Out of all the gaslamp and regency-adjacent fantasies I’ve ever read, A Fragile Enchantment easily tops the list. Its delicate politics, Whistledown-like gossip column, and romance intertwined with magic and thorns make for an unputdownable story.

There’s an incredibly complicated prince, a lovely seamstress with unique magical powers, and a diverse supporting cast of characters. There are political machinations, kingdom politics, and threats of revolution. On top of all this, there’s an interesting set of magical powers at play. While the romance is central to the story, there’s so much more to A Fragile Enchantment.

I loved that A Fragile Enchantment adopted many of the themes prevalent in Austen’s writing and modern regency romances; however, it didn’t use many of the tropes we see so frequently in fantasy. There is no shiny bow that ties every loose end up nicely. There are no easy solutions in this book. The ending is hard-fought by all involved. While there is a happily-ever-after, it feels incredibly realistic.

Audiobook:

I highly recommend the audiobook for A Fragile Enchantment. With names like Niamh Ó Conchobhair, I was thankful for the audiobook so my brain wasn’t constantly glitching at each difficult name. The narrator, Fran Burgoyne, was incredible. Not only did she do wonderfully with Niamh’s voice, but she also nailed every single supporting character’s voice, including Kit, Rosa, Sinclair, and Jack. This audiobook was an absolute joy to listen to, and I’m so glad I picked up that format.

Tropes:

Bi Hero & Bi Heroine
Enemies to Lovers
Chronic Illness Representation
Male MC with LOTS of feelings
Grumpy/Sunshine Romance 🙂
Bridgerton & Austen Vibes
Lady Whistledown-like Gossip Sheet
Recovering/recovered alcoholic
Lots of Diverse Queer Rep

Final Thoughts:

A Fragile Enchantment is unbelievably beautiful. It is soft, delicate, and full of fierce longing. I loved this book immensely and hope the author pursues sequels or additional standalone books in this world.

Rating: 5/5! What a way to ring in the new year!

I adored this standalone fantasy - it had a fairly simple but intriguing plot, multiple romances, and a Bridgerton/Lady Whistledown-esque element that added to the story. Allison Saft does a great job of crafting interesting fantasy plots in immersive worlds, but her real talent lies in her ability to craft characters that feel real. I slowly but surely fell in love with this group of uncommunicative idiots.

I am super excited to pick up more of Allison Saft's novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This fell just shy of a 3 star for me. The first fourth of the book I really enjoyed. It was magical and the banter between the main characters was fun. From there I felt like it really dragged toward an ending, and I feel myself full of unanswered questions. I’m definitely a characters over plot person, but I just didn’t feel like it was enough. FMC was also not my favorite—the omg she’s clumsy trope is just overdone.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft was unfortunately a 3.5⭐️ for me. I listened to this instead of reading and I thought Fran Burgoyne did an amazing job narrating it. She was perfect and did a wonderful job. The world building was believable and the characters were good but it lacked development. I needed more details and more interactions and more chemistry.
And when the MFC let the MMC down I needed for him to not freak out the way he did. It drives me crazy when authors do that.
The last half of this book was rushed and tied in a messy bow and I just wanted more. I loved the cover and loved the genre.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Romantasy at its best! This angsty forbidden romance story made for an incredible end-of-the-year read! It had Bridgerton vibes along with wholesome relationships, strong character growth, beautifully intricate writing, and captivating magic.

I'm definitely going to go and read the rest of Allison Saft's books now!

4 1/2 stars!

This was a lovely young adult romantasy. Even though it was light on the fantasy elements other than some mild world building and details of magic, it definitely delivers on a swoony romance. Even better, it's an enemies to lovers trope. Gimmee Gimmee!

Niamh has been brought to the royal palace of another country to make the wedding clothing for the prince's upcoming nuptials. With her magical ability to blend emotions into her creations, she's creating a reputation as a talented seamstress and many are clamoring for her clothing. With dreams of using her abilities to secure financial stability for her mother and grandmother, Niamh is willing to work herself to the bone to earn a solid reputation. What she doesn't count on is finding herself caught up in an unforeseen romance. After all, the kingdom of Avaland looks down upon the Macklish people which is where Niamh is from.

I simply loved this book. It just had such a fun and flighty feel to it. Even though there were serious topics involved, it was still such a joyful and feel good book. I love it when true love wins out.

AUDIOBOOK: I also listened to the audiobook and truly loved the narration! 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review and the opinions contained within are my own.

I enjoyed this book overall but had trouble at time with the pacing and connecting with the two main characters for different reasons. Kit was so deeply unlikeable and I find that hard to get over even as he is more revealed and you see why he is so guarded and thorny. I found Niamh hard to connect with as well but more because she was so passive most times. I found it hard to get behind her and root for her Kit since I didn't think they were really right for each other or that them being together would be well received by either's family. The writing itself was interesting and painted a picture of this imagined world of magic and politics and gossip quite well but the pacing was slow at times and I found myself wishing something would happen.

I love the idea of Niamh's magic and how she is weaving part of her soul and memories into the garments she makes and I thought that it was used well in the storyline as well. I would have loved to understand more about what was making her sick and the basis for the magic in this world that the author mentions but never really delves into.

The audiobook narrator does a great job of telling the story and giving voice to each character. Her lilting voice was the perfect choice for Niamh and for the period of the story in my opinion.

I received an early audiobook copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher Wednesday Books in exchange for my honest review.

The concept is fantastic, but the story had a slow start.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair possesses a unique magical ability to weave emotions and memories into fabric. However, this skill is slowly draining her life force. Determined to make the best use of her remaining time, she decides to help her family by accepting an offer to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding. But upon arriving in the kingdom, she discovers that the reality is far from the fairytale she had envisioned.

It took a while for the story to really get going - about halfway through, to be exact. However, even though I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I would have liked, I found myself drawn in by the side characters. There was even this juicy gossip column that reminded me a lot of Lady Whistledown's Society Papers from Bridgerton. All in all, it was an okay read.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Saft, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is a cozy, YA fantasy that will be sure to warm your heart and invoke those Bridgerton regency romance vibes that you're searching for. I enjoyed Kit and Niamh's romance dearly, and loved the audiobook narration. It felt just as charming as the story. Forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, a grump and a sunshine, regency romance, what more do you want?

Thank you NetGalley, Allison Saft and Macmillan Audio for this arc.

First, I really enjoyed the narration. Fran Burgoyne did an amazing job with the voices, accent and emotions of the different characters.

This story was beautiful! Its is Bridgerton with a splash of magic. I was invested in the characters from the start. I found myself smiling and giggling and feeling like a fly on the wall of the court. I really hope there will be another season and more from Love Lace.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillain Audio for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This was such a gorgeously cozy world filled with characters that couldn't do anything other than touch your heart, and I loved every second of it! I think my favorite part is just how cozy the world and the magic are, while there is still high stakes and lots of political intrigue to be on the edge of your seat over.

My one issue was that the switch from enemies to lovers felt fairly abrupt to me, but I did enjoy Kit as a character and thought that he was such a sweet love interest. His intentions and motivations made the book so much more interesting at every turn. I really loved the way he ended up fitting with Niamh and her spirit.

This was an incredibly cozy book that was perfect for a rainy day and warm feelings. If you're looking for a fantasy book to brighten your day, look no further!

A Fragile Enchantment
By Allison Saft (a new to me author)
Publication date 1/2/24

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

The narrator is Fran Burgoyne with all characters read by 1 person. I believe the voice fit the characters with standouts of Niamh and Sinclair. Their voices were the most distinct because of the accents, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing was great and flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly.

The audiobook's flow was pretty good. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter started. The audiobook didn't have a table of contents but I used bookmarks so I wouldn't lose my place.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair (18) has a gift designing clothes and stitching her emotions inside. She is tasked with travelling to the kingdom of Avaland and dress Prince Christopher "Kit" Carmine for his upcoming nuptials to La Infanta Rosa. Kit and Niamh don't get along because of his bad attitude but as they get to know each other they become more than friends. There is plenty of political intrigue, class struggles, and magic in this YA, regency, romantic, fantasy.

Overall, the romance was slow burn with plenty of outside forces against Kit and Niamh. Kit's older brother Prince Regent "Jack" Carmine, King Felipe(Rosa's father) and Lovelace (think Lady Whistledown) disapprove of Niamh-a commoner-taking Kit's attention and causing a scandal. Kit stands up to everyone and does something for himself-love Niamh.

My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly.

Wow, this is the first Allison Saft I’ve read and I will be immediately looking into her backlist. This is the exact kind of cozy historical fantasy I enjoy. Niamh is a commoner seamstress who can weave emotions into her garments. Kit is a reluctant second son of a King who is back in his homeland after years of absence to forge a political alliance through marriage. The plot focuses on the relationship between Niamh and Kit, and the forbidden romance that blossoms between this grumpy/sunshine duo (he’s the grumpy). While the romance is the main thread line, the story also incorporates serious topics including Niamh’s chronic illness and Kit’s addiction, in addition to political strife as Jack struggles in his role as Prince Regent. The secondary characters that Niamh befriends, Kit’s best friend Sinclair, his betrothed Rosa, and Rosa’s lady’s maid Miriam, all add to the story and I found myself wanting even more time with this little group. Overall this book was an incredible listen, with the narrator’s accents for each character bringing them to life. I will also be looking up more books read by this narrator!

This book is perfect for fans of Bridgerton (for the gossip column) and Half a Soul (for the bits of magic in an historical setting).

This was like Bridgerton meets Divine Rivals. I love the overall idea of the book, but it just felt so slow to me. I could zone out for several minutes and still know what is happening…which isn’t how I prefers my fantasy books. It was fine.

Withholding my detailed review for A Fragile Enchantment as part of the Saint Martins Press Boycott until the demands of the boycott are met. They are as follows:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia and racism from their employee
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm the employee caused
3. Address how moving forward they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.

I really enjoyed this book. It was romantic and magical, with a sunshine x grumpy character dynamic. It's a very easy read, with likeable characters and an enjoyable plot that keeps you interested. My only complaint would be certain portions of the romance were a bit cringy or embarrassing, where the writing feels uncomfortable or silly, but that's to be expected in a romance novel especially with those aimed at a slightly younger audience.
For a young adult book, it did get a little spicy at moments, but then the chapter would end before it got explicit.
I listened to the audiobook version and I cannot recommend it enough. Fran Burgoyne did an incredible job with voicing the audiobook, with incredible character accents and emotions. I cannot recommend the audiobook version of this book enough.
I would also like to thank netgalley for giving me access to this book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.25+ stars

It was originally the gorgeous cover and fun title that attracted me to this book, so enjoying the story as much as I did was really just an added bonus. The plot itself was reasonably compelling, but what I really appreciated was the inclusion of several fairly well-rounded queer characters. That was a pleasant surprise as it’s still a bit rare (in my reading experiences, anyway) to have queer characters in fiction with a more historical setting, even when coupled with fantasy elements. I quite enjoyed this book (and am still completely captivated by the cover art!).

I also received an e-arc, so this review will speak only on the narration -since I got to experience both listening & reading on my own.

The narrator did such a fantastic job. As an Irish girl, I think the accents and voices were done very well. I appreciated that, primarily when I've heard some terrible Irish accents from narrators before, so I'm usually very sensitive. But Fran Burgoyne was an excellent choice!
Carried the charm, wit & heart of Niamh so well.

4 Stars
I adored the romance between Niamh and Kit - their forbidden love story was everything (though it did feel a bit like "insta love" at times). The side characters were great in this too (I loved Princess Rosa) and I really liked the Bridgerton feel in this (the reveal for Lovelace shocked me). The ending was predictable but very sweet and overall I enjoyed this historical fantasy romance!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This book was lovely and delightfully queer! From main characters to side characters! I really liked the magic system as well as the politics, though I could have used a little more detail about the politics in general.

I think standalone fantasies are hard to do in terms of world building and plot/resolution but I was really satisfied by this book!

It did get a bit YA-dramatic in the third act but I loved the ending - there are a couple of times in the last act that you wonder how our characters are going to get their happy endings, but rest assured that they do!

I really liked the narrator for this - I don't think I've ever listened to anything narrated by her before but I will absolutely be keeping my eyes out for other books narrated by her! She gave different voices to each character which can sometimes feel gimmicky to me but in this case, I think it added so much to this story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.