ALC Book Review: Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibanez

January 13, 2026January 10, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Isabel Ibanez
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

A BIT OF A STRUGGLE.

Beautiful cover. A premise I was intrigued by. But the execution? Eh.

I’ll start off with a note that I wouldn’t recommend the audiobook. Alongside Ravenna’s POV are multiple others and they are kind of sporadic. It took me a bit to recognized that with the single narrator and then it got frustratingly annoying to try to catch the chapter title to figure out who was speaking. I will concede I might have liked this more as an ebook/physical.

I do think the second half was better (probably a product of me finally figuring out a few world building things). The immortals avenue worked for me, though I’m not sure the presence of other beings (vampires, fae, etc.) were totally necessary.

The romance didn’t work for me and I didn’t feel that connection to it I was hoping to grasp. They had some sweet moments at least.

Once again, I do think it turns back to the audio issues I had. I’ll still read another book by this author even if this one didn’t quite work for me.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3-4ish open door
Violence: moderate+
Content warnings: blood/gore, death, imprisonment

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ALC Book Review: The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

January 8, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS FUN.

I went purely off of the cover x author on this one without knowing a single thing about the book. And it was fun! It’s kind of in the same vein as Assistant to the Villain where it’s fantasy but has a more humorous and cheeky air to it. With that frame of mind I enjoyed the story.

This doesn’t scream ROMANCE to me but it is heavily featured in the plot and alongside that is a whimsical plot with Arris trying to find a bride that won’t kill him. I loved Demelza and her ability to forge her own path and what her love story was going to look like.

I actually really enjoyed Demelza’s parents too. It was a different vibe than I usually read in fantasy and it made them all the more interesting. The rotating POV’s worked well too and I thought it wrapped things up well for a standalone.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild

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ALC Book Review: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1) by Adrienne Young

November 4, 2025October 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate’s daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city’s Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel’s inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

Thank you Saturday Books for the eARC and MacMillan Audio for the ALC.

IT WAS ALRIGHT.

By the time I picked this up I knew of one person that gave it over four stars. I was definitely nervous when I knew I needed to get to this.

I will say, the audiobook? Good. I loved that there were two narrators for both POV’s. Great narration. Easy listen.

I honestly didn’t mind most of this book and loved the Roman-esque influence woven throughout. I liked the main characters and there’s a good story at the core of the pages.

What I struggled with was being tossed into the romance rather than being led in. It starts at an awkward junction and to get your footing in a short fantasy novel was a quest on its own. It felt like it was trying to be romantic but missed a few of those key notes that would have been helped with stronger character development over the heavy focus on the world/politics.

I’m not a fan of flashback chapters, especially in fantasy books. And this made me stand by that statement too. A reorganization is in needed.

BUT. I’ll read the next book. I’ll keep with my audiobook format. I love a dramatic cliffhanger so hopefully the sequel follows through.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: mild
Romance: brief open door
Violence: high

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ALC Book Review: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

October 31, 2025October 27, 2025 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

OH THIS WAS IMMACULATE.

I never know quite what I’m getting when I pick up a book from Alix E. Harrow. Her books have taken me on many journeys and I’m still throwing five stars at them. THEY ARE ALL SO GOOD.

This romantic story was full of tender longing, angst, a will they/won’t they, OH MY GOSH JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, and finding peace all in one. I was glued to my headphones (incredible audiobook production). I love that you can’t pin down where things are going and then watching it all unfold becomes this magnificent fanciful tale of two people who love each other DEEPLY.

I was astonished at the depth of my own emotions as things progressed. It is nuanced and delicate and the interweaving of the plot lines was never confusing. The pacing was never at fault. I am shocked this was only 320 pages because I felt like I lived a few lifetimes [as a compliment] reading The Everlasting.

Overall audience notes: