“What do you want?”He leaned closer, his forehead nearly touching hers.
She stared at him. His gaze caught hers, savoring the desire simmering there, the sheen of lust looming just beyond the ale-induced blur. Would she taste like the drink he’d chugged or the sweet, floral honey he tasted the first time he’d claimed her lips?
“You.”

_________________________

This book was an absolute delight to read. Light, fun, sexy, and magical it ticks all the boxes and give us a swashbuckling, forced proximity, found family twist to the beloved world of Neverland.

Tink is a fairy who has been banished from her home in Sylvanna Vale and trapped in the world of humans. Having committed an unforgivable sin by selling her pixie dust in order to save her cousin, she lost her ability to travel home and will do whatever it takes to gain that passage back. Anything including making a naive deal with the mermaid Queen to find her a relic in exchange for the pearl that will grant her that wish. The relic, however, is a necklace in the hands of a filthy pirate. Or should I say HAND.

Captain Hook is gaining his reputation of being the fiercest pirate on the seas, even surpassing his greatest enemy Captain Blackbeard. However after one ale fueled night in Tortuga and being swindled by a thieving pixie he now finds himself cursed both on the sea and in his own mind. After weeks and another chance run in with Tink, he captures her and delivers her to the mermaid Queen to have his curse broken. However the Queen has other plans. Both the Captain and Tink must work together to bring her the scale of Leviathan. Only if they succeed will she give Tink the pearl she needs to return to her home in the Vale and remove the curse on Captain Hook that is causing the seas to rage against him and his crew aboard the Jolly Roger. There just isn’t anything she can do about the curse plaguing his mind both in his ever waking moment and in his dreams…the curse that is consuming him mind, body, and soul, driving him to reject all other treasures and crave just one single thing: Tinker Bell.

What follows is a magical treasure hunt through Neverland complete with mermaids, fellow pirates, witches, and even a lost boy or four. All along the way the banter and the steam between Hook and Tink will keep you entertained and seeking your own water in order to cool yourself off.

This iteration of Captain Hook and his origin story as James holds absolutely no villain aspect which I loved. We see little to no retellings with Hook as anything but a villain or at the very least morally gray, so it was refreshing to get to love him as an almost Robin Hood of the seas type character.

Tink was a spitfire. Keeping with the little characteristics we all know and love about Tinker Bell (her quick anger, red creeping up her face, and her being a tinker fairy), we are also treated to depth and personality beyond the “character”. One part in particular as she tries to explain to Hook what she seeks the pearl for she asks him “what if I am broken” and you truly see the selflessness she has and what she has given up in order to find herself where she is in life. It’s a far cry from the tiny animated pixie who is selfish and jealous beyond reason and I LOVED her for it!!

The side characters were amazing. I loved the crew of the Jolly Roger…Smee being a slightly dim but dashingly attractive ladies man was hilarious and adorable, and the female pirates were SO GOOD!! Meeting all of their families and getting to see their back stories and gain depth to each member of the crew was a simple thing but one that made the story so special. Plus the cameo made by a character named Peter was sweet and a fun little nod!

This book was unexpectedly spicy too!! We’re treated to a tad bit of voyeurism because, well, pirates and brothels…and half naked merpeople…but nothing too hot and heavy until you get to Tink and James. There is enough teasing and toying between them that I wouldn’t really classify it as a slow burn, but regardless of labels their interactions were HOT and made this little stand alone a one stop shop for all of your fantasy romance desires.

I loved this book!! It would make an amazing palate cleanser between heavier books or a great vacation read (for me it was the perfect quarantine read!!). It’s made for anyone looking for a new take on favorite lore with good solid characters, sexy romance, and a good dose of adventure without the weight of the darker romances that tend to dominate the fantasy genre.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Victory Editing for sending me a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review.

It is no secret that I love Peter Pan and fairytale retellings, so when I saw this one on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. I adore books about pirates and books about fae/pixies, so even if this wasn’t a retelling, I think i would have loved it still!

‘Once your wings start to glow, the dust is sure to follow.’

Tink has been banished from fairyland after selling pixie dust to save her cousin from the clutches of Blackbeard and his crew. In order to get home, she makes a deal with the mer queen to bring her jewels to show she is trustworthy. The jewel in question is owned by Hook, Captain of the Jolly Roger. After getting close with Hook and being taken back to his cabin, Tink laces her kiss with pixie dust, sending Hook into a deep sleep. Hook wakes up to find Tink gone and his crew and ship cursed.

Flash forward a few months and Hook is determined to find the sneaky pixie that has cursed his boat. He also believes he is cursed as he cannot get Tink out of his head. He takes Tink to the mermaid queen, who offers a solution for the both of them; find the Leviathan scale, hidden on the Shrouded Isles.

‘In removing the curse she’d unwittingly placed upon them, in saving his ship and crew, he’d lose the one thing he’d come to prize.’

The romance and the tension between these two characters was insane! It was steamy and I loved the dual perspectice that let us see into both of their heads. This is an enemies-to-lovers romance but I would say it is not a slow burn. Tink and Hook are attracted to each other from the get-go, but aren’t sure whether to let their guards down. But once they do, it is so clear how they feel about each other.

‘Home isn’t a place, it’s a people, and I could never be truly home without you.’

This was such an addictive retelling and Peter Pan and the lost boys do feature! I loved the relationships between Hook and his crew, and of course Tink and Hook! I definitely recommend if you love pirates, fairytale retellings and Neverland!

I loved how fast paced and enjoyable this was. I enjoyed going on an adventure with Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and Peter Pan. There wasn’t “filler” and everything had a purpose. I pictured the old animated version of Captain Hook when I first started reading, but that’s definitely not the Captain Hook in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and victory editing publishing for the arc. All opinions are my own.

This review will be posted to Goodreads and my instagram book blog. I look forward to reading more books from this author!

I received this copy as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I absolutely love retellings. This was my first Peter Pan retelling and it did not disappoint. I loved the writing style as it was so easy to read and get engrossed in the story. I will mention this is definitely an 18+ book (sex/drugs) as I know some people need to know that. I thought that this was well written and all of the sensitive scenes were done well and the storyline was gripping enough to make the read exciting the whole way through!

I liked the character development in this book and I enjoyed how Tink was a strong female protagonist and that worked really well with her character. I also liked Hook's character arc although the romantic tension mainly came from Tink.

I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to future books Megan Van Dyke writes.

What an interesting take on the classic tale of Peter Pan! I mean, excepting that it's about Tink and Hook. You get my point.
I very much enjoyed the way this book blended fantasy and our world. Blackbeard as the antagonist was an interesting choice. Maybe I looked too hard, but I felt like there were some delightful references to pop culture sprinkled throughout and--even if they were just in my head--I immensely enjoyed them.
Hook surprised me. I thought I'd have a difficult time seeing him as a love interest rather than and old-dude-villain, but Megan made it easy. He was sexy as you could want and loyal and kind, with a side of devious. Basically--what's not to love? The found family atmosphere of the crew was wonderful--I wish we'd spent more time with them, honestly. Love the relationship between Hook and Smee.
Tink was a harder sell for me, but I still enjoyed her. My issues were entirely me-things and not book-things, so they're not worth enumerating. I enjoyed her character well enough, though.
The twist and a half at the end lead me to believe there could be a second book, which is exciting. The "big reveal" wasn't a surprise for me, but.. listen, I read *a lot* of books. Most reveals don't surprise me. I did, however, think it was appropriate and fit. Wish it could have been fleshed out more. Perhaps if there's a second book, it will be.
Overall, this was a *spectacular* fantasy romance and a perfect way to spend a day.

Megan Van Dyke’s fabulously addictive debut is a fun, action-packed and utterly swoon-worthy enemies to lovers romance that I absolutely fell in love with!

Focusing on Tinkerbell and Captain Hook, this imaginative retelling of Peter Pan was the absolute perfect read for February, it’s got Pixies, Pirate, Mermaids, Witches and a super satisfying romance that takes the only one bed trope to the high seas (and some other rather creative locations too)

Tink, banished from her homeland for selling Pixie Dust (the hottest drug in Neverland), is determined to find a way home and doesn’t hesitate to follow her only lead—even if it means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his… hook.

Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink… until she renders him unconscious with a Pixie Dust laced kiss—stealing his most valuable prize and leaving him with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation on the line, Hook tracks her down and demands she lift the curse. Too bad she can’t.

but, the Mermaid queen has a solution—work together to find her an irreplaceable magical item and she’ll solve both of their problems. As they set off to the mysterious Shrouded island to find the priceless treasure, their shared nemesis begins to close in… but that’s nothing compared to the realisation that achieving their goal mag mean losing each other forever.

First, I just have to say that I absolutely LOVED the writing which is fast paced, full of humour, plot twists and a deliciously satisfying romance that I didn’t want to end. It also has just the right level of spice and some really compelling characters that I found thoroughly entertaining, particularly Smee who soo very different (and sexier) than the original and definitely needs his own book.

Tinkerbell was a feisty (and endearingly sassy) protagonist who was waay more likeable than the overly jealous and rather annoying original. Hook, likewise was super compelling and I never thought I’d say this about Hook (aside from the one in OUAT) but he’s utterly swoon-worthy with a cocky,bad boy (with a heart of gold) attitude that I absolutely loved.

The romantic tension and slow burn build up was ✨chef’s kiss✨ absolute perfection, I also really enjoyed their flirty interactions with one another that were both extremely entertaining and funny at times.

I loved that this retelling didn’t Center on Peter (he makes an appearance but it’s fairly short) as most recent retellings seem to and feel having Tinkerbell as a protagonist gave us a better narrative overall. I also nice to see Hook in a new, less villainous light too.

Overall, this is a fun, light and fairly quick romantic fantasy with some spice and a whole lot of magic that I definitely recommend.

Also thanks to City Owl Press and Netgalley for the e-arc.

4.5 ⭐️ // My, oh my, did this fairytale retelling exceed my expectations! I knew it would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be this thrilling!

Second Star to the Left is a fresh, adult retelling of Tinker Bell and Captain Hook, and since I’ve always been a little on the fence about my feelings about Peter Pan, it’s a welcome change.

Diving into the world of seas and ports was exciting, and I’m impressed by the world the author created. Now, I selfishly want a sequel to this book so I can enjoy more adventures of Tinker Bell!

Read this book if …
✨You wonder how pixie dust is made
🚢You get sea sick
🧜‍♀️You’d like to meet a mermaid
🧚You want Tink to be your bestie
🏴‍☠️You’re curious about Captain Hook’s backstory

TW: drinking and drug use

Thank you, NetGalley and City Owl Press, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 Stars - Fantasy retelling of Tinker Bell and Captain Hook

Imagine if Tinker Bell and Captain Hook HOOKED UP...now also add betrayal, mermaids, pirates, atmospheric settings, sexy pirates, and oh did I mention FILTHY pirates??? And just to be clear, Tinker Bell is human sized in this book, so please know that going in, because I did not...

Tink is spunky, fierce, and not afraid to use a dagger, but she is scared of water (what flying pixie wouldn't be though?) In this novel, Tink is banned from her home for selling pixie dust and makes a deal with the merfolk to do some favors for them in exchange for a way back home, and luckily for us readers, a person she has to get involved with to complete this task is none other than the sexy, hilarious Captain James Hook (who also gives me serious Damon Salvatore vibes) hehe. They have to work together to gain back a magic treasure so the mermaid queen, Titania, will break Hook's curse and allow Tink to go home.

I love the banter between Hook and Tink and the smutty scenes were delicious! The only issue I had with the relationship is how fast it went. She kisses him once and he falls in love with her... I mean I get why this is important for the story to move along but I feel like the relationship developed really fast and I just would have appreciated more of a slow burn personally. Other than that, the romance was well written, completely adorable, and absolute fairytale perfection.

Van Dyke's retelling of this classic story with a twist of romance was utterly fantastic, I only wish it wasn't as predictable as it was :( I guessed at least 4 out of the 5 big twists pretty early on. BUT that last twist...HOLY PIXIE DUST I did NOT see that coming, that was so crazy!! The world of Neverland is very reminiscent of we know it classically, and I thought she did a beautiful job of pulling us into the story and the world. How she retold Smee was utter chefs kiss and the funniest character in this book. Hook is a complete and utter cinnamon roll, and I cannot emphasize enough how AMAZING he is that filthy, stinking pirate ;)

I am giving this 3.75 out of 5 if I am being super technical because while it was a beautiful story, it just missed the mark on a few things for me. However, I am VERY much looking forward to more of her fairytale retellings and the twists she puts into more classic characters, lands, villains, and magic.

I was provided this ARC by City Owl Press.

I think I have a thing for pirates, sexy pirates that is. This was a brilliant enemies to lovers, pixie to pirate love story. Think Killian from Once Upon A Time with a bit of spice thrown in. This was defiently not a disney story, a little too much sexiness for that. Very much a new Author I will be following.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

Did anyone else love the tv show Once Upon A Time? If so, I have the book for you.

Second Star to the Left does not pretend to be some lofty high fantasy book. It knows what it is. A Good Time.

I had a lot of little "wait, what?" moments, like when Tink has fantasy curses but Hook gets to say f*ck, or when there was random modern slang, or the knowledge that Neverland apparently has a Tortuga?

But to be honest, this didn't bother me too much. I was having a lot of fun on a sexy romp through islands with pirates. I did see the villain reveal and a lot of the plot points coming, but again, I didn't care! That's not the point here. The point is Captain Hook is hot, Tink is fun, and pirates are cool.

Also I think Van Dyke may have seeded a Cinderella-style sequel, which I will be reading.

If you are looking for a good time, some hot pirates, and a fun protagonist, I recommend this one. It knows how fun it is, and revels in it.

Four stars!

This was a fun read! I love any retelling of Peter Pan, although typically you see retellings from the perspective of Wendy. I really liked that the main character in this one was Tinker Bell, and I thought that the dual POVs of Tink and Hook worked really well together.

<em>Thank you to Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</em>
This book will be published on February 15th, 2022.

<strong>From the back of the book</strong>
Tinker Bell, banished from her homeland for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust—wants absolution.
Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook.
Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she can’t.
However, the mermaid queen has a solution to both of their problems, if Tink and Hook will work together to retrieve a magical item for her.
As they venture to the mysterious Shrouded Isles to find the priceless treasure, their shared nemesis closes in. However, his wrath is nothing compared to the realization that achieving their goal may mean losing something they never expected to find—each other.

<strong>Plot</strong>
Tink has been banished from Sylvanna Vale. Looking for her cousin, she will stop at nothing to find her - including selling Pixie Dust - which in this tale, is a drug. A very much wanted drug by all. As a pixie in Neverland - a human world, she must keep her wings hidden to make sure she isn't kidnapped or forced to give away dust.
Wanting to go home, she makes a deal with the mermaids, which includes stealing from Hook.

<strong>My thoughts..</strong>
Enemies to lovers with a slow burn. This book really does have it all. This third person, dual perspective retelling is everything you could ask for and more.
Instantly, my imagination settled on Tink and Hook being Rose McIver and Colin O'Donoghue from Once Upon a Time - I loved that the author allowed for that visualization, especially considering Killian is 🥵🥵. The chemistry they shared on the show helps make them come to life for this book, for me, anyways. I'm (not) sorry if you now can't unsee it. </p>
In the first couple of chapters, I couldn't help but think this girl needed some lip chap - she spent a lot of time licking her lips.
For anyone who has never read Peter Pan, or is unfamiliar with the story might be confused by Hook calling Blackbeard "Crocodile", as it takes over half the book to explain why. This is something that I don't think needs to be rectified - most people who would read this, are reading it due to the fact it is a retelling, and should know the original story (or at least the Disney version). The author did a fantastic job executing this story.
As I am also a small business owner who crochets, I needed to use the text-to-speech option for the last 20% of the book - for me this really took away from the story, and I will be re-reading that part with my own eyes (and not my ears). I am typically not an audiobook listener, but I had things to do LOL.

<strong>Sexual Content. Profanity. Mature Themes.</strong>
Definitely mature themes and profanity: several spicy scenes and mature language.

<strong>My rating.</strong>
Plot Rating: 🌺🌺🌺🌺<br>Character Rating: 🌺🌺🌺🌺<br>Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️<br>Overall Rating: 🌺🌺🌺🌺

<strong>In conclusion... </strong>
I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author, and checking out all her retellings (this is only book 1). Thank you again to NetGalley and Megan Van Dyke for the opportunity to read this. I cannot wait to purchase the paperback of this when it is released!

Second star to the left is an Adult fantasy romance. It's a Peter Pan reimaged story that focuses on Tinkerbell and Captain Hook.

It's full of adventure as Tinkebell is trying to find her way home, but she must team up with Captain Hook if she's going to succeed.

The adventures and twists this novel brings are pure bliss.
The trope is Enermies to lovers❤
The spice is 🌶🌶🌶
The narrative is in 3rd person but from Tinks and Captain Hooks' perspective.

Now Peter Pan isn't one of my favourite stories; However, I love Tinkerbell! Oh, and Captain Hook(from once upon)
And I loved every steamy minute of it! I give this novel 5 stars.

I would highly recommend this novel to everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for allowing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Well this was a fun way to imagine what if Hook and Tinkerbell met and fell in love. Obviously things don't quite start out well as Hook is in possession of an item that Tink is determined to steal. You see she needs to find her way home after selling her Dust to save her cousin but as that's a big no no she really is stuck amongst the humans. Hook isn't going to allow the thieving, absolutely gorgeous Pixie to get away with stealing from him and what do you know ? With the help of some lost boys he finds himself with a delightful albeit reluctant captive !
This was such a cute way to re imagine a popular children's story but from an adult prospective. I guess many might describe this as enemies to lovers but Tink was never really Hooks enemy as that title clearly belongs to the Pirate who took his hand. The sheer joy of this tale was seeing familiar characters from a different perspective with Hook being noble and fair and joy of joys the irrepressible Smee, being buff, irresistible and loyal to a fault. I did enjoy Tink and thought her actions and motivation always made sense. This couple were fun to read about although occasionally their intimate scenes weren't quite for me but it's a charming romance with action and emotions so definitely worth your time reading it.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Wow! I never expected the retelling of Tinkerbell and Captain Hook to be so good! The plot didn’t stop, the story was action packed, yet there were moments of love and romance that were just beautiful, along with intimate scenes that were really well done and didn’t make the book feel dirty, they added to it. The characters were so fleshed out and well done that I fell in love with them. Loved this book! I’li can’t wait to see what comes from this author next!

Second star from the left is a unique and imaginative tinker bell retelling. This is my first 5 star read this year, I absolutely loved every aspect of this book. It’s got everything you could ask for in a fairytale; pixies, pirates, mermaids, witches, fights and battles, quests for lost treasures and an amazing romance all mixed together. The author really took her time with the dialogue in the story, it feels like an old fairytale and the way the characters and pirates talk feels so real it completely sucked me into the story. I also thought the romance aspect of the story was nicely done as well, it’s very gradual. They don’t instantly fall in love, it evolved in a very believable manner which makes you root for them and hope they get a happy ending. The plot, the problems, the quests, everything is this story I thought was so well done. This is my fist book by this author but I will definitely be checking out more titles by them because I absolutely loved this.

(I received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This was totally my kind of book. Fantasy romance, fairytale retelling with a satisfying romance arc, a little heat, and a great plot to go with it all.

Tink is a fun and feisty heroine who I was rooting for throughout the book. Hook was the perfect cocky, smarmy, villain-with-a heart-of-gold-love interest that I'll fall for every time. Their chemistry is great--lots of banter and teasing and the pacing of the arc felt spot on for me.

The writing was solid and the plot kept me engaged to the end. There were a couple good twists that I didn't see coming. I do wish sometimes characters didn't always have to take the moral high ground when faced with their nemesis but I understand why the author went in this direction.

It seems like Peter Pan retellings are everywhere lately and I can say this has been my favourite one I've read in the past few months. Definitely worth a read and worthy debut.

“Filthy Pirate”
“Mischievous Pixie”

Tinks been banished from her home due to selling the hottest drug on the market, Pixie Dust.
Captain Hook has a treasure that may just be the answer to Tink getting what she needs to make her way back.
Cue seduction, manipulation and a hell of a lot of adventure.

As a lifelong lover of the Peter Pan story, I am always drawn to books that use it for inspiration.
Now that I am an adult and my tastes have changed, these retellings as adult fantasy hit the mark differently… in the best way possible.

Now, in Second Star to the Left, we have all the epic elements of the original story, such as Neverland, Pirates, Tinkerbell, pixie dust, Peter and his pan flute, the Jolly Roger and mermaids. However, this is in no way the story of old, it is new in it’s entirety and mixes all the original aspects we know and love with Pirate Lore. (Think Pirates of the Caribbean, but on the Cerulean sea and a hell of a lot sexier.)

I loved this book, so much so, that I will be buying the paperback as soon as it’s available. It MUST be on my bookshelf so I can escape to it again whenever I please.

Quick thoughts below;
- Enemies to lovers trope… need I say more?
- The story flowed effortlessly.
- I loved the twists and turns. (Lots of action thrown in there to!)
- It felt magical, even when there wasn’t an abundance of magic in it.
- I loved the little Easter eggs throughout from the original story and yet, it didn’t overshadow the originality of this one.
- The sexy elements were ON FIRE! Damn, who would have thought Tink and Hook would be so, compatible. 😏 (I was rooting for them from chapter one.)

I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Yep, a fiver. Devoured it in less than 2 days and I would start it again immediately.
What a beautiful, sexy little escape from reality.

Spice 🌶🌶🌶/5
Definitely spicy, but spaced throughout and tastefully done! Adds to the story, doesn’t take away from it.


Also, just discovered this is a debut by the author, Megan Van Dyke.
Let it be known, I will be reading everything else you put out. Well done! 👏🏼😱✨
Thank you to Owl City Press and Netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

TW ⚠️ Drinking and drug use, mild course language, sexually explicit content and violence.

This was a fantastic debut novel by author Megan Van Dyke! It is the Tinker Bell x Captain Hook book I did not know I needed in my life. It is perfect for anyone who loves the setting and adventure of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and whose favourite Once Upon a Time character is Captain Hook.

In it, Tinker Bell has had to sell pixie dust in order to save a loved one. This results in her being banished from her home. Desperate for a way back to her family, she must seduce and steal a necklace of jewels from Captain Hook.

Following their encounter, Captain Hook finds himself cursed with the seas against him and his crew. After finally tracking down Tinker Bell and demanding that she remove the curse, she informs him that she can't. Thankfully, the mermaid queen Titania has a proposition for both of them: she will help Tink get back home and remove the Captain's curse; all they have to do is agree to work together and retrieve a very important magical item.

This leads to a grand adventure across the seas and a few steamy scenes as Tink and the Captain grow closer. As they race to retrieve the magical item, they may just discover that their relationship is the most important thing worth fighting for.

Thank you to City Owl Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun read and wonderfully done retelling. Fast paced, well plotted, full of glorious pirate action and a great enemies to lovers romance at the heart of it. The main characters embodied just enough of their namesakes to be recognisable and make them instantly familiar but were fresh and grown up with great individual arcs too.

With thanks for the NetGalley ARC we received.