Tasting Red

The Lost Girls #1

by Holly Roberds

My what big... teeth you have.

To grandmother’s house I go, though I want nothing to do with magic or my former life. Especially not after being kicked out of the Fairy Fine Arts Academy.

But when I find a dangerous, heavily scarred wolf shifter in my grandma’s bedroom, the fragile human lifestyle I've built from scratch is suddenly at stake.

Magic, chaos, and my past is charging at me like a raging ogre on pixie sticks.

My grandma is nowhere to be found, and I’m being hunted.

The big bad wolf is the only one I can trust to protect me until my grandmother resurfaces.

Worst yet, I’m in heat. I’ve told the werewolf “no touchy,” but just my luck, he hasn’t been to obedience school. The longer we’re stuck together, the closer he is to killing me himself, or showing me just how really big and bad he is....



In this spicy, action-packed fairytale retelling, Red Riding Hood is more spicy than sweet, and the Big Bad wants a taste...

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

ebook

First published February 1, 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

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative fairytale retelling of little red riding hood that had a seriously spicy and much-appreciated filthy undertone. This definitely gave me the feels and plenty of tingles. Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m an absolute fiend for retellings and this hit that sweet spot.

Scarlett or Red as she is known to her friends has turned her back on magic. Being a dud she’s always felt inadequate in her grandmother's powerful world of Mage’s. Now she’s embracing her humanity whilst attending a human college and working at a local bar the poisoned apple as a barmaid to support herself.

Brexley is a lone wolf and hired assassin. When a friend calls in his marker due to a favour owed he finds himself tasked with the job of taking out Grandmother a successful and powerful Mage. As the lady herself is currently lying low he instead inserts himself into Red's life under false pretences he’s now hoping to use Red to get to her grandmother.

This was deliciously fast-burn and red hot in temperature, it had lots of sizzling and potent chemistry included and was also incredibly imaginative. It came complete with magic, fairy tales, some suspense and a definite sense of fun, there’s also passion and heat and female solidarity. It was well written and felt fresh I enjoyed myself a whole lot. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Tasting Red.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a riding hood reimagining and OMG I should have read this sooner because I’m not only obsessed with spicy retelling but also wolf shifters and fae 😈

The Big Bad Wolf owes a debt and when he goes after his next kill, little does he know that he would stumble upon Little Red, the granddaughter of his target. WOW 🥵 instant attraction turns to lust and Red’s world turns upside down as this bad wolf might be the one to save her or ruin her…. 🔥 there is a mix of the hidden identity trope with the bodyguard trope as Brexley pretends to be part of Red’s security detail in order to learn more information on the whereabouts of Grandma… however this proves to be really hard as these two are resisting each other as much as they can 👀 also the fake dating trope was a nice fun addition ! 😂

absolutely unputdownable and fast paced I seriously could not stop! 😍

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review

[Sophie Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I'm not the demographic for this lol

It's spicy yes, but good gracious... the characters? No. The heat? Overkill.

I'm sad because this has high reviews

Perhaps I need a bit more plot with my smut or something to grab my attention but nothing in this book did. I just felt irritated.

And the smut was just plopped right in there. No build up, no tension, no angst. Just wam bam 😭 on her grandmas bed.

[Hailey Goshert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ // imaginative, twisty, funny, filthy👀 i couldn’t put this down! these characters were so entertaining, and the plot was a very fun ride. i can’t wait to see what goldie gets up to in the next book!

audio HIGHLY recommended🤭

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ Holy sh!t-Little Red and the Big, Bad Wolf!

I came into this book with zero expectations. Seriously, I picked it at random out of my Stuff Your Kindle Shelf and I didn't even read the blurb - I presumably read it when I got it, but I have no recollection of those events, your honour.
And, my god, was that the way to go! I loved this so much!

I'm obsessed with modern-day retellings, and I'd never seen anything that promised smutty, Little Red Ridding Hood + the Wolf romance. This was angsty, funny, and smutty, all in a world where there's magic, mages, werewolves, and amazing paranormal things all around. Also, I went in without reading the TW (which is kind of irresponsible of me, because I am absolute chickenshit, even in books), and just because it worked out for me, it doesn't mean it will for others, so I recommend to skip the blurb and go into this blind, but if family issues/ tragedies are a trigger for you, maybe look them up more thoroughly.

I really, really hope that there will be books for Cinder, Goldie, Kiki and Rap! I want more!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
🌶🌶🌶.5 / 5

[(betts) ⚜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐ / 4.5🌶️

— vibezz
🍪 red riding hood retelling
🐺 forced proximity
🍪 bodyguard
🐺 found family
🍪 twists and secrets

mini blurb — ✍🏻
After a less than pleasing past at the Fairy Academy, Red finally has a new life, she attends a human college and lives a human life, with a job and friends, but suddenly a visit to his Grandma's house threaten to put all of this in jeopardy.
Brexley fought all his life to avoid all sort of attachment, in his experience, one's lead straight to a certain death, but when his job put himself in Red's sight he can't avoid the pull he feels toward his little red.

//

omg where do I even begin.

I eat this up, couldn't even put this down for how eager I was to know what would have happened next kfvmdkf
best thing was I had no expectation about it and now that I've read it I'm so happy.

The story, I do not want to say much, you'll enjoy this one if you go through it blindly and discover little bits of it when the time comes..

Red, I love her, she's been through hell and back, she finally lives in peace in this new life she carved for helself, she finally has two amazing friends, she works a job that brings her confidence and she's studying in a human collage far away from all the chaos that was her (grandma's) life before.
Oh, she also has two fluff-balls of cute little bunnies that are to die for, I know them, I even saw them lmao.

Brexley is a lone wolf, where being lonely is a death sentence for his kind he learned to overcome it and be independent from everyone, where even being in dept with someone is frowned open he find himself in the very situation he wants to avoid.
The only option he has is to fullfill this obligation that put him in Red's life, both are reticent, she doesn't want him bc she's afraid to grow and develop feeling for him, and he want to stay away from her to safeguard his life.

What a joke 😂😂 it was exquisite to read about their reticence to work and be together, the *tension* 🤌 with them was to DIE for



Watch the TW because this is not a cutsey whimsical inspired retelling, it has dark themes and very spicy content for my delight ✨
Brexley is a perfect morally gray character, a little bit of an asshole and it was all highlighted by his "I want/I shouldn't", reading his inner thoughts was godsend 🛐

[Gabrielle Konczos · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 13%

Red is a horny college student in a world with magical & non magical. She is non magical. Her grandma is a world renowned baker who makes baked goods for the non magical. Red takes a bus ride to go visit grandma & suggestively propositions the nice older ticket guy - who is wholesomely oblivious to Red’s pass at him. Red get’s to her grandmother’s house only to find that grandma is missing, and instead finds the big bad wolf in his human form - named Brexley who is just as horned up as our friend, Red. They meet, do the whole “oh grandma what big teeth you have” & 3 seconds later immediately go to pound town on grandma’s bed at 7%. While doing unspeakable acts in grandma’s bed, a witch whose only power is shooting ice shards busts into the room demanding that Red hands over one of Grandma’s secret recipes. Brexley transforms into the big bad wolf & kills the witch, Red runs out of the house screaming with her clothes in hand and the big bad wolf then proceeds to monologue on about how the witch took him away from the best sexual encounter he’s ever had. Six hours later - after also having picked up a Plan B pill, which I don’t believe works on supernatural sperm - Red is walking to her job at the Poison Apple Bar and thinking about how she just had sex with a werewolf, who may or may not be alive due to the witch & it’s ice shards, and highly considers going back to her apartment to use her vibrator while reminiscing about the wolf.

I’m done.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

“I'm the big bad wolf, and i'm going to eat you right up, little girl”

Holly Roberds amazes again with a steamy fairy tale retelling of the classic story Little Red Riding Hood. Tasting Red follows the journey of Red, granddaughter of the most famous baker, and big bad werewolf, Brexley.

Hoping to make a name for herself on her own merits and leave her less than perfect past behind her, 24 year old Red is a student at a non-magical college. When she is not working herself like a dog studying, Red is bartending at Poison Apple, run by Rap, with her friends Cinder and Goldie. However, Red has secrets, and when what was supposed to be a simple visit to her grandmother goes sour (and steamy) Red is thrust back into a life she desperately wanted to escape.

Lone wolf Brexley has spent years learning to be self sufficient with one major rule, no attachments. Brexley pays all his debts, and only one hangs over his head; so, when he’s asked to take care of a certain famous Grandma the only choice is to say yes. What Brexley did not expect was to find a red haired beauty standing before him, the only key to finding his target.

I really enjoyed this book as a whole. Roberds created a strong female lead that was able to rely on herself, but could also lean on her friends for support which I think is such an important thing. Only the strong can admit when they need help! The friendship between “the lost girls” is written beautifully. Brexley, the leading male character, was also written well and had an organic character development while also remaining true to himself. The FMC and MMC had so much chemistry which made it hard to put the book down! The development between their relationship was so much fun to dive into. I also thoroughly enjoyed the way the magic was handled in this book. There are so many small details that create a fantastical, but believable world. If you enjoy fantasy romance then you are sure to not regret picking up this book to read.

On the flip side I think there were elements of the book that could have been expanded on and drawn out to make the book as a whole more fulfilling but it was a worthwhile read regardless!

This book has:
TONS of spice 18+++
Dual POV
Strong female bonds
Magic
HEA
Mentions of bullying

This book does not have:
OWD
Cheating

[fromthestudyof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spicy Little Red Riding Hood where the Big Bad Wolf is her bodyguard

Things to know:
Light Fantasy
Bodyguard x Client
Dual POV
They’re both feral
“We shouldn’t”

Fun read & relatively quick

[Amelia Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC but opinions are my own.

The book is a spin and retake on a classic fairy tale.

I loved this book form start to finish the spicy romance, the best friends who you know would help you bury a body and a female lead whose reinventing herself after heart break and being bullied.

Hollys writing is engaging and keeps you wanting to find out what’s going to happen next. The characters and their development draws you in and I am hoping we get to hear more of Cinders and Goldies stories.

[Princess Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whelp, I’m obsessed to say the least! The combination of the plot and spice plus all the twists in the end made this an amazing read! And while a wolf shifter romance with “touch her and die” vibes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it sure as hell was mine! 🥵🔥

Thanks so much to the author, Holly Roberds, for an ARC copy! 💖

[Megan F · Rating 1 out of 5]

Glad I read this book to learn that Disney retellings give me the ick.

[Gabby]

DNF at 15%

I felt my soul leaving my body with every word I read.

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this version of the classic fairytale, the big bad wolf is a shifter assassin whose tasked with taking out Red’s grandmother, who is a successful and powerful mage. I loved the story and Holly’s writing was SO engaging. It kept me turning the page (or in my case, kept my airpods in my ears 😂) late into the night! The tension, forced proximity, and chemistry was off the charts…and the spice did not disappoint 👀 I also really loved Red’s friend group. Super excited we’re getting their stories too!

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Abrielle Emory · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a fun idea, but not a great execution in my opinion.
The first half of the book felt like the same chapter over and over again. It took me three weeks to finally finish this book, and I considered DNF-ing it several times.
The connection between the two main characters is quite odd to me. The constant back-and-forth ‘I hate you but secretly love you’ got really old, really fast. I love a good tough romance, but this was prolonged for way too long considering how short the book is.
Keeping Gigi such a secret the whole time was honestly a bummer to only learn more in the last 20 pages or so.
The development of the characters compared to the stories we’ve all heard was done well. But, the plot really failed to loop me in throughout the story.
Also, I wish we would have heard more about Rap. The author built up such a cool, mysterious background on her to just drop it.
I also found the inclusion of the non-binary character and the drag queen really random. I appreciate the inclusion, but it didn’t make sense to throw those two characters in at random. If you’re going to make it a point to incorporate other communities, don’t just throw it in at random. Develop them a bit more.
Overall, there were a lot of grammatical and editing errors that detracted from the flow. I wouldn’t recommend reading this to other friends, unfortunately.

[Librarian Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I just needed a good spicy smutty book to get me out of my reading slump. This was pretty fun to read- although some parts were not my thing I kept reading because I liked Brexley for some reason. Might read the second book just to see if I like it too.

[S Picazo Page Turner 🎨📖 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ mixed feelings about this one

[Shanel B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! It was a spicy, funny, cheesy retelling of red riding hood!🤭

[Hannah Reads a lot of Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is spicy and sweet retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. 🐺 the book opens with Brexley (the big bad wolf) getting his hit assignment- Gigi. She’s a successful mage who also happens to be Red’s grandmother 😳 and boy do sparks fly whenever Red and Brexley get together 🥵🥵 Red is going into heat and practically pounces on Brexley the moment they lock eyes 🌶️🌶️🌶️ little does Red know how utterly upside down her world is about to become.

Ice mages, ogres, and even Hansel and Gretel are after Red. With Brexley being inexplicably drawn to Red he finds himself posing as her bodyguard. 💪🏼 although to protect his heart he is often being a jerk in an attempt to push her away 🙄 nothing can keep them from one another though ❤️

I definitely underestimated this book when I impulse bought it. I wasn’t expecting the identity crisis Red experiences, her past trauma, or Brexley being such a complex creature. 🤯🤯 the book also sets the scene for future stories including retelling a for Goldie locks, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. To say I’m looking forward to reading those would be an understatement! Especially considering I devoured this in one sitting instead of sleeping 😂😂

What I liked:
Urban fantasy 🐦‍🔥
Classic retelling
Shifters 🐺
The spice was spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The twists and turns- I thought I knew what would happen after the first couple of chapters but I couldn’t have been more wrong!
Mating 💕
Heat/moon craze 🌕
Witty banter
Darkness 🖤 (there are murders and mayhem 👏🏼)
When Brexley calls out Red’s ex for being a selfish user and marking his territory 🤌🏼
Touch her and die energy
Dual POV

What I didn’t like:
The bullying scenes where Brexley is a jerk felt forced at times
Sometimes the internal monologues felt like I was being spoonfed the feelings 😬
I wish there had been a far out epilogue 😅

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️
Tasting Red serves up a modern twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood, with a seductive werewolf-driven plot that’s a mix of suspense, spice, and, well… a lot more spice. Holly Roberds dives head first into the “mating frenzy” trope, emphasizing that her version of Red’s story is all about steamy encounters and intense chemistry. And while the chemistry sizzles, the rest of the plot tends to flicker out like a half-hearted candle.

The book kicks off with some solid intrigue – a mystery lurking just beneath the surface, promising readers that something darker lies ahead. But as much as I wanted that mystery to unravel, it kept getting overshadowed by the relentless heat. Let’s just say, if you’re here for world-building and storyline, you’ll need to sift through a lot of passion to get there. In fact, after a while, the action-packed/mystery parts started to feel like they were on autopilot: throw in a dangerous situation, resolve quickly, resume f*ckery... Rinse and repeat.

That’s not to say the book is without its moments. There were two particular scenes that were simply delicious—evocative and intense enough to hook me right back in. The library scenes, the dancing in the dark scene, they were enough to make me want to continue.

Tasting Red is probably best described as all spice and vibes, with the plot as a side dish. It’s great if you’re here for atmosphere and steam, but if you’re hoping for a twisty, well-developed storyline, you might find yourself a bit let down. So, dive in if you’re in it for the heat and the fun, but prepare for a mystery that feels more like a tantalizing whisper than a satisfying revelation.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.8 ⭐️
Spice: 4 🌶

This was a super interesting book to read. It was a new spin on little red riding hood. The twist involving this reimagined fairy tale kept me guessing up until the very end.

This book was really fun to read. If you like fairy tales reimagined this book was for you. This new reimagined version of little red riding hood and the big bad wolf was much less gory than the classic one that we all know. If you love a darker romance, than the characters are easy to love.

The romance and spice in this book is on the darker side. It’s almost an enemies to lovers type of situation, but not quite. The fake boyfriend trope is in full force in this book, and a little bit of forced proximity. There is no third act break up, but there is a third act misunderstanding.

The characters in this book are really well written, and has a pretty interesting plot line. The supporting characters are also reimagined fairy tale characters with their own stories and problems.

The only thing i didn’t like about this book, is the ending seemed a little bit rushed. The book is a pretty good length, but the last about 20 pages just seems crammed with a lot of action.

[Alisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars… this book had all the elements I love but the story just didn’t come together for me. I don’t know what it is, something was just…lacking. I didn’t feel particularly connected to the MMC and FMC and I grew bored by midway. Unfortunately this wasn’t for me.

[Bryn Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy faefucks, this was terrible. DNF’d at 85%. I couldn’t take it anymore. This felt like a smutty Shrek-verse ripoff.

[Alexa Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m all for spicy retelling but this was just cringe.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on Little Red Riding Hood. While fantasy isn’t exactly my style I appreciated how this book didn’t over due it too much. There was a good plot behind the story and the spice was 🥵. Who knew Hansel and Gretel would be such asswipes lol.

[Denna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Okay, I’m shocked, but it actually ended up being readable.
I was around 15% in when I was facepalming, wondering how this could possibly have such good ratings. It was a quick read, but Red’s endless… let’s call it lust… was unbelievably annoying.

Imagine my shock when I suddenly started enjoying it around 50%. This turned into a decent book with a plot twist I genuinely didn’t see coming.

Anyway, let me put it like this:
First half: 2.25⭐
Second half: 4.5⭐

Will I remember what this book was about a year from now? Probably not.
Will I reread it? Also probably not.
But in the end, it was a pleasant read with a few unexpected twists, something you can relax with - and despite my initial impression, I don’t regret spending time on it.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The writing is kinda garbage. Words are misspelled (and not on purpose). I’m going to give book 2 a try and if it’s the same, I’ll drop reading the series.

[literaturelacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review:
Where do I even begin with this retelling of little red riding hood. 🤯 The writing, was phenomenal per usual! The suspense, spice, and banter- chefs kiss* absolute perfection.

What 24 year old, fiery, college student doesn’t want some Adonis, God of a Were chasing her? Independent Red that’s who. She is just trying to stay the course: live her life, pass her finals, work and be with her lost girls.
Red👩🏼‍🦰🔥

Brexley just wants to be left alone, owe nobody and be free of his one and only favor owed. Until, her. Now he’s questioning who she is and how he is going to complete his mission without losing it all. Brex🐺🔥🤤

Want to read a fast paced, 0-100 spicy 🌶️, other worldly, dual pov book that will have you PANTING 😮‍💨 and comes full circle with opportunities for additional world building and multiple character storylines? Well then this book is for you.
GO READ IT NOW! You won’t regret it🫶🏼🔥🔥

[Allia Reads (semi hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️