I loved this book! I loved the magic system and the slow burn. I loved all the main characters and the awkward friendships they developed. It was very Bridgerton meets fantasy and I was absolutely here for it!

I was so excited to be approved to receive an ARC for this book, thank you for approving me for my honest review.
Unfortunately, this book fell short for me. It was hard for me to keep up with what was going on at times because I felt it was so fast paced, but what bothered my most was there was no deeper information about any of the characters. No back story to character development. I wanted to know more and was left with questions.

This was such a cute, cozy, whimsical, and fun read! It was SO easy to fly through and really well written. Regency era featuring magic?? What more could you ask for?

We follow our endearing main character Niamh on her journey as a seamstress brought onto the staff of the royal palace to make outfits for the prince and his upcoming wedding! Not only is she a talented seamstress, her magic allows her to weave enchantments into all the pieces she creates and basically she can elicit emotions in the wearers and observers?? She's clumsy, hard working, caring (to a fault at times), and has been raised to never complain or burden others with her troubles. So when she meets the grumpy, jaded, prince/groom-to-be, they have such a fun dynamic between not being able to stand each other but slowly realizing they're basically the same person??? Beyond them, the cast of side characters were also SO lovable and I loved the focus on found family. Another major part that I loved was the mystery and looming threat of the scandal/gossip sheet.

While I loved mostly everything about this, there were a couple of plot elements I wish we got more closure on. Niamh's family and her sense of responsibility to them and the political tension between the different groups we're introduced to were at the forefront for a good chunk of the book but then we didn't get a ton of closure on them. I was hoping to see that fleshed out a bit more, but other than that, this was honestly such a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC!

Thank you to NeGalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Niamh is a magically gifted seamstress has been given the chance at a better life for her and her family: to design and create several pieces for the royal wedding! Even with her magical affecting her health, Niamh can't say no. Once in the castle however, the royals' secrets darken every corner. Why won't the prince regent meet with the striking workers? Why won't he accept help from his younger brother (the groom to be)? Why is the groom to be so surly? Who is the mysterious gossip columnist, Lovelace, and why are they flinging Niamh's reputation around and linking it to the groom? And speaking of the groom, why is she so drawn to him?

I was really excited about my approval for this book...unfortunately it fell short for me. The book started out whimsical and fresh with a magic system we haven't seen in a while, but it quickly became foggy and not fleshed out enough. AND, then my least favorite character trait for female protagonists appeared. Clumsiness. It then proceeds to take over Niamh's entire personality. The clumsiness moves the ploy forward and I became disengaged after that. Also, Niamh mention this sickness that is killing her slowly...it's mentioned once and then never again....? Just no.

2 stars.

I was drawn into this book by the beautiful cover art. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the novel itself. I felt that it was trying to do too many things which left a lot of them not fully developed. It seemed to copy off a lot of "real life" - Bridgerton, Princess Diana and sometimes that left it feeling uninspired. The main character seemed too nice and perfect at times and everything seemed to just work out in the end. The author is a beautiful writer but I felt it hard to be engaged in the novel a lot of time.

Beautiful cover. It feels well-positioned for a YA audience and should appeal well to that demographic. Too much inner monologuing for my personal taste. I stopped at the end of chapter 1 (3%).

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

A Fragile Enchantment is a generally enjoyable romantic fantasy novel, which has some of the makings of a great read if it weren't for the awkward pacing and predictable plotline. What the book does well is pull you into a scenic world with fascinating, if underdeveloped, magic systems. The characters are interesting, somewhat complex, and quite lovable. The dialogue is natural and well-written and the book is a wonderful read. The concept upon which the book is based is fascinating and is sure to suck readers in.

However, what really pulled me out of this book while reading was my lack of investment in the character relationships. This book is very quickly paced, to the point where the storytelling feels almost mechanical. Every event in the book took place in too linear a fashion - there were no underlying plot points being woven into the overarching story, and the book thereby lacked some complexity and excitement.

Because the pacing was so fast, the development and evolution of relationships in the story felt unnatural, and it wasn't clear how or why the characters who fell in love with one another were even falling for each other. The affection and development of romantic feelings felt out of place as I was reading. I only wish that Saft took a bit more time to flesh out the characters and develop their relationships.

It feels as though A Fragile Enchantment is trying to do too many things at once. Not only is Saft writing a romance plot, but there are magic systems to deal with, three separate nations to develop, and political unrest to explore in addition to the development of quite a large cast of characters. These are all quite a bit to contend with and, unfortunately, the result is that none of these elements are developed to their fullest potential and all of them fell quite flat. The magic systems aren't really explored much and feel like somewhat of an afterthought. The politics are not developed in any depth (in fact, several political plot points are brought up but never explored further). The relationships and the characters get the most attention, but even then we have seven characters that are given backstories - none of which are explored at a satisfying depth.

A Fragile Enchantment is a book of truly great potential and I feel that to live up to this potential, it would have worked out better across two or three books. This would allow more time for the proper development of the entire story. As it stands, A Fragile Enchantment is left off with a myriad of loose ends.

This is not to say that this book isn't good, because it truly is. Saft has a real knack for writing believable and nuanced characters - characters which feel real and alive. Her balance of humour and distress is impeccable and her writing style is genuinely charming and splendid. Despite its flaws, I really loved every minute I spent reading this book... I only wish we had been given more.

I want to start this review by thanking Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the an advanced reader's copy of this fantastically whimsical and ever-lovely jewel of a novel. This story follows our main character, Niamh, who is a bisexual queen that works hard for her family even at the cost of her own happiness. She falls in love with our other main character, Prince Kit or Christopher, who is a soft and gentle soul with so many struggles he has never let overcome him. Even if he only ever manages to stave off challenges through sheer will and spite, as the story says. Though their love affair seemed impossible at first, her being a commoner and him a being married off to a stranger, it was wonderful to see it all come together. Though, as with most standalone fantasy novels, there is a rough initial translation of all the magic systems and forms of government in this new world, it eventually cleared up into a really amazing book. I loved all the side characters, especially Sinclair, and I enjoyed how they all formed this lovely little family together. This book is banter-filled, romantic, and full of moments that will make you absolutely giddy. The love between Kit and Niamh is tender and makes you want to believe in love.

I think my biggest problems with the novel have to do with the rough start that the book had and how all the world-building was left for those first few chapters. It's hard to grab an audience's attention when you leave all the crucial bits at the beginning instead of spreading them out as to not overwhelm the reader. I also think that the ending, although we got where we were supposed to go, it was strange and choppy. I felt like the wedding day itself was too haphazard and didn't warrant the specific drama that it caused. I think it could have gone a bit differently and that some characters were to quick to anger, to forgive, and to forget. I would have loved it if it were less action and more emotion, the ending I mean, as the rest of the novel was.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and now I wish I were getting married. I love Niamh with all my heart and her and Kit are a golden combination. This whole book reminds me of "Speak Now" (TV) the album by Taylor Swift. Thus, I strongly recommend you pick this book up!

This book shows what it would look like if Lady Whistledown was transported to a world of magic. I especially appreciated the imagery and descriptions of all the custom made garments! It was a whimsical story and so would recommend it to any YA fantasy lovers.

A Fragile Enchantment is an upper YA historical fantasy with regency romance vibes, a cozy/flowery magic system, bi FMC and MMC (actually basically every character is gay 😁), and grumpy X sunshine forbidden love with an absolutely obscene amount of pining (because would I ever read and enjoy anything if there wasn’t obscene amounts of pining?). And I love love LOVED it!! A springtime regency romance with magic?? I swear- Allison Saft wrote this book with me and me alone in mind.

I definitely liked this book a lot from the very beginning, but I (once again) had too high of expectorations, and was expecting to just absolutely love and devour it from the first page. Which is a crazy expectation considering that I didn’t even do that with A Far Wilder Magic, my fav of Saft’s. But once I got a good portion into the book, I was definitely loving it. And I do think that reading it as a ebook was part of the reason I was struggling to get into it. However, although I loved this book so much and think that it was beautifully done, I do think that I still prefer AFWM. However, this is entirely due to personal preference and not any fault of the writing. (I’m a sucker for dual-pov and reverse grumpy X sunshine, okay?) But Saft’s writing absolutely shines in this book- as always. It’s rich and atmospheric and poetic but also witty and fun.

It’s a true feat of the writing the way every. single. character. in this book captured my heart. Of course I fell in love with the leads, Kit and Niamh, which I expect with Saft, but I was NOT however expecting to get attached to so many side characters. Sinclair! Rosa! Miriam! I loved them all! And their dynamic as a group was the sweetest thing in the world. I won’t spoil anything but the way things transpired with them all at the end made my heart so full.

But, of course, the main characters. As with any character who has ever pined over someone they can’t have, I related to Niamh a painful amount. She was such sweet, lovely character’s head to be in and, as always, felt so real and genuine. But KIT!!! I’ve never really loved a grumpy man but Kit is the typa grumpy man I will allow. The evidence is as follows:

“He is gentlemanly to no one but you. To the rest for the world, he is peevish, extraordinarily rude, and possesses no grace or decorum.”

Need I say more? But, seriously, I’m in love with him. But, even more than that, I’m in love with the way he loves Niamh. These two were so head over heels gone for each other and honestly, that’s kind of a rare find in romance for some odd reason. This wasn’t the slowest of burns for that reason, but I’ll allow it because UGHHHH these two were the cutest. The way they treated each other and helped each other grow was beautiful and emotional but they still had that helpless romantic tension which, ya know, is important (to me).

Speaking of just how far gone these two were for each other… the ENDING OF THIS BOOK. The mystery-ish plot and outward forces of this book were keeping me on my toes to the point where I was questioning if these two would get a HEA (not a good feeling). But they pulled through and, even though I already loved this book a good amount, the ending is what sealed the deal to make this book a true favorite. My heart was so incredibly full watching these characters finally get to be happy- I don’t think I’ve ever been so overjoyed and content with an ending before. I was smiling ear to ear while reading it. This is definitely one of those books that will break your heart and mend it and then give you a massive hug in just a few pages.

Cannot recommend this book enough if you love regency and/or fantasy romance, mature and well-developed characters, pining, lovely vibes, did I say pining?🪡🥀💐

Some quotes to prove my point:

“She supposed she was forever cursed to long for things she could not have.”

“It felt like a dream- a fairy tale. It didn’t feel possible, that she should’ve been allowed to have something she wanted so badly.”

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review !! 🥰🥰

Every time I logged into netgalley this book kept popping up and I decided to take a chance; and I'm so glad I did because this book was worth all the hype.

I really enjoyed this story. I was looking for something that was like a fairytale and Allison Saft delivered. Its sweet, and swoon worthy while also tackling some other themes making it easier to resonate with some of the characters that you may encounter through out this story that this author handles so well. Not to mention loads of romantic tension and of course magic.

I will continue to pick up any books that I encounter by Allison Saft in the future.

A Fragile Enchantment is…

Nothing less than whimsy personified.

Niamh grows so much in this story and you can’t help but fall in love with her. Her naïveté is easily seen early on, but her heart is what carries her through the story. She has a heart so large it is beyond her magical abilities. Her foremost focus is on others and she rarely takes care of herself. Selfless is the best word to describe it. She reminds me of Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle, and the many sewing scenes and grey hair moments helped push my imagination further in that direction.

Kit is a male mc for the ages. He’s grumpy, mysterious, and albeit a bit too stubborn for his own good. He reminds me of an early 2000’s period drama lead circa 2005 pride and prejudice mixed with a bit of Anthony Bridgerton. He isn’t the most unique of male characters, arguably. He’s aggravating and where he is the most irritating is in his interactions with the lovable sunshine that is Niamh.

Niamh, to her credit, is very persistent and determined to build good communication between her and Kit even when they aren’t romantically linked to each other. I seriously appreciate any character in a fantasy book who actually sees a potential social problem and works on it lol

There were moments that were incredibly predictable and times where I saw that my comparisons to other works may have been too close for comfort.

However,

I still believe Allison Saft is carving herself a space in the romance fantasy genre. The way she writes is approachable and inherently readable, interweaving historical elements that landed so well for me.

✨ Four-point-seven-five, very very admiring and loving stars out of five! ✨

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of one of my most anticipated releases of next year. I’m eagerly awaiting release day where I can purchase a physical copy of this gorgeous book and support the talented Ms. Saft!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This story was truly ✨enchanting✨. I loved everything about the plot, the characters, and the climax. So a brief snipbit for anyone that hasn’t read it:

Niamh is a gifted seamstress who weaves enchantments into her clothes. She is hired by the Crown Prince to dress his brother, Kit, for Kit’s upcoming wedding. Kit is shadowed with intrigue, a poor attitude, and an arranged marriage (inset my squealing here). Niamh has the task of a lifetime to get Kit to work with her in order for her to help her family no longer living to make ends meet.

But when they both see that there is more that meets the eye things (specifically weddings) get complicated.

There is much more to this Allison Saft historical fantasy novel. The story holds intrigue, mystery, prejudice, found family, romance, and more.

Go buy this novel!

I need more!!! I need more on Niamh and Kit. This book was a magic meets Bridgerton and it was done well. Mixed with that Allison tackled something that I believe was done beautifully and that was the class struggles. The side characters even made the story engaging.

I would've loved more insight on the magic side. Not everyone is magical and those who do have it, everyone's powers are different. I would have also liked more insight on Niamh's background. It was slightly hinted at, but I had many questions still about her.

This is a book that I would come back and read again. I will read more of Allison's work in the future.

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.