A fairy tale atmosphere, magic that is killing its wielder, and a royal wedding make this a book that was bound to catch my attention and keep me hooked.
What I Loved
1. Wonderful Queer Rep across the board
2. Enchanting writing that kept me glued to the prose even through the slower moments of the plot.
3. The main character's weakness is very chronic illness-coded which I could not help but appreciate.
What didn't work as well for me
1. The ending romantic development felt like it was forced into an m/f dynamic after building up a strong polyamorous possibility for the entire book. ( I might be projecting a bit there though.)
2. The romance element of the book was a lot stronger than the fantasy elements of the book when I set myself up to be expecting the opposite.

Who would I recommend this title for

A Fragile Enchantment will be the perfect read for fans of stories such as An Enchantment of Ravens who love romance with a dash of fantasy to pull it together.

Saft wanted to do a lot with this book, and achieved maybe 40% of what she set out to do, it feels like. What I mean is:

- There was a lot of positive queer representation (though only among the good guys/young people), including both main characters being bi and a number of supporting characters being gay or lesbian. My complaints about the ending (spoiler tag below) detail why this was not quite the success it could have been, to my mind. I spent most of this book expecting a Why Choose/Poly ending between Naimh, Kit, and Sinclair, and maybe Rosa and Miriam, too, and for all that it's not really my preference when it comes to romance, I really felt that Saft had set it up to end that way, and so I found myself disappointed by the typical M/F romance we got, with a side of Rosa/Miriam and nobody for Sinclair (perhaps as punishment for "betraying" his friends by taking a stand for Machlish rights and trying to earn some money as a gossip columnist?).

- There was civil unrest that reminded me (an under-educated American) of the Irish famine, but not much was actually done with that, and I never received a satisfactory explanation for why pseudo-England was being blamed for it. (Sure, their royal family has plant magic, but everywhere it says that magic has been diminishing. I really doubt they were able to cause a blight on that scale.) Seriously. No actual solution was suggested at any point beyond "meet with this one protester," and I don't know if she has any actual authority to dictate terms on her people's behalf or is just the squeakiest wheel.

- The heroine has a mysterious genetic disease that sounds a bit like rheumatoid arthritis, but also causes a streak of her hair to lighten and spread until, I guess, one day her hair will be all white and she'll drop dead. It mostly seems to make her hands go numb at exciting plot moments and cause her to faint when it is important for the romance arc that she do so. "Working too hard" can exacerbate it, but her goal is to do as much as she can before it kills her, so it seems Naimh's goal is to kill herself on purpose through overwork? Either way, nothing is really said or done about this, it just seems like an excuse to have Kit fuss over the heroine.

I don't know. I finished the book yesterday evening and today I had to look up the names of the main characters. It was that unmemorable. Nice cover though.

A Fragile Enchantment is a romance novel with a tiny bit of magic. I would have preferred more magic and less romance, but that is not the story being told. We have a young seamstress from Machland who is looked down on as nothing better than a lowly servant, though she has immense magic. I appreciated the little details that we got as she sewed the clothes for the prince and his bride. I think this would have been a better book for me if there had been less focus on the romance and more on the magical and political aspects of the story. If you are looking for a romance-heavy book with magic aspects, check this one out.

I was captivated by this book from the start. The lore and intrigue of a past we are not immediately privy to drew me in. The author writes Niamh so well. She has emotional depth and turmoil and conflict that is consistent throughout the book that is hard to find in fantasy romances. I found myself rooting for characters and wanting friendships to grow more than anything else. I thought the story was intriguing, easy to follow, and consistent from beginning to end! Highly recommend 😊

When I think of cozy reads, I think of novels that leave me feeling content and warm inside. I would categorize A Fragile Enchantment as a cozy regency romantic fantasy.

The romance is a slow burn and sometimes felt a little more slow than burn but there many parts that made me swoon. Because of the tension that gradually builds as Niamh and Kit become closer, it is utterly satisfying when they finally give in. The problem is that it's somewhat short-lived because he's obviously the groom but another major plotline gets in their way.

The friendship I unexpectedly liked most was the one that eventually developed between Niamh, the bride's chaperone Miriam, and the bride Rosa. I was hoping they would become friends and was happy when it happened. Where Niamh is somewhat naive about court politics and high society, Rosa is aware of what role is meant to play but also knows how to wield what power she may have. I liked Rosa's influence on her.

Overall, I liked this one. There were some parts when the story slowed. Then there were others when the story felt overly dramatic, in a good way. I couldn't help it when my heart stuttered. A Fragile Enchantment is perfect for fans of regency romances who like a sprinkle of magic. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Another teen/YA book that I was surprised I loved as much as I did.

If you haven’t yet, read this.

The fact it was made into a FL special edition should show you that it’s a good book.

Definitely recommend reading this.

I'm not a huge fantasy reader but this book was so well written and had fantasy mixed in with reality that made it easy to consume myself in this new world! the slow burn love story kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat.

copy provided by netgalley

Love, love, LOVED the setting for this alternate history world of Regency England with magic. Working class Niamh and aristo Kit gave me the perfect sunshine and grump to cheer for in this gorgeously written romantasy - so much chemistry!

this was like Bridgerton with a dash of magic. I loved the banter and the soft flirtation between the main characters. Definitely a sweet little romance if you are new to the fantasy genre.

“Give me some credit here. It’s like watching an entire opera play out
every time you two so much as make eye contact with each other”

This story crafted by Allison Saft has the feel of a historical romance while weaving in a magic system that really creates the fantasy vibe of this novel. The witty banter between our MCs is top-notch. Niahm is a magical seamstress, with a power passed down through generations to weave feelings into fabric. Kit is the outcast prince of Avalon whose brother, the king regent, has prearranged a marriage to a princes of a nearby kingdom. Niahm is hired to create the attire for the prince and princess for their upcoming nuptials and although using her magic is slowly taking years from her life, she can not turn down the opportunity to make enough money to support her family. Our FMC soon learns that secrets are being kept and the royal court has more to hide than she first imagined. What’s most unexpected is how the prickly groom-to-be prince is slowly working is way into her thoughts more and more.


Sometimes, it felt as though she’d threaded all her family’s wounds onto a string and hung them around her own neck. But she could not complain… Besides, it was a comfortable weight by now. If she did not carry it, then who would?

The internal struggle Niahm and Kit both have while balancing loyalty to uphold their families’ legacies versus also wanting literally anything for themselves is felt through the pages of this book. They are both strong willed characters who feel a duty to uphold their family’s needs over their own. Along with this is a brewing slow-burn romance that must be kept in the dark. Tabloids abound at any sight of the prince stepping out of line and Niahm must save her reputation if she wants to become anything more than a poor seamstress. When things start to heat up, decisions must be made and we find out who has been honest and who has more to hide than we ever thought possible…


She floated in a haze of pleasure and exhaustion. “Is this a dream?”
“I don’t know,” he said huskily, his eyes aglow. “Let me kiss you until dawn, and I suppose we’ll find out.”

A Fragile Enchantment is as enchanting as the title suggests and I really enjoyed it!

extremely slow start to a highly anticipated fantasy novel. couldn't get into the story no matter how hard i tried.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book!

I have to preface this review to say that I started this book and life took a curve and so early into reading, I lost touch with it and my flow through the book suffered.

We open with Niamh O'Connor being selected to sew Prince Kit Carmine's wedding cloak. I initially struggled a bit with the opening of this book. It's harder for me to read in third person, so that's always a little bit of a shift; but also... I found the difference in language (suited to the time period, and also the names I didn't know how to pronounce) set me off on the wrong foot. I chose to try my best at pronouncing them, and moved through the story fairly quickly after that. I did find that it dropped us off quickly into the action of the story.

Niamh can weave feelings, memories, or enchantments into her sewing, and I just found that interesting. Kit also had a bit of magic to him, and it was done in a nice way that it complimented the story and characters without feeling fake.

It was interesting to watch the interaction between Niamh and Kit. I felt Niamh to be quite relatable - lost to her own thoughts and struggling to speak her true feelings, but growing in strength and self conference. Kit was also interesting, it was satisfying to peel back the layers and discover his true personality despite the facade he kept.

I realized that by 60-80% in it felt somehow like not much had happened. It felt like it was trudging along by then - though that's also when all the action started. It was slow going until then, and worth hanging in til the end. I did like the emotional progress and felt the angst between the characters - being a sort of forbidden love was done really well.

Ultimately, while I struggled with this book in some ways, I would still definitely recommend it - I just realize I may not be the target demographic.

If you like snarky interaction, an old time romance, and a hint of magic, than this book is for you!

This was an interesting read and not my typical genre. I do love a good YA romance but historical isn't for me. However I liked that there was a fantasy/magical aspect to this one.
I didn't always feel the love connection between the main characters, but the intrigue of the story kept me reading.

I am not a fantasy girl, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so interesting! I loved the Bridgerton feel of it, and the characters were so easy to fall in love with.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you to #netgalley and #wednesdaybooks for an earc in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a soft, sweet romance with dashes of the fantastical that has regency England vibes, you've come to the right place.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

DNF at 13%. The writing was lovely but the story did not grab me. I know many will enjoy it for the court intrigue and magic, but unfortunately it was not for me.

4.5 stars

This was a soft cozy gentle fantasy (I mean, look at that cover. It’s just dripping with soft gentle romance) that held a little bit of edge, and it was extremely clear that “Bridgerton” had a heap of influence on this book. There is a Lady Whistledown-style character sharing gossip and opinions on what is going on in Avaland.

There is a little political intrigue that brings some tension and drama to things, especially as Niamh and Kit grow closer. My main issue is that I thought some of the romance and world-building was a bit lacking at times. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and the wedding preparations, I wanted more detail about the magic of the world, especially Niamh’s magic. To me it felt like we were just scratching the surface of detail about it, and just expected to move on with the story. But I love understanding the magic. Niamh knew that stitching emotions and memories into her designs had a cost, but it was like she herself felt trapped and obligated to keep using her magic, even though it was clearly killing her.

Honestly, from the beginning, I just expected Niamh and Kit to be together and so following their story was a little less exciting for me. I wanted to know more about the side characters…and some were given more focus than others, which felt a bit disappointing.

Wow, I feel like this review is making this feel less like a 4.5 star rating, but I promise that I was swept away by this book overall, and I did read it fairly quickly. And honestly one of the most fun mysteries of the story was discovering the identity of the gossip columnist. I thought I had figured it out, and I ended up being completely wrong, and that made things really interesting.

Oh, and the relationships/romances of the side characters…or rather the tension and build-up and longing of some of the side characters for other side characters….I wanted more of that because it was delicious.

Allison Saft is one of my absolute favorite authors and her latest installment did not disappoint. The blending of Victorian London, the Bridgerton-esque gossip columns, world building and slowly built romance was brilliantly done. I truly wish this book had been longer because I didn’t want it to end!

This book had me glued to each page from start to finish and got me out of a reading slump. What a darling story!

An angst-filled, forbidden love, grumpy/sunshine romantic fantasy.., what more could a girl want?

I loved all of the supporting characters and the queer rep in this book, so much! The banter between our main characters and their counterparts was *chef’s kiss*.

For a YA fantasy read, I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and author Allison Saft for this eARC to read and review.