So I thought A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft was coming out today, but it turns out it came out on January 2nd… whoops! Well you’re getting my review of it today anyway so enjoy!

This novel was basically Bridgerton but with a bit of magic and political intrigue thrown into it! I thought Niamh was a great character and all of the supporting characters were just as likable in their own ways.

It took me a good number of chapters to really get into the book, but I thought the romance was cute and the court dynamics just added an extra layer of depth to this YA novel and it helped me get more invested in the story as it went on.

I ended up enjoying this book and I think fans of Bridgerton will enjoy it!

*I received an ARC from Wednesday Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is an absolute gem. It’s a bewitching blend of magic, romance, and intrigue that will leave readers spellbound. A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft weaves a spellbinding tale of magic, love, and scandal in a Regency England-inspired fantasy world. Set against the backdrop of a royal wedding, this romantic fantasy of manners invites readers to step into a world where emotions are stitched into fabric, secrets lurk behind elegant ballrooms, and love defies societal norms.

Meet Niamh Ó Conchobhair. She’s a gifted dressmaker with a magical ability to weave emotions and memories into her creations, faces a cruel fate. Her bloodline carries a curse: the same magic that fuels her artistry will ultimately consume her life force. Determined to secure a better future for her family, Niamh seizes the opportunity to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighbouring kingdom.

Meet Kit Carmine. He resides in the neighbouring kingdom and is a reluctant participant in a political alliance. He’s also the groom. As Niamh and Kit grow closer, will their chemistry become undeniable?

Saft's prose transports readers to a world where love dances with danger, and where the heart's desires clash with duty. The enchanting characters come alive against a backdrop of candlelit balls and hidden intrigues. Niamh grapples with her own mortality and challenges the status quo.

A Fragile Enchantment captures the essence of romance, mystery, and the magic that binds us all. Saft's writing sparkles with authenticity, and her characters linger in our hearts long after the final page. Whether you're a seasoned fantasy reader or a newcomer to the genre, this novel promises an unforgettable journey through love, scandal, and the threads of destiny.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such an absolutely magical and wonderful fantasy. I thought the me magic and lore of this book was SO fantastic. I loved the romance and friendships between the characters. Absolutely LOVED Saft's A Fragile Enchantment and will absolutely be picking up any and all releases. A new auto buy author, for sure.

Enjoyed this book. not terribly but it was alright. I enjoyed the world in which it was set and the magic system but was not attached any of the characters.

Absolutely loved this one! Kit and Niamh are the perfect grumpy x sunshine pairing. Both are also bisexual, and I especially adored the way they connected over this. The side characters were so great as well.

This story brought the historical vibe I adore, and although it was fictional, it said a lot about the treatment of the Irish during the regency era. The social implications felt very real to me as well.

Ultimately, this was equal parts angst and sweetness alongside a compelling plot, and im a huge fan!

Huge thanks to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm juts going to post the summary as per Goodreads. It pretty much says it all.

Summary:
In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

This book was fine, I liked the premise, the plot was easy to follow and I like the Irish influences that were prominent throughout the book. The characters were a sunshine and grumpy trope with the prince brooding the majority of the book. The FMC was easily likable and I rooted for her throughout the book. The romance was okay but was not my favorite. It seemed forced and I had a hard time rooting for them. Overall not a bad book. It didn't reinvent the wheel or anything but still had good writing despite the romance.

Overall three stars. This is a good book that was an easy read but, in my opinion, is a one and done read.

Stopped at 65%. I wanted to enjoy this SO deeply but the pace was slow and the romance did not really deliver. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I ended up DNFing this book, unfortunately. I thought the writing was stellar, but I just didn't find myself engaging with the characters and plot.
I find it challenging to read new adult/young adult books, so that may have been the reason.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC. This book was wonderful! This is my second Allison Saft book and I really enjoy her writing style, it is sooo captivating. The romance is swoon worthy and I loved them sooo much. I want to say more but I will make a longer review on my booksta (:

I’m starting to think that Allison Saft just isn’t for me! Every time, the premise of the book sounds interesting but I just can’t enjoy the characters or the worldbuilding. Niamh sounded promising at the start but became annoying very early on for me. Her romance with Kit felt weak and not developed enough. The description of the society was so much like real life (ie England and Ireland) and I feel like the story leaned too much on the real world history, rather than explaining the social issues within the book. It just wasn’t super enjoyable for me, though I know a lot of people enjoy Saft’s work.

a fun fantasy romance book with a good twist of enemies to lovers! this one was a little slow for me but i still enjoyed it

I very much wanted to love this book! It had all the elements of a story that usually grab me - an enchanting cover (created by an artist whose work I enjoy!), a promise of a romantic, magical fairy tale. But there was just something missing that caused me to check out when it came to my investment in what happened to these characters.

However, I am truly grateful to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC, and for the opportunity to read this early.

A fairy tale atmosphere, magic that is killing its wielder, and a royal wedding make this a book that was bound to catch my attention and keep me hooked.
What I Loved
1. Wonderful Queer Rep across the board
2. Enchanting writing that kept me glued to the prose even through the slower moments of the plot.
3. The main character's weakness is very chronic illness-coded which I could not help but appreciate.
What didn't work as well for me
1. The ending romantic development felt like it was forced into an m/f dynamic after building up a strong polyamorous possibility for the entire book. ( I might be projecting a bit there though.)
2. The romance element of the book was a lot stronger than the fantasy elements of the book when I set myself up to be expecting the opposite.

Who would I recommend this title for

A Fragile Enchantment will be the perfect read for fans of stories such as An Enchantment of Ravens who love romance with a dash of fantasy to pull it together.

Saft wanted to do a lot with this book, and achieved maybe 40% of what she set out to do, it feels like. What I mean is:

- There was a lot of positive queer representation (though only among the good guys/young people), including both main characters being bi and a number of supporting characters being gay or lesbian. My complaints about the ending (spoiler tag below) detail why this was not quite the success it could have been, to my mind. I spent most of this book expecting a Why Choose/Poly ending between Naimh, Kit, and Sinclair, and maybe Rosa and Miriam, too, and for all that it's not really my preference when it comes to romance, I really felt that Saft had set it up to end that way, and so I found myself disappointed by the typical M/F romance we got, with a side of Rosa/Miriam and nobody for Sinclair (perhaps as punishment for "betraying" his friends by taking a stand for Machlish rights and trying to earn some money as a gossip columnist?).

- There was civil unrest that reminded me (an under-educated American) of the Irish famine, but not much was actually done with that, and I never received a satisfactory explanation for why pseudo-England was being blamed for it. (Sure, their royal family has plant magic, but everywhere it says that magic has been diminishing. I really doubt they were able to cause a blight on that scale.) Seriously. No actual solution was suggested at any point beyond "meet with this one protester," and I don't know if she has any actual authority to dictate terms on her people's behalf or is just the squeakiest wheel.

- The heroine has a mysterious genetic disease that sounds a bit like rheumatoid arthritis, but also causes a streak of her hair to lighten and spread until, I guess, one day her hair will be all white and she'll drop dead. It mostly seems to make her hands go numb at exciting plot moments and cause her to faint when it is important for the romance arc that she do so. "Working too hard" can exacerbate it, but her goal is to do as much as she can before it kills her, so it seems Naimh's goal is to kill herself on purpose through overwork? Either way, nothing is really said or done about this, it just seems like an excuse to have Kit fuss over the heroine.

I don't know. I finished the book yesterday evening and today I had to look up the names of the main characters. It was that unmemorable. Nice cover though.

A Fragile Enchantment is a romance novel with a tiny bit of magic. I would have preferred more magic and less romance, but that is not the story being told. We have a young seamstress from Machland who is looked down on as nothing better than a lowly servant, though she has immense magic. I appreciated the little details that we got as she sewed the clothes for the prince and his bride. I think this would have been a better book for me if there had been less focus on the romance and more on the magical and political aspects of the story. If you are looking for a romance-heavy book with magic aspects, check this one out.

I was captivated by this book from the start. The lore and intrigue of a past we are not immediately privy to drew me in. The author writes Niamh so well. She has emotional depth and turmoil and conflict that is consistent throughout the book that is hard to find in fantasy romances. I found myself rooting for characters and wanting friendships to grow more than anything else. I thought the story was intriguing, easy to follow, and consistent from beginning to end! Highly recommend 😊

When I think of cozy reads, I think of novels that leave me feeling content and warm inside. I would categorize A Fragile Enchantment as a cozy regency romantic fantasy.

The romance is a slow burn and sometimes felt a little more slow than burn but there many parts that made me swoon. Because of the tension that gradually builds as Niamh and Kit become closer, it is utterly satisfying when they finally give in. The problem is that it's somewhat short-lived because he's obviously the groom but another major plotline gets in their way.

The friendship I unexpectedly liked most was the one that eventually developed between Niamh, the bride's chaperone Miriam, and the bride Rosa. I was hoping they would become friends and was happy when it happened. Where Niamh is somewhat naive about court politics and high society, Rosa is aware of what role is meant to play but also knows how to wield what power she may have. I liked Rosa's influence on her.

Overall, I liked this one. There were some parts when the story slowed. Then there were others when the story felt overly dramatic, in a good way. I couldn't help it when my heart stuttered. A Fragile Enchantment is perfect for fans of regency romances who like a sprinkle of magic. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Another teen/YA book that I was surprised I loved as much as I did.

If you haven’t yet, read this.

The fact it was made into a FL special edition should show you that it’s a good book.

Definitely recommend reading this.

I'm not a huge fantasy reader but this book was so well written and had fantasy mixed in with reality that made it easy to consume myself in this new world! the slow burn love story kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat.

copy provided by netgalley

Love, love, LOVED the setting for this alternate history world of Regency England with magic. Working class Niamh and aristo Kit gave me the perfect sunshine and grump to cheer for in this gorgeously written romantasy - so much chemistry!