ARC Review--It Came from Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo

 

Peter Pan meets Stephen King's It in this twisted horror retelling of a classic childhood fairytale set during WWI.

1914, Wendy Darling works by day as a school teacher and by night, she assists soldiers who have returned home from the Western Front. There is one mysterious patient who despite all the care they’ve given him, is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up. One night, when he murmurs the words “Peter Pan,” Wendy is thrown back to a darker time, one that she wishes she could forget.

When one of her students goes missing, it brings back memories of when children went missing and were later found murdered in London many years ago. Wendy believes that Peter Pan, the entity that she believed killed those children, is back. She and her brothers had a close encounter with Peter Pan, after all. But her brothers only remember Peter Pan and Neverland as a fantasy of childhood games.

When another child goes missing and signs start to point to Wendy, Scotland Yard digs into old reports, finding that Wendy knew the names of all the children who had been killed. As Wendy tries to prove her innocence, she also has to find a way to stop Peter Pan once and for all.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

I've always loved the story of Peter and Wendy aka Peter Pan; a magical story about a boy who never wanted to grow up and lived on an island with mermaids and pirates and fairies and could fly! It was always a magical story. Being forced to grow up, I have become quite fond of retellings or different takes on the Peter Pan story and Cynthia Pelayo takes it into a whole different direction with It Came from Neverland!

This version, I feel like, goes in a more horrifying direction! I mean, if you read the blurb it pretty much says it all! Wendy and her brothers ended up leaving Neverland and grew up. But life isn't necessarily the grand adventure that they had hoped for. And lately, Wendy has been noticing odd things happening; hearing voices, seeing shadows, crows that seem to be following her. An eerie kind of suspense builds up and the true story begins to unfold.

Wendy and her brothers did indeed go to Neverland, but it wasn't the grand adventure we all thought it was. It may have started out that way, but then things began to take a darker spin and the horrors of Neverland slowly revealed itself to Wendy. We do get some flashbacks to Wendy's time in Neverland when she was just a child. She's a grown woman now and works at a children's home and volunteers at the hospital at night as well, for the story takes place during WW2.

As a whole, I did find that I enjoyed the story, but at times I felt a sort of disconnect with the book. I'm not sure if it was due to my reading it on my kindle and just not getting a good feel for the formatting. Sometimes it wasn't always easy seeing the flashbacks begin and end and when present time took over. Then it seemed like the story was constantly building up and up and up...and up to the horrors of what was really going on. We can easily get an idea, but getting the actual answers takes a while, but I don't know. I guess I just felt like the buildup was taking a little too long. It was still intriguing and creepy and I kept turning the (proverbial) pages, but at the same time, I kept wondering when would we hit the peak?

We do get to see bits of John and Michael in the story as well, but for the most part this is told from Wendy's point of view. Familiar character names and faces from the classic tale make appearances, all except one, though I felt like it was offhandedly mention but never really named. I was a little forlorn on that front and also wondered about a few other Neverland characters who never made it onto the page. I know not everything can go into a retelling, but the absence always makes me wonder...are they in this version of Neverland or not?

The story is told at a slower pace, but since it's regarding Neverland, I was still pretty invested in it. I guess when you have that connection to the source material, some things like pacing become irrelevant. But if you enjoy darker fairy tale imaginings then this would be the read for you. It's not a retelling per se, but puts a different twist on the story we (may) all know (and love). While it may not have been everything I was hoping for, it was still a quick and enjoyable read that will be marked down as one of the most unique takes on Peter and Wendy that I have read.

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

It Came from Neverland releases June 9, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver--I technically finished this one late Sunday last week, but was too lazy to update my post! (4 stars)
The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC)--Review to come next week!
The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde--read this one in a record 2 days! (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Rebel and The Final Blood War by K.A. Linde

What I Plan to Read Next:

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #250
Books from the Backlog #188
Book Blogger Hop ##413
Stacking the Shelves

Review--The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde

 

Before The Wren in the Holly Library, there was The Monster and the Last Blood Match and as the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

Everyone wants a piece of her.
He wants it all.

Reyna Carpenter trusted the wrong people…and paid the price.

Held captive in the heart of a vampire empire, her freedom stripped and blood claimed, Reyna survives the only way she knows how—hope. Hope that she’ll find a way to escape. Hope that she’ll be reunited with Beckham. Hope that when she gets out of here, love will be waiting on the other side.

Except escape isn’t salvation. It’s only the beginning.

Because the world outside has changed. Lines have been drawn. Allegiances have shifted. And Reyna? She’s no longer the girl who walked willingly into the dark.

But she’d do it all over again for Beckham.

Now she has to decide how far she’ll go to reclaim her freedom…and the vampire she’s fallen for. Because power runs through Reyna’s veins, power others will do anything to control—which means she’ll have to do more than just survive.

She’ll have to fight back.

The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde picks up where we left off in the first book of this trilogy that takes place years before The Oak and Holly Cycle series begins! I belatedly realized I should've finished this trilogy before reading the latest installment of the other series, but oh well. At least I won't go crazy while I write this review and start the next book! Lol. This second installment of the trilogy was a true nailbiter! The tension runs thick in this story as the ante and danger are amped up. No one will walk away unchanged from this book!

It has been almost two months since Reyna was taken from Beckham, since she became Harrington's prisoner and personal blood bag. Reyna is given the shocking information that she was never meant to be a blood match for Beckham, that it was always Harrington who she was meant to "serve" but Beckham intervened to help protect her, but things epically fell apart.

Reyna now spends her days in a luxe bedroom with a library of her own, a personal gym, a big comfy bed, but a prison cell is still a prison cell even with gilded bars. She's forced to donate blood to Harrington test tube style, which is its own blessing in some ways. Reyna hasn't given up hope that Beckham will eventually come for her, but the wait is agonizing.

As you might imagine, Reyna does not stay prisoner for long and eventually makes an escape and joins the rebel group known as Elle who is working to put an end to Visage, the vampire led company that has been matching up humans with vampires who share the same blood type. Things eventually become a hot mess as Reyna begins to learn who Elle really is as a rebel group and who its members are. There's a dark, sordid history behind all of the inner workings and we learn about some of the highlights throughout the book. This book was definitely what you would call a gamechanger. 

Beckham does eventually make his appearance back into Reyna's life and though they have issues they need to work through, it's not long before their romance picks up right where they left off. Although, I must say, I completely forgot about Penny's intentions in things. Penny is also a part of Elle and has been acting as Beckham's fake girlfriend and secret blood donor for years. She becomes one of the many obstacles to Reyna and Beckham's relationship and for some reason, I do not remember her being so unlikable! But apparently, I forgot to make a note of that! Because yes, this woman is definitely an obstacle! Lol. But nonetheless, it was refreshing to see Beckham and Reyna persevere. 

I guess depending on your preferences, this book will either be a fast paced read or not so fast paced. To me, I found it incredible fast paced and finished it in record time because I did not want to put it down. Going from being a prisoner to planning a great escape and joining the rebel group to take down the evil vampire corporation, this book was a delightfully fast paced thrill ride! I kept needing to know more about what was going on and seeing if any of my developing theories proved fruitful, which at least one did! 

Of course, now we get to the somewhat problematic cliffhanger. Yes, I have the next book, but now I learn that I should not have read The Raven at the Ash Door just yet, because of minor spoilery things. But in the same sense, I can't help but wonder if I would've thought anything differently. Things happen in this book that would've made the wait for the next book painful. But since I read "ahead" I know the eventual outcome. So I'm not quite driven to the insanity that I would've normally had. But given the genre, I of course, would've been pondering certain things anyway. I spoiled it for myself by reading ahead, but I would've suspected certain things as well.

Needless to say, The Captive and The First Blood Game was an epic paranormal romance set in a dystopic future that really shook things up for the characters. I would not call this a middle book at all, as truly things were only just getting started before and now everything has gone up a level! I am most eager to dive into the final book of this trilogy and see how things will play out! This is not a series any book loving vampire reader should pass up! You can essentially read this trilogy without needing to dive into the Linde's other series, but that one is truly amazing as well and I highly recommend it too! Just maybe read this one first to not jumble things up like I did for myself! Lol.

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Another ugh week. It was only 4 days so that helped, but then a lot of people at work took off so we were short staffed a few days which just ended up being crazy naturally! Our busy season is fast on the horizon, so not really looking forward to that, but it is what it is. We're a good team, so it'll be okay, but work has just been crazy lately as it feels like the people we help on the regular have forgotten all of the processes we have put into place the last 2-3 years! So it's been nuts in some sense! I did attend a signing this week to see Rachel Moore! I read one of her YA books and liked it enough that I wanted to meet her. Plus her new adult rom-com thriller sounded entertaining, so I splurged on that! It wasn't too bad a of a week all in all.

Here's what I picked up this week:

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost--keeper copy!
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn--so for B&N's big Memorial Day sale I bought this one and the next book in the row!
Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan--this was the second book I picked up at the B&N sale! It came out last month and I somehow missed it! It sounds sooo intriguing and I loved just finding it on my own at the store as it reminded me of those early days of searching the shelves for a new book to read and finding one based on a captivating cover or title!
A Shadow in the Reaping by Brynne Weaver--I liked her bloody thrillers enough that I wanted to see her take on paranormal romance. So we'll see how this goes! Lol.
Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore--SIGNED!

Then here's the fun swag I got from the Rachel Moore signing:

a bookmark and a postcard map of the island the book takes place on

Then on my trip to B&N I impulse purchased this throw...I keep wanting to find a nice lightweight blanket for those summer days where the AC is perfectly chilled and I just want a little bit of coverage on top of me as I read and this one was so pretty I had to buy it! I still need to open it, but since I am still fruitlessly house-hunting I decided to keep it intact.

And then I was eligible for my free tote from B&N and I thought their newest color was fresh and fun looking so I decided to get that. Although I really keep hoping they'll make a new design as I've like 4 other colors of this same one. I like the colors for sure, but a new design would be nicer. Maybe next year.

I had to use their image from the website as my picture turned out orange. My camera did not want to truly capture it's pink-peachy color which is so fun for summer I feel like. lol. So this is the best I can do even though it's not even perfect either.

And that was it for me this week! What all did you get?

 

Book Blogger Hop #413

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Does the headline “Must-Read Books” grab your attention? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Honestly? No. Not really. Granted when I pass these tables at the store I'll browse them, but it's not like the headliner for me. Unless I'm hunting down a copy of a book that is said to be in the store but it was not on the new shelf or the genre shelves...so THEN I am really looking like is my book over here? Lol.

Books from the Backlog #188

 

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess--a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

I added Laura Sebastian's Ash Princess to my TBR pile in February of 2018, which it released in April of 2018, so I probably was marking it as "want to read" early and then just left it as such when I got it! I've been trying to do better about removing and readding it to my Goodreads list when I actually get the book! Lol. I still can't believe I haven't read this series yet as it sounds right up my alley!

Can't Wait Wednesday #250

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Prepare for a deliciously dark standalone, set in the same world as Of Flame and Fury, where star-crossed enemies gamble with their hearts, their empires, and the fate of a lost god.

On an island ruled by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.

Inna is the perfect heiress to the Pallo crime family: poised, cunning, untouchable. Behind this glamorous facade, she hunts for the sinister truth behind her older sister's death. Despite the cover-up she’s been led to believe, Inna can feel an enemy lurking in the shadows, or perhaps even hiding in plain sight.

Rylan has sculpted himself into a talented thief. His heart may be guarded, but his purpose is clear: retribution for his family, murdered by Inna's mother. Armed with illusion magic, Rylan plans to steal an ancient riddle from the Pallo vault, one that leads to a sleeping god. Whoever wakes the Serpent King will be granted any wish they desire. Rylan means to claim this power, and with it, Inna's ruin.

But when Inna catches Rylan sneaking past her family’s security, he proposes a deadly alliance that each desperately needs but neither intends to keep – even as bitter attraction threatens to unravel into something more.

I still need to read Mikayla's first book but with this stunning and maybe creepy cover, I couldn't help but add it to my list!

TITLE: Of Venom and Vengeance
AUTHOR: Mikayla Bridge
PUBLISHER: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2026 

The second adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, in which a woman rediscovers the mythical island she stumbled upon as a child—and the man she once met who apparently hasn’t aged—and must choose between the life she’s built and a love that defies the laws of time and nature.

The night Clay Lockhart’s wife dies, a violent storm tears their home—and the eight hectares of land beneath it—away from the Scottish coast, sending it adrift into the Atlantic. Thirty years later, twelve-year-old Ellie Mills discovers the fabled floating island off the coast of Nova Scotia and finds Clay still living in the weatherworn farmhouse perched on its highest hill.

When the island vanishes overnight, Ellie is left questioning whether it ever existed at all. But decades later, now in her thirties, the island resurfaces—and Ellie returns, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds is even Clay hasn’t aged a single day.

Faced with the impossible, Ellie learns that some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved—and that a life shaped by wonder may hold more promise than one bound by certainty.

Spanning centuries and coastlines, Habits of the Sea is a haunting, romantic journey through time, memory, and the invisible tides that pull us home.

Still want to read Shea's first adult novel as well, but yet another mysterious sounding read that made me want to add it to my list anyway! Lol.

TITLE: Habits of the Sea
AUTHOR: Shea Ernshaw
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
GENRE: Mystery
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"'And now I'm helping a woman I want to kill cover up murders committed by another serial killer. This is the most incestuous murder party I've ever heard of.'" p 124

TITLE: Tourist Season
AUTHOR: Brynne Weaver
PUBLISHER: Slowburn
GENRE: Dark Romantic Comedy
RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: My Top Ten Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors

*in no particular order

10. STOLEN by Kelley Armstrong--normally, I gravitate towards the first book as my fave but I really liked this one as it was when we first met Cassandra and as I mentioned last week, I really wanted her to have a book of her own! Lol.
9. THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa--I think it was this book that realllly cinched me wanting Jackal to have his own! Lol. But I remember really liking this finale!
8. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder--the book that started my obsession with Maria's books!

7. OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley--I still need to read her most recent novels--one of which includes a trilogy re-read! But this was her first one and still remains my absolute favorite!
6. DEMON IN MY VIEW by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--this was Amelia's second book and I think might have been the first one I read by her? Kind of blanking on that part, but out of all the books I read of hers--which might have been all of them--this is still me favorite!
5. STRAY by Rachel Vincent--another first! Rachel's first book and probably my favorite though I still need to read her latest one!

4. HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost--another first book! This one was so incredible and is still one of my favorites of hers!
3. IMMORTAL REIGN by Morgan Rhodes--this series was epic! But I think the finale was my fave just because after everything the characters went through I wanted that HEA! I always thought of this one as my Birthday series as the first 5 books always released around then, so I was always reading it on my winter break!
2. REMEMBRANCE by Meg Cabot--I ADORED Meg's Mediator series! This adult installment came later on and is probably my fave! It has a Veronica Mars feel to it, but with ghosts! So you know, perfection!

Are you ready to guess the #1?

I'll give you a moment...lol, you have 8 to choose from...9 if it were after September! ;)

1. LEGENDARY by Stephanie Garber--how did you do? Lol. Yes, Legendary is probably my favorite as I ADORE Tella! She's got a feisty personality and I just adore that girl!

Review--Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

 

From No.1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes a wickedly delicious new series where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense - and where falling in love can be a killer.

Welcome to Cape Carnage! Visit Once, Stay Forever.

You can hide in the farthest reaches of the deepest hell, and I will still drag you out. Even the devil can't save you from me.

Cape Carnage is a seaside town of colourful houses, quirky shops, and an unusually high body count. But with tourists comes trouble, and Harper Starling won't let anyone ruin her picture-perfect home. A skilled gardener with killer instincts, Harper protects her sanctuary at any cost - especially for her aging mentor with a fading memory. Troublesome tourists don't check out of Carnage. They compost beneath Harper's award-winning flowerbeds.

But Nolan Rhodes isn't your average tourist. Devilishly handsome, disarmingly charming, and skilled with a blade, Nolan is relentless in the pursuit of revenge. On every anniversary of the hit-and-run accident that fractured his life, Nolan slays another target. And he's saved the best for the undeniably beautiful Harper Starling. The problem? Harper isn't the monster he expected. And she won't go down without a fight.

When an amateur true crime investigator comes to Cape Carnage on the trail of a long-lost serial killer, Harper and Nolan strike an uneasy truce. If Nolan helps Harper protect her town, she'll keep quiet about his hunting habits . . . for now. But their alliance soon spirals into obsession, one that threatens to shatter every secret in Carnage - including their fragile love.

Tourist Season is a darkly funny, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance where destruction and desire are balanced on the edge of a blade - and where love is the most dangerous battleground of all.

Brynne Weaver's Tourist Season is the start of a new grizzly dark rom-com that takes place in the same world as The Ruinous Love Trilogy! If you read Scythe & Sparrow, you get a hint at who's the heroine of his novel. I'll admit I was a bit baffled at first when I read the blurb and thinking, what...? But then once I started reading it, I was like OHHH! Lol. Yeah, that's what happens when you read between series! Lol.

Harper Starling is a young woman living in Cape Carnage caring for Arthur who is an elderly man with Alzheimers who has his own dark history. When Nolan Rhodes comes to town, he's a man on a mission, and that mission is to kill Harper. Four years ago, Nolan was in a car accident that killed his younger brother. He's made it his mission ever since recovering from that accident to hunt down the people who were in the car that crashed into his and kill them...and he'd down to just one more murderer, the driver, aka Harper.

But Harper is not one to go down without a fight. She's a woman with her own dark past, one that she doesn't feel like hashing out to Nolan, because he plans to kill her anyway! So naturally, there's this whole enemies to lovers vibe going on, because it's a dark rom-com, you know they'll get over the hating game eventually. Harper is a killer as well, as you would've guessed from Brynne's previous books. Harper takes care of the troublesome tourists who aren't just annoying, but down right evil.

When she learns that land of her employer's has been sold, she's worried because she knows what Arthur has hidden on said land and she will do everything she can to protect him. So she makes a deal of sorts with Nolan, asking for his help to uncover a dozen or so bodies that are buried on the property and they only have three weeks to do it. She managed to steal something important to Nolan and promises to give it back, if he helps her.

Throwing in another round of complications, we have a shady true crime seeker in town who is investigating the past murders connected to Cape Carnage and the fact that one...or maybe more than one, of its citizens may in fact be a serial killer. He also happens to be staying at the same inn as Nolan, so expect the usual shenanigans!

This was yet another entertaining read from Weaver! Granted, I am once again here for the Dexter/murdery vibes more so than the romantic bits. I like romance fine and all, but these darker romance aspects really aren't my cup of tea, but since they are kind of sporadic in this first installment, at least, I was able to just roll my eyes a few times and get back to the bloody good parts! Lol. 

That Nolan and Harper are both serial killers falling in love is yet another riot. It's like a reverse Murder She Wrote, that no matter where Jessica went, someone dies. Well here, no matter where we go in the Weaver universe, there's always more than one serial killer in town! Almost makes you rethink Murder She Wrote and wonder...lol.

There was a teeny tiny mystery of sorts going on here in the background. If you pay attention, you'll hear a few things but might not be able to put together any kind of story until the verrrry end! Just as I was reading that epilogue, I started thinking one thing, then after a few more paragraphs my theory proved correct, but then that last line totally threw me and I was like OMG! Thankfully, the next installment isn't too far off...but my plate is pretty full right now so who knows when I will get to it! 

This one was pretty well paced. I mean the characters are forced together with a goal in mind where helping one helps themselves so things move along at a decent pace. Naturally, we get the interludes of romantic tension and bloody good times as well. There were laughs, there were grimaces...all in good fun or as much fun as you could say is being had in a murder fest type book. Definitely can't wait to see what will happen next in this aptly named little murdertown! If you enjoy your dark romances with a side of comedy and a healthy dose of murder, be sure to check out this new series of Weaver's! You don't have to have read the previous trilogy in order to dive into this one and it can completely stand on its own without any kind of prior needed knowledge, so it's a win-win situation here!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

King of Ravens by Clare Sager (5 stars)

Review That Was Posted:

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost (ARC) (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #249
Books from the Backlog #187
Book Blogger Hop #412
Stacking the Shelves