Magical seamstress Niamh Ó Conchobhair is hired to create clothing for the wedding of Prince Kit Carmine, but everything goes awry when she falls for the groom instead.
I find myself rather torn on rating this book. There were parts of this story I absolutely adored, including the lyrical writing. Honestly, I think Saft truly has a gift at writing beautifully descriptive dreamy sequences. There is a lushness and richness to the writing that is very reminiscent to Morena-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic in vibe and tone, which I loved. The fantasy elements added a nice touch of whimsy and a surprising amount of depth to a rather straightforward plot.
I think there are three things that kept me from sinking completely into this story. First, it is heavily inspired by regency romances. I’m not a big regency romance kinda gal, but I could see others who don’t mind that aspect truly falling in love with this story. Secondly, the romance develops extremely quickly. I like romance where the partners spend a bit more time together before committing to one another. I think this is all supposed to have happened in a month. I just didn’t believe they could be so besotted with each other with the fallout of everything that could happen regarding their romance.
And, third, that really is where my ambivalence stems from - the plot. It’s an interesting journey they go on, but I didn’t find it believable. The first half of the story made a lot of sense, but the second half of the story had Niamh doing a whole host of things that felt out-of-characters for her. And, to some degree, I do think that is the point. The love she finds with Kit pushes her to start living her life, rather than being pushed around by it. But the decisions she makes, particularly at the end, had me wondering how any of the story could wrap up so neatly. There are so many loose threads that were neatly snipped to make the HEA happen, but I felt there should have been more of an aftermath than truly occurred. I don’t know, maybe it’s the pessimistic in me.
At the end of the day, if you enjoy regency romances, intriguing fantasy elements, or prickly characters with a heart of gold, then you’re probably going to enjoy this romance immensely. I’m not sure I want to read any more Saft novels with this type of setting, but I would certainly try one of her books if it is modern or romantasy.
✋ Disclaimer: ARC approved and provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Read if you like: ❤️ Fantasy Romance | 👑 Kingdom politics | ✍️ Lyrical writing
Add your comment