Waking Goldilocks

by Catherine Murray

Once upon a time, a little girl with auburn locks lived in a cottage by the woods. Every afternoon her mother stroked her long curls and smiled, and her father told her how pretty she was, and as shadows closed in around the cottage, the little girl closed her eyes and counted the brush strokes and remembered that everything was alright. No one was surprised when the little girl grew up and became a model and set out to find her way in the world. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she found it, and soon everything was working out splendidly. When she met her true love he was, well, just right. He placed a perfect diamond on her trembling finger and whisked her off into happily ever after and she thought things could not be more perfect. But she was wrong, because before long they were expecting twins and things were even more perfect. Oh yes, everything, was just right. But sometimes the old shadows crept back into her dreams, and when she awoke, she wondered if she deserved it all. And sometimes she thought that maybe, just maybe, everything was a bit too perfect. Alas, when the worst thing imaginable happened and she longed to go back to the cottage in the woods, it was too late - the cottage had disappeared and now the shadows had completely filled her dreams. Her heart was broken and she was alone with two little girls - with curls like her own - and she knew nothing would ever be perfect again.

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2020

Reviews

[Bethany Brainwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking Goldilocks is a heart-warming story about a woman called Abigail whose current circumstances have overwhelmed her. Left to raise her twin daughters – who are hilarious in the book – after the death of her husband, Abigail’s life has turned from fairy-tale, to nightmare and she is clearly in survival mode. That is until she meets a vivacious woman called Emily, who seems larger than life, and a whole new world is suddenly opened up for Abigail, from career opportunities to love interests.

While I completely fell in love with Abigail and her darling twin daughters, there was a myriad of other characters to love as well. By the end of the book, you are left feeling an overwhelming sense that Abigail will never be alone again, that she has collected an array of endearing people who have formed a type of family. These characters are whimsical and relatable, and the dynamics of some of them are extremely entertaining! I am left hoping that we can learn more of their stories in later books!

The plot itself moves quickly, a real page-turner as you want to discover more about the people enveloped within. I also enjoyed the fact that although it consists of an unfolding romance, this love interest is not the only relationship that engages the reader. It is full of meaningful relationships that are just as important and I loved seeing them all develop so beautifully.
Even though this is a light-hearted story, full of humour and wit, the author also tackles deeper issues such as loss, grief, broken relationships, estranged families, and much more. A holistic makeover tale that centres on Abigail’s entire self and those around her.

One of the most beautiful developments in the book is seeing Abigail spread her wings, who in the beginning is needing rescuing, but by the end steps in to rescue others who are in need of help. An emphasis that being the best version of yourself is not a mere selfish thing, but can have a rippling effect on the world around you.

I highly recommend this book if you love light-hearted romances, quirky stories about endearing characters, makeover transformations, or fairy tales. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series!