Imagine if Wendy had the chance to go to Neverland and see Peter Pan again. What if Captain Hook wasn't always such a bad guy and he was just hardened by the death of his relatives. What if someone had it out for Peter to destroy him.
Our story starts with Wendy being eighteen years old and she is not satisfied with her current life situation. She is still grieving the loss of her father and it doesn't help that she has all these suitors begging for her hand. One night she goes to the ball and she meets a mysterious yet handsome young man named Liam. However, after the ball is when things start to go south.
Wendy and Liam are then transported to Neverland and when they get there Neverland is much different than Wendy orginally remember. However, the only plan Wendy has to find Peter Pan before Captain Hook does.
I was overall quite impressed with this book even though it was meant for someone much younger than me. Wendy feelings about marriage in the beginning of the book were indeed justified. I was hoping she would have ended up with Liam but then I remembered that Jane's father is named Edward so that wouldn't have worked. Although I would like to read a book about Wendy meeting Edward.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

#WendysEverAfter #NetGalley

Wendy's Ever After took me back to a childhood favorite of Peter Pan and the magic of Neverland. This book has a different spin on the nostalgic tale of Peter Pan. The author brings in different characters. There is something is a little off when Wendy goes back to Neverland. The colors of the land are gray and in a shadow of darkness. The book took me back to the beloved stories of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and Captain Hook.

Wendy's Ever After by Julie Wright offers a fun return to Neverland, filled with childhood nostalgia with some familiar Pan magic. I especially enjoyed the unexpected twist of an additional character who captures Wendy's heart - it added a refreshing layer to the story and kept me intrigued. The journey back to Neverland felt like a blast from the past, rekindling memories of the original tale. However, while the premise had great potential, I needed more in the ending. Overall, it was an enjoyable read for fans of fairytale retellings. A great addition to a MS or JH library for sure!

Thank you, NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing | Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

A 3.5* read

I originally wanted to read this because I am the biggest Peter Pan fan and truly want to read any rendition or rewrite of anything to do with this world. Unfortunately, because I am so obsessed with it, I also feel like I am a harsher critic of these retellings because of it.

This was just okay. If you aren't a huge Peter Pan fan and just wanted to read a rather YA romance in a fairytale familiar setting, I think you would enjoy this. But something always makes me sad when Wendy ends up with anyone else besides Peter.

It started off very well and I was very captured by the plot, but as soon as it became very clear that Liam was the love interest, not even a potential love triangle, I lost a little bit of interest. I think there could have at least been a little bit more of a chance, since Wendy and Peter have such a history, but that never seemed to be an option and Wendy was almost immediately tired and annoyed with Peter. The pace was very fast with this, and I read it in one sitting it was so consumable. But, I never found myself really rooting for Wendy or Liam individually or separately. The stakes also seemed really low because every single time there was an issue, it was solved almost immediately. I guess in a wonderland kind of world things may never seem to high-stakes but even when things were happening, I was never worried.

The writing itself had some good moments, but overall read a little bit juvenile. I honestly think middle grade readers could read and enjoy this too, There was nothing even remotely spicy and if they grew up reading the original, they might enjoy this too. But, for me, with an older Wendy, I was hoping for a bit more mature read.

The character of Peter did tend to stay true to the J.M. Barrie version and there was also a lot of fun nods to the OG as well as the Disney version. I also enjoyed the potential glimpse into Peter Pan and Hooks backstory together. I also enjoyed new characters of pirates, fairies, and lost boys that seemed to expand the world slightly.

The last Peter Pan retelling I read, I absolutely despised because they ruined Peter's character. This one didn't do that, thank god, but it still just wasn't perfect in my eyes. I don't know if anything ever will be though.

Overall, this was okay, just not going to be something I reread or purchase physically. But, I'm glad I read it because any time I see Peter's name on page I get giddy.

Wendy’s Ever After by Julie Wright was an enjoyable coming of age book for young adult readers. I greatly enjoyed this return to Neverland through Wendy’s eyes and her new grown up world collides with her childhood fantasy. I give this book 5 stars. I received a complimentary free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this. I have loved Peter Pan since I was a little girl. The nostalgia for me was wonderful. I appreciated the setting being after the original adventure to Neverland with Peter. Incorporating a ball, new characters in the regular world, and finding love and trust -Wendy is searching for her way and how to find the balance of what was and what is and "growing up". Giving up and exchanging growth and maturity with a better version of yourself and to progress yourself and being more compassionate. Plus the dynamic of Captain Hook and the island's magic with Tinkerbell, the mermaids of Mermaid Lagoon.

Perhaps the thing that I loved the most is the concept of loss that was intertwined in Wendy's Ever After. Originally J.M. Barrie experienced loss of his older bother and a theme of loss intertwined and continued in this book. This was filled with emotion, a touch of romance, and learning to find the balance of magic and what it means to grow up. I do think that anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings will enjoy this book, I sure did!

Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Julie Wright’s “Wendy’s Ever After” is a nostalgic, gently romantic reimagining of what happens after Neverland—when Wendy Darling has grown up but hasn’t quite outgrown the magic, mischief, or heartbreak of her past. With elegant prose and frequent nods to both J.M. Barrie’s original and the Disney adaptation, this story offers a fresh take on Wendy’s ever-complicated connection to the world beyond the second star to the right. This is a very clean and safe YA book, perfect for younger YA readers and MG readers as well.

Now nearly 18, Wendy is a sought-after debutante in Edwardian London, caught in the glittering swirl of high society. But behind the perfect posture and poised smiles is a young woman grieving her father, practicing swordplay in secret, and still dreaming of a boy who promised her forever but never came back. When she meets a mysterious stranger at a masquerade ball—a man whose charm and mischief recall Peter Pan himself—Wendy is pulled back into the world she once thought she’d left behind.

Neverland, however, is not as she remembers it. The island is sick, the magic is fading, and the boundaries between memory and reality blur. Caught between the echo of her childhood dreams and the thrill of a new, grown-up connection, Wendy must choose: between the boy who broke her heart and the man who might mend it.

Where “Wendy’s Ever After” succeeds most is in its emotional maturity. This isn’t just a fantasy adventure—it’s a story about growth, grief, and perspective. Wendy is given agency and depth as she grapples with loyalty, love, and loss. The romance is sweet and slow-burning, with a surprising love interest (not Peter, and thankfully not Hook either). Liam, the newcomer, is an intriguing character who brings a fresh dynamic—though I think that he would have benefited from more development and his own point of view, especially given his important ties to Neverland.

The plot unfolds at a steady pace, with enough tension and mystery to keep you engaged, though some aspects—especially the villainy of Captain Hook and the island’s magical decay—are a bit underdeveloped. There are hints at deeper lore (like Hook’s connection to Peter and the symbolism of the crocodile’s death) that feel tantalizingly underexplored. Wright seems to aim for a tone that honors the innocence of the original while allowing space for Wendy to grow into someone who chooses her own path, not one written for her by Peter, Hook, or anyone else.

Overall, “Wendy’s Ever After” is a thoughtful and whimsical return to Neverland, full of heart and gentle romance. While it may not pack the emotional punch of some other reimaginings, it offers something softer and no less important: a coming-of-age story for a girl who once flew, who learned to land, and who now must decide whether—and how—to take flight again. Fans of clean fairy tale retellings will find this a charming addition to their shelves.

To anyone who's wondered what happened to Wendy in the Peter Pan story, this is the story to read. This book was a delight from start to finish. It grapples with childhood and growing up. There is a kind of peace and hope that growing up doesn't mean loosing your younger self, but rather discovering parts of yourself you didn't know existed.