Member Reviews
We open on the lovely scene of a young maiden named Samara reliving the memory of going full Darth Vader on a hunky Fae by assisting him in removing his hand from his person. We're joined shortly thereafter by her 3 ratchet brothers, a sus prince, a saucy fox, and aforementioned uno handed Fae. She almost loses her life A LOT but ofc we find the meaning of love along the way. And they lived happily ever after. Ameneth.
I absolutely love all the fairytale vibes that Apples Dipped in Gold gives๐ I'm pretty sure I loved it even more that MMOG and Lore is my favorite prince.
For my spicy loves she is spicy just not until 60% mark.
What another fun tale told beautifully by Scarlett! These books are truly so enjoyable and it's fascinating to see her weave together these tales and ideas. Samara and Lore are fantastic characters... its hard not to love them.
this is the second book of the fairy tale retelling series from scarlett st. clair. the first of this series was a 3.5 star read to me but this one was a 4 star read! i loved it!!
this book reminded me of all the think i love about like process fairytales. i loved all the background on samara & where she came from. i think for this being a shorter novel, scarlett jam packed so much into this book! if you are looking for a short fantasy/fairy tale then you should pick this up!! you donโt have to read the first one at all for this to make sense, but i would recommend it!
This was 5 stars!
I love Grimm Fairytales and this retelling did not disappoint. I absolutely loved SSC's twist on this tale and her characters.
There is so much heartache and character growth in this short story, that it makes you really appreciate characters with development. I loved Lore and Samara and their past, but also how they grew together.
My favorite character was Fox only because he was such a mystery. I loved his ending as well, since he's such a wildcard character.
The love interlaced in this story was beautiful and I devoured the story structure as well as its plot.
If you loved Mountains Made of Glass, you'll love this story as well.
I absolutely loved this book! I read this and listened to the audiobook and loved the characters, the plot and development. Another 5 star read for me!
TW: Abuse, Mutilation
Thoughts: I enjoyed Scarlettโs MMOG, but I think so far Lore and Samara are my fav couple from her fairy tale re-imaginings. They are oblivious to the otherโs feelings and it is absolutely adorable. Also thought that this book balanced spice and plot in a way that I really enjoyed with one not overpowering the other. Finally, I enjoyed the word play in this book as it perfectly evoked fae lore in my mind.
If you enjoy dark fairytales or want to read something short and spicy then I recommend picking this book up. Take a look at the TW though
I loved how Scarlett managed to create a whimsical story while also including some dark elements. This book really reads like a dark Brothers Grimm fairytale with some spicy scenes added to it (add a little bit of spice๐ถ๏ธ).
Throughout the story I recognised several influences of fairytales I know but at the same time it felt like a brand new story. It's a perfect fall read with a cup of tea and a blanket.
Apples Dipped In Gold is somehow both tender and brutal at the same time. I loved the push and pull tension between the MMC and Samara- slow burn like red hot coals crackling into the early hours of the morning. Thoroughly enjoyed each delicious moment of it. Also the FOX! He can come hang out with me anytime! All for cute animal friends, especially if they are full of mischief!
As a member of the SCC street team, I was so excited to read the second book in the Fairytale Retelling series! I love series where you get a glimpse into other characters from the previous books and you will get that and more from this book. If you are a fan of snow white/cinderella you will definetly enjoy this one!
A short, beautifully written fairytale with a great atmosphere and aesthetic. I loved reading the authors note and seeing all of the different references to classic fairytales. There were several twists and turns in the story that kept me reading and I loved learning more about the characters and the seeing their development. I love this series and canโt wait to see how it continues.
*chefโs kiss* every. single. moment. I have been so excited about Samara and Loreโs story and it was even better than I could have imagined. As a fairytale fanatic, I loved picking out references and pieces while also falling in love with these characters and their journey together. Samara is such a strong character despite the pain of loss and abuse sheโs faced. Lore is such a cinnamon roll and I couldnโt help but want to shake him for being a big dumb dude while simulated want f to give the man a hug. And Fox? He really stole the show. Another excellent addition to my Scarlett St. Clair shelf. I canโt wait for the next!
Talk about a story you can absolutely devour and consume! From the moment you start reading you will easily get lost in Samara & Loreโs story - not wanting to ever return to the real world.
The angst, the banter, the โจswoonโจ - all perfectly executed (as usual with Scarlettโs amazing attention to detail and magical way with story telling).
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ
โตdark fairytale
โต forced proximity
โต romantasy
โต v!rg!n FMC
โต fated love
โต man obsessed
โต touch her & โ ๏ธ
โต soft for her
โต he falls first
โต slow burn
๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น 5/5โญ๏ธ | ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ 2/5๐ถ๏ธ | ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ 3/5๐ฅ
I gave this a 5/5 stars on good reads. Absolutely devoured it. You can clearly see the research that was put into this book as well as the attention to detail for both the plot and character development. I personally feel it is difficult to make a novella cohesive in such a short amount of pages, but SSC really nailed it. There was a clear flow of the introduction to Samaraโs life, with challenges. Then intro to love interest, Lore. Then the journey where truth becomes revealed then a climatic conclusion. Well done and looking forward to another book in SSCโs fairy tale retelling series
When Scarlett writes a book, she puts her whole heart into it. I knew, going into this book, my heart would go through it as well.
This is book two in the Fairy Tale Retelling series. This series follows seven princes, and each prince will have their own book.
This book, follows our wicked Prince Lore of Nightshade, and our sweet and innocent Samara.
Orphaned at a young age, Samara is left under the care of her three brothers. They areโฆ horrible to her. I meanโฆ if you have triggersโฆ be careful going into this book. Because the way she is treatedโฆ breaks your heart.
One day when Samara wanders offโฆ to hopefully find peaceโฆ a handsome prince offers for her hand in marriage. Her brothers agree in exchange for a large dowery.
On her way to her new kingdomโฆ the Prince of Nightshade ambushes her carriage. Samara believes that the fae prince has snatched her away to punish her for a crime she committed long agoโฆ
What the Prince actually needs help withโฆ is to break his curseโฆ and what Samara doesnโt realizeโฆ is the curse he hasโฆ is one put on him by Samara herselfโฆ
If you love The Cruel Prince, Labyrinth, The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns, Snow White, A Curse For True Love, Cinderella, fairytales, darkโฆ fairytales, fairytales with spiceโฆyou will greedily consumeโฆ Apples Dipped In Gold.
Samara reminds me of Cinderella, especially the quote โHave courage, and be kind.โ
She has gone through so much, and yet her ability to be kind to others is one of her most admirable qualities. She inspires me to keep my head high and always pick the path of courage and kindness, even when hope feels miles away.
I donโt know how Scarlett does it, because while this book is thoughtful, emotional, and sometimes downright sad. Itโs also laugh out loud funny, swoon worthy, scary, whimsical, and epic.
Loreโs nickname for Samara is โWild Oneโ HELP.
Thereโs a moment where Samara claims to Lore that she is worthless, and he says โYou do not get to determine your worth to me.โ And I cried. For a solid minute.
Nobody is perfect in this book, and thatโs part of what makes it so enduring. Except for Foxโฆ I love Fox. Heโs perfect. Adorable. I love him.
I love this book with my whole heart. This is one of my favorite series of all time. And if you havenโt read the first book, Mountains Made Of Glass, please go read that, and then start Apples Dipped in Gold immediately after.
โYou are a gift, you are my dream come true and my greatest wish.โ
โจARC Reviewโจ
โ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐,โ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ช๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ซ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฌ๐ค๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐จ. โ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช.โ
โ๐๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฅ,โ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ.
โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ,โ ๐ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ.
โ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ?โ ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ.
โ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ง๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ฅ,โ ๐ ๐ด๐ข๐ช๐ฅ.
โจ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ข ๐ท๐ผ, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐ฟ (๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐!)
Apples Dipped in Gold was an immersive fairytale retelling that was impossible to put down! The environment was so immersive and I loved how it had a classic fairytale setting with lush forests, creepy witchโs houses, and whimsical creatures.
I loved our main characters, Samara and Lore. Samara has been horribly abused by her three brothers, and she finally finds a chance at a new life when a charming prince whisks her a way. Through twists and turns, she crosses paths with Lore, an Elven Prince who needs to break the curse he is under.
I really enjoyed how caring and compassionate Lore was towards Samara as their relationship unfolds. There are also loveable side characters - especially Fox the fox (๐๐) and Cardic, one of Loreโs brothers. The banter between everyone, but especially the brothers, had me cackling.
Thank you to Scarlett St. Clair and Bloom Books for the advanced reader copy, thoughts and review is my own.
I devoured this book in under 24 hours and it has immediately taken the top spot of my favourite Scarlett St. Clair book!
The relationship between Samara and Lore was just gorgeous. Fox as a character was incredible. The banter between characters was perfect. I loved everything about it.
Okay so Scarlett St Clair is doing something I'm really loving with this series of interconnected standalones. They're more fairytale remixes than retellings; they're like jigsaw puzzles of so many different details from so many different fairytales that you really don't see very often. If you were a fairytale/mythology kid like I was, you'll know what I mean when I say this is simultaneously comforting, familiar, and completely unique. The closest full fairytale most people would recognize as a comp for this book would probably be Snow White, except the actual story is completely different!
Don't go in looking for a one-to-one retelling. I'd say go in looking for a quick read that feels familiar, but be ready to be completely unprepared for the journey. Go in like you're face blind at your high school reunion, except this is a better time.
Okay, I feel like we've dialed in the vibes, so Samara. Scarlett writes such strong FMCs, and I personally adore the way she plays with different kinds of strength. In the last book, Gesela was fighting grief and persisting through sheer will. In this one, Samara displays emotional strength as her special interest, and it was SO refreshing to read an FMC who's going to look at a man and tell him he's beautiful...and also stupid! I really enjoyed her as a character; her kindness through abuse, her unbreakable spirit, it all adds up to a heroine I was rooting for.
Lore is dumb, and I love him. I really and truly can't say more. I'll always be here for the himbo energy and Lore is BRINGING that energy.
But wait; there's more! Fox is a sneaky favorite. It doesn't hurt that foxes are one of my favorite animals, but he's also snarky and kind, and he really deserves a raise for all the babysitting he does in this book!
Now I'll just be waiting for the next installment. Suuuuuper patiently...
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
๐ This story was captivatingly beautiful. I don't usually read stories like this, I've never been a fan of Grimm Brother stories, but somehow, Scarlett just knows how to write in this style so beautifully with this perfect mixture of gritty details, the weird, the beautiful, and the romantic.
๐ I loved seeing this romance blossom between our two main characters. Both felt unworthy of love and the love that grows between them is beautiful!
๐ I also love the humor that Scarlett weaves through the story. It's the perfect way to keep a story set in such a dark setting, still light. Fox was definitely my favorite.
๐ I'm so looking forward to seeing the romance that happens in the next one!
Scarlett has done it again with Apples Dipped in Gold. I loved our main characters Samara and Lore. And of course Fox was a favorite as well! They were well-developed characters and I loved seeing them interact with each other.
Our main character Samara has been under the neglectful and abusive care of her three brothers after being orphaned at a young age. Sheโs been through a lot. One day a prince asks for her hand in marriage and the brothers agree after negotiating a a large dowry in their favor. Samaraโs carriage is attacked and she is rescued by the fae prince Lore of Nightshade.
Prince Lore has been in love/obsessed with Samara for years but believes that she has betrayed him and he wants to get rid of his feelings of love. Can this Prince of poisons and this human girl overcome their differences to find each other again?