Costanza by Rachel Blackmore
Having seen the bust of Costanza at the Bargello Museum in Florence I was very keen to read this book about the relationship between Lorenzo Bernini, the sculptor and Costanza, his lover. The story opens with Costanza becoming increasingly distressed by her relationship with her husband Matteo. She longs to have a child and yet her husband seems reluctant to lie with her.
Her husband works for Lorenzo Bernini who is a favourite of the Pope and has wields great power in Rome. When Costanza meets Lorenzo he becomes interested in her and, with the blessing of her husband, he begins to teach her about art. Initially their relationship is chaste but then a relationship develops between them which becomes a great passion.
The book is very well researched and you feel immersed in the Rome of the seventeenth century. She demonstrates how women were not able to run their own lives - how they were dependent upon men for everything. I became very involved in the life of Costanza and also of her dear friend Guiliana whose husband insisted on intimate relations with her even though pregnancy left her weak and debilitated. As a Catholic wife there was no way they could refuse or take any precautions to prevent pregnancy.
I knew the story of Costanza and what had happened to her but this did not diminish my love of the story. I was full of admiration for this strong woman who refused to behave in the way that was expected of her. I also loved the way in which the author described how women supported one another throughout all of their trails.
I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen and would like to offer my gratitude to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for enabling me to read such a powerful novel in return for an honest review.

Costanza was a glorious dive into the baroque world of 17th century Rome, with all the sights, sounds and smells... and also a brutal account of the way that Costanza - and most of the other women - were treated. I'd studied all about Bernini years ago and it was amazing to get this insight into the real person - or monster - behind the art. It's shocking even for those days, how he was excused from a horrific crime because of his supposely 'fiery' personality and artistic genius....
I particularly enjoyed reading the author's account of why she chose this story, and her anger about the way women continue to suffer under the patriarchy. Costanza's success once she'd come out of the nunnery is an inspiration.

"Costanza" by Rachel Blackmore is a story set in 17th-century Rome, this novel is a sensual and evocative portrayal of a woman's struggle for autonomy in a time when women were largely controlled by the church and society.
Costanza Piccolomini is a young wife who is torn between her desire for passion and her duty to her husband. When she meets Gianlorenzo Bernini, a famous sculptor, she finds herself caught in a web of desire and danger. Their secret love affair is intense and all-consuming, but it's also fraught with danger, as Costanza's reputation is at stake.
I loved how Blackmore woven together the historical details of the period with the intimate and sensual portrayal of Costanza's experiences. The setting is sumptuous and evocative, transporting me to the streets of Rome during a time of great turmoil.
As for the characters, I found Costanza to be a relatable and likeable protagonist, despite her flaws. Her naivete and impulsiveness make her a bit frustrating at times, but it's also understandable given the circumstances. Bernini is more complex, with a dark temper and a possessive nature that makes him both fascinating and terrifying.
The themes of the book are powerful and timely, exploring the struggles that women face when they are silenced and marginalized. The story is inspired by real-life events.
While there were some issues with the writing style - specifically the occasional shift from first person to third person - they didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. The exploration of female friendship in the final part of the book was particularly powerful, highlighting the importance of support and upliftment among women.
Overall "Costanza" is for anyone looking for a historical novel that will challenge their perspectives on gender roles and societal expectations. It's a difficult but ultimately uplifting read that will stay with me for a long time.

4.5 stars

Total "judging a book by its cover" with this one! Look how gorgeous she is! I have been so excited about this book.

This is a story I knew nothing about. Part of me feels I must have heard about Matteo Bonuccelli and Gianlorenzo Bernini, and in turn, Costanza, at some point, especially as I used to really be into art, but nope, nothing. Which meant I could come into this with a blank slate, with no knowledge or expectation.

Rachel immediately takes us into this world. I've been to Rome once, many years ago, and I don't remember much of it, other than the fact it rained nearly every day and I wasn't a huge fan of the city, but the way she has described it means I can picture 1636 Rome far easier than the early noughties Rome.

You can see the hours of research Rachel must have put into this book. I'm still in the research stage o my own book and I've often thought whether it's actually worth it all, but this proves it. You really get a feeling for the time and place and people, you can really get the idea that Rachel is an expert in her area and that then makes the story beautiful.

It is a bit slow to begin with, but I'm not sure that's a negative. For me anyway, it really helped lead me into the story, gave me time to get invested in the lead characters and their situation, so that when the s*** hits the fan later on, you really care for the characters and the outcome. There are some slower moments later on in the novel. Not a deal breaker, not a huge issues, and I still really, really, really liked it, but there were just a few occasions I wanted to get to the crux of things a bit quicker, but it didn't affect the enjoyment of the book.

It angers me all this talk in books about how women were treated. I know this is set in the 1600s and the power balance between sexes is completely different, but it doesn't make for easy reading, and whilst Rachel hasn't made it too OTT, she hasn't hidden away from it either.

I love the strong women Rachel has created. It's tough for them, but Costanza especially definitely seems ahead of her time, speaking out, back-chatting to me, being overly familiar with men, walking unaccompanied. It all sounds normal now, but for that time it was very provocative. But she's not shy about it. And in her strength lies the strength of others, building them up and helping them when they fall back down.

I believe this is Rachel's debut historical novel and it really is promising. I've read a lot - A LOT - of historical novels recently. Set in the 1600s-1800s, strong women in difficult situations, love affairs etc. and actually, quite a lot set in Italy come to think of it. And I'm sure that eventually I will get bored of them, or authors will run out of stories to tell, but this is just different enough to be original and enjoyable, unlike anything else I've read before.

Rachel is clearly a born storyteller, she's passionate about her creation, about these characters, about doing them justice; she's aware these are real people with real lives and they deserve to have their stories told, and you can feel that love in the writing.

I really, really enjoyed it. And whilst it was all good to read, the last third of it was my favourite. It's not always nice or easy to read, it gets uncomfortable, but it's so raw and brutal and honest and passionate that it was impossible not to be moved by it - by the plot but also Rachel's way of writing it.

Taking everything into account, this is a fabulous historical debut, with great characters (even if they're not always comfortable to read about), vivid locations, expert storytelling, with the odd pacing issues, but I could barely face putting it down, so keen was I to see how it ended.

Thank you NetGalley & Dialogue books for the ARC

It's the 17th century, Costanza is a young woman married to an up and coming sculptor who works out of the renowned Lorenzo Bernini's studio. She stumbles into a passionate love affair with Bernini who becomes obsessed with his new muse, immortalising her in a marble statute and thus making it impossible to hide their affair.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. I'm not one for historical fiction usually but the narrative was so wonderfully compelling. Blackmore's own feminine rage at the state of the world for women and girls was shining throughout this book, you can see what's going to happen for Costanza, it's a story we've heard time and again, we know she is the one who will suffer the most and yet there's nothing you can do to stop the slow carcrash.

Being based in reality the story is rich, and full of detail that helps to bring the world to life. I would 100% recommend this.

I was eager to read this book as I had read Anna Mazzola's novel The Book of Secrets that covered the same time and place in history. as well as The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell. I used to live in Rome and latterly in Pisa, so every novel from that country fascinates me. Rachel Blackmore's Costanza is a novel written with passion, but also great deal of anger and pain. As such, it is not a comfortable story to read, following the rise and fall of a famous mistress of Bernini. The details of how the sculptors and artists survived in that era, with essential patronage from the Pope and other rich families was very interesting. The aspirations of the women struggling with childbirth and poverty was at times a little twenty first century, but the author admits in her acknowledgements that details of Costanza are scant, leaving Blackmore free to invent much of the detail. As so often in history, it is the man who gets his place in time, but I could imagine the reality of these women who chose the path of mistress as the only route to advancement. I could also believe in the hypocrisy of a society that revered beauty, but shunned any woman who did not conform to the image of the Madonna. It exists today in many countries and many religions. Overall, an interesting story, but not light holiday reading.

What I loved: the characterisation and the richness of the storytelling. Costanza is a wonderfully flawed but relatable character, and it was hard not to feel her emotions and share her experiences really keenly. It made for difficult reading at times, especially as we progressed in her story (this is no spoiler, there is a real sense of foreboding from the beginning!), but this made her come alive in a way that even Lorenzo's sculptures could not achieve! The shared narratives were also done well, not distracting from the story or jumping around for each chapter. The worldbuilding was very lush, I really felt the heat and oppression of a Italian summer and Blackmore's descriptive style really suits the historical fiction genre.

What I didn't love: I felt the story took a little while to get started, but once I was in the flow, I finished it within a few days. I also felt the story concluded quite abruptly, but this is likely due to the story being based on a real person, and the Blackmore taking great pains to be faithful to Costanza's story. I admit I had expected a little more spice in the romance scenes, based on the description, but that is a personal preference.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gripping novel about Constanza, a woman who has been forced into a life that doesn’t make her happy - she’s in a loveless marriage, her relationships with her family and friends are struggling, she is feeling lost. She is then swept off of her feet, but her new world leads her on a dangerous path.

I really liked this book. I couldn’t help but fall for Constanza and feel her pain. The story was so rich and descriptive - the author’s in-depth research was obvious throughout. The fact that Constanza is a real person, and the misogyny and judgement she faced hasn’t changed much over the years, makes this book even more relevant.

This is really worth a read

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a difficult novel to review without giving anything away.
I was immediately drawn to it as an Italian living abroad, and a lover of Rome. There was significant authenticity in the characters and places described, and it’s a wonderful surprise to read about such a strong female character who really existed and who overcame significantly more than most women of her station and time ever would have.
It would have been helpful for a couple of details to be checked by an Italian in terms of spelling, however this is minor and it was impressive how much research went into this novel as it is.
The story is captivating and unfolds unexpectedly, revealing itself to be a story of power, love, lust and much more.
With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for this honest review.

Costanza is a historical fiction novel that starts in Rome, 1636. Costanza Piccolomini is a young wife who is married to Matteo. She meets Lorenzo Bernini who is a sculptor and star of Roman society. A fatal attraction is born once they set eyes on each other. They start an affair and Costanza becomes Lorenzo’s mistress. It is dangerous for Costanza’s reputation but the lovers cannot resist each other. Lorenzo completes a sculpture of Costanza which exposes her as his lover. This starts the unravelling of their affair and Costanza’s life.

I had a really good time with this and I’m giving this book 4.5 stars rounded up to a 5. It was a very slow historical novel but I really enjoyed following Costanza especially because I knew nothing about her real life. The writing was very good. This has many parallels to the way women are treated in modern day life and I appreciated that. This novel also had some good historical vibes and it felt like I was in Rome.

This is such a powerful and compelling book. I was hooked from the opening pages and found it increasingly difficult to put down. The story of Costanza Piccolomini, a young woman drawn into the dark orbit of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, has until now been nothing more than a footnote in historical accounts of the famous sculptor’s life. But in this moving novel she comes vividly to life as an intelligent woman seeking more from life than her era and status allow, whose discovery of wider horizons comes at a terrible price. It’s a story that is by turns passionate and terrifying – and ultimately a testament to the strength of human resilience. It deals with issues that are as relevant to women today as they were in mid-seventeenth century Rome but does not fall into the trap of sliding someone with twenty-first century attitudes into anothertime; brave and questing as she is, Costanza is still very convincingly a woman of her time.
The portrayal of life in Rome in 1636 is masterful. Not just the details of life at the time, but the feel of the place, the heat rising from the streets, the sounds of the city, the feel of the marble under the sculptors’ hands. The description of the way the sculptors worked, the strength and delicacy of their art and the tricks of the trade, was particularly fascinating. A huge amount of research must have gone into this book, but it is woven so organically into the story that it never shows, it just feels as though one is living and breathing in another time, another person’s world.
I really respected the way in which violence towards women is handled in this book. At the risk of spoilers, a horrifying act is central to this story, but neither the assault or its consequences are dwelt on in more detail than is essential or used as an excuse for voyeuristic thrills. To me, this made Costanza seem more of a person and less of a victim. It’s her very determination not to be ruled by circumstance that makes this profoundly moving story ultimately life-affirming.
This is a terrific – and important - read. Costanza has spent too long in the shadows. It is time for her to take her place in the sun.

This book was an interesting read, very thought provoking about the treatment of women. It is a historical fiction based on the true story of Costanza.

The first part of the book is quite slow but then a lot happens in quick succession, allowing the characters to grow and develop.

A lot of research went into this book which helps to paint the picture of what Rome was like at the time.

Thanks NetGalley and the author for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

17th century Rome and its a mans world, but Costanza wants her voice to be heard and this is her story, expertly told by Rachel Blackmore. A historical fiction novel based on true events
The wife of the budding sculptor Matteo, she lives a life of drudgery until she meets his boss Lorenzo Bernini. An instant attraction leads her into his life and she becomes his lover taking her to places she could only have dreamt of going to, however others are jealous of her rise and seek ways to bring her down.
It's hard to believe this is a debut novel by Ms Blackmore ( known for her cookery books) it is so well researched and the prose is emotive and evocative of the times. Misogynism is rife throughout the novel, not only in Costanza's world but also with the other women she meets, especially at the latter stages of the novel. The overall feel I got from the book is strength and resilience. It is a long read slow I found at the beginning but most definitely engrossing and well worth a read

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6602449065

Costanza was a beautifully written historical fiction about the mistress of Bernini. I didn’t know anything about Costanza going into this and she became an utterly relateable character, a young woman bristling at the constraints of society. Society’s treatment of women is a key theme with an array of characters to support it. The writing beautifully evoked 17th century Rome, with beautiful depictions of various artwork, not just Bernini’s. I might have liked to more of Costanza’s life after her punishment though.

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.