kicobb's review against another edition
1.0
Sooooo, how should I start this….UMMMM WHY DIDNT ANYBODY TELL ME THIS WAS INCEST….it wouldn’t saved me time because I wouldn’t have read it. Also I don’t know how you get with a man that literally had a fantasy about having sex with you on top of your dad’s dead body…I probably should’ve stop there honestly. Then you know he chained you up and threaten to kill you and y’all brother that y’all share together lol, and all you can do is think about the way he makes your body tingle….it’s a no for me lol
calih's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
You could say it failed to *hook* me (buh dum ch) ahhaha…
But seriously, if a man ever called me “pet” I would poison his morning coffee. Just all the icks.
But seriously, if a man ever called me “pet” I would poison his morning coffee. Just all the icks.
nicoleburke's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
hannahwebby's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jac_ma_tack's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
koistyfishy's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Did you know the word darling appears 61 times.
This little Fishy was hooked...to lean completely into the cliche. This was unique, exciting and deliciously dark and I was enamoured by it. But in the words of my Daddy Darling, "if you didn’t land it, you didn’t catch it". And as much as I was initially hooked, I broke free in the final struggle to reel me in!
I have never read a story with a premise like this, so I was instantly sold and from the polarising reviews and hype of these books, I needed to see what all the fuss was about. This is a fractured fairytale and while at first, I didn’t understand what that means... it makes so much sense now that I’ve read the book. Much to my initial chagrin there is no fantasy in this, but I put my big girl panties on and decided to just enjoy the contemporary romance for what it is.
This is not a Peter Pan retelling, so if that is what you’re looking for, you’re not gonna find it in these pages. It is mostly just taking the names and characters from the fairytale and mish-mashing them together into a plot. Yes, some quotes or nuances from the story are mixed in the batter to make this work, but that’s about where the similarities end between the original Peter Pan story and this.
The story is dark and while I normally prefix books like these to say, “make sure you read the trigger warning before you start”. There is actually a request at the start to go into this blind because it adds to the enjoyment of the story. Just note that it is not the smut that is awfully dark. If anything the smut is borderline vanilla but still on the slightly kinky side. You would only have a problem with it if you are horridly offended by "breath play" and being told what a good girl you are and believe me if any British man wanted to call me Darling and say I was a "good girl", I would be begging him to use me too!
No, this is dark in terms of...imagine a Mafia Boss who really likes to use knives and has no qualms about killing people, so if you’re okay with that and don’t mind mixing in some drugs, murder and kidnapping...this is just for you.
I did enjoy this, REALLY...but I have two main problems. First, I am petty and I cannot take a book seriously when a man, "reaching his peak" is described as "I coat her womb with my seed" or "rubbing his seed into my skin". It’s an instant turn-off and to me reads like it’s a woman writing about a man who doesn’t actually know what a man thinks about when he’s having sex… I’ve read a lot of smut in my life and the minute the word seed or milk (which is also used in the kicky scenes) appear...I instantly deduct a star.
The second is the book was about 100 pages too short. As a result, the love felt very Insta-lovie. It never really had a chance to develop. The pacing in the plot just felt a little off, and as a result, the ending felt super rushed compared to the almost slow buildup from the start. I believe that if an extra hundred pages were added we could’ve seen a more fleshed-out ending. We could also have delved a little bit deeper into Wendy’s character because at the moment she was a little bit a wishy-washy-one-dimensional-insufferable-baby at times... which you know can be frustrating. There was also not a lot of communication and conversation that happened between Wendy and James. Quite a lot of what they’re thinking and feeling happens in their internal monologue. The minute they start talking to each other he is basically already kissing her neck and seducing her, and things go naughty very quickly from there…
I don’t mind this book. I don’t mind that Hook doesn’t get his redemption arc because that’s not why I read this. I read it for some escapism and to see the hype. I can see why some people absolutely adore this and why some people are absolutely appalled.
From my perspective, I would recommend it because whilst James might not have hooked me and successfully landed my catch, Emily McIntire sure has and I cannot wait to jump into the rest of the books in the series and I wouldn’t be doing that if this book wasn’t enjoyable
I have never read a story with a premise like this, so I was instantly sold and from the polarising reviews and hype of these books, I needed to see what all the fuss was about. This is a fractured fairytale and while at first, I didn’t understand what that means... it makes so much sense now that I’ve read the book. Much to my initial chagrin there is no fantasy in this, but I put my big girl panties on and decided to just enjoy the contemporary romance for what it is.
This is not a Peter Pan retelling, so if that is what you’re looking for, you’re not gonna find it in these pages. It is mostly just taking the names and characters from the fairytale and mish-mashing them together into a plot. Yes, some quotes or nuances from the story are mixed in the batter to make this work, but that’s about where the similarities end between the original Peter Pan story and this.
The story is dark and while I normally prefix books like these to say, “make sure you read the trigger warning before you start”. There is actually a request at the start to go into this blind because it adds to the enjoyment of the story. Just note that it is not the smut that is awfully dark. If anything the smut is borderline vanilla but still on the slightly kinky side. You would only have a problem with it if you are horridly offended by "breath play" and being told what a good girl you are and believe me if any British man wanted to call me Darling and say I was a "good girl", I would be begging him to use me too!
No, this is dark in terms of...imagine a Mafia Boss who really likes to use knives and has no qualms about killing people, so if you’re okay with that and don’t mind mixing in some drugs, murder and kidnapping...this is just for you.
I did enjoy this, REALLY...but I have two main problems. First, I am petty and I cannot take a book seriously when a man, "reaching his peak" is described as "I coat her womb with my seed" or "rubbing his seed into my skin". It’s an instant turn-off and to me reads like it’s a woman writing about a man who doesn’t actually know what a man thinks about when he’s having sex… I’ve read a lot of smut in my life and the minute the word seed or milk (which is also used in the kicky scenes) appear...I instantly deduct a star.
The second is the book was about 100 pages too short. As a result, the love felt very Insta-lovie. It never really had a chance to develop. The pacing in the plot just felt a little off, and as a result, the ending felt super rushed compared to the almost slow buildup from the start. I believe that if an extra hundred pages were added we could’ve seen a more fleshed-out ending. We could also have delved a little bit deeper into Wendy’s character because at the moment she was a little bit a wishy-washy-one-dimensional-insufferable-baby at times... which you know can be frustrating. There was also not a lot of communication and conversation that happened between Wendy and James. Quite a lot of what they’re thinking and feeling happens in their internal monologue. The minute they start talking to each other he is basically already kissing her neck and seducing her, and things go naughty very quickly from there…
I don’t mind this book. I don’t mind that Hook doesn’t get his redemption arc because that’s not why I read this. I read it for some escapism and to see the hype. I can see why some people absolutely adore this and why some people are absolutely appalled.
From my perspective, I would recommend it because whilst James might not have hooked me and successfully landed my catch, Emily McIntire sure has and I cannot wait to jump into the rest of the books in the series and I wouldn’t be doing that if this book wasn’t enjoyable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
katherinecg's review against another edition
5.0
Over the last few months, I've really felt like I've been in a reading slump. Even though I was enjoying the books that I was reading, none of them gave me what I wanted. Enter Hooked. This book was exactly what I wanted. It is such a beautiful modern retelling of the Peter Pan story, with creative nods to the original, and is perfect for every person who has ever fallen for the villain. It shows that everyone is the villain in someone's story, villains are made from pain. And trauma, and that even the villains deserve love.
I thought this book was extremely clever in the way that it modernized such a classic tale. It was beautifully reimagined and was a great way of bringing fairy tales into the adult world. This book is dark, and sexy, and has a wonderfully unexpected plot twist near the end. I am sad that I'm not going to get more of this couple, but I'm excited to read the other books in this author’s series. I think she has an amazing, unique, and very clever idea of reimagining the villains as love interests, and I can't wait to see what she does with other tales. If you loved the Once Upon a Time series, and enjoy a little extra spice, then this is the book for you. Highly recommend. I could not put it down.
I thought this book was extremely clever in the way that it modernized such a classic tale. It was beautifully reimagined and was a great way of bringing fairy tales into the adult world. This book is dark, and sexy, and has a wonderfully unexpected plot twist near the end. I am sad that I'm not going to get more of this couple, but I'm excited to read the other books in this author’s series. I think she has an amazing, unique, and very clever idea of reimagining the villains as love interests, and I can't wait to see what she does with other tales. If you loved the Once Upon a Time series, and enjoy a little extra spice, then this is the book for you. Highly recommend. I could not put it down.