Picture this story in a story: Queen Katherine tells King Cole a Goldilocks and The Three Bears pastiche (based on the original fairy tale he had just read to their daughter) as a roundabout way of telling him that it'd been long enough after their son's birth that she is ready to have sex. Queen Katherine likes to tell bedtime stories.

Katherine's story stars Susan Baer, health club owner, and her three potential men, all with golden locks. First among them is her handsome, virile assistant Duncan who would have been the answer to any woman's prayers--if he hadn't been gay. Second, there is Toby Williams, the blonde man she is dating, a man out of her miserable adolescence, her high school fantasy, her chance for the unattractive teenager she had been to find acceptance from the unkind boy who had nicknamed her Grizzly. And third is Bill Wyeth, the construction manager building Susan's newest club, a man whose looks and manners are undeniable and who responds to Susan's authority in a way she had never imagined.

This is a creative little tale in which no one is who they seem to be. I fully expected a fairy tale formatted like The Three Bears but this is really about a strong contemporary woman, Susan, and her three choices, with not much resemblance to the original except the play on words with the protagonist's last name. Susan does have to make the choice between too hard, too soft, and just right. I think after reading her story that you will agree she makes the correct choice; and when Susan finally does follow where her heart leads to her gorgeous hero, dynamite goes off in and out of the bedroom. BAER AND THE THREE GOLDILOCKS is a compelling blend of fairy tale, interesting twists, and romance.

Reviewed By: Maitresse
© August 2004