Once upon a time there was a small town boy with long blond hair named Brian. New to Los Angeles, the young twink has a thing for older men and spends his spare time in leather bars looking for “daddy”. That’s just where Brian, our Goldilocks, meets Paul, a big, tattooed biker man. Paul takes Brian home and thrills him no end. The two fall into a sort of casual relationship, but the truth is that Brian has fallen hard for Paul. So, when Paul announces that he has to go away on business for a few months, and just leaves Brian hanging, it hits the blond hard.
At loose ends, Brian is strolling down the streets one day when he meets Jim, a hippy-dippy extra furry man who makes Goldilocks feel all warm and fuzzy inside, just like a mamma bear should. Jim has a van, which is where the two men play for a while until one day he takes Brian back to the house where he lives, which turns out to be Paul’s house. Brian knew Daddy had roommates, but he never met them, and he keeps the information to himself. Then one day Jim announces that he too has to go away for a while, and asks Brian to water his plants.
It’s while dutifully watering Jim’s plants that he meets Scott, Paul’s other roommate. Naturally, it doesn’t take long for Scott to invite Brian into his bed, and that’s exactly where Paul and Jim find Goldilocks when they return home at the same time. How will Goldilocks get out of this? More importantly, is there a way he can live happily ever after with his three bears?
Although only novella length, “Goldilocks and his Three Bears” is almost two stories in one. A little less than half the book is taken up with the retelling of the classic fairy tale, recounting how Brian met each of the bears. This part of the book is very light, and while you might not laugh out loud, a number of scenes will have you smiling.
Once all three of the roommates are together and discover their common affection for Brian, things actually get a little more serious, as each man needs to find his place in a new, complicated, dynamic. Brian is very much Paul’s submissive. It’s something he needs, although it appears Daddy has never had a full time sub, just as Brian has no experience in his role. While their relationship is central, they also decide to invite Jim and Scott into it, while those two have their own issues to deal with.
The overall tone of the story is still very light. However, there is a surprising depth to the characters that was unexpected. The author has a good knack for giving us some insight into each of the men’s pasts without doing an outright data dump on us. Unlike many novellas these days, the story is complete, with no real loose ends, although of course it leaves you wanting a little more. This is, in the end, a very fun read that actually delivers more than it promises, which is why I gave if four stars.
“Goldilocks and his Three Bears” is available from Amazon
