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I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
MY REVIEW:
Genre | Tropes: Regency Romance, Fairytale Retelling, Enemies to Lovers
I’m a big fan of fairytale retellings. The books and movies from Disney, like Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, and Cinderella, were an enormous piece of my childhood. So any time I come across a retelling of these it always brings back a lot of nostalgia for me. Julie Wright’s, Wendy’s Ever After, features the telling of Wendy Darling’s life as she’s reaching adulthood. She’s been introduced to society and is on the trajectory of being married and starting out the next phase of her life.
But she still longs to return to Neverland and the comfort she felt there as a child. When a chance encounter with a stunning gentleman at a ball leads her right back to Neverland, she grapples with the reality that her experience now as an adult is very different than what she remembered. Her heart had belonged to Peter, but he’s a forever young boy and a mischief maker at that.
Wendy must reconcile what life means to her and what she wants. Is she ready to grow up and accept more complicated responsibilities, or will she grasp on to the childhood comforts that have kept her mind at ease for so many years.
Her new friend, Liam, is full of surprises as well. A young man that captures her sense of adventure, but also puts her right into the hands of danger as well, unknowingly. Their adventure through Neverland was so much more than I ever expected. Not only did it bring back all my childhood love for this story, I felt like it really did it justice for bringing it forward to my adult years. Allowing for that emotional transition of myself in this setting.
That might be hard to understand, but I felt a little like Wendy throughout this entire book. Drawn to the ease of putting all your grown up worries aside, but also remembering how important you are in this stage of your life as well.
This book features a grand adventure with pirates, Pan’s Lost Boys, and a sense of finding oneself. An uplifting story that blends childhood and adulthood seamlessly into a rather enjoyable new fairytale that I will cherish for quite some time!
GET IT HERE:
Chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
Wendy Darling embarks on a new journey where her past in Neverland collides with her future hopes for love, only to rediscover the adventure never truly ended.
Wendy Darling has grown into a stunning young woman. Her days are filled with social gatherings and elegant balls, but her nights are alive with memories of fighting pirates, soaring through the skies, and other wild escapes through Neverland with Peter Pan—the boy who never grew up.
When Wendy meets a handsome and mysterious stranger, there’s something about him that feels familiar yet elusive. His eyes sparkle with a mischief that tugs at Wendy’s heartstrings, reminding her of Peter. Intrigued and a bit unnerved, Wendy finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome young man and soon finds herself back in Neverland.
Caught between the allure of her past and the promise of the future, Wendy must navigate a perilous new journey, rediscovering the courage and wonder that once defined her youth. As she battles old foes and forges allies with new friends, Wendy is torn between her memories of a boy she once loved and the man who has stolen her heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Wright
Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere (don’t ask). She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, she’s written twenty-three novels and coauthored three. Julie is a two-time winner of the Whitney award for best romance with her books “Cross My Heart” and “Lies Jane Austen Told Me.” 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. Her book “Death Thieves” was a Whitney finalist.
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 cuss out her children in public.
She hates mayonnaise.
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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