Wendy’s Ever After coming July 25th, 2025 from Shadow Mountain Publishing; 272 pages
Content Warning: Death and grief of a parent, acts of violence, kidnapping
About the Author: “Julie Wright began writing her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she’s written twenty-six novels and coauthored half a dozen more. She is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books Cross My Heart and Lies Jane Austen Told Me and was a finalist for Death Thieves. The America Library Association listed Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me in their 2020 top ten best romances and A Captain for Caroline Gray in their 2021 top ten best romances. (Thanks ALA!) She has one husband, five kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying amount of houseplants (depending on attrition). She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.
She used to speak fluent Swedish, but now speaks only well enough to curse in public. She hates mayonnaise” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Julie Wright on the following platforms:
Wendy Darling has grown up into a young woman since she last saw Peter Pan. Her life consists of social gatherings and coming out into society for a marital pursuit on account of her mother’s wishes. However, she still holds affection for Peter, and longs to be reunited with him and the joy of Neverland and her childhood. She meets a mysterious and handsome stranger, Liam Blackwell, whom she shares a connection and common interests with, unlike many of her other suitors. When Liam leads Wendy to Neverland, the two embark on a wild adventure to save a young boy and destroy the evil that consumes Neverland—and the feud between Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
I initially chose this romantasy because I love retellings and growing up I was a huge fan of Captain Hook’s character in the TV show Once Upon a Time, and I heard the love interest was similar. The story did give me the Once Upon a Time vibes I was hoping for, as well as a bit of Bridgerton in the beginning. One aspect of this book I enjoyed was the vivid descriptions of the setting; it truly felt like I was in Neverland. I did not enjoy Wendy’s character though, and found her to be stubborn, annoying, and close-minded. I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love trope either. Though I do think Liam Blackwell is a phenomenal love interest, he lacked a bit of depth in regards to his backstory. I also noticed the story is very short compared to other books within the young adult fantasy genre, and I found that strange since very few events took place and the pacing was slow, so not much happened. I found myself underwhelmed while reading. I would have liked a slower romance and stronger plot. However, I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for an adventure, a Peter Pan retelling, and a slow-paced story.
Wendy’s Ever After releases on July 25th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Anasofia Alejandro, Pine Reads Review Writer