Ugh. I DNF’d at about 50%. There were a lot of elements I enjoyed - the delicate and quiet magic system, the reserved and tenuous friendship between Niahm and Kit, the political bits about displaced people and their new homes continuing to not accept or care for them.

But despite that I just could not get into it. I found myself forgetting what was happening or going several days without picking the book up.

I’m sure at a different time I’d enjoy it more. It very much seems like a me problem and not a book problem. I’m hoping I’ll someday return to it but for now I’ll just enjoy how much others are enjoying it.

This is a beautiful and enjoyable story. It had lovable characters, a dreamy setting, magic and tension. However, it was missing something for me. I think maybe the pacing was a little slower than I enjoy. I still found this book to be very cute and enchanting. I really enjoyed the little banter between characters and thought the main character had very unique talents. I also liked that the story addressed chronic illness. Overall, I would recommend this book to people looking for a cozy read as it really warmed my heart.

Rating 3.5/5

I adored this book: a Regency romance with some fantastical elements and a grumpy/sunshine trope? I'm all in.

Niamh O'Connor is hired as a seamstress to sew the wedding clothes of the Prince Regent and his chosen bride, a match made solely to create a bond and create strong allies for the country. Love has never been a thought, and after the betrothed are introduced--they know love will never be a factor in their relationship, which is viewed more as a responsibility.

However, as Niamh and Kit, the Prince Regent, grow closer, they realize that love, something neither one of them ever dreamed of, may be well and alive, but at what cost?

A Fragile Enchantment is a young adult fantasy novel about a poor but talented magical tailor who is asked to design garments for a royal wedding. But her relationship with the groom can destroy her career, reputation and the alliance between two countries.

Niamh is a magical tailor who can literally weave emotions into her garments and her abilities have caught the eye of the Prince Regent from a neighboring country (Avaland). Her family has suffered since the war between her own county (Machland) and Avaland ended and this opportunity could change their fortunes for good. But the tension between the Machlish who are used as cheap labor in Avaland and the strange behavior of the Prince Regent are creating tension in the days leading up to the Royal wedding. Plus, Niamh’s feelings toward the younger prince (and groom) could ruin the wedding and her career and she’ll have to decide if duty is more important than finding her own happiness.

A Fragile Enchantment has a lot of great world building about the precarious peace between countries especially after a war. The landscape and players are similar to Europe in the 1800’s and only the changes of the country’s names and addition of magic that make this novel fantasy. Alison Saft also included some storylines and details you don’t always see in YA fantasy like alcoholism in a main character and background on their sexuality. I really enjoyed the tension and angst between Niamh and Kit and how forthright she always was with her feelings. There is also a lot of humor and banter. I think a lot of readers will relate to Niamh’s struggle with trying to provide for her family and being a “good girl” while setting aside her own happiness. I would love to read more books set in this world especially centering around the royal family and Kit’s best friend Sinclair.

Overall this was a beautiful young adult fantasy and love story and I look forward to reading more from Alison Saft.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.
3 stars

There were lots of good things about this book. I found it creative, and I did enjoy all of the different characters. I enjoyed the magic and the love story, and reading about how much thought Niahm put into her clothing designs.

What brings my rating down is that I felt like there wasn't enough magic. There were a lot of politics, there were a lot of repetitive rambling passages (in my opinion), and I didn't really appreciate the ties to Bridgerton that the author included. It felt too similar and was a part of the story I didn't find creative. It was just a little long, and I would've loved more dialogue between the characters with less repetitive arguments.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys slow burn romance, magic, and Bridgerton because it has great aspects of all of those things. It was just a little too slow paced for me.

I absolutely adored the characters and truly did not have a single one I despised!

Read this book if you like:
▫️regency era-like romance
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️fantasy stories about magical abilities
▫️genuine friendships
▫️girls like Wednesday Addams (Infanta Rosa is amazing)

Niamh and Kit forever!

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This was a cute romcom, with a little bit of action thrown into the mix. It has magic, love, nobility and working class, it has politics, but at the end of the day it is all about the love of a kingdom, love of family and of course love in general.

I saw this book on NetGalley, and I knew that I wanted to read it. Last year I really got into historical romances, and when I saw that this was a regency England inspired fantasy and that I was able to read it I was overjoyed.

I think the author did a great job with the plot, I didn’t see anything wrong with the time period, and how it was represented in the book. The pace of the book was done well, I did feel at some parts of the book that it was a little slow but when it picked up I understood that it was just giving us time to really understand the characters more and wow the characters in this book were right on point for me, but it was the action and the drama in the back of the story that really helped to bring these characters to the forefront. I loved that even though you are getting to know the characters you see where the plot of the book is going, and you will get to see the ending of the plot and the characters all wrapped up. Now off to the characters.

I really loved getting to know Niamh in this book. I loved her devotion to her family and to her craft. I was able to connect with her characters very easily. I found her to be lovable and easy to relate to, maybe it was the little bit of mischief that she causes, whether it's to annoy a certain person or her own curiosity that gets her in interesting positions. I really enjoyed getting to understand the magic system that Niamh uses and honestly what most people have in this book is interesting. I thought the love story that blooms between Niamh and Kit was done well, not rushed, and not forced at all. It went very smoothly, and you get to see it happen slowly throughout the book.

I think the found family and sense of belonging really shined in this book. I loved the connection between Niamh, Sinclair, and Kit, even through the hard parts you can still feel the love that they all have for each other.

Overall, I think this was a great book for romance readers that would like to branch into the world of fantasy romances.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved this book, and Allison does not disappoint!
Arranged marriage and forbidden love are two of my favorite tropes and we got both of those in this Regency Fantasy. I love that part of it is inspired by Bridgerton.
The tension and banter is fantastic.
Allison did a great job of making the setting feel atmospheric and swoon-worthy.
The brothers relationship definitely gave off William and Harry vibes which was fun!
Thank you for this ARC opportunity!

Review to be posted on 1/11/24 on my instagram @thatbookishteach

I wasn’t sure what made me request this book, it’s not my typical read, but I’m so glad that I did. This was such a beautiful book and I love how they mixed Bridgerton and magic. I absolutely love Niamh as the main character and Kit, oh Kit, definitely made me fall in love.

After reading this book, I can state with absolute confidence that Allison Saft is a genius and A Fragile Enchantment is her masterpiece.

Niamh is a magical dressmaker on borrowed time. A commoner just trying to make a better life for her family, she weaves all her emotions into fabric using the magic that is will kill her. After getting the chance to design clothes for a royal wedding (arranged for political gain in a country of unrest), she meets Kit. Kit Carmine is the unhappy groom, and prince of Avaland. As Niamh and Kit spend more time together, they develop a friendship. Until a rumor spreads that Niamh and Kit are something more, putting both their and Avaland's future at risk.

I absolutely adored this book. It has all of my favorite tropes: grumpy x sunshine, forbidden romance, slow burn, drama, gossip, and an absolute insane amount of longing. I especially loved the cozy, magical setting of the story, and the Bridgerton-esque gossip column ala Lady Whistledown that forces our main characters together.

Speaking of main characters, Niamh is the sweetest, most genuine FMC: a literal ray of sunshine, while Kit absolutely nails the 'I hate everyone but you' MMC role. Even the cast of side characters - Sinclair, Rosa, Miriam, - are perfect and their group dynamic is so wonderful. I was flying through the pages, rooting for a happily ever after for everyone and then ending did not disappoint.

All in all, this book is the most perfect, cozy, heartwarming, regency era fantasy romance I have ever read. I cannot wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

Read if you like:
- forbidden romance (ala prince x commoner)
- grumpy x sunshine
- regency romance (aka Bridgerton)
- an absolutely insane amount of pining
- complex, lovable casts of characters

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This had so much in it! Political unrest, colonization by magical folks, bitter resentments from a past dealt with badly.
The romance between the two mcs was slow and built brick by brick. They were different classes and couldn't be together. He was getting married and she was designing their clothes for goodness sakes. I will say I loved the idea of being able to imbue magic and ideas and feelings into clothes. I would love an outfit that gave me courage, self confidence and make me feel unstoppable some days.

This was unfortunately not for me, felt very insta love meanwhile the pacing was definitely off. Took me almost 2 months to finish this book only to be disappointed.


ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so you all probably know by now that I have a soft spot for regency era books/films. Pride and Prejudice is among one of my all-time favorites and anything during the regency/Victorian times is one of my favorite time periods to read about, so when I first realized I got approved for this title, I was overjoyed and the way this story wraps you in since the beginning is crazy. I started this one in December and finished it between the blur of New Year's Eve and new year's, so to me... it's one of my 2024 books so far.

AND I LOVED IT. So, without further ado, let's start with our usual.

Short Summary: A royal tailor has to design for the grumpy groom who wants nothing to do with her until her first enchantment changes everything between them and the fate of everything they know hangs by a very loose thread.

There is so much I love about this book. The way that it feels like it will be a classic novel years in the future, to the unique magic system of flowers and enchantments in dresses that create an air of confidence and calm, to one that evokes emotion LITERALLY is truly something that pulls you in. The way almost EVERYONE in this book is queer in some way, shape or form had me pulling out my fan and swooning because THE BISEXUAL REP WAS EVERYTHING. I've realized this is likely to be the best year for the YA Queer lit to expand to other genres because usually, I've noticed the queer lit to be mostly in the contemporary fiction realm and if it does fall in the fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction or even horror genres, it's not seen as much or we have characters that it's not exactly obvious if a character is bi, or asexual, or pan, or whatever the case may be. Even stories featuring lesbian characters was not seen so often, so it's nice to see more bi rep and a queer found family felt very wholesome for me.

I love Sinclair. Yes, I know what he did, but I still love him. The gossip columnist arc of the story definitely kept us as the readers on our toes and the dynamic between Niamh and Kit was a wonderful ride. The way she's so outspoken and how he was prickly, but showed his love and care for her in his own way, revealing what a cinnamon roll he ACTUALLY is was adorable to witness. Also, Rosa gave strong lesbian vibes in the beginning and when we finally get her happy ending with Miriam, I actually teared up. It was wholesome and joyful and hopeful and everything I could want in a regency novel for YA, so with that being said, GO GET YOUR COPY NOW.

Overall: 5/5 stars

3.75⭐️

A Fragile Enchantment follows Niamh, a magical dressmaker hired on for a royal wedding. While accidentally uncovering royal secrets, she finds herself drawn to Kit, the prince who is soon to be wed. This story was a perfectly whimsical romantasy, leaning more on the romance side!

While I wish there was more world-building, I did enjoy the setting and scenery. It would've been nice to delve more into the magic system and Niamh's chronic illness, but we are given enough to feel the magic throughout. I did like Niamh and Kit, there was pining and angst and banter, all things I love! There was a bit of insta-love and I wish their romance was paced differently; so the side characters did end up stealing the show. I definitely wish there was more about Sofia, Rosa and Miriam, and Sinclair, love them all:)

The scenery and Lovelace, the secret columnist, definitely give off Bridgerton vibes! So if you love Bridgerton, magic, and forbidden love, you'll most likely enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The historical fantasy world Allison Saft has created in A Fragile Enchantment seems so real and yet is full of magic. Niahm is a magical seamstress who, though a working class woman from an impoverished land is summoned by the prince regent to make the wedding attire for his brother, Kit. She makes her way to neighboring kingdom, Avaland to make a better life for her family, but a political uprising seems to be on the horizon.

I really enjoyed a lot of the elements of this book, the characters and kingdom building were well done, but this was a slog for me at the beginning. It picked up about 50% in and I kept with it because I was hooked wanting to know how it would wrap up. I liked it overall and felt like it was written well, just a bit slow to start.

Ooooh, I knew Saft would do me no wrong. I’ve been in love with her work since her debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT. To say I was very eager for AFE would be an understatement as it really gave off vibes that I knew I would love and… I wasn’t disappointed! If you love fantasy and historical romance, this is for you! If you’ve been missing Bridgerton and want little to no spice, this is for you! I really enjoyed the almost mirror to our real world—from Ireland, English, Spain, and France.

Niamh was such a lovely character. She wants so much to take care of her mother and ailing grandmother and she found the perfect opportunity to do so. But little does she know what a mess she’s walking into when she reaches Aveland. Kit is a disgruntled second son of a possibly mad king and has a very stoic older brother. But he’s a softie for Niamh! It just takes a lot of disgruntled looks and frustrated sighs before we get there.

All of these characters were so fun, including Sinclair, Miriam, and Rosa. I’m glad we got to see all of them together and I think they’ve really started what could be a long and good friendship.

Now what I wanted to see more of were interactions between Niamh and Sofia. I think Sofia is such an unexplored character but I know she has so much insight and feeling, especially when it comes to Jack. I also thought the Lovelace plot sometimes got a little lost.

I know Saft writes standalone fantasies but I’m yet again, saying I would absolutely love a sequel to this book.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft, 384 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $18. lgbtqia
Language: R (26 swears, 9 “f”); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Due to her hard-earned reputation, Niamh (18yo) has been hired by the palace to make clothes for Prince Christopher leading up to his wedding, which will pay her well enough for her mother and grandmother to retire. But the prince throws a fit upon her arrival, declaring he would rather go to his own wedding naked than to wear anything Niamh makes. Prince or no, Niamh means to win this battle of stubbornness.
With civil unrest hovering under the surface, I was surprised that the politicking was so well integrated in the story that it wasn’t boring. The happy ending was great, of course, but getting there was a chore because I disagreed with so many of Niamh’s decisions along the way. Furthermore, at least one of the obstacles to be overcome was entirely avoidable, and I didn’t like how it was forced into the story. On top of that, the sexual content was unnecessary.
Niamh and Christopher are depicted as fair skinned on the cover, and Rosa is described as having olive skin. Several of the main characters are part of the LGBT community, but naming them would include spoilers, so I will refrain. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for mentions of genocide and massacre.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This was such a sweet, wholesome YA romantasy. I had a tiny bit of trouble with the world building and still feel as though so of my questions (Niamh‘s illness and the king’s incapacity just to name two) but I think I was just so drawn to the characters that I wanted to know all the little details.

I loved Kit. He was so prickly and unlike a lot of male leads in romances. He wasn’t 6’4” with broad shoulders but rather short and lean. It was refreshing to read about a handsome male who isn’t also a giant who could play in the NFL.

The found family theme with a lovable cast of side characters was a delight, too. A quirky bunch of misfits trying to save a kingdom.

I really enjoyed this. I look forward to all of this author’s works.

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books, Allison Saft, and NetGalley for my early digital and audio arcs of this book!

4.25 stars

This book was incredibly charming. Niamh is our FMC who has a particular kind of magic that allows her to weave her emotions into thread, making her a sought after seamstress. However, as a Machlishwoman, she does not hold a respectable position in society. Insert Kit Carmine, the younger of the two princes and the absolute embodiment of “I hate everyone, even you… until I don’t” lol.

I loved the forbidden love in this book, and how each character learned to believe they are worthy of love. How Niamh learned that she can occasionally put herself first and how Kit learned that he doesn’t have to make himself miserable to keep everyone happy.

I also really loved all of the side characters. Sinclair, Miriam, and Rosa all had complete personalities and brought so much to the story in their own ways. Sinclair was a complicated character but definitely the breath of fresh air and humor you needed.

I definitely recommend this one for a charming, quick read.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair travels to Avaland to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding. Unrest is brewing, however, and the groom Kit Carmine is abrasive. The two soon form an unlikely friendship, and a gossip columnist gives Niamh an ultimatum: uncover the royal family’s secrets or her reputation is ruined. There is incredible rot within the kingdom, but exposing it could destroy a future she didn't think she could have.

Niamh's homeland had been devastated by blight after being occupied and its resources ravaged by the Avaland monarchy before they freed themselves from rule a generation before. Their people are looked down upon as poor country bumpkins too lazy to work; Niamh's presence in the capital with the royal family is not only because of her ability to embroider enchantments into garments at the cost of her own lifespan but because of her heritage. Inspired by Regency romances, we see the Irish and British influences in the story's location, the characters' beliefs, and the stereotypes that the nobility have about Niamh. But at the same time, the desire she had for ladies back home is mirrored in Kit and his friend Sinclair's desire for men. While it's not approved of, it doesn't carry the same legal threats that homosexuality had in Regency England. This also makes the attraction between Niamh and Kit that much more of a surprise to them both.

Given Niamh's profession as a tailor, she focuses on color, texture, and the emotions of memory that she imbues into her pieces. She's scatterbrained and open-hearted, easily speaking with the royals and nobles as if they had been close friends all her life. Kit is gloomy and surly from the start, and his betrothed Rosa is similar. There's a bit of mystery related to Kit's brother Jack, the Regent who's supposed to be ruling the kingdom but instead avoids everything as much as possible. Overall, a lovely fantasy Regency romance with a happily ever after ending after all.