This was an absolutely brilliant book. I felt it started off fairly slow, but it kept gathering pace until I couldn't put it down. Costanza was a brilliant character and the injustices she and the other women suffered in this book were heartbreaking. But the tale of surviving and of friendship and loyalty were inspiring. This book felt atmospheric and very well researched. A truly fantastic debut!

A ravishing book in every way - good historical fiction, about a woman who was ravished by those who were able to control her body and take what they desired. Costanza is the true story of the beauty who was the muse of the artist Lorenzo Bernini, who lived and worked in Rome in the 17th century. The writing powerfully transports the reader into the life and times of Costanza Piccolomini. Not much is actually known about her, and so this is a reconstruction from the barest mentions in documents of the time. That she really existed, and was the muse and lover of Bernini, whilst being married to Matteo Bonucelli who worked for Bernini, is without doubt; the author has cleverly used the bare facts to write a profound story which raises questions of how women were treated, who they 'belonged' to and of how little control and say they had over their own lives and bodies, and of passion and the lengths to which it drives men. A convoluted story, involving both men plus Lorenzo's younger brother.

I was fascinated by the story, horrified by what happened to Costanza (no spoilers - you'll have to read it!) and was totally involved in the book. It is a wonderful debut novel by Rachel Blackmore - has she really only written cookery books previously? If you enjoy historical fiction, this is highly recommended. I even googled Costanza in order to see the bust Bernini created of her.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Costanza by Rachel Blackmore focuses on 17th century Rome and the life of Costanza Piccolomini. It is a book so captivating that I almost couldn't go on reading it at points because it was breaking my heart.

The world of 17th century Rome is brilliantly created and the various characters are wonderfully interwoven to create a vibrant tapestry which provides an ingenious backdrop to the human connections and suffering throughout Costanza's life. The blending of fact and fiction is done carefully and to good effect. The Afterward, Historical Note, and Author's Note all add to the sense of this being a well researched and carefully crafted book.

This was a great read, I love historical fiction, women's history and Rome, so this literary book was perfect. It was a thrilling story- Costanza is the wife of Matteo, who works for the famous sculptor Bernini. I knew of his amazing lifelike sculptures but nothing about his personal life, so this true story was fascinating. It also felt incredibly modern, as the focus is on Costanza herself, her choices, social climbing, affair with Bernini and eventual fall. I loved the historical detail and thrilling plot, which is all based on a real woman. A great adult read.

Really interesting read and character development of Costanza, a woman about who, not much is know. I also want to praise the afterword, it is the only one I have read in its entirety

A compelling read, made more so by the fact that it is based on a true story. A story about how powerless a woman is against powerful men.
Costanza's husband Matteo works with Lorenzo Bernini, a famous sculptor commissioned by the Pope. Although she adores and admires her husband, they are rarely intimate. She cannot understand why he does not want her physically.
When she meets Bernini, there is an instant spark, and the inevitable happens. They embark on a torrid affair. Will the love affair end happily? Or will she find, like so many women, that she is being used?
A page turner.

Rachel blackmore what have you written...... one of the best novels I have ever read. My heart and mind entangled into this story, I experienced a whole range of emotions and was overwhelmed by how it unfolds. I loved this from beginning to end, a marvellous triumph of a novel. Excellent

language and imagery was beautiful but felt very heavy at times and made the read feel extremely slow. an exploration of the treatment of women which left me angry at times . Blackmore is clearly the expert of such a topic, incredibly rich and informative. just feel perhaps too heavy and this hindered my development of interest in the plot itself.

I don't have enough words to describe my love for this book! I am an art lover, so a novel based around the life of Costanza, lover of the sculptor Bernini, caught my eye. It is heartbreaking and comforting in equal measure and tells the story from the female perspective , which is lacking in the usual tales from this time.
I would definitely recommend reading the afterword and notes by the author at the end as these put even more perspective.
This is one of those books that I wish I could erase my memory of, so that I have the opportunity to read it again for the first time.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for the e-ARC of Costanza. I had been keen to get my hands on this one as soon as I learnt of it!!

Based on a true story, this is a delightful historical fiction read filled with love, betrayal, revenge, friendship, feminism and community. This was so easy to read, an obvious recommendation to make for anyone who enjoys historian fiction and feminist retellings.

We follow Costanza through her marriage where she finds herself restless, childless and lacking passion from her husband, as she navigates new relationships and love in 17th century society. I’ll leave it there to avoid any spoilers, expect many ups and many downs! A truly inspiring woman and portrayed so beautifully.

Based on the true story of Constanza Piccolomini who, as a married woman,, had an affair with Lorenzo Bernini the famous artist and sculptor and later with his younger brother Luigi..
This is the author’s own take on the story which takes place in seventeenth century Rome. I was fascinated with the story and the characters but so disappointed as the tale progressed! No atmosphere! Rome is one of my favourite cities but unfortunately it didn’t come alive and the characters themselves fell flat! Sorry! Did want to be lost in Rome but it just didn’t happen!

Be prepared to be really angry if you read this book. It’s amazing and so well-written but the horrendous treatment of women was rage-inducing.

This is a historical novel set in Italy and follows Costanza who has been married to her husband for four years and his reluctance to go to bed with her is causing her much stress as she’s desperate to have a child. The judgement of her family and neighbours about her not having children causes her great distress. A famous artist called Bernini takes an interest in her although it doesn’t progress to anything physical for many months when she learns the reason for her husband’s lack of interest and Bernini helps her in a time of great need. Costanza embarks on a passionate relationship with Bernini, his obsession with her growing, as does his possessiveness. However a jealous relative does something disgusting that causes Bernini to take drastic action against Costanza.

This is based on true events and the violence towards women in this is horrendous. Women are punished for things that they suffered at the hands of men. The possessiveness of men causes great harm to women, the callousness and selfishness creating great suffering. Women have very little power at this time and are victims of the great hypocrisy of the men around them. It’s not just Costanza, we see the impact on other women who have followed the rules perfectly, but still suffer, while the men have few if any consequences.

This is a passionate, beautifully written book, that’s tense, terrifying and impossible to put down.

I loved this tale of passion and forbidden love in 17th Century Rome. Its imagery was powerful and at times shocking and the characters were energetically drawn. I highly recommend this for lovers of historical fiction.

I absolutely loved reading this and discovering Costanza from a feminist point of view. I couldn't put it down and found the writing so gripping, This has reignited my love for historical fiction. Thank you so much Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book,

I really enjoy social history, trying to establish what really happened to various types of people in the past. Finding books that give a believable account of interesting people is extremely difficult.
I therefore praise Netgalley for allowing me to choose to read this wonderful book.
Lots of the storyline is difficult reading, but then again living in 17th century Rome was not easy for many people.
I learnt so many things from this book. A well written non-fiction account is as good as the reader can get to find out about things of the past, too often non-fiction accounts are by necessity one dimensional.
Not only is this story a brilliant story based upon ghosts of people descending from history, but it is written with such passion, care and understanding that parts of it bring tears to the eyes of those with the hardest hearts.
I also advise the reader to read all the way to the end of the book including acknowledgments. The author explains the why, the how and the wherefore of the books birth to conclusion.
The acknowledgment section is the best written that I have ever read.
My thanks to the author for the hours of enjoyment that the book has brought me, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A transporting historical novel about the downfall of an artist's muse in 1600s Rome. Rich and atmospheric, well written, with a focus on finding Costanza's voice amongst the male-dominated historical record. A little slow paced at times with a fairly obvious direction to the plot, but overall a great novel.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

The cover is absolutely stunning

Based on a true story - This had me dripped from the start

Loved it

I didn't realise until I had finished reading that this is based on a true story, but that just makes Constanza's life even more extraordinary. She was a remarkable woman, progressing from quite an ordinary family, to her modest wedding and then finding her place on a different side of society, always with the determination and strength of character that marked her out as different to her peers. A delightful and engaging read that held my interest throughout.

I enjoyed this one so much!!! At times the story felt very slow paced, which is why I took off a star, but the writing was done so well. It is apparent Rachel Blackmore did extremely in depth research into the life of Costanza Piccolomini and the time period (1630s Rome). The story was rich in description, I felt like I was totally transported to that time period. Costanza's story was also fantastic - her suffering and abuse at the hands of the Bernini brothers is just another tale on a long list of the plight of women since the dawn of time. I loved the themes of sisterhood in this story, and women lifting other women up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this wonderful ARC!

Constanza is immortalised in marble by the exquisitely talented Bernini, who aged 23 sculpted The Rape of Proserpina, (On display in Rome's Villa Borghese). Author Rachel Blackmore explores the passionate affair between Constanza and Bernini, his growing control over her, and his profound act of violence when he believes himself betrayed. What makes this such a complex and fascinating story is the way Blackmore draws us into Bernini's world and the world of men who are above the law, and gives Constanza her voice to tell us this story. 17th century Baroque Rome is captured in the light, smells, textures and sounds in this visually satisfying read. Rome, with it's double standards is a perilous place for women and I valued the resilience, wisdom and kindness of many of the women in this book.