Oh what a bummer. Bridgerton vibes with a little bit of magic?! I really wanted to love this book. But alas, it was not meant to be.

First, I did like the writing. It felt really lush especially because the main character is a seamstress and her magic deals with emotions. So every time she would describe the clothes and the memories that she would weave on them the writing was really a plus. But that's about it that I liked.

Our main character has a serious case of martyr complex. She is just so nice to everyone and she has to shoulder every single sacrifice. Why oh why can't the world be nice just like her?! Oh please. I was going to say that she has no other characteristics, but she is just so clumsy. Isn't that adorable?! And our brooding prince just has to save her from clumsiness all the time. Isn't this so sweet? Isn't this enough to believe in their love even though every interaction that they have they are snapping at each other until suddenly they love each just so much?! And our love interest, the aforementioned brooding prince. I can't even say anymore about him because the book doesn't give me anymore about him. He has some plant magic though that behaves erratically until it doesn't for no reason. The other characters are just as empty as the main 2 if not more.

The main female character really disappointed me. I was ready for a kind of different protagonist. We always see the badass, the warrior, the competent, take-no-bullshit kind of character. So, I was excited to see one that breaks from this mold and pushes the story forward in a different way. But that's not what we got here. We got an outdated version of what a feminine main character was thought to be. The story happened to her.

And what about the political unrest subplot? What? It had no worldbuilding for us to care about the world and the problems this world has. It's just so flimsy - the issue that Jack has and that he was able to hide that from his entire parliament (even when the book explains that the prince regent is pretty much a figure head) is just unbelievable.

I will try other Allison Saft books because I liked the writing. But this one was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

As a regency romance enjoyer, this was a joy to read. A Fragile Enchantment follows Niamh, a magical seamstress hired by the royal family of Avaland to craft a wardrobe for the prince's wedding. Hoping to take care of her family financially, she accepts the job despite tensions between Avaland and her home country, Machland. Niamh quickly finds herself entangled in the personal lives of the royal family and their court. But most inconveniently, she develops a deep connection with Prince Kit, the moody and reluctant groom.

The romance that develops between them is a little juvenile at first but ultimately so sweet and warm. What makes it more interesting are the actual consequences to Niamh and Kit being together rather than the conflict simply being a lack of communication that could be solved in one conversation. Another great surprise was that both of the main characters are bisexual, and it’s addressed in a way that deepened my understanding of the characters and the culture. Although the world-building isn't the most developed, it’s immersive enough to keep me invested in the political conflict—which only intensifies the stakes of the romance. The side characters are dynamic (and almost all beautifully queer! :D). I also loved how viscerally and emotionally expressed the magic was.

If you’re interested in a regency romance with cozy, magical charm, you will enjoy this one. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Cute and very lovey dovey. It was less of an enchanted love story than I was expected, and it read much more like historical fiction novel than fantasy. There's magic, absolutely, but not so much written to overtake the story and narrative. I enjoyed it and do recommend it for a quick and cute love story.

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!

A Fragile Enchantment followes Niamh Ó Conchobhair, a seamstress with a magical ability to stitch emotions into the clothes she makes. Niamh’s reputation gets her the opportunity to travel to the neighboring kingdom of Avaland to create the wedding clothes of Prince Kit Carmine. Being Machlish, Niamh knows that going to work in Avaland will provide its own challenges due to old prejudices.

Kit is rude and abrasive towards Niamh when they first meet. Niamh needs this job and the money it will bring. She wants to bring her mom and grandmother to Avaland so they can have a better life. However, the same magic that lets her make magical garments is also killing her the more she uses it. Niamh has to pull out all the stops to be able to keep the prince happy and keep her job, even if it means shortening her lifespan in the process.

The more Niamh and Kit work together, they both start to develop feelings towards each other. The only problem is that Kit is engaged to be married to ensure a political alliance with the kingdom of Castilia. When the Tattler, a gossip column, threatens to reveal their secret unless Niamh finds out what the royal family is keeping secret ot puts Niamh in a compromising position. The Tattler seems to be pro Machlish, so Niamh is torn between supporting her homeland and supporting Kit and his family.

This was a fun, magical read. I enjoyed the character of Niamh. Despite all the obstacles stacked against her, she kept her head held high and never gave up. A Fragile Enchantment has a lush and romantic vibe to it.

Thank you Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft delivers on a fun, romance-forward fantasy. Our main characters, Niamh and Kit, really deliver on the romance. I find most books that feature a grumpy/unlikable love interest do not always make the love interest a character you want to root for, let alone a character you want the other main character to end up with. However, Saft nails this by skillfully walking the line between making Kit prickly while still having a soft-side brought out by Niamh.

As much as the romance delivered, I do not feel as though the actual plot and world-building were quite as well executed. While by the end of the book steps were taken to work out some of the problems that constituted the plot, no true resolution occurred in my opinion. By the end of the book, I was left wondering what was going on in the background and how those elements were seemingly resolved. As for the world-building, many fantasy books are clearly based on Europe and European history, I could not get over how obvious it felt that the main character was supposed to be based on this world's version of Ireland and her love interest was clearly this world's version of a Prince of England who was engaged with this world's version of Spain. This is not necessarily a negative, but it was very noticeable and did take me out at times.

Regardless, the characters were so enjoyable and the romance had me kicking my feet so I cannot give this less than 4 stars. If you really like romantasy, I definitely recommend.

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC! Unfortunately I really struggled to get into A Fragile Enchantment—I had high hopes because I loved her debut and sophomore novels but I thought this was forgettable and the characters weren’t very captivating. I am, though, still looking forward to/planning to read her future works.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC. The story follows Niamh O Conchobhair, a magical dressmaker who is hired to travel to the kingdom of Avaland to make clothes for the royal wedding and finds herself embroiled in politics, gossip and an undeniable chemistry with the Crown Prince, who just so happens to be the groom.

This was a lovely, light hearted fantasy romance. I was pleasantly surprised by this book - I’ve had some issues with fantasy romances lately but this one was not stereotypical at all and I found the relationship between Niamh and the crown Prince, Kit, to be well developed, believable and very passionate. I loved that both are flawed but still likeable characters and the tension between them is very well done. The side characters are also great - especially Infanta Rosa and her dead pan humour.

This book is definitely more romance than fantasy, the relationship between Niamh and the Prince is the core of this novel and while there is magic and fantasy elements the world building of the fantasy takes a bit of a back seat. I did enjoy that Saft clearly drew on European history between Ireland, England and Spain to create the fantasy world but there was little world building outside of the politics - no explanation for the magic or why Niamh’s magic was hurting her. I also found the ending to be a bit rushed - there is no real resolution of the political issues besides a hopeful "it will hopefully get better" sentiment and there is absolutely no resolution for the issues with Niamh's magic.

While a light hearted novel there was some serious subject matter that was dealt with almost in passing (t/w for alcoholism, colonialism and mentions of physical abuse) - sometimes in a blink and you'll miss it reference. Overall, I thought that some of the darker subject matter felt out of place at times with the light hearted nature of the romance, but it did add some depth to some characters (such as Kit and Jack) that helped to explain their actions and personality.
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Overall this is a cute, fluffy fantasy romance with some hidden depths.

When Niamh is summoned from Machland to be the prince’s seamstress, she knows this is her opportunity to make a name for herself and support her family. But as she begins to sew and her feelings for the prince grow, Niamh finds herself embroiled in royal politics and willing to risk everything to save those she loves.

I enjoyed everything about this book from the character arcs, to the pace, to the plot itself. The setting was well done and the magic system was different and fun. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.

A cute fairytale romance that shows love knows no boundaries. I enjoyed the banter between our two lovebirds and how Niamh is a spitfire to Kit’s broodiness right from the get go.

I would have loved a deeper focus on the magic system and how the royals plan on demolishing the racial injustice and repairing relationships between them and the “commoners”.

This book... I had heard so many AMAZING things about this read, and let me tell you. The hype did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down. It was beautifully written, and the imagery was perfect. I just... I can't say enough good things about this read.
HIGHLY recommend.

Absolutely loved the setting, plot, and characters. Such a fun and whimsical read!! I can't wait for more releases in the future from the author!

Thank you to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Niamh isn’t just a superb seamstress– she can literally imbue the fabric she sews with emotions by draining her own energy. She’s the girl who sewed a dress so beautiful it netted a woman a duke for a husband. Now, offered a position to create the wedding wardrobe for an Avaland prince and his bride, she’s filled with hope at the possibility of escaping poverty in her native country and taking her family with her. But her arrival in the capital city of Sootham is nothing like what she expects. The city is wracked with political turmoil while the nobility indulges in decadence. The king is strangely hands-on with the most minor of affairs in the palace. And the Avaland prince, Kit, is an utter prick. But as Niamh and Kit gradually become friends, Niamh finds herself closer and closer to understanding why the kingdom of Avaland teeters on the precipice as her own health does the same.

This is a cute fantasy with a welcome portrayal of chronic illness and the lightest brush of anticolonialism. Because there are descriptions of beautiful clothing and an anonymous gossip columnist who plays an important role, it gives off some Bridgerton vibes. There’s some very lovely imagery at points.

But as much as I occasionally like a fluffy light fantasy, the setting and romance were insubstantial and I didn’t find either compelling. Suspension of disbelief is definitely necessary here. The world is based on a very slightly reskinned version of England and Ireland politics, I kept getting caught up by how there’s no way an entire country, much less an estate, could be run like this. The magic system doesn’t seem to have much of a foundation. The romance is mostly insta-love on Niamh’s part, but I’m a bit of an idiot and was briefly confused for a while that this was a het romance at all because Niamh alludes to liking girls when Sinclair discloses he doesn’t want to court women (‘“we are of a kind”, she said’ after remembering kisses with a pretty girl named Erin).

3.5 stars. Allison Saft crafts an enchanting fairytale that's atmospheric, whimsical and swoon worthy. A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is giving Bridgerton, royal romance and well tailored aesthetics worthy of any YA romantasy lovers.

What a cute book! I enjoyed the story and I love the names the author used. They are so beautiful! The characters were adorable. I wish the writing had been a little more polished but other than that, I enjoyed the book.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I have tried several times since receiving this ARC to read it, and every time I find myself becoming bored and wandering within the first few chapters. I was hopeful it was a moodreading issue, and that trying again would work well for me as it normally does, but the premise just isn't living up to what I hoped it would be.

This book was another amazing romantic fantasy from Allison Saft. While I think A Far Wilder Magic remains my favorite of her books I've read so far, this one is still one of the best YA romances I have read. Saft is a master at yearning and longing and you could really feel that in the characters in these books. I also enjoy the themes of justice and belonging that she weaves into her books.

I went into this with kind of low expectations because I wasn’t that big of a fan of Alison’s last book, but A Fragile Enchantment blew me away. The writing was stunning, the plot was easy to follow along and not dull, and I loved this cast of characters! Niamh is such a caring gem, and Kit, the typical moody prince boy was fun to crack open.

I also loved the little side plot of figuring out who the mysterious columnist was and the was this unraveled reminded me a bit of the anonymous writer in Bridgerton.

Anyways, I just really enjoyed the writing style, I can’t say that enough. It was gorgeous and I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy fantasy!

This was a lovely story. It leans more romance than fantasy. I think a some of the magic and world building could have been a little more in depth. Overall I enjoyed the characters and the experience. The idea around Niamh's magic is really creative. Enchanting clothing she makes with feelings and other magical elements was really enjoyable to read through.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review. Though I’m for sure going to buy a copy for my personal library.

The story is original. I’m in love with the characters. The writing is to die for. I cannot say one negative thing about this book.