A historical fantasy set in 1400s Florence, Graceless Heart tells the story of a sculptress (with magic powers of cooourse) who is kidnapped by a powerful family to perform a miracle for them. The setting of Florence comes alive so beautifully and we get the Medici family, Leonardo de Vinci, and the Pope as characters.

This story started and ended so strong for me. I was so hooked in the beginning and it was a page turner in the end, but the middle chunk of this book was a lot of small details and politics setting up the story but I was not engaged. I was losing steam and it felt like a chore to pick it up in these middle chapters but the mystery kept me going. I'm glad I stuck it out because the ending delivered!

The romance fell flat for me until the ~big reveal~ that upped the stakes (I loved the concept!). However I loved that it is a truuuue evil villain to lover story.

The multiple POVs felt chaotic at times. As I was already reading in third person it seemed random switching to another POV at times the way it veered from the regular chapter names.

Overall loved seeing historical Florence come to life AND with magic!

This book was absolutely beautiful. It was sculpted with great care, like one of Ravenna's statues would be. I loved the unique plot and twists, and the tension between the two main characters was fantastic. I hung on every word, and I'm looking forward to a potential sequel. I'll definitely be recommending this one to friends!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I am a big fan of Isabel Ibañez and have been recommending (and handselling!) her YA fantasy to no end ever since I devoured What the River Knows. Graceless Heart is atmospheric and vivid -- no one does historical fantasy like Isabel Ibañez does. Overall, I don't think that it quite lives up to her past work, but it's a beautifully full-feeling world with real surprises in the story (especially if you're not up on the dates of your renaissance history, but also with the twists and turns of the magic she crafts!). A lovely adult debut and a book I will be happy to recommend and happier to re-read when I get my hard copy.

I received an ARC on NetGalley and here are my thoughts.. I really liked this book! I am so here for the dynamic between the FMC and MMC, (I like my men toxic)! The whole premise is very interesting and I really liked the little “sayings or phrases” in Italian, it made the book feel a lot more “authentic”. I also really like the “unwilling hero” trope that was shown in a few ways (IMO). Definitely will look out for more books by this author!

Graceless heart was such a fun and interesting setting to take place and I was one of favorite things about the book. I loved the idea of being in the time of the Renaissance along with following the Medici family. I thought have magic infused with stone and what that brought was a really good expansion into the book. As far as the characters I really enjoyed our FMC, I thought Ravenna was caught in war and has to make some really tough decision and the idea of how much would you do for the people you love was a strong theme. Saturnino was broody and brutal to the start the book but as you went along into the story you were able to dissect his character. I did like their relationship although for me it was really back and forth with them for a long time and didn’t keep me fully engaged. I overall enjoyed the book and thought it was unique world within history. Thank you for allowing me to read in advanced.

Thank you net galley and the publishers for the e-ARC <3
The cover and the setting of this story really drew me in. I thought it was so unique to be set in Italy during that time period and I haven’t come across many romance/fantasy books with a similar setting. I also was really interested in the sculpting aspect. Ultimately, I ended up dnfing this because I did not get along with the writing style and the pacing. The writing felt very juvenile to me and there was a lot of hand-holding with how things were explained to the reader which is a personal pet-peeve of mine. I also found it extremely fast paced to a fault. I didn’t have time to get to know Ravenna before she was taken from her family so I found it hard to care about what was happening to her. I think this book had a lot of promise, but is probably better suited for someone who usually reads YA and is dipping their toe into adult genres.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I honestly don’t even know where to begin. I just finished “Graceless Heart” by Isabel Ibañez and I feel full — like I’ve just lived through something intense and beautiful, and now I’m struggling to come back to reality. 

This book was a sensory experience even before it was a narrative one: it smells like carved marble, ink and wax, smoke, and spring air in Florence. It wrapped around me and pulled me into a Renaissance Florence that felt alive and dangerous, but also deeply romantic — and letting it go was SO hard.



The story follows Ravenna, a young sculptor who can touch and shape “Magic Stones” — a magical gift she fears and must keep hidden at all costs, or risk excommunication and the downfall of her entire family. But to save her brother, she enters a sculpting competition hosted by the immortal family of Luni, loyal to Lorenzo de’ Medici, and is forced to reveal her gift. After winning the competition, she’s brought to court for a secret mission: to sculpt five large stone blocks that contain the Magic Stones and retrive them. I won’t spoil why — but this task changes everything for Ravenna. It’s here that he appears —Saturnino— heir to the family of Luni, a man who is cold, silent, enigmatic and utterly ruthless... someone who seems to have every reason to hate her, but also every reason to not stay away.



The dynamic between them is everything I love in an enemies to lovers: a textbook slow burn, tension high from the very first page, attraction layered with mistrust, a constant push and pull that had my head spinning (in the best way). Isabel Ibañez’s writing is elegant yet emotionally intense — every lingering glance, accidental touch, and unsaid word felt vivid and electric.

One of the things I love most in a romance — and that “Graceless Heart” delivers in the most beautiful and heartbreaking way — is that unbearable emotional tension when characters fight with everything they have NOT to feel.

That silent, internal struggle — all restraint, glances, and space carefully kept — the desperate attempt to not fall, to not want, to not need. Until, inevitably, it all crashes down. And admiration, desire, and love can no longer be denied. 

And this book? It has all of that — and so much more.
I felt it most intensely through Saturnino. Scarred by a cruel past, he is cautious, hard, closed off — completely inhuman in his restraint. It’s as if denying himself any humanity is the only way he knows how to live. But Ravenna slowly carves her way into him, and against all odds, she changes him, she humanizes him.



What I loved even more is how this transformation isn’t only shown through Saturnino himself — it’s also mirrored through the eyes of others, and somehow that made it hit even harder. Mr. Luni noticing, almost in disbelief, how Saturnino looks at Ravenna and defends her — and he wan’t aware of doing so. Or Leonardo da Vinci (yes, he’s a character!) telling Ravenna that Saturnino fought for her with Lorenzo de’ Medici, and calling him — with a touch of fondness — “her admirer”. These little moments, revealed by others, broke down my defenses just as Saturnino was letting go of his.

That’s when a story really leaves a mark on me: when love isn’t only shown through grand declarations, but through cracks, resistance, silent effort. When love manifests ‘despite everything’.
Saturnino broke my heart and then healed it, and Ravenna was the perfect mirror for his battle. Together, they were a slow, burning wildfire — impossible to stop.

I felt my heart clench, melt, race — again and again. And when things get steamy… oh, they get steamy! There are a couple of sensual scenes, written gracefully but definitely open door, and so emotionally earned that they feel like an explosion after all that tension. So beautifully done.

And beyond the romance, the story offers so much more: the political intrigue is sharp and dangerous, full of power games, hidden alliances, ancient secrets, and whispered threats in palace corridors. Magic plays a crucial role — a quiet, artistic kind of magic tied to beauty, creation, and truth. 

And Ravenna, who at first is just a desperate, impulsive girl trying to protect her family, slowly grows into a woman who learns to accept herself and fight for what she loves — even if it means losing everything. I adored her arc. But even more, I adored Saturnino’s, who — like stone — allows himself to be chipped away bit by bit, revealing wounds, longing, and deep scars and feelings beneath the emotional armor he hides behind. And it’s Ravenna, the sculptor, who breaks through that armor.



The ending made me so happy: a full and satisfying HEA with a bow-on-top, while still leaving the tiniest door open… just enough to make me NEED a sequel. The kind of ending that makes you sigh, not from sadness, but from gratitude.

Also — can we talk about the cover? It’s gorgeous. A perfect reflection of the book’s atmosphere: elegant, mysterious, artistic. One of those books you want to keep on display just because of how beautiful it is — inside and out.

Yes, there are a couple of sensual scenes (as mentioned), and a bit of explicit language (a few f-bombs), so if you’re sensitive to that, just be aware. But none of it overshadows the emotional depth of the story. If anything, it adds to the balance — desire, emotion, and tension all in harmony.



My only note? There are a few inaccuracies in the use of Italian words and expressions. As an Italian myself, I couldn’t help but notice them — and they might be a bit distracting for Italian readers — but aside from that, in everything else this book is truly perfection!



In conclusion, “Graceless Heart” left me with a full heart and teary eyes. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves complex love stories set in rich, atmospheric worlds — to anyone who adores strong heroines and romantic leads with marble hearts… that only melt for one person. This book completely enchanted me. And I already need to reread it.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Isabel Ibañez, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this masterpiece early in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Isabel Ibañez is one of my favorite authors. I loved this book. Like her other books, this is enemies-to-lovers trope which I love. The magic system and side characters are interest enough that I hope this would be a series. I especially would like the story of the courier, please 🙏🏼. The story started slow, but picked soon enough. A must read!

3.5 stars. The world building in this was fantastic, and I loved reading about all of the details that were included.

The romance between Saturnino and Ravenna felt jarring with their love/hate relationship, and didn’t quite work for me. (As a side note, did anyone else picture Saturnino as Stefan from Vampire Diaries?)

I really liked the first half of this, but the second half felt slightly chaotic. I still enjoyed it though.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5

huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a advanced copy in exchange for an honest review


· · ─ graceless heart is nothing short of brilliant. every single word, every single page was lucious and filled with the most beautiful description ever. even a month (or so) after reading this, i still can remember every single detail about this book, about these characters. Ibañez is a masterful storyteller and her adult debut shows that. ─ · ·

࿔‧ ֶָ֢˚˖ Saturnino is not likeable at all at first, and it's not supposed to be that way. i mean i have a soft spot for hot characters who are lowk rude (i know, i have issues) but he drew me in. maybe it was his described looks (again, sucker for a hottie) or maybe it was i could tell that the redemption of him was gonna be GOOD and boy was it. him and ravenna's relationship was so complex and so twisty that it made me turn the page over and over again. the TENSION. the YEARNING. omg the yearning in this book was insane. ˖˚ֶָ֢ ‧࿔

⋆༺𓆩this book had the atmosohere, because Ibañez dropped us into ancient italy with such good storytelling that i felt like i was there. like yes i will be meeting my own saturnino on the street. hola signore i am but a poor hopeless maiden. but i digress. the plotline was so woven through perfectly that i could go paragraphs on it but i won't, instead i will say that there were a few things that happened that made me so mad but also i was rooting for ravenna because can i just say she was such a likeable fmc??? she girlbossed in such a steady way. and the plot twist at the end ?? it had me mouth dropped before i realized that i called it earler lollll anwaysss.𓆪༻⋆

this book is beautiful. go read it.

I need to start by acknowledging how beautiful not only Ravenna is, but also her name. I am thoroughly obsessed. Graceless Heart follows our FMC, Ravenna, through her stay with the Luni family and task given by them. The setting is Renaissance Italy and I thought that was a really fun choice (especially because we got a Leonardo Da Vinci cameo). The author is clearly very passionate about that time period and it made the book that much better. I loved the complexities of the characters, especially Ravenna and Saturnino. I would really love to say more but I really think it’s best to go in mostly blind. I would definitely recommend this book to those that like enemies to lovers, slow burn, poetic MMC’s, pet names, strong FMC’s, and historical romance. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book by Isabel Ibañez and this one did not disappoint. Ravenna is an innkeeper's daughter who has a passion of sculpting out of stone along with secrets powers that must stay hidden due to witches being burned at the stake in 15the century Italy. When she wins a sculpting competition in order to free her brother she finds herself being held captive by the immortal Luni family and drawn to their eldest son. Given an impossible task Ravenna is forced to push herself to the limit while trying not to fall for the son of her captors. I absolutely adored this book and loved how it merged perfectly historical fiction and romantasy into one wonderful book!

2.75. I was so looking forward to this book because the first edition is gorgeous, but the story inside doesn't match the cover.

The FMC, Ravenna, was a sculptress who sculpts stone despite the criticism from the town. To save her brother, she enters a competition to sculpt a statue worthy of capturing the attention of the city's most infamous family.
So, to be blunt this just wasn't my cup of tea. The synopsis sounded more intriguing than the book ended up being. It fell flat for a few reasons, the biggest reason being that the "immortal family" was dull, and the MMC, Saturnino, was described as "devoid of emotion" and "sardonic" at LEAST 500 times. I was about to pull my hair out simply from reading those two words so many times. He's a half-lidded grump, we got it.

The inclusion of the Pope was meh, I didn't enjoy the chapters related to him. We were introduced in the beginning to a long list of magic stones but essentially those are all irrelevant save for one. And the romance between Ravenna and Saturnino felt too jumpy for my liking; it was basically a "I hate you" one minute, and "I'm obsessed with you" the next type of scenario. A true enemies-to-lovers is a slippery slope, because if an author is going to commit to that trope, then they need to be able to merge the enemies into lovers seamlessly, and that didn't happen in Graceless Heart.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced digital copy.

Of course! Here’s a shorter version of the review:

⸻

Review: Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez
🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐ (4.5/5)

Lush, romantic, and utterly transportive, Graceless Heart weaves forbidden magic, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance into a dazzling standalone fantasy set in Renaissance Italy. Ravenna’s journey - from desperate sculptress to key player in a war for power - gripped me from start to finish. With rich prose and high stakes, Isabel Ibañez delivers a beautifully crafted tale of love, sacrifice, and survival.

Graceless Heart is a very unique fantasy romance. It tackles themes of sexism, politics, art, and most notably, religious corruption. The story takes place during the Medici era in Florence, and I was captivated by the role that the Catholic Church plays. The pope is sinister, eerie, and wholly corrupt. Magic users / witches are treated as the embodiment of evil in the book, often killed, imprisoned, and forced into hiding.

Ravenna is a young witch who reveals her magic when competing in a sculpting competition, where the winner is promised any boon that they wish for. The competition is hosted by the Luni family — an immortal family that wields immeasurable power and magic. They force Ravenna to come with them back to Florence and away from her family, and is tasked with a job that seems utterly impossible. If she fails to complete her task, she will be killed.

The Lunis are nothing short of cruel and distant, but Ravenna can’t help but be drawn to the eldest son and most powerful member of the family — Saturnino — despite his apparent hatred and apathy for Ravenna.

The element of hypocrisy is astoundingly well done — the pope uses wizards and sources of magic as a tool despite condemning magic as evil. Ravenna herself is coveted for her powers and caught in the crossfire of a war between two opposing sides. The Pope and the Medicis and Lunis all fight over her to use her as a weapon. The Pope is such a multifaceted character, and his hypocrisy was a perfect commentary on religion as a whole, because it is often hypocritical in what it teaches. In general, most of the characters in this book were morally gray, caught between what is deemed morally good and morally bad.

My main issue with the story was its pacing. The middle dragged on and was a bit hard to get through at times, especially when Ravenna is trying day after day to withdraw the magic from the stones as per the Luni’s demand. Saturnino’s dark humor and mercurial attitude helped break up the slower parts — the enemies-to-lovers dynamic was excellent and didn’t dissolve into love too quickly! 

This isn’t your typical fantasy romance novel, and while I think the plot needed a bit of a boost, I really enjoyed the story!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's and NetGalley for this ARC!!

Graceless Heart offers a unique blend of Renaissance art and magic, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic has its moments. However, the pacing feels uneven and some of the world-building is underdeveloped. It's a solid but flawed read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed some of this author’s prior works and was excited to read her newest fantasy. Overall I had mixed feelings regarding this work both immediately after finishing it and when letting it sit for a little while.

The setting is in Florence centuries ago and I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of fantasy elements interposed with known figures/families and historical events.

The story follows an FMC who finds herself stuck working for a powerful family with only a sliver of information on what she is meant to do and why. Her main motivation to do what she does is her family and I admire her determination to do so throughout the story.

I did find the relationship to be mostly explained from the FMCs point of view rather than shown, especially with her parents. It would have added an interesting element to have seen some of the complexities of the relationship play out.

The relationship between the FMC and the MMC was entertaining, but didn’t feel fully fleshed. I appreciated the fact that the FMC stuck with her feelings, complicated as they were, and wasn’t entirely dissuaded by the MMCs dismissal of her.

Magic was frequently mentioned and occasionally used, though the story didn’t go into much detail. The FMC possesses magic and was avoidant and reluctant of it nearly the entire storyline until the end when she suddenly has an epiphany and adopts the opposite mentality.

While it may not be the most memorable novel from this author, I did overall enjoy reading it and will continue to read her future works.

A fun concept from a fabulous writer, but I couldn't quite get on board with the magical twist. Maybe I'm not fantastical enough!

First I have to say thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed below are solely my own from reading.

Isabel Ibañez you've done it again! I devoured her previous two books, What the River Knows and Where the Library Hides; I devoured this one too! I had been in a slump and finished this one in just days. Her books fill a niche interest I have in historical fiction and fantasy. Those have been my two favorite genres since I was a kid so when I can read a book where they collide, I am a happy camper.

The magic system in this book is interesting. It is woven in very well and isn't overly explained, but also didn't leave me confused. The writing style overall is palpable, it wraps you up in the story and makes you frantically continue along with the characters.

Speaking of the characters...Ibañez can write a cool and mysterious but yearning man like no one's business. All the characters feel very capable and each had distinct personalities. The dialogue between the FMC & MMC made me grin and kick my feet at times. I feel like the love and tension built at a believable pace and was executed well.

The setting was interesting. I'm not sure that I have read anything like this set in Italy before so it was a lovely change from my usual settings.

I deeply love the subtle mix in of native tongue and even if you don't want to look up true translations it is always written in a way that makes it clear what each character is saying regardless. Although I recommend looking up the MMC's pet name for the FMC, "tresoro mio". I probably should have guessed what it was, but when I checked for sure I swooned.

The build up to the ending felt like it paid off well. I didn't feel rushed at the end like it happened too quickly nor did I feel like it would never end. I realized one part of the final twist only a page before it took place so the book did keep me engaged and interested all the way to the end.

I could go on forever about this book, but I will wrap it up! If you are a fan of Isabel Ibañez, historical fiction, or beautiful love stories that triumph despite challenges, read this!

Review to come. I have to collect my thoughts first. This was not a great read for me, I honestly hated it.