Thank you, netgalley, for the ARC! Unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea. I like enemies to lovers but this felt like they were enemies and lovers and then one day they woke up and loved each other. The character and plot development was lacking, which I guess happens when the book is only 200 pages. I also felt like our main character just became evil. Overall, this book was not for me.

** spoiler alert **
Character Story - 8/10 (I felt like Gesela's character evolved because we knew more about her) / (Casamir/Anguish was pretty stable till the last second, I felt like that could have been told better)
Overall Story - 10/10 I loved it !! It was fast-paced but had amazing story-telling, great descriptions, incredible hate-love tension going on. Honestly, I read it in a day, it was sooo good!

Now, do i wish it had more of a story towards the end? Yes.
I actually wish this was an entire series because I can see these two characters being unstoppable. Conquering worlds, Casamir becoming the King of the Enchanted Forest with Gesela at his side. The quest to find all the pieces of the broken mirror. Maybe one day...

The author is unapologetic with the way she writes. She will use all the nasty words, all the vivid imagery you can imagine, to tell this story. It is the only way this story can be written and for that I am incredibly grateful.

Finally, the ending scratched an itch Ive had for a long time. The now future princess Gesela returns to enact vengeance on those that have harmed her. Which to me is refreshing from the Do-Gooders in other books. I feel like just because she found her match and found love that doesnt mean the characters should become softer, in fact if they started out as fierce then they should retain it throughout the entire book. So thank you for that Miss Scarlett.

3.5 stars!
Short, fast read, love fairy tale readers, this one is for you!
Honestly I enjoyed this one, specifically, the fairytale retelling! Usually fairytale retelling is cliche or it falls short, but this one really did a fantastic job :) The magical and dark vibes from the retelling was spot on.
However, the story overall felt rushed and there was some parts of the story where I was confused especially some of the spice scenes.

Thank you Netgalley, author Scarleet St. Clair, and Sourcebooks bloom books for this e-ARC in exhchange for a honest review!

I absolutely enjoyed every aspect of this story. It gave the appeal of a fairy tale but with the horrors of Grimm. This was a quick easy read that I finished in one sitting. The struggles Gesela went through and in the end to be victorious and ruthless, absolutely amazing. There was an erotic dangerous feel to this story and my only complaint is that it wasn’t longer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloom for the review copy of this book!

Absolutely devoured this book. Loved the blending of different fairytales. You can tell Scarlett a fun with this book and it was a delight to read. It's a very fast read and feels familiar but new. I love fairytale retellings and I have no idea what was going to happen. Very much looking forward to more retellings from Scarlett. Make sure to read the author's note.

If you were the type of reader who, while reading Holly Black's The Folk of Air trilogy, was so excited when Cardan and Jude finally *wink wink*, yet was left slightly disappointed at the briefness of the scene....BOY HAVE I GOT GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!!

Folk of Air, ACOTAR and The Veil come together in this sexy, scintillating gem from Scarlett St. Clair. I was already a fan of her work, having read her Hades & Persephone series as well as King of Battle and Blood, and her foray into the world of the fae is not only welcome, but a triumph. I love how versatile St. Clair is, taking traditional Greek myths and old tales like Dracula and giving them a fresh, zesty spin. She does it again with Mountains Made of Glass, taking inspiration from various Grimm fairy tales and making them darker, hotter and unspeakably more delightful. I loved picking up threads of stories I read as a child, now blended together in a landscape on St. Clair can create, spiced up by witty dialogue, unforgettable characters and hot romance.

Usually when I write reviews I give little synopsis of the story, but this book is so short (only about 200 pages), I really do not want to give anything away. Suffice to say, I could not put this book down and was both happy at the HEA, but also devastated there wasn't more. I want to know more about the other brothers! And Winter! And the MIRROR! Oh. my gosh I was laughing out loud! Please Scarlett St. Clair, a new series?! One for each of the brothers and their own curse?

If I had to find something to critique, it would be that like most of Scarlett St. Clair's books, the relationships are not, well, let's just say they aren't based on the strongest of foundations. But heck, we read fantasy to escape the mundanity of the human world and frankly, I'm fine telling my logical mind to shut up for a few blissful hours.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS from Bloom Books for the ARC. I wrote this review without compensation and of my own volition.

Also, thank you to Scarlett St. Clair for finally exploring the world of the fae. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Can Scarlett rewrite a dictionary and make it sexy? Yes. And I would read that dictionary.
When she first announced she was going to do a Grimm fairy tale retelling, I already knew it was going to be something I'd read immediately. Once it came out, she'd noted that it was just a Grimm retelling. She encompassed fairy tales and their translations within this first one. She has noted there will be six more. And I have no doubt I'll love them as much as I've loved this one.
As with Grimm fairytales, this one goes dark. She put her own unique ideas and characters while using the elements from other tales woven in. And then she did what she is know for. She added spice.
She mastered full length novels and series. And I wondered how she would do with a novella. She nailed it. The story of Casamir and Gesela unraveled with each turn of the page and I almost thought their story may need to continue on in a second, but she has a gift for story telling and wrapping up the storyline the way she did while leaving the next novella open to another eleven prince was done well.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley, Scarlett St. Claire, and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This one comes in at 3.5 stars.

I wanted to love this, especially since I've been working my way through the Persephone x Hades Saga. With that being said, it just fell a little short.

There was a lot of fairy tale packed in these pages and it just seemed like it was coming from everywhere. I usually live for her Author's Note but this was was drawn out giving details from so many fairy tales that it was overwhelming. I do appreciate the amount of research she did, but it felt like a lot to pack into a novella.

Because there was so much going on, I do really wish it had been full length. Another 100 or so pages would have really brought it to life. I get where the author is coming from, in fairy tales things just happen and you accept it. But, she, as our author, hasn't really molded her readers that way. I'm used to the intense draw, the explanations, the small things that make up the big picture from her and I feel like the shortness of this book didn't get it a chance.

If you've never read her other works, you may totally not feel this way.

Also, as a big Persephone x Hades fan, please don't go ve away "Are you well?" PLEASE. I'M BEGGING YOU.

All this to say, I still totally enjoyed this, especially for a novella. I will read the other six. Scarlett really knows how to write a dirty pleasure book. The spice was good and the plot kept the pages turning quickly.

She manages to introduce a lot of characters and ideas in a way that seems....normal (even though it's like....curses and elves) and easy to follow. She also manages to get you connected to characters, and their feelings, quite quickly, which is totally necessary in a novella.

Overall, a quick and fun read!

While I am not the biggest fan of fairy tale retellings, I wanted to give this one a try as it seemed like it would be significantly different from what I am used to. I enjoyed the world-building and the darker setting and creatures that I feel a lot of authors miss the mark with, but this book was rushed to me. I also felt like the dialogue at times was so repetitive and forced. While the MCs had a ton of tension (understandably), the chemistry just always felt off to me. I also had a hard time liking Gesela's and just found her irritating - other than his constant pet names, "The Beast" was more enjoyable.

Scarlett St. Clair has quickly become a must-read author for me. When I saw that she planned on writing several novellas that are loosely fairytale retellings, I knew that I would devour them immediately.

This story was an interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast. To be freed, Gesela must guess correctly the name of the dark elven prince who holds her captive. She also must, of course, fall in love with him.

While this plot included very dark elements of the fairytale canon, the romance was still sweet (though obviously toxic at times).

I am excited to read the rest of this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Dark retelling with a lot of classic fairy tale vibes. Fun read, engaging and will keep you turning the page to find out what comes next.

Fans of St Clair's other work will really enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book and will be getting the second one when it comes out. I love the fairy tale aspect and the world building. Although this book was short I enjoyed it a lot.

I received this as an arc from net galley and my review will be 100% honest.
I am obsessed!!!
Live, laugh, love Scarlett st. Claire’s books.
I read a touch of darkness before so my hopes were high BUT NOT THIS HIGH.
At first I thought this was going to be a Snow White retelling cause seven brothers, seven dwarfs? You know. But it was more of a beauty and the beast WHICH I LOVED!!!
The characters were amazing (main characters, not so much the side ones)
The writing was so GOOD!!! I loved how easy it was to read and how quick it was. I do however wish it was longer.
The world building. This was a fantasy so I was expecting a lot of world building so I was confused by how short it was but there wasn’t any world building. We got a map and I’m pretty sure a glossary type page but that’s it.
Book was spicy, I’d say around a 4/5 on the spice scale.
There was a lot of smut scenes especially for how short the book was but they were all written well.

Overall this is a book I will recommend but do keep in mind if you like lots of world building this might be for you.

Mountains Made Of Glass

Friday on the Netgalley app I began reading Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair, and finished it today (Sunday). The novel is a mash up of various fairytales created to become a story all of its own. Gisela’s town of Elk has always been cursed and each time the residents break a curse there’s another curse and death that occurs. When Gisela thinks she broke a curse by accidently killing a toad, the toad turns out to be a cursed elven prince and the elven prince’s brothers banish her to their seventh brother who is under a curse of his own, they call him the beast. Gisela must guess his name in seven days and only then will she be free. If Gisela speaks the name with love, it’ll free the beast too. Mountains Made of Glass was my first time reading from Scarlet St. Clair and I’m glad I did, it was a fairytale mash up that was made into a story of its own.

Pros

I love the nods to other fairytales many of them I recognized and many of them I didn’t know about and until reading the Authors Note. Some of the most obvious nods are to Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, the Magic Mirror from Snow White. The guessing the prince’s true name was an obvious nod to Rumplestiltskin. Some of my favorite characters besides the main characters were The Mirror & Wolf the Raven. I’m so glad Scarlett is writing more sequels to this novel.

Cons

I felt as though the overuse of the F word was unnecessary and there was constant smut everywhere. I don’t mind sex scenes, but less is more. I also felt the end was wrapped up almost too quickly.

Overall

Despite the overuse of the F word and so many sex scenes, I definitely want to read more from Scarlett St. Clair in the future. I hear her Hades and Persephone series are great and I love mythology as much as I love fairytales, folklore and legends. If you can handle the sex scenes, and you enjoy books with magic, I recommend this.

I think Mountains Made of Glass is an amazing retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It’s the right amount of hatred, loathing, and pain. Some aspects in the story that really worked for me is that we saw both perspectives of the main characters. It was fun seeing them both fall in love with each other. I also liked the language used in the book, it’s flowery and really pulls you into the story.
And who knew the nickname creature could be so hot ;).

Review of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast stories, so I really wanted to like this book, but sadly it didn't fully engage me. I think the main issue lies in how short the book is, as the hate/insta-lust feels rather forced, and I didn't feel I got to know the characters well enough to really care about them.
For me the cruelty of the prince in the beginning just made me question why Gesela would have any feelings for him at all, there's also the issue of this all happening in barely a week, which goes back to the story being too short.
One major gripe for me was that in the time Gesela is with the Beast only gets food 3 times and barely eats any, so how she's standing by the end I have no idea. It might not bother some people, but it really stood out to me.

I did like the world and the set up in the beginning of the book, which could lead to more interesting stories as this series progresses.
The last 25/30% of the story felt more cohesive as well, though on threat towards the end fell kind of short for me.
I would have enjoyed to see more elements of the world and side characters as well. The mirror, Naeve and Wolf were def MVPs.
I also found the mix or lore and fairytales interesting.

If you like short magical stories with spice this is the book for you, but if you enjoy a bit more depth to your characters it's safe to skip.

<n>Be prepared to lose yourself in the spooky and enchanted fae land with Gesela and Casamir in Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair. It was a wonderful fairytale retelling full of magical twists, fantastical turns, otherworldly creatures, complicated love and fierce passion.</b>

Gesela has been living a dreadful life at the fringe of the village. People didn't like her. She lost her sister and parents. She hate the fae and enchanted forest. But by cruel twist of fate she kills an elven prince who was in form of a frog and his brothers kidnap her and send her to the most cruel brother. Casamir is known as the Prince of Thorn and he needs Gesela to fall in love with him in next seven days else the curse will erase his true name forever..

<b>Casamir is adorably grumpy and brooding and full of Bitter sarcasm. His mirror and his brownie try their best to make him more likable to Gesela. But he has never been loved truly and so he doesn't know how to love someone else. He was angry and violent because of his curse but Gesela changed his world. This Woman is so fierce and sassy! She may have been living a miserable life but that hasn't taken away her fire. She isn’t intimidated by the elven prince or his scary tactics. It was an explosive..The enemies to lovers tension was exquisite. The fantasy or magical part was so beautifully written. I felt like I have been transported to a beautiful and mystical world of fairy, pixies, selkie, curses and magic. It was exciting and utterly fascinating. It's the age old tale of an antihero falling in love and I enjoyed it so much!</b>

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Mountains Made of Glass not only has a kick a$$ cover and illustrations inside, it was a solid read. This is the first time that I actually felt that I was reading a fairy tale, a slightly darker and sexier one. This was such a good blend of so many amazing classic fairy tales with the author’s own spin, it was hard not to be absorbed and binge it. You get Fae, magic🪄,fairies 🧚🏻‍♂️, the enchanted forest 🌳and a touch of darkness and some steam 🔥so if you like all of that, definitely worth a read. Did I wish it was a full length novel? Yes! And I was a bit bummed knowing it was a novella because I always feel like I need more. But, I think it worked here and I was left very content. Six more books to follow and if they were all out now, I would have binged them all 😁 4.5⭐️

(arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review. this in no way changes my rating or review.)

hmm not sure how to feel about this one!!

on one hand it had less insta-love than i had feared, given the premise of the book was for our MC to fall in love with someone within a week, so i really appreciated that. instead, there was some intense enemies-to-lovers vibes, followed by some fun hate-fucking, and just a sprinkling of lovey-dovey behaviour. it was honestly very impressive how little insta-love there was!

on the other hand, i wasn't sure how to feel about either character. maybe it's because the book was so short, but i just couldn't get attached to anyone. the MC was reasonably badass but also a little stupid, like i did spend a bit more time than i would've liked screaming at her... but hey, not everyone can be einstein. and at least i really liked a couple side characters, i honestly wish we got more of Wolf, Naeve and Mirror!

i also really enjoyed the different mythologies and fairytale creatures and traditional storylines woven into one short book, it was very impressive and quite interesting to read about!

there was some iffy stockholm syndrome kidnapping type vibes... but hey that's beauty and the beast for you, i knew what i was getting into. all things considered, this wasn't too bad, and it at least kept me entertained for a couple days :).

thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc copy provided!

Mountains made of glass by Scarlett St Clair

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Scarlett St Clair, and Bloom books for the opportunity to read the book.

Firstly, the artwork in this book is absolutely amazing. The cover and the art inside really add to the story, and I have no doubt will make for a beautiful physical edition.

Every time the male love interests long nails were mentioned, I cringed, and then he cut them and seemed so proud. The bar for me in fantasy romances is too high at this point for that to sway my opinion much. I wasn't a fan of the smut leading into talks of her deceased family. I get that he's trying to get her to fall for him by caring, but it's hardly appropriate pillow talk.

Naeve is probably the best part of the book because she constantly calls our love interest out on his stupidity. Gesela starts out seeming like she's resourceful enough to take care of herself and then seems to lose all that so our love interest can keep saving her. I think the book needed a female main character who could match him in a way that made him feel ever so slightly unneeded. He would have benefited from that.

The book unfortunately suffers from being too short to carry the plot and all the smut that's crammed into it. It takes place over 7 days, so the romance was guaranteed to be fast, but they went from hate/lust to love with very little development outside of their bedroom activities. I mean, sure, he was nice to her and saved her from a few situations, but they only really have a few moments of genuine emotional connection.

I think had the book been longer with more space for romantic development and plot, it would have the potential to be really good. We don't really get a huge amount of worldbuilding either, which it definitely needs. I didn't hate the smut in the sense of it being bad it was just a lot in so short a book.

Overall, I've gone with 2 stars because it just didn't live up to the potential it plot wise. But if you want a smutty read with a little plot, this one is definitely for you.