2.5 stars.
Niamh Ó Conchobhair is a gifted dressmaker from Machland. She can imbue her creations with memories and emotions as she stitches and embroiders, but this ability comes with a price: physical weakness after using her power, and a shortened lifespan.

Niamh has been commissioned by the prince regent of Avaland to create apparel for the royal wedding of Avaland’s younger prince, Christopher. Her grandmother is against Niamh taking on the work, but there is no option to refuse: Machland is under the thumb of Avaland, and her family is desperate for money.

Niamh travels to Avaland, her head full of dreams and hopes, but these are swiftly checked by reality when she meets Prince Christopher, or Kit, as he prefers to be known. He is angry that his brother, and the Regent, Jack, is forcing him to wed the daughter, Infanta Rosa, of the King of Castilia.

Niamh and Kit butt heads repeatedly, with Kit angry much of the time, so he moves from mean to kind to mean, repeatedly, in their dealings. It’s clear, though, that both are terribly attracted to one another.

Though Niamh is aware of the treatment of her fellow Machlish at home, she is awakened to the bigotry they face in Avaland, and that they are now agitating for better treatment and pay (they’re allowed to be servants and the like in Avaland). Though sympathetic, Niamh is too concerned about her family to get involved in the fight, no matter the blackmail of a local reporter who begins writing of the too obvious attraction between her and Kit. This discomfits Niamh, but infuriates Jack, who is desperate to forge the marriage between Kit and Rosa, for reasons opaque to Kit.

Rosa herself is indifferent to Kit and the marriage, seeing only the attraction of the intrigues and the maneuverings between nations.

Does Niamh end up with Kit? It’s a foregone conclusion as soon as they meet, no matter the numerous obstacles between them and their countries, and their arguments. Was it interesting watching it happen? Not particularly, and the pacing only reinforced this, as the text took a painfully long time to lay out the political and personal situations of the three countries and characters involved. This is unfortunate, as in this Regency England-inspired story with Avaland, Machland and Castilia functioning as stand-ins for England, Ireland and Spain, there should have been plenty of twisty politics and fascinating characters to enliven this enemies-to-lovers story.

Instead, I found myself struggling to pick this book up each time I laid it down, and just wished the few interesting side characters (Rosa, Miriam) had had more page time. It's a pity, as I've enjoyed previous offerings by this author, and hope future works by Allison Saft continue to intrigue and entertain me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was far longer than it needed to be. I ended up listening to the audio, which was helpful because I would never have finished it. The premise was interesting, as was the magic, but I was bored for the majority of the time.

I LOVED THIS BOOK, I was lucky enough to read part of this story early but I got so busy IRL and it sadly expired on me but I got a physical copy and finished it a while back early 2024.

This book was beautiful. THE TENSION. THE BANTER. It was *chefs kiss*.

The book was very captivating and kept me entertained I finished the book in about a day or two. I can’t wait to see what Allison writes next and I’m excited. :)

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy

First thing first, the cover is so beautiful, sadly, the story is so so

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I admit I was a little hesitant on this one, because while I really loved Saft’s sophomore novel, her debut did not work for me. I am not really a regency fan, either, but I thought, why not? Maybe it’ll work out.

I don’t think A Fragile Enchantment is bad, but it didn’t work for me. I do actually like the quality of Saft’s writing, but while there were aspects of the story I enjoyed (the gossip column!), I found I didn’t care much for the romance (which is central to the plot) and found that things developed much too quickly for my personal tastes. I liked the side characters much more than Niamh and Kit, and at times the obvious parallels to England and Ireland took me out of the story. The magic in the story, however, is very cool (albeit a little underexplored, I think), and while the plot beats did feel kind of predictable to me, they made logical sense (even if the pacing didn’t work for me). The problem, of course, is that Regency romances and I don’t get along, and while I had been hopeful maybe this would be an exception it was not. I think, though, for a YA Regency it is quite good and for fans of the genre and intended age range it should work out quite well.

Another absolutely amazing story from Allison Saft. The world building and characters are always so exquisitely crafted, leaving you utterly entranced and attached. I felt like the story was playing out in my mind as a movie, and felt bereft when it ended. Allison is absolutely incredible and an auto-buy author for me!

This was such a feel good book. Niamh, coming into court to be a seamstress for Kit's wedding. I love how she was in that new life, and building up friendships along the way. The Lovelace columnist made me feel like this took from Gossip Girl, it did make me laugh because people use scandal for everything. Rosa, Sinclair and Miriam. I think if you like regency romantasy, you might enjoy this one.

I really found this book to be very well constructed and written. Every word carried the story in its own way. There was never a hole in the plot where I didn’t know what was going on.

This book had hints of Bridgerton mixed with The Prince and the Dressmaker and some fantasy. Niamh has the magical ability to weave emotions and memories into fabric, but it's slowly killing her. Trying to make the best out of the situation, she helps her family by traveling to Avaland to make a wardrobe for the royal wedding. When she arrives, she finds out Avaland isn't as wonderful as it seemed.

Niamh's friendship with Kit, the prince to be married off for political reasons, was lovely. I like how it formed and while the books started out slow it did progress and pick up. The secondary characters were great as well. They added another layer, especially with the Lady Whistledown-esque gossip column.

A Fragile Enchantment is my third book by Allison Saft, and unfortunately, my least favorite. I adored the atmosphere in both Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic, and I always end up loving the tortured and broken characters she ends up writing. I knew Enchantment would be different in at least atmosphere, as it was focused more on a historical, regency setting rather than something more gothic, but I thought I would enjoy it all the same.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy A Fragile Enchantment, because in a way I did. I had fun with it while I was listening to the audiobook, and I was invested in the romance and characters for most of the story. However, it was just missing some of the stronger qualities I’ve come to expect from Saft’s writing, and overall this book just didn’t feel all that memorable. The setting never felt strong enough to me, and the magic felt diluted and under-explored, even as it was constantly brought up on the page. I also just wasn’t fully invested in the characters or their relationship either, especially as I got closer to the end of the book. Everything just felt a bit shallow.

Overall, while I don’t regret reading this one, it’s not a book that will stick with me for a long time either. Saft’s other works have just been a lot stronger, and I’d recommend reading those over this one, especially if gothic books dripping with atmosphere are more your thing! This definitely hasn’t put me off her writing though, and I can’t wait for her next release!

It has been a while since I’ve read a book that I thoroughly enjoyed so this was a pleasant surprise. A romantic story of a prince and a magical dressmaker. I really enjoyed the magical world that this author created. It gives me Regency/Bridgerton vibes with a sprinkle of magic.

The characters are enjoyable. Niamh (love the name) is our dressmaker who can be a little naïve at times but I enjoyed her growth throughout the story. Of course we have Kit, the broody Prince. Even the side characters were really enjoyable, which I found really rounded of the story well.

The plot was good, and the romance was definitely definitely enjoyable. However, I feel like there were some moments where I lost interest in the romance. But then it would pick up again later on.

Overall, I think this is a really solid YA romance fantasy. Even better, it’s a standalone so there’s not a lot of commitment there. And sometimes I find romance, fantasies as standalone are hard to write, but this writer did a great job with it.

If you enjoy Bridgerton vibes or Sorcery of Thorns then I think you will enjoy this one!

I can’t honestly explain how giddy this book made me. This is the kind of whimsical Regency-set romantasy that I’ve been wanting for a while. 👗

The world that Saft created was a beautiful fantasy reimagining of Regency England and Ireland. I loved that this reimagined Ireland got its independence in the late 18th century instead of 100+ years later. Saft did a wonderful job showing how much the Irish suffered from prejudice and a government that didn’t care for them. This definitely made my little academic heart happy, and my reader heart fell soon after. 🍀

I honestly loved Niamh as the POV of the book. She was plucky, wonderfully optimistic, and stubborn without it being overbearing. Her life choices and views are so relatable and it grounded her wonderfully compared to some YA heroines that sometimes feel overly done when it comes to being independent and “girl-bossing”. 🧵

Kit was a wonderful (as well as infuriating at times) love interest. While he comes off incredibly rude, it’s later revealed how and why he uses his aloofness and rudeness as a shield. The more he opened up to Niamh, the more sweet he became. Not to mention his powers are cool too! 💚

As much as I did love this book, I did feel like the middle part was a bit rushed and that Niamh’s ideas were rather harebrained. but other than that, still greatly enjoyed this book! Big thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for accepting my request in exchange for an honest review, and to Saft for writing an incredible Regency inspired YA romantasy! 💚

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

This was so good! Allison Saft is quickly becoming a favorite author. I love the characters and seeing their relationships and confidence in themselves develop. Once I hit 50ish pages I could not put it down and had to binge read to see what happened next. This book was so, so good and I need more people to read it so I can with them about it!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. This took me a bit to get into but after about 40% I genuinely couldn’t stop reading. I LOVED watching Kit and Niamhs relationship grow, as well as learn more about their magic and the system as a whole! It’s such a unique magic system and I love the way Niamh wove her enchantments in. I’m so happy with the ending and I will DEFINITELY be reading more Allison Saft!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. Review originally withheld as part of the St. Martin’s Press reviewer boycott. All opinions are my own.

I was massively excited when I saw Allison Saft was releasing a Regency-inspired YA fantasy romance, simultaneously building on the hype generated by Bridgerton and the growing “romantasy” craze. A Fragile Enchantment also came at a perfect time for min se (publisher issues notwithstanding), as I felt a desire to read a fantasy with Regency vibes after reading about the promise of them in another book, but I didn’t want to deal with some of the other aspects of that book that I knew wouldn’t work for me.

The world building is a lot of fun, and while it’s a little cheesy in places, with some very obvious parallels to reality, it’s a fun Easter-egg hunt nonetheless, looking into the parallels between the this world’s politics and the real Europe of the Regency and early 19th century more broadly. And there’s all the fun aesthetic things from Regency romances, from balls and duels to scandal-sheets with a bit of a twist. The magic system was a little vague, but interesting nonetheless.

Niamh is an interesting heroine, working as a tailor and imbuing magic into her creations. She is a hard worker who is dedicated to taking care of her family, and her struggle is very recognizable for anyone who had to grow up too fast to care for their family, due to their parents being unable to do so for one reason or another. However, her magic has a cost, in that it weakens and could kill her, and I appreciated the compassionate parallel to chronic illness.

Prince Christopher, or Kit, initially comes off as the typical privileged prince, but he’s also a lot more than that. He’s being forced into an arranged marriage for political reasons, and he’s trying anything to stop it going ahead. As a result, he’s understandably hostile to Niamh, as she’s part of it all, with her being hired to design clothes for the wedding, although that’s just a front for his own fear and anxiety.

Their romance is super sweet, despite not starting in the most ideal of circumstances. They have great banter, and it translates into a beautiful forbidden love once their walls come crumbling down.

I really enjoyed this book, and hope Alison Saft writes more in this vein in the future. If you enjoy Bridgerton and/or fantasy romance, I recommend checking this out!

This book feels like the perfect fall read if you’re looking for a ya fantasy that has Bridgerton vibes and whimsy!

This story is atmospheric. From the moment that Niamh arrives to the castle, you are enveloped in the world and its magic. Partly, you feel this way because the world is so well written, and partly, you feel this way because of Niamh and her point of view. (She reminded me some of Evangeline from Once Upon a Broken Heart with how she views the world and with her romanticism.) She also gave eldest daughter vibes with how much she lives her life for her family and works so hard. (Which only makes the romance so much sweeter because it is her moment to do something for herself 🥹)

The overall feeling while reading this book is cozy! There are definitely points of conflict and political tension, but they felt second to the characters and relationships. A big contribution to the cozy factor is that there isn’t a looming prominent “big bad” character. There are flawed characters doing what they think is best, and there are conflicts within the world. But there wasn’t some big evil villain. And I really enjoyed this aspect of the story!

I loved how the magic was interwoven through the story. Niamh’s magic further adds on to her personality and character, and it felt so revealing to how she was feeling in the plot. I also thought Kit’s magic was such a good addition! I feel like I haven’t really seen this one play out in a ya fantasy before, so it was unique!

Overall, this is the perfect read if you’re looking for a cozy ya fantasy that has regency vibes, a sweet romance, and great friendships 🤍

Thank you to Allison Saft and Wednesday books for this advanced review copy 🫶🏻

I really wanted to love this one - the premise itself is perfection (magical dressmaker falls for prince who's about to be married in a forbidden love tale). But unfortunately it just was okay to me. It was a bit slow and took me a minute to understand the worldbuilding since we are just thrown into the world.

There's so much more than a love story in this novel and I think others will really enjoy it. There's drama in the kingdom, a sneaky gossip columnist, friendships and a beautiful historical setting. I did really enjoy how Niamh's powers worked and I wished we would have gotten to see more of Kit's. I also loved the LGBTQ+ elements that were put in this when we normally don't see a lot of that in historical fantasy.

I am glad I ended up picking up the audiobook because the narration was great and for some reason I followed along better than when I tried reading it. Also I would have absolutely BUTCHERED Niamh O Conchobhair if I tried to pronounce that in my head. THANK YOU AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR.

But for me this was just a little too slow. I stopped and restarted at least 3 times before I made it through. But I know other's will love this one (and have loved it) more than I did. It was good but I feel like it was easily forgettable in the world of romantic fantasies that are out now. It would be a good young adult romantasy because there is minimal spice mostly just general talk around the subject and maybe like 1 semi spicy scene but no crude language was used.

A 3-star read for me but if you are a fan of romantasies set in historical settings and a lot of tension with forbidden love then check this one out!


Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Allison Saft & NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

The premise? Great. The landing? Not as much. Not a fan of enemies to lovers immediately jumping to the lovers part. The plot wasn't even there for half of the book. It is a shame to me with so much potential. I do hope the author tries again though.

This book was kind of a mixed bag.

I LOVED the romance in it. I found myself shipping Niamh and Kit vigorously, and their longing weighs heavily on the pages. It was fun to see them come together and grow in their own ways as they learned to be better partners.

The little queer found family was also delightful to see. It reminded me a bit of The Last Binding in the ease with which the characters showed up for each other. This is a friend group I would love to be a part of!

Where the book lacked for me was in the way it often leaned on telling rather than snowing. The gossip column was very convenient, and Niamh’s decisions around that always bothered me. And several times characters were uncharacteristically self-aware and articulate about their flaws. It sort of rushed through some of the stickier conflict and resolution by having characters say everything they are thinking and feeling with incredible humility and clarity.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but the writing quality was just a bit less refined than I’d prefer.

I’m gonna be very honest I started reading this book and it took me forever to get through this as we can see with how late my review is. I honestly really struggled and should’ve just stopped this book along time ago. But I am not a quitter so I powered through. With that being said, this book could’ve been shortened so much. This drug on and I felt like at points there was absolutely nothing happening, and the author wrote just to write.
The last 20% was the highlight for me other than that I was to the point of frustrated with this book.