Review: Second Star to the Left

• Title: Second Star to the Left

• Author: Megan Van Dyke

• Series: Reimagined Fairy Tales #1

• Genre: Fantasy Romance / adventure

• Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“Because if I’m to be lost with you, love, I don’t want to forget a moment.”

**Thank you NetGalley and Owl City Press for this ARC. These are my honest thoughts.**

When I first set sail into this world (yes, I know, I’m not punny), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And then when I came to understand that I was reading something quite special, I didn’t know if I should expect anything more. But I should have because Second Star to the Left delivers on so many fronts. Great characters and personal growth, a rather spicy romance, a tale that’s quite the adventure and heart-warming at the same time, and a whole lot of rum! I don’t drink but there were times I felt captivated by this story that I definitely felt drunk on the world-building and cleverly witty prose. I liked the synopsis of this story, but I never thought I would swoon for Captain Hook in all my days. The development of his character and learning more about him and his past was the greatest thing about this retelling. I liked discovering someone who, frankly, isn’t the character that a whole lot of people haven’t spent a lot of time considering from the original Peter Pan. Hook was formidable, not only as a love interest but as a captain and friend. I loved his POV a great deal, and all his internal thoughts painted quite the picture of a man who has been through a great deal and fought to come out on top. I loved getting this new perspective to him in this setting. Tink also isn’t a character I’ve often thought of outside of her cute Disney shows my sister once watched, but I really enjoyed her at Hook’s side in this. Her naivety was balanced well with her bold and courageous nature. Family meant so much to her that she was willing to try anything to get home again, and in the process, found that family can grow anywhere, and a home can be people, rather than a place too. I enjoyed that the author didn’t deviate entirely from her too-trusting ways and let her fall long enough to rebuild and fight for what and who she believed in. The banter between both characters, from when they hated one another to when these enemies turned to lovers, was executed in a way that made it believable. The chemistry between the pair was second to none, and whilst I knew from checking this author out that Megan Van Dyke writes fantasy romance, I wasn’t quite prepared for the spice in this and how much I would like the addition to this story. It was tastefully done, well set within its time and full of pirate/ship innuendoes that had me giggling all the way through. The magic of the world-building was fantastic. It read like a Pirates of the Caribbean adventure, and I loved that about this story. Everything felt right as I made my way through this book, with clever attention to detail from the author - of pirate mannerisms, Neverland settings, and Peter Pan characters utilised incredibly well. I adored all the main crew members of this world and how they assisted in making the found family aspects more wholesome and real. I also loved the tricks along the way and the little plot twists thrown in here and there. Whilst some of the story was quite predictable, given the nature of being a retelling, the author’s spin on Second Star to the Left made it feel like its own special world that I would love to spend a lot more time within. This is an easy 5 star read for me, and I look forward to reading more by this author.