Hooked by Emily McIntire
I've been into new and edgy retellings of the classic tales that we know well. (kinda like how ACOTAR had us reminiscing on the Beauty and the Beast storyline). So when I heard of the new romance novel retelling of Peter Pan (with an edgy and dark romance writing style), I immediately downloaded it onto my kindle. (Bonus points for it being on Kindle Unlimited).
But to be clear before we dive in too deep, this is not a classic retelling of the story-- instead, the author takes the main characters we are familiar with and gives them a big plot twist, more mature themes, and a twsited dark romance love story. Here's a brief summary and book review if you are looking to add it to your own TBR list.
Title: Hooked by Emily McIntyre (this is the first book of the series)
Amazon Rating: 4.3 stars
GoodRead Rating: 3.8 stars
My rating: 4 stars
Let me start by saying Hooked is not your typical Peter Pan retelling. Forget whimsical Neverland adventures; Emily McIntire is here to drag you into a dark, delicious, and, quite frankly, smoldering underworld. If you’re expecting pixie dust and happy ending fairy tales, you’re going to be sorely disappointed (or maybe pleasantly surprised, depending on your taste). To start, let's cover the trigger warnings and content warnings-- because it has it's fair share of mature themes and it is always a good idea to know what you're getting yourself into...
Hooked by Emily Mcintyre Trigger Warnings
explicit sex scenes and sexual content
breath play/ choking
torture
murder
physical abuse
kidnapping
sexual violence, sexual assault
gun violence
First, let’s talk about Hook—James Barrie, to be precise. McIntire’s version of Captain Hook is the kind of brooding, morally grey anti-hero that you secretly hope wins. This man isn’t just misunderstood.. Picture the most devastatingly handsome villain you can imagine, mix in some twisted revenge, a vendetta against Peter Pan (who’s not exactly the hero here, by the way), and voila! You’ve got James Barrie, your next book boyfriend.
Now, Wendy Michaels (Peter's daughter and our version of Wendy Darling from the original story). Wendy's character is sweet, innocent, and completely in-over-her-head. She’s smart, determined, and has just the right amount of grit to hold her own against James’ intense energy. Their chemistry? Electric. You’ll find yourself turning pages just to see how they’ll banter next, or how their spark evolves.
McIntire’s writing shines in its pacing and tone. The plot unfolds with just the right amount of tension—dark and edgy, but not so heavy that you need a stiff drink to get through it (though, I’m not judging if you grab one anyway). The dialogue is snappy, the tension is palpable, and, well, the steam? Let’s just say you might want to keep a fan nearby. And maybe an extra bookmark.
That said, some moments can feel predictable. We’ve all seen the whole “bad boy falls for the good girl and they both change for the better” trope before, but McIntire manages to keep it fresh by adding layers of depth to her characters. The revenge plot is juicy, but it’s the emotional vulnerability beneath it all that keeps you hooked (pun intended).
So, if you’re a fan of dark contemporary romance with a side of suspense, Hooked is definitely worth your time. Just don’t expect to look at Peter Pan the same way again. In fact, you might even find yourself rooting for the bad guy—for once, he might actually deserve it.
Summary from Amazon:
From international bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark romance and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of Peter Pan.
He wants revenge, but he wants her more…
James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.
Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.
Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website.*
Final Thoughts
If you love a good dark romance and a bit of suspense (and are comfortable with mature themes), this is a great book to add to your list. It is a quick read and I finished it in just a couple nights of reading!
Have you read it? I’d love to know what you think!
xo
Kae