Such a lush and lovely fairy tale romance! I love stories about Hook (he's a guilty pleasure!!!) and this one delivered on every level.

This book was SO good. I absolutely loved everything about it. The characters were relatable and fallible, in an endearing way. I have a soft spot for all things Hook and this story did not disappoint. I loved how each character evolved and matured through the story. I only wish there was a bit more back story to certain aspects of the plot. The story is engaging and I eagerly await the next book in the series.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I am not a fan of paranormal/fantasy. I rarely read this genre, however, I am a huge fan of Adrienne Bell and will read this just because she wrote it. Unfortunately, this romance did not cut it for me. I just couldn't get why this hero and the heroine would ever come together.

James Hook is the best thief in the Realm and to prove it, yet again, he steals a relic that King Oberon prizes. This time, he's caught and along with four others is exiled from the Realm to Purgatory, in other words, Earth. James has been here for seven months and has advanced his plan to return to the Realm by stealing relics that have been brought here by past exiles. He has made some friends, the guys from Macmillan Security (The Sinner Saints series). Now he gathers his fellow exiles together and lays out a plan. Unfortunately, the curse placed on them has two parts. James has one part nailed, but the other, the falling in love part, will be more difficult. That is until he meets Mercy.

Mercy is a caregiver for her grandmother, a student and a waitress. No time for a man in her busy life and certainly not a handsome, suave, smooth talker like James. This guy just doesn't quit and Mercy finds herself warming (literally) to James. You see, she kinda got infected with some nasty magic and James finds himself in a position he has never been in before. He cares more for someone else than he does himself. His sacrifice for her proves even a narcissistic thief can fall in love. 3 1/2-Stars

I like Adrienne Bell's contemporaries, so I tried this one. I was intrigued by the title as I imagined this to be about Captain Hook, but alas... it is not so.

James is actually a thief in another realm and after being caught he and 3 others are exiled to a place without magic: Earth. However, this is done by a spell and James knows every spell can be broken. He only has to follow the rules. After several months he has collected things he needs to break the spell and he has found the other 3 (as necessary) but a part of the spell is that their hearts have to be thoroughly cleansed by the burning fires of love...
After a dare by the others, James decides on waitress Mercy, but she is not easily taken in by the handsome thief.

As said before this is not a spin on Peter Pan or the Hook from that story. The story of Hook has been brought to Earth by previous exiles and has been altered quite a bit.

I liked the story very much and am really interested in how the others will proceed in their quest.

Hook is a thief. The best. When he’s doubled crossed and caught he is exiled to Earth. Even before his feet hit the ground he’s planning how to get back to his world. As he brings together the other men who were exiled with him, he meets Mercy. It should be a simple thing to make her fall in love with him and help release the curse that keeps him Earth bound. Unfortunately, he wasn’t expecting her to be sassy and defiant, independent and ambitious, and all too desirable.

What a fun filled fantasy romance this was! I enjoyed every minute of it and wished for more of James and Mercy. This is a very fast paced book with great banter, terrific secondary characters, dual POVs, just a little bit of steam (I didn’t miss it at all) and a hero and heroine that are determined to not fall in love. But again, this is romance so you know that’s a complete fail.

I am so glad I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it and cannot wait for the next book in the series…Hunter.

This book has everything from fantasy and lore to modern day love... It brings to life iconic fairy tales with a modern twist of what could be... I would definitely recommend this book to others who love fairy tales

I will start by saying this is definitely not a spin on Peter Pan although James Hook does admit he was briefly a captain of a pirate ship . Obviously he didn't remain there because where is the fun in sharing booty? That is fundamentally what drives James, his selfish greed and he's a notorious thief who gets caught out with a punishment that lands him in even more hot water!
Mercy has struggled and actually still is but works hard to pursue her dreams. What she doesn't need is obnoxious males making her working day any harder! Well ok James with the dazzling blue eyes is kind of hot but why is he just so persistent ? Mercy may not believe in fairy tales but she's about to take a crash course in magic and all the dangers that can go with it!
New author to me and I really enjoyed this different approach. James isn't the only guy from the Fae Realm that shows up in this book and it's easy to see that the author has at least five stories planned in this series. It's nothing like Neverland and indeed we see heroes and anti heroes from numerous tales, myths and legends in play here with I'm pretty sure a big bad wolf set to star in his own book pretty soon. For now though it's all about James and Mercy who get off to a pretty rocky start but for this reader that was half the fun as Mercy isn't exactly overwhelmed by the charms of James. Still he gets to show her that he's not quite as one dimensional as he appears and James may not realise it but there's a heart beating in his chest that can be quite romantic at times. Yes James is mercenary but he's also brave and about to discover that home is where you make it!
This worked well as a paranormal romance without being excessively steamy. I thought the ending a little rushed but really enjoyed the supporting characters and frankly can't wait to read more about Mercys very snarky best friend. I foresee lots of possibilities for the series and will happily look out for more by this author
I voluntarily read a copy of this from Netgalley and my opinions are solely my own and honest

There’s the magical Fae realm ruled by King Oberon, there’s the Underworld, ruled by Hades, and then there’s Earth. When notorious thief, Captain James Hook, gets himself exiled from the Fae realm, along with four other fairy-tale themed law-breakers, he hatches up a plan to get them all sent back. Even if his scheme involves magical relics, a witty mortal lady, and Hades himself.

Recommended for fans of fantasy and paranormal romance. Please note that this tale is *not* a spin on Peter Pan.

What’s it About? Captain Hook in the modern realm? Yes please! James Hook has been exiled along with four other known prisoners to the modern world. Without any magic, Hook only has one hope of returning to the Fae Realm and part of that includes making a woman fall in love with him. But Mercy Herrera isn’t having any of Hook’s shenanigans and tells him so but unfortunately for her, a mistake drags Mercy into Hook’s mission and she has no choice but to trust him with her life.




Overall reaction to the story? I’ve read one book by Adrienne Bell before and enjoyed her style of writing and I’m always interested in fairytale retellings or stories like this where a well known character is placed in a totally different situation. That said, Hook isn’t really a romance, more of a fantasy adventure with a bit of a love story in it. I would have loved for the romance to have been more of a focal point because it seemed almost an afterthought instead. However, even though I was disappointed at the lack of romance (It IS categorized as a romance after all), the adventure and the set up of this series was done so well that I didn’t dwell on it too much. Hook, Mercy, and the rest of Exiles were just too much fun to stop reading for silly things like washing dishes or sweeping the floor.



Describe the hero in five words: Sneaky. Arrogant. Charming. Intelligent. Stubborn.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? James Hook had everything you think an infamous pirate should have and he should have been completely unlikable but Bell made him the stuff of fantasies. He had just enough bad boy in him to be interesting but also an abundance of charm and cheeky humor. Heck, he could rob me blind and I’d smile through the whole thing and then giggle like a school girl when he walked off with all my stuff.



Describe the heroine in five words: Smart. Snarky. Stubborn. Strong. Caring.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? What Hook lacked in principals Mercy had in abundance yet I never thought she was a holier-than-thou goody two shoes. Mercy was fun but she was also selfless in her affection for her family and friends. I loved how quick she was with her responses to Hook’s flirting and I loved how she gave him a hard time (He totally needed a reality check). Mercy’s tough girl attitude was also extended to the rest of the Exiles and she was quick to put them in their places. She was delightful.



Let’s talk about the romance: There wasn’t much of a romance in Hook and normally that would have bothered me to the point of disrupting my reading experience BUT this was such an entertaining story that it was hard to put down. I can only imagine how irresistible it would have been had the romance been more developed and had played a bigger part in the overall story.



How about that supporting cast? The Exiles don’t play well with others and it shows whenever they’re in the same room but they’re an entertaining lot of outcasts and when Mercy’s friend Emily inadvertently catches the attention of Fenrir the Wolf well, the exchanges between the two are pretty funny. I honestly can’t wait to get to know the rest of these characters.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. The setup is interesting and the characters are lively. Just don’t expect a grand passionate tale of romance.