4.25 stars
This book is a mix of Divine Rivals and Bridgerton and I devour it!

The story is about this kingdom that some people are born with magic, however the majority of the population don't. Our main character is a seamstress that has a very faint vein of magic in her family and allows her to imbue feelings to the garments she sews. Meanwhile, there is a royal wedding happening and she was hired to prepare the gowns of the groom and bride to be.
Although her people have been harshly neglected by the king, she sees this opportunity as her last chance of provide for gaining recognition for her work and providing for her family. She wasn't counting on starting having feelings for the groom to be.

I loved the several layers of the world. We have some class warfare going on, we have conflict between the king and queen as well as some secrets involving the bride-to-be, an anonymous columnist gossip... all of that aside from the reluctant forbidden love of the main characters.
Since this book is mostly focused on the romance aspect of the story I must say it was really nicely done. The pinning and angst were well built and I really just craved more Kit and Niamh!!

The only downside of this story in my opinion is that it left a couple of threads without a proper conclusion, and as it seems to be a stand-alone I thought these points should have been tied at the end, such the state of Niamh's health, Sinclair's position in relation to the king, and a proper ending to Rosie's story.

I loved the premise of this book: a magical tailor, an impossible Cinderella-esque romance with manners, and a brooding love interest. Oomph. Indeed, the story was fantastic, and I adored the plot. The pacing was great. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of queer characters, the book isn't promoted as LGBTQ, and both love interests were bi-sexual. While I loved the plot and setting, sometimes the dialogue was a bit cringy for me.

I recommend this to fans of "Romantasy', especially the Regency Fairy Tales series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Regency escapist fantasy romance involving royalty without justifying imperialism? Not something I expected to see, but here it is, and I absolutely loved it. This book really reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns, a book that I read about five times when it first came out, but with embroidery and sewing instead of books, (so in my case swapping out one interest for another) so if you like that book I would absolutely recommend this one.
We also have a very queer main cast of characters, with a group of five protagonists that do not have a single straight person among them. Both of our main characters are bisexual, and the book itself has no erasure of their identities. The book also has chronic illness representation– tied to the magic system and the fantasy aspects of the novel, without it being exclusively from the magic. That part is not really something I can speak about from my point of view, but I did really enjoy the way it was written.
I do think that the book would have benefited from the characters being at least a few years older, as Niamh is already cemented as having a career, and parts of Kit’s story do not make sense for someone who is barely an adult. However, I know that the Regency setting does make that difficult with the way that people in the upper classes were often made to get married so young, especially within the context of the plot, so the choices made sense eventually.

A Fragile Enchantment had all of the makings of a book I should have loved. Historical romance, forbidden love, bisexual leads, a fun magic system, and characters to root for. The issue became the fact that the most interesting people in the story were the side characters. Sofia especially was someone that I would have preferred be the main character. Every scene with her was so interesting, and every scene with Niamh or Kit had me rolling my eyes.

Simply not the book I expected.

A dreamy magic system, a kingdom on the brink of political ruin, a very grumpy prince and a magical seamstress: this book delivered all of the vibes. It’s giving Defy the Night meets Bridgerton with a sprinkling of Spin the Dawn too. Allison Saft strikes yet again creating such a comfort read for fantasy lovers.

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press for my ARC of this book, I appreciate it so much 😍.

4/5⭐️

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was a great fantasy historical romance. I loved it.

Niamh is a seamstress who gets invited by the prince regent to create outfits for the wedding of his brother, Kit, and kit’s fiancé. however things take a turn when Niamh and kit start to become fond of each other.

I’m giving this two starts because unfortunately i did not like it very much. I thought I was going to enjoy it more than I did because the premise sounded very intriguing and the cover is absolutely beautiful. However, I couldn’t really connect to the characters. Niamh was a very bland character to me. Kit was also a very bland character to me. Their dynamic was interesting at times but most of the time, I was thinking, “why do these two even like each other?” Towards the end of the book, I just wanted to finish it like i was no longer interested in the story.😭

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and netgalley for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautiful! If you like reading about royalty, forbidden love, and magic, check this one out! It was such a unique read. There were so many elements to this story. It was captivating. I loved all the complex relationships.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars.

This was a magical read with a Regency-inspired setting and lovable characters. With its fantasy-meets-historical romance vibes, A Fragile Enchantment should appeal to readers of Regency romance, fans of Bridgerton, and lovers of whimsical magic. Recommended for older teens or mature younger teens who enjoy comedies of manners and scandalous gossip.

Huge thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing this e-arc with me! The following review reflects my honest reading experience.

It has been a LONG time since I’ve written up a review (thanks a lot Facebook/Instagram/Meta for disabling my account for no reason) so forgive me if I’m a bit rusty.

A Fragile Enchantment is a new romance set in a regency inspired fantasy world from author Allison Saft. I was immediately intrigued by the absolutely gorgeous cover for this book. It is seriously stunning and one of my favorites I’ve seen this year. Unfortunately, A Fragile Enchantment fell flat for me. The plot did not hold my interest and I was never really able to connect with the lead characters. I will say that Niamh’s magic was so cool!

I think my biggest issue with A Fragile Enchantment is that there are parts that are blatant rip-offs of Bridgerton (the TV show, I have not yet read the books). Some of the things I noticed were: the anonymous gossip column, the game of croquet (pall-mall in Bridgerton), the MMC’s parent dying in front of him, and the MFC getting injured in the rain and needing to be carried back by the MMC. Now these plot points aren’t super important and may not bother everyone, but it was all too similar for my taste. I think it would have been better if the author left out the anonymous gossip columnist. I don’t think I would have noticed the other similarities as much if this was left out.

I am still obsessed with the cover of A Fragile Enchantment. It is absolutely beautiful! A Fragile Enchantment was just not for me.

Thank you again to Wednesday Books!

A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT IS SET TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 30TH, 2024!

Set in the Regency era, a magical dressmaker named Niamh is commissioned to make wedding clothes for the second son of the royal family of Avaland. Kit Carmine doesn't actually want to get married but duty calls. As the two meet, they can't stand each other, until they realize they have other chemistry brewing under the surface. When a gossip columnist writes of their inappropriate chemistry, they must muake a choice between duty and love.

Oh my goodness. If you like Bridgerton, you will love this book. This is set in that era but with magical elements involved. I loved the romance portion of this book because it was slow burn. The political plot for me fell flat, but that's okay. The longing that was felt was so good, and definitely makes me want this book turned into a series. Lovelace is very Lady Whistledown too.

Cute book and the ending was sweet. The writing is very easy to read, and had a cozy element to it. It was bit slow at time with lots of inner musings and thoughts by our MFC. I would describe “angst” as the major plot drive and sometimes a bit too much so, which maybe is what makes it YA. The main characters are likable and very fleshed out, with strengths and weaknesses that felt realistic. I did like the theme of taking it one day at a time, that when things are out of control for the MFC, she still carried on with hope and joy, I feel that is a positive message you don’t see a lot in modern books.

The emotions and characters matched the YA category, but I did feel parts were a bit too spicy for YA and should be marked as New Adult instead. But maybe that what’s in fashion for YA these days, so I’m not the best judge.

I really enjoyed the tailoring aspects and how Niamh was an excellent seamless with magical abilities who can stitch emotions in her clothing — what a fun layer to the story! I just wish the magic system was fleshed out a bit more, it was only lightly touched on, but maybe intentionally so as to not be distraction to the story.

A regency Bridgerton style story set in a classic fairytale world. In this lovely story crafted by Allison Shaft, we go along with Niamh as she ventures into a new life, friends, and palace politics all while navigating the boxes their world has placed them in. A Fragile Enchantment examines the idea of putting a bit of ourselves into everything we create. A great read for a cozy winter day

Filled to the brim with magic and longing, A Fragile Enchantment is an absolute delight of a novel. Allison Saft's YA fantasy novels are simply of a different caliber. Each of them has left its mark on me, and this one is no different. Her books refuse to be read and forgotten. They leave lasting impressions that persist long after the last page. When you read an Allison Saft book, you can expect lyrical, thought-provoking prose woven around interesting characters and intricate character dynamics. This exceptionally enchanting story is a tender tale perfect for fans of Bridgerton. Get ready to be swept off your feet by all the swoon-worthy moments in this story. I ardently adored this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press, and Allison Saft for an ARC of this book.

I am kicking myself that this was my first Allison Saft book. I've had another of her books, A Far Wilder Magic, on my TBR for a while now and will subsequently be moving it up to the top of the list due to Allison's beautiful, lush prose.

A Fragile Enchantment follows the story of Naimh, who can stitch emotions into fabric, and it was a delight from start to finish. There's political intrigue set in the backdrop of a regency England inspired setting, lovable (and diverse) characters including chronic disability representation and LGBTQ representation, and a romance between our two main characters that is sugar sweet in the very best way.

This book is an uncomplicated, warm hug and it's perfect for someone who likes regency romances, low commitment fantasy, and Bridgerton.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, St.Martins/Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this whimsical story.

This book was very unique. I liked the magic in it as it wasn't stereotypical to a lot of other books I've read. I also really enjoyed the romance between Kit and Nimah, as well as the relationships between Nimah and all of the other characters. Overall a very interesting book with a plot that kept me engaged and made me want to continue reading.

A Fragile Enchantment re-imagines Regency England by giving its elite, and a few select commoner, magical powers. Enter Niamh, a magically gifted seamstress struggling to give her family a better life. A royal commission promises to solve all her problems if only she can get her surly prince of a client into line.

This book will have you swooning at Allison Saft's prose and alternating between laughing at her characters’ antics and wanting to shake them for being so self sacrificing. I found Niamh and Kit to be the ultimate grumpy x sunshine couple with Niamh even being described as “like sunshine itself” and I grew to love Sinclair for the way he stuck to his friends even when they pushed him away.

However, A Fragile Enchantment despite its lovely pastel cover isn’t all ball gowns and fancy parties. As with her other books, Saft doesn’t shy from tackling serious issues such as discrimination and substance abuse.

I could go on and on about this book, but will just end by saying that I absolutely adored it and couldn’t put it down. I definitely recommend A Fragile Enchantment and all of Allison’s books.

2.5 rounded to 3

This fantasy romance appears to be aimed at the younger tier of YA. The writing is simple, with a lot of contemporary slang and no period sense, which is shared by many historical romances and fantasies being published now.

The plot seems to be largely inspired by Bridgerton without the sex, built around the "enemies to lovers" trope. Niamh is Machlish (Irish), hired as a tailor (?) for Prince Christopher of Avland (England), who is about to be married. He is rude and angry, though of course's he's gorgeous. Niamh is invited to court events, though she is a tailor/seamstress/modiste (the author has conflated all these different textile professions into one).

There's an intriguing magic system that we don't learn too much about, other than it came from the gods, and there seems to be a physical cost to performing magic. There's a decent attempt at diverse representation, and there is also a dose of anti-colonialism thrust in, in specific English/Irish relations. There is also a Lady Whistledown character named Lovelace. A lot of elements that don't always play well with one another, as each could easily take a book to develop on its own.

My impression is that the author is a natural storyteller who doesn't know much about social history or how manners evolved (and how that affects language) but I don't think the audience she's aiming at gives a fickle nickel. Plot, characterization, and prose gave me trouble, but I know that if I'd read this sixty years ago, I would have adored it to pieces.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley. But all the opinions are my own.


This is the second book I have read by Allison Saft. I have to say, this was a great book. I needed a good cozish fantasy. This book was endearing and charming. There was definitely points that had high stakes and anxiety building. But, I couldn't put it down! It reminded me of feel good Jane Austen. But, the beauty and intricacies of Studio Ghibli. This must be on your TBR for 2023!!

A Fragile Enchantment was completely fine. It wasn’t bad by any means, I did enjoy it, but it felt so generic. The writing was great and it was easy to get into. However, I feel like I’ve read this story a million times and there wasn’t a new angle on it here. Perhaps it’s just that I’m not a huge romance fan, but this felt lacking.

I didn’t buy the connection between our main characters and thought there was a lack of development. Niamh’s magic was really interesting and her curse was far more interesting than where this story ended up. I also thought the duel seemed so out of left field.

I think there were a few moments that readers were supposed to see as reveals or twists…but they felt very obvious (e.g. the identity of Lovelace and one of the relationships). Overall I found A Fragile Enchantment a bit lackluster. However, this type of book isn’t my normal cup of tea and I’m certain that others will enjoy this quite a bit. But I was hoping for more.