Fall in love with this enchanting novel, blossoming with romance and intrigue!

Niamh has spent her life knowing she's going to die early. Yet that doesn't stop her from weaving magic into the gowns she stitches, nor accepting an invitation to be the talyor for a royal wedding. Sunshine personified, she soon realizes she's been hired to sew for the brooding young prince who would rather hide away in his garden than come anywhere near the Season. Kit has grown up beneath the burden of failed expectations. When his brother, the prince regent, summons him to return to Court for his own wedding, he does everything in his power to ignore the event entirely. But the young seamstress the regent hired won't leave him alone, and he can't help but search for the sunshine she brings with her.

A Frangile Enchantment was a breath of fresh air I didn't know I needed. Set in what is essentially magical Regency England, the novel deals with class struggle, generational trauma, and grief set against a whimsical backdrop that shines with wonder. The heavy subject matters explored didn't drag down the story because, for every dark cloud, there was light behind it. I adored Niamh and Kit, for while they were perfect together, they could also stand alone.

It would be too easy to call their dynamic grumpy-sunshine, so I'll instead refer to them as rainstorm and sunshower (cheesy, I know). While Niamh remained bright and loving, her own ghosts were still present, maintaining her complexity and making her feel real. Kit---brooding though he may be---had so many wonderful moments of tenderness that he too wasn't easy to fit into a common trope. Their dynamic was perfect (seriously, I can't wait for others to squeal over the romance too), but it still felt real. I think that's what really set this story apart from other novels in the genre; the characters felt real.

Niamh also dealt with chronic illness and didn't get magically cured. It's so important to see characters who struggle with real issues but to have them be more than their illness. I loved that Niamh wasn't ever limited by her disorder, even as her illness didn't conveniently disappear when it was no longer plot-relevant. Additionally, the entire book dealt with familial expectations and defining happiness by what you are to other people. I loved the conversations surrounding generational trauma and the burden of legacy, especially because they weren't easily solved. The portrayal felt real rather than pretty, which is something I hope to see more of in YA fantasy.

Beyond Niamh and Kit, the supporting cast was just as strong. I adored the casual queer representation, and how friendships developed naturally. Allison Saft is incredible at writing characters who transcend the page, and casual representation is something I hope to see even more of in historical fantasy. As for the plot, it had just enough external conflict to remain interesting, even as the story revolved more around inner turmoil.

My only complaint about A Fragile Enchantment was the scale. Kit is supposed to be a prince, but he would've worked a lot better as a lordling or even a duke. The problems the characters face in the story are small when compared to international conflicts, so if there had been a slightly more limited scale, the novel would have been even more believable.

At the end of the day, I still enjoyed A Fragile Enchantment. Bridgerton fans who love a dash of magic will want to preorder this novel as soon as possible.