I visited Florence when I started listening to this story, which gave a lovely touch to it - recognising places and buildings by name. What I thought to be the first part of the story (rescuing her brother) turned out to be told in only a couple of chapters. This is the event that sets up the rest of the story, which was quite confusing at first, when I realised it. Maybe that's the reason why it took me a bit to dive into the story and connect with the characters but when I did, I enjoyed it a lot! I confused people and motivations throughout the story and after finishing it I'm still not 100% sure if I got everything correct in that matter, but that's ok. Also, there are mentions of Fae, Vampires and even demi-gods, but I'm not quite sure, why. They don't seem to be particularly necessary for the story - magic, sorceress and witches would have done the job. We have a lot of characters with different goals, all very selfish (or/and blackmailed) and I didn't care for a lot of them to be honest. But I did like our main couple and I liked the Courier (mostly, because he is mysterious I think). The conclusion was satisfying - a good thing! I needed a happy ending after the last couple of books I read. I don't have anything negative to say about it and I will read following books (apparently this is a quarted of interconnected standalones) but I doubt the story will stick in my brain for long. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Beatrice Grannò, an italian actress which was great to dive deeper into the setting with correct pronunciation and a lovely accent.

I adore Isabels‘ book for at least one reason and that’s the way she always catches the reader, wherever they might be, and transports them into her world. And by that do you not only get introduced to the world in a nice and pleasant way, but you feel the breeze in your face, the sun on your skin and all the sounds and smells she describes in her worlds. This book was more and the depressed side, but it never got too dark. I laughed the detailed way the surroundings were described as well as the characters. After this I really wanna go on a vacation to Italy. Two things that were mildly annoying: 1. a lot of chapters start with Ravenna… this is my OCD speaking but it annoyed me a bit. Might me bc it was an eARC I got from NetGalley. 2. the ending… the book being a standalone I expected a more satisfying ending. I would have love more on page time for some characters are matches… Still a lovely book m, that is not only magical but also historical

What I learned from the author's previous books: her stories are all vibes coming from historical settings. And if you loved The Secrets of the Nile duology, you will love this one too. Graceless Heart is placed in Renaissance Italy - and the picture Ibañez is painting is so colorful and intriguing that I couldn't help but vibe along. In combination with her marvelous prose, this is already everything I needed from this book. Add to it plots surrounding the Medici, the Pope and Leonardo da Vince - and I'm truly satisfied. The MCs are Ravenna and Saturnino, the former with secret magic and kidnapped by the latter for her abilities. The romance is not what I came for, and it would not have made me stay. Both characters are likable enough, but the author's character descriptions and arcs have never been what hooked me in her books. What hooked me again though, was her way of placing women who "should not be seen" in settings where they just aim to reach their goals despite society (aka patriarchy) wanting them to stay small. The only thing that can make them stray from their path are...well...men. That said, I would love for the author to write a book xwhere there's no male to distract them from their path. But that's just me. I'm wholeheartedly recommending this book if you loved any of the above. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC! #GracelessHeart #Italy #Netgalley #Bookstagram