Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book copy!

A Fragile Enchantment is about a magical dressmaker named Niamh who gets commissioned for a royal wedding and finds herself in the middle of a scandal with the groom, Kit. I had a good time reading this book. A lot of the elements in it reminded me a lot of Bridgeton except this is set in a fantastical world. The characters in this story are a bit messy but I think it worked for the story since we mostly spend the book figuring out who is starting the rumors about Niamh and Kit. One thing I think that did suffer is the political plot line of this story, I don't think it factored into the plot well and got a bit clunky at times. However, I think if you like your romance books set in a fantasy world this will work for you.

dnf at 30%. i loved the lushness of the writing, as well as the worldbuilding, but for some reason i was not connecting with the characters. i found the magic system very intriguing, but the set up for the romance just felt a bit off to me. i would still recommend this to enjoyers historical fantasies, but it just wasn't for me.

I couldn’t really get into this book. The reviews are so good though so I’d love to give it another try! I just wasn’t in the mood for it at the time.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a beautifully crafted novel that weaves magic, romance, and intrigue into a captivating story. Saft’s writing is lyrical and immersive, painting a vivid picture of the enchanting yet perilous world the characters inhabit. The romance is tender and bittersweet, filled with moments that tug at your heartstrings. It’s a story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page, leaving you enchanted by its magic and moved by its heartfelt themes.

This was a fun, sweet romance. I loved that the book didn't shy away from the harder parts of the world. And the characters were all brilliant together!

I’ve been a fan of Allison Saft’s books since her debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT. She is so good at delivering intricate story worlds and complicated characters navigating some kind of mysterious circumstances. In A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT, a tailor who can imbue the clothes she makes with magic and a younger prince fight their growing attraction to one another as an entire kingdom seems ready to crumble around them.

It’s got a bit of a grumpy vs. sunshine vibe, which I really enjoyed. The story also explores chronic illness and addiction pretty openly. Neither of those is often explored in fantasy novels, so that was nice to see.


The romantic arc absolutely hooked me. I read this book in two sessions because I really could not stop thinking about it and needed to know how it would end. I loved the directions the story took, especially the ones I hadn’t anticipated. There were a couple of times that things took me by surprise. That was fun.

All in all, I had a fabulous time reading this book, and I’m as big an Allison Saft fan as ever. I’m already excited about whatever story she has coming up next. I think fans of Kiera Cass would like this book a lot.

This review will post live on October 16, 2024

I ended up finding this title recently on Kindle Unlimited and read through it- absolutely adored the book! It was so cozy and made me feel good, even throughout the tension and the high stakes, it brought me a sense of calm and security. The found family was simply amazing. Cannot wait to dig into other books by Saft now!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Fragile Enchantment

Author: Allison Saft

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Diversity: Gay side character, Bisexual MC, Chronic Illness rep MC, Sapphic side characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, romance, romantasy, historical fiction

Publication Date: January 2, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Age Relevance: 14+ (war, death, language, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, homophobia, classism, romance, drugs, child abuse, anxiety attack, panic attack, poverty)

Explanation of Above: There are mentions of war and death. There is some strong language used. There are scenes of alcohol consumption and mentions of alcoholism. Homophobia is shown and mentioned, especially the parental disownment of a gay secondary character. Classism is shown as well as poverty. Romance is shown throughout the book. There are very vague mentions of drugs. There are mentions of child abuse. There are “on-screen” anxiety and panic attacks.

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 373

Synopsis: 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. Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Review: This was a decent read. I liked the story of it and all of the Bridgerton-like feels of it. The romance was cute and I felt like if the book was worked a bit longer the story would have been really strong. The worldbuilding was good and it only felt like it could get better.

However, I didn’t like this one. I struggled so hard through it and I hope maybe it’s just because I had an e-arc. The structure was a mess and the worldbuilding was lacking. The ending was confusing and unsatisfying. I feel like the author focused more on the romance, which was definitely the stronger point of the book, and completely just sacrificed the story for it. The book could have been so good, but it just left me really disappointed.

Verdict: I wanted more, but didn’t get it. But maybe it’ll leave you satisfied.

2.5 stars.
Niamh Ó Conchobhair is a gifted dressmaker from Machland. She can imbue her creations with memories and emotions as she stitches and embroiders, but this ability comes with a price: physical weakness after using her power, and a shortened lifespan.

Niamh has been commissioned by the prince regent of Avaland to create apparel for the royal wedding of Avaland’s younger prince, Christopher. Her grandmother is against Niamh taking on the work, but there is no option to refuse: Machland is under the thumb of Avaland, and her family is desperate for money.

Niamh travels to Avaland, her head full of dreams and hopes, but these are swiftly checked by reality when she meets Prince Christopher, or Kit, as he prefers to be known. He is angry that his brother, and the Regent, Jack, is forcing him to wed the daughter, Infanta Rosa, of the King of Castilia.

Niamh and Kit butt heads repeatedly, with Kit angry much of the time, so he moves from mean to kind to mean, repeatedly, in their dealings. It’s clear, though, that both are terribly attracted to one another.

Though Niamh is aware of the treatment of her fellow Machlish at home, she is awakened to the bigotry they face in Avaland, and that they are now agitating for better treatment and pay (they’re allowed to be servants and the like in Avaland). Though sympathetic, Niamh is too concerned about her family to get involved in the fight, no matter the blackmail of a local reporter who begins writing of the too obvious attraction between her and Kit. This discomfits Niamh, but infuriates Jack, who is desperate to forge the marriage between Kit and Rosa, for reasons opaque to Kit.

Rosa herself is indifferent to Kit and the marriage, seeing only the attraction of the intrigues and the maneuverings between nations.

Does Niamh end up with Kit? It’s a foregone conclusion as soon as they meet, no matter the numerous obstacles between them and their countries, and their arguments. Was it interesting watching it happen? Not particularly, and the pacing only reinforced this, as the text took a painfully long time to lay out the political and personal situations of the three countries and characters involved. This is unfortunate, as in this Regency England-inspired story with Avaland, Machland and Castilia functioning as stand-ins for England, Ireland and Spain, there should have been plenty of twisty politics and fascinating characters to enliven this enemies-to-lovers story.

Instead, I found myself struggling to pick this book up each time I laid it down, and just wished the few interesting side characters (Rosa, Miriam) had had more page time. It's a pity, as I've enjoyed previous offerings by this author, and hope future works by Allison Saft continue to intrigue and entertain me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was far longer than it needed to be. I ended up listening to the audio, which was helpful because I would never have finished it. The premise was interesting, as was the magic, but I was bored for the majority of the time.

I LOVED THIS BOOK, I was lucky enough to read part of this story early but I got so busy IRL and it sadly expired on me but I got a physical copy and finished it a while back early 2024.

This book was beautiful. THE TENSION. THE BANTER. It was *chefs kiss*.

The book was very captivating and kept me entertained I finished the book in about a day or two. I can’t wait to see what Allison writes next and I’m excited. :)

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy

First thing first, the cover is so beautiful, sadly, the story is so so

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I admit I was a little hesitant on this one, because while I really loved Saft’s sophomore novel, her debut did not work for me. I am not really a regency fan, either, but I thought, why not? Maybe it’ll work out.

I don’t think A Fragile Enchantment is bad, but it didn’t work for me. I do actually like the quality of Saft’s writing, but while there were aspects of the story I enjoyed (the gossip column!), I found I didn’t care much for the romance (which is central to the plot) and found that things developed much too quickly for my personal tastes. I liked the side characters much more than Niamh and Kit, and at times the obvious parallels to England and Ireland took me out of the story. The magic in the story, however, is very cool (albeit a little underexplored, I think), and while the plot beats did feel kind of predictable to me, they made logical sense (even if the pacing didn’t work for me). The problem, of course, is that Regency romances and I don’t get along, and while I had been hopeful maybe this would be an exception it was not. I think, though, for a YA Regency it is quite good and for fans of the genre and intended age range it should work out quite well.

Another absolutely amazing story from Allison Saft. The world building and characters are always so exquisitely crafted, leaving you utterly entranced and attached. I felt like the story was playing out in my mind as a movie, and felt bereft when it ended. Allison is absolutely incredible and an auto-buy author for me!

This was such a feel good book. Niamh, coming into court to be a seamstress for Kit's wedding. I love how she was in that new life, and building up friendships along the way. The Lovelace columnist made me feel like this took from Gossip Girl, it did make me laugh because people use scandal for everything. Rosa, Sinclair and Miriam. I think if you like regency romantasy, you might enjoy this one.

I really found this book to be very well constructed and written. Every word carried the story in its own way. There was never a hole in the plot where I didn’t know what was going on.

This book had hints of Bridgerton mixed with The Prince and the Dressmaker and some fantasy. Niamh has the magical ability to weave emotions and memories into fabric, but it's slowly killing her. Trying to make the best out of the situation, she helps her family by traveling to Avaland to make a wardrobe for the royal wedding. When she arrives, she finds out Avaland isn't as wonderful as it seemed.

Niamh's friendship with Kit, the prince to be married off for political reasons, was lovely. I like how it formed and while the books started out slow it did progress and pick up. The secondary characters were great as well. They added another layer, especially with the Lady Whistledown-esque gossip column.

A Fragile Enchantment is my third book by Allison Saft, and unfortunately, my least favorite. I adored the atmosphere in both Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic, and I always end up loving the tortured and broken characters she ends up writing. I knew Enchantment would be different in at least atmosphere, as it was focused more on a historical, regency setting rather than something more gothic, but I thought I would enjoy it all the same.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy A Fragile Enchantment, because in a way I did. I had fun with it while I was listening to the audiobook, and I was invested in the romance and characters for most of the story. However, it was just missing some of the stronger qualities I’ve come to expect from Saft’s writing, and overall this book just didn’t feel all that memorable. The setting never felt strong enough to me, and the magic felt diluted and under-explored, even as it was constantly brought up on the page. I also just wasn’t fully invested in the characters or their relationship either, especially as I got closer to the end of the book. Everything just felt a bit shallow.

Overall, while I don’t regret reading this one, it’s not a book that will stick with me for a long time either. Saft’s other works have just been a lot stronger, and I’d recommend reading those over this one, especially if gothic books dripping with atmosphere are more your thing! This definitely hasn’t put me off her writing though, and I can’t wait for her next release!

It has been a while since I’ve read a book that I thoroughly enjoyed so this was a pleasant surprise. A romantic story of a prince and a magical dressmaker. I really enjoyed the magical world that this author created. It gives me Regency/Bridgerton vibes with a sprinkle of magic.

The characters are enjoyable. Niamh (love the name) is our dressmaker who can be a little naïve at times but I enjoyed her growth throughout the story. Of course we have Kit, the broody Prince. Even the side characters were really enjoyable, which I found really rounded of the story well.

The plot was good, and the romance was definitely definitely enjoyable. However, I feel like there were some moments where I lost interest in the romance. But then it would pick up again later on.

Overall, I think this is a really solid YA romance fantasy. Even better, it’s a standalone so there’s not a lot of commitment there. And sometimes I find romance, fantasies as standalone are hard to write, but this writer did a great job with it.

If you enjoy Bridgerton vibes or Sorcery of Thorns then I think you will enjoy this one!

I can’t honestly explain how giddy this book made me. This is the kind of whimsical Regency-set romantasy that I’ve been wanting for a while. 👗

The world that Saft created was a beautiful fantasy reimagining of Regency England and Ireland. I loved that this reimagined Ireland got its independence in the late 18th century instead of 100+ years later. Saft did a wonderful job showing how much the Irish suffered from prejudice and a government that didn’t care for them. This definitely made my little academic heart happy, and my reader heart fell soon after. 🍀

I honestly loved Niamh as the POV of the book. She was plucky, wonderfully optimistic, and stubborn without it being overbearing. Her life choices and views are so relatable and it grounded her wonderfully compared to some YA heroines that sometimes feel overly done when it comes to being independent and “girl-bossing”. 🧵

Kit was a wonderful (as well as infuriating at times) love interest. While he comes off incredibly rude, it’s later revealed how and why he uses his aloofness and rudeness as a shield. The more he opened up to Niamh, the more sweet he became. Not to mention his powers are cool too! 💚

As much as I did love this book, I did feel like the middle part was a bit rushed and that Niamh’s ideas were rather harebrained. but other than that, still greatly enjoyed this book! Big thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for accepting my request in exchange for an honest review, and to Saft for writing an incredible Regency inspired YA romantasy! 💚

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️