3.5 stars

This book had all the things I like in a book and I enjoyed the writing, but it definitely fell flat for me after Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic, but it was enjoyable. I really liked the banter and characterization, but it was missing that special little something that Saft's previous books had. However, I would still recommend checking it out if you enjoyed Saft's other works or if you're a fan of the Bridgerton series.

This was delightful. Think Bridgerton, but with magic! The writing was great and the characters, each of them, were well developed and thought out. There was an array of sexualities represented in this, yet it didn’t feel forced. It felt natural, as it should be.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I didn’t get to experience enough longing from Kit’s perspective. The third-person POV was written favoring Naimh’s perspective and I did feel as if I were missing out on something with the lack of Kit’s perspective. I did love that he stayed true to character the entire book, and I loved how often he blushed! You don’t see that often with a MMC and I adored it.

Bottom line: this was a great book that I highly recommend!

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft was such a cozy story. This story described everything I love in a romantic fantasy. Romance, magic, tension, and enemies to lovers are the best stories. Of course, the characters were amazing too. Niamh and Kit were adorable and I wish there was more to their story because it wasn’t enough for me. Thank you once again NetGalley for giving the opportunity to experience more of Allison Saft’s writing. She has been turning into one of my favorite authors because her writing is truly captivating and magical.

What a world Allison Saft had woven! For fans of Bridgerton meets the YA series The Selection. I thought the plot was clever and the world Allison created very interesting. While I enjoyed the book, I do have to say there was quite a few draw backs for me. Although I normally love the same tropes and themes done in this book as it’s don’t it others, this just seems to not have been the book for me.

I struggled immensely connected to the main female character. There were times she was strong willed and other times that seem to be very contradictory to the back story that was written for her. I didn’t feel that we have enough of her back story and inner dialogue for me to feel like I truly knew and wanted to cheer for her. She seemed very wooed by court life and the possibility of being with someone she couldn’t have, that she quickly lost sight of her goals. I found it a little annoying than alluring in this circumstance. The world building felt a little sloppy at times.

Overall, I felt the book felt very YOUNG, more than young adult. There were things I enjoyed but overall was not something that I could readily recommend to my fellow friends and readers based on my experience. Thank you though for the advanced copy! I feel grateful to have gotten to read it!

“A Fragile Enchantment” was the perfect book delving into regency fantasy romance. The bickering and banter in here was filled with such longing and tension it was palpable. I often times was reminded of ‘bridgerton’ or ‘the buccaneers’ with the glitzy balls and blooming garden parties. This was magical, fantastical and filled with such beautiful emotion. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Allison Saft for providing this eARC!

✨ Book Review ✨

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5)

This book was so much fun to read and I’m glad I got to because I’ve never read anything from this author before!

If you want to read a book with royalty, the grumpy sunshine trope, a fun way to incorporate magic, and gut wrenching writing, this book might be for you!

The reason why I rated this 3.5 stars is because some of the dialogue felt a little off to me towards the beginning/middle of the book and I feel like a couple of things could have been fleshed out a bit more. Otherwise, this was a great read!

Niamh and Kit’s relationship is so interesting to follow along with and I’m so glad a person like Niamh was written because I see a lot of myself in her

Definitely check this book out if you haven’t yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest book review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Seamstress Niamh is determined to use her ancestral magic to create the most beautiful clothing possible to create a better life for her family - even if that magic is slowly killing her. When the opportunity to tailor the royal wedding of a neighboring kingdom is offered, she cannot refuse, despite the fact that the royal family is the same who oppressed her people and decimated her home. To make matters worse, the young prince-to-be-wed is violently opposed to cooperating with her. Suffice to say, Niamh has her work cut out for her.
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Happy pub day to this beautiful love story!!! I was honored to receive and ARC of A Fragile Enchantment (thank you NetGalley and author!!!!) and I could barely put it down. This story is YA Bridgerton - set in regency era, complete with a secret tattler publication and plenty of swoony ✨longing✨. What A Fragile Enchantment adds that is unique is a depth of theme and willingness to tackle difficult topics. Everything from cycles of hatred, parentification, reparations for past wrongs, to living with the burdens of expectations. I highly recommend this book if anything listed catches your interest!
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Content Warnings: alcohol abuse, language, sexual content, domestic abuse, verbal abuse, homophobia

thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an ARC of this book!!

4.5/5⭐️!

this was my first Allison Saft book. and let me tell you… it was beyond good. im delighted to call myself an Allison Saft fan now.

a regency-inspired fantasy/romance, this story follows Niamh, a seamstress with the power to weave emotions into her pieces. she is commissioned by the prince regent of Avaland to create the clothing for his younger brother, Prince Kit’s wedding. of course, things get messy and a star-crossed romance blossoms.

Niamh truly is such a wonderfully written character. she is for the people pleasing girlies, for the older sisters, if you will. she and all the other main characters in this book were so easy to fall in love with. Salt’s writing is so descriptive and her imagery is gorgeous, something that i found especially important in having the clothing Niamh made come to life. i truly did not want to put this book down. i was enraptured from chapter one.

my only complaint with this book is that a few times it felt like some of the world building elements were just thrown in with minimal explanation. however, it usually wasn’t quite difficult to decipher these elements. just a bit confusing for a moment.

overall, this was a super fantastic read and such a lush, inspiring love story. couldn’t have wished to start off my new year with any other book. i will definitely be picking up the rest of Saft’s works!

This book was good just not for me. It immediately felt too YA and I didn’t connect with the main character. This didn’t feel as unique as I thought it would be.

A magical fairy tale that’s part folk lore, part Cinderella and part Rumpelstiltskin. You get whisked away into a magical place where dress are weaved with enchantments and princes control flowers . I really enjoyed this story and want more of Kit and Niamh story as well as the other characters

{3.5 stars}

I would say this one is Bridgerton meets This Woven Kingdom. It’s cute and fun but it’s your typical girl meets rake love story. I liked the magic. I liked the tension between the two main characters (although I didn’t really get why they were both queer but ended up in a heteronormative relationship - felt a little horned in, especially with the other queer characters). This is a perfect palate cleanser read between heavier stories.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

happy pub day to a fragile enchantment! honesty temple, i am still in the middle of reading this one on netgalley, only because of a lack of time management on my part. it is absolutely delightful! the characterization is vivid, the magic subtle but distinct (and enriches rather than distracts from the plot), and the world building (inspired by regency era england) is detailed and expansive. it’s tracking to easily be at least a four star read for me… i can’t wait to finish it!

spoiler-free summary:

niamh (pronounced knee-ve) has a unique magical talent: she can weave memories and emotions into the fabric she sews. but the magic that runs through her veins is also slowly killing her. determined to provide for her family, she accepts a commission from the prince regent of avaland to be the tailor for the upcoming royal wedding of his brother, kit. much to her surprise, she finds him abrasive, rude, and entirely uninterested in his own wedding. on top of that, the working class of avaland - mostly hailing from niamh’s homeland of machland- are on the verge of revolution. despite his prickly nature, the chemistry between kit and niamh is undeniable — and soon catches the attention of the kingdom’s most notorious gossip columnist, who wants niamh to help unveil the royal family’s darkest secrets.
while listed as YA, I feel like it’s YA only in the sense that the characters are fairly young and the intimate scenes are closed door. i didn’t really know it was YA until looking up the genres for this review!

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a young adult romantasy with a touch of magic. With an ode to Bridgerton series, there's a wonderful element of a gossip column as well.

Niamh is a tailor who has been commissioned to make wedding clothes of Kit a young prince. To add to the twist, there's underlying tension between the Prince Regent and Kit. There's also a tension brewing among the different provinces.

I enjoyed the magical aspects of this book, and the diverse side characters of this novel are wonderful. However, I wish that there was more world and character building. Even after finishing the book, I still am not sure of the magic system of Avaland, and I wanted to know more about Kit's perspective. It left me wanting for more. I might be in the smaller section of readers who are neutral about this book.

Thank you, the publisher and Netgalley, for this book.

“A Fragile Enchantment” 4/5 ⭐️

This was my first Allison Saft book, and wow! This book is so lovely. The setting and the magic are so whimsical.

About this book:
•Fantasy Romance 🤍
•Regency-inspired 🩰
•Prince MMC 🫅🏻
•Gossip, Scandal, and Politics 🗞️

I had so much fun being swept away into Niamh and Kit’s lives. During my reading, I became so attached to every single character. I’m so in love with all of them. 🥹 Also, the scandal and politics that comes with the royal family is so intriguing.

✨A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft✨

Niahm O’Connor leaves her home in Machland to serve as the tailor for the upcoming royal wedding between Prince Christopher and Infanta Rosa in Avaland. Niahm finds herself striking up an interesting friendship with the Prince, better known as Kit. As their paths become further intertwined, Niahm and Kit have to decide if their burgeoning relationship is worth the cost to their reputations and the crown.

Recommended if you enjoy: ✨ magical fantasy 🏰 palace intrigue 👗enchanted royal dressmaking 💘 forbidden romance 🤴grumpy princes

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

ARC Review ~ A Fragile Enchantment ~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Allison Saft’s ARC of A Fragile Enchantment popped up on NetGalley between the beautiful cover and the description I couldn’t help but leap at the chance to check it out. I was honored to receive a copy.

The world Allison created is beautiful and messy in the best ways. Mixing political intrigue with a fascinating magical system. The FMC is a sweet and strong tailor trying to do the best by her family while the MMC is the epitome of a grumpy prince being forced to marry for the benefit of his country. They find a friend and eventually more in one another as they both find themselves entangled in the tenuous and fracturing relationships between the kingdoms of their realm

While the romance is great, I adored the side characters the most. They were intriguing and I couldn’t help but be invested in their characters just as much as the mains.

Features:
*Grumpy/Sunshine
*Political Intrigue
*LGBTQ Rep
*Chronic Illness rep
*Fun Magical System
*Dynamic characters

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Saft has written an excellent fantasy romance for fans of Bridgerton that also incorporates quite a bit of Irish/English history and tensions. While readers unaware of this background history might not pick up on some of the implications or references, those readers who have knowledge will appreciate Saft's worldbuilding even more. The knowledge isn't required, though some readers might have appreciated more info in a note. On that same point, some readers may struggle with some of the more traditionally spelled Gaelic names in the book. Overall, the romance was fun and relatively believable, the plot was interesting, and Saft expertly handled the inclusion of parental abuse and addiction struggles. It would have been nice to get just a bit more world-building re: the main character's magic and how magic functions in the society as a whole, but it doesn't take away from the story at all.

This book was such a great combo of political intrigue, romance, and fantasy. Niamh is hired to sew the wedding clothes for Kit, the younger Prince of Avaland, and his fiancé Rosa, the Princess of Castilla.

Niamh is able to sew magical enchantments into her garments and hopes that the notoriety such a position will give her will allow her to help her family escape poverty. She is part of the Maclish people, who desire equal treatment and reparations from Avaland. There is a plot thread throughout the book about the relationship between the two groups that I thought was really well constructed.

I really liked that Allison took inspiration from real places (Niamh - Ireland, Kit - England, and Rosa - Spain) and periods from recent history (the blight, King George’s madness, etc). This lent a feeling of familiarity to the setting while remaining fantastical due to the magic.

I thought the romance was really sweet and perfect for a YA story. It had star-crossed vibes and forced proximity, which was a perfect combination for my reading mood.

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks for the #gifted eARC.

First of all, I LOVE the cover of this book. It fits the story perfectly and it was what drew me to it in the first place. With that said, this story has magic, romance and great characters and I loved every minute of it.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has a gift - the magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric and this is what 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 turns out to be far from what she imagined. While the nobles attend balls and parties, the working class is preparing to fight back and because of her background and the work she is doing, Niamh is now in the middle of it all.

When Niamh is first introduced to the royal family (including the groom, Kit), she doesn't truly know what to expect. The groom is being forced to wed for the sake of Avaland and he isn't happy about it. But when Niamh and Kit start to grow closer, their friendship slowly turns into something more. Unfortunately, a gossip columnist starts posting about their chemistry which creates issues for more than just them. When things start to unravel, Kit and Niamh have to decide what is most important to them and what that means for their futures.

I loved how Saft built the relationship between these two characters and the secondary characters were just a well done. If you're looking for a fantasy that has a Regency England feel to it, you should consider picking this up. It not only has an interesting story but the world Saft has built and the politics of the nobility made it even more interesting (in my opinion). There is also a solid romance that includes class differences and a bit of an enemies-to-lovers feel.

I'll definitely pick up more books by Saft in the future and if you like your fantasy with a bit of the historical fiction feel to it, go get this one now.

I was so excited to start this because the premise sounded really different and intriguing. Sadly, it was a bit of a mess, and very difficult to read for many reasons. Surface level character development, pacing, inconsistencies, unlikable hero, minimal fantasy worldbuilding, and the weak historical setting were just a few of the things that came together to make this lackluster romantasy. I am so bummed that I didn't love it, but I'm honestly patting myself on the back for trudging through and making it to the last page.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair is the female protagonist. She's eighteen years old and has just been offered the position of clothing maker for the upcoming royal wedding of the youngest prince. Prince Christopher, Duke of Clearwater (Kit) is marrying Rosa because his older brother has decreed that it's for the good of the kingdom. The alliance will prove to strengthen them financially and improve Kit's battered reputation. Kit is seen as a bit of a joke because of his alcoholism and the fact that he's been living away from Avaland in an attempt to recover from his addiction. He's reluctantly going along with the wedding, but he's not happy and everyone knows it.

From the first introduction, Kit is surly, mean-spirited, and just generally unpleasant to be around. Niamh is asked to stitch something for him and the prince regent in order to show the capabilities of her magic. He sneers at her work and makes her feel unwelcome before stomping off. This immediately causes her to (understandably) hate him from the get-go. During all of their interactions, his behavior takes a similar vein, though she starts to sympathize with him as she sees hints of compassion in him. Personally, I did not see enough in him to excuse his bratty behavior, nor did I see him as a multi-layered person who is misunderstood. His reputation is well-earned, and I didn't even feel sorry for him being forced into a loveless marriage.

Niamh came off as a bit of a people pleaser and a martyr. She lives to help support her family (even though they're ungrateful), has no personal life to speak of, and weakens herself by working her fingers to the bone knowing that it's accelerating the mysterious disease she is "dying" from. When she is overly stressed or anxious she ages and/or weakens which is shown in the physical manifestation of her hair gradually turning white. In the synopsis, it says that the magic she uses in her clothing is "the same magic that will eventually kill her." However, in the book, it says that "Some illnesses pass through generations. We tend to see them appear more often in families with divine blood—not necessarily because they’re connected [...]"

Absolutely nobody else in the book with magic powers is suffering the same health issues as her. Nobody else has hair turning white. None of this was explained with any type of detail, and no one seems to be overly concerned when she baldly states to various people that she is "dying." When she blurted it out to Kit, they were becoming involved at that point and he acted surprised but that was the extent of it. How do you not react with horror to a statement like that for someone you are supposedly falling for? I kept thinking that this would be addressed somehow towards the end in order to ensure a smooth HEA, but unfortunately no. She could literally die one year after they get together...one day even. But they calmly accept that like it's no biggie. In fact, all of the seemingly insurmountable hurdles these two have are hopped over quickly and unrealistically. Kit's engagement is even solved from many different angles in very few pages. Everything all tied up in a neat bow, but not in a remotely realistic manner.

The magic system is described very vaguely as well as the historical setting. All we are told about the magic is that every person with an ceird (magic) claimed they could trace their ancestry back to one of the Fair Ones. The Fair Ones are described in one paragraph. None of it really makes sense. Are there a set amount of powers based on the six Fair Ones named, or are there too many to count? Despite the source of the magic, some of the Machlish people who are peasants who live in poverty have magic, like Niamh. It seems that anyone in any class can have them, but having them doesn't earn respect unless you are upper class. There is no structure to any of it, and it's all briefly, sporadically, and in an inconsistent way. If I'm reading a fantasy with magic involved I expect world building and in-depth explanations in order for the setting to come to life. The historical detail was sufficient either, despite the fact that this world was supposed to have been modeled after Regency England. Their clothing may have been appropriate, but I didn't have the benefit of a description besides a bit of lace here, or a mention of a garter under her dress there. The speech and social customs were more modern than antiquated, so everything was a bit artificial for my taste.

There is the addition of various conflicts like the gossip columnist Lovelace, and Lady Helen Carlile who pop up at various points in the book but again, lack any focus or detail. The romance pretty much sprouts out of nowhere after she spends more than half the book despising him, and I couldn't find excitement for it once it did.

To me, this feels like a story you would expect from a debut author. I don't think I'll be trying another book from Allison Saft because her writing is just not for me. Many others have read her work and appreciate it, so maybe you will have a different experience.