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:Niamh Ó Conchobhair has magic to stitch emotions and memories into fabric but it comes at a steep price, it will kill her sooner rather than later. In order for her family to live comfortably she agrees to design the wardrobe for the royal wedding of the neighboring kingdom. She won’t have an easy time in Avaland though. Niamh and Kit Carmine, the groom, get close. Turbulence is on the horizon, strife within the common laborer rises. An anonymous columnist starts to whirl because Niamh and Kit’s fondness for each other grows from friendship into something more. Niamh is blackmailed into exposing the royal family’s secrets.
I really enjoyed this book, it was slow to begin with but it quickly picked up. I liked the characters even the unlikeable Kit, he grew on me.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader editions, in exchange for my honest opinions.
