Very boring. I just couldn't get into it. The cover is gorgeous though, and I'm sure that other readers might like it more than I did. I've read a couple of versions of 'magical dressmaker' in the last few years, and all were more interesting than this one.

I've not read anything by Allison Saft before this one - I 100% judged this book by the cover when I requested the ARC, and I was not disappointed. Niamh has come to the palace to design the garments for the royal wedding. I loved watching the various characters interact and grow - you learn about them along with Niamh as she navigates a completely new world. There are a lot of politics going on in the background- the details are mostly glossed over, you just sort of know it's there and happening. What you do see is mostly related to the treatment of those from the country Niamh comes from - where most are treated as little more than servants that deserve nothing (for no reason than the previous king decided to destroy? I wish we had more context, or maybe he was just mad).

My favorite part of this book was the magic, but I wanted to see MORE. Obviously, we see it quite a bit with Niamh, and occasionally with a couple other characters, but I would have loved to see more of the divine blooded magic. Throw in a Bridgerton-esque anonymous scandal sheet columnist to wreak havoc on the who's who, and it was just a fun, sweet read.

I was introduced to Allison Saft in A Gathering Dark and I really loved their short story, and this cover was so beautiful, I had to pick it up. Romantasy is my favorite genre as well so I had high hopes for this book, and I was not disappointed. The story was delightful and elegant.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft was delightful. A wonderful and immersive read with atmospheric prose and a unique magic system. I have read ( and thoroughly enjoyed) Saft's previous novel, A Far Wilder Magic, so I was hoping A Fragile Enchantment would capture the same magic. I think it might have even exceeded my expectations. The romance felt earned, the dialogue was snappy, and I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page. All in all, I can't wait for this to hit bookshelves so I can recommend it to my friends. A perfect read for fantasy romance lovers. I can't wait to see what Allison Saft puts out next!

In a world where two races are locked in an age-old feud, Niamh Ó Conchobhair fearlessly pursues her dream of reaching Avaland and securing the coveted role of royal seamstress for Prince Kit Carmine's upcoming wedding. With her family's poverty on the line, Niamh is one of the few remaining skilled craftswomen capable of capturing the royals' attention.

But amidst the looming royal wedding, a unique connection blossoms between Prince Kit and Niamh. Their relationship, while ostensibly a friendship, hints at something more. I absolutely adored the chemistry between them and how their story played out against the backdrop of a complex political landscape.

If you're a fan of historical fantasy with a dash of romance, this book is an absolute must-read! 📚💫

Vibe: Bridgerton (yes, there's even a gossip column!) meets an enchanting fantasy realm. It's a cozy fantasy that makes you just want to hug each character and wish them happiness.

Tropes:
♡Enemies-to-lovers
♡Self-growth
♡Secret Identity - inspired by Bridgerton
♡He Falls First
♡Forbidden love

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC!

It certainly was a delightful, fantastical read. The fantasy element was woven throughout each page and the slow romance/friendships that grew were wonderful to read.

It did take a hot second for me to get into it, but once I was hooked, I devoured this book (instead of doing the statistics homework I really should have been doing... but oh well.) And there are still so many unanswered questions/more I want to see! Niamh runs a shop in the end, but does she enchant every piece she does? How long does she have left until she dies? How do they fix all the political issues? I want to see her family's reactions to her new home and her friends and stuff.

Some things were predictable and others weren't. By the wedding, I had no clue what was going to happen, and that was great. But it ended a little too soon in my opinion; previous things that had been brought up were hurriedly mentioned in the end and did not satisfy my curiosity.

thank you Netgalley for the free ARC

This book is a work of joy and love. You can feel it in each page. The world of Avaland is steeped in whimsical magic, but at its heart, this book is a romance novel.

Niamh travels to Avaland at the invitation of the prince regent to weave her magical enchantments into the wedding clothes of the younger prince and his bride. While the nobility respond to her work with awe and wonder, they greet her with a sense of discomfort and condescending surprise. They do not expect her, a commoner and Machlishwoman, to be capable of producing such fine clothing.

Kit, the young prince that she has come to outfit, treats her with outright hostility. He is prickly, rude, and unwelcoming from their first meeting. Jack, the prince regent, behaves warmly toward her, but she is left feeling quite alone.

When Lovelace, the infamous and anonymous gossip columnist, reaches out to her asking her to spy for them, she is tempted, but she decides against it. Without their partnership to shield her, she becomes the subject of Lovelace's gossip and ends up embroiled in scandal with Kit.

The love story that evolves between Kit and Niamh is not a fairytale. They are guarded toward each other, wary of their feelings and deeply fearful of being hurt. But they slowly learn to create space for each other and heal their hurts together.

I enjoyed the way that the author allows each of the characters to grow without trying to force them into a certain mold. Kit's speeches as as awkward as Niamh is clumsy, but their care for each other and their chemistry together are clearly displayed in their actions.

This book will appeal to lovers of regency romance, fantasy romance, and a grumpy x sunshine couple.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday books for sharing a digital ARC of this book for review.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

I really wanted to love this book - I enjoyed the premise and especially loved the magic Niamh and Kit both possessed. The description of Niamh’s gowns and embroidery work combined with the raw emotions that are worked into them was whimsical and wonderful! Same goes for the flowers and vines created by Kit. It was pure magic on the pages and I wanted more.

However, the story fell flat and it was a struggle to get to the end. The world building was lacking, the insta love wasn’t completely believable (I’m still not convinced it wasn’t the handkerchief bringing them together), and the inconsistencies and gaps in the story were too much to reconcile.

It also felt like the author really wanted to make a statement on class disparities and workers rights, but it fell short. Jack and Kit are not likeable enough to forgive them from not paying their workers and the other crimes of their family. And all was forgiven way too quickly at the end with no real work done by Jack. Let me remind you, he’s not paying his workers!

All in all, it’s a story that had promise but wasn’t for me!

DNF - I think it must be a me thing. Reviews are coming in quickly and favorably for this story of Niamh and Kit and their cast of friends/family navigating marriage for political gain with fantasy elements.

But the book felt like molasses to me, and I was drudging my way through it. Finally decided not to finish but others live it immensely, so I guess I'm recommending it still. Thanks #netgalley

Allison Saft's A Fragile Enchantment had a lot of moving pieces that ultimately didn't really hang together for me. There was a little grumpy/sunshine, with palace political intrigue, post-revolutionary social unrest, and a Bridgerton Lady Whistledown plot. And the chemistry just wasn't chemistrying for me.

Saft's writing has real moments of clarity and beauty, which kept me going to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I am slowly but surely building a collection of the exact kind of romantic fantasy I love and this is well up there. Magic and romance, tension and banter, an authentically believable world and real stakes, and of course characters I love.

Allison Saft has done it again and proven why she's an instant auto-buy author.

A Fragile Enchantment is a truly enjoyable read. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and after reading it, I immediately put her other books on my to read list! Saft’s world-building, writing style, and characters all made this a great read.
First off, for a romance book, I was shocked at the level of world-building Saft put into this book. The politics at play between the different groups and the magic system made this a more complex book than I was expecting, but it all worked really well. It brought a great amount of depth to the plot.
Second, I really enjoyed Saft’s writing style. It was very readable and I found it hard to put down the book. The pace of the story worked so that I didn’t feel like there was a lull at any point.
Lastly, I loved all of the characters. There were quite a few characters in the story and they all felt unique and three dimensional. I loved how they interacted with one another and that there was character development in the story. Kit and Niamh had great banter and it was so fun seeing them falling in love. Their interactions with the other characters were also really fun to read.
My only complaint is that I felt the ending was too quick and didn’t wrap things up quite enough. Things didn’t have to be completely resolved on all fronts but I would have liked them resolved a little more than they were. I felt like the author wove a complex story and plot but then didn’t fully pull it together at the end. However, this was still a great read and I would welcome any further books that take place in the same universe as this book.
4 stars

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a cute story that has multiple layers of forbidden love.

Niahm O Conchobhair is a magical tailor who sews enchantments into the garments she creates - she has left her home off Machland to work in Avaland. She has been invited by the royal family and hired to create an enchanted dress for the upcoming royal wedding between Prince Kit Carmine and Infanta Rosa.

There are many differences between Niahm's homeland of Machland and Avalan:

"In Machland, parties were a more intimate affair: fewer people, faster dances, less formal clothes. Here, she imagined the dances were as prim and regimented as everything else, all of the guests twirling on their course like figures in a music box."

Niahm is a relatable character - she's a dreamer with her head in the clothes and she has deep love for fashion and beauty. She's part of the common folk -- which is part of why a mysterious character called Lovelace looks to Niahm to help blackmail and expose the royals of Machland for their mistreatment of the staff...however, Niahm is torn between exposing these truths as an informant or continuing to work diligently and keep her mouth shut.

This story reminds the reader how important it is to take risks and go after what we love even if it is risky and far fetched. My favorite quotes that stuck with me were:

"When you're on your deathbed, do you think you're going to reflect on how proud you were to put everyone's needs before your own? Do you think you'll wish you'd given up more?"

"Because it's not meaningful to kill yourself little by little to make people happy!"

"Nothing is guaranteed, Niamh. We all die. You and I are dying right now, but we're 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 sacrificed for them."

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in return for honest feedback. I look forward to reading more from Allison Saft!

This was so charming and cozy! I loved the historical setting and the Bridgerton vibes. The grumpy/sunshine relationship between Niamh and Kit was my fave - Niamh is a selfless magical seamstress with dreams of a comfortable life for her family, and Kit is a troubled prince with a prickly outside and a heart of gold on the inside.

There was plenty of drama including a gossip column about the nobles as well as political conflicts but nothing too crazy, so this is perfect if you’re looking for something easy to cozy up with. I liked the magical elements as well and I thought Niamh’s gift was unique, although I was hoping for more of a resolution to her condition. This was my first book of Allison’s and I’ll definitely read more in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

TW: homophobia, microaggressions, colonialism, emotional and physical abuse, and alcoholism.


A Fragile Enchantment is my third Allison Saft book and I am thrilled to say that she never disappoints.

In A Fragile Enchantment we follow Niamh Ó Conchobhair, a dressmaker hoping to improve her family's life when she is invited to create the wardrobe for the royal wedding in Avaland. However, she is not just a dressmaker. She has magic and she can infuse it into her stitches, she can make people feel happy or sad just by looking at her creations.

Niamh is a dreamer and Avaland is far from what she imagined. From the discrimination she faces to the insufferable groom, she never planned to be pulled into Kit Carmine's web. Especially when he is the one getting married.

Allison Saft has the magical ability of transporting the reader into the story, with an enchanting tale, loveable characters and a mesmerizing atmosphere. It's impossible to not walk alongside them, help with the coats' stitches and feel the rain of the storm on your fingertips.

More importantly, this is not another story. This is a story of hardship, the sacrifices one is forced to make and the acceptance of love because everyone deserves a happy ending.

I would highly recommend this for cozy fantasy and romantic readers. Especially if you're a Pride and Prejudice fan.

I wish I could explain more thoughtfully my opinion, please know I adored this and I think you could too.

Allison saft is one of those authors that I decided I needed to own every single one of her books before I had even read any, even though id already purchased all of them. That being said, this one the first book I've read of hers and to say the least, I am not at all disappointed! I will say it started off a bit slow for me but that may have to do with me being a mood reader and not a big fan of period pieces like this and less to do with this story as a whole. I fully believe this was a cute, magical story and once I got into it finished in one day. The writing is so beautiful, the story was inclusive, which was such breath of fresh air for a period piece and it was overall such a fun read. I'm glad I started with this book and I can't wait to read her other books!

★★★★.5 /5

everyone… for a minute there, i was sincerely worried that i had no heart. no romance book stirred me much in the last half year, no screaming and kicking my feet up in the air, no nothing. this book CHANGED that. kit and niamh made me FEEL, dare i say way too much for my little heart. the tension, the banter 🤌 *chefs kiss*

this was such an adorable, cozy, whimsical fall read that left me with tummy-fuzzies, but don’t let it fool you completely. beyond the romance, it included poignant moments regarding generational trauma and immigrant child guilt (or something akin to that) that DEEPLY resonated with me. saft captures realistic facets of both these issues within kit and niamh and addresses them in such a gentle way that made the story all the more painful, but healing for me. [reminder to everyone to take time for yourself. you deserve to be happy, first and foremost ❤️]

i also LOVED that the side characters actually had distinct personalities and lives that went beyond supporting the main characters and storyline! saft really made sure that my heart would lurch for EVERYONE in this book 🥲 – that’s a plus in this case ☝️ another plus: the magic system. how cool and unique is magical clothing that is woven in with the designer’s own emotions?? – honestly about 75% of the reason i picked this book up (should be 75% of the reason you pick it up, too 😉).

final bit: there’s a backdrop of colonialism that sent me down a deep dive of irish-british colonial history, upon which the AFE world is based. while it isn’t a major focus of the story, as this is a character-romance driven story, i still greatly appreciate that saft uses this setting to convey an important message about due reparations from countries benefiting from past/current imperialism. cough. some people could take pointers from kit 👁️👅👁️

if you want a low-stakes, fluffy, regency era read with a fascinating magic system and well-written characters, READ THIS 💕

thank you netgalley, st. martin’s press, and wednesday books for this arc!

The angst and relationships in this story were so compelling to read! The character dynamics were stellar and the banter between them was believable. Saft weaved a beautiful tapestry of lyrical prose, court intrigue, magic, LGBTQ+ representation, romance, and tension leaving us once again with a book hangover for the next one!

Niamh is hired to make clothes for the upcoming royal wedding and the soon to be groom is dead set on making her task difficult. I appreciate Niamh knowing her worth from the start and not being afraid to stand up for herself. Bring a people pleaser myself, I adored that trait and wish I could do the same with her gusto!

If you haven’t noticed from my previous reviews, I am a SUCKER for found family tropes… and welp…. Saft delivered on that as well. Add in some political unrest and an uprising alongside a lovable princess for the “love triangle” FYKYK. Take my money. Now.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early. To begin I deeply enjoyed this book. It was easy to get into and lost in the story. It was definitely a good Romantasty escape type novel.

However I will say I wish there was more time with the characters and the romance relationships. Like Jack and Sofia, even though they were side characters I felt their relationship could be explored more. Did they repair their poor communication etc. Also more of Rosa and Mirium would have been AMAZING.

But the ending was sweet and I personally love a good happy ending. Allison made good use of their time but hopefully we will get too see some of these characters again.

An adorable romance reminiscent of Harry x Megan set just after a fantasy version of Ireland’s Great Famine that made me finally understand why people love grumpy x sunshine. Kit is precious and I LOVED how Saft did not back down from his prickly, anger-oriented personality just because he fell in love.