotional beats hit hard without ever feeling forced. The relationships—especially the romantic tension—are intense and messy in the best way. There’s a sense of urgency throughout, and while a few plot twists feel familiar, they’re executed with enough flair to keep things exciting. If anything, the story could’ve lingered a bit longer in some of its quieter moments; those scenes had real depth and deserved more space to breathe.

All in all, Graceless Heart delivers a satisfying blend of drama, magic, and heartache. It’s not flawless, but it’s undeniably captivating. If you’re into fantasy that leans romantic but doesn’t skimp on danger or stakes, this one’s worth the read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saturday Books for this fun ARC!