THEY CALL ME HOOK
I’m Captain of the Pirates; a villain by design and a loner by nature.
I don’t need anyone. More than that, I don’t want anyone. Especially Officer John Darling who insists on seeing the good in everything, including me. If there was ever any good inside of me, it was snuffed out long ago.
I’ve avoided him for years, but now I need his help to save my brother’s life and take down Fred Croc, the monster from my childhood and my current employer.
Now Darling is undercover in my crew, living in my loft and forever working out shirtless. Taking Croc’s operation down from the inside is dangerous as hell, but Darling’s probing gaze and the natural way he defers to my dominant side might just be the end of me.
But I’ve lived in the dark for too long, and no amount of light can save me. Not even one as bright as Johnathan Darling.
HE CALLS ME DARLING
I’m a Task Force Officer with the FBI; a protector of the innocent and a man in love with a villain.
Before I was even old enough to understand it, I had a crush on the broody teen called Captain Hook, following him around like a puppy and hoping he’d show me the slightest bit of attention.
He never did, though, not for years. Not until I became his only viable option for getting his crew member back and throwing Croc behind bars. Now he can’t ignore me, and he can’t hide the desire burning in his eyes when I sink to my knees, eager to serve my Captain however he needs.
But secrets are hard to keep in close quarters, and when I discover the darkness lurking in his past, eradicating the evil in Neverland is no longer my only mission. Come hell or high water, I’ll make Hook see that he’s never been the villain of this story…he’s the hero.
*Trigger Warning for readers sensitive to characters with sexual assault in their pasts. Please read the Author’s Note in the beginning of the book for more details.
"For such a hard-bodied guy, you're awfully soft on the inside."
I *finally* sat down to devour Hook and I am so glad I took the time on this one. I was anxiously anticipating this one, but I was almost scared to start it because of all the hopes I had for it. Crazy, I know. THIS LONG awaited followup to Pan was a great book. It’s not your run-of-the-mill "cop falls for the bad guy" kind of story. Yes, it followed the narrative of "I'm not good enough for you/you're too good compared to my bad" kind of story, but there was so much more to it. It’s so much more in-depth when it comes to the storyline because of, believe it or not, the backstory that goes with it. Now, to be fair, going into this story after finishing Pan, I knew there was something going on with Hook that I absolutely knew was going to be painful to witness. I wanted this one to be written .... heavier. I wanted Maxwell to give me the pain, the anger, the sorrow and the shame that I knew came with this type of storyline, to be more of a heavy read for me to embrace the background that I knew was coming. She definitely gave me that. I felt all of it, and I knew Hook was internally battling some wounds that only the right love would be able to help him, but the right man.
First and foremost: HOT. These two were HOT. The truths that came from the pain that is leveled in this story are soul-deep. Certainly ones to be read with emotion and intention, and not with a light thought - and I'm glad I had the buildup from Pan to work with. I knew this was a heavier read and I wanted to appreciate the gravity of the situation this book presented, but I also knew their white-hot chemistry was something to watch mature through the pages, and that part I really enjoyed - as well as their humor.
"If I'm not meant to be happy and John's destined to be my downfall, then I'm going to enjoy every sweet minute of my descent."
"If I'm not meant to be happy and John's destined to be my downfall, then I'm going to enjoy every sweet minute of my descent."
I just loved the dynamic between John and Hook. There’s so much desire and lust in between the two - palpable even - but it’s not anything that they can actually act upon, which makes it even more daring because it’s a hard line to cross. I love when something uncontrollable is stepping in the way, whether it be moral, emotional, physical, or mental. I appreciated that Maxwell gave me a little bit of each with this storyline. Having said that, here was a softer tone to the voice of Hook than I originally anticipated there would be. It’s not bad, it just made me see him in a whole new light. There was a lot more to discover about him; definitely not a surface scratching character. Even though I was hoping for more grrrr and less purr, their story really worked for me.
If I loved it so much, why is it a four star? There were some forced parts that were bothering me. I only say forced as in some things felt pushed-upon, instead of happening organically. It wasn't bad and it wasn't all forced, but some parts felt out of place. I found that they worked after the fact - so that was a little bit of a different approach for me, but since Maxwell is still a very new author to me, I'm still learning her voice and her storytelling style.
In the beginning, the hardest part for me was that I didn’t feel their connection immediately, but I certainly read it but I wanted to feel it!! They burned hot for each other and there was no denying that. I just wish I ‘felt’ it earlier on. It grew over the course of the book, and it most definitely manifested itself well by the end of the book, I just had to catch up with her thought process while reading it.
The writing was smooth, but overtly wordy at times. I know, I know. That sounds funny when it's obviously a book I'm reading! I just think her words gave enough oomph to not really need the ‘extra’, but sometimes it was overly descriptive where there wasn't really a reason for it. Maxwell sold the scenes wonderfully. She gave me the excitement of a secret, the anticipation of a kiss....but what she gave me most was a love worth following. I knew that Hook hid his emotions, but I also felt that he couldn’t hide from Darling. His pain was spelled out fairly clearly - and that opened the flood gates for a better understanding of Hook. I volleyed between John and Hook being too soft and "this is so perfect!!" I loved their dynamic. I loved their relationship. It was the perfect delivery of give and take. John and Hook had my heart by the end of this story. The calm John gave Hook was refreshing. I felt the release of tension every time Jonathan was there to hold James’s hand...or heart. It really was a test of patience, of will, and of love.
"As much as I wanted to let him run the show, my control is slipping."
"As much as I wanted to let him run the show, my control is slipping."
While I've enjoyed her stories so far, her voice does lend a very feminine-esque emotion/voice to these very alpha males. Not nitpicking, but a rough and tumble guy doesn’t usually say “the water sluices over me” so it just came out as a very thesaurus-using description, even for a well read man. Yes, he’s smart and he reads - but this isn’t everyday language. So the words and descriptions had me shaking my head a few times, but not enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I do like that Maxwell can give me a story that I can get lost in and her story can transport me to another world, but I war with the the difference in the tones that her voice lends versus the story that I’m actually reading. Definitely not bad, because as women we are emotional beings, but I hear her voice and not necessarily John’s or James’. Again, not bad because I’m being handed the emotions on a platter, but I wanted to feel it from their POV with their grittiness, not necessarily her emotions.
Something crazy to think about, but this was the kind of book I could put down, think about, come back to, put down to do something else, only to come back again and continue reading as if there weren't any breaks. This book was like an old friend; I could step away and come back like nothing changed in time. They’re comfy reads for me. I really enjoy them. All in all, seriously, a great storyteller. I enjoy these books and am looking forward to more.
Confession: I think I went in with a predetermined perfection in my head based on what others were saying, and I usually don’t do that because I like to form my own opinions. I set it aside and then picked it back up - with renewed eyes and an open mind. Much better. I’ll be honest, I was almost too worried about this read and review. It’s such a great story, but her voice didn't originally project the heaviness the story required - in.my.mind. She’s a solid 4 star writer for me and I most definitely want more. So far, her stories have pulled me in. She’s got great stories to tell and I will continue to follow this entire series. I’m really enjoying the trip down memory lane into Neverland that she’s providing me.
Remember, this is her tentative schedule of books she plans on releasing (in no order) and I will be reading every single one of them.
Thomas
Silas
The Twins + Tiger Lily (MFM)
Nick
Carlos
Chief
Smee + Starkey + female (MMF).
"I know what I like and what I want, and I don't see the point in tap-dancing around that."
~BEE
HOOK IS LIVE!!
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Read my review: http://bit.ly/2opjaWe
~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.
~CONNECT WITH GINA~
ARC REVIEW
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I really love your reviews. You are so honest in a very refreshing way.
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