I have been asked to review an advanced copy of this book. However, I will be withholding my review until the boycott against St. Martin's Press is resolved.

I love reviewing books. I love supporting books. I WANT to review this book. But I will not give free labor to a publisher that is dismissive of concerns about racism and privacy.

(Giving two stars to meet placeholder requirements. That does not necessarily reflect the review of the book I would give.)

@readersforaccountability
https://r4a.carrd.co/

A Fragile Enchantment is such an incredibly delightful and charming book.

I’m beginning to think that Allison Saft is one of my new favorite authors because her writing had me kicking my feet in excitement and crying along with the characters.

Kit and Niamh are such a great pairing. Their banter is top tier and it feels they understand each other almost more than themselves.

I genuinely loved this book! There was so much detail in the characterizations and actions. Everything was so intricately woven together and came together in surprising and satisfying ways. ❤️

3.5

A deeply confused romance story with vaguely centrist politics that isn’t sure who we’re supposed to root for or against. Unfortunately difficult to keep up with how many characters our protagonist feels bad for (all of them). A very cute couple at the center that absolutely pulled it together for me if you ignore everything about the actual plot. And if you also ignore that Niamh is incredibly dumb. Otherwise a fun book! Just try not to think about the central themes of oppression too much.

Sparkling with inclusivity and full of wonder - A Fragile Enchantment is a true delight!

Saft's newest release drew me in from the very first chapter. The writing style is whimsical enough to create an atmospheric setting, but forthright enough to keep the plot moving. The pacing was perfect and I never felt that the plot was dragging. I also adored the magic system that was created in these pages, but I craved more details or more scenes with these powers, specifically Niamh's as it was not a power that was visual in nature.
I adored the band of characters that developed in this book. Saft's incorporation of languages and cultural enrichment gave this story an edge that it needed to impact the reader. I also loved the gender and sexuality inclusivity for each main character.

The relationship between Kit and Niamh is one that grew slowly and was understated. This made it a bit difficult to believe in, especially as it is not dual POV and the reader is not able to hear any of Kit's thoughts or feelings. It did not feel believable that Kit grew feelings for Niamh that quickly, and if he did was it a product of her powers or true emotions? In turn, this left me with more questions at the end of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and wished to stay in this magical world just a little longer!

I really enjoyed this book. It was romantic and magical, with a sunshine x grumpy character dynamic. It's a very easy read, with likeable characters and an enjoyable plot that keeps you interested. My only complaint would be certain portions of the romance were a bit cringy or embarrassing, where the writing feels uncomfortable or silly, but that's to be expected in a romance novel especially with those aimed at a slightly younger audience.
For a young adult book, it did get a little spicy at moments, but then the chapter would end before it got explicit.
I listened to the audiobook version and I cannot recommend it enough. Fran Burgoyne did an incredible job with voicing the audiobook, with incredible character accents and emotions. I cannot recommend the audiobook version of this book enough.
I would also like to thank netgalley for giving me access to this book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A Fragile Enchantment is a stand-alone regency romance, with a fantasy twist. Readers follow Niamh, a magical seamstress commissioned to create the wardrobe for a royal wedding - a job she takes to help ensure a better life for her mother and grandmother. A job that turns out to be more complicated than she could anticipate between the prickly groom, political unrest, and an anonymous gossip columnist.

Overall, this just a really delightful read. Niamh finds herself torn between doing what she sees as her duty to her family and allowing herself to dream of more for herself. I loved the theme of a person being enough because of who they are and not because of what they do. That everyone deserves love. Period.

This was my first Allison Saft novel and I enjoyed the writing style. It was dreamy and whimsical. She wove in some more difficult topics like addiction and political turmoil while never losing the fairytale vibe. As a stand-alone, this novel felt complete. However, the world she creates is open enough that I could imagine a dozen more stories taking place! I would love a spin-off to see more of our side characters!

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, easy read with some great banter, found family, and magic ✨

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I could not connect with Niamh and just did not find this book engaging. This is not to say I do not think 0thers would like this or that I hated the book; I just did not feel that connection with books/characters. The pacing of this book was odd to me, this did not help me feel engaged. This book was just not it for me.

This started off a little slow at the beginning. And then about 40% it picked up. And boy was it juicy. The tension between kit and Niamh.

Kit is supposed to be getting married to Rosa but neither of them want to marry each other. It’s strictly an arranged marriage for the sanctity of their kingdoms. And kits heart is somewhere else.

I was on my toes the last half of the book of what was going to happen. My heart hurt for everyone involved. So much betrayal and hurt. It was a really beautiful story. Niamh is always apologizing, kit is so stubborn and opposites seem to attract.

I would recommend you read this. It’s not too much of a fantasy it’s more just a tiny bit of magic involved. Otherwise it’s mostly a romance.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advanced in exchange for my honest opinion.

loved this romance and how the journey stated and ended. loved the friends and all of the trials that they went through on the journey. loved the cast and i can't wait t read more.

The cover is stunning. That is what drew me in initially. I started with high hopes but was quickly mired in the quicksand that often accompanies historical fantasy. Although I understand that Kit has trauma, his constant extreme mood flips became too much really quickly. Even using “romance reasons” there were things that didn’t make sense.
Overall this book was not for me.

It took a while to get going but once it did you're pretty hooked. While I was slightly disappointed with the lack of fantasy elements I really loved the romance between Niamh and Kit.

I think the highest point for me was the chronic illness rep. Not many books actually talk about chronic illness and when they do she typically gets cured. It really makes you feel seen.

In some parts the side characters are more interesting than our main casual but the queer rep makes you very quick to forgive that. The characters all around are everything you didn't know you were missing.

This book is an absolute utter delight of an experience. It was such a cozy romance with just enough light fantasy elements to give it a touch of whimsy. While there was conflict and stakes they were not so devastating as to take away from the sweetness of the rest of the story. Read this book if you just want to curl up and feel warm and happy. It is such a refreshing light read and proves that not all fantasy has to be tumultuous and dark to be interesting.

As always characters are always a huge draw for me and I could not gush enough about them. Niamh is an excellent example of a character who does not have to be physically strong or tough to be a strong female lead (though admittedly her quirky clumsiness did get to be a bit much but I didn’t find it too distracting) and instead found her strength in kindness and caring.
In another story the love interest Kit could easily have been a toxic, brooding, alpha male and while he has a very prickly exterior he also has incredible depth and capability of softness (also shout out for being a short king! I love that for him). Not to mention the cast of side characters that each bring their own depths to the story. I particularly adored our Goth Princess Rosa. I was also delighted to find the cast was so casually queer especially in regards to both Niamh and Kit being bi themselves.

As for the world building I personally loved how it was handled. There wasn’t a lot of emphasis on it so the story was able to focus more on the characters but it was obvious that it was a reflection of our own worlds history with the addition of magic and very regency inspired. I love a good historical fantasy romance so this was absolutely perfect. I’m also absolutely obsessed with the magic present within the story and the way their abilities compliment it. Niamh being able to infuse emotions into garments she creates is just such a fun bit of magic and there is also just something about Kit controlling plants which would usually be considered a more feminine magic that I find so appealing especially when he uses that magic to assist Niamh or the plants react to his emotions without him meaning to. It’s just *chefs kisses*

This story was just such an absolute delight and I can’t recommend it enough.

Beautiful story about a tailor who was commissioned to make the wedding attire for the prince and his soon to be wife. But she quickly realized that not everything was as it seemed. I loved getting to know Nimah and Kit and their story.

4.25+ stars

It was originally the gorgeous cover and fun title that attracted me to this book, so enjoying the story as much as I did was really just an added bonus. The plot itself was reasonably compelling, but what I really appreciated was the inclusion of several fairly well-rounded queer characters. That was a pleasant surprise as it’s still a bit rare (in my reading experiences, anyway) to have queer characters in fiction with a more historical setting, even when coupled with fantasy elements. I quite enjoyed this book (and am still completely captivated by the cover art!).

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC copy to review.
This is a beautiful story full of charm and folklore. Loved the idea of emotions being sewn into clothes. Absolutely loved this book..

"No good came from loving fragile things."

A Fragile Enchantment felt like a letter of admiration to Ireland. The inspiration that was taken from the magic & the tales of our lore blended so well with the heartache & sting of the historical turmoil we have gone through. It was sweet & bitter.

It held a whimsical charm to it, and Niamh remained at the heart of it all with her hope and trust. Even when it was scorned or hurt, she stayed true to her wonderful morals & truth. I enjoyed so many of the characters, what they brought to the story, and how they held their own - holding a story of their own within this novel. No characters were left to serve one person but their own.

The love was sweet and regal, much like the era it portrays, and it makes me think of young but true love.
Alison Saft, this is my favourite of your works so far!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this E-ARC. These are my own opinions.
This was my first Allison Saft book and will not be my last. This was a lovely historical fantasy. The story drew you into it and made you fall in love with the characters. Even if they seemed hard to love. I loved how she wove in historical events. The only thing I wish the book had was a glossary for all of the Irish/Machland language. I majority of the time could guess what they were saying but it may be helpful to have a guide. This is a solid 3 Stars for me.

Having very much enjoyed [author:Allison Saft]’s [book:A Far Wilder Magic], I jumped at the chance to get my hands on her latest. If you’re looking for atmospheric, magic-driven YA/new adult romantasy, with a dash of politics and family drama thrown in, [book:A Fragile Enchantment] will not disappoint.

When Niamh, a tailor with a skill for enchanting her embroidery with emotions, receives an invitation to make the wedding clothes for the prince of the neighboring Avaland (a magical standin for Regency England) she jumps at the chance to finally give her family comfort and stability after war with Avaland left her home country Machland (standing in for Ireland) devastated 35 years ago. The prodigal young prince Christopher – Kit – is prickly, devastatingly handsome – and wants nothing to do with her. So she’ll just have to prove her worth to punch her ticket to a better life.

At its heart, A Fragile Enchantment is about finding your people, your confidence to be yourself, to believe you are worthy of love, and have the right to live life on your own terms. Along the way, Niamh and Kit must contend with their duty to family and country, a Lady Whistledown-like gossiper amongst the nobility who threatens to reveal damaging secrets if Niamh won’t work to advance the cause of the Machlish lower class, and the dangers their own magics pose if they push themselves too far.

I love the way Saft writes, her clever spins on magic systems, and her ability to write young characters in ways that feel both true to their youth and timeless.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

A Fragile Enchantment was the second book by Allison Saft that I read, and if it is the last of 2023, I'll be more than happy. It was such a captivating and beautiful story that I couldn't stop until I'd reached the end.

This book will just sweep you off of your feet, it was beautiful and enchanting. This was my first book by this author and it was enjoyable. The storyline was great and the writing was on point. The characters were good, sometimes a little frustrating, but overall they were fun to read about and enjoy the story with. Will post more when the book is published!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!