Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that Allison Saft had a new book, I knew that I needed to add it to my TBR list right away! A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft revolves around Niamh, who has the power to create magical clothes. One day, she embarks to a neighboring land to design the clothes for a royal wedding. But what will happen when Niamh grows much closer to the groom than she initially expected? Can this forbidden romance have a happy ending?

Here is an atmospheric excerpt from Chapter 1:

"As Niamh leaned over the railing of the ship’s deck, she was struck with the sinking feeling that she had forgotten something.
She’d folded all of her best pieces in delicate cream paper, packed her bobbins and fabric shears, and—most importantly—tucked the invitation safely away in her reticule. That was everything. Surely, that was everything. But then again, she couldn’t be certain. Keeping track of things had never exactly been her strong suit. And as much as she hated to admit it (and although she was secretly convinced her reticule did indeed contain a portal to a stranger realm, filled only with broken pencils and stray pocket change), there really was no arguing with the truth: everything she held dear, from her favorite pair of scissors to precious years of her life, had a way of slipping through her fingers.
It couldn’t hurt to check for the invitation again."

Overall, A Fragile Enchantment is an amazing slow-burn romance that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride and Stardust. One highlight of this book is the premise, which combines royalty in Regency England with magic. Another highlight of this book are the jokes and moments of humor.

If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that not much happens plot-wise. However, sometimes, you're just looking for a rom-com without a ton of action. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA romantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in January!

A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is a profoundly healing story of love, friendship, familial commitment, and learning to be kind to oneself. It snares the reader in its threads from the very first page, weaving a tale of romance, political intrigue, and deliciously evocative magic that captivates until the story’s thrilling conclusion.

The writing is decadent (especially the descriptions of the memories and emotions that Niamh captures in thread) and the setting is richly imagined. But the most deeply satisfying aspect of A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is the characters. Niamh is a seamstress with divine blood, allowing her to stitch emotions into fabric with her embroidery. After crafting a dress that snagged her friend an impressive match, she is asked to travel from Machland to Sootham, the capital city of the Avlish, to make clothing for the royal wedding of the second prince, Kit. When the two meet, they clash—and the tension between them grows with every chapter, until the reader is at the edge of their seat waiting to see what becomes of their relationship.

As Niamh says, it’s such a small thing to be good. But the protagonist’s goodness, shown through moments both tiny and vast, is the cornerstone of the story. By all rights, Niamh could have chosen bitterness and anger—she lives in a world riven by class struggles; comes from a country existing under the shroud of famine, colonial exploitation, and eventually revolution; and deals with the day to day difficulties of a chronic, life-limiting illness which will ultimately take her life. But in the face of all of this, she chooses happiness, kindness, and to seize on the little moments and emotions that make life worth living. While she has moments of sadness and frustration—Niamh is no unrealistically bubbly character—her fundamental worldview is one of hope, and of choosing to hope in the face of a society and situation that could easily lead to despair.

Kit, for his part, is a prince dealing with the repercussions of addiction and a difficult childhood. He keeps everyone at arm’s length, surrounding himself with thorns—but as his best friend Sinclair says to Niamh, he has a tender, gooey center. Watching him open up to Niamh was incredibly satisfying, as well as heartwarming. The both of them helped each other on the path to self-acceptance and forgiveness, a rewarding journey for the reader to go on with them.

“Most days, Niamh believed she’d accepted her lot in life: that her own body had betrayed her. There was a grim sort of comfort in knowing how she would die, even if she did not know exactly when.”

As a chronically ill reader, I connected on such a deep level with Niamh and the illness she struggles with. She often pushes herself past the limits of her body because she is worried about wasting the limited time she has, and this often leads to a worsening of her symptoms. Learning to accept that her limitations don’t define her is a key part of her journey, and I found myself emotional reading many of the parts of the book where she grapples with her complex thoughts about what it means to live in her body. And while Niamh thinks that “no good comes from loving fragile things” and endeavors to keep herself apart from suitors because of her illness, Kits wholehearted acceptance of her shows her that even if she is fragile, she is still deserving of love.

And speaking, finally, of love—as a queer reader, this book delighted me with its openly bisexual main characters, a cast of queer supporting characters, and a nuanced range of societal attitudes towards queerness. Readers looking to see themselves reflected delicately in a book’s pages will find that joy here.

It's official. A Fragile Enchantment is my favorite novel by Allison Saft! Every novel she has written has continued to be better and better, and once again I have fallen in love with a whole new world that she has created in a standalone fantasy novel. It amazes me how she has now created, not one, not two, but three completely separate fantasy worlds with their own magic systems, politics, themes, and characters. This time, I was totally sucked into Niamh's story as a tailor for the royal wedding of Avaland. Her power to weave enchantments into the clothes she creates was such a cool ability, and truly the most unique magical power I've seen in fantasy novel. Just like with every one of Allison Saft's novels, I wish we had a sequel solely to see this world and magic system expanded beyond what we see in A Fragile Enchantment because it's just that captivating.

My favorite part of this novel is definitely the regency romance. There are so many nods to some of our favorite regency media in this book, and all of the shenanigans that Niamh, Sinclair, Miriam, Rosa, and Kit get up to in this novel had me grinning. I loved how constantly flustered Kit and Niamh were around each other--seeing the two of them try their best to keep their composure around each other as members of the court while battling their obvious attraction to each other was everything! I loved Kit's constant careful eye for Niamh's clumsiness and the two's charming exchanges of banter when he lovingly teased her for her haphazard nature. Once again, Allison Saft killed it with the grumpy sunshine dynamic!

Overall, I know that fans of Allison Saft's previous novels will definitely enjoy A Fragile Enchantment. This book is also perfect for any regency romance fan, even if you haven't read any of her works before! I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

This book was a fantastic and whimsical read that flawlessly blends Regency-era charm with a delightful touch of fantasy. The book's Bridgerton-like vibes add a fun twist to the story, making it a captivating and enjoyable experience.

The world-building is rich and immersive, and the characters, especially Niamh and Kit, have delightful chemistry and interactions that leave you wanting more. I especially loved the idea of enchantments and Niamh's ability to incorporate them into the clothing she creates. While some plot reveals may be predictable, the overall cuteness and enchantment of the book make it an utterly charming and satisfying read. It's a magical and heartwarming romance that sweeps you away to a world you won't want to leave!

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really liked the themes and plot within this book. I enjoyed most of the characters and was shocked by the reveal of who Lovelace was. I thought it played the line well of being YA while still addressing hard issues like drinking amount others.
My main annoyance with this book was that the main character falls into the category of ridiculously clumsy female leads. This made me rather sad as it often came across as making her less powerful within her own right, which she definitely isn’t and I loved the magic system within the whole story especially hers. My other minor issue was that sometimes the different kingdoms where difficult to track and what the alliances between each of them meant.

This was a great fantasy historical romance! Such a fun, cute and swoon worthy story. I loved the romance story between the high class and working class. It was a tender story set in a political world. Well written story!

Wow. I don’t think i can properly express how much i enjoyed this book. From the very beginning it pulls you in, and each chapter gets better and better. This book is filled with drama, magic, and romance. Once you start you can’t put it down. If you’re debating reading A Fragile Enchantment, please do! you won’t regret it.


Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me this arc in return for a honest review.


My Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5669381466

I’ve loved everything I read by Allison Saft so this book was one of my most anticipated upcoming releases. I’m very pleased to say that I absolutely loved this one as well! It’s a regency-era fantasy romance with a flair of Irish folklore. It contains a magical dressmaker who always puts the needs of others before herself, a lonely prince with a prickly exterior, an anonymous gossip column that reaps scandal, and a mysterious underlying political scheme.
Similarly to the author’s other novels, this story is about self-acceptance, sacrifice, family, friendship, and love. It’s a slow-burn, which I love because it allows us to get to know each character individually before we grow to love them as a unit. Also, that book cover? Stunning!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC

Review posted on Goodreads on July 7, 2023
Review and rating to be posted on Youtube on August 2, 2023
Review and star rating to be posted on TikTok on August 2, 2023

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.


3/5 stars

I greatly enjoyed the whimsical vibe this book gave me as I read it. The magic system was unique and I enjoyed learning everything Niamh could do.

Niamh was naive, clumsy and every other characteristic to make her common. Her magic was enchantments and the ability to thread them into different outfits. It was really cool to see what she was going to make and what the extent she could do!

Kit was rude, tenacious, mean and every other characteristic that made him off putting. He also had magic but in the way of plants and flowers. He was also troubled and had a lot of inner demons. I enjoyed learning about him and what shaped him into him.

Overall this story was fun and whimsical. What made it difficult to read at times was how fast Niamh fell in love. One moment she was mad at him and the next moment she liked him and was in love. It felt slightly rushed. On top of that there is this huge political plot that is only around when convenient. Neither Kit or Niamh really look into it until they are trying to stop the wedding. It just didn’t feel like it fit the plot well. Especially since they were trying to rebel and have an uprising. Just seemed like the well being of the people really took a backseat for Jack and Kit.

Lastly I would have loved to explore magic a little more. We got to see that Miriam had healing magic but not too many other magics were discussed. Would love to see what else people could do and how it benefited the country!

Overall this was a fun read. Niamh and kit complemented each other nicely. The magic was the highlight with seeing what Niamh could do.

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, I was quite excited by the premise of the book which promised a sweet romance between a prince and a magical dressmaker. While the novel largely delivered on this, my reading experienced was soured by the thin veneer between the historical-fantasy setting of the world and real life events that it clearly took inspiration from. If you have any knowledge concerning the Great Famine in Ireland that was constructed by England (and their relationship), then the fabricated fantasy element of the book quickly falls apart. This is because the author doesn’t really take any creative liberties with their relationship or their shared history so it consequently follows real historical events beat for beat. And yes, we have also have this magic system but this system hardly alternates or influences the social texture of society. Really, the only major changes we have is the name of these nations. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it really prevented me from detaching my external knowledge of events (and my personal opinions) from the story's plot.

We also have many political threads interwoven throughout the story that are constructed across class and ethnicity, but because they consequently mirror real life sociopolitical events, I really couldn’t fully invest in the romance. For instance, I kept wondering about the social and cultural repercussions of the relationship between the prince (who represents the oppression of her people) and a woman who faces constant prejudice in his society. The book does make a half-hearted attempt at exploring this area but ultimately, the subject was skirted around at the end— leading to rushed romance. We also see how the Machlish protests are shoehorned into this inconsequential space at the end as a consequence. I was disappointed to see the “power of love” as the solution to such issues.

However, that’s not to say there weren’t elements I did enjoy. I really did appreciate discussions surrounding chronic pain representation, familial duty, and discrimination, and the intersection between all three. Particularly, the usage of magic as an allegory for chronic pain was really clever and a highlight of this book. I also enjoyed most of the characters themselves and found Niamh to be particularly refreshing to read as a heroine. Saft’s writing is also still as beautiful and lyrical as usual— never quite tip toeing the line over to frivolous speech.

Overall, I think doing a reread with a romantic lens and suspending my judgement at the door will provide me with a different reading experience.

4.75/5

Allison Safts A Fragile Enchantment was as whimsical and romantic as its stunning cover promises. Having previously read Safts two other YA fantasy novels I went in with high expectations for an immersive setting and a swoon-worthy romance and oh did it deliver.

The story drew me in from the first sentence and kept me thoroughly enthralled all the way through till the end. Saft does a brilliant job of tying in the promised Bridgerton inspired setting with an intriguing yet simple magic system that I think fits the YA fantasy genre perfectly. The magic system was woven in nicely with no info dumps or plot holes which left lots of room for the actual plot (and romance!!) to shine through. As much as I loved A Far Wilder Magic and Down Comes the Night, I think A Fragile Enchantment is the most balanced in its content.

Niamh and Kits romance may be my favourite that Saft has written yet! The immediate juxtaposition between Niamh’s wish to please and Kit’s determination to do the opposite sets them up for a perfect grumpy/sunshine slow burn. Although their romance didn’t really pick up until the halfway point, each of their interactions in the beginning of the book still had me hanging on to every word.

The truly outstanding part of it all was the characters. From strong-willed yet selfless Niamh to Kits internal struggle between love and honour; each and every character Saft has written is complex and dynamic. The side characters were beautifully flushed out and it is impossible not to fall in love with cunning Sinclair and the wonderful but stoic princess Rosa.

My only wish was that we got a little bit more inclusion of the plot line regarding Niamhs family. We learn about it at the very beginning as it's her motivation for taking the job and it wraps up at the very end, but it felt like for most of the book that piece of the plot kind of disappeared.

All in all, if you love cozy fantasy, a little bit of mystery and a slow-burn, tension-filled romance then A Fragile Enchantment is the book for you.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for the ARC!

Overall, this was a slightly less-than-averagely enjoyable read for me. I realllllllly wanted to like it more, but I just found it slightly stale overall.

Some things that worked for me:
1. The interesting magic system
2. The initial world-building
3. The first act of the plot, characters, and writing

Some things that didn't work for me:
1. Once the initial story, world, and character building was over, the writing and narration felt clumsy
2. Somewhere in the middle, I became bored and not even the romance mattered to me.
3. There are several glaringly unresolved points

So, over all, a 2.5.

First off thank you so much to Netgalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read an ARC of this masterpiece. This book is so beautifully written and the descriptive imagery was amazing. While reading this book I was watching it all play out in my head. The combination of enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and forbidden love was an absolute whirlwind. I loved this book and I will be looking into reading more by Allison Saft.

I could not put this book down! I knew this was a must read for me because of my love for “A Far Wilder Magic” and I was not disappointed! Allison Saft is truly amazing. “A Fragile Enchantment” was well written and I enjoyed every second of it. I really enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the political aspects. The magic, specifically Niamh’s, was so interesting to read about. Kit and Niamh are both extremely complex characters and each add so much to the story. If you like enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, and magic “A Fragile Enchantment” is for you!

In this historical fantasy romance we follow Niamh Ó Conchobhair as her popularity as a dressmaker grows thanks to the magic in her blood that lets her stitch any emotion and memory into the fabric. It is this same magic that will eventually kill her and so in order to make the best out how many years she has left she jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for the royal family wedding in the kingdom of Avaland. However, once she arrives at Avaland she realizes it is far from the fairytail she imagined as unrest brews among the working class. She finds her job as royal dressmaker made even more hard by the groom himself, Kit Carmine who is prickly, abrasive and being dragged to the alter as a political pawn. Even through all this an unlikely friendship develops between her and Kit. Which starts to complicate things when an anonymous gossip column threatens to expose them unless she can help uncover the royal families secrets, but exposing them could mean risking her future.

Honestly this book deserves all the stars and more because it was just so amazingly written. I absolutely fell in love with the world and Niamhs character from the very first page and just found myself even more entranced by the world as the story went on. I was also able to fall in love with the other characters and their relationships with each other, especially Niamh and Kits relationship as well as Rosas and Miriam’s. Whether the relationships were romantic or platonic they were all just very well written that they were able to quickly capture my heart.

I truly believe that Allison Saft was able to bring to life Niamhs magic through her writing because I Laughed, cried, swooned and felt many more emotions throughout the course of the story. The storytelling is just so strong and amazing that it makes the reader feel every single thing the characters are feeling.

Another aspect of the book that I truly enjoyed was the representation of chronic and mental illnesses. I felt that these were so well written to where they didn’t take away from the characters but just added more to them. I also appreciate the fact that these issues weren’t diminished or forgotten as the story went on but just used to prove that a person can overcome these challenges ar at least learn to persevere with them.

At the end I was left absolutely content with how everything was resolved but I also wished that I could see more of the characters and their world as it was just all so amazing!

This is my first Allison Saft book and I absolutely fell in love with the magical and beautifully enchanting world she created. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to anyone looking for their next 5 star read as it is most definitely worth the read!

A Fragile Enchantment follows Niamh, A Machlish dressmarker with magic to weave emotions, as she leaves her family seeking better opportunities in the neighboring country of Avaland. The same country who used and abused her people and their magic, then ostracized them. Whew.

Niamh was specifically requested by Jack, the Prince Regent of Avaland, to make the wedding regalia for the upcoming arranged marriage of his brother–Kit, who is sulky, prickly, and displeased by the world in general.

There are other aspects to this whole situation, like the fact that Kit’s intended also does not want to marry him, the secondary plot of the Machlish (politely?) demanding better treatment from Jack, and gossip rag writer aiding the Machlish.

The interactions between Kit and Niamh at the beginning were honestly pretty entertaining. I always enjoy a prickly character and Kit did not disappoint. That said, as the book went on, the back and forth on whether they wanted/should be together started to feel repetitive and frustrating, and the barriers between them felt contrived. Niamh and Kit’s conflicts and motivations also at times felt so similar that it was like reading the same arc twice.

In general, I think A Fragile Enchantment had a lot of promise but felt confusingly flat for me–which I am SAD about, because I really enjoyed A Far Wilder Magic and the cover for this book is STUNNING.

Sigh.

Ultimately, I think my main issue with A Fragile Enchantment is that it sets up with the promise of a rich world and then becomes afraid of interacting with it. The backdrop for the whole story is the Machland-Avaland conflict, which is brought up repeatedly–Niamh immediately tells us her family disapproves of her moving to Avaland because of their feelings toward the Avlish. Then, on day 1 in the palace, Niamh finds out her friend who used to work there because of the poor Machlish working conditions. We are told Niamh is treated badly, looked down upon. She sees the Machlish fighting for better treatment, meets them.

And yet.

And yet–she basically doesn’t even care until it personally affects her. Same with the majority of the cast. Even when she is made to care for plot reasons, the other Machlish remain a backdrop, easily willing to fall away when the plot needs them to. I was so upset. No one really reckons with their actions in this book, everyone is forgiven, even negligent monarchs who are directly mean to Niamh–which, honestly, maybe would be fine, I know this is supposed to be a soft, fun book. Maybe we don’t want high stakes, maybe we want forgiveness and happiness. However, at least for me, it was difficult to be there with the main characters when all of this was going on and they didn’t even care.

I don’t want to forgive neglectful leaders.
I don’t want the disenfranchised to be complacent.

And, again, I read A Far Wilder Magic, so I know Saft can do so much better while keeping the soft romance. That makes me so much sadder somehow.

I’m sure many will love the aesthetic of A Fragile Enchantment and I hope it finds its readers. Sadly, this was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fragile Enchantment is about Niamh, a magical tailor who is hired to make a prince and his bride’s wedding attire but finds herself in a forbidden attraction with the prince. If you watched Bridgerton and wished there was a season focused on the dressmaker, you will love this book!

Saft’s prose is breathtaking as usual, and I found the regency inspired setting very enjoyable to read. I do want to note that the primary plotline of the book is the romance, rather than the romance being a subplot. That being said, there are plenty of plot elements that will keep you guessing, including the author of an anonymous gossip column, which was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The real star of this book is the romance between Niamh and Kit. From the moment they first appear together on the page you can feel the tension between them, and it only increases with every encounter they have. Kit is cranky and standoffish on the surface but a truly complicated and full character as more about him is revealed. Niamh’s character is a joy to read, and I absolutely loved a scene towards the end where her growth really shines.

I particularly appreciated how Saft handled mental health and addiction. She discussed both with grace and depth, and characters shone more for accepting their past and embracing themselves fully.

This was a fun read, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday/St. Martin’s Press for the earc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Going into this story I had mixed feelings. Having read "A Far Wilder Magic", I was uncertain what to expect with this story. In my experience, Saft has amazing story ideas, but I've been surprised by the direction she takes the narrative. "A Fragile Enchantment" is no exception.

Overall, "A Fragile Enchantment" is a quick, cute, feel good story.

Sometimes court/political dramas can really bog down a story; however, that did not happen in this case. The political intrigue is more like a pot on the back burner where suddenly you realize half of the water has boiled away. The emphasis is truly on the interpersonal relationships with a bizarre cast of characters. Each character individually is incredibly fascinating and has such an epic backstory, but I will say that the development of the characters is surface level for most of the story. The exception is really on Kit. He is probably the most detailed and focused character in the story. Again, surprising choice given Niamh is telling a first person narrative.

If the reader is looking for a fun cast of characters, in a new world, with surface level drama and some tongue lashing romance -- this is the book for them. It was a sweet story to immerse yourself in and forget about the outside world. From the first page, the story unwinds with ease and pleasure.

A Fragile Enchantment included all the whimsical humor and tension you’d expect to find in a series like Bridgerton, while introducing a magic system both interesting and complex which can be rare in the fantasy genre. Saft’s writing was wonderfully engaging while managing to hold the atmospheric tone necessary for any regency inspired work. The chemistry between the two main love interests was delightful, as was the character building for nearly every side character with substantial page time. I will say the execution of conflict did at times feel lacking, this world is so clearly inspired by the centuries of history and oppression between Great Britain and Ireland and the reflections of this could have been been taken more seriously/ handled with more tact.

A Fragile Enchantment is a lovely, magical, fantasy book set with Irish inspiration. For those who loved Bridgerton and Spin the Dawn, this book is perfect for you!!

The elements in which Niamh uses her magic into her clothing designs are so whimsical and beautiful. I love her ability to use her magic for good, especially as tensions between the two countries continues to rise. Niamh is also an amazingly soft character, who isn’t afraid to feel her feelings and share with others.
She’s outspoken with Kit, who I think brings out her tenacious side.

As far as plot and pacing, it was a slow start and very exciting as we watch Niamh journey to Avaland to pursue a once in a life time job. The setting was lush and vivid and I felt like I was right there next to Niamh. I was surprised with some of the plot points but in a very good way. I didn’t expect certain outcomes and was pleased with the ending of the book.