Happy Release Day Dee Garcia ! I cannot recommend this book or author enough. My review: She does it again Fairytales with a twist? Hell yes. Sign me up. Turn the Villian into the hero and the typical Hero into the bad guy? Even better. Dark instead of sugary sweet? It is like a Festivus Miracle. My dark and greedy heart could hardly contain my glee. It was as if someone had read my mind and realized that I didn't want the unicorn floating on cotton candy clouds type of retelling but needed the darker side in order to make me happy. All my life I have been drawn to the darker side, especially in regards to certain stories. This was done with exceptional talent because this took one of my favorite former shows (Once Upon a Time) and brought certain elements back to life. I, of course, loved Hook on that show and boy howdy do I feel victorious after this book because it fulfilled my dark Captain Callan Hook to delicious standing. The author did a great job bringing the story of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Hook to life. The characters are there but that is where the story changes. And let me tell you that there are a lot of them. There are moments at play in this story that will have you trying to figure out how this is going to play out. There are a lot of secrets, all sorts of supernatural creatures; FaeVampire hybrids, Faes, Witches, Vampires, Sirens. The author did a great job with world-building giving the necessary background to make the newer version have a twist that was plausible. She nailed it because there was some whopper of truths that came out, especially towards the end that had my mouth agape. Takes a lot to shock me but trust me when I say that the "catalyst" for triggering Tink to do what she does at the end? That I didn't see at all. The characters, even with familiar names, were nothing like their child-friendly characters. The characters had depth and were intriguing. Even names of characters that I hadn't heard of before had a compelling backstory that I am assuming will come out with future books in this series of standalones. Hook and Tink together were titillating. The chemistry was on point. I love how Callan was so steadfast in his love of Tinksley that he wanted to make sure that she saw him as a good man EVEN though he was known for not being one. He knew what she needed even before she did. He offered her guidance, support, a little humor, and a lot of anticipation before the steamy time. AND that Steam was HOTTER than Hades and so worth the wait. Tinksley transition from pure and untainted to something darker, and more devious was alluring to watch. I loved her transition both figuratively and literally. Tink. Sweet Holy titfire. The author portrayed her brilliantly. She wasn't the sweet little thing that everybody has come to love. She went through "something" major and it broke my heart. The author did a phenomenal job portraying this. I felt the agony, the pain, and more. She gave these details with description and also in just a single word. One place in particular that single word gave me goosebumps just because if I closed my eyes, I could see it as if it was happening before me. Mindblown. I have followed this author from the very first book and her growth is staggering. Each book is better than the previous one and it is my privilege to watch her grow. She chooses her words carefully to ensure that she creates a story that will appease her audience. I look forward to what is coming in the future for this series. This author definitely knocked it out of the park being the first up to bat. I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. https://bit.ly/33xP2ai