Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This YA romance gives me fairytale (a la Hans Christian Andersen not Grimm Bros) meets Bridgerton/Gossip Girl with a solid helping of magic. We’ve got dysfunctional family dynamics, found families, lgbtqia characters and chronic illness rep among all the other wonderful things in this book.🧡

“But I also understand more than most that family is what you make it - and so is home. You have to choose your own happiness..”

The first 20-30% didn’t really pull me in but once I was hooked, I could not put this down. I found myself identifying deeply with Niamh though I’m much older and sadly magicless. As Niamh often repeats to herself “You’re not sick until you’re sick”, I could feel that rumble of anxiety that everyone with a chronic illness can understand. When is my next flare up coming? Did I push too far? Do I have enough left in me to get through this? And the way her default is to “fix” everything…ooof I feel called out 😬 Niamh is who I wish I could have been at 18. She’s determined, kind, resilient and clever while still being vulnerable and flawed.

“Stop cutting off pieces of yourself when you’re already more than enough.”

The author does a really great job of developing the relationship between Kit and Niamh. Even before they “like” each other, they are magnetic. They can see through each other’s facades and down to the heart of them. It’s exactly what they need (I mean don’t we all need someone to see what’s under the mask?). The building of their relationship relies heavily on body language and non-verbal cues which makes for a subtle yet effective romance. I wish I could read so much from a single look 🥺

“In all the ways that mattered, Kit Carmine was just like her.” ❤️

The writing is beautiful and the story enthralling. The longing is palpable while the characters frustratingly yet endearingly real. A Fragile Enchantment is absolutely worth the read.

I really enjoyed this book! Niamh is such a fun character. She has chronic illness/disability and I LOVE to see the representation!! I had hopes about how this book would go and it was such a fun read. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic system and the characters. Overall, a very fun read.

forever grateful for netgalley giving me an arc of this because it was one of my most anticipated reads for next year. i read a far wilder magic by allison saft last year and fell in love instantly with her writing style, characters, and the way she can build a world so seamlessly.

in a fragile enchantment, we follow niamh who is a magical tailor who can weave emotions into garments and is hired to create clothing for a royal wedding. kit is our prince who is so incredibly prickly at first but it was so evident that he could be so soft. character wise, i found that niamh reminded me of when i was younger and had such an idealistic way of living. but just because niamh is idealistic doesn't mean that she's not true to herself. she's unapologetically selfless, which is something she battles throughout the entire story. kit, on the other hand, is such a sour prince, i frankly loved it. he's the second son of the king, and i like how we learned about his past and troubles. i also loved how saft incorproated so much lgbtqia+ representation in her cast of characters.

the magic system was delightful, and it wasn't incredibly complicated, which i think would be great for readers who don't normally read fantasy. it's easy to understand, and i'm always a fan of individualized magical abilities (lightning, plants, healing, emotions into clothes!) it always gives me such sky high vibes i love it.

lastly, the ROMANCE of it all!! this next paragraph isn't going to be super spoilery, but if you want to be surprised about it, i'd skip to the next paragraph! i love how they barely liked each other's company to being friendly and almost each other's confidants (like how kit literally threw himself down the stairs so that no one would talk about niamh) to being infatuated with one another. i think i would have liked to have seen a bit more pining a la pride and prejudice (2005) BUT it still did not disappoint. i highlighted sooooo many quotes in my kindle app that i cannot wait to review them because sometimes they really had me kicking my feet and giggling!

my one thing that i think i would have liked to have seen though is just more information about niamh's family. we got a lot of information about kit's family, which makes sense because the story takes place in the palace and their estates and everything, but niamh's monologue consisted a lot of her duty to her family. i think a few letters to her family and then them writing back would have been something fun and to give more insight on how niamh's family was.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the early access to A Fragile Enchantment! This book was a charming, romantic read, perfect for fans of authors like Heather Fawcett, Stephanie Garber, and Diana Wynne Jones. There’s a coziness to the writing style that really invites readers to settle in and enjoy the story as it unfolds.

So while this isn’t my usual go to for a read it was so good! I really enjoyed watching the different emotions flow through the characters and Niamh powers were also pretty cool. At the beginning I did have places where I had to stop and reread because I was kind of confused but once I got the ropes of the book it was smooth sailing from there. I would love to read another version featuring Jack and sophia or even Sinclair and his special someone if he ever gets one! Thank you so much for letting me read it ahead of time it was wonderful 😊

This book was everything! I'm a big fan of Alison Saft so I was excited to read her latest work, and as I am also a fan of period dramas, A Fragile Enchantment was right up my alley. If you're looking for a sweet, charming and captivating read with Saft's consistently beautiful prose, I'd recommend this book to you.

Wonderfully enchanting and cozy, this novel was pure joy to read. It reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle with a blushy grump x clever sunshine dynamic. I really enjoyed how dynamic and intelligent the characters were and the chemistry was palpable. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know and checking the author's other works.

Niamh seizes the opportunity of a lifetime when she lands a job working for the royal family, creating clothes for them. Upon arriving, she encounters Kit, the prince who is engaged to be married. Despite his grumpy and difficult demeanor, spending more time together leads to unexpected feelings blossoming between them. However, their love is deemed forbidden, presenting a complex dilemma. As the story unfolds, numerous twists and turns take place, revealing a captivating narrative. To uncover the full extent of their journey, delve into this captivating read

This book was everything I needed and more. I absolutely fell in love with Allison's writing. It's a magical romantic fantasy, brimming with twists and turns, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, yearning, love, and an array of amazing characters. Niamh, the badass main character, captivated me with her determination. I feel deeply connected to her personality—she's clumsy yet resolute, overflowing with love for everyone around her. She often puts others' needs before her own, and I truly identified with her. Kit, on the other hand, was a complex character who stole my heart. He had a grumpy demeanor but was filled with love for those he cared about. The story itself was incredible. I adored the magic system and Niamh's unique power, which made her truly special.

this was magical, cozy, beautiful and felt like a warm cup of tea on a cold night, I definitely recommend!!

As someone who is already a huge fan of Allison Saft, I was beyond thrilled when I received this ARC. Big thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

AFE was everything I imagined and more. I found myself fully lost in Niamh and Kit's world and not wanting to come out - Saft's writing is as lush and immersive as ever in this one. I loved the dynamic between Niamh and Kit, as well as between Niamh and Sinclair, Niamh and Rosa, etc., and felt like the friendships between the teen characters were very real. That said, I did find myself a little confused about WHY Niamh's magic was going to kill her, as I don't remember it being specifically stated. I wish the magic systems across the different nations (and their effects on people) had been fleshed out a little more - I remember something being said about Rosa's family's magic being related to the skies and weather, but not much else was said after. I also struggled to understand Kit and Jack's magic, but still found it cool nonetheless.

Overall, this was so gorgeous and such delightful, escapist fun. Everyone, go tell your libraries to buy this for their collections! You will not regret it!

Thank you so much for access to A Fragile Enchantment as an ARC! Allison Saft does such an incredible job with her writing, and this was no exception. The romance, the magic, the plot, the buildup of Niamh & Kit's relationship- everything was done so perfectly for a YA novel. Kit reminds me so much of Thorn from the Mirror Visitor series, just a bit more outwardly ~feeling~, which I LOVE. I also appreciated the unique magic system in this book and enjoyed seeing its effects for each character. Some tropes/themes in this book include found family, "you're-not-really-mean-you're-just-misunderstood", "I-hate-everyone-but-you", "I'm-only-acting-like-this-because-I-love-you-and-I-don't-know-how-to-handle-that", slight miscommunications, court politics, secrets, magic (including magic that manifests emotions into enchanted embroidery and FLOWER MAGIC!!! trust me), and most importantly, a sh*t ton of yearning. If you enjoyed A Far Wilder Magic, you will definitely love A Fragile Enchantment! This title releases in February of next year, and I highly recommend keeping an eye out for it once it hits shelves!

If you're looking for an atmospheric romantic historical fantasy with lush prose, look no further than A Fragile Enchantment. I have yet to read Allison Saft's other books, but I am definitely interested in reading more by her. My biggest standouts in this novel were the writing and the main character, Niamh. I'm not the biggest enemies-to-lovers fan, but I did enjoy the romance in this one. 3.5 stars, I highly recommend this!

Wow,
There is so much I loved about A Fragile Enchantment, this might be my favorite ARC this year.

The worldbuilding was excellent, the effortlessly queer cast, and the cozy fantasy feeling.

There is a 3rd act behavior that I didn't really enjoy but the ending made up for it for me!

This was a sweet story about burnout and doing things for yourself which everyone can relate to.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

I enjoyed this books but not as much as I would've wanted to.
A Fragile Enchantment started off strong and I very much liked every scene and interaction the MC had with other characters. I enjoyed reading about her magic and how it affects her differently. I also liked how the MC, Niamh, fears that because of her magic she may not live long and lead a full and happy life but after a while this got a little repetitive which made me a bit annoyed. I think this book lost it's charm after the 50% mark because I remember not liking this book after halfway through and wanting to not finish but I kept going on to be able to review this book properly. I extremely dislike meaningless fights between the love interests which is also why I lost interest in this book. Other than that, I think the book was a bit messy towards the end and I couldn't like it much after that. All in all, this book was fine and I think most people would enjoy it more than me, meaning it just wasn't for me.

Rating: 3 stars

I loved this book! Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope and this one delivered. Sunshine and grumpy main characters. The banter! Can’t help smiling while reading this. It was very endearing and cozy and at times pulled on your heartstrings. I couldn’t put it down. Even the secondary characters were interesting and able to carry their own weight throughout the plot. I highly recommend this book!

I was really hoping for an ARC of this after reading A Far Wilder Magic and I was not disappointed! This book was a delight. I feel like fantasy regency is getting more popular as a theme, but I have yet to read a fantasy regency novel as engrossing as this one. 1000000/5 stars. LOVED IT.

Its always hard getting into new fantasy books, because the worlds are so vastly different, that you almost need to relearn how to read in a way and relearn how to envision whats being read, however in this book the imagery is so breathtaking. Throughtout the whole book I kept thinking to myself "I wish there was a glossary on how to pronounce names of characters, cities, and cultures.
Because I didn't know how to pronounce alot of the words that were being used, I was little lost and felt quite dumb. The vocabulary was just very advanced for my liking but that is something I'd have to live with.

I absolutely adored the relationship between Kit and Niamh, and it was so refreshing not reading an insta love book. I loved how all the characters that we've grown to l0ve pretty much have their own type of magic, and I l0ved that it was a prominent part of the storyline.

All in all I enjoyed reading this book.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing, and I was excited to read this one, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I was hoping.

In the beginning I was enjoying this book with Niamh arriving at the court and meeting Kit. I enjoyed their interactions and seeing them grow closer, even though the relationship was a bit insta-love. Their relationship was a forbidden one and I liked seeing how that played out. I also enjoyed the magic aspect of the book with Niamh weaving magic into clothing. While I enjoyed the beginning, I did start to lose interest around the halfway point. There was a lot of elements happening at once throughout the book that made it a bit hard for me to enjoy. You have the political elements, civilian unrest, arranged marriage, forbidden romance, gossip columns, and magic. It was hard to stay focused with everything that was happening.

Overall, this was an okay read for me, there were some enjoyable moments that made it worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I had SO much fun reading this book! I loved Niamh and Kit’s relationship, and the friendships that she developed were really sweet as well. I wish that the side plots like the political unrest and the mystery behind Lovelace had been a bit more fleshed out though. I assumed from the blurb that those plots would be more prominent, but they definitely took a backseat to the romance (but the romance was amazing so I can’t really complain).

If you enjoyed Bridgerton or like period dramas and fantasy novels, definitely pick this one up!

There’s nothing I love more than a new Allison Saft book! Seriously— she’s the best and I’m obsessed with her delicate, atmospheric romantic fantasies. Everything she writes is pure gold in my opinion and A Fragile Enchantment is no different.

Set in a world inspired by England and Ireland in the years following the famine, while tensions are rife and the power imbalance between the countries is still hugely uneven, the story follows Niamh, a magical seamstress who travels over to work for the royal family leading up to the prince’s wedding. Far from home and labouring under the prejudice her people face, she finds herself living at the royal home and faced with her biggest nemesis yet— a mercurial, insolent young prince called Kit. They start off at odds with each other but as Niamh continues to pour herself into her craft and works her way deeper into the court dynamics, the walls between her and Kit start to shift.

The romance in this was just… ugh. Perfect. I loved how blunt Niamh and Kit were, how they didn’t shy away from vulnerability and how clearly they saw both the good and the bad in one and other. While this is a ‘forbidden’ romance (trope wise) I really loved how honest and careful they were with each other, especially when it came to the power dynamic. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the side characters contributed especially well to the way their romance unfolds! I was worried there was going to be an “other woman” type scenario but… Well, we’re all good on that front!

Allison Saft is extremely skilled at engaging with political and historical themes in her stories, and i really appreciated how she approached the dynamic of English/Irish relations and the plight of the Irish people at the time. While this is primarily a romance, the themes around inequality, prejudice and workers rights are key points in the wider plot.

If you’ve enjoyed Saft’s work in the past you’ll love her latest work, and if you enjoyed Bridgerton or Half of a Soul by Olivia Atwater, you’ll definitely enjoy A Fragile Enchantment. I found myself laughing aloud, tearing up, and fully emotionally invested by the end. I will forever recommend Allison’s books and know this will be a wonderful edition to her cadre of incredible stories!

First I love the cover stunning!
This book was just meh! I really wanted to love it but it just wasn’t for me. As I kept reading the more disinterested and annoyed I became with the story.