Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 20%

Unfortunately, this book simply wasn't for me. The premise of the book was what drew me in initially and the idea of a dark retelling of Peter Pan still intrigues me. However, the introduction mentions one trigger/content warning for underage sex (Wendy and Peter are 17 years old) and although a TW doesn't always mean I should avoid it at all cost, in this case ended up being too big to ignore.

For me, it would've been fine if the TW content was mostly part of the 'present day' part of the book and if the flashbacks were a lot less explicit. Instead the first couple of flashback chapters go into a lot of detail about Wendy and Peter getting together for the first time in ways that I do not feel comfortable about reading as an adult woman (about teenagers). It also weirded me out that Peter seems to be some kind of Neverland Christian Grey who instinctually knows exactly what to do, how to do it, and how to be all 50 shades of kinky about it. This, in combination with their age just didn't sit well with me and I found myself wanting to skip over the words (which is not exactly why I wanted to pick up this book).

The age difference at this point of the story confused me still because none of it is clearly explained. Peter Pan still looking like 17 while Wendy is now 40 and looks much older than him? I was eager to find out what the deal with that was exactly (especially because in years Pan is probably much, much older). I also was curious to know why Pan was big mad right now. But the flashback scenes were too much for me and made me uncomfortable (and not in a good way).

I'm sure this book will be great for some, but if this something you couldn't get past just like me, this book isn't going to be it.

I'm sorry to say that I ended up DNFing this book at 45% 😩

I was really excited to read this as the premise sounds so good and the fact that it's a dark retelling really pulled me in but I was so disappointed with where it went.

I don't know why this is advertised as a dark retelling, maybe I'm not far enough into the book, but what I've read so far was tame and not dark at all apart from her nearly getting raped by the lost boys. That was legit the only good part of the book UK until this point.

The way Wendy was acting in the past was wayyyy too cringe. I mean, I get being a virgin one is nervous having any sort of touching or sexual intimacy but when he is literally about to fuck her, she says she's scared to lose him?! Nah, that was where I drew the line.

I'm really sorry it came to that and I guess others might enjoy it but it was not for me 😰

Since I know this was the OG version and has since been rewritten twice, I won't do a whole shebang with this review. I did it for the dark and the spice.

"We all die. But not all of us really live."

Triggers/ What to expect:
- Peter Pan Retelling
- Dark Romance ish
- Second Changes
- Multi P.O.V
- 'Good Girl'
- 'Darling'
- Grooming/ Attempted Rape
- Death
- Both Virgins
- First Love
- Non-con
- Dub-con
- Pregnancy
- Murder

I love a retelling especially when it comes to Captain Hook. I really enjoyed the idea behind Losing Neverland. The story jumps between past and present, where you get to see how Peter Pan and Hook became one of the same and the relationship between Wendy and Pan.

I would have liked to have seen Peter and Hook battling it out think a bit like Venom or in Doctor Who series 7 'Nightmare in Silver' with The Doctor having a cyberman trying to take over his mind.

Overall, while reading I felt like something was missing. The story needed more showing rather than telling us. I felt some parts weren't expanded on enough. Especially the last say 15%, it was extremely rushed. I also felt I was left with more questions than answers. For example, what was the point of John/Smee's betrayal? and What was the point of Tiger Lily?

*Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.