This was so good! Allison Saft is quickly becoming a favorite author. I love the characters and seeing their relationships and confidence in themselves develop. Once I hit 50ish pages I could not put it down and had to binge read to see what happened next. This book was so, so good and I need more people to read it so I can with them about it!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. This took me a bit to get into but after about 40% I genuinely couldn’t stop reading. I LOVED watching Kit and Niamhs relationship grow, as well as learn more about their magic and the system as a whole! It’s such a unique magic system and I love the way Niamh wove her enchantments in. I’m so happy with the ending and I will DEFINITELY be reading more Allison Saft!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. Review originally withheld as part of the St. Martin’s Press reviewer boycott. All opinions are my own.

I was massively excited when I saw Allison Saft was releasing a Regency-inspired YA fantasy romance, simultaneously building on the hype generated by Bridgerton and the growing “romantasy” craze. A Fragile Enchantment also came at a perfect time for min se (publisher issues notwithstanding), as I felt a desire to read a fantasy with Regency vibes after reading about the promise of them in another book, but I didn’t want to deal with some of the other aspects of that book that I knew wouldn’t work for me.

The world building is a lot of fun, and while it’s a little cheesy in places, with some very obvious parallels to reality, it’s a fun Easter-egg hunt nonetheless, looking into the parallels between the this world’s politics and the real Europe of the Regency and early 19th century more broadly. And there’s all the fun aesthetic things from Regency romances, from balls and duels to scandal-sheets with a bit of a twist. The magic system was a little vague, but interesting nonetheless.

Niamh is an interesting heroine, working as a tailor and imbuing magic into her creations. She is a hard worker who is dedicated to taking care of her family, and her struggle is very recognizable for anyone who had to grow up too fast to care for their family, due to their parents being unable to do so for one reason or another. However, her magic has a cost, in that it weakens and could kill her, and I appreciated the compassionate parallel to chronic illness.

Prince Christopher, or Kit, initially comes off as the typical privileged prince, but he’s also a lot more than that. He’s being forced into an arranged marriage for political reasons, and he’s trying anything to stop it going ahead. As a result, he’s understandably hostile to Niamh, as she’s part of it all, with her being hired to design clothes for the wedding, although that’s just a front for his own fear and anxiety.

Their romance is super sweet, despite not starting in the most ideal of circumstances. They have great banter, and it translates into a beautiful forbidden love once their walls come crumbling down.

I really enjoyed this book, and hope Alison Saft writes more in this vein in the future. If you enjoy Bridgerton and/or fantasy romance, I recommend checking this out!

This book feels like the perfect fall read if you’re looking for a ya fantasy that has Bridgerton vibes and whimsy!

This story is atmospheric. From the moment that Niamh arrives to the castle, you are enveloped in the world and its magic. Partly, you feel this way because the world is so well written, and partly, you feel this way because of Niamh and her point of view. (She reminded me some of Evangeline from Once Upon a Broken Heart with how she views the world and with her romanticism.) She also gave eldest daughter vibes with how much she lives her life for her family and works so hard. (Which only makes the romance so much sweeter because it is her moment to do something for herself 🥹)

The overall feeling while reading this book is cozy! There are definitely points of conflict and political tension, but they felt second to the characters and relationships. A big contribution to the cozy factor is that there isn’t a looming prominent “big bad” character. There are flawed characters doing what they think is best, and there are conflicts within the world. But there wasn’t some big evil villain. And I really enjoyed this aspect of the story!

I loved how the magic was interwoven through the story. Niamh’s magic further adds on to her personality and character, and it felt so revealing to how she was feeling in the plot. I also thought Kit’s magic was such a good addition! I feel like I haven’t really seen this one play out in a ya fantasy before, so it was unique!

Overall, this is the perfect read if you’re looking for a cozy ya fantasy that has regency vibes, a sweet romance, and great friendships 🤍

Thank you to Allison Saft and Wednesday books for this advanced review copy 🫶🏻

I really wanted to love this one - the premise itself is perfection (magical dressmaker falls for prince who's about to be married in a forbidden love tale). But unfortunately it just was okay to me. It was a bit slow and took me a minute to understand the worldbuilding since we are just thrown into the world.

There's so much more than a love story in this novel and I think others will really enjoy it. There's drama in the kingdom, a sneaky gossip columnist, friendships and a beautiful historical setting. I did really enjoy how Niamh's powers worked and I wished we would have gotten to see more of Kit's. I also loved the LGBTQ+ elements that were put in this when we normally don't see a lot of that in historical fantasy.

I am glad I ended up picking up the audiobook because the narration was great and for some reason I followed along better than when I tried reading it. Also I would have absolutely BUTCHERED Niamh O Conchobhair if I tried to pronounce that in my head. THANK YOU AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR.

But for me this was just a little too slow. I stopped and restarted at least 3 times before I made it through. But I know other's will love this one (and have loved it) more than I did. It was good but I feel like it was easily forgettable in the world of romantic fantasies that are out now. It would be a good young adult romantasy because there is minimal spice mostly just general talk around the subject and maybe like 1 semi spicy scene but no crude language was used.

A 3-star read for me but if you are a fan of romantasies set in historical settings and a lot of tension with forbidden love then check this one out!


Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Allison Saft & NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

The premise? Great. The landing? Not as much. Not a fan of enemies to lovers immediately jumping to the lovers part. The plot wasn't even there for half of the book. It is a shame to me with so much potential. I do hope the author tries again though.

This book was kind of a mixed bag.

I LOVED the romance in it. I found myself shipping Niamh and Kit vigorously, and their longing weighs heavily on the pages. It was fun to see them come together and grow in their own ways as they learned to be better partners.

The little queer found family was also delightful to see. It reminded me a bit of The Last Binding in the ease with which the characters showed up for each other. This is a friend group I would love to be a part of!

Where the book lacked for me was in the way it often leaned on telling rather than snowing. The gossip column was very convenient, and Niamh’s decisions around that always bothered me. And several times characters were uncharacteristically self-aware and articulate about their flaws. It sort of rushed through some of the stickier conflict and resolution by having characters say everything they are thinking and feeling with incredible humility and clarity.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but the writing quality was just a bit less refined than I’d prefer.

I’m gonna be very honest I started reading this book and it took me forever to get through this as we can see with how late my review is. I honestly really struggled and should’ve just stopped this book along time ago. But I am not a quitter so I powered through. With that being said, this book could’ve been shortened so much. This drug on and I felt like at points there was absolutely nothing happening, and the author wrote just to write.
The last 20% was the highlight for me other than that I was to the point of frustrated with this book.

I did not connect with the characters of this story - I found them, and the story, to be predictable.

file under: we really need trad publishers to start using new adult as an age range.

i need to start with the one thing that will endlessly bother me about modern day traditional publishing. and it’s nothing to fault the actual story in saft’s case as these characters are well… adults (albeit still very young ones). but it’s the fact that we still do not recognize new adult as a true age range for stories following characters between 18-24. there has been an ongoing discourse about the concept of young adult versus new adult. in contemporary stories, we can distinguish it as stories set in high school versus in college (university). in fantasy it gets a bit more complicated.

but in the case of a fragile enchantment, i fully believe it should have been published as a new adult title and here’s why. the open door sex scene. i know we have run the debate about the fact that yes. teens can and do have sex. however, when we are marketing something as YA, that can bring readership as young as 13 or 14. disagree with me if you’d like, but i personally do not believe that a book that is marketed to as young as that age should have any graphic sex scenes. and the fact that this book does have a scene where it does go into explicit detail, i just don’t think that’s appropriate to be labelled as YA anymore. this has become more and more a problem as authors recognize adults, like me, are reading and enjoying YA titles, so they skew the contents up a bit more.

long story short, this is why we need to have new adult as a widely recognized age range. for stories like this one to fall neater into.

anyways, with that rant over. let’s get into the actual contents of this book. i so absolutely adored this book. this story, no matter how sappy, how predictable it was, was just an absolute gem and it’s all thanks to niamh and kit. their dynamic was beyond enticing. their banter, their tenderness. all of it was what kept me coming back into this world. into sootham. while i know others might say it’s instalove, i would disagree. the attraction. sure, that was absolutely there from the beginning. but i just loved seeing their relationship unfold, as they spoke and snuck around. gods, did it have me giggling and kicking my feet like i was also a lovesick puppy.

and while yes, the romance was at the forefront of the story — alongside niamh’s tailoring of course — the other layers of discussion woven in. the discussion of queer identities in this world, how both niamh and kit were bi (or pan), we know they don’t really have the labels so i won’t assign one specifically. how kit said “you’re like me”. that’s where i was sold. in the end we had a beautiful, little queer found family situation and i truly loved each and every one of them.

and let’s not forget the fact that niamh gave us an honest depiction of a chronic illness, one that did not let her stop her but did impact her quite often in the story. i truly, truly appreciate having this disability rep on page because i had no idea that there was any. i really appreciate how saft incorporated all of these elements into the story without them taking away or becoming a focus point away from the main political plot line.

truly, a beautiful romance wrapped in even more beautiful prose.

I had originally withheld my review due to the SMP marketing boycott but as Readers For Accountability have announced their boycott has ended due to the response and action steps taken by SMP, I will now submit my review!

This was such a cozy read! I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and the camaraderie and friendship made my heart so happy! Allison saft never misses!

I do reader's advisory and book talks for YA books. I will always purchase and recommend Allison Saft. This was gorgeous and I will definitely be recommending.

Saft’s third novel is the perfect combination of an Austen novel, a Ghibli movie, and Bridgerton.

Each character is unique and compelling, their journeys raw and emotional but ultimately heartwarming. The magic and political systems are both interesting without being overly complex. While not overly twisty or suspenseful (by design), a particular late-stage reveal is one readers aren’t likely to see coming but is foreshadowed so adeptly that readers will kick themselves for not having realized once it’s in front of them.

And the atmosphere. Nobody sets a scene you want to live in quite like Allison Saft. This whimsical, enchanting, regency-flavoured spring is the stuff dreams are made of, and it sets the perfect scene for a romance as rife with longing as Niamh’s and Kit’s.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced e-galley about a year ago in exchange for my very late honest review!

A Fragile Enchantment is, without a doubt, atmospheric, as many regency-inspired romances are. The romance is deliciously slow-burn and swoony, and Saft follows through with the romance with impeccable pacing. Saft truly succeeds for what it is, a book that seems intended to be more enjoyable and swoony than anything else. While often shallow, the regency-style romance and political intrigue have depth where it is essential. It propels usually inconsistent characters along an enjoyable storyline, with enough political drama and magical action to entertain the reader. The magic is soft, often feeling underdeveloped, but not to the degree to which it affects the story. It serves its purpose, to add whimsy and that touch of magic that can make a love story genuinely magical. And while the story wouldn’t change much without the magic, it adds depth where it would otherwise be lacking, which works to its benefit.

A special thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC.

This was very good. While the romance was a bit too fast for me, I liked most everything else, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I liked the romance more on reread.

I found this book all over the place and just so-so. I liked the LGBTQ representation- though I don’t think it was given the time it needed. There were just too many storylines happening through the entirety of the book that not a single one got the attention it needed. There were even portions of the story that were essentially forgotten and not addressed any further. It is a fluffy read though and if you’re able to look past its flaws it’s a light read!

I am withholding my official review until St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books meets the reasonable demands from the boycott (as of October 21st, 2023) to hold their employee accountable for anti-Muslim hate and discrimination against Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers and reviewers.

4.5/5 stars

This book was absolutely delightful, and definitely made me realize I'm going to be a fan of Allison Saft's writing. This was a fun twist on the "peasant called to royalty because of special gift" trope, and managed to not be predictable besides the two main characters falling in love, but that's what we're here for. I loved the main character, and her gift was unlike anything I've ever read in another story before. I loved all of the side characters, and Saft does an excellent job of building the relationships between characters and giving us a reason to love them in a very short amount of time.

A Fragile Enchantment is a rival to lovers regency young adult romance. Niamh is a seamstress with the ability to sew enchantments into her dresses. Her talent is noticed and she's ends up being invited to make the wedding clothes for Prince Kit. There is a gossip columnist that takes interest in the interaction between the main characters, Niamh and Kit. The columnist threatens to expose Niamh and Kit unless Niamh helps them discovers the royal family's secrets.

I felt like this book had a magical feel. I love fantasies books with a regency setting. It touches on some sensitive topics such as chronic illness, alcoholism, classism and LGBTQ issues. This book is a standalone and it gave Bridgerton feels but with magic. I thought this book was a fun read. I could have used a little bit more world building.

*3.75 stars*

This was a very sweet YA romance, with a nice touch of magic. The characters were very relatable and the tension and banter of the romance was perfect. The politics weren’t complicated but were very much based in reality which I think is nice in a young adult novel. Although the magic system was a little vague for me, I really enjoyed seeing all of the characters wield their magic and see how it fit each character.

I think this wanted to say more about colonialism but it fell a little flat on that aspect. We don’t really get to see much of the lives of other Machlish, nor do we really get a satisfying conclusion in their fight for recognition. I liked that there was some chronic illness/disability rep in Niamh but it did feel a little bit like an afterthought at times.

If you’re looking for a fun YA fantasy romance with really lovable characters and interesting magic I think this will hit the spot.