Quick Summary: A fantastical NA regency experience

My Review: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a "Regency England-inspired fantasy" novel. It is marketed toward teens and YA.

About the Book: In a tiered class system, a magical dressmaker finds herself caught up in a struggle between the haves and have nots. All is not as it would seem, as more is at play. Relationships, political machinations, scandal, brokenness, and heavy burdens weigh the leads down. Love lifts them up.

My Final Say: This was a highly interesting story. There was so much more to it than I expected. It had diverse characters who shared a sameness, in a sense. It also had an ugly-beautiful quality to it, in terms of the oppression of some (although it could be said of all), the dysfunctional society of people, the need for justice, the embracing of the forbidden, and the individual moments of growth and actualization. There were dangling threads, however, in the scheme of things, it did not lessen what ultimately transpired between Niamh and Kit.

Other: Because of the nature of much of the content in this book, I would suggest it be marketed as a NA versus a YA/teen read. It would be more appropriate.

Special Remarks: I had the pleasure of being able to read a digital copy of this work, as well as being able to listen to an audiobook of it. While I enjoyed both experiences, I preferred the audio. The e-ARC dragged a bit in some spots, which made my interest wane at times. The audiobook kept the character play fresher, which caused me to be more engaged with the process.

Rating: 3.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Recommended Audience: NA
Status/Level: 💬

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publishers (St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for providing access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given.

This slowly grew on me the more I read it. I sometimes struggle with Romantasy because I always wish there was more fantasy than romance, but this one is one of the best that I've read. It's very cozy and the magic vibes were well thought out. I'm really hoping this is actually the Jan pick for Owlcrate!

Not giving a star rating. (Unfortunately with NetGalley, I have to leave a rating. I won’t rate the book elsewhere.)

Use of modern slang in a fantasy world.
DNF for me as it completely takes away from the world building.

Thank you Wednesday books for the e-ARC. I’m sure it’s a great story for those that can get around the slang.

4.5 stars! I absolutely adored this book!

A Fragile Enchantment is a heartwarming historical fantasy that will captivate you with its tenderness and charm.

The regency-esque setting and grumpy x sunshine romance is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice, complete with a magical twist.

First and foremost, I loved the characters. Niamh and Kit will forever have my heart. Their banter and repressed pining gave me life and I loved them together from the start. Their enemies to friends to lovers relationship was so perfectly crafted - it had me feeling all of the feels.

I also enjoyed the side characters (Sofia, Rosa, Miriam, Sinclair.. even Jack). They were all well developed, and each had their own perfect place in the tapestry of this story. The friendship group that formed was a sweet touch as well and I loved seeing them all interact.

Secondly, I greatly enjoyed the magic in this. It felt very whimsical and fairytale-esque. Niamh's ability to weave emotions (enchantments) into clothing was unique and just overall super cool to read about. And Kit's plant powers reacting to his feelings involuntarily? /swoon. The magic system itself wasn't gone into in depth, but I didn't feel like the story suffered because of it.

And for those of you looking for more than just a romance, there are various levels of politics prevalent in the story also. These affect all of the characters at one point or another (in different ways) and add a layer of realism to the world.

This was my first time reading something by Allison Saft and it has fully convinced me that I need to check out her other work! I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Naimh is just a commoner who has never done a selfish thing in her life. She was hired by the prince regent to be a tailor for the wedding of his younger brother. Naimh took the job so she could provide for her mother and grandmother. However, she didn't know what she was getting into or who she would ultimately fall for.

I related so much to Naimh. She's always felt like taking care of her Gran and her mom was her responsibility and duty since she has only so much time left to live. She loves to create things that make people happy and feel good, and I think many readers/writers can relate to that as well.

Right off the bat, I wondered if Jack would be the love interest, but once I found out he was married, a loveless marriage or not, I hoped that that was not the direction the book would go. I also did not like him, right from the beginning he came off as smug and condescending.

After I wrote Jack off, I was so excited for Kit to be the love interest, but then we found out that Kit and Naihm both bat for the other team. I found myself hoping that they were on both teams.

I fell in love with Kit immediately. Naimh saw him as cold and mean and broody, but I knew that underneath it all, there was the sweetest man.

I loved the magical aspect of this book. Not everyone has magic, but those who do have a wide variety of abilities. I thought Naimh's ability was so unique and fun and very fitting for her and her personality.

This book did a great job of showing what it would be like to be a member of a royal family—the pressure, the expectations, the eyes that are always on you—and how they can affect different people differently. Just in this book, we saw someone who was crushing under the weight of everything, someone who turned to alcohol as a vise, and someone who has accepted their due diligence, and it left me wondering how I would handle being in their positions.

If you are a fan of forbidden romance, this book is for you. There is forbidden love everywhere you look.

I adored the way this was written, the way they, especially Naimh, spoke really made it feel like a historical fantasy. I also loved the Kit was less polished and put together as it was fitting for his character and personality.

The only thing I would have liked done differently is I wish Naimh would have done a little spying. It would have given the book a little extra angst and betrayal. However, overall, this was such a cute and fun read.

📖 𝘼 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙀𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙩

“𝘐𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴—𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘺.“

I ate this book up! Seriously this was such an intriguing story, from the unique types of magic to the history between the different kingdoms.

The Story:
In a ruined kingdom called Machland, Niamh has a special generational magic that allows her to stitch enchantments into the clothing she makes. She can help you feel a certain way or invoke memories in you. Using her gift takes a toll on her body that will ultimately kill her one day. Nevertheless, she works tirelessly trying to help others with her gift in order to build a better life for her family. When she receives a summons by the Prince Regent of the Avaland kingdom that caused the blight in her homeland, she accepts. She is asked to create clothes for the regents younger brother, Prince Christopher “Kit” Carmine, who is to wed a princess from a neighboring kingdom. Niamh’s first encounter with Kit leaves much to be desired and the two continue to clash throughout the Season. Behind the scenes, political unrest boils as the Machlish demand retribution for their suffering. Can one Machlish seamstress turn the head of a prince and help her people?

I can’t tell y’all enough how much I enjoyed this book. The story deals heavily in the past transgressions against the Machlish kingdom and its people that are still suffering the residual effects. The political unrest and the suffering of prosecuted people simply because they were different from others, can very much transmit into the real world.

The characters in this book were well developed and lovable! Kit was a complex character. Throughout the story you got glimpses of the man beneath the thorns he was shrouded in. Niamh was also a strong character that evolved so much throughout the course of the book. If you are a fan of forbidden love, this is definitely a book you NEED to read!

Tropes:
🪡 Historical Fiction
💔 Forbidden Love
🫶🏼 Enemies to Lovers
👑 Prince x Commoner
✨ Magic
💞 LGBT Representation

A Fragile Enchantment releases on January 2nd! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my eARC and audiobook so that I can share this honest review!

"𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮?" "𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸," 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘸. "𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵." 🫠

I wanted to start by thanking NetGalley for the eARC of this book. I was enchanted by the premise of this book and I was very excited to end up with an advanced copy.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book. I liked the magic system and while it was simple, I think it made for more interest that magic itself was so rare in this world. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was in every room and created a lovely picture. I was hooked from the beginning! I think the FMC magic was unique and fun and that aspect was very enchanting.

I did find some things problematic. I wouldn't call it bad there were just several elements that pulled me from the story with either confusion or lack of follow through. For starters, it was never entirely clear what the problem/ obstacle was.

The book did start off having Bridgerton-like vibes but it became clear quickly that the columnist wasn't central to the plot, which I thought would be the focus of the turmoil. In a way I am glad that it departed from Bridgerton, but it made the story kind of shaky in regards to understanding what the obstacle was.

I also think that (besides the closed door spice scenes) this book is best for a younger audience. The characters are all a bit immature, which is fine for a YA novel but the spice had no place, given the maturity of the rest of the book (and I say this as a spice girly).

The character developments worked for Naimh, a young naive girl who has never left her homeland, but were underdeveloped for other characters. People were introduced that seemed so interesting and nothing ever came of them. Rosa came off that she was scheming her own plans when really she was just following orders like everyone else. Sinclair was probably the best side character but even his involvement wasn't consistent even though (slight spoiler ahead) he was supposed to be courting Naimh for show. I felt like there was so much potential to weave these characters into the plot in more substantial ways and I was left wanting more.

I also personally don't love instant attraction but I felt this book did a good job with it at the start, since both parties were trying to fight it. I do think there wasn't a lot of substance between their blossoming friendship and it skipping straight to love. I just didn't believe it given the interactions I saw. Again, its very YA so that's okay, just not my personal cup of tea.

About the 60% mark the obstacle then became their love for each other and how it would never work because they came from different stations, etc. Which also is a fine obstacle to overcome, considering he was engaged, but it was all very back and forth. He wanted her no matter what, she pushed him away. Then she interrupted his wedding to give him another chance to chose her? I think the follow through on this could have been done differently with more impact.

Then the ending? Everything just fell into place without consequence? Ehh. I would have liked to hear more about how the FMC and MMC union helped solidify peace or that the king reagents backers pulled out because of it. It all felt very head in the sand happily ever after. Why introduce those issues and then not bring them up again? Maybe I just read too much high fantasy and was expecting more plot heavy solutions.

Overall it was a fun and light story that would be a great pallet cleanser between heavier fantasies or just something quick to read when you don't want something heavy.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review without compensation.

Genre: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Spice Level: Med (Mostly kissing—then a fade to black scene)
Language: Medium (surprisingly there are some f-bombs)
Representation: Gay relationships are mentioned and are interwoven into the plot

The world entranced me from the opening. A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is solidly in the romance fantasy genre. Niamh is our main character—she'll sacrifice anything for her family. And Kit (nickname for Christopher)—he avoids everyone, even to his detriment.

I enjoyed seeing parallels to our world: prejudice (unfounded), navigating the domination of one country over its neighbors, family relationships gone awry. I'm seeing England, Scotland, France, and Spain—you can read and see if you thought a different country was represented in this story.

Other romance tropes that are fun: forbidden love, grumpy/sunshine.

As the story ramped up to the climax, I was anxious to see how the problems were solved. And I felt pretty satisfied. The story harped a bit on living for yourself and pooh-poohed on sacrifice, and I get why, but I see sacrifice as part of love for others. (Seriously, parents sacrifice for their kids all the time.) With the plot, I still don't know how the prince regent is going to solve his country's major problem, but at least he now has more people on his side.

This is a fairly light romance and very enjoyable.

Here's the final cup of tea:
A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is being promoted as YA. But once there is the implication of sex, I'm not comfortable with that for multiple reasons. Mostly the fact that teens are still children and their brains aren't developed. I personally would put this in the category for adults. That's why I'm knocking off two stars.

Happy reading!

3.5 rounded down⭐️

Having read a couple of these regency fairytales now I have an idea of what to expect and there’s a lot to like here. I personally think some elements of this one miss the mark, which pulled down my overall rating. In A Fragile Enchantment, we follow Niamh, a magical seamstress, as she navigates the country that oppressed her people and tries to win a place among the nobles, ultimately falling in love with the Prince, Kit.

The pros: the magic system is simple but elegant, when the romance is firing on all cylinders it’s pretty enjoyable, the conflict between the primary countries and characters discussing elements of their oppression/occupation was an interesting addition, the depictions of chronic illness was a nice inclusion, everyone is LGBT, like everyone, and as always, I like a snarky prince.

The cons: we’re kind of following a bit of a formula here (aka nothing is ground breaking) and there is a “misunderstanding” trope at play, the dialogue is pretty stilted in parts and the “banter” borders on Kit just being immature, not particularly clever and honestly a jerk sometimes, and Niamh unfortunately suffers a bit leaning into the emotional, accident-prone, flip-flopping protagonist space that YA can sometimes flock towards.

Overall, the book was enjoyable but not a game changer for this type of story. Won’t be my fave of the year but glad I read it and think it’s certainly worth a pick-up. On a side-note, wildly confused about the cover art. Assuming that’s Kit and Niamh but Kit has dark almost black hair…? So…? *shrug*

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t read a lot of regency books, so this one was new for me. It was fun romantasy with some really enchanting characters. A Fragile Engagement was a bit slow to start but definitely worth reading.

I had high hopes for this book, and unfortunately, it fell short for me.

The novel itself was charming, and the reading experience easy, however, the story felt like a repeat of many others and was very surface-level. The relationships felt rushed and shallow, and the writing had a younger YA feel to it yet had elements not quite right for that age group. This left me feeling as if there wasn’t a clear target audience, or if there was, it wasn’t me. However, this was the first book I’ve read by Saft, so I may simply not enjoy her writing style.

Overall, Fragile Enchantments fall short of my expectations.

I struggled with this book and ultimately decided to leave it at DNR. That being said, I’m giving it a three star rating because I don’t believe that the fault lies with the book itself but simply that I personally do not vibe with it. I believe that it will find its audience and ultimately become fairly popular. The fact that I couldn’t get into it reflects on me personally. I hope it does well

I will post my review once St. Martin's Press addresses the racist actions of their employee and their action plan for the future. Until then, I am joining my fellow reviewers in withholding reviews and any other promo for St. Martin’s Press. No backlash against the author of this book, it is simply due to the ongoing boycott of the publishing company.

Bridgerton with a magical twist.

The story follows Niamh, a Machlish (basically fantasy version of Ireland) woman who travels to Avaland (fantasy version of Regency England) at the behest of the Prince Regent to fill the role of tailor for the impending Royal wedding. Niamh possesses a rare kind of magic which allows her to infuse feeling and intent into the garments she sews and has started to make a name for herself among the elite. Once in Avaland, she finds the castle rife with upset as her fellow Machlish revolt for better pay and treatment from the Avlish nobility. While duty to her family and her countrymen collide, she finds herself even more torn as she makes friends and finds herself falling for the Prince she’s supposed to be dressing for his wedding.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me and I ended up DNF-ing it. While I enjoy period pieces, especially Regency England, some of the aspects of the book didn’t work for me. Niamh and Kit interact so little in the beginning the instant attraction didn't make sense to me and the subsequent flip flopping of feelings only muddled the romance more. The pacing was also a little off, in the 50% I read, more groundwork was laid for the political aspects of the book than was to giving the characters, well, character.

I think readers who love a grumpy/sunshine period drama will enjoy this book. The world building is easy, especially if you know anything about Regency England and potato famine Ireland. The magic system is also interesting and unique, especially Niamh’s ability.

Niamh's magical gift for imbuing her stitched creations with emotion is killing her by inches, but she's willing to pay that price for her family's sake. When the ruler of the country that colonized and impoverished her island asks her to sew the wedding regalia for his younger brother Kit's state wedding, she jumps at the chance. The money and exposure will set her up for life, if she can stand the grumpy groom and dour bride. Everyone at court has hidden depths and tragic secrets which Niamh will uncover with her boundless empathy, self-sacrifice, and clumsiness. A sweet romance between two deeply wounded characters. Thanks, Netgalley.

A romantic, magical story, full of interesting characters and period-drama fashion. The writing is sumptuous and full of emotion. There’s a lot of longing in this story, as well as confronting the mental toll of being a people pleaser has on a person. The character’s’ relationships work because they are holding mirrors up to each other, desperately trying to show the other their worth. I love that the main couple are both works in progress. I also love how shy and blushing the male mc is, since it’s rare to show masculine characters as anything but confident and self-assured.

The story is interesting, the characters are diverse and unique, and I enjoyed the world building and magic system. Definitely recommend to fantasy lovers, especially if they enjoy fashion.

This book was truly captivating. It has a very dreamy fantasy romance plotline that reminds me of Bridgerton. This book is a slow burn and slow building book, but once it gets going it's hard to stop.

Niamh (FMC) is a little bit naive and self-sacrificing, always putting others need above her own with need to make everyone happy no matter the cost. Niamh pushes herself more than she should while dealing with a chronic illness. Niamh has magical hands that create beautiful pieces of clothing. She is hired by the Prince Regent, Jack, to make clothes for the royal wedding for the his younger brother, Prince Kit.

Kit is abrasive, moody and makes it a habit of making Niamh's job harder. His mean comments and manners rub her wrong way from the moment they first meet. But thankfully Niamh doesn't hesitate to stand up for herself or let his mean comments rub her the wrong way.

Niamh find herself in the middle of political tension, a wedding happening as a political maneuver, and a columnist named Loveless lurking around insinuating there is chemistry between her and Kit. Allison saft has weaved a magical and beautiful world with elements of LGBTQ representation. There are so many characters in this book that just make it an even more enjoyable read.

The romance between Niamh and Kit will have readers hooked to the last page. Niamh and Kit will take you on journey as they find love and self-discovery.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC and incredible opportunity to enter into this amazing world. I honestly can't wait for more from Allison Saft.

There is something so captivating about how Allison Saft writes, and A Fragile Enchantment showcases that skill to perfection. I was instantly pulled in by the beauty of her words and the magical qualities of the tale unfolding, albeit a little slowly at first. Still, I was so mesmerized that I didn’t care.

The story is a regency-like romance between a seamstress who enchants the clothes that she makes and a reluctantly betrothed Prince who is the perfect grumpy to her sunshine. When she captivates him with her ability to see inside his heart, two nations stand on the brink of ruin. The direness of it all quickens the pace, especially towards the end. The themes based on royalty versus commoner (or classism) resound even in current events.

I also enjoyed the bit of Gossip Girl-ness with a mystery writer trying to shake up the political landscape for the better by posting all the dirt on the nobility. It adds a mystery to the story that I admit I figured out immediately but still enjoyed. And who doesn’t want a bit of scandalous gossip? It provides fun and intrigue that breaks up the romance aspect nicely. I would have loved to learn more about the magical world. Still, I was entranced by this story, the characters, and the beautiful writing.

I enjoyed this slow romantasy story. I really enjoyed Niamh's character. I was very invested in her story. I enjoyed the diversity. I did find myself wanting to know more about the worlds involved in the story. Overall it’s a solid read for a slow romance fantasy.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc

DNF at 17%.

Starting off, I could tell this book wasn't for me. I am disappointed because I was excited to see an FMC who could sew and a plot where sewing was super important. But so far, it's not really been that important to the plot except that she can push feelings into the clothes which can then make the wearer appear a certain way: nefarious, pleasant, regal, etc. We haven't gotten much of the actual sewing which I guess is fine. Just a time skip of "she made a coat in a week."

Anyway, token broody male prince. (yawn) And token super chill and fun best friend to prince (yawn). There is some political stuff going on here that I don't really like at all - I learned from other reviews that this is supposed to be England and Ireland. Knowing nothing of their IRL fueds and history probably fuels my dislike for the splotchy world-building.

We got our first few interactions between FMC and MMC and honestly, I'm not impressed in the slightest. Their interaction while she was measuring him had no tension and they were just bickering like school kids. There is really no reason at this point for EITHER of them to be attracted to the other. Yet the blush and act like it.

Overall, I am not sure what the audience for this book is - maybe people who enjoy a very light political tale of romance? It's definitely not me though.