Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings,
to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet
to read. It's
based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
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.
This one sounds like fun! I enjoyed the author's latest YA duology and thought this one sounded like something I would enjoy! Desperately had hoped she'd come to St. Louis for its tour, but she just announced the tour as I write this post super early and it was a no-go. Sadly nowhere close and since it's winter, our weather is unpredictable. It could snow several inches or we might get nothing at all and trying to travel during that is always risky until the very last minute when you know the forecast.
TITLE: Graceless Heart
AUTHOR: Isabel Ibanez
PUBLISHER: Saturday Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2026
Mia Adair isn’t
even twenty-five yet, but she’s starting to wonder if her peak has
already passed. She’s spent years working at her local bookstore, a job
that was supposed to be temporary. As a kid, she experienced a strange
sort of fame within the paranormal community thanks to her inclusion in a
book that revealed Mia’s ability to talk with the dead. But that was
then, and Mia’s “gift” dried up once adolescence set in. These days, she
feels like she’s nobody special.
Until she dies in a tragic car crash and reawakens as a vampire…
Forced
to leave behind everything she knew, Mia must choose to live with one
of two rival vampire families. The Bellamy and Sutton clans share a
dark, complicated history that spans centuries. As Mia learns about
their age-old traditions and extraordinary powers, along with their
forbidden romances and betrayals, she’s drawn toward two very different
loves. And as she feels her gift returning, more potent than ever
before, Mia realizes she’ll need it to protect innocent lives—and save
the only family she has left.
Oh I've been waiting for this book for ages! Lol. Yes, it was originally self-published in 2021 and I only just learned about it...last year, I think? I've entered numerous, numerous Goodreads contests and lost every single one of them. So yes, I am dying to read this one!
TITLE: Hollow
AUTHOR: Celina Myers
PUBLISHER: Hanover Square Press
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2026 (OG December 17, 2021)
