HOOKED
Series: Never After #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Emily McIntire
Release Date: September 7, 2021
He wants revenge, but he wants her more.
Once Upon A Time, there was a little boy.
His belly full of laughter, his life full of joy.
Until one day, something changed; stripped his innocence away.
The hole inside making space for the devil to come and play.
His dreams gone forever, he grew up way too fast.
An endless night of crocodiles, and watches made of glass.
He grew into a villain, the taste of vengeance on his tongue.
Craving to make his enemies pay for the misdeeds they had done.
Instead he found a darling girl, and refused to let her go.
For what better way to make the man pay, than to steal his little shadow.*Hooked is a full-length, complete standalone and the first in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. This is a DARK Contemporary romance (not fantasy) featuring mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.*
Some men are born into this world with purpose; other men are mutilated into it.
I love a good fairy tale retelling with a twist, and this one definitely delivered. I love the direction the author took this one with a twist on the classic and read this in one sitting.
“Let me guess, you’ll set it on fire?” I ask.
He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me and settling into my bones. “No, darling. I’ll hand you the match, and stand at your back, watching you become queen of the ashes.”
Hook was a character I knew I’d love straight off the bat. The perfect tortured anti-hero that you love to hate and hate to love. This is a man who has waited years to exact revenge on the man who took everything from him. And the sweet and innocent daughter of said enemy who walks herself right into his hands is the perfect way to do it. Though he doesn’t expect the chemistry between them.
Wendy is the daughter of the infamous business man Peter Michaels. She’s also completely naive to the man her father really is. When her friend invites her to the Jolly Roger for the chance to spot the gorgeous and enigmatic Hook, the last thing she expects is to snag his attention.
Now being an avid dark romance reader, I have to say this book missed a few opportunities to really delve into the true dark elements where it just grazed the surface…like Hook’s past. But there were still plenty of dark elements to satisfy. What I wished we did have is a bit more of a backbone for Wendy. As much as I love the praise kink, Wendy was just too much of a pushover at times. The things she lets Hook get away with, along with her “friends” was frustrating. But the chemistry between them was satisfying enough for me not to dwell too much on that part. The twist and reveal at the end was one I saw coming really early on as well. But again, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
Ultimately, I seriously enjoyed this book. I’m definitely hooked on this author now (see what I did there?) and can’t wait for the next installment in this world.
