I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

This one is for lovers of classic fairy tales and believers of magic.

I loved the magic system used here with our FMC literally infusing clothing with enchantments that illicit emotion.

I loved the banter, the forbidden love, the real stakes for our two MC and I so, so enjoyed it!

This one is YA so the spice is light but it was so sweetly done and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Unfort, as someone who lives and breathes by A Far Wilder Magic, this was so aimless and boring. I soft DNFed for like three weeks because it meant nothing to me. Kit is a douchebag and the MC is so dull :-(

If I’m being honest, I just couldn’t get into this audiobook. I feel like the story would have been a lot better had I been physically reading it.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair possesses an extraordinary and rare talent, she is able to seamlessly weave emotions and memories into fabric. Anyone who wears or sees the attire she created feels how she wants them to feel. However, this remarkable ability comes at a cost, gradually draining her life force. With such little time left, she decides to make the most of her remaining time, she agrees to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding, hoping to support her family. Yet, upon reaching the kingdom, she is quickly confronted with a harsh reality that shatters her romanticized expectations.

I enjoyed this world, the magic system, the banter, the romance, and even Lovelace (similar to a lady whistledown from Bridgerton), but I had some trouble connecting with Naimh. She seemed to be making so many decisions that keep leading her to even worse outcomes. I also felt like she was always determined to do the right thing, but that "right" thing she selected didn't always make sense to me. Overall I enjoyed the story, but felt like there were some missing pieces.

A Fragile Enchantment is a YA story about a magical seamstress, Niamh Ó Conchobhair, who is hired to create the wedding attire for a prince, Kit Carmine’s arranged marriage. Niamh is a Machlish, a group who have been conquered and are servants or poor families who are not appreciated by the ruling nobles. Some of them have magic, Niamh being one of them. Kit doesn't want to marry the princess that has been selected for him, but his brother insists he must to save Avaland. There is unrest brewing among the Machlish and rebellion seems imminent. The problem is, Kit has fallen in love with Niamh. Will they be able to be together, or must Kit marry to save the kingdom?

I love the term Romantasy, as that is what this book is. It takes Regency England with all it's pomp and circumstance, young nobles making their debuts into society with candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, as well as the excitement of a Royal Wedding and throws it into a fantasy world with magic. I liked Niamh's character from the get go. She was a strong, independent woman who was just trying to make a living for her family. She was kind, caring, loyal and smart. She gets caught up in the rebelling when she is caught in a compromising position, but tries to do what is right. Kit was aggravating at the beginning. He was a prince, but didn't bother to find out what was going on in their kingdom. He wanted what he wanted, but eventually comes around. With secrets, corruption, sneaking around, magic that is not controlled, love and more, this story pulled me in and had me smiling at the end when everyone does the right thing and there is happiness all around. Fran Burgoyne narrated this audiobook and she is a new narrator to me. I enjoyed her performance and voices. She made this a delight to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an early audiobook of A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT in exchange for my honest review!

In A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT, we follow Niamh who is an ambitious dressmaker, hired by the royal family to tailor and design the garments for the upcoming royal wedding of Prince Kit Carmine. Niamh and the prince do NOT initially hit it off, but Niamh doesn't let Kit's abrasive and surly attitude sway her from her task. As the two get to know each other, the walls come down and the chemistry ramps up until an anonymous gossip column starts to poke at their budding friendship, eluding that it may be something more. The columnist swears to back off if Niamh helps them uncover some dirt on the royal family. What a predicament Niamh finds herself in!

-- My Thoughts on the Story & Characters--
Niamh is the type of character I feel a lot of people will be able to relate to---both positively and negatively. Niamh is compassionate, ambitious, and considerate of others. However, her desire to do right by others, while an honorable quality, nearly destroys her. She is the kind of girl who will bend herself over backwards and sacrifice herself to make others lives better. Selflessness is admirable, but being selfless doesn't mean making your own dreams and wants smaller or worthless. We see this "threaded" in her character arc throughout the story and, I'll admit, it could be really frustrating at times, but it also is part of what makes her so relatable.

Unfortunately the romance between Niamh and Kit was not one I fully got on board with. Some things were just lacking in that area, but there were still some very swoon-worthy moments.

The magical elements in this book were very cool, but I wanted more of it!

I think the vibes of A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT are immaculate, though. Readers who love regency era historical romances like Bridgerton will absolutely love that about this book.

--My Thoughts on the Audiobook Performance--
A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is told solely from Niamh's point of view and I think the narrator captured Niamh's personality really well in their performance. I think my only critique (based on personal preference) is more differentiation between characters. Sometimes Niamh and Kit sounded the same in my ears and I would get confused on who was speaking.

Another lush, sweeping romantic fantasy from Allison Saft. Saft is quickly becoming a master of the genre and I'll read anything she writes!

I enjoyed this book. Regency romance isn't common for YA books so this was a breath of fresh air in a way. I also liked the touch of magical realism and mental health issues that bring depth to the characters and storyline.

I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy romance. Kit and Miami's chemistry was so fun, and I loved watching their relationship grow. The narrator did a great job! I can definitely see myself buying a physical copy of this book soon.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I enjoyed this one and thought the narration was great. My only issue is that there was 1 detail that felt unnecessary and like it didn't bring anything to the story (the negative affect of her gift). Otherwise, I liked the story and the characters. Lots of LGBTQ+ rep!

This was the second book I have read by this author and while the writing was stronger in this story I just at times felt the flow of the story was weighed down by unnecessary details. A very romantic story of forbidden love.

I really enjoyed this! Fantasy is not usually my cup of tea but this book kept just the right amount of magic for me not to be overwhelmed with those elements while still very much enjoying the story. A great step into fantasy!

This book was surprisingly sweet and I loved every minute of it. I was not able to guess who the tattler was and I enjoyed that part a lot. I like that I experienced the shock of the discovery at the same time as our heroine. If you are a fan of Bridgerton but want more magic and more political intrigue, then this is the book for you! It is YA and there's little to no spice! I loved the narrator for this book as well and their accents were great! I definitely recommend this one, Allison Saft is awesome!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! ♥

Looking for an enchanting Bridgerton-esque book with magic? Look no further. This story is simply beautiful. Niamh has the magic to sew enchantments into whatever she crafts and is hired to craft ensembles for a princes wedding. Then she meets the rather rude prince and decides to needle him every chance she gets. They, of course, end up falling for each other, and now she's crafting a wedding gown for his betrothed. Can't get much worse than that, can it? Oh, but it does... Serious Bridgerton vibes, and I am here for it!

This was an interesting novel but overall I think the plot was weak and it was just too YA for me. I liked the setting though and thought it was interesting!

Niamh is a seamstress who can sew emotions in fabric. When she's asked to make all the clothes for an upcoming royal wedding in a nearby kingdom, she knows that this opportunity will allow her to take care of her family. The groom, Kit Carmine, is immediately unlikable. He's harsh and unkind, and Niamh can't stand him, but after time, the two grow closer despite the fact that Kit will be married soon.

I loved Allison Saft's previous book set in this same world, A Far Wilder Magic, and I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I had a hard time with this book. For starters Niamh is unbelievably whiny and spends most of the book in a perpetual state of "woe is me." Kit is equally unlikable, treating Niamh like trash for too much of the book to bear. So if I didn't like both of the mains, who's left? A minor character? Not really. In the end, I decided that this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Though this book was not to my liking I did enjoy Fran Burgoyne's narration.

This was a delightful fantasy with an endearing narrator. The world building was interesting and paced well, the political intrigue felt interesting and approachable, and the characters were enjoyable.

If you’re looking for an enchantingly romantic regency fantasy with cosy vibes and a vivid magic system, A Fragile Enchantment is for you!

Niamh is a dressmaker from a family with a gift; some of them are able to stitch memories and magic into their creations. When someone wears one of Niamh’s dresses to Avaland it gets noticed by the Crown Prince, who commissions Niamh to make his brother’s wedding outfit, as well as his bride’s wedding dress. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but there are many politics at play, and Niamh soon finds herself embroiled in the royal couple’s lives… and the gossip pages.

I absolutely loved Niamh from the beginning, she has that ‘country mouse’ kind of character arc which allows you to experience the city with her, but her character develops through the narrative in a way that I adored. Seeing her learn to go after what she wants was magical, and it’s something I particularly love seeing in YA fantasy which is likely to be picked up by younger readers.

The way the relationships developed through the story felt organic and believable. Not everyone is always who you think, and everyone has secrets - especially in the upper echelons of regency society.

I enjoyed the way the various plot lines developed and came together through the book; they were fairly simple at the beginning, but as Niamh’s understanding of the city, political climate, and everyone’s struggles develops, there are a number of interconnecting threads which were woven beautifully.

Despite having some fairly heavy themes, A Fragile Enchantment had those cosy, lighthearted vibes which just make me smile, and I genuinely enjoyed and was excited to come back to it each and every time.

The narrator was wonderful and really brought the story to life. She felt like the perfect choice for this book.

Overall, I absolutely adored A Fragile Enchantment and will absolutely read more by Allison Saft in the future

This has been touted as a fantasy Bridgerton story and that's an accurate comparison. The writing is lovely and lyrical and full of sweeping graceful language. I was swept into the story and loved the romantic tension. It's certainly a super slow burn that focuses on the love story's journey and not the destination, but the journey is full of banter and fun. My issues came in with the ending....which didn't clear up any problems in their lives except their relationship. I enjoyed the themes of layers of society and layers of beauty. But what was solved in the end for anyone except our main characters? Maybe I was looking for more than I should. Maybe I should have just enjoyed the mind candy that this book is. Perhaps that's true. But in the end, this wasn't a favorite. The narration was very airy and breathy - which certainly added to the feeling of the fantasy story. As the story went on, that breathy tone did wear on me. This isn't a short book, and I might have liked more variation and a few characters who sounded less airy. That's a minor point in an overall enjoyable narration, full of emotional and meaningful pauses and inflection.

After reading this as a paperback, I was happy to revisit the story as an audiobook. Let me start by saying, the narrator was wonderful. I greatly enjoyed the Scottish-like accent she was attempting. My issue this time around was Kit. I don't know what it is about Kit, but I found him insufferable in audio-format. Now, granted, he's supposed to be a little insufferable at first, but I guess it took listening to his personality in audio format that there is something "not right" at first. Niamh is like a 10. I don't want to spoil anything, but Kit could have not done what he did and we would have been chill. Thank goodness for HEA.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the Audio ARC.