While I really enjoyed the story, I was not a fan of the narration. I loved the cult aspect of the story. It made it creepy and really sucked me in. I say skip the audio and read this traditionally though.

A good dark academia thriller. The story and characters kept me engaged and the narration by Cassandra Harwood is excellent. Although I found this entertaining, it is similar to many in this genre I’ve read and there was nothing that really stood out to make it memorable.

The Goldens was an atmospheric, fast paced read that gave off more of a YA vibe than I expected but I still really enjoyed it. Chloe’s descent into the world of glamorous influencer Clara felt immersive and tense, even without any huge twists.

The dynamic between Chloe and Clara was compelling, and the slow unraveling of their world kept me hooked. I saw most of the turns coming, but the moody, culty aesthetic made it a fun and unsettling ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Binge worthy dark academia!

This is the story of Chloe and Clara. Chloe is an aspiring writer and also a social misfit longing to be noticed. Clara is a popular influencer loved and envied by thousands. Struggling to make their way in their first year away at college, Clara does in fact notice Chloe and takes her under her wing. After only knowing each other for a few months, Chloe moves into Clara’s mansion that is staffed and funded by her wealthy parents. Chloe plans to write Clara’s memoir, hoping to make them both successful. Clara makes Chloe her social media manager, lends her fabulous wardrobe to her and together they throw big lavish parties attended by Clara’s admirers. Things take a dark turn when Clara forms a ‘girl gang’ known as The Goldens. The purpose of this group is to provide a place for girls to support each other and rebel against patriarchal ideals. But before long, there are rumors of ‘rituals’, and the Goldens are labeled as a cult. When young women begin to go missing after these parties, Chloe can no longer ignore the twisted darkness that lives within Clara. But if she isn’t careful, Clara could be next.

This was a fascinating story and cautionary tale for all young women who long to be accepted into the ‘popular’ group. This was a well written novel and I look forward to this author’s next book.

The audio narration was fantastic performed by Cassandra Harwood.

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on July 15, 2025

4.5/5 Okay, so I need a movie of this right now!

The way this would make such a great movie! That would be so much fun!! I know that not every good book needs to be made into a movie, but you know that feeling when you can just tell it would translate so very well? This has that feeling. I can see it so clearly. I do have a production design degree...I will take on the job.

This follows Chloe (she does not come from money) as she befriends Clara (she comes from A LOT of money and is a social media influencer). The two become friends and move into Clara's mansion together with a bunch of other girls.

But it gets weird...and culty...

There are house rules that may seen normal and chill and whatever, but they are not. They are not to be taken lightly and if you break those rules, there are consequences.

But other strange things happen. Criminal things.

And that ending! Girl!

And that is all I will say because I know I will spoil something it I say anything else. The last thing I will say: read this, it was so much fun!

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

An It Girl story with dark academia vibes that descends into cult territory? Yes, please. Imagine Gossip Girl colliding with The Secret History—but make it an all-female cast. I was completely hooked from the very first chapter to the final, jaw-dropping moment.

This is Lauren Wilson’s debut novel, and I’m seriously impressed. Her storytelling is sharp, immersive, and addictive—I wanted to be one of the Goldens rocking a flower crown sipping champagne in the orangery and possibly committing a crime or two all in the name of idol worship. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I listened to the audiobook through an early copy provided by NetGalley, and Cassandra Harwood did a fantastic job narrating. She brought both Chloe and Clara vividly to life. Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy—your productions are always top-tier.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook.
This is a story about two girls starting college. One starts as a bit of an outcast while the other is social media famous. A classic juxtaposition of have and have not. The two become friends and you see their dynamic evolve, the power differential, the striving and jealousy but also loyalty. It morphs into a group of girls, the eponymous Goldens. It plays out slowly enough that it flows and makes more sense than I’ve probably described. In truth, it reads similarly to a memoir I recently listened to about becoming entwined in a cult before you know that’s what you have done.
I’m not sure how I feel about the audio reader. I don’t know all the terms for different English accents but this one came off as a bit harsh sounding. Perhaps that was the intent in order to show her lower class? This is specifically referenced at the start of the book. Ultimately, the narrator grew on me and I think listening was a benefit over reading so I could hear the judgement and naivety in some of the voices and not put more of myself into it and try to relate. Because these characters were not relatable or even particularly likable.
Ultimately, I would recommend this story if you like murders and coming of age with a modern twist that includes how social media contributes to those things.

*The Goldens* by Lauren Wilson immediately delves into themes of cults, rich privilege, and social media influencers, setting a compelling scene from the start. Chloe, on the cusp of achieving her dream of becoming a writer, gets accepted into her dream school. There, she quickly meets Clara, a prominent influencer. Clara invites Chloe to move in with her, and Chloe, ever the aspiring writer, decides this is the perfect experience to fuel her burgeoning career.

However, things quickly take a dark turn. Clara's behavior spirals out of control, marked by dangerous parties and odd rituals that quickly resemble cult behavior. As Clara opens her home to more and more people, Chloe begins to realize she wants no part of this unsettling game. One party takes a particularly negative and unexpected turn when a girl goes missing, and Chloe becomes determined to survive Clara's manipulative clutches.

The book also touched on dark academic themes, toxic friendships, and codependent relationships, which added layers to the narrative. While I appreciated the unique premise and the exploration of these themes, I have to say, it read a little juvenile to me. I wasn't surprised later to find out it was indeed a young adult novel.

For a debut novel, it was a great effort, and I can see the potential. However, it just didn't connect with me as well as I hoped. Despite it being a short book, I found myself frequently checking how much longer until it was over. It just wasn't quite "it" for me personally. Still, I appreciate being gifted the advanced listening copy.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/15/25.

The Goldens was a very slow burn, but the concept totally hooked me. I loved the influencer-turned-cult-leader angle. It gave the story a chilling edge beneath all the glitz and glam. The glamorous lifestyle facade was spot-on, and the chemistry between Chloe and Clara added a tense, intriguing layer. While I expected a bigger climax, the very end was great and left an impact. Bonus points for the audiobook, well narrated and really brought the atmosphere to life. If you’re into slow-burn psychological suspense with dark influencer vibes, this one’s worth checking out.

Yes! This scratched an itch in the BESY way. Think cultish vibes, too much money, and all the glittery and golden chaos that comes with a mesmerizing socialite. I was obsessed! It's juicy, dramatic, and unputdownable. I knocked a star off for pacing issues, but overall, it was a fabulous read. I cannot wait to see what Wilson writes next.

Cassandra Harwood was the perfect narrator!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

Pretty cover but I was bored. Kind of like eating a chocolate covered raisin thinking it was going to be a peanut 🙅🏼‍♀️

If you take a little bit of loneliness and the fear of not fitting in mixed with new friendships and a cultish type following you have The Goldens. What would you do if the elitist, much loved, rich influencer decided to befriend you and take you under her wing. Would you follow her lead? This book explores just that and we see the consequences of those actions play out in this suspenseful novel by Lauren Wilson. The ending threw me for a loop and now I want more! I definitely think there is an option for the author to do a follow up novel to this just to see what happens next.

This book was very reminiscent of Bunny by Mona Awad in that it's a bit of dark academia, cultish following, thriller and mystery all twisted together.

This was an addicting, page turning read and I am excited to see what the author writes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so unique! A solid debut novel. I was very interested in the first half of the story, but it went off the rails for me in the second half (which was kind of the whole point!). I think I struggled more because the narrator was kind of monotonous and the dialogue didn’t work as well on audio as it might have read on the page. That said, I’ll keep an eye out for her next novel and give it a try too!

The Goldens totally hooked me with its mix of influencer culture, obsession, and culty themes—and even though some twists were predictable, that ending still managed to catch me off guard. It had me thinking about how fast admiration can tip into something darker, especially in a world where social media blurs every boundary. The story walks that fine line between curiosity and full-on manipulation in such an unsettling, fascinating way. I wish there were more books that explored this kind of psychological pull so well. It’s a wild, thought-provoking ride that left me with a lot to unpack.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
Rated R for language, disturbing themes, and mature content.

Chloe is a college freshman struggling to find her way in her new environment when she encounters the wealthy, charismatic Clara who is a well known influencer. Their bond grows quickly with Chloe choosing to move in with Clara, becoming her de facto second in command.

Living in a beautiful house and helping Clara throw lavish parties soon becomes more than Chloe bargained as Clara invites other women to move into her house and starts implementing troubling rules. Now, seen by the public as a kind of cult, Chloe is torn between her feelings for Clara and her creeping knowledge that the situation is unsafe and untenable.

This audiobook kept me enthralled and I breezed through it in about a day and half. The plot about a young woman under the spell of a charismatic friend and influencer was troubling yet rang as something that could very well happen to someone in a vulnerable position. It also spoke volumes about the intimate nature of strong female friendships (albeit with a much different outcome here).

The characters were well crafted and thoroughly articulated. Told from the POV of Chloe, the reader gets a real feel for why she gets so drawn in. Superbly narrated with perfect inflection and wonderful individual characterizations by Cassandra Harwood, I definitely recommend the audio version. 4.25 stars for this captivating thriller.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

It’s always been Chloe Stream to be a best selling author, and she believes she’s found her chance when she meets socialite, influencer, model, Clara. The two women have a wonderful time, living high on the hog wow Chloe begins to write Clara‘s tell all book. It all seems too good to be true, and as rumors begin to appear in the media, Chloe wonders just what she’s gotten herself into.

holy cow! This book was a little predictable, but the end had me dropping my jaw for sure.

It made me think about how easily we idolize influencers on social media. How easily could any of us slip over into that cult behavior if we knew we could live with them or hang out with them. At what point is this healthy idolization and what is the line that it crosses over into a cult? I wish we had more stories like this.

I haven't put this title into my post plan yet but it will be mid July.

I think this is a book that was harmed a bit by its marketing. I saw it marketed as a "mystery/thriller" and it's definitely slow-paced and, I think, missing the criteria to be a true "thriller". I would consider this like an academic mystery. But the prose were good and the audio narrator was VERY good. A solid audiobook to try if you can go into it with the proper expectations!

Incredibly vibey with really good pacing but I couldn’t get over how stupid everyone’s decisions were. Overall a fun read.

3.5
The cover of this book really pulled me in. The synopsis really made me want to read. A debut novel that brings you into the cult of a social media influencer that just wants to be adored. it. The Goldens introduces you to Clara our social media doll who just wants to be followed and loved. Chloe just wants to be a writer but when she meets Clara and gets pulled into her world everything changes.
I ended up liking the story. But if it wasn’t for the audio book and my curiosity of how the book was goign to end I am not sure if I would have continued it. Clara is a manipulative character who wants to control everything. I did like the idea and in the end I did like the story and for me I like how it ended or it wouldn’t have gotten the rating it did but I do feel like the pacing could have been better. At times I had a harder time with it keeping my attention but becuase Cassandra Harwood did such a good job with the audio it kept me going.
I would give another book by this author a try and I will definitely be listen to another audio book narrated by Cassandra Harwood again.
Than you to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own