Really enjoyed this book. It was imaginative and swoonworthy. The characters were charming, the magic systems were amazing. The plot was well timed and overall this was an enjoyable book. I would gladly read more from this author.

Allison Saft has crafted a rich fantasy world with captivating characters in A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT. I recall stumbling upon a review that likened this book to a blend of “BRIDGERTON and BELLADONNA,” a comparison I found quite fitting. The infusion of social issues with the allure of fashion, the enticement of the gossiping Ton, and the intrigue of magic create a narrative that held me spellbound.

I loved how Saft used many of my favorite tropes in the book—forbidden romance, enemies to lovers—making it a fun read. Niamh and Kit are so good together!! The pining! The banter! Ughhhh, and that ending! I’m so in love!!!

Also, we must talk about Niamh’s magic. She’s a seamstress who can enchant feelings and memories into her thread. What she sews makes you feel things. A dress can make you feel a warm summer day or like a strong fighter. So cool!

This book would have won me over if I wasn’t already a fan of Saft’s writing. Instead, it solidified Allison Saft as a favorite author of mine. She’s so creative; I can’t wait to see what she does next. Until then, I definitely recommend A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT!

Content warnings: (per the author) discussions of emotional and physical abuse, discussions of colonialism, death of a parent (off page), alcoholism, homophobia

4.5
WHAT AN UTTER DELIGHT THIS WAS. I LOVED IT.
I am slowly but surely building a collection of the exact kind of romantic fantasy I love and this is well up there.
Magic and romance, tension and banter, an authentically believable world and real stakes, and of course characters I love.
Allison Saft has done it again and proven why she's an instant auto-buy author.

Thank you for the early copy, but I did not finish this one. I made it about 30% but this one just wasnt for me. Which is a huge bummer because I love Saft’s previous books.

Oh, such fun. This historical romantasy features a slow burn grumpy/sunshine pair and a protagonist who finds herself in unexpected circumstances yet adapts. Fashion, and magic, and Regency romance, oh my! Deft writing and fully realized characters add to the appeal of a strong main pairing, and a plot that manages to cause anxiety even though it's all clearly going to work out in the end...somehow. Utterly solid, hand to anyone who likes Regency romance, from P&P to Bridgerton.

Allison Saft is one of the authors that I always have on my radar. This is a regency style romantasy and it's so sweet. Grumpy sunshine and royalty commoner are two tropes that I gravitate to often. Saft's writing is beautiful and so descriptive you get transported to that world. There's politics, scandal, and a lot of other things going on. For me I think streamlining some plot devices it would've hit me more and I would've given the story a higher rating. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this and wouldn't mind a re-read to see if my opinions have changed.

Cute, but it was a little underwhelming. I did like the overall premise of the book, but some of the dialogue/banter could have been better.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Allison Saft delivered a top five book of the year for me! It was so charming and difficult to put down. I’ve already purchased the special edition!

Title: A Fragile Enchantment (by Allison Saft)
Genre: Fantasy, romance, YA
Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded)

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a YA fantasy that is reminiscent of Bridgerton and Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. The book focuses on Niamh, a dressmaker, who falls in love with Kit Carmine, a prince who is already to be married. The book takes place in a Regency-era England inspired world, and is a good romantasy for all ages.

I didn't get to finish the ARC due to the archive date, but I did enjoy what I got to read from the book. Saft does an excellent job in building her worlds while still making you feel as though you've been there the whole time. From what I read, though, there were a few problems that resulted in me not enjoying some of the book. Part of my problem was the characters -- Niamh didn't seem to have enough depth (in my opinion), which made me feel like her POV wasn't the best. I also felt like the romance was a bit rushed, but overall, I'd recommend this book in terms of it being alike to Bridgerton and for it's air of whimsy throughout.

I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised by this one, but it did take me a while to get into. Once I was hooked, I really enjoyed the characters! And I was really loving the magical aspect. At times I was a little confused, but it didn't take away from the whole story for me, so I pushed through.

This was a first by this author for me, and I am not opposed to reading more, but I am also going to work through my TBR before I go looking for more.

If you are a Bridgerton fan who also enjoys magic, then this might be a book for you! Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the copy!

Allison Saft is one of my auto buy authors. Her books are all gorgeously written, cleverly plotted, and this one was no exception. I absolutely fell in love with the grumpy/sunshine romance. The worldbuilding felt so textured and was described in so much detail (but not too much!) that I felt like I was there. I loved the magic system. No spoilers, but the stakes were great!

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

DNF @ 28%. "A Fragile Enchantment" by Allison Saft sounded like a promising, cozy fantasy romance based on its description. Unfortunately, it is full of unnecessary details and a lack of oomph. I wish I cared more about Niamh and Kit. Their enemies to lovers story could have been so much more effective, and instead, I found it to be grating and contrived. Kit is such a jerk! I know that's sort of the point of enemies to lovers, but it is hard to find any redeeming qualities in him, like he doesn't deserve Niamh. There does manage to be some good banter in the first 28%, but it also feels like it unfolds so slowly that I was shocked that the book wasn't already half over. It is so poorly and slowly paced! Any yearning there might be between the two of them is displaces by how snail-like the plot is unfolding. Fran Burgoyne is a great narrator and she does a wonderful job here, but her narration can't save a story that is bogged down with issues. I might get to this book again some day, but as of right now, it is a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Saft, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

While the story itself is cute, it never really built up into anything other than that. Its a fun read, a bit long in some parts and I did not feel like there was much chemistry between the main characters. The world building was intriguing, and I appreciated the limits on the magic system. I felt like there wasn't much of a solution in the end though and felt that it was left open ended.

DNF

I've moved away from YA but I can occasionally be convinced to pick up a YA fantasy, although I am still a hard sell on them. A Fragile Enchantment seemed like a story that I could really enjoy but the writing didn't work for me. I also felt like the characters and the way the plot moved was too one-dimensional and fell flat for me.

Not a story for me, but others may enjoy it better.

I enjoyed this - just not as much as I was expecting to. It was pretty and easy to get lost in, but I just felt underwhelmed. I'll continue to read whatever Allison Saft writes because ultimately I enjoy them, I just wish I had enjoyed this more.

I'm new to romantic fantasy and I think I need to read more to know how I feel about it. I love fantasy and I love romance. My favorite fantasy use to be the big epic ones but lately I've been loving cozy fantasies, which I think has gotten me ready for romantasy.

I enjoyed all the characters, though I did sometimes feel like Niamh's clumsiness was so dramatic. I also think fans of Bridgerton will enjoy the angle of the anonymous gossip columnist.

I would definitely read more by this author because I genuinely had a good time reading this one, even if it wasn't perfect.

Content warning: homophobia (challenged), alcoholism

Oh my gosh, this book is the absolute cutest cozy fantasy romance ever, and I am head over heels in LOVE with every single second of it!

Imagine the magic of Bridgerton but with a twist! The FMC is a dressmaker who can weave emotions into her gorgeous creations. How cool is that?!

But the real sparkle of the book is the swoon-worthy relationship between Nia and Kit. They start off on the wrong foot, but as they get to know each other, they begin to truly understand one another and, yes, they fall in love! But here's the juicy part—Kit is betrothed to another woman. The tension, the struggle, the secrets, and the fear of being caught—GIMMIE MORE.

I ended up receiving the Fairyloot special edition later on and now cherish it as a true piece of art!


Such a CUTE & FUN romantasy read.

3.5 rounded up

I enjoyed my time with this one, but I did expect a little bit more. I thought the magic would be more of a focus point and it really wasn't - it was more about Kit and his impending marriage to save the kingdom. That being said, I really did enjoy the characters and the romance. It was sweet and it held my attention.

I do think there was lost potential in here though - Lovelace had the potential to be the next Lady Whistledown and even that was pushed aside to just talk more about how Kit needed to prep for his marriage. When it finally came to the big reveal, it didn't mean much because not enough had been done with Lovelace. Sigh.

I must say - I did like the steam in here though. There was some good romantic tension built up so it was exciting when they finally got together. And it's my personal preference of steam - some build up, some detail, then fade to black. Sorry, you smut-loving fans, probably won't be enough for you. But for others like me, it hits the spot.

This romantic fantasy weaves magic and emotion, with a bit of mystery and intrigue. Strong Bridgerton vibes with a drastic class system and a gossip publication airing out dirty laundry.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this book started out interesting but lost steam once I stopped caring about our main couple and their romance. Simply not for me — it was very meh for the whole second half, had predictable plot twists, an instalove-esque romance, and had me skimming the last third.

It starts off as a thinly veiled European fantasy world, with our protagonist, Niamh, traveling from the famine-ravaged Machland (aka Ireland) to Aveland (aka England) to be the seamstress for the upcoming royal wedding with the princess of fantasy Spain. In this pseudo-Europe, certain families have magic bloodlines that allow them to perform certain tricks — such as controlling plants, telling the future, or being able to weave emotions into clothing, like Niamh can.

The plot itself is very basic: "commoner comes to a palace, falls in love with a royal whose above her station, and finds belonging and love." Ok barf. Nothing revolutionary there. The author tries to add in some political complexity, with a whole workers strike on behalf of the Machlish who are being treated unfairly, but it never really delves too deeply into that class commentary. That plotline feels flat, and only serves as a weird side plot to show "look, our protagonists are good guys because they care about workers rights!" Nothing surprised me and the twists were predictable.

As for the romance, it just wasn't my cup of tea. It's a "hate to love" where the dark, brooding prince is slightly mean to our self-sacrificing, outspoken haroine and "oh no, they hate each other!" Of course, she discovers his snark just covers his wounded self, and ta-da, they fall in love. Predictable. What I couldn't handle was how quickly things progressed once they were friends – y'all have known each other for a month and now you're getting married? Please.

Overall, this book just lost steam for me once it started to focus on the romance rather than the magic or court politics, and I got really bored during the second half. A different audience may really enjoy this book, so check it out if it intrigues you.