A solid cute, heartwarming romance with a happily ever after that is so clearly coming, but that you'll love every second of it.

This was such a nice read to pop between war and politic heavy fantasy romances. I really enjoyed how the relationship between the two mains progressed, and yes having everything work out perfectly for them in the end is insanely convenient, but that's just what I wanted and needed ☺️

DNF

While the book started off strongly and had an incredible premise, it fell flat somewhere around the middle. The magic system was well-crafted, but the scenes felt too repetitive and I lost the motivation to continue.

I really enjoyed this one! It had the feeling of a beloved historical romance, but it delivered so much more. The characters themselves were delightful, as was the fantasy element of a magical dressmaker.

The romance was sweet, the banter was witty, and I really loved Niamh’s and Kit’s journey to find happiness together. There were plenty of obstacles in their way to get there, but get there they did.

My favorite aspect, though, was Niamh’s struggle to take up space in a world where she feels like she has to be invisible to please others. So many of us (especially women) go out of our way to make others comfortable at the expense of our own comfort, and I really loved how that was explored in this story.

I switched to the audiobook about 1/4 of the way through the book because I was curious about the pronunciation of certain words and names. The narrator was phenomenal with bringing this story and these characters to life and I absolutely recommend it for audio lovers.


*eARC received via NetGalley.

I loved this book so much! It was just what I wanted to read. I loved the aesthetic of the world and magic we are introduced to. The romance! So swoon worthy! They communicated so well with each other which was so refreshing to read. I would love to see more from this world from Allison Saft.
A perfect read for the spring time.

This book was a Bridgerton meets Fantasy and a great entertaining read! If you're into monarchy, political intrigue, and a cast of fascinating characters, this is one I would definitely recommend!

Overall, I enjoyed this, but I would have liked to see more depth in the magic system and world-building. It just felt like they weren’t explained enough.

The first half of this was set up to be an interesting magical take on The Troubles and Irish independence, with some compelling characters and beautiful descriptions. By the latter half, it was mostly focused on the cheesy, trope-heavy, distinctly YA romance of the two main characters. It was still fun, and will appeal to Bridgerton fans, but some of the more unique storylines drifted into the background. It seemed like there was going to be some chronic illness rep but it was extremely vague and then I think the author perhaps got bored with that element because after a certain point it was never mentioned again.

There's some thematic overlap between this and Catherine Bakewell's "Flowerheart." There's a lot of pining and professing of emotions and people taking big swings. If you're looking for a swoony, low-heat, historical-adjacent romance, this one fits the bill.

[Note for NetGalley only: I ended up reading this book in physical copy long after its publication date due to the Wednesday Books boycott. I hope the publisher is following through on promises made in the interim.]

Allison Saft creates a magical fantasy world, blending elements of the political world and the wide span between the lower working class and the monarchy in A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT. It's a forbidden love story between a lower-class labor girl and a noble prince. I find the concept intriguing; however, I found it difficult to connect with the characters leaving me needing more. However, this is the perfect book for fans of fantasy romance - a Cinderella style story that tackles real life issues.

This was a magical installment and a brilliant idea from shafts head, I enjoyed so much the story of romance, the chemistry of the characters and honestly the world building, I live for a good story where the magic is explained and also where is dying. 10/10

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I genuinely wanted to love this book and was so excited to dive in! Allison Saft is undeniably a talented writer, and her prose is beautiful, but unfortunately, the story fell flat for me. I struggled to stay engaged and found myself putting it down multiple times, unsure if it was the wrong book at the wrong time or simply not the right fit for me. While Niamh was a well-crafted character with a strong backstory, I never truly connected with her internal dialogue. As for Kit—I just couldn’t bring myself to care about him or his storyline, which made it difficult to stay invested. Ultimately, this one may not have been for me!

I LOVE ALLISON SAFT WITH THE BURNING PASSION OF A THOUSAND SUNS AND EVERY ONE OF HER BOOKS HITS. THIS STORY IN PARTICULAR WAS SO CHARMING. COZY AND BRILLIANT.

This was cute and I enjoyed the prose but the ending was so insufficient. It solved basically none of the problems the characters were facing, just ended with a “we’ll worry about this later, let’s sit with the power of love for now”

Niamh (pronounced "Nee-ve") is a commoner with a magical ability to sew emotions into garments who is hired to create wedding clothes for the upcoming marriage of the younger prince of Avaland, Kit, and his fiancee Rosa, the princess of a neighboring country. Despite his prickly exterior, Niamh finds Kit extremely attractive, and vice versa. Unfortunately, between the Prince Regent Jack, a nosy gossip columnist, unrest with an oppressed minority group, and both main character's tendency to martyr themselves for the people they care about, there are a lot of things in the way of their happy ever after.

Overall, I thought the book was fine. It's a nice, fluffy teen romance between two characters who are trying to get over themselves. I was a bit disappointed that Niamh doesn't make connections with the other women in the book, even though they are clearly shown as being present, competent, and involved in the plot. I also agree with the other criticism I've seen about the ending being very sudden and unrealistic with the civil unrest just kind of going away.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Readers Copy!

This was my third and probably favorite Allison Saft novel if only because I now have appropriate expectations. Like the others, a Fragile Enchantment is a historical romantic fantasy. I always love the magical settings that still feel real, but get frustrated with the lack of plot resolution and this is no different. The characters’ problems are never really resolved and the consequences of FMC’s actions didn’t always seem appropriately severe. Since I was expecting this, I was able to focus on and enjoy the setting and the romance which was written beautifully and with so much longing.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy.

I love a good slow burn! This book was super cute and I loved the historical vibes! I absolutely adored the characters and the world-building. I really enjoyed Niamh's journey of growth and her interactions with Kit. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a slow-burn romantasy.

3 stars!

This had potential... the romantasy story plot itself wasn't bad and it was interesting but for me the world building aspect felt like I needed more details to fully immerse me. Overall not bad!

This book was amazing! I loved the setting, the characters, and the romance. It was delightful and fun yet also heartfelt and fascinating. The plot twists shocked me and I loved the heroine’s determination. I also liked the diversity in a fairy tale-esque story. I would recommend this novel to everyone.

When I initially read about this book I thought it sounded interesting, even though I don't read that much fantasy. I appreciated the bits of history woven throughout the story. Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a lush fantasy romance with a Regency-inspired setting, courtly intrigue, and a touch of magic. The story follows Niamh, a talented dressmaker with enchantment-infused sewing abilities, who is invited to a royal court on the brink of political turmoil. There, she becomes entangled with the brooding prince Kit, leading to a slow-burn romance filled with longing and tension.

Saft’s prose is beautifully atmospheric, weaving themes of love, class divides, and self-worth into a compelling narrative. While the plot follows familiar tropes, the rich worldbuilding and emotional depth make it an engaging read for fans of romantic fantasy like Bridgerton meets Howl’s Moving Castle.

I truly enjoyed this read. I always love a grumpy sunshine slow-burn and this one was just that. There is forbidden romance and a diverse cast of characters which kept the story going.

The magic system, out the magic that is within our FMC, Niamh was a bit confusing to me, but honestly it fell to the back of the story compared with the romance for me. I was more engrossed in when these two - Kit and Niamh - would get together than anything else in the story. Which just made it enough for me to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.