A review by brooksie03051
Hooked by Emily McIntire

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hooked by Emily McIntire

 
This is a standalone and the first in the Never After Series of a dark romance where the villain gets the girl. It is not a literal retelling but a dark, spicy contemporary romance (not a fantasy) reimagining of Peter Pan. 

Wendy meets James (Hook) at a popular bar he runs in town when she and her friends sneak in with a fake ID.  Before he knows she is the daughter of the man who ruined his life (Peter), she stands out like a bright star in the sky.  When he bumps into her and she doesn't fall at his feet like all other women do when they look upon his devastatingly handsome face, that makes her even more interesting.  He likes that he has to pursue her rather than throwing herself at him.  The fact that his arch enemies precious shadow willingly came into his domain was perfect and now he needs to work his charm to win her over so he can finally destroy him once and for all. The bar is where he and his partner filter money, but their real business is in selling drugs and protection to the surrounding businesses.  Peter is trying to take over the area and Hook will have none of that. He will ruin him and take the one thing Peter truly cares about—his beloved shadow, his daughter Wendy. 

This hit many of the character points with familiar references to them without it being a fantasy and had not only "Hook" as a villain but Peter as well.  Although James "Hook" is known to be a powerful and dangerous man, he falters a bit regarding Wendy.  She is nothing like any of the women he has ever known, and he gets under his skin. Again, this is a spicy tale, so don't let your kiddos read it. 

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