This book had an intriguing premise but ultimately gave disappointment in the execution. The beginning gives an engaging portrayal of Niamh's introduction to the court and her relationship with Kit. I loved how grouchy Kit was through most of the book which I appreciated. The forbidden romance and the magical elements, specifically Niamh's ability to weave magic into clothing, are all definitely positives to the story.

However, my interest waned around the halfway point due to the introduction of multiple complex elements in the plot. These elements include political intrigue, civil unrest, arranged marriage, coming out, alcoholism, forbidden romance, gossip columns, and magic which actually I thought were all great until it wasn't. The abundance of these plot threads challenging to keep up and made the story less enjoyable for me I think just how the author tried to work them all through the story.

There were many times I felt like the story was dragging almost going nowhere and many things pointless. I did however really enjoy several of the side characters! There were times the language was too modern like the curse words that just were thrown in there randomly and it didn't fit the setting.

In the end, the book is just "okay," with a few enjoyable moments that make it worth the read, despite the issues highlighted above.

Sexual Content: moderate
Language: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate
Violence: moderate
LGBTQ: yes

My god, Allison Saft can do no wrong. This was so beautiful! The vibes and the writing reminded me a little bit of This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi - perhaps because the main character is a seamstress.

The magic system was nice, but kind of secondary to the romances (classic Saft) - I loved how the plot played out, the secondary characters, and the SETTING!!!

Niamh is a talented seamstress and her enchantments have made her garments most sought after by anyone with money. When she is hired to create the wedding attire for the Prince of Avaland, she knows that her work could set her family up for life. What she doesn't expect is for Prince Kit to be so surly, rude, or combative. Niamh and Kit's repeated encounters eventually turn more positive, making her task that much more difficult.

This was an absolutely adorable fantasy romance with all the expected royal family vibes. More light fantasy and heavy romance, with only one scene that seemed a little too descriptive. Probably not a Gateway contender, but a romance that I certainly enjoyed.

A Fragile Enchantment is a sparky novel featuring a hate-to-love romance filled with lively conflict that will definitely keep teens engaged. Unfortunately, it also - and very notably - cribs some obvious plot points from the Bridgerton universe, including a gossip columnist with a pseudonym.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair’s greatest gift is her greatest curse. She is a skilled seamstress whose stitches are imbued with the power of her emotions. But that very skill threatens to leave her with non stop pain and will eventually take her life. To pad her family’s coffers before she dies, Naimh takes an assignment to create a wedding outfit for Kit Carmine, Prince of Avaland, at the behest of his brother, the regent. Niamh and Kit instantly clash, but soon that conflict gives way to love.

Kit is not a happy groom: his marriage was arranged to quell a brewing war between Avaland and its neighboring kingdom. In spite of their cross-class situation, he and Namh get closer and closer, and romance sets in. But Niamh is soon confronted by a local tabloid, who demands she spill to them about any dirt she has about the goings on at the royal palace – or watch as they publish damaging information about her relationship with Kit, which might ruin things forever.

I had some mixed feelings about A Fragile Enchantment, though they were mainly on the positive side. I loved Niamh, but Kit blows so hot and cold when they’re on the outs to the point it gets frustrating. The romance hums along nicely and then suddenly, it’s smushed flat by your enemy and mine, the Big Mis. But even though this drags the book down from the upper B strata for me, the yearning here is enjoyable and palpable.

The supporting characters are generally a highlight - Rosa and Miriam and Sofie are all intriguing people, who add some extra interest to the story. The worldbuilding and magical systems are also well-implemented and described.

But I also have to be honest and say that this feels like a fantasy YA take on the Bridgerton world, right down to a Lady Whistledown clone, and the gossip column plot is not well-used, and the scandal here is, well, not very scandalous at all. It’s a pity because the rest of the worldbuilding here is quite strong.

However, it’s likely teenagers reading A Fragile Enchantment may not notice this similarity. For them, the book will make a decent winter vacation read.

I love the world that Allison creates and how well she pulls the reader into the story!
This book wasn’t my favorite that Allison has written but I deeply enjoyed it! She will always been an auto buy author for me!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Niamh is selected to be the royal dressmaker for Kit, the prince being forced to marry as a way for his brother to gain an alliance with the bride’s father. This book had so much potential but I felt like there were too many underdeveloped parts of the storyline which limited my overall enjoyment. For example, the reader gets the sense that Niamh’s magic use is tied to her health and that she is afraid of developing attachments because of this yet this all seems to be minimized and glossed over later in the story. There is a whole political backstory as well which seems to be somewhat resolved in the last couple of chapters yet feels very unfinished. I approached the ending feeling as though I missed that this was the first in a duology. Niamh was a more likable character than Kit but neither one stood out to me. Kit had very few redeeming qualities and I couldn’t really understand why Niamh would fall for him in the beginning and his personality did not improve over the course of the story.
Overall, I feel like this will appeal to many readers, but it was not a standout for me.

I enjoyed reading the ARC of this novel—it was quite an interesting tale! Think Bridgerton meets a magic seamstress, I found the way the magic system worked in this world unique, especially how Niamh wove feelings and memories into her farmers that would then cause the wearer and sometimes even those around them to either have feelings of their own or some level of magical power. I enjoyed Niamh’s bluntness and zest for life and Kit’s brashness and brusque but kind manner. The mystery behind Lovelace, the political strife, the arranged marriage, and the tension and lingering health issues all contributed to a well spun tell of love, honesty, happiness, and balance.

Spin the Dawn meets Bridgerton in this new historical fantasy romance set in the Regency era.

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. This book had such a unique cast of characters and a whimsical magic system. I adore each character in this book and their individual problems. I understood their motives and why they behave the way they do. Not only that, their character growth is shown in detail throughout this book even with the side characters. This book touched on so many social issues like classism, LGBTQ+ rights, and etc. It was refreshing to have a cute romance story that doesn’t shy away from hard topics. Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of this book with the only flaw being a slow middle section.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

I picked this up while I was recovering from COVID and needed something more lighthearted, and this hit the spot for me. Other than liking the prose and the romance, the two things that I enjoyed the most were the relationship between magic and characterization, and the skill in handling sympathy of upper classes.

For the first, I loved how for each character, and for Niamh in particular, their magic was representative of what they were emotionally dealing with. In particular, Niamh's curse blended beautifully with her own martyr complex, how much of herself she gave to others with little care for taking care of herself. I appreciate how Saft doesn't just create a magical setting, but makes that setting part of the story, instead of a selection of tropes that can be moved between worlds.

For the second, I do think it's difficult to make rich, royal characters sympathetic, especially when they're not the nicest people (as much as I love antagonistic love interests). I had wanted more of the politics, but she made those that were present an extension of the characters' relationship with their families and what they're holding within themselves, and the discovery of their own flaws in how they relate with others is intrinsic to fixing the larger situation.

My biggest qualm is that, for a book focused on a dressmaker, I was expecting more specifics of the craft - we learned about the magics weaving together to create an image, but I wanted more fabrics, descriptions of the image painted by those choices. I remember Niamh creating lace by hands, but the outfits are more a function of her emotions, not the pieces creating the whole.

I loved A Far Wilder Magic, so I was excited to grab this one, and I'm thrilled to have gotten it in advance - can't wait to pick it up physically!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books, Allison Saft and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book early.

🌺This beautiful book centers around a magically gifted steamstress from a land oppressed by the Royal Family she is to serve. She feels a strong sense of duty to her family, to do what she can to cement a better life for them before her gift kills her. When she is summoned to prepare the clothing for the Prince's upcoming wedding, she jumps at the chance to better her family's life.

"Niamh had never endured war or starvation. As a girl, she spent carefree days tearing through the village and rolling down the sidthe, tempting the Fair Ones to steal her away. But she'd seen darkness lurking like a wreath over every adult and Caterlow. She'd seen the turn of their tempers and the unpredictable waves of their grief. She'd seen the way the mood change come harvest season - how it swelled dark and oppressive as the sea in a storm - and broke only when the first potato was pulled clean from the earth. Perhaps she didn't know the bite of cruelty herself, but she recognizes the shape of the scars it left behind."

🌺This undercurrent of civil unrest, as well as the emotional toll of growing up poor and struggling, weaves it's way through the entire book. We see it time and time again in the way Niamh interacts with the world, but this also is a major point of the plot throughout.

"The instinct to comfort and soothe had been ingrained in her so deeply, she snapped to it immediately when she saw even a hint of distress."

🌺Another topic I loved seeing: women as constant emotional and physical caretakers of those around them! So often this is our default role in a family, and we parade it into our friendships and romantic life. 😩 This book tackled this phenomenon head on!

"She'd believed it would be simple, to aid him from afar and drift out of his life. But they were helplessly drawn to one another like magnets. It frustrated, her how easily and right it felt to fall into this pattern with him."

" Nothing is guaranteed, Niamh. We all die. You and I are dying right now, but we are also alive. Love is what makes life worth living. Love is what makes us act when we most need to. That's what your legacy is. It's how you love the people around you, not how much you've sacrificed for them."

🌺To see both her, and her love interest Kit, struggle to set aside old lives/roles they had outgrown.. was 👌 beautiful. There were a few times I found myself overwhelmed with tears as they argued and pushed each other to find happiness.

"You may be the only good thing I've ever wanted."

"The softest, feather light pressure. The ghost of a kiss she would never have again. A punishment - whether for himself or her, she couldn't be certain. The agony was greater than she ever could have concocted for herself in her worst nightmares."

🌺Look, normally I cannot stand a third act break up.. I will literally DNF. But this may be the best one I have EVER read! Oh the longing, the aching. Can anything hit like a forbidden romance in a Regency era book?

If you love Bridgerton for the drama, grumpyxsunshine romances, or beautiful men in wet white shirts (thanks again Bridgerton lol).. run don't walk.

Cute whimsical and pure magic. I love this story. The characters are relatable and the plot moves along nicely. It was definitely a book I couldn't put down. I will be on the look out for more books by this author :)

I absolutely adored Allison Saft’s previous two books, Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic, and so was thrilled to have the chance to read an advance review copy of her newest, this Regency-inspired YA fantasy romance, A Fragile Enchantment. While A Fragile Enchantment doesn’t quite live up to its two older siblings, it was still a charming and delightful read. The prose is lovely - every descriptive passage, in particular, is evocative and dreamy, bringing the magically Bridgertonian world to life. The characters, while occasionally a little one-note, are varied and intriguing. But the plot falls apart a little on closer inspection, leaving me constantly questioning “why does x do this? Why did y say that?”, and frustrated at how simplistic the politics ended up being. It feels overall like it could use a few more rewrites and a tighter sense of direction, especially in comparison to A Far Wilder Magic. But it was still an enchanting read, and one I happily lost myself in.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the advance review copy!

This book captivated me heart & soul.

It was utter perfection wrapped in a nice little bow. The story telling was absolutely incredible and so beautifully done, I fell in love with this book right from chapter one. This book was like Bridgerton except it had magic and fantasy and all the good things I love. Kit was written so well & Niamh was a character that I wanted to protect with every fibre of my body. They were both complex in their own rights, but their interactions were so beautifully crafted that you can't help but love every moment with them.

This story has so many things happening and yet Allison does an incredible job of keeping it all straight so that there's no confusion when you're reading. This book was actually incredible and if you're in need of a new fantasy book, you NEED to pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Allison Saft for this e-ARC.*

This was such an amazing read. This was my first book by Allison Saft and I'll say that her writing is just so immersive! I absolutely love these characters and my gosh the political intrigue! I'm not going to spoil anything because this is a story you'll just need to read. Even though I already got this ARC, I will be purchasing the physical copy because I know I'm going to want to read it again! Will I be reading more by this author? Yes, yes I will. Thank you again NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Allison Saft.

Where to start.. This was a lovely read. I’ve yet to come across an Alison Saft book that I didn’t enjoy, if I’m being honest. The atmosphere of A Fragile Enchantment is made it such an enjoyable experience for me.
What I liked: This book is whimsical, romantic, and cozy. I picked up this book after reading a couple darker fantasies. I just needed something with a light and whimsical vibe and this did not disappoint. The magic system/fantasy element was easy to understand and not super complicated. It was enough to keep me intrigued.
I will say, if you are looking for something action packed or adventurous this is probably not the one for you. There was definitely some tension and suspenseful moments but this does read very much like a Bridgerton or other regency-esque romances. For comparison this story reminded me of Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater.
For me, this one was definitely worth the read. Action and quest type fantasies are great, but sometimes you just want something that puts a smile on your face. Thank you to NetGalley for provided me with an eARC!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. A Fragile Enchantment was absolutely ADORABLE. It was predictable, but a comfortable, cozy read because of that. I love the grumpy x sunshine vibes, as well as the regency/Bridgerton feels, It was really quite an enjoyable read, and I will be posting my final review closer to release date on IG/TikTok as well as GoodReads.

As a huge fan of Down Comes the Night and absolute fangirl of A Far Wilder Magic, I was really looking forward to Allison Saft’s latest, A Fragile Enchantment. Ultimately, though enjoyable, it was a bit of a letdown, definitely not living up to her previous work. I enjoyed my time with it — the characters were perfectly lovely, the writing was sparkling, the stakes were nice and high, but it felt more like an early draft than a fully realized work. There were many things both in terms of character and plot that could have used a bit of tightening up. That being said, it was still a good time, a book I ripped through quickly, and has in no way put me off reading whatever Saft puts out next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This really was a lovely story, a little predictable, and a little lacking in backstory for me, but I did really like it. The only other thing is that the timeline was very confusing to me. At one point, Niamh mentions that it's been a few days but references a fight as if it happened the night before. Several times I had to flip back a few pages to see when something happened and then try to figure out if it matched. Overall though, the story was nice if you like: enemies to lovers, whimsical romance or slow burn romances then you are in for a treat. There is some slight steam in the form of kissing and some handsiness in the second half of the book.

This was a very good book! Some of it was a little predictable but I am a sucker for a shy, grumpy love interest! I would've loved some more insight into Niamh's chronic illness but I also appreciate that it didn't dominate the storyline. I really enjoyed the character development. I also really love that everyone was a little queer, it made the different relationships more interesting and added to the mystery of who would end up with who. This was a great, quick romantasy read!

A Regency era, Bridgerton-meets-romantasy book that is heavy on found family trope? yes please!

A Fragile Enchantment is a book set against the backdrop of a war torn land that is deeply entrenched in political strife. It deals with some serious conversations about relevant societal topics such as class dynamics, queer identity, various illnesses, and politics, which makes the world feel more complex, richer, and well rounded that you can't help but feel attached to the world, and sympathize with the struggles faced by the cast of this book.

These plot points played an important role in the book, but so did the romance. The romance between Niamh and Kit was so well done. Their relationship was a mix of enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine, with a heavy dose of forbidden romance as he's the prince of a country, and she's a magical dressmaker there to stitch clothes for his wedding, a wedding that must definitely take place to ensure the peace in Avaland. Their chemistry was electric, and I love how they bantered, and teased each other, that was until it turned into something more, and then it was just swoon worthy how they came together. Their soft moments were the highlight of the book for me.

All in all, this was such a fun read! Saft wrote this novel so beautifully that it felt like I was watching a movie instead with it's vivid worldbuilding, and magical descriptions. I would definitely be checking out more of her books.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read a copy of the book voluntarily so I could review it. All thoughts and opinions provided in this review are my own.