ARC Review: A Fragile Enchantment

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Page Count: 384

Format: ebook

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance

Source: NetGalley

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Content Warnings: addiction, alcohol, arranged/forced marriage, child abuse (mentioned), death/dying, family conflict, illness, outing (mentioned), political conflict, poverty, profanity, smoking, substance abuse

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

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.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (it was okay)

Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (mild)

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