Graceless Heart

by Isabel Ibañez

'Richly imagined and full of heart' REBECCA ROSS
'A lush and dangerous story' MARY E. PEARSON
'A breathtaking blend of intricate magic, riveting intrigue, and hypnotic romance' AVA REID

A lush, atmospheric and achingly magical standalone adult fantasy romance set in Renaissance Italy from a #1 New York Times bestselling author.

In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.

There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family's enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.

Meanwhile, Ravenna's forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.

As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.

TROPES TO DIE FOR . . .
enemies-to-lovers
slow-burn
magic vs religion
political intrigue

EARLY READERS LOVE IT!
'The prose is lyrical, lush and inviting, the setting is unique and so engaging' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you only read one book in 2026 let it be this one' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Spellbinding! Bewitching!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'That tension? That yearning? The mistrust? Absolutely amazing' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I was on the edge of my seat multiple times, praying for a resolution' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Romantasy, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Adult

489 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Isabel Ibañez is a USA Today, Indie, Sunday Times, and #1 New York Times bestseller and the author of the Secrets of the Nile duology, Together We Burn, Written in Starlight, and Woven in Moonlight, which is listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time and was a finalist for the William C. Morris award. She is the proud daughter of Bolivian immigrants and has a profound appreciation for history, traveling, and writing stories where her characters are often running for their lives. She currently lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her family, their adorable golden doodle, and an overwhelming amount of of books.

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graceless Heart is nothing short of brilliant.
This was the opposite of a case of right place, right time, my attention span is not ideal, I’m leaning towards short and quick books, the easiest the writing the better and Graceless Heart is nothing like that. Despite it all, this book took me by storm and became one of my favorites of the year.
I haven’t read anything from this author, but I loved the cover and it was about time I started because I’ve heard good things about her books.
Graceless Heart is a historic fantasy, but coming from someone who hates historic books it didn’t bother me at all, that’s not to say it wasn’t well researched, the work was done beautifully, but it just wasn’t present in a way that I dislike. We follow a young woman named Ravenna as she is trying to win a competition to save her brother, on doing so she discovers she’s basically being kidnapped by a really weird family because they want something from her.
The family was what grabbed my interest initially, it had a resemblance to bury our bones, interview with the vampire, that kinda stuff, and that’s something I’m very intrigued by. However, I soon realized this was what I crave from fantasy and romantasy these days. It was more political intrigue than war(and I’m so damn tired of reading about war in fantasy), the research came through and from language to setting to historic figures this was just all around great. The story is told mostly from Ravenna’s pov but we also get short chapters from other characters and it helped the book so much without impacting the pace, it was a very smart decision. If you are also bored of reading the same book over and over try this, it is fresh and just expertly done from writing to characterization to actual good plot.
Another thing that was a surprise is that I didn’t foresee any plot twists. I can’t remember the last time that happened to me. Looking back the hints were there, but I didn’t see it coming.
If you want a good book that will keep you engaged from beginning to end, with great characters, a well constructed plot and romance that is more than just smut every single chapter, this is for you. I can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley and Saturday Books for the ARC!

[Clace]

That cover is so stunning 🤩 I need it on my shelves!!

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!!




Until next time,
Hades
🩵

[Ricarda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's so disappointing when a promising book lets you down in every possible way. The beautiful cover caught my attention and the synopsis made this look like an unusual and thus intriguing read. I was ready for Renaissance Italy, dangerous families and magic mixed with art, but instead I got something like an early 2010s YA paranormal romance set in a very messy world.

The story takes place in 15th century Italy where Ravenna Maffei dreams of being a sculptor. She is able to use magic that enhances her art, but magic is strictly forbidden in the city of Volterra. In addition to that the city is controlled by the Medici family and also by Fae, and that's already the point where the book started to lose me. There were so many elements in here that just didn't go together for me: Renaissance Italy and Fae and witches and wizards and immortal families but also talk of religion and chapters from the freaking pope's POV. Everything felt so random and unbalanced, and it was just too much for me. The actual plot starts when Ravenna enters a sculptor's competition to save her brother and while I'm always keen on reading about (magical) craft, it overall let me down here. I was excited about the competition but it lasted like 5 pages and Ravenna wins effortlessly with a statue that she sculpted the night before. The competition is hosted by the immortal family and they unexpectedly take Ravenna with them to their home in Florence. And now she has to live in this huge mansion surrounded by beautiful people and become the famous artist that she always dreamed of, how cruel. She is used by everyone and becomes involved with different parties that all see her as a means to an end. I don't know how the author managed it, but it felt like Ravenna was both very passive and a pawn to everyone and also a special snowflake, powerful magic protagonist. It didn't help that it's just always mentioned how beautiful everyone is. Slowly the thought of this being a generic YA romance crept into my brain and it never left. I honestly can't believe that this is supposed to be an adult fantasy novel, because it was only missing a half-baked love triangle to truly come from YA romance hell. Please have a look at this creative writing exercise that depicts how I perceived Ravenna's thought and feelings:

This immortal and very beautiful family kidnapped me, but their son is the most gorgeous creature on this earth and his hair is raven-black and his face is angelic, but he is also a murderer and that is unacceptable and evil, but if he would kiss me, I would passionately kiss him back.*

Thank you.

*Exaggerated depiction for entertainment purposes.

The romance had me rolling my eyes so hard that my entire head hurts now and I really wasn't able to care about literally anything else in this story. The actual plot might not be half bad, but I completely checked out and I would advise you to look at other reviews to get a better impression. I don't doubt that the author has done a lot of research on the time period and I think that other readers could potentially be really into that. There are many descriptions of art and architecture and I'm sure that the twisty maneuverings of the feuding parties are intriguing as well. There even was a reveal around the 70% mark that had me nodding approvingly, but it couldn't save my miserable experience with this book either. It really wasn't my thing and I would go as far as writing the author off for good now. Her historical-romance-fantasy blends just don't seem to work for me and I have no trust in her other books.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Saturday Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆]

⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (7/7/2025): I GOT THE eARC! Just as a PSA to US NetGalley users, Graceless Heart is currently READ NOW on NetGalley as of July 7th, 2025, at 7:43 AM EST! (AKA the time I'm writing this.) (Update: NetGalley's punking everyone again. The book was taken off of Read Now, and now it's back up as of July 11th, 2025, at 11:33 PM EST. I'm still not sure how long it's going to stay up like that, but I'll update this (again) once it's request-only.)

(I also want to add that this is huge considering when the book FIRST went live on NetGalley a month or two ago, I think so many people requested it that it became an ARC you had to wish for and hope you got because most, if not all, of the ARCs were given away. The fact that it's back as Read Now for the time being is quite the opportunity!)

This is one of my 2026 most anticipated books! I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of Isabel Ibañez's YA works, so I'm curious to see how her adult debut will go! It seems to have everything I want in a book: Renaissance Italy, it's a romantasy, and a magical competition? Sign me up! The premise honestly sounds like The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo to me, and I loved that book, so I'm hoping it has that same "wow" factor. I won't be reading this until it gets closer to the publishing date, but I'm still excited nonetheless!

BIG thank you to NetGalley, Isabel Ibañez, and St. Martin's Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Graceless Heart will be officially published on January 13th, 2026!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can honestly say that Graceless Heart instantly drew me in with its premise — Florence, immortal families, forbidden magic, and a sculptress whose art hides dangerous secrets. Isabel Ibañez’s adult debut is an ambitious blend of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy that brims with atmosphere from the very first page. You can feel the golden light of Renaissance Italy, the weight of marble dust on Ravenna’s hands, and the constant pull between art, power, and survival.

Ravenna Maffei is such a compelling heroine — fierce, quiet, burdened by guilt, and shaped by loss. She’s not a warrior or a witch in the usual sense; she’s a creator, and that makes her journey feel refreshingly different. Her desperation to save her brother leads her into a sculpting competition hosted by the ruthless immortal Luni family, and that’s where her world begins to fracture. I loved how Ibañez uses sculpture as a metaphor for control — the shaping of stone, of power, of destiny itself — and it’s one of the most beautiful aspects of this book.

The Florence setting is hands-down my favorite part. Ibañez’s writing captures the era’s intensity — the politics, the religion, the fear of magic, and the awe of art. I could picture every corner of the Luni manor, every flicker of candlelight across Ravenna’s carved masterpieces. The historical detail feels lovingly researched, from the sensory richness of the city to the fragile tension between faith and power.

Where the book didn’t fully work for me was in pacing and focus. The story takes a long time to find its footing; much of the first half lingers in introductions and atmosphere rather than forward momentum. While that creates a dreamy, immersive mood, it also made me occasionally restless — I kept waiting for that big turning point. When the mystery and danger finally ignite in the second half, it’s satisfying, but it takes a while to get there.

The romance between Ravenna and Saturnino dei Luni had potential to become an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers story — all the ingredients were there: tension, danger, attraction, moral conflict. But the execution felt a bit rushed. Their emotions swing sharply between hostility and longing, and I wished for more subtle build-up, more unspoken moments to let the chemistry grow. Saturnino himself remains somewhat mysterious, more archetype than fully fleshed-out partner, which made their connection harder to feel deeply invested in.

Even with its uneven pacing, Graceless Heart remains a beautifully written and ambitious book. Ibañez’s prose is lyrical and cinematic, and her love for historical storytelling truly shines through. There’s something magnetic about Ravenna’s resilience — how she risks everything for family, for love, for a place in a world that wants to silence her. It’s that emotional core that kept me reading, even when the plot stumbled.

I ended up enjoying this story for its atmosphere, lush worldbuilding, and themes of identity and creation. It’s a book that might not be perfect, but it lingers — like a statue half in shadow, half in light, daring you to keep looking. I think many readers who enjoy historical romantasy and slower, mood-driven storytelling will find much to admire here.

✨ Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Saturday Books for sharing this highly popular and anticipated historical romantasy’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Faiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

WAIT THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY FAVOURITE READ OF THE YEAR I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT OMG.

It's been a while since a book had me transfixed like this!! I literally read for 6 hours straight on the day I finished. Don't even get me started on the ROMANCE specifically, the tension and yearning and banter was absolute perfection. I already knew Ibanez's writing was amazing from her Secrets of the Nile duology - and it continued to be masterful in this standalone. The worldbuilding, magic system, and plot were all clear enough to follow but interesting enough to keep me thinking without being convoluted or messy. Pacing was flawless, truly no boring moments.

As for the story itself, it follows Ravenna, a sculptress who also happens to be the oldest daughter of a not so well-off family. When she hears about the opportunity to enter a contest with one of her sculptures to help her family (and save her brother who's been imprisoned) she jumps at it and also exposes her magical abilities oops (in a world where magic is considered dangerous and bad, and so she's been mostly suppressing and in denial of it her whole life). Her magic and sculpting talents catch the eye of the mysterious Luni family who essentially kidnap her. They need her help to gather these mysterious and seemingly magical objects, but give her no information and threaten her if she doesn't comply. The broody, scary (no really I was scared of him for a good chunk of the book lol) oldest son of the Luni family, Saturnino has made it his personal mission to keep and eye on her. While essentially held hostage by the Luni family, a mysterious courier (enemy of the Luni family) also finds Ravenna and essentially asks her to be a spy for the other side and instead help them (he works for the powerful Pope).

Ravenna is caught in between these two dangerous sides, has limited information on what's going on, and despite Saturnino being unhinged and terrifying - the two have an undeniable connection. Despite threatening her every chance he gets, he also seems to be helping/saving her and showing her parts of himself he doesn't show others?? As you can imagine, it made for the most tension and yearning filled romance I truly couldn't get enough.

Ravenna is my favourite type of FMC. Strong, intelligent, level-headed while still being loving and understanding. The MMC Saturnino was just the right amount of redeemable, endearing villain.

The unhinged family dynamics, mysterious plot, wonderful writing, beautiful characters and hilarious banter made for an absolutely perfect read. Loved this so much and I would be delighted if the author revisited this world some day!

Thank you Saturday Books for the eARC!

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical romance fantasy novel was a decent read for me. It was not bad at all, just not one that I will say that will be a particularly memorable one for me. For me, it made me feel tense, emotional and at times adventurous. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope, the forbidden magic and the atmospheric Renaissance Italy setting! I found the female main character to be highly entertaining throughout the book. This is a very slow burn, high tension romance story. It has an incredible magic world building system! It also has twists that I did not see coming. This book gave me the “Crimson Peak” vibes. Overall, I give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Isabel Ibañez and St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on January 13, 2026!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 ★— No one’s more disappointed than me that I didn’t really enjoy this. I went through a very intense Medici dynasty hyperfixation a few years ago, and Florence during the Renaissance is basically a dream setting for any story, especially in the fantasy romance space. I genuinely applaud any author willing to actually use interesting historical settings like this. It’s such a rich and exciting choice, and I really want to acknowledge that effort upfront.

All that said, this book was a slog for me to get through. After an initial setup and early worldbuilding that I followed eagerly and genuinely enjoyed, things started to drag hard around the 30% mark, and once that feeling set in, it never really went away.

My main issues were:

1. The central plot point of Ravenna coming to live with the Luni family and creating a sculpture for them quickly lost its luster after a few chapters. The Luni family themselves never felt properly built up or interesting, and a lot of the characters felt underbaked, like they just didn’t add much to the narrative at all.

2. Some of the POV characters honestly made me scratch my head. Their inclusion only made the story feel clunkier and far more drawn out than it needed to be.

3. The Medici family and the pope play important roles in the story, but the execution was underwhelming. The Medici barely appear despite their influence, and the pope’s role felt especially bland. You’re given the chance to make the pope a compelling, dynamic character, and instead he’s used in such a flat, forgettable way, which felt like a huge missed opportunity.

4. The romance ultimately didn’t work for me. It was predictable and lacked tension, relying heavily on the familiar trope of “the supernatural MMC who believes he must stay away from the heroine for her safety” . Ravenna’s instant attraction to him did make sense, and I appreciated that she initially tried to keep herself from developing deeper feelings, but the “forbidden” aspect of their relationship was dropped in a very unceremonious and quite frankly... boring way. Because of that, I never really felt much emotional pull or genuine interest in their dynamic, something the overall weakness of the surrounding story only made more noticeable.

5. I really wished we’d gotten more exploration of Ravenna’s powers. That aspect felt underdeveloped compared to how central it should have been.

All of these elements combined into a reading experience that ended up feeling pretty underwhelming for me, especially given how strong and promising the setting was. The ending did give me some hope that the author might utilize other characters in future books, which I would be interested in, since I generally liked the prose and the setting.

🎧 Audiobook Note:
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
I didn’t enjoy the narration as much as I hoped I would. While the narrator has a lovely accent and made me enjoy her native pronunciation of the book's Italian words and names, her delivery felt very breathy and almost a little too even throughout. It made me zone out more than once. I really would’ve liked more variation in tone or vocal texture. She wasn’t monotone exactly, but her pitch stayed almost the same the entire time, which didn’t help the pacing for me.

____________

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

[Liana Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️ Art is a mirror that reflects who we are at any given moment. As someone who went and graduated from an art school, I greatly appreciated all the historical references of the Renaissance period. Between the Medici, Da Vinci, Botticelli, the Pope (and more), Graceless Heart was an anamnesis of the power, pull and wealth of the elites of the 15th century Italy, particularly Florence. Isabel Ibañez really brought in the lush Florentine ambience with wordy descriptions of the setting, religious beliefs and cultural touches.

In 15th century Volterra, Ravenna, a sculptress with a deadly secret is caught in the game that involves the immortal family. She wants to save her brother but ends up trapped as a pawn in every players war games. Between magic, the church, and a ruthless immortal heir she cannot resist, she’s caught in the lair of secrets, dark desires and dangerous powers.

Ibanez tried to capture the ‘humanism’ of the Renaissance period through conversations and political intrigue. She created a strong female character, Ravenna, that (somewhat) encapsulated the essence of an artist of that time period. She’s a gifted sculptress, opinionated, curious. She’s given her a little charming edge with witchy magic and some intrigue around her powers. But most of all she’s quite observant, cunning, a thinker—very Renaissance indeed.

The magic system is solely based on gemstones, specifically the Nightflame gemstone whose magic is within the stone itself. No one can get to it, unless it’s a witch or a descendant of a witch. The immortal Luni family wants those gemstones because their whole life depends on it and they need a witch to acquire them. But it’s not as easy as it sounds to get to them because Ravenna is a witch who hasn’t mastered her powers. The idea of the magic system was interesting but very simple without any complexities. Because of this, I found it underdeveloped, lacking to highlight the importance of it for Ravenna’s character.

The plot doesn’t really take off until the last quarter of the book. It’s rather a very slow build with even a slower pace, that can get tedious to read through pages of other wordy descriptions. I also found it a bit dry for my taste at certain points in the story. For a book that’s slightly under 500 pages, I expected more content that’s well drawn out but found the recurrent conversation on repeat.

The romance between love interests was hot and cold and possibly the biggest downside to the story. While their relationship is very much the typical villain-enemies turned lovers, the pacing of their ‘tension’ was at a glacier pace and very hot on one page and cold the next. There was no yearning or excitement between the lines that left me completely breathless. I was looking for a build up of emotional entanglement but didn’t feel their connection by the end.

Honestly, I wish Goodreads/Netgalley would allow half stars because this was truly a 3.5 star book for me. I was drawn to the gorgeous cover and the idea of history mixed in with fantasy especially at one of my favorite time periods (my favorite is the Baroque Period). Ibañez could have done much more with magic and its direction and entanglement within the character development.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author, Isabel Ibañez for sending me this eARC.

Publication date: January 13, 2026

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think if you’re very into the historical aspects of this book, you’ll probably have a fantastic time with it.

Overall, I thought this was a solid read, but it lacked (imho) emotional depth to make it a favorite.

I’ve only read two books by this author and both really excelled at the atmosphere and setting. I think that is where this book shines. It is easy to get lost in the atmosphere and you're certain to feel like you're right there in 15-century Italy, caught up in scheming and political machinations.

The re-imagined history is intriguing and I love where the plot finally went. The magic was interesting, if a little less developed/explained than I would have liked.

History, setting, magic, atmosphere and concept are all well executed.

The area I felt I wanted more was the characters, emotional depth, and romance. All which felt a little flat imo. I didn’t really believe the romantic connection and I had trouble connecting with the characters emotions and motivations.

The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading.

I enjoyed my time with this book but it isn’t something I will continue to think about and not something I would consider rereading.

On a positive note: I got to brush up on my Italian counting and the audiobook narrator's accent brought back a flood of positive memories of Italian lessons with my elementary bestie's nonna and the absolutely stunning library she had in her home. 💕 She refused to call me by my first name bc she said it wasn't Italian and I needed an Italian name for her house. 💕

Audio Narration: 3/5 It was lovely to hear the characters brought to life with an authentic accent. Pausing and pacing were solid. My issue with this performance was inflection. This felt like an almost monotone listening experience. For the FMC and internal narrative there was very little differences and not much emotion. As for voice variation with different characters, only the slightest change, barely perceptible. I had to pay very close attention to notice when dialogue was spoken because yet again, very little variation. This audiobook felt like I was being read to, rather than a performance. The audiobook is definitely listenable, but far from a favorite.

3.5⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you NetGalley and SMP/Saturday Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[AG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!

🌟🌟/5

I wasn't a fan of Isabel Ibañez's 'Secrets of the Nile' duology. I disliked the first book and thought the sequel was even worse. However, the premise of 'Graceless Heart' piqued my attention as someone who's obsessed with art history. Turns out that Isabel Ibañez just isn't the right author for me because this was a dreadful experience.

The author has done her research, and it shows in the plot and the author's note. The descriptions of food and (sometimes) the setting were well-written. That's pretty much all I've got to say as far as positives are concerned. I always appreciate when authors put a whole lot of research into historical novels, but that wasn't enough to make up for the incredibly messy plot. 

I've read lots of incredible historical fantasy novels: the kind that give you a feel of the time period but with a dash of magic. 'Graceless Heart' was just a formulaic romantasy and if you haven't seen me mention this a million times before, I abhor those. First of all, this did not need to be 500 pages long. The book was very poorly paced and often repetitive. The author probably had a lot of ideas and just threw them in together, and the result was this mess. We have feuds between religion and magic, dysfunctional families, the art of sculpture (not really, though), witches, vampyres (that's not a typo), AND fae for some reason, an underexplained magic system, and to top it all off, an abysmal 'romance' the likes of which I haven't encountered in quite some time. None of the many, many elements and plotlines came together in a cohesive manner.

I was most disappointed in the poorly done character work, though. Most of the characters were either flat and underdeveloped or oscillated between personalities. The romance wasn't even 'enemies to lovers'; it mostly involved the protagonists 'hating' each other, then being in love (but not quite), then again hating each other, then...you get the point. Saturnino was the typical broody, broad-shouldered love interest who looms over and intimidates the female protagonist and has an oh-so-sad past. His personality was the least consistent. Every time he winked or his 'lush mouth' was described, I lost a couple of brain cells. If you don't like a female protagonist who's a damsel in distress in every single situation, this is definitely not the book for you. Ravenna was a very frustrating MC who did absolutely nothing by herself. Every time she got into trouble, she was saved by someone else at just the right moment. Oh, and one of my least favourite scenes was her and Saturnino having sex right after something devastating happened to Ravenna. It was like she forgot the distressing moment entirely mere minutes after it happened. Like I said, inconsistent personalities. The villain was, for some reason, the pope. He was so one-dimensional that I couldn't take him (or the rest of the book, for that matter) seriously. 

Overall, 'Graceless Heart' was a very frustrating experience, and the more I think about it, the more I'm tempted to lower my rating. Isabel Ibañez isn't the right author for me, and I don't think I'll read another one of her books again.

[DianaRose]

my next arc/alc combo✨ i’ve seen many mixed reviews so i hope i am one of the readers that enjoy this book!

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you prefer your main characters have the mental acuity of a teacup, then you’ll love Graceless Heart.

I don’t need my main characters to be the smartest or the strongest or even perfect. I love a flawed bitch. But I do expect them to be able to answer questions directed at them. The number of times the main character gets lost in her own damn head while others are asking her questions is astounding. They’re literally like, hello? I asked you a question?? And she’s busy figuring out how to be a cunning mastermind. Smh.

In the first chapter, Ravenna accidentally kills someone with magic she can’t control, and her reaction is, “She’d killed him. She had sinned.”

And don’t even get me started on the main love interest. He literally tells her he doesn’t have a heart. Wow! How very high school goth of him! So color me shocked when he falls unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her. Who needs chemistry when you have a hot immortal bad boy and a beautiful ingenue?

This book suffers from a Italian straight from Google Translate, a main character who believes she is a boss bitch but is truly an idiot, a try-hard love interest who keeps popping out from behind corners, historical context ripped from Wikipedia, and every single tired YA fantasy trope in the game.

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, REALLY wanted to fall head over heels for this book. Like, I was practically vibrating with excitement when I saw “Renaissance Italy” and “historical romance” in the same sentence. I mean, come ON. Give me all the marble sculptures, political intrigue, and swoony "you are the bane of my existence and the object of my desires"-esqe declarations against backdrops of cathedral spires. I was so ready to be transported to a world where everyone speaks in iambic pentameter and looks like they stepped out of a Botticelli painting.

And honestly? The setting absolutely delivered. Ibanez clearly did her homework because Renaissance Florence practically leaps off the page in all its chaotic, artistic glory. When we witness the Pazzi Conspiracy unfold and watch poor Giuliano de’ Medici meet his brutal end during what should have been a peaceful Easter mass, I literally gasped out loud.

But here’s where my Renaissance dreams started crumbling like old fresco paint: the romance. I kept waiting for that spark, that moment where I’d be clutching my chest and sighing dreamily, but it just… never came? The main characters felt like they were going through the motions of being in love rather than actually, you know, being in love. Their conversations read like a checklist of romantic beats rather than genuine connection.

The frustrating thing is that all the pieces were there for something absolutely magical. The political intrigue, the gorgeous setting, the life-or-death stakes... It should have been the perfect storm for an epic love story. But instead, it felt like the romance was competing with the historical elements rather than being woven seamlessly together.

Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t a bad book. If you’re looking for a well-researched historical fiction with decent characters and beautiful descriptions of Renaissance Italy, you’ll probably enjoy it. The writing is solid, the historical details are fascinating, and there are definitely moments that shine. But if you’re hoping for a romance that will leave you swooning and dreaming about Italian sunsets, you might want to adjust your expectations.

Would I recommend it? Maybe, with caveats. If you’re more interested in the historical aspects than the romance, go for it. If you’re desperately craving that enemies-to-lovers Renaissance tension, you might want to keep looking.

Three stars because sometimes beautiful settings and solid historical research can’t quite save a lackluster love story, but they can definitely make it worth the read.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the Netgalley and St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[ a note to my spice free girlies, there are a few spice scenes in here but they are easily skippable < 3 and a few are fade to black. just a heads up !! ]
full review to come after i finish my thoughts

this cover is stunning? and its set in italy? say no more

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

**𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔊𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔟𝔶 ℑ𝔰𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔩 ℑ𝔟𝔞ñ𝔢𝔷

Release Date: January 13, 2026

5⭐️3🌶

There are some books that are loosely enemies to lovers. Where the characters dislike each other and then end up in love. This book is NOT that way. These characters HATE each other and can't stand the fact that they are attracted to each other, but they can't deny the pull to each other. I LOVE it!

Ravenna Maffei is a sculptor in 15th century Volterra. All of the imagery and food description from heart of the Renaissance Era is to die for. Ravenna is the eldest daughter to an innkeeping family. She is used to long hours filled with chores and little sleep. She sacrifices peace for her favorite pastime of sculpting stone, which she learned from her aunt. She also has a secret of dark magic that lives within her, and only manifests when her emotions are out of control. She inherited this gift of magic from an unknown witch ancestor. Because of the deadly nature of her magic, her family has always kept her at arms length and told no one outside of her family of her abilities.

When her younger brother, Antonia, is taken prisoner by Florence Army when he rebelled against the control of the Medici family. Ravenna decides to enter a competition to become the household sculptor for the Immortal Luci family, the second most powerful family in Italy. She does this to free her brother but enslave herself to the Luci family. When she starts work for them in Florence, she finds out that their motives in picking her were much more nefarious. They want her to use her magic to extract magical Heartstones from the quarry under their Florence estate. But she quickly learns that not only will the Luci family do anything to acquire these magical stones, but the Pope and the Medici family and many other political players are trying to manipulate her in extracting the stones for them.

Despite being pulled every direction, and against her better judgement, Ravenna is only inclined to trust the Heir to the immortal Luci family. He's not human and he also seems to be their executor and head of their guard/army. He's the only one that's gone out of his way to protect her and help her extract these stones, but he's also wanting the stones for himself.

This story is so well crafted and political. It is advertised as a standalone fantasy/romance novel, but I would be delighted if this story continued in a second installment.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Enemies to Lover
🍁Fae/Vampire/Other
🍁Kidnapped for her powers
🍁Poltical Intrigue
🍁Hidden Powers
🍁Immortal Shadow Daddy
🍁Morally black characters
🍁Innocent maiden into bad ass
🍁15th Century Italian Renaissance
🍁Families vying for power

TW:
✨Violence
✨Blackmailing/manipulation
✨Not human people
✨Parents shunning their children
✨Violence against women

Thank you to @NetGalley for this ARC read! Thank you to @isabelibanezbooks for an amazing read!

#netgalley #gracelessheart #IsabelIbañez

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5 Stars
There were so many cool concepts to love about this book: Renaissance Italy (Leonardo da Vinci had a cameo), witches and faes and vampires, so much political drama (and the Catholic church was involved, of course). Unfortunately, at times, it was slow and the romance was the slightly confusing.

First a quick layperson synopsis: Ravenna’s home town has been ripped apart by the political drama between the Medici family and the Pope. When her brother is charged with conspiring against the Medici’s, Ravenna enters a sculpting contest hosted by Florence’s most famous and feared immortal family (who are allies with the Medici). The prize? Literally anything you want, so Ravenna hopes to win as a way to get the charges against her brother dropped. Women are not meant to be sculptresses (BOOOOOOO to the Italian Renaissance patriarchy), so it is considered an embarrassment to her to enter but what else is she supposed to do? Her sculpture catches the eye of Saturnino, oldest immortal son, and while she wins, the immortals kidnap her and take her to Florence so she can be their personal artist in residence. She is tasked with a dangerous and magical task that puts her at odds with her home and the Pope. Will she just be a pawn, stuck between powerful men, or can she carve (pun intended) her own path?

You will probably like this book if you like:
🐈‍⬛ Romantic fantasy set in 15th century Renaissance Italy
💎 A unique magical system based on the power of gemstones interspersed with witches, fae, and vampires
🐈‍⬛ Lush and detailed descriptions of setting
💎 Multiple POVs
🐈‍⬛ Political and religious power play
💎 Secrets and twists
🐈‍⬛ Enemies to lovers
💎 Forced proximity
🐈‍⬛ Standalone fantasy book

The setting was one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. Setting a romantasy in Renaissance Italy is so unique and has so much potential both with the physical setting and the political setting. I really enjoyed the political chess game, all of the double agents, and twists. There was a really intriguing storyline with the Pope who hates magic and persecutes magical beings but has to rely on magic for his own personal gain. I am a dialogue and relationship focused girlie so take this with a grain of salt, but I found that the physical descriptions were a bit overwhelming and slowed down the pacing of the book. The setting is beautiful but just too descriptive for me (I don’t really care what the doors look like no matter how beautifully carved they are) and that made the middle of the book kind of drag. But if you like lush, detailed descriptions of setting, you may love this aspect.

The enemies to lovers trope was another reason that I wanted to read this book. I think it is so hard to do true enemies to lovers and many times books will be described as enemies to lovers when it is just two people who are mildly irritated with each other (and that does not enemies to lovers make. Annoyed with each other to lovers, yes definitely, but not enemies to lover). I think this book made me realized that I enjoy enemies to lover when there is an even power dynamic between the enemies because when there is a power differential (like here, where he is the captor and she is the one being held), it starts to lean into dark romance and that vibe just didn’t add up with the rest of this book. For a kidnapper/kidnapee love story, I feel like you have to unapologetically lean in and commit for me to buy in but in this book, there were times that Ravenna tried to justify her feelings by saying things like “no woman could resist Saturnino” which felt like a bit of a cop out. This book also reads very YA/NA at times so the kind of taboo love story felt really off too. Saturnino was also so mercurial. He hated humans one minute but was in awe of Ravenna the next. He was earnest for a chapter and then cruel for another. He tried to fake seduce her and then was really seducing her. Saturnino was confused and confusing and I wish that his feelings for Ravenna had been more gradual instead of so back and forth. There was so much potential for a juicy, forbidden, tension filled romance and it just fell a little short for me.

I liked that the magical system was easy to understand - witches can use gemstones to do magic and the more powerful you are, the more gemstones you can use. There were vampires and fae that also fit into the equation but they were less present. I liked the story line of Ravenna learning to love herself and accept herself. I love that she had moxie and was actively playing the political game (sometimes well and sometimes poorly). I also love that this is a standalone romantasy because that can be hard to find.

While I am not obsessed, this was a solid book with a lot of interesting ideas, even if it was slow at times, and I am interested to read this author’s other works.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: January 13, 2026

______________
Pre-Read Thoughts: It’s giving Renaissance Italy (obsessed). It’s giving forbidden love (obsessed). It’s giving magical powers that people are fighting over (obsessed). So I’m going in pre-obsessed. 😂

[Val~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding! Bewitching! I had such a wonderful time reading this book. If you're a Reign fan, you'll love it, I'm sure! A historical romance book set in the Italian Renaissance with a plot filled with magic. Florence, where the Luni family live to protect the Medici, who are both in favor of magic. Volterra, where magic is banished, and people are against it. The Pope Sixtus IV, who wants to unleash war against all magic, but the one used by himself. Ravenna, a sculptress from Volterra who enters a competition held by the Luni family, in order to save her brother from death, but in a turn of events, the Luni family have other plans for her as a sculptress. Saturnino, a knight of the Luni family who hides a family secret. Lorenzo di Medici, on his own, has a surprise as well. There are glimpses of the Fae lands and their powers, "vampyres", witches and wizards, and also an amazing cat that will steal your heart. You'll also read about outstanding historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci. You'll encounter an interesting magic system that comes with a glossary of the “Pietra Magiche” from the Fae lands (Sunspire, Seaweaver, Shadowglass, Nightflame, Moonhaze, Lodestar, and Echostone). At last, but not least, the incredible plot twists will keep you hooked until the end! Beautiful design, layout and cover! Overall, one of the best books I've read this year so far!

Thanks so much to Hodderscape and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy of Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez, to be published on January 15th 2026.

[ella (locked in)]

Pre-release: ROMANTASY SET IN RENAISSANCE ITALY?? YES PLEASE 😍😍 Florence is my fav city in Europe!

THAT COVER IS GORGEOUS 🫠

[Sam Sellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

This book grabbed my attention right away with its unique premise. I’ve never read about Renaissance Italy mixed with fae. It was such a beautiful mix of historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and art. Plus the religion vs political upheaval, what’s right vs wrong was refreshing to read.

Isabel Ibañez’s enchanting writing drew me in instantly. Ravenna’s strength and her journey toward embracing her true self felt so heartfelt. Santurnino, with his broody silence and hidden warmth, gently works his way into your heart the deeper you venture into the book.

I loved the connection between Ravenna and Saturnino but in the end, something was missing. Still, their yearning and the sweetness of their love story was beautiful.

One thing I struggled with was the pacing, it felt slow at times, and the heavy focus on politics vs religion made parts of the story difficult to follow.
However, in true fantasy fashion, the ending was a wild ride. The plot twists were intense, and everything came together beautifully.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially the author’s writing, and I’m excited to read more of her work in the future.

[Maeghan &#x1f98b; HIATUS on & off · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC! All thoughts are my own.

Before I start, I just want to preface that I recommend this book. It had several new aspects I’ve never read before and the world building was MAJESTIC. 10/10 for the world building.

Whilst the world building & setting were marvellously done - the romance part of this story is where it lost some points for me. It was insta-lust ; the repetitiveness of his attractiveness was intense. The MMC went back & forth as wether he liked/tolerated the FMC or not - and then he kissed her when he had been very rude the chapter prior… I got whiplash. The interactions between them were awkward and stilted. I couldn’t feel the chemistry.

The magic system was really interesting and several new elements were presented to the readers - which hooked my interest. Character wise, I did go back and forth as to wether I liked/tolerated the FMC. She was very whiny and impulsive. On another note - I don’t normally like religious settings but this was well done! The impact the religion had on the FMC was well depicted & you could feel the pull. I do wish she’d have her character development sooner than the 75% mark though.

I saw some twists coming and some shocked me. The plot was well written and made me curious despite the romance & relationships being lacklustre for me.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!! This is the book I’ve been needing in my life. The yearning, the setting, the characters! Flawless. This book doesn’t release until *2026* but keep it on your radar. I’ve been super bummed and let down by anticipated reads this year, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS ONE IS WORTH IT!

[°❀⋆.monica ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 3 out of 5]

believe me, no one is more sad about my rating than me 🥲

full rtc

[Billie's Not So Secret Diary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graceless Heart
by Isabel Ibanez
Historical Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Jan 13, 2026
St. Martin's Press
Ages: 18+

Taking after her aunt, Ravenna is a sculptress, creating beautiful figures from stone, but while that hobby is frowned upon because she is a woman, she is hiding an even bigger secret. Magic. And magic is forbidden in Florence.

To save her brother from execution because of his rash action, Ravenna enters one of her sculptures into a competition, and if she wins the prize of a favor, she will ask the most feared immortal family to pardon her brother.

With her brother safe, Ravenna finds herself taken from her home and family to serve as the immortals' sculptress, and if she fails at the task they set for her, it means death.

But the Pope is trying to destroy all magic, including the immortal family, and he will use Ravenna's family as leverage so she can serve as his weapon.


I liked the idea of a young woman who has a gift of magic and a talent to sculpt, but she kept her magic hidden, so there was no story there. Her sculpting was made out to be works of art, but she only did one statue, so there wasn't much going on there either.

From the blurb, I was expecting more action involving magic and more of Ravenna sculpting. Nope to both. Most of the story seemed to revolve around the politics and romance, and sadly, the romance became a little too graphic, and is the only reason this is unsuitable for readers under eighteen.

Overall, I was bored. This moved at a slow pace, the characters were pretty flat, the romance was typical, and the plot quickly lost my interest when it moved away from the magic aspect.

2 Stars

[Sav Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨

[˚₊꒰ა Jii ໒꒱₊˚ (catching up)]

˚₊ ⟢┊pre-read 🖇️┊⊹࣪⋆

I’ve seen good things about this, so I'm so happy I got approved for it! The cover, renaissance setting, and artist fmc got me! Can’t wait to dive into this!🤎💫

➳ Huge thanks to the publisher & author— Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape, Isabel Ibañez, & NetGalley—for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Madisyn Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
i want to preface this review by saying, this book has multiple open door spice scenes that i was not expecting and that frustrated me. but, everything else about this book was MAGICAL.
it’s set in renaissance italy with an artist FMC who gets taken by an influential family to be their sculptress. the MMC is an angry villain knight who is tasked with keeping her in line.
the story takes place in a divided italy with curriot religious leaders & lots of political intrigue.
this is truly enemies to lovers, romantasy GOLD!! the slow burn and tension is written so well. i was eating up every little glance between the two of them. the quotes about the arts were so awesome & the nods to art history were EVERYTHING. seeing leonardo da vinci as a character in a romantasy was so rad & there was also references to botticelli & venus. that made me art teacher heart so so happy.
the yearning?? SO GOOD
idk how i’ve gotten this far into my review without mentioning is has “ WHO DID THIS TO YOU? “ & that scene is literally TOP TIER i was screaming inside.
sooo many highlights & quotes i underlined.
lots of plot twists that i didn’t see coming & a super cool ending as well.
this would be five stars if not for the spice.
🤐LANGUAGE🤐 11 uses of the F word
🔥SPICE🔥 3 1/2 -4 open door scenes that are fairly brief. some of it is just foreplay but still explicit. i don’t have the page numbers because it was a digital ARC.

[Rina | Worldsbetweenpages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for the arc! It’s mid-October and this book might be my favorite this year, I’m totally obsessed!

"You are ruinous, Saturnino. But I won't let you ruin me." Ravenna lifted her chin. "We don't have a bargain, we don't have trust. We don't have anything."
"That's not true. We have this."

- enemies x lovers
- slow-burn
- magic vs religion
- political intrigue
- 15th century Florence

What I liked:
• The main characters are perfection! Ravenna is determined, sharp-tongued and clever. I loved that she could keep up with the scheming men even when she was afraid. Saturnino is strategic, cunning, and ruthless. Their chemistry was amazing and I loved their witty banter and their attempts to outscheme each other!
• The setting was amazing! Renaissance Florence, opulent dresses, powerful families like the Medici plotting against the pope, all mixed with a unique magic system. Even Leonardo da Vinci had a small side role.

What I didn’t like:
• I didn’t quite understand the magic system based of the different stones, but it didn’t really bother me throughout the story.

Writing style: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Story & Plot: 5/5
Vibes: 5/5

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel has such a penchant for words! A standalone presented through impeccable prose with expert pacing, 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 is a magical delight and fantasy reader's dream.

Ravenna, desperate to save her brother from imminent death in Renaissance Italy, reveals her magical talent in a sculpting competition. She's swept away with the Luni family, forced to reside in their Florence palace and tasked with an impossible assignment to keep her life. Saturnino, a son and assassin for the family, draws Ravenna's eye despite his dangerous, cold exterior. She quickly finds herself caught in a fragile political web, unsure of true motivations as her life, and the fate of the country, is in grave danger.

I adored every word of this book! Isabel's extensive research is clear through the intricate historical details. The writing style perfectly captures the atmosphere of 15th-century Italy; each sentence is crafted with care and intention. 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 is written with masterful pacing! I simultaneously yearned to consume the tale in a single sitting, but I also wished to savor every word, never wanting it to end.

I cared for the characters from the start! Ravenna is resourceful and determined, and I admired her strength and intelligence as she fights for survival and explores her terrifying magic. Saturnino is a complex villain, and I was desperate for him to reveal his secrets. Ravenna and Saturnino share addictive banter full of tension and chemistry, and the pair evoke more yearning and longing for the story. I loved the push and pull, hot and cold side of their relationship that kept me at the edge of my seat. I would also be remiss to not mention the adorable feline sidekick!

Like the contents of the book itself, the cover design is a work of art! It is so fitting, and I cannot wait to have the finished product on my shelf.

I would like to sincerely thank Isabel for creating such a strong standalone. I'm already looking forward to what she's going to pen next! Until then, I'll be dreaming of Renaissance Italy. I am forever grateful to Saturday Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of my most anticipated 2026 release! 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 is a frontrunner for my favorite book of the year, and it's a book that fantasy romance readers cannot miss.

♾️⭐