Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t read a lot of regency books, so this one was new for me. It was fun romantasy with some really enchanting characters. A Fragile Engagement was a bit slow to start but definitely worth reading.

I had high hopes for this book, and unfortunately, it fell short for me.

The novel itself was charming, and the reading experience easy, however, the story felt like a repeat of many others and was very surface-level. The relationships felt rushed and shallow, and the writing had a younger YA feel to it yet had elements not quite right for that age group. This left me feeling as if there wasn’t a clear target audience, or if there was, it wasn’t me. However, this was the first book I’ve read by Saft, so I may simply not enjoy her writing style.

Overall, Fragile Enchantments fall short of my expectations.

I struggled with this book and ultimately decided to leave it at DNR. That being said, I’m giving it a three star rating because I don’t believe that the fault lies with the book itself but simply that I personally do not vibe with it. I believe that it will find its audience and ultimately become fairly popular. The fact that I couldn’t get into it reflects on me personally. I hope it does well

I will post my review once St. Martin's Press addresses the racist actions of their employee and their action plan for the future. Until then, I am joining my fellow reviewers in withholding reviews and any other promo for St. Martin’s Press. No backlash against the author of this book, it is simply due to the ongoing boycott of the publishing company.

Bridgerton with a magical twist.

The story follows Niamh, a Machlish (basically fantasy version of Ireland) woman who travels to Avaland (fantasy version of Regency England) at the behest of the Prince Regent to fill the role of tailor for the impending Royal wedding. Niamh possesses a rare kind of magic which allows her to infuse feeling and intent into the garments she sews and has started to make a name for herself among the elite. Once in Avaland, she finds the castle rife with upset as her fellow Machlish revolt for better pay and treatment from the Avlish nobility. While duty to her family and her countrymen collide, she finds herself even more torn as she makes friends and finds herself falling for the Prince she’s supposed to be dressing for his wedding.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me and I ended up DNF-ing it. While I enjoy period pieces, especially Regency England, some of the aspects of the book didn’t work for me. Niamh and Kit interact so little in the beginning the instant attraction didn't make sense to me and the subsequent flip flopping of feelings only muddled the romance more. The pacing was also a little off, in the 50% I read, more groundwork was laid for the political aspects of the book than was to giving the characters, well, character.

I think readers who love a grumpy/sunshine period drama will enjoy this book. The world building is easy, especially if you know anything about Regency England and potato famine Ireland. The magic system is also interesting and unique, especially Niamh’s ability.

Niamh's magical gift for imbuing her stitched creations with emotion is killing her by inches, but she's willing to pay that price for her family's sake. When the ruler of the country that colonized and impoverished her island asks her to sew the wedding regalia for his younger brother Kit's state wedding, she jumps at the chance. The money and exposure will set her up for life, if she can stand the grumpy groom and dour bride. Everyone at court has hidden depths and tragic secrets which Niamh will uncover with her boundless empathy, self-sacrifice, and clumsiness. A sweet romance between two deeply wounded characters. Thanks, Netgalley.

A romantic, magical story, full of interesting characters and period-drama fashion. The writing is sumptuous and full of emotion. There’s a lot of longing in this story, as well as confronting the mental toll of being a people pleaser has on a person. The character’s’ relationships work because they are holding mirrors up to each other, desperately trying to show the other their worth. I love that the main couple are both works in progress. I also love how shy and blushing the male mc is, since it’s rare to show masculine characters as anything but confident and self-assured.

The story is interesting, the characters are diverse and unique, and I enjoyed the world building and magic system. Definitely recommend to fantasy lovers, especially if they enjoy fashion.

This book was truly captivating. It has a very dreamy fantasy romance plotline that reminds me of Bridgerton. This book is a slow burn and slow building book, but once it gets going it's hard to stop.

Niamh (FMC) is a little bit naive and self-sacrificing, always putting others need above her own with need to make everyone happy no matter the cost. Niamh pushes herself more than she should while dealing with a chronic illness. Niamh has magical hands that create beautiful pieces of clothing. She is hired by the Prince Regent, Jack, to make clothes for the royal wedding for the his younger brother, Prince Kit.

Kit is abrasive, moody and makes it a habit of making Niamh's job harder. His mean comments and manners rub her wrong way from the moment they first meet. But thankfully Niamh doesn't hesitate to stand up for herself or let his mean comments rub her the wrong way.

Niamh find herself in the middle of political tension, a wedding happening as a political maneuver, and a columnist named Loveless lurking around insinuating there is chemistry between her and Kit. Allison saft has weaved a magical and beautiful world with elements of LGBTQ representation. There are so many characters in this book that just make it an even more enjoyable read.

The romance between Niamh and Kit will have readers hooked to the last page. Niamh and Kit will take you on journey as they find love and self-discovery.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC and incredible opportunity to enter into this amazing world. I honestly can't wait for more from Allison Saft.

There is something so captivating about how Allison Saft writes, and A Fragile Enchantment showcases that skill to perfection. I was instantly pulled in by the beauty of her words and the magical qualities of the tale unfolding, albeit a little slowly at first. Still, I was so mesmerized that I didn’t care.

The story is a regency-like romance between a seamstress who enchants the clothes that she makes and a reluctantly betrothed Prince who is the perfect grumpy to her sunshine. When she captivates him with her ability to see inside his heart, two nations stand on the brink of ruin. The direness of it all quickens the pace, especially towards the end. The themes based on royalty versus commoner (or classism) resound even in current events.

I also enjoyed the bit of Gossip Girl-ness with a mystery writer trying to shake up the political landscape for the better by posting all the dirt on the nobility. It adds a mystery to the story that I admit I figured out immediately but still enjoyed. And who doesn’t want a bit of scandalous gossip? It provides fun and intrigue that breaks up the romance aspect nicely. I would have loved to learn more about the magical world. Still, I was entranced by this story, the characters, and the beautiful writing.

I enjoyed this slow romantasy story. I really enjoyed Niamh's character. I was very invested in her story. I enjoyed the diversity. I did find myself wanting to know more about the worlds involved in the story. Overall it’s a solid read for a slow romance fantasy.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc

DNF at 17%.

Starting off, I could tell this book wasn't for me. I am disappointed because I was excited to see an FMC who could sew and a plot where sewing was super important. But so far, it's not really been that important to the plot except that she can push feelings into the clothes which can then make the wearer appear a certain way: nefarious, pleasant, regal, etc. We haven't gotten much of the actual sewing which I guess is fine. Just a time skip of "she made a coat in a week."

Anyway, token broody male prince. (yawn) And token super chill and fun best friend to prince (yawn). There is some political stuff going on here that I don't really like at all - I learned from other reviews that this is supposed to be England and Ireland. Knowing nothing of their IRL fueds and history probably fuels my dislike for the splotchy world-building.

We got our first few interactions between FMC and MMC and honestly, I'm not impressed in the slightest. Their interaction while she was measuring him had no tension and they were just bickering like school kids. There is really no reason at this point for EITHER of them to be attracted to the other. Yet the blush and act like it.

Overall, I am not sure what the audience for this book is - maybe people who enjoy a very light political tale of romance? It's definitely not me though.

Niamh has the ability to sew emotions and memories into articles of clothing she creates from scratch. Her talent with magic and needle earns her a commission for the upcoming royal wedding between the youngest prince and a princess from a neighboring country. Once Niamh arrives in Avaland, she finds that the groom is an insufferable, thorny young man being forced into this marriage as a political pawn. As Niamh works to create articles of clothing for the wedding and events leading up to it, an unlikely friendship grows between her and the prince, Kit. However, an anonymous gossip columnist begins mentioning their undeniable chemistry and only promises to cease if Niamh provides information regarding the royal family’s secrets. If Niamh exposes the truth of the eldest prince, she risks not only her position and future, but a blossoming affection she never saw coming.

A Fragile Enchantment is a beautiful tale of how vulnerabilities can bring us together, emotions aren’t burdens, and finding your people makes life worth living. Kit and Niamh’s dynamic had me kicking and giggling - they’re seriously adorable yet Kit tries so hard to hide he’s a big mushy romantic. I really appreciated the LGBTQ and chronic illness representation the author included. I almost couldn’t put this book down whilst reading; its romantic moments were fantastic, the friendships and side characters were a breath of fresh air, and the ending was absolutely perfect. A Fragile Enchantment is great for anyone who enjoys a romance, historical or not.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press, and Allison Saft for an early copy, I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

A Fragile Enchantment was a beautiful, fun, whimsical read.
It has all the charm of a romantic fantasy and will be a hit among the Romantasy reader crowd.

I give it a solid four stars for a job well done. Not perfect, but well done.
We get a slow-budding romance that starts as disdain for one another. A relationship that unfurls perfectly on the page between these two characters in a very well paced dance of hearts.

I think there were only a few things that I could complain about. The story didn’t hook me at first. In fact, I tried reading it months ago and didn’t make it very far.
I knew it was a book I would like, so I bided my time until I tried again.
I did a buddy read with a friend who also had an ARC of this book, and that helped me become invested in the story.
I also wish we had a little more resolution on Niamh’s sickness, but I suppose it may be the point to not have any certainty.

Either way, I am excited for the release, and I’m looking forward to recommending it to my followers.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read an early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so frothy and fun! It was a treat to read about Niamh's adventures and romance.

The plot moved along at a great pace, and had a very nice balance of lightness and fun while also introducing topics with real depth. Some of these topics maybe could have had a little more time to develop and be resolved, but they were well-written for the amount of space they took.

The characters had real, significant personalities and journeys-even the side characters! No one in this book really felt like an NPC, which is always nice.

There wasn't much explanation of how magic works in this world beyond the fact that it's draining in some way, but the whole experience was so fun and the story was focused enough that it wasn't any sort of issue for me. Overall, a joy to read! 4/5.

Really good enchanting book, love the premisses, the magic was amazing, the main character relatable . Definitely enjoyed immensely.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise, the entire world building and the tension between the Macklish people and the kingdom of Avaland. This started so well, but towards the end a lot of things were happening all at once.

I was hoping to get more background on the history of the two countries and more about the magic system in this world. There wasn't much character development and the plot seemed unfocused and rushed.

I loved the first encounter between Niamh and Kit. I saw so much chemistry between them, but I thought they developed feelings for each other too fast. There wasn't enough moments between them leading up to their eventual romance so it did feel too insta-love for me. I also wish we got more out of the side characters. I would've loved to learn more about Rosa, Miriam, and Sofia. They seemed so fascinating!

All that said, this was still an enjoyable read! I loved the characters, all of the magic and the Regency Era vibes this gave me. I will definitely be reading Allison's other books!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just wrapped up "A Fragile Enchantment" by Allison Saft, and let me tell you, it's a hidden gem! Saft's storytelling is pure magic, drawing you into a world where enchantment meets real emotion. The characters are beautifully crafted, and their journeys had me hooked from start to finish. The way Saft weaves fantasy seamlessly into the fabric of everyday life is nothing short of brilliant. It's the kind of book that lingers in your thoughts, leaving you with that warm, fuzzy feeling. If you're into heartfelt stories with a touch of magic, this one's a winner. Highly recommend!

This was an absolute delight. This was very reminiscent of bridgerton make it fantasy edition and I loved every second. It was truly so captivating, with a writing style quite unlike anything I’ve read so far and politics that were positively riveting, leaving me wanting more. Allison Saft is a true master at her craft and the romance was just as swoonworthy as the rest of her story. 100 percent recommend!

Allison Saft has blessed us with a hopelessly romantic YA fantasy inspired by Bridgerton, brimming with queer representation and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.

A Fragile Enchantment follows a young Niamh (pronounced Neev) who travels to Avaland to tailor the wedding attire of prince Kit Carmine. Niamh is thrilled with this opportunity to earn a living in Avaland and be able to provide for her mother and grandmother, even if the rocky past between Avaland and Machland leaves her family less than happy with her decision.

Kit Carmine is a rose surrounded by thorns. His father's abuse and the loss of his mother pushed him to alcohol abuse until he was sent away by his older brother years ago. Now back at court for his own engagement, Kit cannot help but feel like a pawn in whatever games his brother is playing.

The unlikely friendship that blossoms between Niamh and Kit, along with Infanta Rosa (Kit's fiancée), Miriam, and Sinclair is so delightfully playful that you sometimes forget the unfortunate political landscape.

Like with Bridgerton, you get delightfully snarky commentary from an anonymous columnist who not only knows all the juicy details of the season, but is an activist for the Machlish.

I adored Niamh's character growth, and that her chronic illness remains with her even though there is mention of the potential for healers to better control her symptoms. Too many times, it feels as though fantasy settings erase chronic conditions because of magic, but Allison Saft does an excellent job of portraying Niamh's exhaustion and perseverance.

I enjoyed the central romance a lot, but I felt that the pacing was inconsistent— the story either dragged or happened too quickly. In addition, while I thought there was a good variety of side characters, there were so many that I felt we didn’t learn enough about some of them despite their supposed importance to the plot. However, the two main characters were fleshed out extremely well.