All I could think of when I was reading this book was my mug that says “I still read fairytales, they’re just spicier now.” 🤭

After losing both her parents, Samara is forced to take care of her three cruel brothers. Just as she is about to reach her breaking point, a chance encounter with a handsome prince transforms her life entirely. He asks for her hand in marriage and she is about to be whisked away with the promise of a large dowry to her brothers. As she is in the carriage with the prince, they are ambushed and she is captured by the Fae Prince of Nightshade, Lore.

Lore intends to use Samara to break his curse—he has been overcome by a powerful love for Samara for the past 7 years. Once she wishes upon a magical apple, Lore believes she will break this curse.

This was my first fairytale retelling and it certainly won’t be my last. I found it interesting how the dark elements resembled the not-so-happy moments and cruelties exhibited in the fairytales of the past. Also there was some random humor sprinkled in that really helped lighten the mood. I’ve only read one book by Scarlett St. Clair and it was the first Touch of Darkness book. This novella felt so different, and I was extremely captivated with it! While this is the second of her fairytale retellings, it can be read as a standalone.

Apples is the second of Scarlett's dark-fairytale retellings (series of interconnected standalones) -- the romance is at once wholesome and angsty, and the themes of forced proximity, journeying/questing together (along with a very interesting companion!) and second-chance romance were so gripping! Book 1's romance was a rough enemies to lovers and book 2 was a softer, can-I-trust-you second chance romance, and both were so frickin good 😭 I can't waitt for more books in this series!

TWs - verbal and physical abuse of the FMC by her brothers (explicit and on-page), general violence and gore, loss of limb experienced by MMC (phantom pains described in detail on page)

Thank you to @coloredpagesbt for the opportunity to read this novella in advance of the paperback release!

This is only my second book by St. Clair, oh the spice never lets me down. This was definitely lighter on spice (even for me) which I enjoyed.

This is the second installment in St. Clair’s fairy telling series, fear not, you don’t need to read the first book to jump into this one. I didn’t. Each book within the series follows one of the seven brothers in each of their seven kingdoms.

At only 171 pages, it’s a quick read for anyone wanting to take a short detour and get into another world. Be warned that each of their stories deals with love at first sight so that may be a deal breaker for some.

This book was amazing. Lore and Samara are amazing. Samara's beginnings are traumatizing, but when she finally gets away, the adventure really starts. Lore is broody and handsome, Samara is innocent and strong. Fox is also probably my favorite side character ever. This is a love story for the ages.

4.5 for this read, truly loved the world building and the interwoven fairytale lore. I felt deeply for Samara's cycle of trauma and loved the extra touch that Lore also needed to be reaffirmed in ways that only she could provide and vice versa, it was so viserally human and emotional.

Apples Dipped in Gold by Scarlett St. Clair is the second book in 'The Fairytale Retelling' Series and is based on stories in Grimm Fairy Tales by the Grimm brothers. I have read her Hades X Persephone series that I knew I had to read her books as well. Hence picked up this when gotten a chance.

I think you can easily read all the books in this series as a standalone since each one of them is based on a different story from the Grimm Fairy Tales. This one is the story of Samara and Lore. Samara is an orphan maiden who is left under the watch of three very wicked brothers of hers. Where Lore is the wicked Prince of Nightshade.

I enjoyed every bit of this book. It was very easy-flowing and catchy at the same time. I cannot wait to read further books in this series. This one is the perfect winter book to read this season. The whole aspect of Elven Prince, Fae and the Fox (one of the brothers) who was always accompaning Samara was just adorable.

The spice level is very less and decent in this book so definitely read this one. It is not forcedfitted at all and feels very nice to see both these characters finally confess their love after struggles and trust issues.Scarlett St. Clair is a classic at writing very poetic and beautiful writing in her books.

I remember reading the first book on this series sometime last year and I actually read it in one sitting cause its just a short read. This one is no different but the magical experience is just the same. I read quite a few books from this author already and I am quite happy she continues to impress people with her imagination and writing approach

Scarlett St. Clair does it again!! I absolutely loved this book! It was such a fun addition to her fairytale retellings series. This was such a fun change of pace from book one! It was so different. But still so good! I absolutely love this author! She's an auto buy author for me! So much packed into this small package! If you like fairytale retellings definitely check this and Mountains Made of Glass out!!! <3

\\\\\ 3.5/5 \\\\\

I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed the universe, the characters were really nice (that cutie Mr.Fox!) and I read it really fast, which means I was hooked. So that's good. But then, when I take time to think about what I actually read, I am left with so many unanswered questions that I am not sure if I'm just dumb or if these questions are justified...

The whole start of this book was really nice because it really sets up the vibe and leaves us questioning ourselves on what really happened there. I thought it would one day come back to it with more details so that I could understand better though. But I sit here, still wondering what exactly happened years ago, it's all very blurry to me, the whys and hows and all. Every time it was mentioned there wasn't any clear information to explain it all and make it make sense in my head.

I also couldn't really make sense of our FMC much of the time. Why did she protect her brothers and stay with them is still a mystery, and no matter what reasons were given, they made no sense to me. I keep wondering why was everyone falling in love with that character at first sight... literally all the princes and kings are at her feet... but she felt so bland and it was a bit hard to justify any of this. I have to admit that I much prefer strong FMCs so maybe that's why I wasn't her biggest fan, but I can't say she left a big impression on me even though I did not hate her.

Lore on the other hand was really fun and really swoony. I also really liked Lore's brother (already excited for his story!) And let's not forget about that fox character which was super nice! Not gonna lie though, I was really frustrated by the fact that we didn't even get any explanations on his story because he was a big part of this book.

Soooo, do you get where I'm coming from? Loved the vibe, loved our character's interactions, the story kept me intrigued from the very first page. But well... I'm still too intrigued after finishing to be satisfied, I need answers, that's all. Many things still felt fuzzy, left unresolved, and that ending was too abrupt for me, I needed more. That being said, love the world and I will definitely read more in it, it was entertaining and so easy to devour.

Thanks so much to ColoredPagesBookTour, BloomBooks and Scarlett St. Clair for my copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Fairytale lovers and Romantasy readers, this one is for you!

Apples Dipped in Gold is the second book in Scarlett St. Clair’s Fairy Tale Retelling series. You don’t need to read the first book in the series before diving into this one. I didn’t, and I still enjoyed this story.

Each book within the series follows one of seven princes. Apples Dipped in Gold includes influences from a variety of fairytales from those collected by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Andrew Lang and more. St. Clair does an excellent job weaving these tales together into one story.

In the afterword, St. Clair shares that the overall theme of this novel is love at first sight. Be warned insta-love haters! I encourage readers to keep an open-mind. You may find yourself feeling a different type of way by the end of the story. 😉

Like many fairytales, this book does delve into some darker themes and scenarios. I felt this added some weight to the story and even grounded it a bit in reality.

Overall, I liked this one. I plan to read the previous book in the series as well now.

My rating: 4⭐️

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
2.5/5 🌶️🌶️

Coming back to this world was an absolute delight! I really like seeing Scarlett take these stories and make them new with her voice. For whatever reason I find them to be hilarious. There’s the whimsy and fun that you would expect from a fairy tale but also the darker elements of the originals are still present. The characters definitely take a bigger role in this one over the setting like in the first one of the series.

Samara has a sad beginning and her family was truly awful! I think she was really clever though. I liked her resourceful qualities as well as her naivety. It was a curious combination that actually served the story well.

Lore, oh Lore! Honestly, he won my heart. There were moments where I wanted to shake him as he figured things out but overall I enjoyed the was he saw Samara and how fearless he was in protecting her. We love a protective hero in this household! This man would fight with his last breath to keep her safe. If she would just sit still lol

The Fox! I loved him! I think I laughed most at his witty one liners but loved him most for how helpful he was! I truly would like to have one by my side too

I loved the poetic way that the story is told and even on the perils I was utterly fascinating. I like this series because it’s atmospheric and we don’t lose that classic fairytale feeling. It’s only expanded by St. Clair’s voice. I cannot wait for more from this world!

My god. I absolutely loved this read, I did not think it would get better than the first book and I was sorely mistaken. This book is full of angst, painful love, pining, and ultimately true love prevailing all. I fell in love with the protagonist from the beginning, identifying with her hardships, and longing for a different life. The love story between Lore and Samara is something devestatingly beautiful, slowly burning throughout their journey. Lore's description of his love for Samara akin to a cure is beautiful, and both of their character development was well earned. I found myself highlighting the heck out of countless beautiful quotes and well described scenes. The way this author writes stays true to legends incorperated, and kept aspects of the original works. Scarlett St. Clair has yet to dissapoint me, and I can garuntee I will find myself re-reading this one soon!

I am saving my social media post for my tour date (the release day of this book) but I wil upload it here!

Fairytale retellings are probably my favorite underrated type of books! Scarlett knows how to make these stories her own. We have Samara who lives with her three extremely cruel brothers after being orphaned at a young age. She does everything around the house while they are out hunting and treat her like trash. Years ago, in a way to keep herself safe, a fae gifts her a dagger. They fall in love and she believes he will save her from this life and take her away. But one day his hand ends up being sliced off and he ends up disappearing. Now she believes life is too harsh and she wanders into the woods to find peace. As she is contemplating her existence a charming prince happens upon her and offers to marry her. She tells him he must ask her brothers, which he does, and they say yes in exchange for a large dowry. He returns the next day with the payment and takes her. As their traveling, the carriage gets ambushed, the prince gets unalived and a talking fox ends up saving her. As she is running through the woods she comes across a fae, Prince Lore of Nightshade, that the fox happens to know and he convinces her to go with him on his quest to find the tree with the golden apples to break the curse cast upon him. Little does Samara know that Lore is the same fae she came across years ago and the curse he has is because of her. This was such a fun read. Fox is the best side character! He is witty and such a huge personality. he makes sure to keep Lore in line and to make him understand that Samara has been through a lot. He is also such a comfort to Samara when she feels alone and lost in the world. I absolutely love this series and cannot wait for the rest of the brothers!

Ahhh Scarlett went ahead and did it again. I cannot begin to stress how much I’ve come to love every world that Scarlett builds. Whether it’s ATOD, KBB, When Stars Come Out, or these novellas, I always fall in love. Scarlett helped me fall in love with reading again and anything she writes is dipped in gold honestly. Watching this push and pull romance develop, especially with the Fox’s help, was absolutely fantastic. The way the MMC is always trying to help the FMC despite her anger and hostility towards him is so sad but ultimately when she realized the truth their love blossomed. So happy I got to read this so early on.

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 gives😍 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 don’t 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!