I adored this standalone fantasy - it had a fairly simple but intriguing plot, multiple romances, and a Bridgerton/Lady Whistledown-esque element that added to the story. Allison Saft does a great job of crafting interesting fantasy plots in immersive worlds, but her real talent lies in her ability to craft characters that feel real. I slowly but surely fell in love with this group of uncommunicative idiots.

I am super excited to pick up more of Allison Saft's novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e -ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Fragile Enchantment is the type of low stakes historical fantasy where courtly intrigue and forbidden love reign supreme. It combines the glamor of Bridgerton’s social season with captivating magic in a way that feels wholly original.

The story focuses on the relationship between talented seamstress Niamh and Prince Kit as she prepares the garments for his upcoming wedding to a foreign princess. Niamh and Kit start out as enemies but soon find themselves enthralled in an irresistible forbidden romance. Niamh and Kit are both incredibly developed characters. They are each dealing with separate traumas but find common connection through their hurts and fears. It was beautiful to behold their growth journeys and to watch them let go of their pretenses and lean on one another. In addition, all of the side characters were crafted with the same tenderness. I was even rooting for Kit’s older, misguided brother Jack as he navigated the hardships of ruling a nation.

The magic in this story was also delightful to explore. Niamh’s ability to weave enchantments and memories into her clothing pieces provided many charming moments and Kit’s flora magic acted as an extension of his emotions. These individual magics complimented the characters nicely and helped me understand them deeper.

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

Allison Saft the woman that you are. This book is so SWOONWORTHY. The romance!? THE ROMANCE!? It was so perfectly encapsulated. I love this era of regency romances that is booming and Allison's adding one to upper YA sphere with a hint of magic is just so perfect.

Aspects I loved:
The portrayal of Niamh's chronic illness
The bisexual rep!!
The complexities of family
Kit and Niamh's relationship and growth

I know readers are going to be eating this up. Saft continues to write beautiful, complexly layered stories and cannot wait for what's next in the Saft line up.

In A Fragile Enchantment, the story takes inspiration from Irish and English history to sketch a story about a pair of star-crossed lovers in a historical romantasy context.

Niamh is a Maclish woman (Macland here is rather like Ireland) hired by the Avaland throne to construct wedding finery on behalf of the prince, Kit, and his soon-to-be bride, Rosa. Niamh is gifted with a sort of magic that grants the garments she makes special powers of emotion and influence. To provide for her struggling family in a war-torn nation, Niamh accepts the commission and travels to Avaland. While there, she’s embroiled in romance, scandal, and political stakes with wide-reaching consequences.

Overall, the writing here trended towards lyrical and sweet. Niamh’s dedication to her craft and the tension between the physical toll it takes on her was quite interesting to read about. She was easy to like, though I often found myself frustrated when she put her own experiences and emotions totally aside to give members of royalty the benefit of the doubt when they had not earned it.

My primary issue connecting with the book was that I was more interested in the human rights issues than the romance. The parallels to real-world history drew me in, and the portrait the author sketches of this world was quite compelling! I wanted more of it!!

I’d have liked to see more Maclish issues on the centerstage. Given how significant their protest is, I was hoping to see this unpacked with more nuance. For much of the book, multiple significant characters appear to have a fully apathetic response to the Maclish people’s very real grievances, and that made it difficult to take the rest of their characterization in stride. It's harder to empathize when we see central characters struggling to see the people around them as deserving of equal rights.

Kit, our MMC, was a bit difficult for me to connect with as well, and while he starts to wake up to certain things a bit more (or at least demonstrate something of a start), certain aspects of his relationship with his brother and with Niamh were left murky. Finally, I’d have liked to see a bit more active decision-making from Niamh. Much of the story happened to her. Though, when she did start making more active choices, the story picked up quite a bit! It feels like where Niamh goes from here will be an entirely new story, and I sort of wish I'd gotten to see what she becomes now that she's learned and grown to communicate more and self-advocate.

Special note for Rosa, because she was one of the coolest characters: She had a lot of complexity, and her motivations were three-dimensional.

If you enjoy:
-Victorian or regency romance
-the forbidden love trope
-sad boys with a dark past
-grumpy, antagonizing acquaintances to lovers
-arts and crafts with magic
-heroines who must learn to balance care for others with care for themselves
-teenagers making wildly rash choices
then this might be a good pick for you!

Highly recommend to fans of Bridgerton and Regency romances but wanting magic! Grumpy/Sunshine romance, slow burn. Queer rep. Found family. A good addition to our collection!

This was a cute cozy read. It did take me awhile to get into it. The pacing at the beginning didn't quite pull me in. As Niahm and Kit has more interactions, I became more invested in their story. I did love Niahm and Kit's relationship. It fits in with the grumpy sunshine trope, and there were so many cute moments. I liked the progression of their relationship. It wasn't too fast or forced. There are many parallels to Bridgerton, which at times sort of disappointed me. I wanted it to be a little more original. The addition of magic helped the novel become its own little world. Without that, I would have said it would have been too close to Bridgerton for me.

Allison Saft's A Fragile Entanglement is like a true Bridgeton love story with a spice of mystery and unforgettable side characters! I felt like this novel was fast paced and easy to read just like Allison's Down Comes the Night which was enemies-to-lovers with really good banter as well. She very good at setting up the story and background and then sweeping you in for entire duration of the story. I love the cover and name of the characters. You can tell the author invested a lot of time, research, and love into this story. I think readers will be hooked from the very first chapter! Thank you so much to the Author, The Publisher, and Netgalley for letting me read this beauty!

i’m submitting the reviews for books by you that I already have, but I will never request another one. In October one of your employees made a horribly racist statement and you have chosen to do nothing about it. People have continuously asked you to say that you don’t stand with what the employee said, and you refuse to. This is not someone who I want to promote ever because you are sending the wrong message. These reviews will not be posted on social media because you don’t deserve the promotion. I hope that all of your authors move to other publishers because you are standing with a genocide. Watch this video for more information https://www.tiktok.com/@vivafalastinleen/video/7288407369313307947?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7211704101519296042

The beginning was a bit slow but I really got into it. Kit is so prickly but Nimeah was able to get under his skin and see the real him. Their romance was just really sweet and I had a good time.

I will not be publicly reviewing this book until SMP takes accountability for recent racist actions by a member of their marketing team.

This was an interesting read. I wanted to read this story entirely because of the cover, and was so excited when NetGalley approved my request.

The cover really does capture the vibe. It’s a historical fiction fantasy vibe, think Bridgerton, but with magic. I liked the idea and thought it was entertaining it was a little slow in some places, but I really loved the slow burn between the MC’s. For some reason the MMC reminded me of Cardan from The Cruel Prince. If that’s a selling point, check this one out!

I also liked the different sort of magic that the FMC had. She wove magic into garments, and I loved the whole idea. The end was beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a chance to read and review this book!

◆ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5/5 ⭐️
◆ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 1/5
◆ 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: standalone, royal family + political tension, complex family relationship, witty banter, slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, forbidden love, regency-inspired setting, mental health issues, chronic illness, marginalized communities, civil unrest, queer representation
◆ 𝐂𝐖: drugs/alcohol mentioned, mild violence, mild self destruction

Allison Saft weaves a delightful tale that reads like historical fiction with magic and whimsy. The story begins with Niamh Ó Conchobhair as she enters the neighboring kingdom of Avaland and tries to navigate the throngs of high society and the arcane intrigue that comes with being the tailor for a royal family wedding. But Niamh is no ordinary seamstress... taking after her grandmother, she can weave magic and emotion into her creations, which exhibit an otherworldly quality that can turn heads and hearts. Even capture the eye of the Prince Regent himself.

When she meets the younger prince and groom, Kit Carmine, however, he seems less than impressed by her abilities. She is struck hard by his abrasive nature and second guesses her decision to take on such a lofty endeavor. But Niamh has a duty to her family and she will see it through no matter what. That pisspot prince be damned.

Safe to say, their relationship definitely starts off on the wrong foot. Kit regards Niamh's presence as nothing more than an egregious inconvenience. The disdain flows in ripples and poor Niamh is left feeling hurt and vulnerable in the wake. But bless her, she doesn't back down from the challenge and proceeds to go toe-to-toe with Kit despite her people-pleasing nature. The push-pull dynamic has its ups and downs but primarily takes hold midway, when their relationship unfolds, and continues to thrum a steady beat. Especially after facades begin to crack, and feelings are realized, and the weight of that forbidden prospect becomes seemingly unbearable.

As the two navigate around one another, they rely heavily on the buffer that is Kit's best friend, Sinclair. Who is worth mentioning and an absolute delight. And with the addition of Princess Rosa (the bride to be) and company, it really creates an interesting dynamic within our group of characters. I almost wish they had a larger role in the story. It's yet another layer to the many interconnected relationships we see as the story unfolds and I found it to be quite charming as they each add their own distinct voice and complexities to the plot that otherwise might've fallen flat had it just been mainly focused on Niamh and Kit alone.

And in the midst of all this, Lovelace, the anonymous scandal sheet author, is wreaking havoc amongst the royals and the people of the aristocracy. Just like Lady Whistledown of the Bridgerton show or book series, you ask? Yes, exactly like that. Which gave the story a bit of a familiar and somewhat predictable air. I figured out the "twist" early on so the reveal didn't have quite the impact it could have. But even so, that didn't do too much to detract from the overall story which was heavily invested in its character development and I appreciated that. Another strong point was the writing...it was very poignant and atmospheric and lets you fold into the world like a breeze. Like hot chocolate on a cold wintery day. I found it rather enjoyable.

There are also secondary plot points present within the book that provide additional support to the story; I found myself a little more interested in the history of the kingdom, its fading magic systems, and the political strife amid the marginalized Machlish community fighting for their rights. Granted, while all those contributed to the plot at some point, I imagine they aren't exactly conducive to a fantasy romance novel. Still, the story managed to leave me intrigued with the writing and character development of the two mc's. I just wish the pacing would've been more consistent and that certain plot points and backstories had a little more depth. Otherwise, I found it to be a delightful read despite my personal preferences.
(PS: If there is a campaign for Princess Rosa to get her own book, sign me up)

4 1/2 stars!

This was a lovely young adult romantasy. Even though it was light on the fantasy elements other than some mild world building and details of magic, it definitely delivers on a swoony romance. Even better, it's an enemies to lovers trope. Gimmee Gimmee!

Niamh has been brought to the royal palace of another country to make the wedding clothing for the prince's upcoming nuptials. With her magical ability to blend emotions into her creations, she's creating a reputation as a talented seamstress and many are clamoring for her clothing. With dreams of using her abilities to secure financial stability for her mother and grandmother, Niamh is willing to work herself to the bone to earn a solid reputation. What she doesn't count on is finding herself caught up in an unforeseen romance. After all, the kingdom of Avaland looks down upon the Macklish people which is where Niamh is from.

I simply loved this book. It just had such a fun and flighty feel to it. Even though there were serious topics involved, it was still such a joyful and feel good book. I love it when true love wins out.

AUDIOBOOK: I also listened to the audiobook and truly loved the narration! 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them and the opinions contained within are my own.

I enjoyed this book for sure. I thought it was a little slow, and then there was so much action at the end, and I wanted more of that. The characters were very cool and complex. I loved the different types of magic, especially Niamh's, and how they related to fashion and feeling. I also liked the regency vibes from this book—it mixed well with the fantasy world. I also think pretty much all of the main characters were LGBTQ+ and it was great to see that. I think the pacing was just off for me and it took me a while to fully invest. I also would have liked some more background on the kingdom and/or Niamh's family history. I wanted to love this one so much, but it just didn't hit for me. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC and #gifted finished copy.

I'm literally FROTHING at the mouth for ANYTHING that this author writes. Read it. Just read it. I can't imagine how you couldn't like it. I laughed, I cried, I obsessed over the prose and lush writing that never overpowered the plot because she's just that good. It was everything.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press/ Wednesday Books and Ms. Saft for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

This reads as a STRONG alternative history-but-make-it-fantasy of England/Ireland, if alternative fantasy historical England was ruled by a version of William and his younger brother Harry were the MMC. Seriously. And William's, I mean Jack's, wife Sofia gave me some strong Queen Elsa vibes. So: a mashup! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But I digress. This was super charming. Maybe a readalike for the Emily Wilde books, even. Niamh is a divine-blooded (read: has magic, bleeds gold not red) citizen of Not-Ireland, I mean, Machland. Her magical talent is in making clothes imbued with emotions, and she's tapped by the Not-English Prince Regent to make the wedding clothes for Prince Kit and his Not-Spanish fiancée, Rosa. Niamh is willing to do this because the money and exposure will mean a better life for her Mom and Grandma, even though using her magical talent is gradually killing her. OF COURSE sparks fly between Niamh and the prickly Prince Kit.

This was super cute, and sweet, and fun. Would recommend widely especially to BookTokers looking to read something while they wait to get a copy of the same 7 books they're all reading. Allison Saft has a deft way with descriptions that I really liked. I wish Niamh had been a little less obtuse about doing everything herself, and I was surprised that she was so comfortable (in her capacity as a paid contractor/servant) speaking her mind to Prince Kit and Prince Jack. It seemed a little too casual at times. But I didn't care because I was having so much fun. Looking forward to more by this author.

This was like if Bridgerton actually discussed class struggles and mental health issues. The high class MMC + lower class FMC is a fairly common pairing in regency romance and I feel like it can either be really enjoyable or it can make the entire book tedious. Here, the weaving in of fantasy elements and full development of the characters makes it absolutely enjoyable. I love a book with more worldbuilding and this just makes me want to pick up another Allison Saft novel.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the fantasy world so similar to our Victorian era and all the Celtic names. There was a bad case of "explaining everything to the reader" that I just couldn't get into.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.

A Fragile Enchantment is a regency era Bridgerton-esque story following our FMC named Niamh (pronounced Neave) and our MMC named Kit. Niamh jumps at the chance to design the clothes for the upcoming royal wedding in Avaland. Her family is poor with little money to their name, so this is a chance for Niamh to help her family. The kingdom is not what Niamh expects upon arrival. There is conflict brewing in the working class and it is changing the course of things in the palace. Niamh puts all her emotions into her fabric making and that sets her apart from the rest of the pack.

I requested this book on a whim while browsing Netgalley, and I was absolutely BLOWN away. I've had really great luck with YA this year which I haven't had in so many years. YA used to be my jam and I haven't been able to find books that affected me in the same way. But boy, oh boy this book was like a glass of cold water for my thirsty heart.

Historical romance is my favorite subgenre of romance, so I knew this book had great potential to be great for me. I was hesitant about the magical aspect that Saft wove into the story because I didn't know how magic in a historical romance setting would work out. However, I loved the magical aspect of the book and I think it worked really well for the story.

I loved Niamh as a main character. I liked how she was flawed, just like any other teenager would be. But I also loved how strong and brave she was. Kit was probably my favorite character in the story, with Rosa following as a close second. Kit was a complicated dude and I'm so glad he found a home in Niamh to let his emotions out. I loved seeing him gain his confidence toward the end of the book and seeing him really stand up to his brother was so refreshing.

One thing about me is I need a strong romance to keep me invested. The romance doesn't have to be the center of the story, and I most definitely don't need explicit content for me to read a book. However, having two characters with a strong and romantic love is so important for me to stay invested in a story. And I feel like I got just that with Niamh and Kit. Sometimes I'm a bit wary of a YA story because most times the romance is a fluffy high school romance that doesn't stick with me, but this was different than those books. The things Kit said to Niamh were romantic and heartfelt and had me giggling and kicking my legs like a little girl. This YA book was everything I needed and more. Allison Saft has beautiful writing that is steeped in romance and adventure and I can't wait to read from her backlist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
• Magical elements
• Opposite attracts
• Enemies to lovers
• Forbidden love
• LGBTQ rep
• Royalty/Regency settings

There is something about Allison Saft's writing that really pulls you into her worlds like no other can do. I don't know what it is, but it's always easy to dive into it and feel the vibe. And I really enjoyed the vibe of this one.

Not gonna lie, Kit is exactly the type of character I instantly fall for. Broken, moody, trying hard not to show any emotions, mad at everyone. I was like: LET'S SAVE HIM! And that is exactly what happened, a story of two persons that want nothing to do with each other but end up saving each other. The way they both were so different and yet so similar in their want to put everyone else before them, just made me love them even more. I enjoyed the relationship between all the character, the friendships, the love, it was all so good and evolved so well.

I did enjoy the setting with the castle life, the historical vibe, the political intrigue, the secret identities, it was all very good. Alison Saft writes great tension between the characters and it always makes me giddy. There were some scenes that still live rent free in my head, I loved the fragility, honesty and vulnerability our character shared.

A lot of great representations were in this book, with chronic and mental illness well showcased with our main characters. You also get this whole problem between working class and monarchy going on, LGBTQ representation as well, and even some sort of racial discrimination over our main character and others who are considered outsiders and often seen as less than others due to where they came from and their origins. Navigating through all of this was very engaging.

I did however find that it got a little slow on the plot part at some point and I did lose a little tiny bit of my interest. I'm not big on 3rd act breakups and all, so I always find it hard to get through when it happens. But overall, still a very enjoyable read.

I did relate to this one on so many levels. This year, my family and I lived thoroughly with the "taking it day by day" mindset as we had some difficult events to get through. Knowing you'll lose someone isn't easy and I think that sometimes thinking about the future is the most depressing thing to do, so you have to take it one day at a time to survive. Focus on the small happiness, and continue to go on. So yes, this whole mindset really got to me on a whole other level.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A Fragile Enchantment is one of the best books I’ve read in months! It was whimsical, and sweet, and angsty.

The story follows Niamh (an extremely positive dress-maker that can embed her designs with magic that brings forth certain memories or feelings) and Kit (a moody prince with a sharp tongue who doesn’t have full control of his powers, when he feels intense emotions the plants around him seem to have a mind of their own).

Allison Saft is a master at crafting well developed magic systems and combining them with swoon worthy romances. As I was reading I felt like Niamh’s magic was real, it was so vividly described. It helped that her magic was tied to emotion because it made me feel everything Niamh was feeling as she sewed.

I like to think both Niamh and Kit are cinnamon rolls, although Kit might be one in disguise. The two were so clearly perfect for each other, but I’m glad Saft took time to develop their feelings. Niamh feels this need to put everyone’s happiness above her own and Kit has never really thought about what he wants for himself. So these two definitely made for an interesting dynamic. Add on top of that Kit’s inability to say anything without sounding a little harsh and Niamh’s sensitivity, CHEF’S KISS.

I truly don’t know how to express just how much I loved these characters. It’s like when you see a cute animal and want to squish its face. That’s me with Niamh and Kit.

(Also the side characters were well written, I just needed to gush about the MCs)