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.

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.

Naemh's magic is a gift and a curse. It allows her to imbue emotions and memories into the clothing she creates, but at the cost of her own life force. When her designs garner the attention of the royal wedding, she thinks this might the chance to help her family. It isn't until she meets the rude, but handsome, prince that she realizes this job might make or break her.

I loved this book. It read like poetry and prose, mesmerizing with its details and its delight. Naemh and Kit were a couple that came together organically and beautifully. I loved the magic system and the stunning setting.

❤️‍🩹 A Fragile Enchantment ❤️‍🩹

The perfect slow-burn with modest worldbuilding that would draw in a strictly romance reader despite the fantasy elements! I loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this novel and absolutely adored Rosa's subtle relationship with her maid as I did NOT expect her to be willing to date and love across classes. This novel is underscored by a time of significant political upheaval and the relationships in the novel reflect this well.

I hate to give any negative feedback on this novel because I loved it so much but I think some readers are going to be thrown off that both the FMC and MMC both state they have been in relationships of the same gender and don't specifically define their sexual identities then end up in a cishet relationship. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me at all and I thought they had a great relationship but it was a curveball. I wish we could have seen more of the relationship between the FMC and her ex-girlfriend.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Niamh is a seamstress with the magical ability to thread emotions and memories into fabric. Hired to create the wedding wardrobe of a prince and princess, she moves to Avaland with the hopes of finding a better life for her family. She is quickly swept into the royal family drama and the political unrest in the country.

This was a lovely romance, with the right amount of magic and drama. I really liked the style of writing which was whimsical and romantic. However the storyline itself could have been better. It was a bit repetitive and all the twists and dramatic events didn’t seem all that unique or surprising so overall I ended up feeling like it was too long of a story.

I listened to and read this one and the audio was my preferred choice (especially to speed up those repetitive parts). Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my copies! This one is out January 2nd!

#netgalley #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #audiobook #ebook #kindle #reading #bookthoughts #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookish #audiobookreview

As much as I enjoyed this book, I will be withholding my review in solidarity with Readers Want Accountability.

Nyaim is a magical seamstress who can sew in feelings to any material she cultivates. Sub when a wealthy woman from Mageland went to a ball in Avalon wearing one of her dresses not only was it a big hit but the Prince Regent sent for this seamstress to do the wedding wardrobe for his brother Kit and the princess of Castillo Rose. At first everyone from the head made to the intended bride and groom treat her like an outsider butsoon she will start to form friendships especially with the intended groom kit. While all this is going on throughout the book we hear from a gossip columnist Mrs. E who sends a letter to Nyaim at first asking her to spy for gossip on the royal family but when she refuses and Mrs.E says she has the dirt on the seamstress she insist she do it. Besides getting everyone to like her she also has the added pressure of having to support her poor family back in majeland not to mention she now wants to protect the royal family who she started really caring about… Especially kit. That was way too much to the story to do a great summary this is the main plot but they have many subplots that are just as interesting especially with princess rose let me just say I loved this book it was really well done and oh so interesting. I have recently started reading magical realism and I am loving it in this book is definitely at the top of that list a great story a great romance and so worth reading! If you love fairytale type stories then you’ll definitely love A Fragile Enchantment, I certainly did! I want to thank Saint Martin’s press and net Galley for my free art copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

What a cozy and magical story!

A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT follows Niamh, a magic-wielding dressmaker who’s hired to create the wardrobe for the royal wedding, the payment from which will give her family a better life. But the job immediately proves to be difficult when Niamh meets the prince, Kit, who is less than pleased with her abilities or her presence at all.

The writing in this story was absolutely dreamy. The descriptions were so immersive and breathtaking—they not only cemented the scene around you, but they also enhanced Niamh’s character’s voice, which I adored.

And the entire cast of characters has my whole heart! Not only Niamh and Kit, but Sinclair, Infanta Rosa, and Miriam were all so unique and wonderful. The dynamics between all of them felt so real and added to their characterization. The romance between Niamh and Kit was a delightful slow-burn for the majority of the story, but at the end, it felt like it picked up a bit quickly so it could wrap up nicely, but I didn’t mind much because I loved their relationship so much.

My only critique with this story was the ending. Most of the book was spent discussing the reasons Niamh and Kit couldn’t be together for the sake of the kingdom, but in the end, there were no real repercussions to them being together, which made me wonder why anyone was worried about it in the first place.

I do also wish we’d focused a bit more on Niamh’s health. Her condition was so interesting, how it’s tied to the use of her magic and runs in her family, but she exhibits some negative symptoms and a character even mentions that there are ways to manage her condition, but that conversation was never revisited.

But overall, this was an absolutely dreamy story with beautiful prose and a swoon-worthy romance that I’d absolutely recommend picking up when it comes out in January! And I look forward to picking up more of Allison Saft’s books in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!