PANby GINA L MAXWELL
From NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Gina L. Maxwell, comes a brand new series with a fresh twist on an old classic.
Once upon a time, in Neverland, North Carolina—I fell in love.
I was twelve when Peter first climbed up to my balcony.
Thirteen when I sneaked out to see him at the School for Lost Boys.
Seventeen when his touch made me fly,
And eighteen when his words made me cry.
We were magnetic, drawn to each other from that very first night, and what I thought would be forever. But when it came time for me to leave, he wouldn’t come with, so I left town with a map for my future and a shattered heart.
Ten years later, I’ve returned to Neverland, hoping to find a man in place of the boy.
Peter was partially right, growing up is no fun. After quitting my fancy career that sucked the magic out of life, I’m now organizing the fundraiser of the year. In a move that could make or break the event and my new company, I’ve hired Peter, master mechanic and owner of LB Automotive, to help me pull this off—trusting him to rebuild a classic car for the auction that could help hundreds of foster kids in need.
I thought I was prepared, but the boy who refused to leave is now a man hell-bent on getting me to stay, and as sparks fly between us, that undeniable fire flares back to life, deeper and hotter than ever.
But that ripped body doesn’t mean Peter’s matured enough to make us or this event work, and not everyone in Neverland is happy about my return.
Not every wound heals.
Not every heart can be fixed.
Not every boy grows up.
And after all this time, the love we found might be lost to us again…this time, forever.
*Pan is an adult contemporary romance retelling of Peter Pan, complete with Wendy, Hook, Tink, and all the Lost Boys as sexy mechanics. There are no fantasy elements in this world, other than the "magic" that happens between the sheets.
"But for the record, whether or not I'm looking at you, I'm always paying attention to you, Wendy."
I have made it no secret that I have enjoyed the fairytale side of the naughty in a few books, and being able to add Peter Pan, Tink, Wendy, Hook, etc to that lineup was nothing short of exciting for me. I mean, how do you capture that innocence and wonderment that Peter Pan had? The not-a-mean-bone-in-his-body kind of child, but in a mature, grown man? I can't imagine that would be easy, but I feel like Gina L. Maxwell gave him and Wendy a great story and the beginning of a standalone series of interconnected books - of which, I will be following closely. I really, really enjoyed this one.
I could definitely enjoy and appreciate the way Maxwell gave Pan his own voice, but followed the innocence of the original Peter Pan we knew and loved while growing up. The 'moral, clean side' of the fairytale shines through in this retelling but he just happens to be a little naughtier now. The wonderment of life, from the POV of a child suspended in a fairytale yet set in modern times, is what I loved most about this one. I think she captured that innocence so very well.
"Instead of being thankful that I've somehow landed an incredible woman I don't deserve, I need to do everything I can to become the man she does deserve."
This was the easiest book to read! Visually appealing, mentally stimulating...and memory jogging. I obviously remember Peter Pan from growing up, but I feel like Maxwell gave me back a little bit of my childhood (not the naughty side!!) with the way Pan acted and how he spoke. He felt like, to me, that he was still living in a fairytale world but had grown into a possessive man in a gentlemanly way. I wish I could put into words exactly what I'm trying to say, but I feel like I'm talking in circles. It's almost like she physically took Pan out of Neverland, but he never really left that world mentally. Does that make sense? Let me try again.... the edge and grit Maxwell gave The Lost Boys wasn't anything we would have seen in the original movie growing up, but the play on their circumstances and their backstories is what kept me turning the pages, but also has me jonesing for the next book in the series.
I will admit that I hope that the voice in this story was lighter and easier going because of Pan's personality and who he is, whereas Hook will hopefully read deeper and with more heaviness added in because of his situation. His backstory was hinted at in this one, so I know that when I dive into Hook, I am probably going to struggle emotionally with the impact of his youth and his personal struggle. I cannot honestly wait to read that one.
One thing I did ask, because I feel like I'm completely vested in these characters individually and as part of a whole, is if there will be other stories. She told me that she has ten books planned in the series with Tink following Hook, and then she stated that she's operating on a "No Lost Boy Left Behind mission" so they each will get their HEA, because based on how she set this up, they all have a story to tell. She gave a brief idea of what her Lost Boys of Neverland books will consist of - in no certain order:
Thomas
Silas
The Twins + Tiger Lily (MFM)
Nick
Carlos
Chief
Smee + Starkey + female (MMF).
I'm suuure you can see that I'm definitely here for the next few books because MFM and MMF are two of my favorite tropes and I cannot wait to see how she spins their stories...but I'm also here because for my first read of Gina's, I am definitely hankering for more.
"I rarely lose, Wen, but I never lose when it matters. And you will always matter."
~BEE
PURCHASE
AMAZON B&N APPLE BOOKS KOBO
HOOK IS LIVE!!
AMAZON B&N APPLE BOOKS KOBO
Links to be updated as they all go live
HOOK IS LIVE!!
AMAZON B&N APPLE BOOKS KOBO
Links to be updated as they all go live
~MEET GINA L MAXWELL~
Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.
When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their teenagers before they fly the coop, and dreaming about her move to sunny Florida once they do.
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