***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

A Fragile Enchantment follows a magic seamstress as she tried to manage to find her place in a hostile court with a bridge and groom not exactly rushing to the alter. This was a sweet romantic read.

For the most part I liked Niamh, she is very sweet and a bit naive but she is just so honest. She truly believes that everyone should be allowed to get whatever they put their hearts to. Its runs counter to the other characters who are more bound by duty. I loved the friendship that she developed with Sinclair and Rosa, to very different personalities but both driven by duty that is destroying them. The author has a great way of created multiple complex characters that deal with trauma and duty in unique ways that feel true to their personalities. I wish that we had gotten to explore this more with Kit as he has such a sad backstory that really shapes who he was. He is so afraid to let people close and I did feel so bad for him when he felt so betrayed after slowly breaking down his walls. All the characters deserved the greatest of happiness and it felt like it was just out of reach for some.

The central romance between Niamh and Kit was probably my least favorite part of the book, which is a shame as its the main driving point of the book. I just wasn’t that invested in their romance it had a feeling of instalove to me and I just didn’t fully understand what drew them to each other since most of their early conversations are stilted and Kit is mostly rude to Niamh and everyone else. It felt hard to cheer for them as the romance rushes through to the end, they don’t seem to really know much about each other. Yes they do forge a budding friendship that I wish had been explored more than jumping right into the romance. I also found the secondary characters romantic relationships much deeper than the leads are we barely get to see any of it. I would have taken a full book of their romantic story.

I did really like the magic system in this world. Niamh’s magic in particular was so beautiful, how she would weave emotions and feelings into the clothing that she was creating. How it impacts both the wearer and those that are viewing them. Simple but also very powerful gift that you hope the person creating the fabric likes you. The other magic is a little more simple but I think if it had been explored more it would have been more interesting.

One frustrating thing about this book is that it is trying to juggle too much within the story. Maybe if it had been longer than a standalone it could have given them proper attention. Instead it felt like they were added in to give the book tension that wasn’t really necessary. There is no real payout to it other than its just there. When the book does handle the conflict well is when it comes to Niamh and the way she is treated for where she is from. Because we are in Niamh’s POV we get to experience her emotions and thoughts as she experiences the discrimination and backhanded compliments from the citizens that desire her work but not her.

A Fragile Enchantment had a few flaws but it was a good read with strong complex characters and an interesting magic system.

I completely loved this book and found the plot very easy to follow along with. The characters were amazing, and Allison always has a way of writing a story and leaving readers captivated. This isn’t the first Allison Saft book I’ve read, I also liked A dark and drowning tide. I love how her books are always diverse. Highly recommend her books to fantasy romance readers.

This was such a cozy lovely romance that included some magic and fantasy aspects. This follows Niamh who is hired by the prince regent to use her magic and create outfits for the younger prince Kits wedding. Her background is from a part of the country that warred with the kingdom. I’m always a sucker for a grumpy hero and Kit was no exception. I loved his story and how he grew throughout the story. Niamh was a great character as well and the way they started to fall as she worked on the clothes was great. I also loved the found family with Sinclair, Rosa and Miriam. This is my first by the author but won’t be my last. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc.

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Part Pride & Prejudice, part Bridgerton, and a very generous dollop of fairy tale magic is the stuff A Fragile Enchantment is made of. That’s a problem, because it just feels all so derivative.

Normally, this wouldn’t bother me so much. Genre fiction of all kinds is beholden to the paths trodden before it. I can see the influences from authors as disparate as Jane Austen and Naiomi Novik inside this book. In my opinion, it becomes an issue when I (as a reader) keep thinking about other authors’ works as I’m reading the book in front of me instead of being completely immersed in the book I’m reading. For instance: While reading many scenes in this book involving Kit, I shouldn’t constantly be comparing him to Mr. Darcy. I should be fully invested in Kit as a character all his own instead of saying, “My, how very Darcy-like of him”. At one point, in the third act, there was another strong P&P correlation that actually made me groan aloud. That isn’t something I can applaud.

What saves this book is Allison Saft’s compelling and beguiling sentence composition and her elegant word selections. Her prose is absolutely beautiful when given free rein. When A Fragile Enchantment isn’t concentrating on being so rigid in its period restraints, the prose absolutely glows with loveliness. That’s what kept me reading to the end. I wanted to gobble up those beautiful sentences. It shows that Saft truly has talent as a writer. That was worth sticking around for.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Fantasy/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy/Standalone Novel

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?

This is a Bridgerton-inspired fantasy romance about a tailor from an oppressed colony who is invited by the Prince Regent to make clothes for his brother's wedding, giving her the opportunity to establish her reputation and move to the mainland with her family so her mother and grandmother won't have to live in poverty any longer. The marriage is a political one so there's no love between the brother and his wife-to-be, and of course Niamh (the tailor) falls in love with the brother.

There is unfortunately a lot that misses the mark here. The political unrest from Niamh's homeland is driving the plot, but Niamh isn't herself radicalized, and because we're only in her POV and she's among the noble Avalish, not the oppressed Machlishes (her own people), we don't really get a visceral sense of how bad it is for them, which undercuts the stakes. The magic system is under-utilized here--why was magic even important to this story? Niamh's magic could have simply be chalked up to talent, and no one else seems to use their magic in any useful ways. Niamh's chronic illness is also vague--at times she seems close to death, but there's no real resolution about how this illness could kill her at any moment or in 40 years. Finally, the love story feels underdeveloped. Niamh isn't a terribly compelling character, and Kit seems to be not just grouchy but actively mean for much of the book, and then all the sudden, Niamh's interest in him goes from intrigue/confusion to love, even though he continues to push/pull with her for the rest of the book.

I had high hopes from the beautiful cover and the Regency vibes with magic blurb, but I wasn't wowed by this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early with an e-arc.

This book was a solid 2 for me, for a few different reasons:

1. Main character was insufferable. She was so meak and mild with such little confidence throughout the whole book that even when she started stepping up it didn't redeem her whatsoever... I didn't see much growth from her as a person at all.
2. The conflicts were absolutely nonsensical. They get mad at each other over the silliest trivial things.
3. I didn't find a single redeeming quality for Kit. He truly is rude and obnoxious and yet FMC continues to love him. He was boring! And as one person says in the book "he's only gentlemanly towards YOU" which is true. He acts like a jerk to pretty much everyone but he's so "kind" per Niamh. Except he totally lets his brother lock her up at one point.
4. There were a lot of scenes that just sounded like a revamp of bridgerton. The croquet ball game? Lovelave? A duel? Screams bridgerton.
5. Insta love. These characters barely know each other and suddenly they're in love.
6. The unbelievability of the circumstances of Niamh's involvement in the family. Why in the world is she being invited to every family event and ball? She's part of the servant group.
7. The ending was too easily wrapped up. It was like the last two chapters everyone was magically better and all conflicts were resolved.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
Pub day is 1/2 🎉

Regency inspired ✨️ romantasy!

Niamh is a magical seamstress who is commissioned to create the wedding wardrobe for Prince Christopher and his betrothed. Politics, scandals, arranged marriage, really cool earth magic...and oops the wrong couple falls in love!

• This is truly what my cover dreams are made of. Before I knew a single thing about this book, I wanted to read it just for the gorgeous, romantic cover. It just *looks* like it's going to be a "me" book. (And it is! 🎉)
• There is a gossip column that is something like a Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown/Gossip Girl situation. I loved every bit of those scandal sheets!
• Loveable main and side characters. I loved that we've got some depth and surprises from our side characters. Hard not to love Kit, even though he is such a moody hero who struggles with vulnerability... 😅🤦‍♀️ Why do we like this? Must be the irresistible "I hate everyone but you" thing. And Niamh is a lovely match for him!!
• The worldbuilding is easy to understand and kind of... cozy. The characters have different types of magic. Niamh's woven enchantments are much more simple compared to the earth magic that Kit has.
• Crackly chemistry and plenty of swoony moments. Low steam/partial open door scene - YA appropriate, but in my opinion, not for upper MG readers who occasionally cross over into YA.

I hope this becomes a series because I don't want this to be over!!

Thanks so much Netgalley and Wednesday for early access to this eARC!

I am in shock at how much I enjoyed this book. I chose this book because of the cover. It is stunning. However, I was wary, as I am not your typical romantasy fan. Most of the time, the genre does nothing but frustrate me. I typically find that the characterization, worldbuilding, and plot suffer significantly with romantasy, and thus, my enjoyment of the book suffers. Yet, A Fragile Enchantment led me to believe there is hope for me with romantasy. Seriously, Allison Saft, where have you been all my life? This book was an utter delight.

Saft manages to create a wonderfully atmospheric world with an intriguing magic system, all while exploring mental and chronic illness, classism, racism, and homophobia seamlessly. Her writing is lyrical and lush. The romance made me swoon. I loved their banter and undeniable chemistry. Saft's side characters are fully developed and add much to the story. They were fantastic. This book was such a lovely surprise. Excuse me while I go and read Saft's entire back list.

Perfect for fans of:
enemies to lovers
grumpy x sunshine
political intrigue
Bridgerton Season 2

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

a charming and sweet ya romance and drama! i would give it 3.75 stars.

this book is exactly what it says it is: a sweet and pretty low-stakes romance and fantasy story. i liked how this story didn't solely focus on the relationship between niamh and kit, and i thought the relationships between kit and jack, kit and sinclair, rosa and niamh, and sofia and jack were well-written. the reveal of who was [redacted] genuinely shocked me!

i enjoyed this book! i've enjoyed the author's previous works and this is a solid and good addition to her previous writing! i would definitely recommend this if you enjoyed her previous books or if you like romantasy and a good ya romance.

thanks to netgalley and st. martin's press for this book

This a great quick read ya romantasy. I had no problem getting sucked into the plot, the tension was immaculate, and the story is easy to follow and unique. I really enjoyed the world, and I'm curious to see if it grows. I would definitely read a sequel.

A Fragile Enchantment left me conflicted. This book started off so lovely. Saft’s writing was enchanting; her descriptions of Niahm’s designs and the enchantments threaded within them were the perfect balance of descriptive and concise. Saft always found the perfect time to weave (get it) lore in without feeling too overbearing. From the start, I related to Niahm’s character (She must be a Pisces). She wants to be the perfect daughter, to provide her family with comfort without ever complaining. Her life & feelings are always a second thought to her family’s well-being. In addition to Niahm, I loved the other characters that were introduced and the unlikely friend group that came together. Side note: 1) Rosa gives off Audrey Plaza vibes, 2) I want Sinclair and Miriam to be my best friends. I enjoyed the similarities and differences of each of the characters and how they contributed to the story. As a lover of regency-inspired fantasies, A Fragile Enchantment was climbing to a 5-star rating.

My main issues lie with the resolution of the central conflict of the story. Without spoiling anything, too many problems needed to be solved by the end of the story. It felt rushed – big conflicts seemed too easily solved. I honestly felt like I must have misread something because of how thorough the first half of the book was. I was a bit disappointed.

Despite this issue, I still recommend A Fragile Enchantment to fans of regency-inspired fantasies. I overall really enjoyed the first half of this book and would love to read more of Saft’s books. I would just say, if you chose to read this, manage your expectations regarding the plot’s depth. Overall, I rated A Fragile Enchantment 3.5 stars: loved Saft’s writing, the setting, and the characters but was disappointed by how the book wrapped up some of the conflicts.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has magic to stitch emotions and memories into fabric but it comes at a steep price, it will kill her sooner rather than later. In order for her family to live comfortably she agrees to design the wardrobe for the royal wedding of the neighboring kingdom. She won’t have an easy time in Avaland though. Niamh and Kit Carmine, the groom, get close. Turbulence is on the horizon, strife within the common laborer rises. An anonymous columnist starts to whirl because Niamh and Kit’s fondness for each other grows from friendship into something more. Niamh is blackmailed into exposing the royal family’s secrets.



I really enjoyed this book, it was slow to begin with but it quickly picked up. I liked the characters even the unlikeable Kit, he grew on me.



Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader editions, in exchange for my honest opinions.


My review can be found on my blog: https://wellreadnovel.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-fragile-enchantment.html

Overall, it's a 2.5 rounded up. I really enjoyed the magic and worldbuilding here, and I generally liked the characters too, but I wasn't too keen on the romance tbh. I definitely felt like I was a little nitpicky about the pacing with the main couple even while I was actively reading, but I don't know. Some parts just felt a little too convenient for me plot-wise, and other moments were a little frustrating. But overall, Niamh and Kit did have some very cute moments together too that I was able to forgive most things. Definitely some super convenient things toward the end, but hey, at least it didn't get dragged out I guess. 😂

I did not finish this one. It just didn't catch my attention. With so many other things to read, I just didn't feel like spending time on this one. I appreciate getting the chance to have an ARC for this book.

Niamh has the ability to stitch emotions into the clothes that she makes, and while she loves her job, using her magic is slowly killing her. Her enchantments catch the eye of the prince regent of Avaland - the country that starved her native Machland - and he hires her to make the wardrobe for his black sheep brother's wedding. 

This book was sweet. This is the simple, cute, YA  regency romantasy that it advertises itself to be. I had a good time and there was a lot of different things that I liked, but I think that more could have been expanded upon. My favorite thing was how there was a consistent central focus on the Irish (Machlish) fight for freedom. Niamh is always having to deal with the fact that she is Machlish, and that othering doesn't go away. I liked those conversations. I liked the friendship group and how the characters interacted with one another. I thought the magic system was good, and I would have liked to see even more of the repercussions/uses of the magic. The regency setting was good and lightly permeated the whole book; I could've used even more of it. Both of the plot twists I saw coming from the first 50 pages or so. I also thought that the "spice" could have been pared back just a bit given that this is YA. It was just on the border of what I would have considered okay in YA.

Overall, this book is exactly what it says on the tin, and you can't fault it for that. I would have liked more of an expansion on the world, but I thought the characters were fun together.

Absolutely gorgeous. Allison Saft once again wraps the reader in a stunning world of subtle fantasy so realistic that it’s now difficult to imagine a life without magic. The characters are tragic and wonderful, and at times my heart literally ached for them.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books.

⭐️ A Fragile Enchantment ⭐️

Oh my heart what a book! I absolutely adored this adventure.

Niamh is a magical dressmaker commissioned for the royal wedding, only to find herself sewn into a web of scandal when the local gossip column writes of her undeniable chemistry with the groom. Kit is a surely prince, at odds with his family and his role, but reluctantly doing his duty to marry in a political alliance, despite his pull towards Niamh. Kit and Niamh work together to uncover the identity of the anonymous gossip columnist who has a bone to pick with the aristocracy.

Check this one out if you are looking for:
⭐️ YA fantasy romance
⭐️ Star-crossed lovers
⭐️ Forced proximity
⭐️ Enemies to lovers

I highly recommend for fans of YA romantasy. Thank you to Wednesday books and Netgalley for this ARC! A Fragile Enchantment is on shelves January 2, 2024! My opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for this eARC

This book was so beautiful. I loved the intricate writing that had me easily picturing the settings and characters. I found that I have a hard time with some books that are in Regency England(ish) settings. The language can be difficult and confusing, but this was NOT the case here.

The author did a fantastic job of making sure that the writing and dialogues were refined and appropriate for the setting, but still extremely digestible for the modern-day reader.

I loved how emotional all of the characters were in their own ways. Each carried different burdens and showed it in different ways.

The relationships felt real and modern, despite the era of this storyline. I had a ton of fun reading everyone’s banter

I just absolutely loved this and can’t wait for more folks to get the chance to be swept away by the magic of this book!!

4.5 out of 5 stars but rounding up!

This is just a cozy, fun, romantic fantasy with great romantic tension and banter (Niamh and Kit expressing their love for each other in their own unique ways was so funny and endearing and adorable).

The friendships in this story were top-tier, with Niamh forming meaningful and deep relationships with Rosa and Miriam. They all helped each other grow and understand themselves better. And Rosa and Miriam were always down for Niamh’s insane schemes, which is the mark of true friendship.

Niamh, Sinclair and Kit’s dynamic was impeccable too, with all of them being so different in how they show their love to each other, but it not meaning they love each other any less.

Niamh and Kit choosing their happiness and learning to accept love from others and just allow themselves to exist without having to prove their worth to the entire world. Their growth individually made me so proud.

Highly recommend!