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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.
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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
A Fragile Enchantment was completely…fine. I did enjoy it, but it felt so generic. The writing was great and it was easy to get into. However, I feel like I’ve read this story a million times and there wasn’t a new angle on it here. Perhaps it’s just that I’m not a huge romance fan, but this felt lacking.
I didn’t buy the connection between our main characters and thought there was a lack of development. Niamh’s magic was really interesting and her curse was far more interesting than where this story ended up. I also thought the duel seemed so out of left field.
I think there were a few moments that readers were supposed to see as reveals or twists…but they felt very obvious (e.g. the identity of Lovelace as well as one of the relationships). Overall I found A Fragile Enchantment a bit lackluster. However, this type of book isn’t my normal cup of tea and I’m certain that others will enjoy this quite a bit. But I was hoping for more.