This is another cozy fantasy that just did not meet the mark for me. The narrator of the audiobook is fantastic, which is what kept me interested for so long, but I ended up DNFing the book around 70%. I was just so incredibly bored. The characters have no real depth, and once the slow burn came to fruition and I did not care what happened, I knew it was time to set it aside.

The premise of the story is incredible. It is advertised as Bridgerton meets fantasy - I honestly thought more Pride and Prejudice with fantasy - which I absolutely adore. I believe it is loosely based off history, as well. Niamh Ó Conchobhair, the FMC, is a Machlish girl from a small town tasked with creating a magical wardrobe for the marriage festivities of the prince - Kit - and his bride - Rosa, the Infanta of Castilla. I believe Niamh is Irish, Kit is English, and Rosa is Spanish - though the story itself does not come out and say this. There is a gossip magazine that begins to report on all of these festivities - very much like Bridgerton - but it is brought up at the beginning of the story and doesn't say any more about it until midway through the book. While the writing is very lyrical and soothing - with the narrator adding to this effect - NOTHING really happens beyond some longing looks and sewing garments. It is just incredibly boring, and the characters are not well-developed.

This is another in a long line of cozy fantasies I just cannot like. Perhaps I will give up on the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fluffy little romance set back in yesteryear time. Full of magic, kings and princes with their drama, the peasants and all that kinda stuff.
It was cute. I didn't hate it.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

This was such a dreamy, magical, Bridgerton- esque historical fantasy romance that was such fun to read.
At times I did find myself annoyed with some of the characters choices, but the back and forth between the two main characters had me by a chokehold. I couldnt get enough of their witty banter and small private moments. Those were definitely my favorite of the story.

Would 100% recommend though!!

Possible spoiler ? Ill keep it as vague as I can:


Otherwise I felt like some things weren’t completely tied up in the end, there was a lot of focus of politics falling apart but then things just happen the way they do and your kinda just left with a “well see what happens from here ” feeling. Which wasn’t completely horrible, just felt to me like the stakes werent really that serious.

This is a sweet, low steaks, regency romance with beautiful magic. The grumpy male main character says some lines that are just so sweet you could melt. The struggles felt relatable, and the found family vibes will give you the warm and fuzzies. Definitely worth reading!

I was so excited for this book…I liked the premise of a tailor being able to sew magic into her work but I was sort of disappointed. The writing felt juvenile and some of the tropes and twists I saw coming…this might just be me outgrowing Ya but…I still enjoyed it!

cute! just didn't vibe with it? idk it wasn't bad, just kinda bland. the writing felt overdramatic at times, and i couldn't get past the instalove.

My heart doesn't have words for how beautiful this was. From beginning to end I loved our characters, I was enthralled with the world and the magic and the politics. I loved the flirting and the banter. There were moments of such beautiful prose that I felt myself get all teared up. Amazing amazing amazing.

Thank you, net galley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read a ton of YA historical romance, so I was excited to read and listen to this one. It was such a beautiful story. I really enjoyed all of the deep topics that were covered in this book. I really enjoyed this one, and plan to read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc of A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft. I really enjoyed this book!

This is YA Bridgerton with magic ✨our main character Niamh needs to raise money for her family so she gets commissioned as the magical dressmaker for the royal wedding in Avaland. Niamh believes that she would be living a fairytale during this time but she soon realizes that she is still looked down upon for who she is.
There is also the issue of the gossip columnist who wants to take down the royal family. They are pointing out the chemistry between the magical dressmaker and the prince who has been ordered to marry another!

This regency- fantasy setting is well developed and easy to follow along, in case you are new to fantasy! This book is full of magic, friendship and love.
I can’t wait to own the copy of this gorgeous book when it is officially released on 1.2.24! 🪡✂️🌹✨🎀

4.5/5 but rounded down due to just a few minor issues I had (that I think I wouldn't have noticed if I had read the physical copy rather than listening to the audiobook).

HOW CUTE! I am an Allison Saft STAN - ever since A Far Wilder Magic, I have been on a mission to read absolutely everything she has put out (which luckily, at that time, was only 2 books). So once I saw this pop up on NetGalley, I knew I absolutely HAD to have it.

Niamh (pronounced Neeve - for if you're like me, and didn't this know until listening to the audiobook) is such a sweet girl who is hired to make the garments for the future royal wedding of Kit and Rosa (who is from another land). Obviously... romance ensues, but not between the future wedded couple to be.

Pros:
- I loved this cast. This felt very much like Bridgerton (including our own version of Lady Whistledown), but just for a younger crowd. While there is some mention of sex, none of it is very explicit, so I think this would be considered YA. The side characters were almost as well defined as the main cast. I especially loved Marianne (I believe was her spelling) - I want her to be my best friend.
- The magic, duh. While I do think this could have been a bit more pronounced throughout the book, I still enjoyed the brief glimpses that we got as well.
- The descriptions of Niamh's magic. I loved this plot point so much and it made it feel very cozy.
- Diverse cast of characters!
- Just overall an incredibly cozy book that I didn't want to stop listening to.

My detractors that made me round down from 4.5 to 4:
- We are told constantly that Niamh has this sickness that has spread through her family through the years and doesn't hit every single person. However, she knows that she will die sooner rather than later if she continues to use her magic at the rate she is. However... other than a couple of mentions of her being extremely tired and her hair going a bit whiter... this is never really brought up. You would think it would be a bit more like in Frozen where there is a sense of foreboding every time Anna's white streak gets a little bit bigger.
- More depth to off page family members. We're meant to care about Niamh's grandmother being upset that Niamh would work for the people of Avaland, who caused the Blight to the Machlish people, or Kit/Jack's father and mother, who were apparently a brute and runaway. But there's not enough there to make me think about them at all, which took away from part of the main plot as well (at least the portion that revolves around Jack leading the kingdom)
- I think this third point wouldn't have annoyed me if I read it on paper, but hearing over and over about how Niamh loves Kit even with them only ever being snarky to each other except like one or two moments of sweet tenderness got to be too much at times. I thought the romance was very sweet, but it just annoyed me at a few moments (especially with the ending).

Overall, I think if I wasn't such an Allison Saft stan, it might be more of a full 4 stars (just because I'm now realizing how true my cons list is), but I'm also obsessed with her and her characters so I'd read the entire phone book written by her so idc what you say!! READ THIS!

A Fragile Enchantment is a beautifully crafted world of fantasy and romance. Allison's writing style is always appealing and accessible, making fantasy more fun to read—I was a huge fan of A Far Wilder Magic, her earlier work. There is a tumultuous romance that adds to the narrative, giving the Bridgerton vibes I love to read. This was a wild ride and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get lost in a historical fantasy with quick pacing and a beautiful romance.

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5

A Fragile Enchantment follows Niamh, a tailor with the divine power of magicking feeling into her threads, causing those who wear and see garments to both feel and remember specific emotions. Niamh comes from Machland, a newly independent nation just beginning to gain its footing again. When given the chance, Niamh jumps at the opportunity to be the personal tailor for the royal wedding of Avaland, which happens to be the nation that had Machland under its thumb for decades. Even though it’s a betrayal to her family, Niamh accepts the job if only to shoulder all her family’s burdens and hopefully create a life for them when she’s inevitably gone. Fighting against gossip, prejudice and time, Niamh tries her best to navigate the fraught political scene she has entered. Which would have been a lot easier if her client, the second prince of Avaland (about to get married), were even the tiniest bit friendly to her and not the most beautiful man she has ever seen.

Sorry for the long summary, but this book is packed with good fantasy and many tropes. I didn’t even mention half of the fun plot points that Saft uses. So I guess I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to come across them yourself when you inevitably read this book. Because you will read this book.

Allison Saft has great world-building skills. Everything flows so well together, it’s like you’ve known her fantastical worlds all along. Of course, basing them on current nations like England and Ireland help, but Saft weaves her story so well that reading about this world is easy and not confusing.

I loved Kit’s character. I’m a sucker for grumpy x sunshine and enemies to lovers. So putting them together? Gold. I’m always surprised when I get to the spicy scenes because Saft’s books always come across as wholesome fantasy books. But then the spice comes and I am once again surprised but not disappointed.

This book also contains sapphic and gay characters, as well as a character with a chronic illness. It’s inclusive in a way that doesn’t feel like Saft is pandering to her audience. The characters are real and deep and aren’t just there to fill a token character.

Saft has had me hooked since A Far, Wilder Magic and I cannot wait for more of her novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I loved this book so much! Everything about this book was amazing and felt so cozy to me. I feel like my favorite part was the dynamic between Niamh and Kit. The romance between them was done so well. The banter they had was very cute and the tension between the two of them made it so much more satisfying when they finally ended up together. The platonic relationships were also done really well. I enjoyed seeing how Niamh's friend group interacted with each other. I thought that the world that this book is set in was so enchanting and I enjoyed the way that magic worked in it. I was especially fond of the type of magic that Niamh had. I also appreciated how LGBTQ representation was woven in to the story along with mental health and chronic illness representation. This is my first book I've read by Allison and I'm so excited to read even more by her!

actual rating: 4.5 stars

I Loved Loved Loved this Book! How exciting that my first 2024 book is a five star read. A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft is a romantic fantasy for all the people p[easing girlies that never thought they were good enough to make the ones they love happy; and thus, everything is their fault! Our heroine is that girl, but it felt like Saft wrote parts of this book directly at me.

This is the perfect mash up of a regency romance with fantasy vibes. It is indeed reminiscent of Atwater's Regency Fairy tales, but less fae and more socially awkward humans. Niamh is a seamstress who is summoned to the royal palace to make the wedding outfits for the prince and his fiance. She has the power to enchant the clothes she makes with feelings, emotions and memories as she sews, and it is beautiful. The catch of course is that she is falling for the Prince (Kit) when he isn't getting on her last nerve.

This has just about everything I love. Banter, magic, self discovery and a such a great resolution! Saft's plotting finesses politics and intrigue while developing some great side characters and making you care about everyone's happiness. I highly recommend you ring in the new year with this wonderful story!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for allowing me access to an e ARC in exchange for a fair reveiw.

This book was a huge disappointment. I love regency era stories, and I love magic, but I didn't sign up for a dumpster fire. This book seemed like the perfect combination of two things I love. I wanted to love it. The cover and synopsis made me think this story would be more wholesome and enchanting than it was. Unfortunately, it was more along the lines of Bridgerton than Jane Austin.

The plot was boring. The first quarter of the book was off to a great start. It held my attention. All of the world building, the magic system, and romantic tension genuinely intrigued me. After that, the plot tanked while the romantic thread took over. Because I didn't care for the romance or the characters reading this book became a chore.

It was more political than magical. After the first quarter of the book the "magic" of the book basically faded to the background as more page time was spent on political strife, which was used as a barrier to add stress on the lovers relationship.

I didn't like any of the characters. Not a single one. All of them were selfish and without honor. Niamh (not sure how to pronounce that name) right from chapter 1 demonstrates how she has zero qualms using people and their feelings for her own agenda. First her grandmother, then Kit, with whom she has the audacity to be mad at, for being angry with her when she used him like a tool. (BTW their entire relationship is built on lust, but the author does her best to try and convince you it's love). Niamh has zero character growth in this book. She is selfish to the absolute end and yet gets everything she ever wanted.
Sinclair is even worse, and he's supposed to be Kit's best friend. I have no words.

Such a disappointment.

Content: language (lots of F-bombs), a heavy make-out scene with petting, implied sexual activity, heavy tobacco use, alcohol use

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A fun palate cleaner of a read. If you want royalty, a grumpy prince and a girl trying to survive this is perfect for you!

This book was utterly enchanting!
I am such a huge fan of Regency-era stories, and having this combined with magic/ fantasy? No book could be more catered to me.
An aspect I fondly enjoy is giving power to the arts/ craft, and the way Allison could weave that into her story literally, made me feel all the warm feelings.
Additionally, I'm an absolute sucker for side characters, ones that have their very own distinct presence, this book achieved that!
My one critical feedback, would be that I felt as though we could have benefitted with more closure when it came to her family. We start the story with our main character emboldened by her loyalty and care for her family, would have loved to see a stronger presence of that in the end.

This all being said, I read this incredibly fast and I wish I had read it even sooner!

thank you so much for the ARC, I'll definitely be recommending it to my friends

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was adorable and just what I needed to get out of a slump. The main characters I related to so much, especially Kit.
“You don’t have to hurt yourself because someone else hurt you.”
Wow. Preach. I needed to hear that. I connected with Kit so much and it was incredible to be able to relate in that way. I am so excited for this book to come out so I can snatch my copy.

I was hoping to love this book, but I had difficulty getting invested in the book and the story. I tried multiple times, but I just couldn't get into it.

The writing style was very nice, but for some reason, I wasn't able to connect with the characters.

A sweet and cozy romance set in a light fantastical setting. Saft captured the emotions and pacing of the plot really well. It was a sweet romance that was well written. It had me feeling soft and giddy by the end. I read this in between reading darker fantasy books so it was the lightheartedness read I needed to prevent me from a reading slump. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Olivia Atwater.