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Wendy's Pirates
In 1817, Wendy Darling returns from London to her family in Devon, where she meets Captain James Hooke, a dashing naval officer who both infuriates and intrigues her. But Wendy is hiding a dark secret—and running from a past that makes it impossible for her to trust the incorrigible captain. And James has secrets of his own, secrets he’s afraid will interfere with his desire to win Wendy’s heart.
When the Darling family takes in a young orphan boy named Peter, the two newcomers in Wendy’s life help her learn to open her heart and begin to trust again. But when a gang of pirates sails into port in search of Peter, will trust be enough to save Wendy and those she loves from danger?
Varnell takes J. M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan characters and introduces them to risks and romance that go far beyond the average fairy tale. As Wendy and Hooke fight for new beginnings, they learn that happy endings aren’t always guaranteed.
When the Darling family takes in a young orphan boy named Peter, the two newcomers in Wendy’s life help her learn to open her heart and begin to trust again. But when a gang of pirates sails into port in search of Peter, will trust be enough to save Wendy and those she loves from danger?
Varnell takes J. M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan characters and introduces them to risks and romance that go far beyond the average fairy tale. As Wendy and Hooke fight for new beginnings, they learn that happy endings aren’t always guaranteed.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2021
2 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 4, 2022
I wasn’t quite sure what to think when I opened this book. But I quickly got sucked in by Rebecca Varnell’s retelling of Peter Pan. She made this book come alive in so many ways. There was a great plot, great characters and plenty of adventure. I loved everything about it!
Wendy Darling is a complex character. She has reasons that she doesn’t like pirates or navy men. So when she meets Captain James Hooke, she is not kind and wants nothing to do with him. I loved the way Wendy is forced to grow and change in this book. It really made her character come alive that she wasn’t a perfect young woman. One thing I really loved about her was the way she took Peter for her own. That was such a big part of the book and such a sweet story.
James was a great guy. I loved the way he went out of his way for not only Wendy, but Peter as well. His character was really well done. I loved that we got to see at least a little bit of his point of view.
I loved the action and adventure in this one. It’s not often you find that in a historical romance like this. But it made the plot so fun!
This was one of those books I read in just a day. Such a great book!
Wendy Darling is a complex character. She has reasons that she doesn’t like pirates or navy men. So when she meets Captain James Hooke, she is not kind and wants nothing to do with him. I loved the way Wendy is forced to grow and change in this book. It really made her character come alive that she wasn’t a perfect young woman. One thing I really loved about her was the way she took Peter for her own. That was such a big part of the book and such a sweet story.
James was a great guy. I loved the way he went out of his way for not only Wendy, but Peter as well. His character was really well done. I loved that we got to see at least a little bit of his point of view.
I loved the action and adventure in this one. It’s not often you find that in a historical romance like this. But it made the plot so fun!
This was one of those books I read in just a day. Such a great book!
January 11, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up for this debut novel.
I've read fairy tale retellings before, but never one about Peter Pan. And not one where the bad guy is flipped to a wonderful character. I really enjoyed this Regency retelling of Wendy Darling and her family. Wendy is a strong but somewhat stubborn young woman helping to care for her mother with her father away. Michael is a wonderful big brother and Peter is an adorable orphan taken in by Wendy and Michael.
At first I thought this was just another Regency novel with an enemies to lovers trope, but I was wrong. One of the surprises was Captain James Hooke being a kind and loving Navy man and not the villain. About halfway through I thought oh this is nice, Wendy's worked through her issues with Navy men and she and Capt. Hook will get their happily-ever-after, but then a big plot twist I did not see coming happened and it went in a new direction I wasn't expecting with a secret that threw me for a loop.
I enjoyed all of the main characters--Wendy, James, Michael and Peter. I loved how Wendy automatically protected Peter without knowing anything about him, and how the family took him in and cared for him without a lot of questions. James is kind and I loved his interactions with the young Peter. If I had a brother, I'd want him to be like Michael. I thought Wendy and Michael's mother was a wonderful secondary character. I found this to be a fun and engrossing read and would read another book by this debut author.
I received a complimentary copy for review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
I've read fairy tale retellings before, but never one about Peter Pan. And not one where the bad guy is flipped to a wonderful character. I really enjoyed this Regency retelling of Wendy Darling and her family. Wendy is a strong but somewhat stubborn young woman helping to care for her mother with her father away. Michael is a wonderful big brother and Peter is an adorable orphan taken in by Wendy and Michael.
At first I thought this was just another Regency novel with an enemies to lovers trope, but I was wrong. One of the surprises was Captain James Hooke being a kind and loving Navy man and not the villain. About halfway through I thought oh this is nice, Wendy's worked through her issues with Navy men and she and Capt. Hook will get their happily-ever-after, but then a big plot twist I did not see coming happened and it went in a new direction I wasn't expecting with a secret that threw me for a loop.
I enjoyed all of the main characters--Wendy, James, Michael and Peter. I loved how Wendy automatically protected Peter without knowing anything about him, and how the family took him in and cared for him without a lot of questions. James is kind and I loved his interactions with the young Peter. If I had a brother, I'd want him to be like Michael. I thought Wendy and Michael's mother was a wonderful secondary character. I found this to be a fun and engrossing read and would read another book by this debut author.
I received a complimentary copy for review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
December 14, 2021
3 1/2 stars out of 5
I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and this is my first one I have read of Peter Pan. Varnell crafted Wendy's world well and Captain Hooke was nothing like I imagined him to be! Peter was my favorite character; he was such an endearing child. Wendy's mom was a notable supporting character, I loved her wisdom and fortitude. Michael was the brother I believe every girl wishes they had. And Wendy, she was stubborn and determined once she made up her mind. I do wish that the author included Wendy's backstory earlier, it did make for a lot of guessing on the reader's part. There is a twist in this story that I definitely didn't see coming and it was one that made this story unique. Varnell magically creates her own Peter Pan world unlike anything you have experienced. A regency romance twist on a classic fairytale, Wendy's Pirates is debut novel you will be sure to remember. I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings and this is my first one I have read of Peter Pan. Varnell crafted Wendy's world well and Captain Hooke was nothing like I imagined him to be! Peter was my favorite character; he was such an endearing child. Wendy's mom was a notable supporting character, I loved her wisdom and fortitude. Michael was the brother I believe every girl wishes they had. And Wendy, she was stubborn and determined once she made up her mind. I do wish that the author included Wendy's backstory earlier, it did make for a lot of guessing on the reader's part. There is a twist in this story that I definitely didn't see coming and it was one that made this story unique. Varnell magically creates her own Peter Pan world unlike anything you have experienced. A regency romance twist on a classic fairytale, Wendy's Pirates is debut novel you will be sure to remember. I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 26, 2021
What a fun take on a Peter Pan retelling. There are so many fun parallels between this novella and the original story. Not only are the characters named after original characters such as Wendy, Michael, Peter Pan, and James Hook, but lines from the original story are used too. This novella covers a lot of ground from the first meeting of Wendy and naval captain James Hook. This Hook is so appealing and very different from the original. Peter Pan is a cute little orphan boy that Wendy takes in.
The greater storyline is of Wendy's hatred for the sea and anyone that sails the seas, including Captain Hook. There is a lot of action, mystery, romance, and a great reveal at the end. Overall, I liked this novella and this plot could have really been done well in a full 250-page novel. This is a good fast read for all those that love the Peter Pan story and pirate lovers.
3.5-4 Stars overall.
The greater storyline is of Wendy's hatred for the sea and anyone that sails the seas, including Captain Hook. There is a lot of action, mystery, romance, and a great reveal at the end. Overall, I liked this novella and this plot could have really been done well in a full 250-page novel. This is a good fast read for all those that love the Peter Pan story and pirate lovers.
3.5-4 Stars overall.
November 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I liked that it was a retelling of “Peter Pan” but as a romance. I liked how the author blended the fairy tale with things from the Regency time period. I loved the adventure in the book and how I was glued to the story the whole time. I loved the characters and how everything wrapped up at the end.
I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.
I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.
November 6, 2021
An incredibly imaginative twist on the classic Peter Pan tale!
Read full review in the 2021 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2021 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 10, 2022
What if Captain Hooke wasn’t the villain? And what if Neverland was a place boys dreaded rather than dreamed of? I was intrigued after seeing this book on Instagram and thought I’d give it a try. This was a fun and imaginative Peter Pan retelling.
Both characters are dealing with grief and learning to heal, grow, and forgive. Captain Hooke has a roguish quality initially, but as the story unfolds we see his soft heart and his growing affection for Wendy, as well as his desire to help and protect her at all cost. Wendy is hurt and breaking. She locks the feelings away to be strong and is trying to keep herself together by pushing others away. She has to learn to trust others to open her heart to healing. And of course Peter is adorable, and contributes much to the playfulness and imaginative wonder of the storyline.
Set in regency England, this story doesn’t have any actual magical elements, but the story still has a fairy-tale like quality to it. I loved how the author gives plenty of nods to the original story while putting her own twists on the plot.
I do feel that the family befriended and built trust with Hooke rather quickly (with the exception of Wendy) and there were some aspects of the story that confused me a little (particularly with Hooke’s backstory.) But they weren’t major issues that took away from the overall story. A quick read, this book is a great way to escape for a couple of hours.
Bottom Line: If you like stories with sweet romance, pirates, adventures, emotional growth, or fairy-tale retellings, definitely give this book a try. I really enjoyed this story, and would love to see a sequel :)
Content: Clean. No sex. No profanity. Mild Violence includes Kidnapping and Fights with pirates. But nothing gory or too descriptive.
Both characters are dealing with grief and learning to heal, grow, and forgive. Captain Hooke has a roguish quality initially, but as the story unfolds we see his soft heart and his growing affection for Wendy, as well as his desire to help and protect her at all cost. Wendy is hurt and breaking. She locks the feelings away to be strong and is trying to keep herself together by pushing others away. She has to learn to trust others to open her heart to healing. And of course Peter is adorable, and contributes much to the playfulness and imaginative wonder of the storyline.
Set in regency England, this story doesn’t have any actual magical elements, but the story still has a fairy-tale like quality to it. I loved how the author gives plenty of nods to the original story while putting her own twists on the plot.
I do feel that the family befriended and built trust with Hooke rather quickly (with the exception of Wendy) and there were some aspects of the story that confused me a little (particularly with Hooke’s backstory.) But they weren’t major issues that took away from the overall story. A quick read, this book is a great way to escape for a couple of hours.
Bottom Line: If you like stories with sweet romance, pirates, adventures, emotional growth, or fairy-tale retellings, definitely give this book a try. I really enjoyed this story, and would love to see a sequel :)
Content: Clean. No sex. No profanity. Mild Violence includes Kidnapping and Fights with pirates. But nothing gory or too descriptive.
December 31, 2021
It was just like the author said it was: a perfect mix of fairy tale and Jane Austin. Quite the romance!
December 10, 2021
Wendy's Pirates is a described as a retelling of Peter Pan, however, I would say that it's more in the spirit of Peter Pan. Some of the characters are quite unexpectedly different from the original story and when I heard it was a retelling, I expected the characters to be similar from the original story. There were scenes that just were beautifully written. The novella also felt like it had the essence of what Peter Pan the story was trying to share to the readers. This story was a quick read that I really enjoyed. The story was clean and filled with mystery and action. I did feel like the foreshadowing was a bit forced in parts. The story kept alluding to the past without really coming out and saying what it was, and I understand that the author was trying to set up the plot reveal for later in the story, but it frustrated me as a reader. This book was wholesome and clean. This would also be a good romance for teens and young adults. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. To learn more about Wendy's Pirates, click here.
Please note that I received a free ebook to review, however, this is my honest opinion.
Please note that I received a free ebook to review, however, this is my honest opinion.
December 11, 2021
This Peter Pan retelling is sprinkled with fairy dust and wrapped in magic. I am in LOVE with what this story is. Truly!
I'm giving this story 4.5 stars (rounding it up to a 5 star rating), which I'll explain in further detail in a moment.
Wendy Darling is living with her mother and brother, Michael in 1817 London when a devilishly handsome Navy captain ends up in the same carriage as her. Shortly after a young orphan named Peter enters her life. The way that Varnell wove this story together is pure bliss. Somehow this book feels like it exists in a magical space between historical fiction and fantasy. Too realistic to be anything but historical fiction, while simultaneously too magical to be real life.
Now, to the reason it earned a 4.5 in my book!
Pros:
-These iconic characters were written so seamlessly into a believable 1817 London. And it was done exceptionally well!
- Hooke. Oh, Captain Hooke! Such a charming Captain. HOW can you take a villain and turn him into something so heroic?! *sigh*
- Though this book is small it is mighty! (Novella, mind you.) There is so much story in such few pages.
-I love a good retelling. But this one had me so curious from the first chapter. I wanted to follow the characters into their adventures and be swept into the magic. Seriously, I'm convinced that a little fairy dust flakes off on your fingers as you turn the pages and adds just a little bit of magic to your person...
-I found myself chuckling more than once. Not a full on laugh. No, definitely a sly chuckle as you see Varnell's tale unfold.
Cons:
This story is short. And it would have made a FABULOUS full length novel. Some scenes that I would normally love to have spent more time in were short and a little too fast moving. Almost glossing over events that really could/should have been written a little more in depth. For this reason I've heard some people say that it's easy to get a little lost in the story at times. Yes, it happens, but it's also the kind of lost where you're caught back up in the next sentence, so not too detrimental.
I would have loved to have seen the author expand some of these a little more into a larger story where we also could have spent more time with these marvelous characters. *wink wink* This was really the only downside for me.
Call me smitten, because this story was such a pleasure to read. It truly is written so well, and I'm very impressed with the way that the author was able to take these characters that are so well known and turn them into something so likeable and recognizable. A perfect retelling mesh if you ask me! Very well done. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Varnell comes up with next!
I'm giving this story 4.5 stars (rounding it up to a 5 star rating), which I'll explain in further detail in a moment.
Wendy Darling is living with her mother and brother, Michael in 1817 London when a devilishly handsome Navy captain ends up in the same carriage as her. Shortly after a young orphan named Peter enters her life. The way that Varnell wove this story together is pure bliss. Somehow this book feels like it exists in a magical space between historical fiction and fantasy. Too realistic to be anything but historical fiction, while simultaneously too magical to be real life.
Now, to the reason it earned a 4.5 in my book!
Pros:
-These iconic characters were written so seamlessly into a believable 1817 London. And it was done exceptionally well!
- Hooke. Oh, Captain Hooke! Such a charming Captain. HOW can you take a villain and turn him into something so heroic?! *sigh*
- Though this book is small it is mighty! (Novella, mind you.) There is so much story in such few pages.
-I love a good retelling. But this one had me so curious from the first chapter. I wanted to follow the characters into their adventures and be swept into the magic. Seriously, I'm convinced that a little fairy dust flakes off on your fingers as you turn the pages and adds just a little bit of magic to your person...
-I found myself chuckling more than once. Not a full on laugh. No, definitely a sly chuckle as you see Varnell's tale unfold.
Cons:
This story is short. And it would have made a FABULOUS full length novel. Some scenes that I would normally love to have spent more time in were short and a little too fast moving. Almost glossing over events that really could/should have been written a little more in depth. For this reason I've heard some people say that it's easy to get a little lost in the story at times. Yes, it happens, but it's also the kind of lost where you're caught back up in the next sentence, so not too detrimental.
I would have loved to have seen the author expand some of these a little more into a larger story where we also could have spent more time with these marvelous characters. *wink wink* This was really the only downside for me.
Call me smitten, because this story was such a pleasure to read. It truly is written so well, and I'm very impressed with the way that the author was able to take these characters that are so well known and turn them into something so likeable and recognizable. A perfect retelling mesh if you ask me! Very well done. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Varnell comes up with next!
November 24, 2021
This story is not quite regency, not quite fairy tale. It’s a fanciful merger of them both that some how works.
Rebecca’s descriptions are at the heart of the fairy tale undertone. They have a mythical quality that leave you hanging in a world between reality and fantasy. Some how despite the plot holes and the jumbled character background, this story is wholly delightful.
Though the characters’ background is slowly built and a bit all over at times. The development of Wendy and James’ character is done remarkably well. There is emotion built into every moment these two characters are on the page. Mrs. Darling and Michael’s characters seem a little one dimensional, but their whispyish presence just added to the allusive nature of the story.
Rebecca wrote into being a regency world, that though frightening, was wholly historically possible. As well as emotionally possible. Having watched people close to me grieve and the consequences of their grief linger for years, I had no problem believing the actions of the characters. Their grief was written well and dripped through the pages. There were some plot parts of the story that seemed unfinished or unclear, but they didn’t ever completely pull me out of the story.
Maybe because the emotions and the descriptions gave this novel just the right feeling. I loved how well she weaved in little moments of the original story, and found myself frequently smiling at her creativity. It was so beautifully Peter Pan and so beautifully Regency, I really enjoyed reading every moment of it.
Rebecca’s descriptions are at the heart of the fairy tale undertone. They have a mythical quality that leave you hanging in a world between reality and fantasy. Some how despite the plot holes and the jumbled character background, this story is wholly delightful.
Though the characters’ background is slowly built and a bit all over at times. The development of Wendy and James’ character is done remarkably well. There is emotion built into every moment these two characters are on the page. Mrs. Darling and Michael’s characters seem a little one dimensional, but their whispyish presence just added to the allusive nature of the story.
Rebecca wrote into being a regency world, that though frightening, was wholly historically possible. As well as emotionally possible. Having watched people close to me grieve and the consequences of their grief linger for years, I had no problem believing the actions of the characters. Their grief was written well and dripped through the pages. There were some plot parts of the story that seemed unfinished or unclear, but they didn’t ever completely pull me out of the story.
Maybe because the emotions and the descriptions gave this novel just the right feeling. I loved how well she weaved in little moments of the original story, and found myself frequently smiling at her creativity. It was so beautifully Peter Pan and so beautifully Regency, I really enjoyed reading every moment of it.
December 12, 2021
Wendy's Pirates
by Rebecca Varnell
Rating: 4/5
If you're a fan of Peter Pan and Jane Austen, you will fall in love with this sweet regency rom-com. This debut from the author is beautifully written and full of fun characters. Reinventing the classic Peter Pan characters with a more fleshed out, unique background was genius and well done. The romance and chemistry between the Captain and Wendy is electric and the reader can't help but root for the presumed villain.
"His was the smile that made her feel that if he weren’t destined for piracy, she might have been very much at risk of falling in love with him."
This retelling was so inventive with the way that the author incorporated the original Peter Pan characters in a Jane Austen setting. All the callbacks to Peter Pan were tastefully woven into this entertaining story that you won't want to miss! Full of adventure, romance, and pirates, Rebecca Varnell's debut novel is a wonderful addition to any library!
Highly recommend if you enjoy Peter Pan and Jane Austen with clean, sweet romance and comedic adventures.
My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
by Rebecca Varnell
Rating: 4/5
If you're a fan of Peter Pan and Jane Austen, you will fall in love with this sweet regency rom-com. This debut from the author is beautifully written and full of fun characters. Reinventing the classic Peter Pan characters with a more fleshed out, unique background was genius and well done. The romance and chemistry between the Captain and Wendy is electric and the reader can't help but root for the presumed villain.
"His was the smile that made her feel that if he weren’t destined for piracy, she might have been very much at risk of falling in love with him."
This retelling was so inventive with the way that the author incorporated the original Peter Pan characters in a Jane Austen setting. All the callbacks to Peter Pan were tastefully woven into this entertaining story that you won't want to miss! Full of adventure, romance, and pirates, Rebecca Varnell's debut novel is a wonderful addition to any library!
Highly recommend if you enjoy Peter Pan and Jane Austen with clean, sweet romance and comedic adventures.
My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
March 24, 2022
Well hmm…. I adore both Peter Pan and fairytale retellings, but Wendy’s Pirates just didn’t do it for me. I felt like the author was intentionally stringing the readers along and trying to manufacture tension and plot interest by endlessly teasing Wendy’s troubled past. This made character conversations and actions both artificial and annoying. Such wonderful potential for a magical story, but there really wasn’t anything here that sparkled. The writing was clunky and attempted to be poetic, which made countless sentences confusing and odd sounding. The love story was rushed and lacked the ability to make me feel anything for our two leads. The author assures us by the end that they care for each other and can’t live without each other, but the total lack of chemistry says otherwise. Wendy spent so much time pushing Hooke away that there wasn’t any space left to show readers how these two even ended up falling in love. The setting was bland and undescriptive. And finally the characters themselves were underdeveloped and could easily be swapped out for entirely different people and we would end up with roughly the same story. Such a shame, I was really hoping to love this one.
November 28, 2021
I love a good fairy tale retelling (is Peter Pan considered a fairy tale?) so I was excited to read this story. It is a quick, easy read, and I was able to finish it within a few hours. There are a few areas that could use some polishing - sometimes the sentences were a little too over-descriptive - but overall, this was a story that was easy to get lost in.
I do wish that the author had let the reader know the full details of what had happened to Wendy much earlier though. I was actually becoming irritated that it was just hinted at but not fully explained for so long in the story.
Other than those minor issues, I enjoyed the story. I think my favorite characters were Hooke and Peter. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I do wish that the author had let the reader know the full details of what had happened to Wendy much earlier though. I was actually becoming irritated that it was just hinted at but not fully explained for so long in the story.
Other than those minor issues, I enjoyed the story. I think my favorite characters were Hooke and Peter. I look forward to reading more from this author.
December 4, 2021
This is a super fun Peter Pan retelling filled with adventure, mystery and a few unexpected twists and turns. A great afternoon read.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
February 1, 2022
Rebecca Varnell did an incredible job weaving together a fairy tale type story with a Jane Austen type story. She took references of Peter Pan to tell her own story. I loved that Captain Hooke was the hero in this story and that the villain was not really a villain in the end.
If you love the story of Peter Pan and Regency type books with some action, then this is the book for you.
I can’t wait to see more from this author.
If you love the story of Peter Pan and Regency type books with some action, then this is the book for you.
I can’t wait to see more from this author.
December 8, 2022
Pride & Prejudice meets Peter Pan: cute but I finished it wondering why did I choose to read this in the first place. There were a few editing mistakes and the overall vibe felt as if it were more a blogger writing fan-fiction.
October 18, 2022
Trying to fit the Peter Pan elements to this story felt very forced and the ending felt rushed. But the characters were sweet and likeable.
May 23, 2023
I love a good adaptation and Rebecca has exceeded my expectations. The story of Peter Pan has never ended better, been filled with more love and joy than in this novel.
March 3, 2022
3.5 stars
March 18, 2025
This is a very clever retelling and I really enjoyed reading it. In fact, I couldn't put it down. There are some errors in the texts and some storylines are a little rushed, but other than that, I genuinely enjoyed reading it and found myself very engaged in the romance between Wendy and James. I thought both characters were very well written.
January 1, 2024
This is a quick read; I read it in one day and really enjoyed it! This book is romantic, suspenseful, creative, entertaining, and well-written—the descriptions are so vivid. I love how all the secrets come out and everything comes together in the end.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews