This was such a light and fun palate cleanser for me. I have a deep place in my heart for regency novels and I've seen so few fantasy twists on them. Niamh is so soft, Kit is so grumpy, and that was a happy place for my brain to go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"A Fragile Enchantment" by Allison Saft is a Cinderella-esque tale filled with magic, royalty, and political intrigue. The main character, Niamh, comes from a unique background, giving her an important perspective and role in the political unrest she encounters upon arriving to work at the royal palace in Avaland. Niamh meets a handsome prince, courtiers, foreign royals, and others, and gets tangled in their complex web of schemes, lies, magic, and court games. I enjoyed this story and the evocative setting a lot, and I appreciated that it's a standalone novel that wrapped up neatly at the end.

Kit was easy to love especially because of his gruff, acerbic demeanor. Niamh was inspiring and endearing with her constant positivity and selflessness.

For the first half of the book, I felt like there was a lot going on, and part of it felt superfluous to the overall story. Eventually everything came to a head and it was easy to understand why it included in the story.

I enjoyed the Regency Era setting, the contention between the main characters, and the friendships with some of the side characters—most notably Sinclair.

I’d say the book had more of a ‘happy for now’ ending than a ‘happily ever after’ but there was still closure for the characters and story, and I’m happy with how it ended.

The sexual tension between the main characters was definitely enjoyable and, for me, made up for any parts of the story that I wasn’t enjoying.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant read, and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is a major fan of Bridgerton or Regency Era romances.

This unfortunately did not capture my attention as well as I'd thought it would. The plot moves very slowly and with each page turned, my attn waned. I wanted to love this novel but just couldn't get through it.

Very sweet, wholesome fantasy with such a magical tone. The worldbuilding is definitely the text's greatest strength, with a truly fascinating and fully realized magic system. The relationship at the heart of the story is a little weak and not as well developed, and the fantasy Irish-English politics are oversimplified, but that makes sense for a YA.

This was absolutely delightful! A sweet, cosy, Regency-style fantasy romance - it's as if the premise was dreamed up specifically with me in mind :'). Overall it was a very charming read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes relatively quiet, magical stories with a good dose of swoony romance.

Rating: 5/5

Let me just start by saying that I’ve had my eye on this book the very second it was brought to light. When I was approved for an arc of this absolute beauty, I was so incredibly happy because I knew that I would love this book, which after reading, I most definitely did. This book was so beautiful. It was everything I ever wanted: a historical fantasy romance filled with magic and yearning that leaves you in just complete satisfactory bliss.

The writing was absolutely breathtaking and whimsical. I felt like I was in a dreamy fairytale, and I never wanted it to end. I love period pieces so much and this is probably one of my favorite reads in a long time– the type of read that will stick with you for a long time, all while missing the world and all of its characters.

In a lot of ways, I found myself relating to Niamh. Throughout the story, she had so much love in her and all of this kindness that she carried with her and gave out to those who needed it, all while she skirted around her own happiness and was unable to put herself first in a lot of situations, in which Kit would help her try to navigate (ahhh, my heart). Let me talk about Kit for a moment. He was a very fascinating character. I found myself giggling, kicking my feet, and just completely enraged over some of the things he would say or do. As the plot thickened, I learned a lot more about him, his stubbornness and all of the walls that he had up and the reasons for them, and I ate up his dialogue whenever he was with Niamh. Their banter was so funny and so incredibly cute.

The romance in this was gorgeous and I found myself sobbing at how much I loved their love. I cried at the end because of how soft it was. Their journey made everything worthwhile. I grew attached to the main characters as the story progressed, as well as the side characters. I just love a good and established found family trope amidst the chaos they went through during the season. I enjoyed the magic aspect of it, how each character had their own little bits of magic, and how it matched with their personalities. Also, there is chronic illness, LGBTQ+, and mental health representation in this book and I just want to give the author all of her flowers for writing them so well.

Everything about this book was cozy and brilliant, and I had the best time ever reading this. I can’t wait to see what Allison Saft has up her sleeve next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I won't lie, at first it was almost tooo Bridgeton but I was eventually swooped into the swooning magical love story rooting for the not so "average" commoner.
From the get go you could tell there was some depth to be uncovered in this novel. So in-between the casual relationship building there is a mystery to uncover and piece together.

This book was such a easy entertaining read. It was cozy, romantic and magical. I found myself smiling a lot.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this arc!

A middling reading experience. The names were a mouthful, and I unfortunately wasn't hooked, but I stuck through it until the end because I'm not the kind of reader who drops a book unless it's abhorrent. This story was fine, but it didn't wow me.

SWOON 🥹😭 Every single book Allison Saft writes has so much emotion, romance, and whimsy, but you can tell she put her ENTIRE heart into this one! This is my favorite of her books so far. It's a tender and comforting regency romance with plant, weather, and sewing magic. Everyone's queer (both MCs are bi/pan with a gay and lesbian cast of found family). This is perfect for fans of <i>Half a Soul</i>, <i>Ten Thousand Stitches</i>, <i>Spin the Dawn</i>, or <i>An Enchantment of Ravens</i>!

I loved this! This story kept me engaged and attentive the whole way. The political intrigue,and the way the author wove the characters pain throughout while teasing us with the answers we so desperately wanted, and needed, was chefs kiss! While I wasn’t hooked from the beginning, I was hooked by at least the 100 page mark. The last 100 or so pages flew by.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me this ARC!

My brain hears "Allison Saft is coming out with a new novel" and suddenly I've already preordered three copies. I was so excited to get an ARC of A Fragile Enchantment. This book was incredible and so beautifully written. Allison Saft is a master of romantic fantasies. You need to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Allison Saft is an automatic buy for me. I love her books, and this one did not disappoint. Niamh has the ability to stitch emotions and memories into magic, even knowing that eventually it will kill her. When she has the opportunity to design a wardrobe for the royal wedding, she jumps at the chance.

However, Kit is frustrating and stubborn. He does not believe or want her to create his wardrobe. As Niamh attempts to create a wardrobe that he approves of (such as creating a cloak that lets him seem invisible to the people around him, or a garment with memories that create safety) Kit's prickly demeanor softens a little. I enjoyed the unique plot as Niamh is attempting to create a wardrobe and the politics that are going on between Machland and Avaland. It felt like the pacing was perfect.

What I love about Kit is that while he softens a little towards Niamh, he remains fairly prickly throughout the whole book. It's like his personality doesn't entirely change and I thought that made the relationship between the two even better. Even as Niamh broke down some of his walls, he was still guarded around her and had a difficult time showing his vulnerability about certain things (surprisingly even a little bit towards the end in my opinion). I adored this couple and I thought it was so well done. I also liked her friendship with Sinclair and felt that it was a good addition to the story.

Overall, Allison Saft will continue to be a must read for me and I highly recommend if you haven't read her other books that you read them as well.

Release date: January 30, 2024

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case I highly recommend it! Before I even start talking about the book itself, props to the artist (@afterblossom_art) for designing such a beautiful cover that 1) perfectly encapsulates this story and 2) is sure to convince a lot of people to buy this book.

In A Fragile Enchantment, Niahm, a magical dressmaker, is hired to make clothing for Prince Kit and his bride before their upcoming wedding. Although she initially thinks him rude and self-centered, something begins blossoming between them that neither of them can deny. To make things worse, a (very Lady Whistledown-like) anonymous journalist seems to have eyes on everyone in the palace and begins to notice the chemistry between them as well. Scandal ensues!

The plot itself is pretty basic, but it makes for a quaint, charming story. The romance between Kit and Niahm was sweet (if unprofessional). Kit reminded me of Cardan from Folk of the Air and Nathaniel from Sorcery of Thorns, so I’m sure everyone will enjoy his character. I really appreciated the supportive relationships between all the women; I expected more cattiness, but instead there are just a lot of wholesome friendships. There are a few magical elements that also add to the cottagecore vibes: Niahm’s magical dressmaking (reminiscent of Howl’s Moving Castle) and Kit’s plant magic.

Overall thoughts: If you look at the cover and think, “wow, that’s pretty and seems like a book I would enjoy,” you are probably correct! A Fragile Enchantment is a great light read for anyone who loves YA romance and fairytales.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy!

I think Allison Saft's book was just not for me but however thanks Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me an arc

this was a STELLAR and just delightful regency fantasy romance! i’ve personally never read anything like this before and it felt so fresh and authentic.

niamh and kit are polar opposites in every way possible. yet, they manage to knock down their walls over time which i never tire of reading. their relationship and personal character developments were just so delightful to read. the slow burn was intense in both the romance as well as the plot. there is amazing representation across the board. there is a found family component with a compelling cast of minor characters. saft’s figurative and enchanting writing style sold me in “a far wilder magic,” but dare i say it’s even better in this book?

this is only my second read of this author’s, but i’ve found that she’s quickly become an underrated favorite of mine. she adds such complexity to her works by including discussions of themes that are so important! chronic illness, alcoholism, and homophobia are only a few of the themes explored in this book.

thank you so much st martin’s press & netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this!


I would recommend this book if you looking for a romance with a bit of magic. I really enjoyed the characters and they are definitely what drove the story. However I felt the story itself lacked some cohesion with some plot points. I think the plot could have been fleshed out better as there were quite a few major plot lines that I felt were a huge concern one minute and then completely ignored. This feels like the first book in a series becauae of the unresolved plot points. Also I know this book is supposed to have Bridgerton vibes but sometimes I think the author went a bit too far in emulating Bridgerton at the cost of losing some of the uniqueness of tbe world.

Overall if you want a romance book that's character driven rather than plot driven then this is the book for you. If there is a sequel to this book I will be reading it.

A Fragile Enchantment was such a cozy fantasy, it warmed my heart, it felt a bit like Bridgerton meets Sorcery of Thorns.

Niamh is our protagonist, she’s from Machland a country that once was prosperous and rich but because of the oppression of Avaland, it became poor, their people all but destroyed by the Independence War.

Niamh wants what is best for her family and after being invited by the Crown Prince of Avalan to come to their country and use her unique powers as seamstress to make the clothes to his brother’s upcoming wedding, she knows she can’t let this opportunity pass.

I loved Niamh’s sense of duty, she was such wholesome character, I really connected with her and her feelings, it was beautiful seeing her and Kit fall in love, it happened in a organic way, so it wasn’t rushed.

I also loved the found family in this book, Allison Saft did the trope justice, the relationship between Niamh, Sinclair and Kit had such an amazing dynamic, I could read pages and pages of their shenanigans.

I just wish the magic system was explained a bit better, as well as their religious belief, Niamh mentions the Fair Ones a lot, it would had been nice to know more about them, but overall A Fragile Enchantment was a beautifully written book, with amazing characters and a nice plot, I’m really glad I requested this book!

Thanks Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was executed well and what I hoped it to be. I loved seeing the characters' individual personalities, watching their relationships unfold, and seeing them grow together.

I did feel lost in the actual world around the characters, however. I felt like I never truly understood what was going on even when finding out more and more. It led me to find the book hard to get through. Despite all of that, I still enjoyed my time reading this book.

An enchanting story about romance, yearning, and the desire to please those around us before giving in to our own desires