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The Lost Girl #2
Freeing Hook: A Dark Fantasy Peter Pan Retelling
Blurb forthcoming!
410 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2024
305 people are currently reading
2112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
November 3, 2024
Uhmmm WHAT?! Literally what?!?
This is one of the best series I’ve ever read and I CANNOT stress that enough!!
The first book started off a little slow, but Freeing Hook had twists and turns and details and action at every turn! The ending?! I definitely wasn’t expecting all of that, and I’m usually pretty good at guessing endings! I love it when books take me on a joyride and I can barely keep up.
This series is my new personality and I’m foaming at the mouth for the next book! If you’re a fan of Peter Pan, dark fantasy, slowest of slow burns, the idea of a feral Tinkerbell, and plot twists galore?? This is the series for you!!
This is one of the best series I’ve ever read and I CANNOT stress that enough!!
The first book started off a little slow, but Freeing Hook had twists and turns and details and action at every turn! The ending?! I definitely wasn’t expecting all of that, and I’m usually pretty good at guessing endings! I love it when books take me on a joyride and I can barely keep up.
This series is my new personality and I’m foaming at the mouth for the next book! If you’re a fan of Peter Pan, dark fantasy, slowest of slow burns, the idea of a feral Tinkerbell, and plot twists galore?? This is the series for you!!
October 13, 2024
My god this book is better than the first and I loved the first. At no point did I have a f-ing clue what was going to happen. For the first time in my reading life I high lighted a passage! Like what? I’m not giving a single thing away, just read it. Go in blind to this series.
December 11, 2024
Omg kakvi plot twistovi i prolivene suze, a traume likova pršte kao pixie dust! 🤌🏻✨️✨️
T.A. Lawrence nastavlja da nas vodi na veoma mračna mesta, a toliko je dobra u tome. Mislim da je do sada jedina autorka kojoj verujem da će svoj prvobitno zamišljeni ljubavni trougao izvesti kako treba i da će svoju junakinju graciozno izvući iz njega, što je uradila i u "A Word so Fitly Spoken", a zaista je retkost da ga neko napiše tako da nijednog trenutka nisam razočarana ženskim likom, već razumem i poštujem.
Ne zameram joj ni što je ovo trilogija i jedva čekam da izađe sledeća knjiga.
4.5 ⭐️ zbog razvučenog početka i smrti dragog lika.
T.A. Lawrence nastavlja da nas vodi na veoma mračna mesta, a toliko je dobra u tome. Mislim da je do sada jedina autorka kojoj verujem da će svoj prvobitno zamišljeni ljubavni trougao izvesti kako treba i da će svoju junakinju graciozno izvući iz njega, što je uradila i u "A Word so Fitly Spoken", a zaista je retkost da ga neko napiše tako da nijednog trenutka nisam razočarana ženskim likom, već razumem i poštujem.
Ne zameram joj ni što je ovo trilogija i jedva čekam da izađe sledeća knjiga.
4.5 ⭐️ zbog razvučenog početka i smrti dragog lika.
September 25, 2024
“Memories like that—they cling to dusty surfaces and hide behind the facial structure of strangers who happen to resemble an abuser. It’s the kind of touch that sticks to your soul like tar and only makes your fingers unusable and sore the more you try to rip it off. It breaks you.”
There is just something about Lawrence’s story telling that grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go. I highlighted a lot of quotes, but there was one that really spoke to me. It’ll be the first one I share. As a survivor of childhood SA, it hit hard. Not in a bad way. It’s something that not everyone understands and it makes me feel less alone.
I finished all 450 pages in one day. I am definitely going to be exhausted tomorrow, but it was worth it. I loved ‘Freeing Hook’ so much.
Astor and Wendy have so much chemistry and their banter was one of the best things about this book. I hate her with Peter 😅
One of the things that drives me crazy about Wendy is her refusal to fight back. I know it was ingrained into her as a child, but it still drives me crazy. Astor pushing her to fight back is one of my favorite things about him. Charlie and Maddox too. They refused to let Wendy stay weak.
I’m so glad we got some more back story on Tink and why she is the way that she is. John making her the communication board was so sweet 💜
The end was definitely shocking and I wasn’t ready for it. Get ready to feel all the emotions. You will need a lot of tissues. A lot. I am so torn about what I want to happen and I’m anxious to see what happens in the next book.
* Definitely check the content warning before reading.
* I was sent a complimentary eARC with no expectations for a favorable review.
There is just something about Lawrence’s story telling that grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go. I highlighted a lot of quotes, but there was one that really spoke to me. It’ll be the first one I share. As a survivor of childhood SA, it hit hard. Not in a bad way. It’s something that not everyone understands and it makes me feel less alone.
I finished all 450 pages in one day. I am definitely going to be exhausted tomorrow, but it was worth it. I loved ‘Freeing Hook’ so much.
Astor and Wendy have so much chemistry and their banter was one of the best things about this book. I hate her with Peter 😅
One of the things that drives me crazy about Wendy is her refusal to fight back. I know it was ingrained into her as a child, but it still drives me crazy. Astor pushing her to fight back is one of my favorite things about him. Charlie and Maddox too. They refused to let Wendy stay weak.
I’m so glad we got some more back story on Tink and why she is the way that she is. John making her the communication board was so sweet 💜
The end was definitely shocking and I wasn’t ready for it. Get ready to feel all the emotions. You will need a lot of tissues. A lot. I am so torn about what I want to happen and I’m anxious to see what happens in the next book.
* Definitely check the content warning before reading.
* I was sent a complimentary eARC with no expectations for a favorable review.
January 10, 2026
Poured through book 2 like water. I mean- so much is happening! It’s hard to surprise me in a book and there were several times I literally said “what?!?!?!” Out loud.
Definitely a dark fairy tale, but no open door scenes or swearing. SA and suicide triggers for sensitive readers
Definitely a dark fairy tale, but no open door scenes or swearing. SA and suicide triggers for sensitive readers
November 17, 2024
After reading the first book in this series, I was expecting Freeing Hook to stick with a YA vibe, which is fine if that is what you're expecting. While I did enjoy this better than the first book I still ended up feeling pretty let down.
The book is marketed as a dark romance, but there's very little romance in the book, there's definitely pining and some tension but no real romance and still zero spice.
I feel one of my bigger issues is that it is marketed as a dark romance but leans way too hard on tragic backstories for every character. It feels like their traumas are just there to make them seem "interesting," but it comes off as messy and forced instead of meaningful.
I’m usually a big fan of the “villain gets the girl” and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but only when the villain actively chooses the heroine. That’s not what happens here. The whole story revolves around how neither of Wendy’s love interests truly chooses her—she’s always the second option. By the end, I was hoping she’d ditch them both and burn the world down. Honestly, if the next book gives Wendy her villain arc, I’d be all in, but I have a feeling that’s not where this is going.
One moment that really stood out was when one of the love interests said Wendy doesn’t understand what love really is. That hit the nail on the head. Everything Wendy does is driven by her need to be wanted, and that’s her entire motivation. It makes her feel less like a fully developed character and more like someone just reacting to what’s happening around her.
There’s so much potential in this book for a gripping, dark story, but it just doesn’t deliver. The setup is there, but the execution falls flat. Unless the next installment gives Wendy some real growth—maybe even that villain arc I’m dreaming of—it’s hard to stay excited about where this series is going.
The book is marketed as a dark romance, but there's very little romance in the book, there's definitely pining and some tension but no real romance and still zero spice.
I feel one of my bigger issues is that it is marketed as a dark romance but leans way too hard on tragic backstories for every character. It feels like their traumas are just there to make them seem "interesting," but it comes off as messy and forced instead of meaningful.
I’m usually a big fan of the “villain gets the girl” and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but only when the villain actively chooses the heroine. That’s not what happens here. The whole story revolves around how neither of Wendy’s love interests truly chooses her—she’s always the second option. By the end, I was hoping she’d ditch them both and burn the world down. Honestly, if the next book gives Wendy her villain arc, I’d be all in, but I have a feeling that’s not where this is going.
One moment that really stood out was when one of the love interests said Wendy doesn’t understand what love really is. That hit the nail on the head. Everything Wendy does is driven by her need to be wanted, and that’s her entire motivation. It makes her feel less like a fully developed character and more like someone just reacting to what’s happening around her.
There’s so much potential in this book for a gripping, dark story, but it just doesn’t deliver. The setup is there, but the execution falls flat. Unless the next installment gives Wendy some real growth—maybe even that villain arc I’m dreaming of—it’s hard to stay excited about where this series is going.
December 15, 2025
I am feral over this series.
_________
Second read: 4/29/25
Did I reread this book at 2 AM like it was the first time two months after I already read it? Yes, yes I did.
For research purposes to write my book, I told myself as I bought Kindle Unlimited.
_________
Second read: 4/29/25
Did I reread this book at 2 AM like it was the first time two months after I already read it? Yes, yes I did.
For research purposes to write my book, I told myself as I bought Kindle Unlimited.
September 17, 2025
What the heck was that??
It has similar bones to ACOTAR but the highs are higher and the lowers are loooower. Betray after betrayal. Icky man after icky man. And the way she writes Wendy’s self development and mental state is so powerful. It’s so rare for a sequel to be just as good if not better.
While I’m definitely not sold on this new love plot, I am certainly outraged and boycotting the old one.
I also feel like I’m not sure how many more deaths can happen before she runs out of characters…but we’ll see.
Also interested to see if the SA themes will continue to be as strong…
It has similar bones to ACOTAR but the highs are higher and the lowers are loooower. Betray after betrayal. Icky man after icky man. And the way she writes Wendy’s self development and mental state is so powerful. It’s so rare for a sequel to be just as good if not better.
While I’m definitely not sold on this new love plot, I am certainly outraged and boycotting the old one.
I also feel like I’m not sure how many more deaths can happen before she runs out of characters…but we’ll see.
Also interested to see if the SA themes will continue to be as strong…
November 11, 2024
This might be my favorite retelling story. I was shocked, furious, kicking my feet, in tears, and breathless all while reading Freeing Hook. 5 stars doesn't do this story justice. This sequel blew my mind with its twists and turns as much as Losing Wendy did. I love the way this author flipped the well-known tale of Peter Pan on its head. I have no clue where this series is going next but I am DYING for the next one.
August 27, 2025
“That I’m a fool, so hopelessly in love that I’d let you slit my throat as long as I thought it’s what you wanted?”
This book hit soooo hard, I absolutely loved it. I devoured this book; I read it in just two sittings; I just could not get enough. This is going to be more ranting than a real review, so be prepared.
*Slight spoilers ahead*
To recap, Wendy has been given to Astor by Peter, who traded her for the safety of the Lost Boys. This exchange made Wendy realize one very important fact- Peter can't feel pain. On a ship with the mysterious and cruel Captain for a reason she does not know, she is determined to break Peter's curse and make it back to Neverland.
This book adds another POV, John. At first, I didn't love John's chapters, but as the story progressed, I loved them, particularly when he was meeting with Tink. John and Tink were so cute, and I loved reading about them.
Astor and Wendy were amazing, I loved the two of them. They understand each other so well and accept even the dark parts of the other. Their relationship is explored more in this book, as well as some of Astor's history. But I want more, more of them, more tension, more everything.
The plot twists in this book were insane. Not to brag but I am pretty good at figuring out what's going to happen in book, or at least I'm not shocked when something is revealed or done, but this book kept getting me. The reveals, the choices the characters made, and that ending...aaahhhh.
In short, I must have the next one ASAP. This series has taken over me and I absolutely love it.
(note: read the trigger warning before diving into this book, it is a little darker than the first, but still has nothing expclict)
This book hit soooo hard, I absolutely loved it. I devoured this book; I read it in just two sittings; I just could not get enough. This is going to be more ranting than a real review, so be prepared.
*Slight spoilers ahead*
To recap, Wendy has been given to Astor by Peter, who traded her for the safety of the Lost Boys. This exchange made Wendy realize one very important fact- Peter can't feel pain. On a ship with the mysterious and cruel Captain for a reason she does not know, she is determined to break Peter's curse and make it back to Neverland.
This book adds another POV, John. At first, I didn't love John's chapters, but as the story progressed, I loved them, particularly when he was meeting with Tink. John and Tink were so cute, and I loved reading about them.
Astor and Wendy were amazing, I loved the two of them. They understand each other so well and accept even the dark parts of the other. Their relationship is explored more in this book, as well as some of Astor's history. But I want more, more of them, more tension, more everything.
The plot twists in this book were insane. Not to brag but I am pretty good at figuring out what's going to happen in book, or at least I'm not shocked when something is revealed or done, but this book kept getting me. The reveals, the choices the characters made, and that ending...aaahhhh.
In short, I must have the next one ASAP. This series has taken over me and I absolutely love it.
(note: read the trigger warning before diving into this book, it is a little darker than the first, but still has nothing expclict)
February 2, 2026
I jumped straight into this one after finishing book one because i love them that much and couldn't wait to see what happened next. Now so much happened in book one I was honestly wondering where book 2 was gonna take us and how it could compare action wise and it did not disappoint! This book does not suffer from the curse of the sequel if anything it's even better then the first which is hard. But maybe it's just because this one has the better love interest 😚
(There may be small book one spoilers ahead so preceded at your own discretion)
Anyways it picks up hours after where the last one ended and we're off running. I love how this one we get to see more of the world past Neverland as she is held captive on Aster's a.k.a Captain hook's ship. This one follows their journey as Astor tries to enact his plan for revenge, and Wendy tries to use him for her own goals. This one is where the real enemies to lovers vibes come into play, their tension and banter is off the charts and oh so swoon worthy, I love them so much, I was definitely rooting for the villain gets the girl trope! Though they do have a pretty big age gap which is odd but I could get over it.
The world building expands even more, along with knowledge of their pasts. While there is more to learn about Wendy in this one, most of which she doesn't even know herself, we see more of Astor and Peter's history and discover their upbringing, connection, and past. Let me tell you it is not for the faint of heart, its dark and ugly and terribly sad. I love how this series is constant suspense and intrigue, always keeping me on my toes. A lot of it I never saw coming! I love a good surprising plot twist which this is full of.
Another amazing bonus was getting John's (Wendy's younger brother) POV, through him we still see what is going on in neverland with him and the lost boys. But we also learn about how he viewed his childhood, his own struggles, and secrets. He develops a relationship with tinker bell which I personally loved, it was very sweet though had a rocky start. And through his interactions with her, tinker bells history and past are revealed which lends a whole other layer to this crazy, mysterious world. He is also very sceptic of Peter and determines to discover the truth behind Wendy's disappearance and the island, not to mention Peter himself. His character is so amazing, he is just a golden retriever full of heart, love, and determination to protect. But he is also a nerd who is better at learning and books then he ever was at fighting or wielding a sword. But that doesn't stop him from trying.
OH and that's not the only character we get no, no, no! We also get some of Astor's shipmates/best friends. They are absolutely amazing and are the best of friends to Wendy it creates such a sweet little found family bringing the dash of warmth in this otherwise dark tale. They are full of wisdom, strength, and humor. Making Wendy an even better version of herself which is beautiful to see, she gains so much confidence, and self assurance in this one. While she has always been somewhat of a daredevil and adrenaline junky she is a different sort of brave and courageous in this book. But she also struggles with the darker side of herself, which is interesting to see, but also very sad to see her in so much pain.
But that isn't to say this book doesn't have its fair share of sufferings and pain. So much happens its hard to even put into words. But it was absolutely incredible, captivating, both heart-pounding and heart wrenching. There is lots of adventure, some Fae bargains, even more secrets, some truth revealing, mysteries and kidnappings. But overall amazing story telling, wonderful relatable characters who are flawed but also loveable, creative and imaginative world building, swoony tension filled forbidden romance. All the touch her and die vibes you could want, and a insanely shocking cliff hanger to top it all off. This series is definitely going in the records as a new forever favorite!
Content Warnings: No-Spice, No swearing, Death/murder (It is described in more factual terms like what the wound is, talks about there being blood and where its located as well as bodies hitting the floor, and there is a decapitation but still only briefly described) Off page torture, PTSD, Suicide/suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Past and attempted SA, Trafficking, Past child abuse, Death of a loved one, kidnapping.
(There may be small book one spoilers ahead so preceded at your own discretion)
Anyways it picks up hours after where the last one ended and we're off running. I love how this one we get to see more of the world past Neverland as she is held captive on Aster's a.k.a Captain hook's ship. This one follows their journey as Astor tries to enact his plan for revenge, and Wendy tries to use him for her own goals. This one is where the real enemies to lovers vibes come into play, their tension and banter is off the charts and oh so swoon worthy, I love them so much, I was definitely rooting for the villain gets the girl trope! Though they do have a pretty big age gap which is odd but I could get over it.
The world building expands even more, along with knowledge of their pasts. While there is more to learn about Wendy in this one, most of which she doesn't even know herself, we see more of Astor and Peter's history and discover their upbringing, connection, and past. Let me tell you it is not for the faint of heart, its dark and ugly and terribly sad. I love how this series is constant suspense and intrigue, always keeping me on my toes. A lot of it I never saw coming! I love a good surprising plot twist which this is full of.
Another amazing bonus was getting John's (Wendy's younger brother) POV, through him we still see what is going on in neverland with him and the lost boys. But we also learn about how he viewed his childhood, his own struggles, and secrets. He develops a relationship with tinker bell which I personally loved, it was very sweet though had a rocky start. And through his interactions with her, tinker bells history and past are revealed which lends a whole other layer to this crazy, mysterious world. He is also very sceptic of Peter and determines to discover the truth behind Wendy's disappearance and the island, not to mention Peter himself. His character is so amazing, he is just a golden retriever full of heart, love, and determination to protect. But he is also a nerd who is better at learning and books then he ever was at fighting or wielding a sword. But that doesn't stop him from trying.
OH and that's not the only character we get no, no, no! We also get some of Astor's shipmates/best friends. They are absolutely amazing and are the best of friends to Wendy it creates such a sweet little found family bringing the dash of warmth in this otherwise dark tale. They are full of wisdom, strength, and humor. Making Wendy an even better version of herself which is beautiful to see, she gains so much confidence, and self assurance in this one. While she has always been somewhat of a daredevil and adrenaline junky she is a different sort of brave and courageous in this book. But she also struggles with the darker side of herself, which is interesting to see, but also very sad to see her in so much pain.
But that isn't to say this book doesn't have its fair share of sufferings and pain. So much happens its hard to even put into words. But it was absolutely incredible, captivating, both heart-pounding and heart wrenching. There is lots of adventure, some Fae bargains, even more secrets, some truth revealing, mysteries and kidnappings. But overall amazing story telling, wonderful relatable characters who are flawed but also loveable, creative and imaginative world building, swoony tension filled forbidden romance. All the touch her and die vibes you could want, and a insanely shocking cliff hanger to top it all off. This series is definitely going in the records as a new forever favorite!
Content Warnings: No-Spice, No swearing, Death/murder (It is described in more factual terms like what the wound is, talks about there being blood and where its located as well as bodies hitting the floor, and there is a decapitation but still only briefly described) Off page torture, PTSD, Suicide/suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Past and attempted SA, Trafficking, Past child abuse, Death of a loved one, kidnapping.
September 18, 2024
I'm still in shock. My eyes are still wet from crying. This book was even better than the first book, Losing Wendy. WOW! I did not predict ANYTHING correctly.
This series picks up with Wendy on Captain Astor's ship as she serves her 6-month term with him away from Peter. So much happens but the highlights for me are that she learns how to fight and finally makes a female friend named Charlie, the only person I like in this series. (oh, and Micheal of course) Wendy travels quite a bit on Captain Astor's ship as they try to fulfill Astor's mission to remove his mating mark. During this, Wendy recovers from a nasty faerie dust addiction and is confused quite a bit. We the reader are just as confused and learn as slowly as Wendy what happened in the past to Peter and Captain Astor that made them who they are. Wendy spends quite a bit of time processing her trauma and her desire to be wanted by anyone is heartbreaking. Her story is just one tragedy after another and guys, this was so hard to read. I want so much for her to be free of all these men and just live in a nice cottage reading some Jane Austen or something. Maybe with a puppy.
The story gets really dark and has some very tragic moments. T.A. Lawrence does not hold back and she is letting characters die that you don't want to die. (I'm sending her my therapy bills.) I don't know what else to say but this story was captivating and well written. So beautiful. Please read the trigger warnings but know the author did a great job delicately handling everything. I was disturbed but never so much that I had to stop. However, everyone is different so please be mindful.
Also, there is a side story with John and Tink that was nuts.
I received this book as an ARC from the author. I swear that these are my true and honest thoughts. You can ask my children who are wondering why I am crying over my Kindle. The book will be released October 3 so read Losing Wendy and get ready to be destroyed. (in a good way)
This series picks up with Wendy on Captain Astor's ship as she serves her 6-month term with him away from Peter. So much happens but the highlights for me are that she learns how to fight and finally makes a female friend named Charlie, the only person I like in this series. (oh, and Micheal of course) Wendy travels quite a bit on Captain Astor's ship as they try to fulfill Astor's mission to remove his mating mark. During this, Wendy recovers from a nasty faerie dust addiction and is confused quite a bit. We the reader are just as confused and learn as slowly as Wendy what happened in the past to Peter and Captain Astor that made them who they are. Wendy spends quite a bit of time processing her trauma and her desire to be wanted by anyone is heartbreaking. Her story is just one tragedy after another and guys, this was so hard to read. I want so much for her to be free of all these men and just live in a nice cottage reading some Jane Austen or something. Maybe with a puppy.
The story gets really dark and has some very tragic moments. T.A. Lawrence does not hold back and she is letting characters die that you don't want to die. (I'm sending her my therapy bills.) I don't know what else to say but this story was captivating and well written. So beautiful. Please read the trigger warnings but know the author did a great job delicately handling everything. I was disturbed but never so much that I had to stop. However, everyone is different so please be mindful.
Also, there is a side story with John and Tink that was nuts.
I received this book as an ARC from the author. I swear that these are my true and honest thoughts. You can ask my children who are wondering why I am crying over my Kindle. The book will be released October 3 so read Losing Wendy and get ready to be destroyed. (in a good way)
October 13, 2024
I received an ARC of this book.
I’ll be honest, after I first read ‘Losing Wendy’ I wasn’t sure I wanted to read the rest of the series. It was so dark, and it had so many triggers. The innocence that comes with Peter Pan was flipped so completely on its head that I had to take a minute to fully process it all.
After a few weeks, the book was still on my mind and I knew I needed to finish the series to find some closure.
I am so glad I applied for the ARC because ‘Freeing Hook’ absolutely blew me away!!! It was such an incredible journey to take. It still has that darker side, and the triggers are definitely still there, but Nolan Astor is the redemption arc for this book series and I am here for it! He’s such a swoon worthy morally gray. If Wendy won’t take him, I definitely will!
There are twists and turns in this book that you will not see coming. T.A. Lawrence, in true TAL fashion, did not pull any punches. I’d you’ve read anything else by her you’ll know what I mean. The final twist of fate will 100% leave you with whiplash. I am still yelling at both Peter AND Wendy!
Peter is a child, and Wendy!? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ASTOR!? Bah! I neeeeeed book 3 like Wendy needs a fix of Fairy Dust.
I’ll be honest, after I first read ‘Losing Wendy’ I wasn’t sure I wanted to read the rest of the series. It was so dark, and it had so many triggers. The innocence that comes with Peter Pan was flipped so completely on its head that I had to take a minute to fully process it all.
After a few weeks, the book was still on my mind and I knew I needed to finish the series to find some closure.
I am so glad I applied for the ARC because ‘Freeing Hook’ absolutely blew me away!!! It was such an incredible journey to take. It still has that darker side, and the triggers are definitely still there, but Nolan Astor is the redemption arc for this book series and I am here for it! He’s such a swoon worthy morally gray. If Wendy won’t take him, I definitely will!
There are twists and turns in this book that you will not see coming. T.A. Lawrence, in true TAL fashion, did not pull any punches. I’d you’ve read anything else by her you’ll know what I mean. The final twist of fate will 100% leave you with whiplash. I am still yelling at both Peter AND Wendy!
Peter is a child, and Wendy!? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ASTOR!? Bah! I neeeeeed book 3 like Wendy needs a fix of Fairy Dust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2024
T. A. Lawrence continues to astonish me. Her retelling of fairytales in such a subversive way is such a gift! The first book was good but this sequel blew me out of the water!! I've been waiting for a good fated-mates series that challenges the concept with the free will, co-dependency, and entitlement issues that often come with these tropes (not that I don't eat them up, but variance is nice).
Freeing Hook doesn't hold back in showing the flaws of the characters, yet its strength is in holding them all accountable. Each character has immense trauma but that doesn't mean they get to abuse themselves or others because of it.
The love interest is flawed but so endearing and swoon-worthy, the side characters are fleshed out and have romances of their own, and Wendy is so relatable and real. 3rd best book I've read this year!
Freeing Hook doesn't hold back in showing the flaws of the characters, yet its strength is in holding them all accountable. Each character has immense trauma but that doesn't mean they get to abuse themselves or others because of it.
The love interest is flawed but so endearing and swoon-worthy, the side characters are fleshed out and have romances of their own, and Wendy is so relatable and real. 3rd best book I've read this year!
March 24, 2025
The idea of this series is solid gold: a dark fantasy retelling that centers on Wendy Darling and her romantic(?) entanglements with Peter Pan and "Hook" (Captain Nolan Astor). It gives Plated Prisoner vibes. The first book, Losing Wendy, introduced the two morally gray male leads beautifully: both are appealing (read: hot), but both are clearly untrustworthy. It also introduced Wendy as an unreliable, milquetoast-by-design protagonist. While Wendy of course earns our sympathy, especially once we learn the full truth of her past, and while she does occasionally think and act for herself, she's a bit of a limp noodle for the duration of Losing Wendy.
I was looking forward to seeing Wendy away from Peter and, frankly, away from her brothers and the Lost Boys, who can't help but treat her like a mom/house pet. Happily, Wendy sans Peter is much more likable. She sobers up, she makes friends, she learns to fight back, she goes on missions, and she takes matters into her own hands. At the same time, she doesn't lose her softness, as she maintains the depth of her compassion even as she toughens up and learns how to be her own person.
Well, sort of.
Because Wendy still has not really learned to shake her fantastical notions of love and romance, which continue to allow her to delude herself. Denied a normal childhood and adolescence, Wendy sees herself as an object of desire and believes that to be loved means to be chosen, not simply taken. (At one point, she even notes with bitterness that the noblemen who took advantage of her in the parlor never chose to marry her afterward. Which, like, is just not the number-one issue, Darling.) So, even though we get to see Wendy with a smidge of agency here, and even a moment or two of real strength, she is still deluding herself if she thinks what she feels for either Astor or Peter is actually love. What she feels, instead, is the painful absence of true love. So, it's not surprising that, by the end of the book,
Meanwhile, we were given an additional POV with chapters following John, who desperately tries to find the truth about his sister's disappearance. His investigations lead him to capturing Tink. When John learns a bit more about Tink's backstory (through the very convenient re-enactment-by-wraith plot device), he gains sympathy, and even catches feelings, for the feral fae. Tink, too, seems to return John's budding affections. Only for it all to come to a crashing halt, bursting the only real romantic bubble in the book--apart from Charlie and Maddox, of course. What a huge let-down. Maybe there's more to tell going forward, but this felt like painstakingly assembling a vehicle for the sole purpose of crashing it into a wall.
Which puts me in a bit of a conundrum as I consider picking up the third book. Sure, I want to see Wendy figure out a way to smash out of her mental cage, grab Michael, and GTFO of Neverland. Maybe become a privateer or something. I'm hoping, too, that Tink and Wendy will team up--though, of course, Wendy was a bit too quick to sell Tink out to the Nomad, so they will have some making up to do, which would be nice to see. Wendy has the potential to be a girl's girl, as we saw with her feelings about Iaso, but she's not there yet, and it would be nice to see more of this in her character arc.
However, the romance angle of this "slow-burn enemies-to-lovers" is now in critical condition. I'm no stranger to second-chance romance after a betrayal, or to toxic villain-heroes, or to love triangles/why-choose dynamics. Yet, there is just so little romantic tension to propel me forward in the series, because I'm now thinking that Wendy should choose herself and literally never marry anyone. Except maybe Tink. Or maybe she can be a third in a Charlie/Maddox throuple.
But of course that's not where this series is likely to go. One reason I feel sure about this is that I made the classic mistake of reading comments about the series on the author's IG page, and I found it so weird that folks were celebrating the fact that this book has "no spice." I can absolutely enjoy a compelling love story without open-door sex scenes in it--YA does this all the time (this is, of course, very much not YA, though). But the fact that our protagonist is a victim of sexual assault/child abuse AND both of our male "love" interests are also victims of SA/child abuse AND Wendy is repeatedly trafficked/nearly raped in the events of the book totally undermines the right to crow about a romance with no "spice" in it. If you're NOT cool with romances that describe scenes of consensual sex (which you can freaking skip, by the way), but you ARE cool with rape being the primary device for tragic backstory and narrative tension, then I guess this book's for you. I just think you might be as deluded as Wendy is about what constitutes romance. This is no hate on the author at all. Angst over erotica is a completely valid choice and I did not want Wendy to be doing anything else. But readers, let's not applaud a book for its moral purity, especially with a book absolutely all about sex despite not showing it.
So, with trepidation, on we go.
I was looking forward to seeing Wendy away from Peter and, frankly, away from her brothers and the Lost Boys, who can't help but treat her like a mom/house pet. Happily, Wendy sans Peter is much more likable. She sobers up, she makes friends, she learns to fight back, she goes on missions, and she takes matters into her own hands. At the same time, she doesn't lose her softness, as she maintains the depth of her compassion even as she toughens up and learns how to be her own person.
Well, sort of.
Because Wendy still has not really learned to shake her fantastical notions of love and romance, which continue to allow her to delude herself. Denied a normal childhood and adolescence, Wendy sees herself as an object of desire and believes that to be loved means to be chosen, not simply taken. (At one point, she even notes with bitterness that the noblemen who took advantage of her in the parlor never chose to marry her afterward. Which, like, is just not the number-one issue, Darling.) So, even though we get to see Wendy with a smidge of agency here, and even a moment or two of real strength, she is still deluding herself if she thinks what she feels for either Astor or Peter is actually love. What she feels, instead, is the painful absence of true love. So, it's not surprising that, by the end of the book,
Meanwhile, we were given an additional POV with chapters following John, who desperately tries to find the truth about his sister's disappearance. His investigations lead him to capturing Tink. When John learns a bit more about Tink's backstory (through the very convenient re-enactment-by-wraith plot device), he gains sympathy, and even catches feelings, for the feral fae. Tink, too, seems to return John's budding affections. Only for it all to come to a crashing halt, bursting the only real romantic bubble in the book--apart from Charlie and Maddox, of course. What a huge let-down. Maybe there's more to tell going forward, but this felt like painstakingly assembling a vehicle for the sole purpose of crashing it into a wall.
Which puts me in a bit of a conundrum as I consider picking up the third book. Sure, I want to see Wendy figure out a way to smash out of her mental cage, grab Michael, and GTFO of Neverland. Maybe become a privateer or something. I'm hoping, too, that Tink and Wendy will team up--though, of course, Wendy was a bit too quick to sell Tink out to the Nomad, so they will have some making up to do, which would be nice to see. Wendy has the potential to be a girl's girl, as we saw with her feelings about Iaso, but she's not there yet, and it would be nice to see more of this in her character arc.
However, the romance angle of this "slow-burn enemies-to-lovers" is now in critical condition. I'm no stranger to second-chance romance after a betrayal, or to toxic villain-heroes, or to love triangles/why-choose dynamics. Yet, there is just so little romantic tension to propel me forward in the series, because I'm now thinking that Wendy should choose herself and literally never marry anyone. Except maybe Tink. Or maybe she can be a third in a Charlie/Maddox throuple.
But of course that's not where this series is likely to go. One reason I feel sure about this is that I made the classic mistake of reading comments about the series on the author's IG page, and I found it so weird that folks were celebrating the fact that this book has "no spice." I can absolutely enjoy a compelling love story without open-door sex scenes in it--YA does this all the time (this is, of course, very much not YA, though). But the fact that our protagonist is a victim of sexual assault/child abuse AND both of our male "love" interests are also victims of SA/child abuse AND Wendy is repeatedly trafficked/nearly raped in the events of the book totally undermines the right to crow about a romance with no "spice" in it. If you're NOT cool with romances that describe scenes of consensual sex (which you can freaking skip, by the way), but you ARE cool with rape being the primary device for tragic backstory and narrative tension, then I guess this book's for you. I just think you might be as deluded as Wendy is about what constitutes romance. This is no hate on the author at all. Angst over erotica is a completely valid choice and I did not want Wendy to be doing anything else. But readers, let's not applaud a book for its moral purity, especially with a book absolutely all about sex despite not showing it.
So, with trepidation, on we go.
November 20, 2024
I am so mad that the third book hasn't been released yet. I've read the first two books in two days.
I've been thrown from one plottwist to the other. I couldn't put these books down even if I really wanted to. T.A. Lawrence has dragged me into this world of Peter Pan and Wendy and I want to know, scratch that, NEED TO KNOW how the story continues. It can't end like this.
And now to know that I need to wait till april to read the third book...
My heart can't handle this, my mind can't either.
I'm rooting for Astor. You cannot change my mind.
I've been thrown from one plottwist to the other. I couldn't put these books down even if I really wanted to. T.A. Lawrence has dragged me into this world of Peter Pan and Wendy and I want to know, scratch that, NEED TO KNOW how the story continues. It can't end like this.
And now to know that I need to wait till april to read the third book...
My heart can't handle this, my mind can't either.
I'm rooting for Astor. You cannot change my mind.
January 17, 2025
T.A. Lawrence’s Freeing Hook is a deeply emotional and masterfully crafted story that pulls readers into its world with a heartbreaking intensity. This book broke my heart in the best way possible, bringing me to tears not once but twice—a testament to the author’s ability to evoke raw and genuine emotions.
The story introduces new characters who are instantly lovable and seamlessly woven into the narrative. They add depth and richness to an already compelling cast, creating connections that feel authentic and meaningful. Learning more about the core characters and their backstories was equally impactful. Each revelation brought these characters to life, making their struggles and triumphs resonate on a profoundly personal level.
Lawrence has a gift for storytelling that balances heartache with hope. The character development is exceptional, and the relationships—both old and new—are layered and compelling. The moments of pain and vulnerability are balanced by the warmth of connection, making the story feel all the more real.
Freeing Hook is more than just a book; it’s an emotional journey that stays with you long after you turn the last page. For anyone looking for a story that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with its characters, this is an absolute must-read. T.A. Lawrence has delivered a heartfelt masterpiece that’s impossible to forget.
The story introduces new characters who are instantly lovable and seamlessly woven into the narrative. They add depth and richness to an already compelling cast, creating connections that feel authentic and meaningful. Learning more about the core characters and their backstories was equally impactful. Each revelation brought these characters to life, making their struggles and triumphs resonate on a profoundly personal level.
Lawrence has a gift for storytelling that balances heartache with hope. The character development is exceptional, and the relationships—both old and new—are layered and compelling. The moments of pain and vulnerability are balanced by the warmth of connection, making the story feel all the more real.
Freeing Hook is more than just a book; it’s an emotional journey that stays with you long after you turn the last page. For anyone looking for a story that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with its characters, this is an absolute must-read. T.A. Lawrence has delivered a heartfelt masterpiece that’s impossible to forget.
October 13, 2024
Addicting retelling
I love a good retelling reimagined. This slow burn romance is everything I could have asked for and I'm so excited for book three! Being as this book was just released, I'm sad I can't just dive back in to see what happens next. I'm invested and want more. This book gave me all the feels.
I love a good retelling reimagined. This slow burn romance is everything I could have asked for and I'm so excited for book three! Being as this book was just released, I'm sad I can't just dive back in to see what happens next. I'm invested and want more. This book gave me all the feels.
October 19, 2024
I really enjoyed Losing Wendy, so I figured I would enjoy Freeing Hook. This book was on a different level! Pulled me in immediately! Full of surprises! Chaotic in the best way! I do have a bone to pick with the author on the ending!! Can't believe we have to wait until spring for the rest of the series.
December 17, 2024
I feel like I lost speed with this second book, the first one was so interesting and kept me engaged where I really lost my momentum with this one. I will probably read the last book but I'm a little nervous about how it'll wrap up now.
October 29, 2024
Holy shiiiiiit I loved this book
February 24, 2025
I enjoyed this less than the first book which I wasn’t expecting..The 2 plot twists at the end brought it up to 4 stars tho!
April 8, 2025
Excellent book
Loved every moment, the characters, the world building. Enemies to lovers, the emotions it all comes together so perfectly. And all the twists in the story, never saw them coming. The Caption is that perfectly morally grey book boyfriend you want, although you hate him at times. I recommend this book to dark romance lovers who loves fairytale retellings
Loved every moment, the characters, the world building. Enemies to lovers, the emotions it all comes together so perfectly. And all the twists in the story, never saw them coming. The Caption is that perfectly morally grey book boyfriend you want, although you hate him at times. I recommend this book to dark romance lovers who loves fairytale retellings
April 12, 2025
How I screamed, kicked my feet and yelled reading this book. The plot twists!! Enjoyed this book way more than I ever thought I would, and this series has taken up much of my thoughts
May 5, 2025
4.5 rounded up!! Lots of twists that I didn’t see coming! Would definitely recommend if you’re into dark retelling
November 22, 2025
i don’t know what it is about this series but i legit can’t stop reading
August 8, 2025
I’ve spent the entire last 100 or so pages sobbing. My throat is all scratchy from how much I’ve been crying. I’ve had to repress the urge to scream multiple times because it’s 3AM and everyone else is asleep while I’m wailing over words on a page. I have so much to say about this but I can’t do it right now. This is one of my favourite reads this year. I like that Wendy kind of went through some character development here, too. John’s point of view . . . Yeah, I have no words. This was cruel.
THOUGHTS (SPOILERS AHEAD):
“I’d thought the captain would throw me in the hull of his ship, but to his credit, he’d been a man of his word.”
WHICH IS MORE THAN PETER WILL EVER BE.
“Back in Neverland, he’d told me he wouldn’t stuff me in a barrel when he took me. Instead, he’d provided me with my own room—a small, dingy chamber, but it was mine and it meant there was a lock between me and the rest of the crew.”
i feel like this is important because it’s different to what peter did. i don’t know if i’m remembering it correctly, but i don’t think that the place where her and her brothers were staying had a lock? i feel like this doubles as a metaphor for the security that captain astor provides her — a security that is lacking from peter.
“Do you often call it generosity when you kidnap women?”
uh, i’m sorry, did peter not ALSO kidnap her . . . ?
“Something stings in my stomach at his words, but I refuse to acknowledge the implications of such a reaction.”
SHE’S JEALOUS. I KNEW IT.
“She hates me, too. That’s why she won’t give me any faerie dust, why she looms over me as I writhe in agony, sweat pouring off my forehead as I grapple with death. Because she enjoys watching me suffer.”
this is so sad. peter has destroyed her with the faerie dust. she’s completely addicted to it. charlie is showing her kindness by not allowing herself to destroy herself but right now, what she longs for is peter’s version of being ‘kind,’ where he gives her the very thing that will lead to her destruction. peter is ruining her and because of the way he isolated her in book one and made her dependent on the faerie dust, she doesn’t see it.
“Captain Astor punches Charlie in the shoulder lightly, the sight of which has my ribcage twisting in on itself in knots.”
SHE’S SO JEALOUS AND SHE REFUSES TO ADMIT IT. I DON’T EVEN THINK SHE WAS THIS JEALOUS OF TINK. THAT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT TO ME. IF SHE CARES MORE ABOUT WHETHER A MAN WHO SHE HATES IS CLOSE TO A MEMBER OF HIS CREW THAN SHE DOES ABOUT HER MATE BEING AROUND HIS EX 24/7, IT IS SO SIGNIFICANT.
“’You’re mine, Wendy Darling. Mine to hurt,’ the voice whispers back.”
HOW IS THIS ROMANTIC??? IT’S NOT. OH MY GOD, I HATE PETER.
“Having Peter visit her from the shadows as a child messed with her psyche.”
i find it significant, again, that this is coming from john. it’s been suggested that he is the voice of reason multiple times and for him to say that the reason why wendy is in need of help is because all of the visits from peter have fundamentally messed with her mind is really important. that is not and will never be a healthy relationship because it is ALWAYS peter who is responsible for her destruction and her downfall.
“There’s no telling what lie Peter has woven to keep Wendy here with him, to keep that ring on her finger, claiming her. But whatever he’s told her, she’s his for good now.”
THIS IS, AGAIN, SO IMPORTANT TO ME. WENDY IS BLINDED BY PETER. JOHN IS NOT. THAT’S WHY IT IS JOHN — WHO HAS NO REASON TO HATE PETER OTHER THAN WHAT HE HAS SEEN DURING HIS TIME IN NEVERLAND — WHO HAS TOLD US THAT WHATEVER PETER TOLD HER WAS A LIE.
“And if he truly witnessed Captain Astor kidnapping Wendy, wouldn’t he have stopped it from happening? Surely he could have managed it with those shadow powers of his.”
I LOVE JOHN. AGAIN. THERE WAS MORE THAT PETER COULD HAVE DONE BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO.
“If I cause trouble, I don’t trust that Peter won’t find a way to silence me.
Another thing the Lost Boys won’t question.”
i love seeing peter from a different person’s point of view. wendy sees him through rose-tinted glasses. we see the subtle undertones that there’s something not quite right about him, but we don’t get to see THIS version of him. we don’t get to see him from the eyes of someone who sees through his manipulations.
“’Because,’ says Victor, ‘you’re the only other person on this island who Peter doesn’t have in his pocket.’”
i think that this is going to end up developing into a really strong friendship. however, i have a slight fear with this line. victor has always been the most skeptical of peter out of all of the lost boys. would peter ever get rid of victor in retaliation? it’s a possibility, but it’s one i hope doesn’t happen.
“He gives me a casual smile that dimples at the edges and knocks the breath out of me.”
he . . . has . . . dimples? IN THE FIRST BOOK, HE POUTS. NOW HE HAS DIMPLES. HOW DOES HE KEEP GETTING BETTER??? also i don’t think she’s ever mentioned becoming breathless at the sight of peter’s smile . . .
“He didn’t give me enough to get me addicted. He knew what he was doing.”
he’s got his claws hooked in her so deep that she doesn’t even realise what he’s done to her.
“‘I’m certain it was all with noble intent,’ says Astor in a tone that would suggest otherwise.”
SEEING PEOPLE CALL PETER OUT IS MY FAVOURITE PART ABOUT THESE BOOKS. also, i feel like this is really important, because i SAID in the last book that he was manipulating her with the faerie dust and now captain astor has all but confirmed that.
“If I look at him too long, my neck warms, and I don’t want him mistaking my reaction for anything other than loathing.”
this girl is lying to herself so hard.
“Before he leaves, he tucks a metal key into my hand and closes my fingers around it.”
this is so important to me. peter keeps her caged, even though she doesn’t need to be. astor lets her free, even though she is currently a danger, both to herself and to his crew. she thinks that she ‘soars’ with peter, as she put it, but she doesn’t. she only flies as far as HE lets her. he doesn’t give her freedom. that’s what captain astor is giving her.
“At first, I assumed it had been Peter’s way of keeping Tink from escaping the island, but what if there’s more to it than that?”
NO WAY . . . THIS IS CRUEL. THIS IS SO CRUEL IF JOHN IS RIGHT.
“But then the faerie does something I’m not prepared for.
She winks.”
TINK WINKED AT JOHN???
“Maybe that’s why Peter left me.”
i feel like this just punctuates the point of how badly he’s manipulated wendy. she’s trying to rationalise him essentially selling her to another man and making it HER fault. i’d argue that this is just another symptom of his control over her.
“Which means he also knew he needed to protect me.”
but does he WANT to?
“And it’s a good thing I came too. What had you despairing, my Darling pet?”
he is never going to see her as anything other than a possession, a toy, a PET to play with until he gets bored. he called her a darling thing in book one. now he’s calling her a darling pet. he continues to dehumanise her over and over again. he doesn’t want a lover like she does — he wants something that he can mould to his own will, something that he can exert control over.
“Before I can resume, he plucks a pouch from his pocket and tucks it into my hands.”
this is disgusting. this relationship is disgusting. he’s not her partner. he’s not her equal. he’s not even her friend. he’s a manipulator who uses her. he’s a being incapable of love who uses her love for him against her. he is, essentially, her dealer who is all too willing to give her more faerie dust — even though it destroys her — because it means he gets to keep a grasp of his control over her.
“If you came to ogle me, you’re not doing a very good job of it. I recommend the rotted hole between the slats to the door’s left if you’d like to get a better view next time.”
did he just give her advice on where to hide if she wants to creep on him . . . ? sounds to me like he WANTS her watching him . . .
“Naked except for a painted mask.”
i find it really significant that astor always seems to see through that mask as well. he sees through HER as a person and there’s so much foreshadowing as to how he is the better option that i don’t believe that she’s ever going to end up with peter.
“And besides, my sister trusted the creature who haunted her for her entire childhood. So I don’t know why I’m bothering listening to her voice inside my head.”
I LOVE THE WAY HE IS SO CONTINUOUSLY ANTI-PETER.
“But then she crumples up the leaf I wrapped the bread in and tosses it at my face.
I don’t manage to catch it before it smacks me in the glasses.”
DID SHE JUST THROW A LEAF IN HIS FACE??? I LOVE THAT. I LOVE TINK. SHE’S AMAZING.
“There, there. It’s alright. They’ll treat you well where I’m taking you. I’ve found you a good home, little pet. You’ll have all the gold and jewels you could ever desire.”
there is one word that i find really significant here. what did teeth call wendy? a PET. what did peter call wendy? the same thing. are we supposed to be repulsed when teeth says it but swooning when peter says it? i think not. i think this was another subtle way of painting peter as someone we shouldn’t be rooting for. there are so many other things that teeth could have said, but he landed on the same nickname that peter gave her just 60 or so pages prior.
“For the first time, I long to see Astor’s face. To glimpse his reaction when he realises Teeth is hauling me away.”
it’s very telling that it’s ASTOR who she wants to save her. not peter. you would think that as her mate, it would be PETER who she wants help from, but it’s not.
“Shock flashes through his eyes, and the distraction costs him.”
THIS IS SOMETHING I DON’T THINK THAT PETER WOULD EVER DO. CAPTAIN ASTOR GAVE HIS OPPONENT AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE HE SAW WENDY BEING DRAGGED AWAY BY SOMEONE.
“You claim you offer me a desirable life, yet you would treat me as a pet.”
significant wording. even wendy seems to be repulsed by the idea of being a pet to someone, and yet it is exactly this which peter wishes to make her. i don’t think it could be any clearer that peter is the wrong choice for wendy.
“When the henchman begs for his life, Captain Astor’s laugh echoes through the alley. ‘You might have considered that the first time I asked you to stop touching her.’”
there’s no way this man is still denying that he likes wendy . . . HE JUST KILLED A MAN HIMSELF FOR TOUCHING HER.
“With Peter, everything is a game. With Astor, everything is a challenge.”
THIS BIT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.
“When I tip my head back, his eyelids are heavy, obscuring the upper half of his beautiful green eyes. He looks drunk, and though he tightens his grip on my wrists, I know it’s only to steady himself. To hide the trembling that’s crept into his fingertips, his muscles.”
i actually think that this is really important. if you compare this to all of wendy’s interactions with peter in the first book, i don’t believe he has ever reacted to her like this. it’s always clear that it’s peter who remains in control and wendy who trembles at his touch. here, it actually seems to be BOTH of them who are equally affected by each other. this puts them on an equal level AGAIN. there isn’t one person who exerts more control over the other. that’s what gives them a healthier dynamic than peter and wendy.
“The captain says you used to free-climb the outside of your parents’ clock tower. You don’t think that’s gutsy?”
the significance of this is that astor has been telling his crew about how capable wendy is. peter hasn’t. he’s been telling wendy, repeatedly, that she is a plaything to him. the difference is astounding.
“‘It evens the playing field,’ I say, thinking of my inability to wrench myself from Teeth’s grip the night he took me.”
yeah, this is why peter is always going to be the wrong option for her. he doesn’t put the two of them on an ‘even playing field’ and that’s what wendy needs; she needs someone who will consider her an equal because she’s spent her entire life being surrounded by people who view her as inferior, as a pet to control. peter would just be another one of those people.
“When she sees I’m paying attention to her now, she pushes out her bottom lip in a dramatic pout.”
firstly, WHAT IS IT WITH ALL OF THESE FAE POUTING???? NOT THAT I DON’T LOVE IT. BUT IT’S AMAZING. also, this is an interesting parallel . . . the entire dynamic between tink and john in this book is reminiscent of the dynamic between astor and wendy in the first book. and i think it’s clear that the author is setting up tink as john’s love interest so why is she giving these two parallels to scenes that wendy had with ASTOR and not peter if peter is wendy’s ‘mate’ and the person she’s supposed to end up with?
“Smalls looks down at his feet. ‘She shouldn’t have hurt Wendy, but . . .’ He swallows. ‘I just didn’t want her to be hungry.’”
DID PETER TRY TO STARVE HIS EX TO DEATH????
“‘Our problem, you see,’ I interject, pinching Astor lightly in an attempt to get him to behave, ‘is that my husband and I are both Mated.’”
is this possible foreshadowing?
“I say, glancing down at Astor admirably for heightened effect.
I’m not prepared for him already to be looking at me.
We both avert our eyes. Quickly.”
HE. WAS. ALREADY. WATCHING. HER.
“‘You wouldn’t let me touch you, but you’d let him.’ Peter’s arms and hands shift into shadows again, splitting into several limbs, all the more to snake up my skirts and twist around my undergarments.”
this is disgusting. i hate peter so much. i don’t care if he was in his ‘shadow form’. he snapped out of it when captain astor showed up eventually. why couldn’t he do it for wendy, his supposed mate?
“‘Don’t look,’ says a voice as familiar as the sunrise. ‘Unless you want to, of course.’”
HE GAVE HER A CHOICE. HE SAID DON’T LOOK UNLESS YOU *WANT* TO. HE ALWAYS GIVES HER A CHOICE ABOUT WHAT TO DO. EVERY TIME.
“Astor blinks, then sheathes his sword and hops up on the horse behind me without another word.”
HE DID IT AGAIN. HE DIDN’T KILL SOMEONE BECAUSE WENDY ASKED HIM NOT TO.
“When I dream, it’s not of Peter’s hands all over me in the parlor as I feared, but of Astor, easing his fingers into the spaces between mine as we dance, for a blissful moment unaware of the bloodstained rug below our feet.”
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. IN HER DREAMS, SHE’S NOT WITH PETER OR ASTOR. HER DREAMS ARE HER OWN SUBCONSCIOUS MIND AND SHE IS CHOOSING TO REMAIN WITH ASTOR, WHERE SHE COULD EASILY GO TO PETER.
“Strange, my two missions: bring the man I love pain, and remove the pain of the man I don’t.”
foreshadowing?
“I’ve always told you I’d like to see you assert yourself.”
THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT PETER WANTS FROM HER AND I FIND IT REALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHAT PETER WANTS FROM WENDY IS WHAT EVERY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS WRONGED HER WANTS — HE WANTS SOMEONE BASHFUL WHO WILL DO WHAT HE WANTS.
“‘Are they . . .’ He looks as if he’s choosing his words carefully. ‘Should I have taken them too?’”
at this rate, i could write a book about why the captain is better than peter. he would have been willing to take john and michael with them simply because wendy would have wanted it, too. peter only took the kids because he forced wendy to make a bargain with him first.
“‘Wendy’s not quiet?’ Peter asks, cocking his head to the side.”
this is really important to me. peter DOESN’T know her. and what bothers me even more is that the two barely spoke before they established a romantic relationship. they still know nothing about one another. peter doesn’t know this about wendy, but someone else does. the captain. i don’t think that this is a coincidence.
“I figure it’s safer tucked in a box underneath my bed than it is on my finger, too loose to stay put.”
i feel like this is her trying to convince herself that’s why she did it, even though she knows the truth. because if this were the case, then she would have stopped wearing it 3 months ago when she was first brought onto the ship. she made the conscious decision to stop wearing her ring AFTER getting to know astor.
“Wendy can speak for herself.”
HE’S GIVING HER A VOICE — SOMETHING THAT PETER TAKES AWAY FROM HER.
“Instead, he just looks at me, a challenge in his fiery green eyes. Go on, they seem to taunt. Or maybe taunt isn’t the right word. Prod. Stoke.”
they’re equals. they are so clearly equals. he didn’t immediately step in to defend her because he KNOWS that she’s capable of handling it herself.
“The words get hung up in my throat. Astor’s staring at me. His question wasn’t a taunt. It’s genuine. Do you really want to become this? is the question dancing in his eyes.”
I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. HE’S. GIVING. HER. A. CHOICE. PETER DIDN’T GIVE HER A CHOICE BEFORE TURNING HER INTO A MURDERER, BUT ASTOR IS.
“It’s just—isn’t it kind of a tragic story? Doesn’t the Reaper kill his lover so that he can be with her in the spirit world? But then he ends up trapping her soul inside of a tree or something?”
WHAT??? DID I SKIM OVER THIS IN THE LAST BOOK???
“My face flushes hot at the memory of telling Astor about what happened to me in my parents’ parlor. How he’d told me afterward that he didn’t regret killing them after what they’d made me do.”
I KNEW IT. I SAID THIS WHEN I READ THE LAST BOOK, TOO.
“Tears run down my cheeks, and he lets them. Doesn’t try to wipe them away. Doesn’t try to erase them.”
THIS. LINE. THIS IS A DIRECT CONTRAST TO PETER WHO WON’T ALLOW HER TO FEEL PAIN.
“When he speaks again, I think I know the answer to that question. ‘The shadows can’t have you.’”
FORESHADOWING. I’M CONVINCED OF IT.
“‘At your command, Darling,’ he says.”
THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. NOT ONCE HAS HE TAKEN HER CHOICES AWAY FROM HER. HE IS ALWAYS THE ONE TO OFFER THEM.
“Astor sighs, then kneels beside the body, looking up at me. He almost looks innocent from this angle.”
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HE HAS EVER WILLINGLY LOWERED HIMSELF TO LOOK UP AT WENDY AND THAT IS TWICE MORE THAN PETER HAS EVER DONE IT. HE CONSTANTLY MAKES WENDY AN EQUAL, AS OPPOSED TO PETER MAKING HER INFERIOR.
“I pause, not at all fooled by his arrogance. There was a time when I would have believed that swaggering veneer.”
wait . . . now i’m questioning how many other times this has happened and wendy’s missed it . . .
“It confirms my every fear. My every fleeting hope.”
OH MY GOD. I’M FEELING A THOUSAND DIFFERENT THINGS RIGHT NOW. FIRSTLY. ASTOR. IS. HER. MATE???? SECONDLY . . . SHE JUST ADMITTED TO HOPING THAT HE WAS HER MATE, TOO. MY HANDS ARE LITERALLY SHAKING.
“I watch in horror as Simon brandishes a blade and slits his own throat.”
NO. WHAT? WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?
THOUGHTS (SPOILERS AHEAD):
“I’d thought the captain would throw me in the hull of his ship, but to his credit, he’d been a man of his word.”
WHICH IS MORE THAN PETER WILL EVER BE.
“Back in Neverland, he’d told me he wouldn’t stuff me in a barrel when he took me. Instead, he’d provided me with my own room—a small, dingy chamber, but it was mine and it meant there was a lock between me and the rest of the crew.”
i feel like this is important because it’s different to what peter did. i don’t know if i’m remembering it correctly, but i don’t think that the place where her and her brothers were staying had a lock? i feel like this doubles as a metaphor for the security that captain astor provides her — a security that is lacking from peter.
“Do you often call it generosity when you kidnap women?”
uh, i’m sorry, did peter not ALSO kidnap her . . . ?
“Something stings in my stomach at his words, but I refuse to acknowledge the implications of such a reaction.”
SHE’S JEALOUS. I KNEW IT.
“She hates me, too. That’s why she won’t give me any faerie dust, why she looms over me as I writhe in agony, sweat pouring off my forehead as I grapple with death. Because she enjoys watching me suffer.”
this is so sad. peter has destroyed her with the faerie dust. she’s completely addicted to it. charlie is showing her kindness by not allowing herself to destroy herself but right now, what she longs for is peter’s version of being ‘kind,’ where he gives her the very thing that will lead to her destruction. peter is ruining her and because of the way he isolated her in book one and made her dependent on the faerie dust, she doesn’t see it.
“Captain Astor punches Charlie in the shoulder lightly, the sight of which has my ribcage twisting in on itself in knots.”
SHE’S SO JEALOUS AND SHE REFUSES TO ADMIT IT. I DON’T EVEN THINK SHE WAS THIS JEALOUS OF TINK. THAT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT TO ME. IF SHE CARES MORE ABOUT WHETHER A MAN WHO SHE HATES IS CLOSE TO A MEMBER OF HIS CREW THAN SHE DOES ABOUT HER MATE BEING AROUND HIS EX 24/7, IT IS SO SIGNIFICANT.
“’You’re mine, Wendy Darling. Mine to hurt,’ the voice whispers back.”
HOW IS THIS ROMANTIC??? IT’S NOT. OH MY GOD, I HATE PETER.
“Having Peter visit her from the shadows as a child messed with her psyche.”
i find it significant, again, that this is coming from john. it’s been suggested that he is the voice of reason multiple times and for him to say that the reason why wendy is in need of help is because all of the visits from peter have fundamentally messed with her mind is really important. that is not and will never be a healthy relationship because it is ALWAYS peter who is responsible for her destruction and her downfall.
“There’s no telling what lie Peter has woven to keep Wendy here with him, to keep that ring on her finger, claiming her. But whatever he’s told her, she’s his for good now.”
THIS IS, AGAIN, SO IMPORTANT TO ME. WENDY IS BLINDED BY PETER. JOHN IS NOT. THAT’S WHY IT IS JOHN — WHO HAS NO REASON TO HATE PETER OTHER THAN WHAT HE HAS SEEN DURING HIS TIME IN NEVERLAND — WHO HAS TOLD US THAT WHATEVER PETER TOLD HER WAS A LIE.
“And if he truly witnessed Captain Astor kidnapping Wendy, wouldn’t he have stopped it from happening? Surely he could have managed it with those shadow powers of his.”
I LOVE JOHN. AGAIN. THERE WAS MORE THAT PETER COULD HAVE DONE BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO.
“If I cause trouble, I don’t trust that Peter won’t find a way to silence me.
Another thing the Lost Boys won’t question.”
i love seeing peter from a different person’s point of view. wendy sees him through rose-tinted glasses. we see the subtle undertones that there’s something not quite right about him, but we don’t get to see THIS version of him. we don’t get to see him from the eyes of someone who sees through his manipulations.
“’Because,’ says Victor, ‘you’re the only other person on this island who Peter doesn’t have in his pocket.’”
i think that this is going to end up developing into a really strong friendship. however, i have a slight fear with this line. victor has always been the most skeptical of peter out of all of the lost boys. would peter ever get rid of victor in retaliation? it’s a possibility, but it’s one i hope doesn’t happen.
“He gives me a casual smile that dimples at the edges and knocks the breath out of me.”
he . . . has . . . dimples? IN THE FIRST BOOK, HE POUTS. NOW HE HAS DIMPLES. HOW DOES HE KEEP GETTING BETTER??? also i don’t think she’s ever mentioned becoming breathless at the sight of peter’s smile . . .
“He didn’t give me enough to get me addicted. He knew what he was doing.”
he’s got his claws hooked in her so deep that she doesn’t even realise what he’s done to her.
“‘I’m certain it was all with noble intent,’ says Astor in a tone that would suggest otherwise.”
SEEING PEOPLE CALL PETER OUT IS MY FAVOURITE PART ABOUT THESE BOOKS. also, i feel like this is really important, because i SAID in the last book that he was manipulating her with the faerie dust and now captain astor has all but confirmed that.
“If I look at him too long, my neck warms, and I don’t want him mistaking my reaction for anything other than loathing.”
this girl is lying to herself so hard.
“Before he leaves, he tucks a metal key into my hand and closes my fingers around it.”
this is so important to me. peter keeps her caged, even though she doesn’t need to be. astor lets her free, even though she is currently a danger, both to herself and to his crew. she thinks that she ‘soars’ with peter, as she put it, but she doesn’t. she only flies as far as HE lets her. he doesn’t give her freedom. that’s what captain astor is giving her.
“At first, I assumed it had been Peter’s way of keeping Tink from escaping the island, but what if there’s more to it than that?”
NO WAY . . . THIS IS CRUEL. THIS IS SO CRUEL IF JOHN IS RIGHT.
“But then the faerie does something I’m not prepared for.
She winks.”
TINK WINKED AT JOHN???
“Maybe that’s why Peter left me.”
i feel like this just punctuates the point of how badly he’s manipulated wendy. she’s trying to rationalise him essentially selling her to another man and making it HER fault. i’d argue that this is just another symptom of his control over her.
“Which means he also knew he needed to protect me.”
but does he WANT to?
“And it’s a good thing I came too. What had you despairing, my Darling pet?”
he is never going to see her as anything other than a possession, a toy, a PET to play with until he gets bored. he called her a darling thing in book one. now he’s calling her a darling pet. he continues to dehumanise her over and over again. he doesn’t want a lover like she does — he wants something that he can mould to his own will, something that he can exert control over.
“Before I can resume, he plucks a pouch from his pocket and tucks it into my hands.”
this is disgusting. this relationship is disgusting. he’s not her partner. he’s not her equal. he’s not even her friend. he’s a manipulator who uses her. he’s a being incapable of love who uses her love for him against her. he is, essentially, her dealer who is all too willing to give her more faerie dust — even though it destroys her — because it means he gets to keep a grasp of his control over her.
“If you came to ogle me, you’re not doing a very good job of it. I recommend the rotted hole between the slats to the door’s left if you’d like to get a better view next time.”
did he just give her advice on where to hide if she wants to creep on him . . . ? sounds to me like he WANTS her watching him . . .
“Naked except for a painted mask.”
i find it really significant that astor always seems to see through that mask as well. he sees through HER as a person and there’s so much foreshadowing as to how he is the better option that i don’t believe that she’s ever going to end up with peter.
“And besides, my sister trusted the creature who haunted her for her entire childhood. So I don’t know why I’m bothering listening to her voice inside my head.”
I LOVE THE WAY HE IS SO CONTINUOUSLY ANTI-PETER.
“But then she crumples up the leaf I wrapped the bread in and tosses it at my face.
I don’t manage to catch it before it smacks me in the glasses.”
DID SHE JUST THROW A LEAF IN HIS FACE??? I LOVE THAT. I LOVE TINK. SHE’S AMAZING.
“There, there. It’s alright. They’ll treat you well where I’m taking you. I’ve found you a good home, little pet. You’ll have all the gold and jewels you could ever desire.”
there is one word that i find really significant here. what did teeth call wendy? a PET. what did peter call wendy? the same thing. are we supposed to be repulsed when teeth says it but swooning when peter says it? i think not. i think this was another subtle way of painting peter as someone we shouldn’t be rooting for. there are so many other things that teeth could have said, but he landed on the same nickname that peter gave her just 60 or so pages prior.
“For the first time, I long to see Astor’s face. To glimpse his reaction when he realises Teeth is hauling me away.”
it’s very telling that it’s ASTOR who she wants to save her. not peter. you would think that as her mate, it would be PETER who she wants help from, but it’s not.
“Shock flashes through his eyes, and the distraction costs him.”
THIS IS SOMETHING I DON’T THINK THAT PETER WOULD EVER DO. CAPTAIN ASTOR GAVE HIS OPPONENT AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE HE SAW WENDY BEING DRAGGED AWAY BY SOMEONE.
“You claim you offer me a desirable life, yet you would treat me as a pet.”
significant wording. even wendy seems to be repulsed by the idea of being a pet to someone, and yet it is exactly this which peter wishes to make her. i don’t think it could be any clearer that peter is the wrong choice for wendy.
“When the henchman begs for his life, Captain Astor’s laugh echoes through the alley. ‘You might have considered that the first time I asked you to stop touching her.’”
there’s no way this man is still denying that he likes wendy . . . HE JUST KILLED A MAN HIMSELF FOR TOUCHING HER.
“With Peter, everything is a game. With Astor, everything is a challenge.”
THIS BIT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.
“When I tip my head back, his eyelids are heavy, obscuring the upper half of his beautiful green eyes. He looks drunk, and though he tightens his grip on my wrists, I know it’s only to steady himself. To hide the trembling that’s crept into his fingertips, his muscles.”
i actually think that this is really important. if you compare this to all of wendy’s interactions with peter in the first book, i don’t believe he has ever reacted to her like this. it’s always clear that it’s peter who remains in control and wendy who trembles at his touch. here, it actually seems to be BOTH of them who are equally affected by each other. this puts them on an equal level AGAIN. there isn’t one person who exerts more control over the other. that’s what gives them a healthier dynamic than peter and wendy.
“The captain says you used to free-climb the outside of your parents’ clock tower. You don’t think that’s gutsy?”
the significance of this is that astor has been telling his crew about how capable wendy is. peter hasn’t. he’s been telling wendy, repeatedly, that she is a plaything to him. the difference is astounding.
“‘It evens the playing field,’ I say, thinking of my inability to wrench myself from Teeth’s grip the night he took me.”
yeah, this is why peter is always going to be the wrong option for her. he doesn’t put the two of them on an ‘even playing field’ and that’s what wendy needs; she needs someone who will consider her an equal because she’s spent her entire life being surrounded by people who view her as inferior, as a pet to control. peter would just be another one of those people.
“When she sees I’m paying attention to her now, she pushes out her bottom lip in a dramatic pout.”
firstly, WHAT IS IT WITH ALL OF THESE FAE POUTING???? NOT THAT I DON’T LOVE IT. BUT IT’S AMAZING. also, this is an interesting parallel . . . the entire dynamic between tink and john in this book is reminiscent of the dynamic between astor and wendy in the first book. and i think it’s clear that the author is setting up tink as john’s love interest so why is she giving these two parallels to scenes that wendy had with ASTOR and not peter if peter is wendy’s ‘mate’ and the person she’s supposed to end up with?
“Smalls looks down at his feet. ‘She shouldn’t have hurt Wendy, but . . .’ He swallows. ‘I just didn’t want her to be hungry.’”
DID PETER TRY TO STARVE HIS EX TO DEATH????
“‘Our problem, you see,’ I interject, pinching Astor lightly in an attempt to get him to behave, ‘is that my husband and I are both Mated.’”
is this possible foreshadowing?
“I say, glancing down at Astor admirably for heightened effect.
I’m not prepared for him already to be looking at me.
We both avert our eyes. Quickly.”
HE. WAS. ALREADY. WATCHING. HER.
“‘You wouldn’t let me touch you, but you’d let him.’ Peter’s arms and hands shift into shadows again, splitting into several limbs, all the more to snake up my skirts and twist around my undergarments.”
this is disgusting. i hate peter so much. i don’t care if he was in his ‘shadow form’. he snapped out of it when captain astor showed up eventually. why couldn’t he do it for wendy, his supposed mate?
“‘Don’t look,’ says a voice as familiar as the sunrise. ‘Unless you want to, of course.’”
HE GAVE HER A CHOICE. HE SAID DON’T LOOK UNLESS YOU *WANT* TO. HE ALWAYS GIVES HER A CHOICE ABOUT WHAT TO DO. EVERY TIME.
“Astor blinks, then sheathes his sword and hops up on the horse behind me without another word.”
HE DID IT AGAIN. HE DIDN’T KILL SOMEONE BECAUSE WENDY ASKED HIM NOT TO.
“When I dream, it’s not of Peter’s hands all over me in the parlor as I feared, but of Astor, easing his fingers into the spaces between mine as we dance, for a blissful moment unaware of the bloodstained rug below our feet.”
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. IN HER DREAMS, SHE’S NOT WITH PETER OR ASTOR. HER DREAMS ARE HER OWN SUBCONSCIOUS MIND AND SHE IS CHOOSING TO REMAIN WITH ASTOR, WHERE SHE COULD EASILY GO TO PETER.
“Strange, my two missions: bring the man I love pain, and remove the pain of the man I don’t.”
foreshadowing?
“I’ve always told you I’d like to see you assert yourself.”
THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT PETER WANTS FROM HER AND I FIND IT REALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHAT PETER WANTS FROM WENDY IS WHAT EVERY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS WRONGED HER WANTS — HE WANTS SOMEONE BASHFUL WHO WILL DO WHAT HE WANTS.
“‘Are they . . .’ He looks as if he’s choosing his words carefully. ‘Should I have taken them too?’”
at this rate, i could write a book about why the captain is better than peter. he would have been willing to take john and michael with them simply because wendy would have wanted it, too. peter only took the kids because he forced wendy to make a bargain with him first.
“‘Wendy’s not quiet?’ Peter asks, cocking his head to the side.”
this is really important to me. peter DOESN’T know her. and what bothers me even more is that the two barely spoke before they established a romantic relationship. they still know nothing about one another. peter doesn’t know this about wendy, but someone else does. the captain. i don’t think that this is a coincidence.
“I figure it’s safer tucked in a box underneath my bed than it is on my finger, too loose to stay put.”
i feel like this is her trying to convince herself that’s why she did it, even though she knows the truth. because if this were the case, then she would have stopped wearing it 3 months ago when she was first brought onto the ship. she made the conscious decision to stop wearing her ring AFTER getting to know astor.
“Wendy can speak for herself.”
HE’S GIVING HER A VOICE — SOMETHING THAT PETER TAKES AWAY FROM HER.
“Instead, he just looks at me, a challenge in his fiery green eyes. Go on, they seem to taunt. Or maybe taunt isn’t the right word. Prod. Stoke.”
they’re equals. they are so clearly equals. he didn’t immediately step in to defend her because he KNOWS that she’s capable of handling it herself.
“The words get hung up in my throat. Astor’s staring at me. His question wasn’t a taunt. It’s genuine. Do you really want to become this? is the question dancing in his eyes.”
I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. HE’S. GIVING. HER. A. CHOICE. PETER DIDN’T GIVE HER A CHOICE BEFORE TURNING HER INTO A MURDERER, BUT ASTOR IS.
“It’s just—isn’t it kind of a tragic story? Doesn’t the Reaper kill his lover so that he can be with her in the spirit world? But then he ends up trapping her soul inside of a tree or something?”
WHAT??? DID I SKIM OVER THIS IN THE LAST BOOK???
“My face flushes hot at the memory of telling Astor about what happened to me in my parents’ parlor. How he’d told me afterward that he didn’t regret killing them after what they’d made me do.”
I KNEW IT. I SAID THIS WHEN I READ THE LAST BOOK, TOO.
“Tears run down my cheeks, and he lets them. Doesn’t try to wipe them away. Doesn’t try to erase them.”
THIS. LINE. THIS IS A DIRECT CONTRAST TO PETER WHO WON’T ALLOW HER TO FEEL PAIN.
“When he speaks again, I think I know the answer to that question. ‘The shadows can’t have you.’”
FORESHADOWING. I’M CONVINCED OF IT.
“‘At your command, Darling,’ he says.”
THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. NOT ONCE HAS HE TAKEN HER CHOICES AWAY FROM HER. HE IS ALWAYS THE ONE TO OFFER THEM.
“Astor sighs, then kneels beside the body, looking up at me. He almost looks innocent from this angle.”
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME HE HAS EVER WILLINGLY LOWERED HIMSELF TO LOOK UP AT WENDY AND THAT IS TWICE MORE THAN PETER HAS EVER DONE IT. HE CONSTANTLY MAKES WENDY AN EQUAL, AS OPPOSED TO PETER MAKING HER INFERIOR.
“I pause, not at all fooled by his arrogance. There was a time when I would have believed that swaggering veneer.”
wait . . . now i’m questioning how many other times this has happened and wendy’s missed it . . .
“It confirms my every fear. My every fleeting hope.”
OH MY GOD. I’M FEELING A THOUSAND DIFFERENT THINGS RIGHT NOW. FIRSTLY. ASTOR. IS. HER. MATE???? SECONDLY . . . SHE JUST ADMITTED TO HOPING THAT HE WAS HER MATE, TOO. MY HANDS ARE LITERALLY SHAKING.
“I watch in horror as Simon brandishes a blade and slits his own throat.”
NO. WHAT? WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?
October 12, 2024
"On the other, part of me worries that having someone else join me in the nothingness will make it…well, less like nothingness and more like somethingness."
She did it again. I don't know how someone can up themselves in every new book, but Taylor does. She knows exactly how and when to grip your heart and twist it. Reading this book I felt like it was me and not Wendy going through all those experiences (even the past ones). I cried and laughed during their banter (you know whose if you've read it) and enjoyed every dark aspect of this book. If you read closely you'll find some *threads* joining her other books and that just makes it more precious. Though she did us dirty at the end, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
She did it again. I don't know how someone can up themselves in every new book, but Taylor does. She knows exactly how and when to grip your heart and twist it. Reading this book I felt like it was me and not Wendy going through all those experiences (even the past ones). I cried and laughed during their banter (you know whose if you've read it) and enjoyed every dark aspect of this book. If you read closely you'll find some *threads* joining her other books and that just makes it more precious. Though she did us dirty at the end, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
October 1, 2024
I was so lucky to receive a kindle arc of this book from the author! This book picks up right where book one left off where Wendy has been captured by Astor. This book is a bit different from the first book as it is dual POV between Wendy on Astor's ship and John back on the island, which I really enjoyed. Freeing Hook is filled with adventure, mystery, betrayal, and of course, our favorite moody pirate. I was on *hooked* from beginning to end. I cant wait to see where T. A. Lawrence takes this story next!
March 12, 2025
Firstly thank you Taylor for picking me to revive an ARC of Freeing Hook. I absolutely loved the first book and I adored its sequel.
I honestly have no idea where to being. I’m trying to keep this a spoiler free review since this is a sequel. On that note if you haven’t read Losing Wendy then you should definitely read that book first!! Now onto the actual review!
The book takes place right after the ending of Losing Wendy, I can’t say much more due to spoilers. But it follows Wendy and in this one we see her grow up even more. She is still trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be and we get to see her struggle with how she was raised and what to believe while also figuring out who she wants to become and who Wendy Darling actually is. Watching her find herself and come to terms with her past was very heartening since she struggled so much and I feel like a lot of us can relate with her struggle too, in a sense as we find out who we actually are or who we want to become not what others want us to be.
We also get to see more of Captain Nolan Astor. Who let me just say is 🫠🫠🫠 We learn more about him and his past in this book. He is a pirate, er privateer, captain and we see more of him and his crew. There are a few new characters introduced as well as a few returning characters where we get more of a backstory on them. There is also a new POV added, not saying names due to spoilers.
All in all i absolutely ADORED this book! It made me feel so many different things. And no matter how I tried I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. But also… I am DEVASTATED. I am going to need 3-5 business days to process what I just read. But I still would 100000% recommend this series!!
I honestly have no idea where to being. I’m trying to keep this a spoiler free review since this is a sequel. On that note if you haven’t read Losing Wendy then you should definitely read that book first!! Now onto the actual review!
The book takes place right after the ending of Losing Wendy, I can’t say much more due to spoilers. But it follows Wendy and in this one we see her grow up even more. She is still trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be and we get to see her struggle with how she was raised and what to believe while also figuring out who she wants to become and who Wendy Darling actually is. Watching her find herself and come to terms with her past was very heartening since she struggled so much and I feel like a lot of us can relate with her struggle too, in a sense as we find out who we actually are or who we want to become not what others want us to be.
We also get to see more of Captain Nolan Astor. Who let me just say is 🫠🫠🫠 We learn more about him and his past in this book. He is a pirate, er privateer, captain and we see more of him and his crew. There are a few new characters introduced as well as a few returning characters where we get more of a backstory on them. There is also a new POV added, not saying names due to spoilers.
All in all i absolutely ADORED this book! It made me feel so many different things. And no matter how I tried I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. But also… I am DEVASTATED. I am going to need 3-5 business days to process what I just read. But I still would 100000% recommend this series!!
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