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Cover of Graceless Heart

Graceless Heart

by Isabel Ibañez

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·spoiler·The Spellbound History Quartet #1

Why Read This?

You'll be swept into a glittering world of magic and intrigue, with a slow-burn villain romance that delivers satisfying angst and romantic fulfillment.

Synopsis

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.

At a Glance

3.63 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
Endingspoiler
PairingM/F
Romance Pacingslow burn

Top Tropes

villain gets the girlcompetition romancesecret relationship

Mood

romanticdarkmysteriousintenseatmospheric

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

3.63 ★

Page Count

488 pages

Published

2026

Primary Genre

Romantasy

Pairing

M/F

POV

First Person

Romance Pacing

Slow Burn

Audiobook

Available

Yes

Format

Standard

Narrator

Beatrice Grannò

Narrator Count

Single

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

Mood

sign in to see writing style, pacing & more

Characters

FMC: artist / creative sign in to unlock

Spice Details 🌶️

intense / passionate sign in to unlock

attempted murderdeathdeath of loved onekidnappingmurdertortureviolencebloodcaptivitywar

World & Setting

historical sign in to unlock

Reading Context

the angst delivered sign in to unlock

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