Absolutely fabulous. The twists in this book were handled stunningly and it was very easy to get and stay engaged in the story told. The characters were vibrant and well developed.

I would love to review this book but I am withholding my review in light of the SMP Boycott, and will wait to post until SMP takes action and the boycott ends.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I’m feeling a bit conflicted on this one, because all the tropes that I love are there: enemies-to-lovers, regency era romantasy, etc, but the writing felt very middle grade to me. I have read this author before and didn’t get this vibe previously, so I can’t pin down why it felt this way THIS time. Aside from that, it is a very fine book and the cover is adorable.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft. Pub Date: January 2, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. In this magical/fantasy romance, a young woman is set to be a dressmaker for a royal family. There is a royal wedding and she brings magic to her creations that involve emotional responses. Through her journey of being the dressmaker, she gets close to the groom and an unlikely friendship blooms. Rumors are spread, tensions run high and chemistry sizzles between these two. I really enjoyed the setting of this novel and found this fantasy romance to be tasteful and whimsical. For someone who does not read a lot of fantasy romance, this was just enough of the genre for me to enjoy. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #afragileenchantment

"A Fragile Enchantment" by Allison Saft is a spellbinding tale that masterfully intertwines romance, magic, and political intrigue. The story follows its protagonist through a world rich with enchantments and delicate balances of power. Saft's writing is lyrical and immersive, drawing readers into a realm where every emotion feels heightened and every decision carries weight. The characters are well-developed, with complex motivations that keep you invested in their journeys. The plot is both intricate and captivating, offering twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall, "A Fragile Enchantment" is a beautifully crafted novel that enchants from start to finish, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy and romance alike.

Gorgeous writing, beautiful setting, and filled with romance and intrigue.

A Fragile Enchantment is one of my new favorite books! I love that there's a mix of Irish lore in this sweeping novel that is escapism at its finest. Niamh is a dressmaker, and has the power to stitch emotion into fabric. While we know that this magic is lethal to Niamh, she's determined to use her gift to leave something for her family.

What follows is a fantastical story of romance, mystery, and takes the best parts of modern and historical storytelling and wraps it up with a bow.

Such a wonderful charming read! This was my first Allison Saft book and will definitely not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A Fragile Enchantment is a fantasy romance book that really gave me Bridgerton vibes. On the plus side it did have some queer rep via mcs and side characters. Speaking of characters, all the characters were absolutely lovely and super likable. The writing was simply beautiful! Also loved the grumpy/sunshine trope that was in the book. Such a wonderful read!

My feedback is being withheld in compliance with the St. Martin's press boycott. #SpeakUpSMP Check out readersforaccountability on Instagram for more information.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy.

I went it thinking I’d love this one. The cover is so cute and the tropes are some of my favorite. But honestly this was a little slow for me. The characters were underwhelming personality wise. I will say that I did enjoy the Bridgerton vibes that it had. The ending was kind of dumb… I didn’t like that no issues were resolved.

I want to start off by saying the cover of this book is absolutely beautiful!! I just love the way Niamah and Kit look! I have to admit though, I didn’t enjoy ‘A Fragile Enchantment’ as much as I thought I would. I didn’t connect to the characters or the world, and I felt like the plot was nonexistent for the majority of the book. However, the writing was beautiful; it actually reminded me a lot of Jane Austen’s. While this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I believe there are plenty of people out there who would fall in love with ‘A Fragile Enchantment.’

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author, Allison Saft, for providing me with an e-arc of this book!!

This was good story. Not great, but good. I struggled a bit and I know this is a classic case of, “it’s not you, it’s me,” since everyone I know that read it, loved it.

"A Fragile Enchantment" by Allison Saft transports me to a richly imagined fantasy world, blending romance, intrigue, and magic in a Regency England-inspired setting. While the premise holds promise and the author's prose is elegant, the execution must be more fully captivating.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair, with her unique ability to weave emotions and memories into fabric, is a compelling protagonist with a poignant dilemma. Her determination to secure a better future for her family despite her impending fate adds depth to her character and sets the stage for an engaging narrative. However, the exploration of Niamh's magical abilities, such as her emotional weaving, feels underdeveloped. For instance, we only see her use this ability once in a minor conflict, leaving the reader craving more insight into this intriguing aspect of the story.

While initially intriguing, the romance between Niamh and Kit Carmine lacks the emotional depth and chemistry to sweep me off my feet. Kit's characterization as a prickly and begrudging groom offers an interesting dynamic, but his transformation from reluctant participant to potential love interest feels rushed and somewhat forced. The budding relationship between Niamh and Kit is overshadowed by the political intrigue and mystery surrounding the royal family, leaving their romance somewhat secondary.

Saft's world-building is not just vivid but also incredibly immersive. It captures the atmosphere of a Regency England-inspired society with its lavish balls, elegant parties, and simmering unrest among the working class. The juxtaposition of glamour and unrest adds layers to the story, creating a compelling backdrop for the unfolding drama. However, the pacing sometimes feels uneven, with moments of slow exposition interspersed with bursts of action that may leave the reader wanting more consistency in the narrative flow.

While "A Fragile Enchantment" offers an intriguing blend of romance, magic, and political intrigue, it ultimately falls short of fully realizing its potential. The characters, particularly Niamh and Kit, are engaging, and their interactions are a highlight of the book. The setting is immersive, capturing the atmosphere of a Regency England-inspired society with its lavish balls, elegant parties, and simmering unrest among the working class. The premise is promising, but the execution needs more depth and polish to captivate the reader fully. Nonetheless, fantasy romance fans may still enjoy this sweeping tale of love and betrayal in a world where magic and politics collide.

Historical fantasy isn't as easy to write as you might think - it requires a careful balancing of elements that don't necessarily sit easily together. While not quite as successful as Saft's previous book, this still does a beautiful job of creating a pseudo-Regency/Victorian world mixed with magic. It's like Georgette Heyer with spells and magic, and I think even Ms. Heyer might have agreed that that's a very pleasant combination indeed.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I have now read a few books involving people who can weave magic into fabric, but I will never get tired of it! It's such a cool idea, and Naihm's skills were described beautifully! Overall, this was a quick read, with nice grumpy + sunshine trope mixed in :) The last third of the book had a <i> lot </i> going on, though, and it was sort of difficult to follow everything that was happening. I had to reread a few scenes to truly understand it all, and it just seemed kind of messy.

That said, I think this is a very enjoyable read, if you're willing to not think too hard about it when you get to the end. Naihm was a sweet character, and I liked reading from her POV.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG this book... I absolutely adored this book!! The plot, the characters, the world building, all of it! Great example of enemies to lovers romantasy without being a cheesy trope. I wish I could read this book for the first time all over again! Definitely recommending to others!

Fantasy regency books always hit, especially when they're queer af. I loved the romance, I loved the friendships, I loved the fantasy regency gossip girl aspect; I loved it ALL. A truly wonderful romance with queerness abound...it really is the book of my dreams!

A nicely adequate book. I was excited to read this book because I was drawn in by the regency romance setting and the idea of sewing magic. Other reviews have compared this book to Bridgerton, however the only thing this book has in common with Bridgerton is the regency setting and the existence of a gossip column.

The story is told from the perspective of Niamh, who has the magic to weave feelings into the clothing she sews. A very whimsical idea that I wish was described more – the actual act of her using her magic was sparingly described. She is hired as the seamstress to make Prince Kit and his fiancé’s wedding attire, but in the process she falls in love with the prince. Also, apparently she has a chronic illness that is connected to using her magic and overexerting herself and she may or may not die young? I will touch on this more later.

The word longing was used more often than I actually felt the longing of the characters. The male love interest, Prince Kit, was very hot and cold the entire time. I would call his character a tsundere, but his feelings suddenly turn cold on and off all the way into the final act. The emotional connection created between the two main characters seemed more like a general curiosity about each other that results in them trauma dumping and dueling one liners back and forth about how each of them owns their life and should disregard their duty. Also apparently prince kit has a history of alcoholism that he overcame through pure willpower all on his own? This was concerningly glossed over. Further, WHY did we not get a much larger reaction from Prince Kit when he finds out the person he loves is apparently dying and has an illness with no cure? He’s a prince – wouldn’t he start trying to gather all the doctors and healers in the kingdom to try and find a solution? Like we really casually talked about her dying the entire book without looking more into this.

There are several larger conflicts happening beyond the romance – the King is ill so Prince Kit’s older brother is the Prince regent, the kingdom is bankrupt, the royal family has committed some bad acts against a minority group that Niamh is part of, queer people are accepted in society but also definitely not, Niamh is apparently dying, Prince Kit is engaged (a loveless political marriage), Niamh wants to help her family, Prince Kit and his brother the prince regent can’t communicate…. Do any of these issues really get addressed? No…the book ends with these major issues either getting a halfhearted honorable mention or a “let’s get married anyway and hope everything works out,” which is pretty crazy since we spent most of the book freaking out about how everything is impossible and the entire kingdom is going to fall apart if this wedding doesn’t happen and whatever.

Also, Prince Kit and Niahm get together while he is engaged and I think it’s interesting how everyone for some reason thinks it’s a realistic option for her to just be his mistress after the wedding. Niahm, who becomes somewhat friends with Prince Kit’s fiancé (Princess Rosa), straight up lies to her but of course gets found out anyways and just because Rosa doesn’t care doesn’t make it okayyyyyy. Also odd how everyone is fine if Niahm were to be a mistress but talks so disgustedly about the ill king having mistresses?

Despite my criticisms, I give this three stars because I was generally entertained, I liked the idea of the story, the moments where the clothing was described were nice, and there were some pretty great side characters. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something fluffy and easy.

Finally, I would like to petition for a book dedicated to Sinclair, arguably the best character in the book – I want to hear his story, this man deserves love and needs a happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Reading this book felt like a hug. It was warm and comforting and even when there were moments of tension or upset, the resolution was always satisfying. The stakes were high enough without being painful, and I was thoroughly content with the ending.

This was underwhelming at best. Honestly felt like I wasted my time reading as the big reveal at the end was so not worth the pages flipped. Romantasy needs to be well done from plot to paper and this was not. At many points I was left questioning the magical elements.