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.

2.75 ⭐️

I’m honestly so sad about this rating. I’d heard really good things about this book and was so excited when I received a copy! And look at that cover!! I thought the writing was really pretty but it just missed the mark for me.

Things started off pretty slowly and I kept waiting for myself to connect to the characters or the story but I just never did. I found Niamh and Kit to be extremely childish and their relationship felt very toxic and not in a fun or exciting way. I know Kit had ✨trauma✨ but I feel like I have whiplash from how quickly his moods would change. I’m also just really not a fan of Insta attraction and there’s a good bit of that here (at least from Niamh since this is only from her POV.)

I was actually way more interested in some of the side characters but we don’t get to see a whole lot of them. I LOVED Rosa and Miriam and their dynamic was so much fun. Sofie was very intriguing to me as well and I wish we got to know more about her. I did appreciate that Niamh made friends with these other women instead of the author making them into rivals or enemies like so many books do when it comes to female side characters.

Overall, I do think that many people will enjoy this as so many already have. It just didn’t suit me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press/Wednesday books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and such and easy read for me. I thought it flowed well and I cannot wait to read the next book! What happens next? My emotions definitely went all over the place with this book. Will I be buying a physical copy? Yes. 100% Yes!

3 ⭐️

First off, there are so many words, to the point that it drove me a little nuts. So many paragraphs could be condensed with less words, which would make the book shorter.

I felt that the storyline was boring and never really held my attention. It definitely gives a little bit of a Bridgeton vibe and I’m not the biggest fan of that part of the story. Also, nothing really happened before the 50% mark.

The characters were adorable, the found family was perfect. This aspect really held the book together for me. The main couple, though, had no chemistry. I don’t think they ever really connected one on one before they became a couple. I honestly could have seen this story as just being a found family and maybe a super slow burn romance.

To be honest, I already forgot the majority of this book.

This much anticipated YA Regency England-inspired romantasy was such a fun read!

Niamh Ó Conchobhair is a seamstress filled with a magic that allows her to stitch emotions and memories into her pieces. However, this magic will also drain her vitality the more she uses it. When she’s invited to be the official tailor for the upcoming royal wedding, she leaps at the chance to secure a brighter future for her elderly family. This neighboring country she’d only been told stories about is as glamorous as it is cruel and the groom, Kit Carmine, is much the same. When a gossip columnist catches on to their growing closeness, Niamh has the opportunity to uncover the royal family’s secrets and get justice for her people, but at the expense of her own feelings.

Niamh was such a sweetheart. My younger self identified a lot with her boundless optimism and people-pleasing tendencies. She was always willing to help and sacrifice for others to her own detriment, which is a big aspect of her character arc. Her limitations kept her from living life for herself and it was heart warming to watch her grow and accept that she deserved happiness and love. I did not find Kit to be a redeeming love interest. That’s not to say his struggles didn’t have some merit; but in my opinion, they paled in comparison to what Niamh and her family endured at the hands of Kit’s father.

I was sucked in to the whimsy and political intrigue really quickly. After the first few pages, I was hooked and it wasn’t until about halfway through that some of the details started to lose continuity. Some characters were monotheistic, while others referenced many gods or saints. Since this could also be considered historical fiction, I pieced together the religions and what they represented but that aspect didn’t feel fully grounded in the world building. All the mystery and intrigue that was built up didn’t unfold as I’d expected and it was pretty dull from a plot perspective. All that said, I do believe the main attraction was the romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for granting my request for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Did Allison Saft thread enchantments into the pages of this book! It was so good. Full of many emotions. I loved the build of the relationship between Kit and Niamh. I loved the way he teased her. How he would tease her for being clumsy “Another high-gravity day?”. I felt like I was able to connect with Niamh. She took on so many things for her family but never lived for herself until Kit came along. Reminded me of my husband and myself.

I also loved that Rosa and Miriam were able to tell each other how they felt. I do wish there would have been more about them after their feelings were expressed. However, it still was beautiful to see that they were happy at the end walking arm and arm.

Oh Sinclair…I had a feeling he was up to something. But I loved him! One of my favorite characters. He is the type of friend everyone hopes to have in their life. So loyal in all aspects of his life.

I loved this book! I felt many emotions and connected to characters, which is exactly how it should be when reading a good book. This was my first read by Allison Saft but it is definitely not my last! Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of A Fragile Enchantment.

I really loved this book! It has a great ensemble cast of well-developed characters full of flaws and challenges that made me love them and root for their happiness. The fantasy world is vivid and the magic woven throughout seamless and fascinating. I really appreciate the queer representation as well. I can already tell that these characters and this story will stay with me. A heart-warming and enchanting book! I will definitely recommend this to readers of fantasy and romance.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love the magical atmosphere of this book, but I think that’s the only thing I really loved. I enjoyed Sinclair and thought he was a really fun character, but Naimh and Kit bored me. Because of that, the romance was hard to buy. It took me a few weeks to read this because I never got attached to any of the characters and it was very easy to put down. There was no urgency for me to finish the story or find out what would happen next.
I’d be interested in reading something else from Allison Saft because I’ve heard her other books are amazing.

The cover? Stunning. Absolutely beautiful. The blurb? Intriguing. Regency romance with a splash of magic? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me.

While I liked the overall plot and world building, and the writing was very good, the romance just wasn't there. I felt zero chemistry between the two leads.

A beautiful and cozy romance full of equally beautiful writing and characters. The historical elements of this book were well crafted, too, showing the amount of research Saft puts into her work. An overall stunning book, and I'll be looking forward to more Allison Saft releases in the future.

In A Fragile Enchantment, Niamh uses her magic to weave emotions into the clothes she makes. When she is invited to the capitol to make clothes for the prince's upcoming marriage, she looks forward to making enough money to take care of her family. But the political situation in the palace is more complicated that imaginable and Niamh place there may be in jeopardy.

This was a strange blend of magical fantasy and historical romance. Although the story was rich and flowing, I don't know how I feel about Niamh and Kit's relationship development. Other readers may disagree, but I am uncomfortable with the shift from queer to heteronormative as the story reached the conclusion.

What a lovely book! Sweet and swoony. Grumpy/sunshine trope, some delightful magic, and very captivating side characters.

4.25 - 4.5 stars

This was a cozy (to me) sort of romantasy book. I enjoyed the characters and the romance and the magic system. But everything was a bit blurred at the edges. The high stakes mostly didn't feel that dire, the magic system wasn't fully fleshed out, etc. Everything seemed a bit muted. I think this was a function of the author's writing style because you can see a few places where she tried to interject bits of social commentary, but thankfully, it didn't overwhelm the story.

Will definitely read more by this author.