Niamh is a seamstress who can sew emotions in fabric. When she's asked to make all the clothes for an upcoming royal wedding in a nearby kingdom, she knows that this opportunity will allow her to take care of her family. The groom, Kit Carmine, is immediately unlikable. He's harsh and unkind, and Niamh can't stand him, but after time, the two grow closer despite the fact that Kit will be married soon.

I loved Allison Saft's previous book set in this same world, A Far Wilder Magic, and I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I had a hard time with this book. For starters Niamh is unbelievably whiny and spends most of the book in a perpetual state of "woe is me." Kit is equally unlikable, treating Niamh like trash for too much of the book to bear. So if I didn't like both of the mains, who's left? A minor character? Not really. In the end, I decided that this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Though this book was not to my liking I did enjoy Fran Burgoyne's narration.

This was a delightful fantasy with an endearing narrator. The world building was interesting and paced well, the political intrigue felt interesting and approachable, and the characters were enjoyable.

If you’re looking for an enchantingly romantic regency fantasy with cosy vibes and a vivid magic system, A Fragile Enchantment is for you!

Niamh is a dressmaker from a family with a gift; some of them are able to stitch memories and magic into their creations. When someone wears one of Niamh’s dresses to Avaland it gets noticed by the Crown Prince, who commissions Niamh to make his brother’s wedding outfit, as well as his bride’s wedding dress. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but there are many politics at play, and Niamh soon finds herself embroiled in the royal couple’s lives… and the gossip pages.

I absolutely loved Niamh from the beginning, she has that ‘country mouse’ kind of character arc which allows you to experience the city with her, but her character develops through the narrative in a way that I adored. Seeing her learn to go after what she wants was magical, and it’s something I particularly love seeing in YA fantasy which is likely to be picked up by younger readers.

The way the relationships developed through the story felt organic and believable. Not everyone is always who you think, and everyone has secrets - especially in the upper echelons of regency society.

I enjoyed the way the various plot lines developed and came together through the book; they were fairly simple at the beginning, but as Niamh’s understanding of the city, political climate, and everyone’s struggles develops, there are a number of interconnecting threads which were woven beautifully.

Despite having some fairly heavy themes, A Fragile Enchantment had those cosy, lighthearted vibes which just make me smile, and I genuinely enjoyed and was excited to come back to it each and every time.

The narrator was wonderful and really brought the story to life. She felt like the perfect choice for this book.

Overall, I absolutely adored A Fragile Enchantment and will absolutely read more by Allison Saft in the future

This has been touted as a fantasy Bridgerton story and that's an accurate comparison. The writing is lovely and lyrical and full of sweeping graceful language. I was swept into the story and loved the romantic tension. It's certainly a super slow burn that focuses on the love story's journey and not the destination, but the journey is full of banter and fun. My issues came in with the ending....which didn't clear up any problems in their lives except their relationship. I enjoyed the themes of layers of society and layers of beauty. But what was solved in the end for anyone except our main characters? Maybe I was looking for more than I should. Maybe I should have just enjoyed the mind candy that this book is. Perhaps that's true. But in the end, this wasn't a favorite. The narration was very airy and breathy - which certainly added to the feeling of the fantasy story. As the story went on, that breathy tone did wear on me. This isn't a short book, and I might have liked more variation and a few characters who sounded less airy. That's a minor point in an overall enjoyable narration, full of emotional and meaningful pauses and inflection.

After reading this as a paperback, I was happy to revisit the story as an audiobook. Let me start by saying, the narrator was wonderful. I greatly enjoyed the Scottish-like accent she was attempting. My issue this time around was Kit. I don't know what it is about Kit, but I found him insufferable in audio-format. Now, granted, he's supposed to be a little insufferable at first, but I guess it took listening to his personality in audio format that there is something "not right" at first. Niamh is like a 10. I don't want to spoil anything, but Kit could have not done what he did and we would have been chill. Thank goodness for HEA.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the Audio ARC.

A Fragile Enchantment kept me intrigued for most of the story. A working-class girl gets hired for a job at the palace. She forms some unlikely friendships and learns more about herself along the way. It is a delightful fantasy story full of love, figuring out how to honor your family and how to stay true to yourself.

I liked this book but it wasn’t perfect. I liked Niamh and Kit and wanted to see things work out for them. I thought that Niamh’s ability to magically weave emotions and memories into the clothes that she makes was incredibly interesting and I really would have liked to learn more about it, and the rest of the magic system than we are given. The romance between Niamh and Kit was my favorite part of the story but it was not without its challenges since Kit is a prince and happens to already be betrothed.

I loved the fact that Kit was a bit of a grouch for much of the story. It took a bit for Niamh and Kit to fall for each other and it was fun to see them get to know one another. But this story was more than just a romance. There were a lot of things going on in the kingdom which left the story feeling overly busy at times and I felt that it bogged down a bit in the middle. I found the secondary characters to be interesting and thought that they added a lot to the story.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Fran Burgoyne did a wonderful job with the story. I found her voice to be very pleasant and I had no problem listening for hours at a time. I liked the various voices that she used, which helped to bring the story to life. I believe that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story. I think that a lot of readers will like this one even more than I did. I do hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio.

I truly loved this audio book such a wholesome fun fantasy so much mystery and questions I love the romance and how much he was obsessed with her I think if u are looking for a quick fun read with a new world this is for u ❤️

This cover is just so pretty. I loved the narration. It helped bring the story alive. I enjoyed the story with the court politics and forbidden romance. Niamh is such an awesome character. She is the sunshine to Kit's grump. I love their magic it's so cool. I would love to read more in this world. Like a book about one of the side characters. That would be so fun! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Allison Saft, and Fran Burgoyne for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of A Fragile Enchantment.

Saft does it again! Her stand-alone novels are diverse amongst her own writing and are always full of magic, mystery, and romance. So far, her debut, Down Comes the Night, is my favorite work of hers, with A Fragile Enchantment a close second, as A Far Wilder Magic should not be shunned.

Niamh is cursed with a special magic, one that will bring her to her death sooner, rather than later. She has the ability to stitch memories and emotions into fabric. She can even sway the viewer of one's wardrobe, depending on how she plays the threads. Considered to be from the working class and viewed as lesser, Niamh is invited to design a wardrobe for a royal wedding. Taking the offer means a sooner demise and ridicule from the nobles surrounding her, but stability for her family and their well-being.

Enter Kit, the second prince, engaged to be married. As royal weddings go, it is neither party's ideal choice, rather one of political advantage. Tasked with designing Kit's wedding outfit, Niamh finds Kit to be abrasive and standoffish. But the more time they spend together, the more she sees it's a front, and they start to get to know each other in a way Niamh did not expect.

Despite the looming wedding, the two take risks that could ruin everything for Kit's reputation. When a local gossip columnist starts writing about their actions when together, Niamh will do anything to find out who the anonymous writer is and save Kit's reputation, all for the sake of a romance she never expected possible.

Yet another beautifully crafted novel that is alluring and impossible to put down. Shoutout to the narrator, Fran Burgoyne, for bringing Niamh to life with a fun accent and adding to the Regency feel of the fantasy setting. A must-read for lovers of young adult romance. With Saft's craft for excellent romantic circumstances, I am more than trilled to see what her next novel, A Dark and Drowning Tide, will bring.

4.25 ⭐️

This is the first I have read from Allison Saft and she has definitely won me over! I loved this YA magical fantasy twist inspired by Regency England.

A Fragile Enchantment is a cozy, atmospheric romantic fantasy following Niamh Ó Conchobhair, a magical seamstress tasked to design the wardrobe for the royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland. Though Niamh is a talented magical seamstress, able to imbue magic and emotion into each of her stitches, she finds herself unable to navigate court politics easily during her time at the palace leading up to the royal wedding.

The groom, and youngest prince, Kit, is a brooding, standoffish fellow who wants nothing to do with this wedding. He is doing his duty to help secure relationships his brother, the Regent has orchestrated. As Niamh spends more time around Kit finishing his portion of her duties to creating the royal attire, the icy exterior around Kit's demeanor starts to melt. The romance is fluid and feels vulnerable and good - particularly as we learned more about the internal demons each main character had to fight. The romance was entirely swoon-worthy. I was truly entranced the entire story, waiting for the happily ever after. ❤️

The tensions between countries in this world are inspired greatly by the historical power imbalances between England and Ireland. This little touch truly added to some amazing world building of the tensions between those from the different countries - particularly when it came to the prejudice and inequality that Niamh was shown during her time at court.

Magical Bridgerton vibes
Royal x commoner
Forbidden romance
Rags to Riches
Opposites attract
Banter & tension
Inequality & prejudice
Chronic illness, LGBTQ+ & mental health rep !!

You will adore this if you loved Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater or Bridgerton with a dash more magic. The audiobook is a phenomenal listen and helped me - Fran Burgoyne was an amazing narrator and I felt the emotion through her tone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio and Allison Saft for the eARC & ALC of A Fragile Enchantment.

This was really pretty. Pretty narrator, pretty romantic fantasy, pretty magic systems, and lovely banter. It wasn't ground breaking and didn't have epic stakes, but it was just a fun, lovely read that was a good time. I saw a lot of other people call it dreamy, which definitely fits. It has chronic illness and mental health representation, which I adore. The supporting characters are almost better than the main character at points, which is both a pro and a con to me. Some of the themes are a bit on the nose, but this was beautiful and very much worth the listen.

Okay now this was fun. I enjoyed the new take on a magical seamstress and the political intrigue involved. I could have asked for a bit more character development and a little less insta-love but the bones were solid. Unfortunately it does fall as a middle of the road rating for me simply because nothing felt innovative or especially gripping/unique. I'll happily read more from Allison Saft because I love her writing style and the atmosphere created is impeccable but I did want more from this title at the same time....

I actually received both the e-book and audiobook for this one but I ended up listening to it instead and that is what this review is going to cover.

First, I loved the narrator! I thought she did a great job with the different accents and I could easily tell which character was talking at any given time.

The story was beautiful. Set in the regency era, there was plenty of representation. LGBT, chronic illness, mental illness and minorities along with political scandals. Not to make it sound like a super serious downer, it was anything but that. The banter was funny, the characters were delightful, both the main and the secondary, and the romance was just lovely. I definitely liked this book and recommend it highly!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Allison Saft's "A Fragile Enchantment" is an exquisite masterpiece that weaves together a mesmerizing tapestry of magic, love, and intrigue. The delicate prose creates a world so enchanting that you'll find yourself lost in its pages, unable to escape the spellbinding allure of Saft's storytelling. With characters as captivating as the spells they cast, this novel is an enchantment you won't want to break. A must-read for anyone seeking a journey into a world where craft magic and romance dance hand in hand.

Allison Saft can always be counted on to deliver a fun and witty fantasy that’ll have me so locked in I don’t want to put the book down!! The cover is gorgeous, the regency vibes are everything and of course the characters were so fun to tag along with! I always love that Saft includes more to her books than just the typical fantasy romance vibes and adds in a bit of political intrigue along with it. This was a fun read and like always, I can’t wait for her next release when it comes!

**I added this at the bottom, but I really enjoyed Fran Burgoyne as the narrator and would absolutely listen to another book narrator by her.

I’ve been trying to avoid anything lower than a 3-star rating (unless something is problematic) because I understand that as a reader, my opinion is just that – my personal thoughts and feelings. There have been several books that I have given a boost because the book simply wasn’t for me; there wasn’t anything objectively wrong with it. After loving DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, I have been disappointed by Saft’s last two novels. I felt as though A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT tried to do it all without strong execution, resulting in a book that wasn’t memorable for me.

Even though A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT fell under the YA fantasy genre, the magic felt like it was there for convenience of plot rather than its own entity, perhaps due to its lack of consistent definition. For example, we are told true magic has faded, yet one of the characters can command storms and lightening and Kit's earth powers prove to be incredibly destructive. These characters were not called out as anomalies. A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT didn’t have a strong plot, feeling more character driven. Because of this, I expected more depth and growth to the characters, or even a compelling enemies-to-lovers romance. I never truly understood the characters’ motives, including the reason that Kit and Niamh fell for one another. Additionally, there was a political element that was never fleshed out. Like her previous novel, Saft utilized real places and events (religion in A FAR WILDER MAGIC) but changed the names. This may be a personal issue, but if you’re going to utilize an actual place, event, religion, etc., why change the names? The synopsis states that it is a “Regency England-inspired fantasy world”, but in my opinion, it’s simply England and Ireland with new names.

All said, I would still absolutely recommend DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, but I probably will not be picking up any of Saft's future novels. A huge thank you to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review. I found the audiobook to be enjoyable and would listen to another book with the same narrator (Fran Burgoyne).

Even though there was a decent amount of buzz leading up to this book, I honestly went into the audiobook with no expectations. I’m glad I did, because I ended up pleasantly surprised!

First of all. The audio was great! Huge kudos to the actress for such pleasant narration and well done voices. Easy to follow and very fun to listen to!

As for the story itself, this is extremely sweet and with some surprisingly serious concepts. I loved the writing of the kingdom and court aspects, it gave a very Cinderella-esque fairytale air. But what made that even more sharp and lovely was Niamh’s view of it, she’s a remarkably lovely and thoughtful protagonist. I feel like in YA it’s a lot trendier right now to have a surly and embittered main character, which certainly has its place, but I enjoyed the change of pace that this brought.

I’ve certainly read books in this vein before, but only a few that have been done so well. Easily enjoyable enough that I’d recommend and keep an eye out for more from Allison Saft in the future.

I absolutely loved A Fragile Enchantment! This story follows a magical seamstress that has been hired to work on the royal wedding as the bride’s seamstress. Very soon, the fmc finds herself in scandal with the groom.

4.75/5

I absolutely LOVED the magic system and whimsical vibes that this book had. The only reason it wasn’t a 100% 5 star read for me is due to some slow pacing in the beginning.

There was some spice but I felt as though it was definitely on the lighter side. The tension/angst/longing in this book was top tier and so beautifully written.

I received the audiobook from netgalley and it was so beautiful as well. Thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this amazing book! Please add this to your immediate tbr!

-english regency inspired romantasy
-slow burn w/ flirting
-forbidden love
-royals/political
-whimsical magic system

I absolutely ate this up. I loved the story, the characters, and listened to this on audiobook and thought the narrator did an excellent job. Our main character Niahm is so relatable, if she knew about Taylor swift she would be a mirrorball girlie. Kit, our male protagonist is a snarky broody prince and he could catch me with his garden magic ANY. DAY. And the overall plot was so good and had sprinkles of political intrigue. I can tell this is going to be one of my favorite standalone romantasys of the year!

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC!