This is the year all my favourite books seem fall into the YA historical fantasy romance genre because this book swept me away. I loved it!!

Set in an England inspired fantasy regency era, it gave impeccable Bridgerton vibes but with a fascinating magic system weaved in.

The story follows Niamh, a common girl, who has the ability to stitch emotions and memories into fabric, but at a cost. Niamh is given the chance to use her magical talents for the upcoming royal wedding. Despite the risk to herself using her magic, she is determined to provide a better life for her family. Her arrival at court is anything but the fairytale she envisioned, and her blossoming friendship with the groom to be could just ruin it all...

The tension and longing triggered that warm fuzzy feeling, and I legit had butterflies. The banter was fantastic!

Not only is the romance the absolute sweetest, but we also get some well developed characters, who all feel every authentic and relatable. The political climate of the story was well done, and this was just an overall very satisfying read. I look forward to reading more from Allison Saft.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t pulling me in. The magical element really appealed to me but I’m not big on historical fiction or fiction having to do with royalty, so the writing, the language and the conversations and interactions between the characters didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t like how the love interest was downright mean and nasty. I’m sure this will be loved by many but it’s just not for me.

This is the second novel from Allison Saft that I have read, and unfortunately had I not read and loved the first I would not have picked this up again. Firstly, the author is an excellent writer. I love her prose and descriptions. However, this just does not at all compare to A Dark and Drowning Tide.

The two books are fundamentally different, and I started this one, dnf’ed it, read A Dark and Drowning Tide, and made myself pick this one back up.

There is exactly one sentence that made me dnf it the first time, which is trivial and harsh, but at this time I didn’t know the author’s work well enough to know if it was a one off or not. Near the beginning of the book the FMC is describing what she gets out of being the tailor for the royal wedding. She says,
“Tailoring the royal wedding would give her the clout to open her own shop in the heart of the Avlish capital”

The use of the word clout absolutely launched me out of this book. I know it’s really silly, but it was actually enough for me to worry about the quality of the rest of the book, because I am not a fan of current slang in regency inspired books. Thankfully, I read her other book, which made me pick this one back up, and there aren’t really any other instances that threw me out of the story.

Overall, this book is fine. It’s fun and quick. It’s enjoyable to read. It was a bit insta-love for me, but that’s okay. I really liked the side characters in this. Rosa is so interesting, honestly would have loved a book about her. Sinclair was super well fleshed out. Honestly, the side characters are probably the best part about this book. I think it fell into being kind of a mash of tropes. Clumsy FMC with a heart of gold meets grumpy prince who’s chronically misunderstood and secretly super nice but they can’t be together because reasons. There were so many more intricate relationships and politics happening in the background, that the romance honestly fell flat. I would have happily read this with way more politics, a romance subplot, and absolutely ate it up.

I think this book is fine. If I were to recommend one book by this author, A Dark and Drowning Tide absolutely blows it out of the water. It isn’t completely fair to compare the two, but ADADT was so magnificent that this just didn’t hold the same wonder for me.

Overall, 3.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was an easy read, but not captivating at all. I could have stopped at 50% and not feel like I missed anything.
If I had stopped I probably would have given it a higher rating.
The characters are so bland. They never say anything interesting. I just didn't care to hear from them.

I will be happy to provide a full review of this novel once Wednesday Books and St Martin’s Press address the racist behaviors of their member of staff as well as the very valid criticisms coming from booktokers of color. Until then, I will be boycotting any purchases by this publisher.

The star rating reflects my honest opinion of the novel, and, in an effort to support the author who is not at fault for SMP’s behavior, I will be posting a full review with the boycott information on storygraph.

Here's the deal if you're the type of person who struggles with the miscommunication trope and find it frustrating when two characters won't take 10 minutes just to talk to each other about the important things affecting them this book is not going to be for you. You will spend the entire book yelling, "Just ask him!" "Just talk it out with him!" This isn't even necessarily in relation to the main romance but all of the main characters at various parts of the book. That said it isn't something that bothers me all that much, but I do know it becomes a big issue for some.

I really enjoyed all the characters in the book, many of the main characters were queer and I always love a good big queer friend group. It was great to see them support each other and just really embrace my favorite trope, found family. I think the world in this was interesting as well. I'm not super well versed in history but my brain supplied this as fantasy Ireland and England around the time/slightly after the great famine. I really liked the magic though I do wish some of it would have been explored a bit more. I always like seeing how different authors explore the cost that comes with magic and it's done in a very interesting way here, especially with our main character, Niamh.

One of my biggest issues with this book came from the romance. I really wanted to buy into the romance. I loved the characters so much but I just struggled to see the chemistry or even see where feelings of passion came from. Which was disappointing, I think, because I did genuinely like the characters so much I wanted to be all in on their romance that's a big draw of this book, after all, and it just didn't do anything for me. The cover for this book is absolutely glorious though, so I'll likely still be putting a preorder in so I can have that beauty on my shelf.

This was my first book from Allison Saft, and unfortunately it just fell a bit flat for me. The writing was good, and quite whimsical which I did enjoy.

I just think the execution was a bit too young for me, and some characters made choices that confused me, and made me shake my head.

All that being said, I do believe that lots of people will enjoy this!! Especially fans of cozy fantasies. Also the cover is stunning!

A Fragile Enchantment ends up being more than just a whimsical, magical regency romance. At its heart, this is a story about people struggling with duty and self-sacrifice, and all of the themes were tied in beautifully. As a lighthearted yet surprisingly poignant standalone fantasy romance, it's just quite lovingly crafted.

And if you like your Mr. Darcy-type awkward broody LIs, this one's for you.

5/5 stars

This book was so charming. This is a romantasy book, featuring tense political intrigue, a swoony-worthy forbidden romance, and beautiful gowns. The characters and plotline were unique and the fantasy world was dynamic and captivating. Think Bridgerton, but with magic and intense politics. There is even a character reminiscent of Lady Whistledown. Allison Saft also incorporates representation of mental health issues, chronic illness, and LGBTQ communities, and highlights challenges faced by marginalized communities.

read if you love:
Enemies to friends to lovers
Forbidden romance
political intrigue
fantasy worlds
magic
chronic illness rep
mental health rep

allison saft is a talented vibes curator but good god everyone in this book is annoying af. really putting the Y in YA to the test here!!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of a FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT by Allison Saft. I always love Saft's books. Her lyrical writing style, beautifully done emotional arcs, and heart-wrenching romances are consistent every time. This book did take me a little bit to get into for whatever reason. Possibly Niamh felt a little less compelling as a character. But by the second half I was fully invested in Niamh and Kit and the high stakes keeping them apart. I thought the blood-tied magic was cool. It was Regency-inspired but didn't quite have the same vibe as most Regency books I've read in the past. I still liked it though. Overall, I enjoyed myself and Saft can do no wrong in my book.

A Fragile Enchantment had the potential to be really interesting. But in the end, I was bored.

A little too much instalove, a little too much boring political intrigue, and not enough relationship development.

I liked that Niamh had a chronic illness, and that Kit had his own struggles. But I didn’t understand what brought them together. I think it was a case of too much going on for me.

Thanks but I tried. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the review copy.

final rating: 4.5/5!!!

this book single-handedly took me out of my reading slump. i should’ve known; enemies to lovers will always have a grip on me. the romance was simply magical—delicious and leaving me wanting more. a fragile enchantment this book was, on my mind and my soul. i definitely will not be forgetting about it for a very long time <3

**Review will be posted on my site and socials on release week!**

I’LL CALL IT ENCHANTING.

The first half of this one took me a bit to grasp. For a standalone fantasy I thought some of the world building wasn’t as complete as I was hoping for and I didn’t quite follow everything that was happening.

What I did love from the beginning (and throughout) was the fashion content. I loved all of Niamh’s magical sewing and seeing how she wove her thoughts and feelings into real life pieces. And I did like Niamh and Kit as the main characters. The second half really showed off their chemistry and I do admit to being smitten with them by the end. I will also mention, this is NOT young adult in regards to romantic content (though writing style wise it does feel younger YA?).

I did like how most of the story was wrapped up by the end. And I really enjoyed the soft moments between Kit and Niamh. This absolutely has Bridgerton vibes with the drama and scandal and a few other things in between. Combining this was the fantasy world was fun and ultimately I did like this book a lot.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: 1 vague open; 1 fade to black
Violence: moderate

I enjoy stories that revolve around royalty, fantasy and royalty, and I also really like when characters are seamstresses or can make clothing with magical threads and other fun magical supplies. I was absolutely enthralled with this book from the moment I read the blurb, and it didn't disappoint!

I wanted to like this book especially since it had so many great reviews. But I just couldn’t stay engaged. I forced myself to keep reading hoping it would get better. I cannot pin point one thing I did not like, but it was several things.

I truly enjoyed this romantic fantasy. Niamh is a magical seamstress employed to create a wedding wardrobe for Prince Kit. Her Macklish background is considered inferior to the wealthier Avaland people who now surround her. Niamh, however, is on a mission to support her family, even if she has to deal with the surly Kit.

This was a very entertaining read. Both main characters were bisexual, but it wasn't a major plot point, just a part of the story. There was a definite fun “Bridgerton” air about the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Fragile Enchantment is a whimsical regency-inspired romantic fantasy about a magical dressmaker and a surly prince sworn to marry another.

I absolutely loved Niamh as a main character because she is so strong willed and has overcome many challenges to become the revered dressmaker she is now. Niamh also suffers from a chronic illness and I really appreciated this addition to her character because I was really able to empathize with her struggle to find balance between living her life and being afraid of her future.

Niamh arrives at the castle to make the prince’s garments for his upcoming wedding. Kit is the typical grumpy man with a soft spot for only her, which is always a trope I always love. Due to the forbidden nature of their relationship, there is so much angst and yearning and I ATE IT UP. AND THEY’RE BOTH BISEXUALS!! I absolutely love seeing queer people in regency stories because it adds interesting layers to the historical genre. I am so glad that this story didn’t go “the other woman” route because what happened isn’t super predictable.

I really enjoyed my time reading this and I recommend it to anyone who loves magic and regency romance. Perfect for Half A Soul and Bridgerton lovers.

This book was an absolute delight to read. I went in with high expectations for a fantastic fantasy romance set against the backdrop of political intrigue and was rewarded with a sweet story that touched on the effects of colonization, the aftereffects of rebellions, classism, prejudice, and more. Plus, almost all of the core characters are gay or bi, though those exact terms are never used.

Niamh and Kit by themselves would be an interesting story to read about, with their initially antagonistic relationship and attempts to understand each other. But the overall tale is enhanced by also focusing on the interactions and relationships the two have with their friends. Friendship and loyalty both play major roles in the story, and having that broader focus goes a long way to fully developing both Niamh and Kit's characters. These friendships help to better establish and define the conflicts and choices made by all involved.

All of this is set against a backdrop of political unrest and machinations. Niamh is part of the Macklish, a group of people who have historically been mistreated and dominated by the wealthy and aggressive Avaland. While the Macklish are pushing for better representation in Avaland and being ignored, the Regent is trying to make alliances with other nations and is using his brother Kit as a pawn through marriage.

Because neither the description nor the cover give away that there are LGBTQIA+ characters in this story, it would make a fantastic stealth read for a teen. But it would also be enjoyed by young folks who enjoy weightier romances and unique fantasy worlds.

This book was absolutely whimsical. Very Bridgerton meets Cinderella of a sorts, and I absolutely loved it. Kit and Niamh were so fun, with their banter and Niamh’s unfailing ability to put her heart into everyone and everything.

A Fragile Enchantment was a cute, fun read with political undertones and a sweet almost enemies to lovers sort of vibe.