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spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
downtown_kb's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
”I was wondering where you were, Captain.” “Sorry I’m late, Little Bird.”
When his sister and designated babysitter gets a new job, Jasper finds himself in need of a summer nanny for his son. So he hires his close family friend Wendy, who happens to be his brother’s ex fiancé.
This had that epic romcom magic that I am always in search of. A perfect balance of cute characters, including the town itself, and depth of feelings that bring it all to life.
Wendy is a sweet sunshine character looking for her place in the world and Jasper is that quite grump no one really understands has a huge hurting heart. It is so sweet to watch Wendy slowly come to see him as they both become friends and then more. And of course, Jasper is all about Wendy. This is a great slow burn and even the spice is a slow build. It’s heartfelt and meaningful - romantic - not just there as a requirement but also hot. Sam, the plot moppet, is well done as well. There is also a big family with lots of siblings for future books
As a huge fan, I really enjoyed the subtle references and nods to Peter and Wendy in the town setting. And the portrayal of Peter as an adult. That charisma and recklessness was perfect and so frustrating. I will be excited to read about his growth as a side character as this series continues.
Great on audio, Sebastian Grove really brings a lot to the character of Jasper.
I highly recommend a favorite read this year and a great summer romance.
“You said you like them[…]why wouldn’t I do something simple if you like it?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
beckyremillard's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death, and Abandonment
frantically's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Such a cute story! This was a slowww burn but it was a good burn 🥰 Got a bit too long-winded for me in the end and I felt myself just wanting it to end which I was so sad about! 🥲 But I loved the first ~80% or so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abandonment and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse and Injury/Injury detail
fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Single Dad/Nanny, Brother’s Ex, Forbidden Love, Grumpy/Sunshine, Secret Relationship, Found Family
3rd Act Breakup?: Yes
The Praise: This book had me ON the hook, I couldn’t put it down. I’m a sucker for the Single Dad/Nanny trope and this was no exception. I loved the Peter Pan bits and pieces, I think it made the story unique and fun. The characters were well-developed and likable (except Peter sometimes lol) and it made me excited for future books in this series.
The Critique: Honestly, I couldn’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book. Maybe just that the epilogue wasn’t further in the future but getting to see Wendy, Jasper, and Sam in future books will scratch that itch!
Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved this. It reminded me of Heartless by Elsie Silver (one of my absolute favorite books, so that’s high praise from me!) with a Peter Pan twist.
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Single Dad/Nanny, Brother’s Ex, Forbidden Love, Grumpy/Sunshine, Secret Relationship, Found Family
3rd Act Breakup?: Yes
The Praise: This book had me ON the hook, I couldn’t put it down. I’m a sucker for the Single Dad/Nanny trope and this was no exception. I loved the Peter Pan bits and pieces, I think it made the story unique and fun. The characters were well-developed and likable (except Peter sometimes lol) and it made me excited for future books in this series.
The Critique: Honestly, I couldn’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book. Maybe just that the epilogue wasn’t further in the future but getting to see Wendy, Jasper, and Sam in future books will scratch that itch!
Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved this. It reminded me of Heartless by Elsie Silver (one of my absolute favorite books, so that’s high praise from me!) with a Peter Pan twist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Death
Minor: Abandonment
dxisymitch's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Death
gi_reads30's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to Good Girls PR and Julie Olivia for providing an ARC of Off The Hook in exchange for an honest review.
-Short description (kinda)-
Off the Hook is slightly inspired by Peter Pan, with Wendy being well...Wendy and Jasper, somewhat inspired by Captain Hook. Its not a retelling, or a re-imagining of the original story, but if you at least know the story or characters, you would see the little easter eggs throughout the book. It follows Jasper Davis, the a "new-ish" father in need of a nanny to take care of his 6 year old son, Sam. Enter Wendy Darling, Peter's ex-fiancee (Jasper's brother) an elementary school teacher with a free summer.
-Review?-
Where do I begin with this one? ...
Well, I LOVED IT! For me at least, this book was pure perfection. I enjoyed everything about it. From the nautical setting, the main characters and the side characters.
I've been burned before by books with the nanny/boss tropes, so despite being excited for this one, because I adore Julie's writing, I was scared. BUT I WAS NOT DISAPOINTED.! This book has a lot of tropes in it, found family, brother's ex-fiancé, age gap, nanny/boss, YET they flow so seamlessly, in a way they just feel part of the story, and not an after thought.
-Main characters: Jasper and Wendy-
I might sound like a broken record with this review but I honestly, I just can't say anything bad about them. I loved Wendy. She was kind, caring, charming, funny. There were moments that she felt really relatable, and I wanted to protect her from the world, I wanted to tell her she was enough. Jasper...my grump with a heart of gold was caring, honest, slightly shy (WHICH I LOVE), and most importantly, SUCH AN AMAZING FATHER. The road that lead him to fatherhood was less then ideal, but the way he handle it was just a delight to watch. He didn't do the bare minimum when it came to Sam and it showed. Sam was such a cutie pie, and I want nothing but happiness and love for him.
The romance...SLOW burn, some angst, and just amazing chemistry. Their banter was cute and despite not being "too much" for me at leas, it was just as I expected, given Jasper's personality. I loved them together, I loved the stolen glances, the hidden smiles, the absolute need they had for one another, the honesty in their feelings. They brought the best out of each other in a way that was so cute to read about.
I do want to say, without giving spoilers, the way grief was handled in this book, was so beautiful. No, is not a major plot point or anything like that, but the moments where the topic is discussed, it was handled beautifully.
-Side Characters-
I've read the entire Honeywood Park series by Julie Olivia, and what I loved most about those books, was her ability to make the side characters so special, likable and charming. She did it again in this book. From Maggie (Jasper's mom) all the way to Raf, all the side characters are an integral part of me enjoying this book so much. Don't get me wrong, there were moments I wanted to shake Peter, but his personality plays into the whole "don't want to grow up" aspect of Peter Pan's character, so I will let it slide. I do have HIGH hopes to see his story play out in a future book.
However, of all of Jasper's sibling, I need Milo's book ASAP. I loved the little glimpse we have of him in the book, he is my favorite of the David's siblings, only second to Jasper.
If you like:
- Single dad
- Found family
- Brother's ex-girlfriend
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Nanny/Boss
ANY of those tropes, you will like this one. !!
Again, thanks to Good Girls PR and Julie Olivia for providing an ARC of Off The Hook in exchange for an honest review.
-Short description (kinda)-
Off the Hook is slightly inspired by Peter Pan, with Wendy being well...Wendy and Jasper, somewhat inspired by Captain Hook. Its not a retelling, or a re-imagining of the original story, but if you at least know the story or characters, you would see the little easter eggs throughout the book. It follows Jasper Davis, the a "new-ish" father in need of a nanny to take care of his 6 year old son, Sam. Enter Wendy Darling, Peter's ex-fiancee (Jasper's brother) an elementary school teacher with a free summer.
-Review?-
Where do I begin with this one? ...
Well, I LOVED IT! For me at least, this book was pure perfection. I enjoyed everything about it. From the nautical setting, the main characters and the side characters.
I've been burned before by books with the nanny/boss tropes, so despite being excited for this one, because I adore Julie's writing, I was scared. BUT I WAS NOT DISAPOINTED.! This book has a lot of tropes in it, found family, brother's ex-fiancé, age gap, nanny/boss, YET they flow so seamlessly, in a way they just feel part of the story, and not an after thought.
-Main characters: Jasper and Wendy-
I might sound like a broken record with this review but I honestly, I just can't say anything bad about them. I loved Wendy. She was kind, caring, charming, funny. There were moments that she felt really relatable, and I wanted to protect her from the world, I wanted to tell her she was enough. Jasper...my grump with a heart of gold was caring, honest, slightly shy (WHICH I LOVE), and most importantly, SUCH AN AMAZING FATHER. The road that lead him to fatherhood was less then ideal, but the way he handle it was just a delight to watch. He didn't do the bare minimum when it came to Sam and it showed. Sam was such a cutie pie, and I want nothing but happiness and love for him.
The romance...SLOW burn, some angst, and just amazing chemistry. Their banter was cute and despite not being "too much" for me at leas, it was just as I expected, given Jasper's personality. I loved them together, I loved the stolen glances, the hidden smiles, the absolute need they had for one another, the honesty in their feelings. They brought the best out of each other in a way that was so cute to read about.
I do want to say, without giving spoilers, the way grief was handled in this book, was so beautiful. No, is not a major plot point or anything like that, but the moments where the topic is discussed, it was handled beautifully.
-Side Characters-
I've read the entire Honeywood Park series by Julie Olivia, and what I loved most about those books, was her ability to make the side characters so special, likable and charming. She did it again in this book. From Maggie (Jasper's mom) all the way to Raf, all the side characters are an integral part of me enjoying this book so much. Don't get me wrong, there were moments I wanted to shake Peter, but his personality plays into the whole "don't want to grow up" aspect of Peter Pan's character, so I will let it slide. I do have HIGH hopes to see his story play out in a future book.
However, of all of Jasper's sibling, I need Milo's book ASAP. I loved the little glimpse we have of him in the book, he is my favorite of the David's siblings, only second to Jasper.
If you like:
- Single dad
- Found family
- Brother's ex-girlfriend
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Nanny/Boss
ANY of those tropes, you will like this one. !!
Again, thanks to Good Girls PR and Julie Olivia for providing an ARC of Off The Hook in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
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