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booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is an emotional story of complicated paths to happiness, featuring a seamstress who falls in love with the prince whose wedding clothes she's designing. With much to prove and everything to lose, Niamh tries to hide her feelings in order to not make a volatile political situation even worse by upending the upcoming wedding. But, as they spend more and more time together, her feelings become impossible to hide, and his protectiveness is starting to include her wellbeing.Ā
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.Ā
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.Ā
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Vomit, Death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Infidelity, Genocide, War, and Death of parent
readwithria's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Fragile Enchantment was a sweet, lovely book about love,Ā duty, and putting oneself first. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Niamh and Kit are so adorable, and I love their friends as well. They all complement each other so wonderfully, and I loved seeing not only the romantic dynamic between our two leads but also their blossoming friendships as well.
I think that the balance of romance and political intrigue was done quite well! That can be a struggle for me with historical romance, but Saft did a great job. She also balanced the obvious inspirations of Ireland, England, and Spain with the fantastical worldbuilding of Machland, Avaland, and Castilia. I could easily tell where she found her inspiration, but I could also tell that she took that history and made it her own. I wish there had been a bit more separation of the real-world history and the fantasy world of the book, but that is my personal preference.
Read this book if you love
šŖ” Regency romance
šŖ” Grumpy/sunshine
šŖ” Queer found family
šŖ” Political intrigue
šŖ” Royalcore
šŖ” Cottagecore
šŖ” Gardening
šŖ” Sewing
I will say that some of the plot points felt either not quite resolved or resolved too quickly, but otherwise, this was so lovely and I canāt wait to read more from Allison Saft. 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC and the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.
Niamh and Kit are so adorable, and I love their friends as well. They all complement each other so wonderfully, and I loved seeing not only the romantic dynamic between our two leads but also their blossoming friendships as well.
I think that the balance of romance and political intrigue was done quite well! That can be a struggle for me with historical romance, but Saft did a great job. She also balanced the obvious inspirations of Ireland, England, and Spain with the fantastical worldbuilding of Machland, Avaland, and Castilia. I could easily tell where she found her inspiration, but I could also tell that she took that history and made it her own. I wish there had been a bit more separation of the real-world history and the fantasy world of the book, but that is my personal preference.
Read this book if you love
šŖ” Regency romance
šŖ” Grumpy/sunshine
šŖ” Queer found family
šŖ” Political intrigue
šŖ” Royalcore
šŖ” Cottagecore
šŖ” Gardening
šŖ” Sewing
I will say that some of the plot points felt either not quite resolved or resolved too quickly, but otherwise, this was so lovely and I canāt wait to read more from Allison Saft. 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC and the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
inwetiewele's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I donāt even know how to put my feelings into words. I love you Allison Saft, thank you for writing protagonists so hopelessly endearing and who struggle with themselves in ways all of us can relate to. Niamh works so hard with so little effort reserved for her own happiness and Kit believes himself irredeemable, that his chance of happiness has passed him by. Their story is beautiful and painful and full of growth, not to mention a wonderful cast of side characters. I loved A Fragile Enchantment so very much, I canāt wait to own a physical copy when itās released. Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for my advanced copy!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse and Alcoholism
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If Speak Now (Taylorās Version) was a YA book, it would be this fantasy and its aching forbidden romance between a magical dressmaker from a former colony, hired for the royal wedding, and the king's wayward, plant-magic-wielding second son, the groom. Together, Niamh, soft as velvet, and Kit, prickly as a briar patch, risk not only scandal, but war, ruin, uprising, and the loss of all the armor and thorns both have used to protect themselves from life and love ātil now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Child abuse, Car accident, and War
pagewanderer_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am such a huge fan of Allison Saftās writing style. It is lyrical and cozy and silly which made A Fragile Enchantment such a quick and fun read.Ā
Ā
I donāt usually gravitate towards Regency Romance books, but knowing it would incorporate Fantasy, and being such a fan of Saftās work, I knew this was a perfect time to give it another try. And she did not disappoint. If you like Bridgerton-esque books with a magical backdrop, look no further.Ā
Ā
Niamh is an impoverish seamstress who gets the job of a lifetime when she is offered to create the Princeās entire wardrobe for the āSeasonā leading up to his wedding. The Prince, Christopher (Kit), however, is a grumpy unwilling participant in the arranged marriage and makes Niamhās job very hard.Ā
Ā
Niamhās life is limited due to a āgenerational magical diseaseā and this job is the last hope she has to providing for her family. So she works even harder to try to get Kit to cooperate. But as they spend more time together, she sees heās not as prickly as he makes himself out to be. With the Season in full swing, Niamh has to navigate not only court etiquette and the politics behind the marriage, but also her burgeoning attraction to Kit. (The slow burn is unreal and so satisfying!)Ā
Ā
But this is why Niamh is the perfect FMC. Despite everything she has been through and is going through, she is resilient and kind and a little naive but so true to herself while continuously growing and learning to be better.Ā
Ā
Saft hits on a lot of very big themes with not only her beautiful world building, but also with each character we are introduced to. Every character is so well thought out and has a purpose spotlighting things like LGBTQ issues, alcoholism, chronic illness, race, status, and politics.Ā
Ā
I think the only critique I would have of this book is that the fantasy of it all is just in the background. As in, it exists and some people have it, but thereās not really much backstory. I guess I just wanted more of it.Ā
Ā
Regardless, it was a whimsical tale with so much underneath the YA surface that will stay with me for a long time.Ā
Ā
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, Allison Saft for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: War
mimimac's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A Fragile Enchantment is a low stakes regency fantasy romance, with a unique magic system and a hint of mystery!
What worked for me in this book was the world building & magic system. I liked the world Allison created, itās obviously regency influenced and that fully come across in the setting. I really liked the magic systems, linked to the characters emotions (and heritage too) is always interesting to see, but I especially loved Niamhās magic, maybe because it was more of a developed idea, but something about someone embroidering their emotions onto the fabric and that influencing the wearer or people around them is just so fascinating to me, such a wonderfully unique idea!
What didnāt work for me though was plot and characters. There wasnāt really a plot, which is fine if you like the characters, but I also didnāt really like the characters. I think this is somewhat quite a me problem, but I found them to be one dimensional and annoying. Usually I love a grumpy x sunshine/āenemiesā to lovers trope, but here it just didnāt work for me, really it ended up being more of an āinstaloveā trope. The twist of the scandal sheet columnist was easy to guess and overall just a predictable story.
There was a lot going on at the beginning of the story and everything towards the end felt rushed and everything fell conveniently into place. I think this is marketed as a YA title too, but for me it read towards the younger end of YA, yet there was also a not fade-to-black scene which I found quite weird to be shoehorned in? It just didnāt hit the mark for me.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC
What worked for me in this book was the world building & magic system. I liked the world Allison created, itās obviously regency influenced and that fully come across in the setting. I really liked the magic systems, linked to the characters emotions (and heritage too) is always interesting to see, but I especially loved Niamhās magic, maybe because it was more of a developed idea, but something about someone embroidering their emotions onto the fabric and that influencing the wearer or people around them is just so fascinating to me, such a wonderfully unique idea!
What didnāt work for me though was plot and characters. There wasnāt really a plot, which is fine if you like the characters, but I also didnāt really like the characters. I think this is somewhat quite a me problem, but I found them to be one dimensional and annoying. Usually I love a grumpy x sunshine/āenemiesā to lovers trope, but here it just didnāt work for me, really it ended up being more of an āinstaloveā trope. The twist of the scandal sheet columnist was easy to guess and overall just a predictable story.
There was a lot going on at the beginning of the story and everything towards the end felt rushed and everything fell conveniently into place. I think this is marketed as a YA title too, but for me it read towards the younger end of YA, yet there was also a not fade-to-black scene which I found quite weird to be shoehorned in? It just didnāt hit the mark for me.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Alcoholism
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