A review by readintowonderland
Hooked by Emily McIntire

5.0

It took me a bit to wrap up all of my thoughts and put them into words. For how dark this one was I am a bit surprised it is a five star but I truly cannot stop thinking about it and really want to continue the series. There is something about the pacing and nuggets of excitement in her writing that make it really addictive. 

I also have to applaud the narrators for speaking with actual emotion and conviction when appropriate. The depth of emotion they can convey makes it quite engaging the whole time.

This twist on the original Peter Pan tale felt absolutely perfect. The modern setting with just enough nods to the original kept a lovely balance. 

I knew this was a dark romance booked but I was shocked by how quickly things took a very dark and violent turn. James' character is incredibly intense but it makes total sense. It fits well into a modern-day villain. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I applaud McIntire for creating a multi-faceted villain character.

It felt like the number of characters in total was quite well-balanced. There were a limited number of main characters but enough side characters to make the world feel full. That said, we aren't overintroduced to characters that play no part in the narrative. 

Please look up trigger warnings before reading as there are a lot. This book has some very spicy scenes so do not read if that isn't your thing. 

Overall, the writing as a whole is so well-done which is what sold me on this one being a five star for me. McIntire writes balanced worlds with flawed characters with emotional depth and the perfect balance of harking back to the original story. If I had to summarize this story simply, I would call it a beautiful nightmare. 

Please see my blog for a more in-depth review:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/08/hooked.html