A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Series:
N/A

Genre:
Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Magic, Science Fiction, Netgalley, Novella, Regency Era, Regency Romance
Publication Date:
January 30th, 2024

Pages Numbers:
384

Read Date:
June 27th, 2023

Date Finished:
June 29th, 2023

Rating:
4.9/5

Blurb:

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

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.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Review:

A magical Regency-inspired with a touch of Bridgerton - style characters, magical world-building with its own mythology, and a touch of scandal to cause the wagging of tongues from the upper-crust ton during one of the most important Seasons within Avaland.

Two years ago, one of the young girls from her homeland had traveled to Avaland to visit a distant family member. Adding one of the balls, the girl wore one of Niamh Ó Conchobhair's creations - "a lovely dress of yellow silk embroidered with metallic thread and enchanted with memories of spring." There the girl would ensnare the most eligible bachelors of the Season. Ever since that moment, the families of Ton sought out her beautiful work with the hopes that their own daughters would follow after the young woman's success in landing their own husbands.

Successful, Niamh finds herself with an invitation to Avaland's royal family. There she has been offered to tailor a suit for the Crown Prince for his wedding. An invitation would surely help her family live a bit more comfortably with even a chance to move both her mother and grandmother to Avaland with her.

But time has begun working against Niamh. Even with her magical blood, there are always consequences to its usage. Much like her grandmother and her mother, her future is grim. Her life expectancy is to be cut short and her own bones are to be near brittle.

Her subject is less than thrilled to have her. The Crown Prince has no desire to be her subject nor does he wish to have anything to do with any marriage. Whenever in the presence of the other, there is a spit of fire that dances between them and neither of them seems to realize that the fire runs even deeper when they are together.

It has been so long since I last read the Bridgerton novels. I was a teenager when they first came out and I was going through my stages of cheesy Regency romances. Now, I haven't picked up those books since and I haven't touched any Regency romances since. So, this has been the first in quite a long time. The characters, the world-building with its history and magic, and the remanence of a beautiful time period long gone have made this book everything that anyone who would love to go back to this time. It was fun. It was wonderful and I enjoyed the characters.

Conclusion:

Come for the romance and stay for the magic and Regency-style story. You won't be disappointed as you are transported into a beautiful world and time period that beckons you with the taste of romance between a tailor and a Crown Prince.


*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.