Nikki St. Crowe

The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.

But it’s pointless.

Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

* Release Date is not final and will likely be much sooner. Target release date is March 2022 *

The Never King is a dark retelling of Peter and Wendy. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Never King and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes.

Vicious Lost Boys #1

The Never King

Amanda Autumn Berrey

In the dream, Tinker Bell said, “… he’ll never have his Darling back.” “She killed the original Darling,” I say. Peter exhales beside me. “So you killed her.”

“She may have loved me,” he says, “but she hated Darlings more.” “So?” “So… I just happened to love one. I was in love with the original Darling.”

“Even the mighty oak believes she is strong until a man comes along with an ax to chop her down.” “Is that you then? Do you have an ax?” “All men are born with an ax in their hands, Darling. To take the measure of a man, you just have to pay attention to how he wields it.”

The room is dark and warm and it smells like him, like dark, summer nights and crushed amber.

“Vane.” Pan’s voice rings with authority. “No. We’re not fucking doing this anymore.” Vane starts away. “I wasn’t done,” Tilly calls. “I’m saying you’re done.”

There is something about Peter Pan and the Lost Boys that feels like a liberation.

I shouldn’t care about what happens to Winnie, but the gnawing of my conscience is making it difficult. I don’t want her to turn out like the rest—dazed and faraway.

Two days ago I was terrified of going mad just like my mother and now I’m on an island in some other realm—allegedly—surrounded by the fae and vicious boys drinking faerie wine.

Several vines have taken hold in the stone and bright purple roses bloom from them, perfuming the air with a heady, sweet scent.

Pan has always had one rule about the Darlings—they’re off-limits.

Silver rings on his fingers reflect the flame. Dark tattoos cover his hands. There are several strips of string and leather tied around his wrists. He’s tall, broad shouldered, and wearing a long coat with a stiff collar that stands up around his sharp jaw. Even though his body is hidden beneath the coat, I can tell he’s corded with muscle by the mere suggestion of it in his biceps.

From what I’ve gathered, she thinks some kind of magic keeps her from talking about him in detail so I only get bits and pieces. She tells me the magic wanes on new moons, but we’re halfway to a full moon.

Mom has been hospitalized seven times. They say she’s schizophrenic just like grandma and great-grandma and all of the Darling women before her.

Today is my 18th birthday and every Darling woman that has come before me has disappeared on this day. Some are gone a day, others a week or a month. But they always return broken, with varying degrees of sanity intact.

Charlote

Pretty boys always make the time go by faster. I hate being bored. But most of all, I hate being alone.

Demi

If you're not the most interesting person you know, then you're doing it wrong.

Stephanie 

alexis rae 

OMG... I loved this book so much as someone who loves the original Peter Pan. This adult twist on the classic was icing on the cake and I can't wait to see what happens in book two and find out why two shadows popped out of the box instead of just one I also can't believe that the fae princes and princess are Tinkerbells kids and how the fae princess was destroying the mind of the Darling women that way they couldn't tell Peter Pan where his shadow was.  

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

Anjorin Molayo 

it was a fun read lol. the spice kept me going.

Léa

I could not put it down. I started yesterday in english and bought a physical version in french today and could not wait to get home and read it. big slay, i cannot wait to begin the sequel :)

Nice little remake of peter pan and the lost boys. I definitely enjoyed the scenes more than the actual plot itself but still worth the read sonce it’s pretty short 🫶

Valentina Moreno Escobar

Reading this felt like reading a Wattpad story. And that’s not really a good thing. I mean this is a published book. A series even. Not that I plan on continuing this series. I barely finished this. For starters the “just turned 18” trope makes me extremely uncomfortable when there’s smut involved. Like immediately turned 18 and getting fucked by men who’ve been alive long enough to fuck her ancestors generations before her. I don’t know about everyone else but Winnie is still a CHILD. Just because it’s her birthday and she’s 18 now doesn’t erase the fact that she was just 17 - a minor. Yes she’s probably mature of her age and not afraid of sex, doesn’t make it any less creepy. Overall the story went very quick and didn’t have anything to offer than a 18 year old girl who likes to be called a whore. There was no character building, no world building, just a dive into something the author did a very poor job of explaining. Book one is suppose to reel you in and give you the backstory of things. This read like a one time wattpad story that even I could have written. I’m just not impressed and honestly very shocked that people are recommending this book.

Madison Keiran

Is “Winnie Whore” really the best insult those high schoolers could think of

I really enjoyed this book & I was super surprised bc it’s so short and usually short books are “eh”! This is a Peter Pan retelling, slightly dark and twisted. I can’t wait for the next, the only thing I will say is that the ending could have been slightly more tense 🫶🏼

Robyn Harley

honestly, i really enjoyed this book… way more than i thought i would?! it was such a fun and twisted retelling of peter pan and neverland ++ it was a super short book, but it was the perfect size… any longer and it would’ve dragged! can’t wait to read the next one! 

“Maybe that's what love really is, at the heart of it - choosing the pain with the pleasure.”

Meghan Morris

honya

meh. peter pan was literally barely in the book. the twins were kinda.. but vane😛 nah vane was fineeee af. winnie is not like other girls.

Taous Merakchi

Sara Uribe

Have you ever just stumbled upon a book by accident and ended up really loving it? This is what happened for me with this book. I was going through Bookstagram the other day and Sarah, from @sarahluvsromance_1201, was talking about this book in her stories and it had me very intrigued. So I had to do some investigating. Oh my, oh my. I’m so glad that I did. I’m a huge sucker for Disney reimaging/retellings especially if they’re Dark. This book literally had me Hooked, no pun intended, on the first 14 pages. I’m such a sucker for reimaginings/retellings, I don't know anything that could make me happier (but don't quote me on that). I absolutely loved this book. It was so easy to get caught up in and really ticked off all my boxes on what I love in a book. I can’t wait to see where book 2 goes!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading this book because I didn't know much about the story of Peter pan but I was pleasantly surprised

This book was good in its own way but like with alot of books that have smut, the plot, world building and character development was neglected In favor of a spicy scene every few chapters

June

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading this book because I didn't know much about the story of Peter pan but I was pleasantly surprised

This book was good in its own way but like with alot of books that have smut, the plot, world building and character development was neglected In favor of a spicy scene every few chapters

Was this story perfect? Nope. Was the writing clunky? Absolutely. Did I enjoy every damn page regardless? Hell yeah I did! 

It’s the perfect read if you’re looking to add more books to your reading goal quickly! But also, it’s just a really fun read okay. I like slutty, smutty books ok? ;)

Cass Paul

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading this book because I didn't know much about the story of Peter pan but I was pleasantly surprised. This book was good in its own way but like with alot of books that have smut, the plot, world building and character development was neglected I'm favor of a smut scene every few chapters

Sheena Graziano 

I heard it was a dark retelling, heard it was spicy. What I didn’t expect was that opening scene. It just throws you right into the action. From there you learn that the darling woman are broken woman, but only after he comes and takes them. He breaks the darlings and then brings them back with only a ghost story to tell the next darling. He’s coming and there’s nowhere to hide.

Mikayla Hall

Charlotte C

detelinka

HOW ARE THEY ALL SO HOT AND OMFG 
Peter Pan tho 💅🏼 i love himmm

Kelsey at

Ali Sladek

4.5 ⭐️ this is exactly the book I needed to get out of my reading slump!! I through enjoyed the plot and majority of the characters. THAT ENDING!!!! definitely need to read the bed book ASAP

The stories were all wrong - Hook was never the villain.For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they're gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.But it's pointless.Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren't willing to let me go.

Addie 🌻

I wanted more sex scenes to be honest. And I also really don’t like this cover lol

Anita Olaide Lewis 

Leah smith

I'm kinda mad at myself because I waited so long to read this masterpiece I absolutely loved this book and the series I read the whole series in one day and the last two books in one sitting I could not put the book down it was wonderful

The Never King Vicious Lost Boys #1

Reviews

Highlights