𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.

Gosh, I have so much love for this book. I watched the 2003 Peter Pan film so many times as a kid that I knew every line by heart. So to have a romance story inspired by the beloved fairytale and film I already knew it would resonate with me—but I wasn’t prepared for just how much!

I went into this story without knowing a lot, and some of the plot choices Julie crafted genuinely took me by surprise (in the best way!). So, I won’t spoil anything for you.

Off the Hook is an enchanting romance that captured my heart from the very first chapter. The story is 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 by Peter Pan but very loosely, making it a fresh and unique story. 

I absolutely adored Jasper and Wendy! Jasper is the quintessential grump—living on the outskirts of town with his adorable son, Sam (who is just too precious for words!), and preferring his solitude. Wendy, on the other hand, is loved by everyone she meets.

I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy the ex-fiancée’s older brother trope, as I typically shy away from romances that complicate sibling relationships, but Julie handled it with such care. The slow-burn nature of Jasper and Wendy’s relationship made me appreciate how thoughtfully they navigated their feelings, considering how it would impact the entire family before taking any steps forward.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺. 𝘐𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦.

And I just HAVE to gush about the cliff-diving scene—it’s easily one of my top favorite romance moments. The tension, the passion—everything about it was perfect. I even had to make a graphic of it, because it was sooo good! 

Julie's writing is brimming with passion. With every chapter, I felt like I was wandering the streets of Never Harbor. The subtle nods to the 2003 Peter Pan film brought back so much nostalgia, yet the story felt fresh and wholly original.

Read if you love:
🐦 Peter Pan (specifically the 2003 film!)
🪝 Hook x Wendy
🐦 single dad + nanny
🪝 grumpy x sunshine
🐦 ex-fiancée's older brother 
🪝 small town
🐦 slow burn