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.

I absolutely love Allison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic. With lush prose, the characters unforgettable, and the story imbued with a kind of magic that leaves you with an ache for more. But for me A Fragile Enchantment wasn’t that. It fell short when compared to A Far Wilder Magic.

I love the idea of A Fragile Enchantment. Where a young woman will do anything to save her family from destitution by using her divine magic that is somehow slowly killing her. We never get a concrete reason why the magic is killing Niamh. It’s something we have to accept and hope she doesn’t keel over and die by the end of the book.

As for the characters themselves, I never felt any real connection, where I needed to be glued to each page so that I wouldn’t be able to miss a single moment of what these characters could do. I didn’t have that mama bear instinct, desperate to keep the main characters safe, wanting to hold them close, away from the authors pen and ink, while rooting for them to have their happy ending.

For the story, it felt like a patchwork of under developed opportunities that could have been something exceptional. The slow-burn, forbidden romance, worked, but there was too much melodramatics between Niamh and Kit that readers may lose interest. I ached for my senses to be flooded, to smell the rich fragrance of Niamh’s divine magic threaded into a coat designed for a prince. Feel the anguish in falling in love with someone who felt just out of reach.

I wish A Fragile Enchantment was for me, but even though it wasn’t, I wouldn’t give up on Saft’s books in the future. I still think she’s a talented author with a gift at writing historical-fantasy romance.

If you enjoy historical-fantasy romance, brimming with a magic, and a forbidden romance check out A Fragile Enchantment.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

I'm afraid this was just okay to me. I will say that the writing was honestly pretty stunning and there were a few moments that I did enjoy. However, the way the plot unfolded and even the central romance really left me wanting. I feel like this book had too many plot threads and tried to connect all of them in a way that felt both rushed and convoluted. Because there was so much going on, I feel like the romance didn't really hit with me the way it was supposed to. Honestly, by the time I got to the last two chapters, I just skimmed until the end because I was honestly done. I will say that I didn't hate this, though, despite not entirely enjoying it. There were things to enjoy: like I liked the chronic pain rep with Niamh; I liked the varied representation (despite the fact that there was some pretty rampant homophobia among most of the royals); I thought the magic was interesting (but there wasn't nearly enough of it for my liking); and I do think the central premise was cute. I just think there was too much vying for attention that nothing really ended up resolving or impacting the story in a way I enjoyed.

I think I'm just repeating myself at this point, but I will say that if it sounds interesting to you, give it a try. It just didn't end up working for me, ultimately.

I really enjoyed many things about this book. Firstly, it was a fantasy romance where the romance (and also social issues) were given more weight than the actual fantasy part if that makes sense. There was still worldbuilding being done, and we still got to learn about the magic in the setting, but it was presented as a regular part of life. I love love loved this aspect of the book and honestly want to read more books with this kind of thing going on. I didn't have to worry about the protagonists saving the world in between their romantic moments and I liked that.

I liked how all the main protagonists that Naimh hangs around most of the time are queer.

I also really enjoyed the writing and the characters about 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time had nothing to do with this book in particular and more to do with romance tropes in general. I understand that light miscommunication is needed to keep the romance interesting but sometimes it makes me roll my eyes.

I liked how there was a slight rivals to lovers going on, but the rivals part wasn't drawn out obnoxiously. They actually got time to grow into friends and then into lovers instead of just having some weird obsession with each other.

I loved the slight Bridgerton vibes with the Lovelace papers going around! I also loved the secondary romance that was going on in the background.

The only thing I did not like was how quickly and nicely everything wrapped up in the end. Like for one, I wouldn't have forgiven a certain character for doing something that speedily. For two, I feel like the whole situation where she's falling in love with a man who benefits from her oppression could have been explored better and been given a more satisfying conclusion.

Bridgerton but make it fantasy!

I really liked this book, it was really cute and easy to read. I would consider it a light romantasy read with some touches on more serious subjects like alcohol abuse, grief, anxiety, and chronic pain.

The romance was great. Great tension and banter, and it was definitely the highlight of the book. The character development and relationships between all the main and side characters were a delight to read and I loved basically all of them.

I thought the magic and the worldbuilding wasn't super fleshed out or explained in a satisfying way. I wanted more information on the divine blooded and the political unrest that is the backdrop for this story. This is definitely a romance first, fantasy second sort of book.

3.5 stars for me!

Thanks to St Martin's Press/Wednesday and Netgalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed many things about this book. Firstly, it was a fantasy romance where the romance (and also social issues) were given more weight than the actual fantasy part if that makes sense. There was still worldbuilding being done, and we still got to learn about the magic in the setting, but it was presented as a regular part of life. I love love loved this aspect of the book and honestly want to read more books with this kind of thing going on. I didn't have to worry about the protagonists saving the world in between their romantic moments and I liked that.

I liked how all the main protagonists that Naimh hangs around most of the time are queer.

I also really enjoyed the writing and the characters about 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time had nothing to do with this book in particular and more to do with romance tropes in general. I understand that light miscommunication is needed to keep the romance interesting but sometimes it makes me roll my eyes.

I liked how there was a slight rivals to lovers going on, but the rivals part wasn't drawn out obnoxiously. They actually got time to grow into friends and then into lovers instead of just having some weird obsession with each other.

I loved the slight Bridgerton vibes with the Lovelace papers going around! I also loved the secondary romance that was going on in the background.

The only thing I did not like was how quickly and nicely everything wrapped up in the end. Like for one, I wouldn't have forgiven a certain character for doing something that speedily. For two, I feel like the whole situation where she's falling in love with a man who benefits from her oppression could have been explored better and been given a more satisfying conclusion.

Oh. My. God. The second I read “…design the wardrobe for the royal wedding…” I KNEW I’d love this book (I’m a fashion design student what can I say.) This was my first experience with Allison Shaft’s work and I can say without a shadow of a doubt I will now be reading everything she has ever written and waiting [im]patiently for the next one.

This book was everything my little queer, magic loving, fashion student heart has ever needed. There was LGBTQ+ representation, there was grumpy x sunshine, there was a bridgerton-esque gossip column. There was magic infused fashion (I seriously wish I could do that) and just about anything else I’ve ever needed.

I do not have a single complaint. I loved this book. This will be added to my favorites book-self the second I get my hands on a physical copy.

I think the best word to describe this book is “lovely”, because it was just that.

A Fragile Enchantment is like Pride and Prejudice meets Bridgerton but with a delicate fantasy twist. 💕

The story focuses on Niamh, a seamstress given the opportunity to use her ability to enchant emotions into clothes to design the outfits for an upcoming royal wedding. But, after meeting and butting heads with Prince Kit, Naimh’s and the future of the kingdom is bound to change forever.

This book was filled with friendship, political intrigue, and all the angsty longing. The style of writing was so very lovely and had such a romantic, classic feel to it.

I loved the magical element, all of the emotions Niamh put into her clothes were just beautiful. It was certainly an interesting fantasy feel that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

Easy EASY 5 stars for me! This book had me giggling, twirling my hair, kicking my feet. I think I actually swooned at one point. Don't forget the tears! This had me feeling all of the emotions.



I absolutely adored this book, for a few reasons. Firstly, the magic system was very interesting to me though I do wish it was a little fleshed out more. I enjoyed the easy combination of period piece and fantasy world. I thought the dialogue was perfect and read so smoothly. There was a perfect amount of banter that had me smiling so much. Don't get me started on the LGBTQ+ rep, especially my Bi icons, I love to see my people.

The enemies-to-lovers romance was perfection, Kit and Niamh were amazing for each other and I loved their journey to discovering that. They had such a complex relationship and I was so invested. Every interaction they had felt important. The entire cast of characters was great as well. I enjoyed the stories on the side and felt that they were well developed!

This was my first Allison Saft novel and it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press & Wednesday Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.