Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. What I liked: the characters were dealing with real, relatable issues -- alcoholism, shame/guilt, self-neglect, loneliness -- and dealing with them in the all the messy ways humans deal. I liked the sisterhood Niamh creates with the other women characters, and the way they solve things together in the end. The magic was interesting, but without a larger context -- Rosa appears and can control lightning and I wondered what else was out there in Avaland, magic-wise? What I didn't like: The clothes and society rules, the notion of a "season," all seemed like a reference to Regency, but the language/dialogue in no way did. A few times the dialogue seemed odd in the context of what was happening, as did Jack's refusal to do anything other than wedding planning. The development of Niamh and Kit's relationship seemed slightly choppy. I do believe this book is for the younger end of YA, and that those readers will be happy with the romance and the magic.

I saw this book everywhere before requesting it from NetGalley; it was listed as a “other readers enjoy…” on multiple sites so I was very excited to see it and be accepted to read it!

The story follows Niamh, a tailor who can magically weave emotions into clothing, and Kit (or Prince Christopher), who is preparing for a political marriage arranged by his older brother, the Prince Regent of their kingdom. Throughout the Season (very much Regency/Bridgerton vibes), Kit and Niamh become friends and then something more.

This book has a lot packed into it, and while I felt like it all fit into the story, it was a lot to follow. There was a lot of talk on politics, but it was quite a bit of telling rather than showing unrest between nations. Some minor conflict was based on acceptance (or lack thereof) based on ethnic background and romantic relationships.

Tropes/topics include (but are not limited to):
*grumpy x sunshine
*arranged marriage
*forbidden love
*chronic illness rep

Overall, I liked this book. It wasn’t my favorite, but enjoyable with a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher (Wednesday Books) for a free ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Since many ARC readers have already summarized the plot & magic system in their reviews, I'll go right into my thoughts.

1) this is a lovely take on YA queer historical roman-tasy. I would say it's more historical fantasy than romance (despite the cover), as the plot and many events center on things outside of the romance. Not a problem for me--but for others, don't expect everything to be done in service of the romance. It is a beautiful queer romance (both leads are bisexual, which, as friends have pointed out, can cause a lot of unnecessary drama from readers who think it isn't "queer enough," but I thought was well done), and a side pairing revealed later is also a queer romance! The main characters take comfort in their lgtbq connection ("you're just like me" during a particularly heartfelt moment where they connect) and in how hard it is to be themselves in front of their families/communities.

2) it feels low-fantasy (vs high-fantasy; it's historical fake!england, fake!ireland, and fake!spain, but with elemental magic), but not in a bad way. The story relies much more on the historical/class/war aspects for drama than the magic system, and so does not need an intricate system or whole new world (though there is definitely downsides to the magic of the main characters and how it escapes their control and/or weakens then, as well as a few major events because of their magic).

3) this book made me get a little weepy at least twice in the last third of the book, fully solidifying my 4 star rating. Why not 5 stars? I can't see myself rereading it and it just didn't have the oomf on my emotions I wanted for that. Not that it did anything Wrong, it just didn't have as much as an emotional impact.

4) Allison Saft's similies, metaphors, descriptions, etc. REALLY work for me. They're beautiful and very vivid. I don't skim past them like I do many authors' (which bore me). I noticed this during "Down Comes The Night," and while not as vivid as DCTN (I think because that book was more medically focused in its descriptions, which is *right* up my medical career alley), I still noticed and loved the writing style/narration in "A Fragile Enchantment."

5) Though Kit is considered rude and unfeeling by many other characters, his feelings and longings toward Niamh came across quite clearly to the reader (although Niamh herself is clueless for awhile! Honestly, she's an unreliable narrator (not in a bad way) in that she is very bad at reading other people and what they're hinting at (Sinclair hints at Kit's feelings toward Niamh for a bit *in front of* herand she's still oblivious!).) I really enjoyed their slow burn romance, even though the /shakes fist (because I hate this trope)/ third act "break-up" caused a lot of angst and not much romance. Their wedding was very beautiful, and their epilogue, though short, also very sweet. I might've wanted longer with both but they were done well otherwise.

Overall, a 4/5 star book, and very delighted I got to read it so early. Recommend!

I'm 100% a reader who judges books by their covers even though I try not to, and this one is lovely! A Fragile Enchantment is a sweet, cozy, fantasy romance set in a regency-ish era. It has several popular troupes including grumpy x sunshine, enemies (to friends) to lovers, forbidden love. While I wished there was a bit more establishment of the magical system, that's purely selfish. It was such an interesting concept, but the details that were provided helped the story and anything additional would've been too much. This was a quick, light read full of whimsy and perfect for a bright spring day!

4.8 stars

To put it lightly, I am obsessed. To NOT put it lightly, here’s this review.

A Fragile Enchantment is a fast-paced regency fantasy-romance. It had me slipping down the slippery slope of “just one more chapter” at midnight. I greatly enjoyed how despite the romance, there was a greater depth to the plot. Between Lovelace (Whistledown inspired), the labor class protests, political infringements, arranged marriage, and the various magical powers, this book had high stakes.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair is our main character and thanks to her ability to befriend everyone and work endlessly, there’s not a dull moment in this book. She is from the working class and has been chosen to go to the palace at Avaland to be the tailor for the royal wedding. Niamh’s family is poor and to her this is the chance of a lifetime to rescue them from poverty. She throws herself into her work and uses her defining power of weaving emotions and memories into the fabric.

🚨NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND ALERT🚨
I was fighting for my life in order to not roll off my bed screaming and kicking every time Kit Carmine graced the page with his presence. I LOVE HIM, OKAY?! He is the groom of the wedding that Niamh has been tasked with outfitting and THEIR CHEMISTRY IS EVERYTHING. Kit, in true princely fashion, has emotional scars and struggles to show love despite being endlessly caring. A lot of authors go for this view, but Allison Saft did it like no other.
Kit, Sinclair, Rosa, Niamh, and Miriam are forever icons in my heart.

Tropes:
enemies to friends to lovers
sunshine x grumpy
forbidden love
regency inspired
magic
wedding fever


My only qualm with this book is I felt the world building could have been done a tad bit better!

3.5 stars

This is a sweet story and I would say it has one of the better, simpler love stories i've seen in recent months, but I feel like the book does not rise up to the expectations that surround it.

I love the idea of setting this story in a world that is very clearly influenced by Regency-era England. The small parallels somehow ground this story in a sense of reality and of time and place. However, for a fantasy, not enough attention is paid, in my opinion, to the rules of the world. There is a small, almost throwaway mention of how magic became to be in this world, but for me it wasn't enough.

I often felt like Saft wasn't interested in giving the reader the true Regency-era experience, which is a choice she is obviously able to make, but I feel like sticking more closely to that time period would have helped this story excel. It often felt more modern to me than time period.

But the story is one that can resonate with so many. Its the grumpy guy and the sunshine girl trope done well. While I am at a loss to tell anyone what the ultimate point of this story was, <spoiler>beyond a HEA</spoiler>, the journey to that end was a fun one. The characters are often infuriatingly stuck in their tropes, but you can still LIKE them. If we see more of them, I wouldn't be surprised, and to see more of Niamh and Kit in their happiness era would be fun.

DNF’d at 69%.

I think I’ve just come to realize that even if there is fantasy involved if it’s contemporary romance it will just bore me. I did try my best to finish it. I wanted to stop at 30% but pushed through as much as I could. I ended up skimming from 60-69% because I just couldn’t do with the inner monologue of the MFC anymore. Which I felt was the majority of what I read was nothing but her inner monologue.

I didn’t realize this when reading the description. It spoke of magic and weaving that into clothing. Along with royalty and secrets. Yet I felt disconnected from every fantasy aspect. It was surface level and little to no world building.

There was talks about certain things as though we are just supposed to know about it. Even though it was made up for the story. No explanations given. This also seems to be set in the time of the late 1600’s-1700’s maybe? Again no time frame. But based on the little info given that’s my estimate.

The magic aspect was.. boring, and felt unoriginal. 😕

But my main reason for dnfing this is, it’s basically Bridgerton with bits of fantasy thrown in. The whole gossip columnist being basically exactly like Bridgerton and it being the whole plot of the book was disappointing. So I guess if you liked Bridgerton you would probably like this. I personally did not.

I can see why this book would be interesting to others though. Personally for me it just wasn’t for me. Which is why I’m giving it 3 stars and not less.

The cover was my favorite thing about this book, and honestly the only thing I liked about it.

Review
A Fragile Enchantment
Allison Saft
St. Martin's Press- releasing 01/24/2024
Fantasy lovers, Bridgeton Fans, romance lovers, and/or those who want to try out a romantasy read save this book for your to be read pile, releasing in early January 2024. This is my first novel by Allison Saft, but I will be picking up a few more of her titles as I was easily captivsted with this royal wedding fantasy read. A magical dressmaker know for her enchantment woven dresses is commissioned for the royal wedding of a somewhat menacing prince to a daughter of a rival village. With the help of a gossip column by anonymous author "Lovelace" (similar to Lady Whistledown Bridgerton fans!) our dressmaker's undeniable chemistry and improper moments with the prince are made public. With so much on the line for all parties and nations involved, the drama mounts as the wedding draws nearer- will it proceed for duty and honor or will true love win?
So much to love about this novel, from the illustrious descriptions of garments crafted, to the enemies to lovers / forbidden romance, to the secret powers of those with
"divine" blood. It is also worth mentioning this is a stand alone fantasy read- sometimes it is nice to know you will not end on a cliff hanger and need to wait for a few more book releases to be at peace. This is a YA read, so I did feel the romance was a bit "instant" from hate to love and would have loved a bit more development or moments between characters to build on the romance, but this did not take away from the overall beauty and excitement of the story and Iloved every moment between the FMC and the MMC.
Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @allisonhsaft for this eARC! It was an honor and a joy to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and give this book a honest review!

First off, I just want to say what a GORGEOUS cover. I try not to be a "read a book by its cover girlie", but this one sucked me in immediately. A regency inspired, grumpy/sunshine book filled with magical elements, political unrest & intrigue and a heavy romance plot? Sign me up.

This book started out very strongly... everything promised was up front and center. Kit Carmine - grumpy & prickly is being forced to toe the family line, and marry a King's daughter for duty and country. Niamh ("Neeve") Ó Conchobhair, a sweet, selfless young woman - doing her very best (even at the expense of herself) for her family, to give them a better life. Add a unique magic system, a gossip columnist and a brewing rebellion - spells this book for quite a ride.

I'm very disappointed to have to rate this the way I did, I had high hopes for this. Unfortunately, the middle of this book fell a bit flat for me - taking too long to get to any real point. The romance felt non-existent, and then very rushed and inauthentic. The love interests were very childish, their relationship didn't strike true at all - the third act conflict awkward. The political drama a bit vague and felt added into the plot to check off a box.

Positive notes for this book: intriguing magic system (which I would have loved to see more of), queer representation, and great side characters!

I think this was a cute read, but held so much promise for more.

A Fragile Enchantment gave me cozy Bridgerton meets magical vibes. I sincerely enjoyed this book and the royal secrets and intrigue. It has for inner romance, enemies to lovers vibes, LGBTQIA characters, and was a really fun read.. I highly recommend anyone to read this especially if you love fantasy romance but don’t particularly like the spice and explicit intimacy that often comes with it. Allison Saft has an extraordinary vocabulary and challenged me as a reader for the first time in I cannot remember how long and I needed to actually use the dictionary option my my kindle. Great read!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book.
It started off giving me hard Bridgerton (the show) vibes, mixed with a little of Spin the Dawn. About halfway through the book though it changed from a focus on her sewing craft/magic to a full blow Pride and Prejudice love story. I was completely here for it.

This book is primarily romance with a a sprinkling of fantasy. It is tragic, longing, and lovely all wrapped in a sickeningly cute box with a bright pink bow. The characters banter and personalities worked well together. It was obvious who the love story will revolve around, but the "plot" drama and mystery of Lovelace was a fun edition to the story. I felt that it kept the story from being to sappy and romantic.
I also can honestly say that Niamh is the first naïve character that I feel was done perfectly well. She came off so genuine, where most naïve characters end up being annoying and stupid. She believed the best in people, gives kindness without thought of anything in return, and is overall just an extremely nice and genuine person. It was incredibly refreshing.
I loved the LGBTQ representation as well.

My only complaints was of course this is an eARC and not a final copy so there were some grammatical errors and misspellings. (not a huge amount though and honestly didn't ruin the writing for me). I wish there would have been some more information about Sophia and Rosa. I get their purpose in the story, but I craved to know more about them and their countries.

A seamstress with divine blood, finds work at the palace where she must make outfits for the Prince and eventually his betrothed. Upon her stay though, her and the prince grow closer, all while the politics of her people and his grow weary. Will they make it through the gossip column, the wedding and the rising distress and problems of the palace?

I want to start off by saying, what a beautiful cover! I love it, truly drew me in. The book behind the cover, equally beautiful, the writing drew me in, as did the characters.

I love the selflessness of Niamh, and how she grows throughout the book, finding that it’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes. The character growth in this book is fantastic. Everything is really, I truly enjoyed this book, it was a hard one to put down!

Allison Saft truly does a fantastic job of creating tension on top of bickering and cranky prince. I enjoyed every interaction between Niamh and Kit. I wish there was more, but I did love the ending!

If you love a romantic story, filled with bits of magic and politics, and a sprinkle of Bridgerton era vibes, I think you’ll truly enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the chance to enjoy this stunning read!

A Fragile Enchantment is the first romance-driven book I have ever read in my life. The cover swayed me with its lovely delicate color scheme and the fantasy background really piqued my interest. I was fearful at first that Niamh would be the stereotypical girl looking for love, but instead I found her to be a genuinely engaging protagonist. All of Saft's characters have a life of their own and gave the book depth and solidness.

I also adored the curmudgeonly aspects of Kit and his uptight brother, Jack. I appreciated the tense sibling dynamics that permeated the book and the weightiness of their conflicts. The issues and problems set in this beautiful dreamlike summer scape that Saft creates unfolded in an easy manner that I found to be relaxing and inviting all at the same time. I also fell in love with the way in which Niamh's magic unfolded within the book. It was just a joy to read all of the descriptors of her enchantments. I had never read about or even imagined a magic like hers, entwining emotions and memories into fabric and clothing.

The book scratched an itch I never knew I had, all because I thought the romance would take a backseat to the fantasy, I was wrong but I was definitely not disappointed! So glad I decided to read this book. 5/5

I really wanted to like this but something about it..it’s not a story that’s going to stay with me. The writing wasn’t bad at all but the story telling aspect of it leaves me feeling that my high expectations for this weren’t really worth having from the beginning.

I don’t even know how to put my feelings into words. I love you Allison Saft, thank you for writing protagonists so hopelessly endearing and who struggle with themselves in ways all of us can relate to. Niamh works so hard with so little effort reserved for her own happiness and Kit believes himself irredeemable, that his chance of happiness has passed him by. Their story is beautiful and painful and full of growth, not to mention a wonderful cast of side characters. I loved A Fragile Enchantment so very much, I can’t wait to own a physical copy when it’s released. Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for my advanced copy!!

Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is an adorable little petit four of a romantic fantasy. It is a sweet pastel that is easy to digest, fast to enjoy and over before you know it. The names of the people and places are reminiscent of England, Ireland and Spain. There are political dynamics that help further the plot, but it is not very detailed. I read it after a really heavy intricate epic trilogy so it was a good change of pace.

A magical dressmaker Niamh Ó Conchobhair finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her continued interactions with prince/groom which are beyond what is acceptable for their stations and polite decorum. Their relationship, and their attempts to ignore and reject their growing attachment has political consequences and threatens to endanger the tenuous stability of their society.

Allison Saft’s writing only grows stronger with each story she publishes. Which, you know, you rather hope is the case with authors, but isn’t always.

A Fragile Enchantment takes all the whimsy and delight of historical romances and fairytales while exploring the dissatisfaction of the working class in Saft’s Regency England-inspired fantasy world. With a power for stitching emotions and memories into fabric, Niamh travels to the neighbouring kingdom of Avaland to create wedding garments for Prince Kit and his bride-to-be. But political unrest looms over the splendour of Avaland, and the self-absorbed nobles miss its shadow.

Niamh notices. She pays witness to the suffering of her recently independent people and the impact egocentric rulers of the past have had on her family. With each garment she creates, she threads them with her hope for a better future.

This future depends on her creating divine wedding garments for the royals—a task made all the harder by the abrasive prince. And as the two grow closer, a forbidden romance starts to blossom between them.

The plot pulls from beloved trademarks of historical romance novels. If you’re an avid reader of the genre or simply a fan of the Bridgerton show, the moments paying homage bring a sense of nostalgia and comfort. I imagine that readers unfamiliar with historical romance or Bridgerton will be equally entranced by the story.

Niamh makes for a charming protagonist. Clumsy but well-meaning characters are impossibly endearing, and she is the epitome of that description. Invitations from the palace end up stained with tea and every rug is a tripping hazard. Comparatively, Kit is closed off and abrasive. He avoids familiarity and warmth as if he’s a snowman sure to melt, though his personality is understandable. Cruel people pass their cruelty down to their children. Or do they? Many characters suggest that Kit is a product of his father’s mercurial moods and the story explores breaking this cycle.

Even once Kit opens up to Niamh, he still keeps parts of himself distant. Their relationship would only have been strengthened with more scenes where he’s softer. There’s a line where one character comments on how smitten Niamh is with Kit and I wish there were more scenes with him being smitten with her. Still, the romance is enough to leave you giddy and gleeful.

Saft’s descriptions are so lush that each scene is vividly rendered and apparent without traipsing into purple prose territory. With the story attempting to weave so many threads however, it's difficult to bring them all back together satisfyingly before the finale. As a result, some of them are weakened in their resolution. The story is beyond delightful nonetheless.

A Fragile Enchantment is for readers who love historical romance and fairytales, who seek out whimsy and magic and the feeling of springtime. It is hopeful and captures ephemeral emotions just as vividly as Niamh does with her stitching. Highly recommend!

4.5 STARS

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fragile Enchantment is a standalone fantasy novel in which our Machlish protagonist, Naimh, moves to Avaland to design and create clothes for the upcoming royal wedding. This novel is a mix of Bridgerton gossip column vibes and romantic fantasy vibes. The magic system was very fun, and Naimh's power was really cool.

While I am usually a big fan of the grumpy and sunshine trope, Kit was not my cup of tea. Honestly, it was difficult for me to connect with any of the characters, and the "high-stakes" felt a bit muted. I also irrationally hated "Machland" and "Avaland" as names of countries. It was just England and Ireland with replaced prefixes.

All in all, this is a fun summer read when you want something fantasy, but don't want to think too hard about it.

Prepare to be whisked away in a story of social intrigue and unique magic in "A Fragile Enchantment". When it comes to the YA genre, a slow-burning romance paired with a character with powers isn't anything we haven't read before. BUT, Allison Saft is clever and creative in her choice of culture, dialogue, and the protagonist's magical abilities that made the aforementioned themes refreshing and enjoyable.

I liked both the pacing of the novel and the character development of Niamh and Kit. I can't wait to see if there is going to be a second installment!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Publish date: January 23, 2024

Synopsis from NetGalley and Amazon:

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

My thoughts:

An absolute must read. I truly loved this book. I did not want to stop reading until I had the book finished. It was magical, whimsical and it kept my interest until the end. I thought parts of the book to be cozy with mentions of a cozy candlelit library, a greenhouse tucked into the forest, twinkling grass and the sound of rain.

Please read to the end to see some of my favorite annotations.

Read if you love:

• Grump × Sunshine
• Fantasy × Romance
• Loves Bridgerton
• Forbidden love
• Lgbtqia+ representation
• England

Spice: 🌶️ Romance: 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

Favourite annotations:

• The heavy curtains let in a gauzy spill of midmorning light. It sparkled on the glass beads of a chandelier and patterned the carpet with delicate slivers of rainbow.

• Flowers overflowed from pots balanced on marble columns, tumbled from the balconies, and wove through plates of cakes on the refreshment table. A few even floated in the punch bowl. Hundreds of candles flickered all around her, casting the ballroom in an intimate glow. Firelight winked off the low-hanging chandeliers and lacquered the hardwood floor to a breathtaking shine.

• The branches of a tree spread like a loom above her, heavy with limes and perfuming the air with its bright, citrus scent.

• Your magic makes me feel things.”

• Flowers burst into bloom around them, a riot of color: forget-me-nots and roses, sunflowers and camellias, lilacs and carnations, irises and dahlias, snowdrops and honeysuckle.


MD.