Chasing Goldie

The Lost Girls #2

by Holly Roberds

Ever been stuck between an alpha and a hard place?

In a world where mages, faes, and humans coexist, I, Goldie, am taking a stand – swearing off the male species entirely. Ironically, all of them start throwing themselves at me with almost supernatural fervor the minute I make my vow. All except for one man, that is...

When I move into a crumbling Victorian mansion, I didn't know my unexpected inheritance would come with a neighbor who is a rugged alpha bear shifter with an alpha complex.

He also comes with not one, but two baggage-laden brothers and a knack for turning my blood into molten lava. Oh, and did I mention the weird habit of finding myself in one of their beds each morning?

My grumpy neighbor does *not* appreciate my friendly nature, and now we are locked in a heated feud that may bring down the whole house.

As darker threats close in from both our worlds, we'll need to bury the porridge to navigate the fine line between hate, love, and survival.

This spicy m/f grumpy x sunshine fairytale retelling will have you lapping up the pages like porridge

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romantasy, Paranormal Romance

394 pages, Paperback

Published October 16, 2023

About the author

Holly Roberds is an Amazon Top 40 Bestselling Author of the Vegas Immortals and Lost Girls series, known for badass heroines, gut-busting laughs, and spicy romance. Holly lives in Denver but is only outdoorsy in that she drinks on patios—with a prosecco in one hand and an espresso in the other. When not writing, she’s playing D&D, sharpening her banter skills, or sinking her teeth into her husband’s very bitable arm.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads)]

Honestly, it lost me at: 'you are going to fountain for me like a goddess'

This had a lot of potential and I really like the idea behind the series, but this was just not it for me.

[i_hype_romance]

Ummm…there were A LOT of grammatical errors and so much awkward sentence structure.

I liked the hero but I hated the heroine. The only things that even remotely tied this to the Goldilocks fairytale were her constant consumption of porridge (🙄🙄🙄) and the hero and his two brothers are bear shifters. The sex scenes were okay if a bit repetitive.

[Ruth♡]

Confirmo que no son los mejores libros pero que adictivos son.

Después de tantos desastres amorosos Goldie está dispuesta a olvidar a los hombres, ya no quiere saber nada de ellos y prefiere enfocarse en si misma, pero cual es su sorpresa que ahora parece que todos quieren con ella y no la dejan en paz solo hay un hombre que se resiste a ella, su vecino gruñón y justo es el que más capta tu atención

Me gustó un poco menos que el primero, los protagonistas a veces me desesperaban, Ted al inicio era muy gruñón con ella y yo quería que parará y luego Goldie siento que se ponía en peligro sin razón, solo para demostrar que ella podía que obvio entendía de donde venía pero igual sabía por lo que estaban pasando y aún así ahí va, a la boca del lobo.

En fin igual estuvo muy entretenido y los problemas que venía arrastrando Goldie se me hicieron muy feos, cuando se lo conto a Ted me dió algo por ella 🥺 y la familia de ella súper top.

[☾✴︎Andrea Reads Romance✴︎☽]

4.25 ⭐️ I love this series so much!

I found this series when I downloaded book #1 as a freebie for Stuff Your Kindle Day, and it's seriously exactly what freebies are for! I got sucked right into the world building and magic system, I feel in love with the writing and the characters... I just needed more of all of it.

So I finally got into Goldie's book -which is a Goldilocks retelling with werebears as the three bears! I loved the whole Teddy Bear/ nickname jokes, and I loved the grumpy/ sunshine aspect of it all.

I am diving right into Cinder's book because I just can't get enough of this Lost Girls Series!

🌶️🌶️.5 - Very much open door, there are a handful of explicit scenes.

[Ellen - most.lyromance]

This book featured Goldie and Ted (a bear shifter). In the most vague Goldilocks ish retelling, Goldie has issues and Ted is around. Goldie has some magical powers and Ted is… guys, he’s just conveniently close, otherwise she would have fallen for someone else.

This was awful. The world building was insane. The swearing was bonkers and not in a good way. Seriously “witchtits” and “faelord” are objectively awful made up swear words. Ted can’t communicate to save his life. He says “I don’t do relationships” even as he’s actively having sex with her and protecting her all around town (seriously she had to work so much and he didn’t?) he does reveal 100 pages later that he doesn’t do relationships because he’s too worried about safety. And while saying that aloud, in his head, he’s calling her mate.

Finally, I sincerely appreciate stories written about women who are plus sized. I could use a VERY dramatic drop off in stories that have the plus sized character (and everyone around her) focused on her weight and her body. The amount of comments Goldie got about her body from SO many people in this book was insane. And almost every one made me recoil ‘cause nearly every one made Goldie relive bullying when she was younger.

Anyway, not my jam. I 100% knew better, but I am in a slump and just wanted to finish a book.

[elder_millennialnitemar_reads (Ashley)]

Per usual, Holly has written an adorable, hilarious, spicy SPICE, heart wrenching tale & I loved every minute! Goldie’s mantra is one we should all adopt & profess daily! I am enough! Grumpy/Sunshine gives me all the happy feels. I cannot wait to read Cinder’s tale next! Such a badass group of reformed princesses. I would love to see Rap & Snow as well 🖤
Seriously enjoyed this book. Read it in less than a day. As a proud member of Holly’s Hellions street team, I received this arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!!

[C * Not Another Reader * C]

chasing goldie? ... ha, more like I don't want goldie as my neighbor, I despise this idea ... I don't like her, no, not at all (actually I like her but I'm a grump and I like to judge people without knowing them), then hey, look at that, she's my mate, but I don't do relationships... for like 5 minutes, because I do love her and I need to protect her whatever it takes (don't ask me why I love her, she's just hot ... and yeah, she's my mate) .. the end


soooo, I will most probably continue this series eventually

[Jessica Rea]

Looking for fun sexy read, perfect for fall/Halloween? Ever wondered what it would be like to have our world coincide with your favorite fairy tales? Holly Roberds has you covered with The Lost Girls sereies…

💖Fairytale Retelling
💖Shifters & other magical beings
💖Enemies to Lovers
💖Touch Her & 💀
💖Stalker (not MMC)
💖Badass MFC who loves hard
💖Curvy MFC (felt so real & relatable)

And the 🌶️🌶️ ? It’s just right.

I got an ARC copy of this book and I loved it! 🩷

The book’s dedication…perfect. 💖 The author’s notes with Goldie’s difference to Red’s stories explained…sprinkles on the icing on the cake. 🎂(Yeah, I’m the nerd that reads every page.🤷🏻‍♀️)

Goldie’s story itself? As a bigger girl my whole life myself, it’s taken me decades to embrace my own inner Goldie. I wish I’d had this story in high school/college for an example of that extra dose of self-love and confidence. Maybe I could’ve embraced her sooner.

Don’t get me wrong, Holly did an amazing job writing Goldie’s character and making her believable with some insecurities that I’m sure we’ve all felt before. Goldie’s inner dialogue and struggle is just so “fae fucks” relatable. As another reader on the ARC team put it, “How many times in most of our lives have we questioned ourselves, questioned why people like us, if they actually do or if they are faking it. Such a rollercoaster of emotions!” A powerful message wrapped up in an incredible story with lots of great humor and snark.

And I LOVED how Ted adored her and spoke to her about loving herself, once he was finally honest about his feelings. 🤦🏻‍♀️ MEN.

Holly, you’ve knocked it out of the park, again, for me. I loved it. 🩷 And now I’m SO freaking jealous and wish I could find my own werebear. *le sigh*

Anyway, I won’t spoil it for anyone, just know that this is book two in The Lost Girls series. “Tasting Red” was the first. They can be read as standalones, but some characters from the first make appearances in the second and knowing the backstory made me giggle a time or two. I can’t wait for my hard copy!

Release date TODAY!

Happy Reading!

Also, Holly makes a playlists for her books, so here’s the one for “Chasing Goldie,” so happy listening, too!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0La...

[Mara Sky]

This was cute overall.

PROS:
• grumpy/ sunshine
• he falls harder
• plus/ mid size rep
• girl coded, promotes feminism
• I appreciated the fantasy elements mixing with a contemporary world (the bar seemed cool, the drinks even cooler!)
• I appreciated the twist at the end
• MMC has a dirty mouth 😏
• Pink is his favorite color 🥲
• light somno 😏

CONS:
• the usage of certain things (like pink, cake) got repetitive.
• the fmc gives “pick-me” vibes
• one particularly scene had super cringe dialogue that felt off compared to the rest of the MMC’s characterization (“You know I want that cream filling, blondie”) and it just completely took me out of the book.
• I wish this leaned a little heavier into the shifter side. Could have used more/ better bear scenes. Maybe even primal play (they live in the woods, and it IS called “Chasing Goldie”, after all)

[GemM]

A Goldilocks retelling… sort of. Not in an obvious way, but the author cleverly weaves in enough familiar plot points to give it that fairytale feel without ever feeling gimmicky.

I really enjoyed this one. The main couple felt much more developed than the couple in the previous book, so I found myself far more invested in what happened to them. There was a good balance between the romance and the wider plot, with enough intrigue along the way to keep me turning the pages.

It’s a clever series. Each book works perfectly well as a standalone, but they’re all interconnected just enough that you can’t help wanting to see how the bigger story unfolds. The literary equivalent of saying “I’ll just read one more chapter” and suddenly finding yourself halfway through the next book.

[Zen]

DNF

Didn't enjoy the writing style or the manic desperate FMC in this one.

[Darkest Bellé]

4.25 stars!

[Booktokqutiepie]

Full review coming soon

[Tisha Pettus]

4⭐️/3🌶️
I really loved Goldie’s story!! Being a fuller girl myself I could relate to her emotions and insecurities. And the way that Ted listened to her and saw her ahhh made my heart melt!

The Lost Girls is such a fun series. I can’t wait to read Cinder’s story!

[Becca]

Ok yes.

[Bea27x]

Liked it much more than I thought I would and I completely reevaluated Goldie and really felt for her. I’m addicted.

[Erika K]

Didn't give goldilocks vibes at all

I loved the first book in the series and the friendship between the lost girls was great. This book the friendship didn't play such a big role nor did I get the warm and fuzzies about it like in the first book. Goldie seemed like a confident badass in the first book and became a whiny self deprecating no one loves me because I'm fat, I'm not worthy or enough because I'm fat characters. Several times she mentions wanting to end it all. Definitely ruined it for me. I'm hoping the next book is more like the first.

[Vanessa Ouellette]

This is a fun & whimsical Goldielocks retelling. Ted is a Werebear "Teddy Bear" who spends so much time initially resisting Goldie. She's determined to win him over. Goldie learns she's got special powers while being thrown into a stalker situation, talks of depression & suicide. Though heavy topics it's a fun & playful story.

[Brave]

This was another fun installment in the series. I love that this series doesn't take itself too seriously, while still having stakes that add tension to the story. Also, who doesn't love a bear shifter??

[Stephanie]

This was a dumpster fire. It needed major editing help, gave me the ickkk in a couple places, and somehow i still finished it. I have no good reasoning. 2 and a half stars.

[Michelle]

This book had me wishing I had read it when I was younger. We all question things, people and situations. But Holly put it all into 1 book. This book is a whole vibe itself. I’m glad I got to read the ARC for this.

[Apola]

I saw the reel, and zoomed here. I don't even have to read to know it's gonna be hilarious. I can't wait😭

[L]

I have some real mixed feelings on this one. I wanted to like it. Heck, I wanted to love it, fairy tale remixes are my jam. However, the storyline was chaotic and NOT in a good way, but even more problematic than that was that Goldie started off as a straight-up creepy stalker. Her relentless behavior towards Ted when they first met was completely outrageous and unacceptable. If a man pushed a woman’s clearly stated boundaries like that he’d be (quite rightly) slammed with a restraining order and raked over the coals. It’s not “cute” or even remotely OK just because she’s a woman or attractive or whatever other justification you want to try to come up with, and I don’t feel like this was at all appropriately handled in the book. Maybe if Goldie’s internal reflections and growth had focused a bit more on her problematic behavior rather than solely on how hurt by the world she is this wouldn’t be grinding my gears so much, but as it stands there’s a really gross double-standard being actually celebrated in this book.

[Joy Eguabor]

Not the best…..

This book felt so rushed compared to Red’s book :( I love Holly Roberds but everything about this felt lackluster. I don’t know how Goldie and Ted fell in love and I truly don’t see them lasting unfortunately. I also felt like both of them lacked depth. Even the side characters were boring.

[Alexy Peters]

3.5 ⭐️

After enjoying Tasting Red, I was excited to jump back into Holly Roberds’ fairy tale world. While Chasing Goldie was still an entertaining read, it just didn’t draw me in quite the same way. The story definitely kept my attention. I like that this series isn’t just spice wrapped around a fairy tale DONT GET ME WRONG THE SPICE IS SPICING but it actually has mysteries, supernatural politics, and twists that keep the plot moving. The magical world continues to expand with werebears, fae, sirens, and other creatures, which made it feel bigger than a simple Goldilocks retelling. Ted was a solid MMC. I enjoyed his protective nature, and the enemies to lovers dynamic between him and Goldie had some fun moments. There was a clever twist on the original fairy tale.
Where the book lost me a little was the romance itself. I never connected with Ted and Goldie. Their chemistry was good, but it never gave me those butterflies that make me completely invested in a couple. The plot twists were enjoyable and I appreciated that the story wasn’t completely predictable. Still, by the end I found myself thinking the first book was simply more fun. Overall, this was a good spicy paranormal romance with an interesting fairy tale spin, but it didn’t quite reach the same level as Tasting Red.


Spoiler Summary Ahead

Goldie inherits a run down Victorian mansion after the death of her aunt and hopes it’s the fresh start she desperately needs following another failed relationship. She befriends her grumpy neighbor Ted, a private werebear who initially wants nothing to do with her. Despite their rocky beginning, attraction quickly develops between them. As Goldie settles into her new life, she discovers she’s far from ordinary. She possesses dormant siren magic that causes men to become dangerously obsessed with her, along with the ability to teleport. Ted’s presence uniquely suppresses those powers, making him one of the few people around who she feels truly safe. As their romance grows, outside threats begin closing in. Gangsters connected to Ted’s brother create some drama, while Goldie struggles with her fear of depending on someone else. The biggest twist comes when Lysander who is dating Goldie’s friend Cinder is revealed to be a Cheshire fae who has secretly been stalking Goldie. He attempts to magically claim her heart by feeding on her emotions/tears. Goldie finally embraces her own strength, resists Lysander’s manipulation, and frees Ted before defeating the villain with help from her friends. Afterward, Goldie begins therapy, gains better control over her magic. She sells the inherited mansion, moves in with Ted.

[Bookish Brunch Club]

This is a paranormal/fantasy retelling of Goldilocks with grumpy/sunshine and enemies-to-lovers delightfulness. Goldie is the bubbly, slightly flighty, and sweet FMC who just inherited her aunt’s house. Her new neighbor is a giant grumpy growly AF *bear* shifter named *TED*. What more do you need?

But if you DO need a bit more, then I should tell you the FMC gets a bit magical and ends up in her neighbor’s bed sometimes. Then Ted the bear man totally wants to hate her cheery fun neighbor vibe, but he can’t, and then he goes all protective bear on everyone’s ass, and oops, now he loves her. Other stuff happens too, but I’m not prepared to completely violate the spoiler code.

This was my 1st shifter romance. Very into it and all the magical-ish side characters in general. I also enjoyed the fun easter eggs from the original story and other fairy tale references throughout the book. It could’ve been weird since this is very much an *ADULT* book, but nah, it was good. And fun.

The romance is quintessential grumpy sunshine neighbor goodness with a heavy helping of quality spice and minimal angst. The author kills it in the character department (as if she wasn’t in every other dept, too)— they’re complex, have depth, and are super relatable. The MCs had great banter and chemistry, and I loved seeing their connection grow.

The FMC and female side characters are total badasses, and I’m obsessed with them. They’re all fantastic fairy tale characters with a twist, and lucky for us, this book is part of a stand-alone series, so we’ll get to see them again in their own stories (Little Red Riding Hood’s story is already out - Jenny & I give it 2 thumbs up!) My only big problem is that I have to wait until NEXT YEAR for the 3rd book, which is a travesty. This was such a fun, unique take on a classic tale!

This is me saying your life would definitely be better if you read this book & series ASAP. Like, now. Go do it.

-Laura

[Corrina]

Spicy Grumpy x Sunshine Goldilocks Retelling

Book overview
Ever been stuck between an alpha and a hard place?

In a world where mages, faes, and humans coexist, I, Goldie, am taking a stand – swearing off the male species entirely. Ironically, all of them start throwing themselves at me with almost supernatural fervor the minute I make my vow. All except for one man, that is...

When I move into a crumbling Victorian mansion, I didn't know my unexpected inheritance would come with a neighbor who is a rugged alpha bear shifter with an alpha complex.

He also comes with not one, but two baggage-laden brothers and a knack for turning my blood into molten lava. Oh, and did I mention the weird habit of finding myself in one of their beds each morning?

My grumpy neighbor does *not* appreciate my friendly nature, and now we are locked in a heated feud that may bring down the whole house.

As darker threats close in from both our worlds, we'll need to bury the porridge to navigate the fine line between hate, love, and survival.

I'm in awe. Holly strikes again with another amazing fairytale retelling! The tension, the plot twists, the spicy 😏🤌🏾 and overall excitement. While still retaining the main storyline from the original, Holly revamped this story in ways I couldn't have imagined with tears I didn't even think I was going to have. I am completely obsessed. once again 10/10 recommend 👌🏾

[Maria Elena | pagesofmaria]

Spice: 4 peppers 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I always knew I was a bear at heart.

I recently gushed about book 1—Tasting Red, a spicy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. I loved the book so much I jumped right into the sequel Yes, I’m obsessed. I haven’t loved a fairytale retelling this much since The Lunar Chronicles.

Chasing Goldie—which is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears—is just as good and hot as the first, and it has some of my favorite elements: grumpy x sunshine neighbors, plus size rep, again we see the beautiful friendship between the Lost Girls, but also some great and complex family dynamics with Ted and his brothers (aka the three bears.)

In this second installment, Goldie winds up inheriting her aunt’s old house…and her neighbor, a burly mountain god of a grumpy man who so happens to be a bear shifter. And yet there is more to Ted than meets the eye. He’s a big brother who had to take care of his two younger brothers, a provider and protector with hidden softness and a champion dirty talker. Do I like him? No, like his too small of a word. I love him, and he and Goldie have the most hilarious banter!

I am absolutely smitten with this series at this point. What I love about it is how the stories are wholly original, yet there are actual nods to the fairytale it’s inspired by. Like I mentioned many times now, this isn’t a given. Often times retellings are thus labeled more for funsies rather than for any actual correspondence with the original tales.

[Lisa Ann D.]

✨No. I don’taccept your treatment. I don’taccept your view of me. I know who the fuck l am and I do not require your approval.✨
—————
Chasing Goldie (The Lost Girls, 2)
by Holly Roberds @authorhollyroberds

✨💖✨
𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖!

★★★★★
4.25 rounded up

❤︎ HER BEAR FITS JUST RIGHT ❤︎


▁▁▁▁
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 & 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦:

FAIRYTALE RETELLING
CHAPTER TITLES (my love of these)💛
DUAL POV
FAMILY & FOUND FAMILY
PLUS SIZE FMC
BEAR SHIFTER
DIRTY TALKING MMC
SPICY
MAGIC AND MORE
PARANORMAL
INCLUSION
NEIGHBORS
THE LOST GIRLS SERIES
LEARNING TO SAY NO
CUTE PET NAMES
A REAL ANIMAL

✨💖✨💖✨💖✨

Such a great read. This series hits that magical spot.
Goldie & Ted were a lot of fun. The pace was solid. The story was strong. Loved the underlying current/themes.
✨✨✨✨💛💖💛✨✨✨✨


“WAIT, SO YOU SHIFT INTO A BEAR AND YOUR
NAME IS TED - OH FUCK.

✨

"WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THAT?
WHY DO PEOPLE AVOID ACCEPTING SYMPATHY, EMPATHY SO HARD?
LIKE IT'S SOMETHING TO BE
AVOIDED? AM
SORRY FOR YOU. I'M SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH SOMETHING SO ACUTELY PAINFUL FOR SO LONG.
NOT BECAUSE IT'S MY FAULT, BUT BECAUSE I HAVE EMPATHY AND I WANT BETTER FOR YOU. I WANT A BETTER PAST FOR YOU, WANT YOU TO NOT HAVE SUFFERED. IS THAT SO BAD? TO ACCEPT THAT SOMEONE FEELS YOUR PAIN?"
✨✨✨✨✨

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

[Michelle Grimison]

I thought Tasting Red was good, but this was better!!! And it is definitely cause I put myself in Goldie’s place and my husband in Ted’s place so easily!

Plus sized girly, who radiates happiness/sunshine even though she has struggled with her worth being tied to others opinion of her (even though she doesn’t think so, and recites her mantras regularly), and her people pleasing tendencies where she can’t say no to anyone! In comes this big, burly, grumpy, blue color man who has a heart of gold and always protects his family…
He helps her own her power, and set boundaries, and realize that it’s ok to put yourself before others, cause you are the most important thing in your own life! And she helps him (and his brothers) realize that he shouldn’t be taking on everyone else’s problems, and that the boys should be in charge of their own shit!

Oh and there’s magic, and stalkers (not the fun dark romance kind, but the kind that want to keep you in a closet away from everyone else), and some dismemberment… all in all a good time was had!

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
When he sees the real you, and makes you cum harder than anyone ever… I’d be his cream puff any day!