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This might not be Neverland, but then again, he's not your mother's Captain Hook. Infamous thief, James Hook knows all about chaos. Back in the Fae Realm, he wove enough trouble to earn himself a one-way ticket to exile. Now he’s been banished to a world without magic, and his only hope of getting back home hinges on stealing the heart of the one woman who seems immune to his charm. Mercy Herrera’s daily life is a well-ordered machine. Between work, volunteering, and finishing her degree, she doesn’t have room for distractions. So when a dangerously seductive stranger sweeps into her life promising the solutions to all her problems, Mercy doesn’t have time for his antics. Not until mysterious forces upend her world–the kind her rational mind tell her can’t possibly exist. But when a simple mistake turns into a disaster, the pair are thrust into the fight of their lives, and forced to make a gut-wrenching decision–risk their hearts, or stand alone against fate. *** Part thrilling fantasy, part romantic comedy, and filled with plenty of action, HOOK is the first novel in the Exiles of the Realm paranormal romance series. ***

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2017

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386 people want to read

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Adrienne Bell

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for The Sassy Bookworm.
3,907 reviews2,847 followers
February 14, 2017
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description

Infamous thief, James Hook is known far and wide in the FAE REALM. A thief of extraordinary talents, he sets his sites on stealing the most valued of all treasures. James luck runs out when a fellow thief turns on him and he finds himself being exiled to Earth. Not one to give up without a fight James forces the King and Queen to place conditions on his returning home. Now on earth James bands together with the other exiles in the hopes of fulfilling the terms and getting back to the Fae Realm.

Mercy Herrera's life is busy at the best of time. Working, going to school and taking care of her Grandmother. So when an arrogant stranger pushes himself into her life she is less than impressed. Alas there is just something about James that calls to Mercy and when she is thrust into the middle of a magic war Mercy's well-ordered life get a whole lot more complicated.


description

It's always a gamble when you choose to read a book by an author you've never read before. You have a 50/50 chance and let us be honest, a good many times they end up being less than impressive. The blurb for this one intrigued SO much that I decided to go with my gut and I am VERY glad that I did!

I LOVED this book. It was very well-written. Fast paced. The world building was interesting. It had humor. It had "feels". It had action and adventure. It had a great set of secondary characters that I assume will be getting their own books (Merlin the magician, Bron the huntsman, Shay a jinn, Fenrir a wolf) and Mercy's BFF who I LOVED. I will say if you are looking for steam then this one was on the very light side. It just had one mild sex scene, but the story captivated me enough I didn't really miss the sex.

I adored Mercy. This author managed to make a heroine that was feisty without coming off shrill and bitchy. Honestly, that is a rarity (IMO) in romanceland lately. James, I had a little more trouble with (and he is the reason this isn't a complete 5-star read for me.) For most of the book, James is really an arrogant self-centered jerk. Only thinking of himself and how he wants to get back to the Realm with no concerns for ANYONE. That said, we do get little glimpses of his growing feelings for Mercy and his growth as a character, and those glimpses are what softened my feelings towards him.

Not much left for me to say about this one. I LOVED it. I can't wait for BRONS book up next. Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.

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description
Profile Image for Anita.
2,500 reviews211 followers
April 16, 2017
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I am not a fan of paranormal/fantasy. I rarely read this genre, however, I am a huge fan of and will read this just because she wrote it. Unfortunately, this romance did not cut it for me. I just couldn't get why this hero and the heroine would ever come together.

James Hook is the best thief in the Realm and to prove it, yet again, he steals a relic that King Oberon prizes. This time, he's caught and along with four others is exiled from the Realm to Purgatory, in other words, Earth. James has been here for seven months and has advanced his plan to return to the Realm by stealing relics that have been brought here by past exiles. He has made some friends, the guys from Macmillan Security (The Sinner Saints series). Now he gathers his fellow exiles together and lays out a plan. Unfortunately, the curse placed on them has two parts. James has one part nailed, but the other, the falling in love part, will be more difficult. That is until he meets Mercy.

Mercy is a caregiver for her grandmother, a student and a waitress. No time for a man in her busy life and certainly not a handsome, suave, smooth talker like James. This guy just doesn't quit and Mercy finds herself warming (literally) to James. You see, she kinda got infected with some nasty magic and James finds himself in a position he has never been in before. He cares more for someone else than he does himself. His sacrifice for her proves even a narcissistic thief can fall in love. 3 1/2-Stars
Profile Image for Marta Cox.
2,820 reviews213 followers
April 5, 2017
I will start by saying this is definitely not a spin on Peter Pan although James Hook does admit he was briefly a captain of a pirate ship . Obviously he didn't remain there because where is the fun in sharing booty? That is fundamentally what drives James, his selfish greed and he's a notorious thief who gets caught out with a punishment that lands him in even more hot water!
Mercy has struggled and actually still is but works hard to pursue her dreams. What she doesn't need is obnoxious males making her working day any harder! Well ok James with the dazzling blue eyes is kind of hot but why is he just so persistent ? Mercy may not believe in fairy tales but she's about to take a crash course in magic and all the dangers that can go with it!
New author to me and I really enjoyed this different approach. James isn't the only guy from the Fae Realm that shows up in this book and it's easy to see that the author has at least five stories planned in this series. It's nothing like Neverland and indeed we see heroes and anti heroes from numerous tales, myths and legends in play here with I'm pretty sure a big bad wolf set to star in his own book pretty soon. For now though it's all about James and Mercy who get off to a pretty rocky start but for this reader that was half the fun as Mercy isn't exactly overwhelmed by the charms of James. Still he gets to show her that he's not quite as one dimensional as he appears and James may not realise it but there's a heart beating in his chest that can be quite romantic at times. Yes James is mercenary but he's also brave and about to discover that home is where you make it!
This worked well as a paranormal romance without being excessively steamy. I thought the ending a little rushed but really enjoyed the supporting characters and frankly can't wait to read more about Mercys very snarky best friend. I foresee lots of possibilities for the series and will happily look out for more by this author
I voluntarily read a copy of this from Netgalley and my opinions are solely my own and honest
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews90 followers
Want to read
August 18, 2018
💝FREE on iBooks today (8/18/2018)!💝

Blurb:
This might not be Neverland, but then again, he's not your mother's Captain Hook.

Mercy Herrera’s daily life is a well-ordered machine. Between work, volunteering, and finishing her degree, she doesn’t have room for distractions. So when a dangerously seductive stranger sweeps into her life promising the solutions to all her problems, Mercy doesn’t have time for his antics. Not until mysterious forces upend her world–the kind her rational mind tell her can’t possibly exist.

Infamous thief, James Hook knows all about chaos. Back in the Fae Realm, he wove enough trouble to earn himself a one-way ticket to exile. Now he’s been banished to a world without magic, and his only hope of getting back home hinges on stealing the heart of the one woman who seems immune to his charm.

But when a simple mistake turns into a disaster, the pair are thrust into the fight of their lives, and forced to make a gut-wrenching decision–risk their hearts, or stand alone against fate.

***
Part thrilling fantasy, part romantic comedy, and filled with plenty of action, HOOK is the first novel in the Exiles of the Realm paranormal romance series.
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,296 reviews866 followers
April 12, 2017
Hook is a thief. The best. When he’s doubled crossed and caught he is exiled to Earth. Even before his feet hit the ground he’s planning how to get back to his world. As he brings together the other men who were exiled with him, he meets Mercy. It should be a simple thing to make her fall in love with him and help release the curse that keeps him Earth bound. Unfortunately, he wasn’t expecting her to be sassy and defiant, independent and ambitious, and all too desirable.

What a fun filled fantasy romance this was! I enjoyed every minute of it and wished for more of James and Mercy. This is a very fast paced book with great banter, terrific secondary characters, dual POVs, just a little bit of steam (I didn’t miss it at all) and a hero and heroine that are determined to not fall in love. But again, this is romance so you know that’s a complete fail.

I am so glad I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it and cannot wait for the next book in the series…Hunter.
Profile Image for A.M..
Author7 books55 followers
September 7, 2018
This one seems like a whole lot of mashups: there’s Captain James Hook, his betrayer Flint, Merlin, Oberon, Hunter Bron, Djinn Shay, Hades and Fenrir. I mean� it shouldn’t work but it kind of does. [well done, Adrienne]
The fae king Oberon takes the opportunity to toss out all the troublemakers in his kingdom in one fell sweep. They are cursed in two parts: one, they shall be exiled in purgatory (ie. Earth) where they will suffer the ravages of time until Hades breaks the Gate open and sets all of them free; and two, Tatiana the queen adds until all their hearts are thoroughly cleansed by the burning fires of love.
Neat.
So ALL of them must be freed together - no wimping out.
They are on the clock, as time is now relevant. [I’m not sure if it’s shown if they’re mortal or not…] So, no dying.
They have to break the Gates. Get Hades to free them. [he’s not that good at even talking to them.]
And they all have to fall in love.
The romance reader in me knows that the love part will be the hardest, right?
***
Hook finally gets them all to San Francisco but it has taken seven months. They don’t know that his final act of thievery was to swap out the gem on Oberon’s throne with a fake. [who ever tests the key to the Gates?] So he has the Key.
Hook blithely declares that any woman will fall in love with him so they can pick his love for him. Fenrir points at the harassed waitress in the restaurant they have met at.
Enter Mercedes, our heroine.
She’s too busy for this rubbish. She’s got college classes, an old Abuela to look after, a job at the cafe, debts to pay off, and a charity side interest to help out.
She doesn’t like thieves and her morals run straight into Hook’s. Other parts of her do, too.

There is an obvious series set up - all of them must find love.
It’s fun.
But one thing my editing brain noticed: ‘broach� is to raise or pierce while a ‘brooch� is jewellery with a pin. Or is this another US/English thing?
4 stars
Profile Image for Crystal Saario.
50 reviews
February 16, 2017
ARC received for an honest review.


This is definitely not never land.

Captain James Hook , less captain more theif, has alot more on his plate then what kind of valuable loot he can steal. After being exiled to purgatory on earth, he sets his sights on stealing the heart of a woman.

Mercy Herrera is a busy woman, who's main concerns are finishing school, while working and caring for her grandma. When she meets Hook at her place of employment, everything she thought she knew about fairy-tales no longer makes sense.

I absolutely love this book. It takes the fairy-tales we're all used to from being children, and makes them perfect for our grown-up selves. The back and forth between the two main characters has the perfect amount of humor, and feelings, while still being serious and captivating.

I love the fierceness that is Mercy, as well as her best friend Emily. I could see myself getting along great with these two.

As for James Hook, and his piercing blue eyes! He's usually a man who only looks out for himself, but if you pay attention you'll catch glimpses of him letting his feelings show.

I took a chance on a new author, and I'm so glad that I did. I can't wait to read the rest of the series, especially Fenrir, "the big bad wolf".
Profile Image for Speed.
983 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2017
Loved it! This is a twist on the take of Captain Hook but there's no Peter Pan. Lol. James Hook was introduced to us in the Sinner Saints series and I could not wait for his own story and it totally lived up to his trade. You see James is a thief and not just any thief the Best thief in all of the Fae Realm, that is until he gets caught and the punishment for getting caught stealing in the King's castle? You are cursed to be sent to Purgatory. What exactly is their Purgatory? Well, it's Earth of course. Too funny. Add terms to the curse? Hmmmm free Hades from the underworld and the Queen adds, get a woman to fall in love with you. Great, just great...Lol. So there are 4 others sent to Earth as well, which I won't disclose to you all, just know that Ms. Bell is getting us ready for a merry ride.
James does the best that he can after being on Earth for 7 mos and is able to gather the other Exiled members to see if they can make it back home. He meets Mercedes Herrera aka Merry and is tasked by one of the others from the Realm to have her fall in love with him.
There is action, hilarious moments, sarcasm and above all Love. This was a great read!!!
Profile Image for A.S.
194 reviews8 followers
July 31, 2017
I absolutely love this authors writing and the way she portrays each story and character she writes.
The characters are strong and you end up loving them equally (the woman is always a strong character with or without the male, which I love).
You basically love or at least like these characters.
Sometimes you get a book you love but you hate the main character (either the man or the woman) but not these books! If anything the portrayal and growth of them throughout made me love them more.

Every single story is so interesting and funny, like actually funny.
I love the sense of humour of this author.
I found myself smiling throughout, pausing to laugh, as well as feeling other emotions.

This book has action, drama, romance, suspense, magic!
Everything you could want and more.

I now need the next one in this series, and I needed it like yesterday!

I've loved every single book I've read by this author so far and I've read all of them.
Read this book and every single other one by her.
She has definitely become a favourite author.
Profile Image for C. Erani Kole.
1,708 reviews51 followers
February 14, 2017
*voluntarily and honestly reviewed the ARC I received from IndieSage*

I'm a fan of Neverland's occupants, so to have one of the most infamous cods in this world called The Realm be the main catch of the day was not only nostalgic and great because of the new perspective, it was a completely new thing that took all of my favorite fairy tales and turned them into darker, older sources of the fantastical versions I grew up with. James Hook is a great thief that only cares about himself, and his journey (alone with the other exiles) was a great one to follow.

Loved how James and Mercy didn't immediately hit it off, and the build up of the romance only got sweeter with the rise in suspense and doubts of how they'd have a happily ever after. I loved the writing style, loved the flow and characters. Definite recommend.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Inglett.
2 reviews
October 4, 2018
Sweet, magical, action packed, and fun!

This is not my normal pick for my books. Yes "Hook" was the main reason I got this one. James Hook is different that what we expect Captain Hook to be, but I still loved his character.
I also loved Mercy! I work food and bev and related to her irritation on that first merting between them. The work he has to put into getting her to even consider him was fun.
I loved the action! And the other 4 exiles added to this story!
It was a fast and fun read. I finished it in two days. That's with work and laundry added. So a couple of late nights reading. Can't wait to read the others in this series!
904 reviews5 followers
March 11, 2021
Urban fantasy

No plot spoilers
No potential triggers
There are some grammatical and editorial errors but not enough to kill the book.
There are a couple of sex scenes and some swearing.
Suspend belief in this book, the start of a new series, as captain Hook as you have never seen him before begins a whole new adventure. The series continues from the Macmillan security series.
The characterisation is okay and there is just the right balance of show and tell. It's never going to be a life changing book but it provides an escape from reality for a little while.I think I will be purchasing the next book in this series
Profile Image for Holly.
591 reviews4 followers
May 30, 2018
I've been HOOKED!! haha you see what I did there? This book is simply great! I love twisted fairy tales and this book twisted Hook just right :) I love that he's not the one handed, black mustache, creepy looking Hook either! He's HOT and all things yummy. He's sly, cunning, funny, and a bit of an ass, despite all that he's a bit dreamy. I could go on and on about him, but lets get to the story. Hook comes from the Fae Realm where he survived by stealing. But fate would have it that he'd be exiled into the human world. What happens next is magic of another kind. I know I could hardly put this book down. It was fast paced and smooth. Happy reading my friends.
Profile Image for Alain Kraussman Hall.
96 reviews2 followers
October 7, 2018
Interesting story, worth the read

This was a good start to what seems to be an interesting and compelling story. The characters are polar opposites, Mercy being a straight shooter and James being a conniving thief with no concern for anyone else.
While the story lags occasionally, there is enough action, suspense, humor, and romance to keep the reader turning the page to discover what happens next.
I'm looking forward to the next installment to see what transpires with the Exiles.
Profile Image for Kari Lemor.
Author41 books163 followers
December 23, 2018
This is not your Disney Captain Hook! But man, he is something else! Loved the very different slant on this fairy tale character. He's hot, charismatic, and up to no good. The story of these exiles is interesting and love seeing how they need to band together to find a solution to their problem. And the relationship is great too. I have to say I really liked the fact there was only one sex scene toward the end. It's nice to see a story stand on it's own and not on lots of sex. On to the next one!!
Profile Image for Completely Renée.
34 reviews
April 21, 2023
I just couldn’t put it down! There aren’t many books I read this quickly. I was very busy but every moment I could I was reading and when I couldn’t I was thinking about how I wanted to get everything I needed to do done asap so I could continue reading. Now there’s the challenge to find the other books in this series as I cannot find anywhere to buy them in the Netherlands or to ship them here so far.

He’s not like James Hook we know from most stories but everything you need to know is explained somewhere in the book.
Profile Image for Sherry Westendorf.
4,570 reviews22 followers
August 16, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this. I thought it was well written. Exciting, suspenseful, funand so much more. It is well written and worth reading. He does wrong and puts somewhere he does not want to be. He needs her. No spoilers, read it. I recommend it. I was given a copy of this and voluntarily review it.
Profile Image for CealR.
51 reviews
April 21, 2020
I wasn't sure about this concept, but as a fan of thr Sinner Saints series I finally broke down amd gave this a go recently. I have to say, blew my expectations away! Yes, there's obviously magic/fantasy here, but the story is so well grounded and emotional. I absolutely LOVED this book. Strong characters, intrigue and heat. Well written and edited. What more could you want!
Profile Image for Angela.
335 reviews5 followers
September 20, 2020
Ok. I teared up a couple times.

I’ve read a couple other series by this author and while I enjoyed them, this one really got to me. James has shown up in a few other stories but reading this one ... wow. It was just so good.

If you liked but not loved her other series, enjoy a little flash of magic, and root for the under dog, this series is for you.
Profile Image for Netta.
922 reviews15 followers
October 1, 2018
Wow! What a cute, fun and adventurous twist on the famous Captain Hook. I was "Hooked" within a few pages. I love the characters, the plot, the magic and all the humor so packed together that I could not put it down. What a page turner! I loved it!
Profile Image for Renee.
471 reviews18 followers
January 2, 2019
Enjoyable escape

This was an enjoyable story. Perfect for a rainy day when you want to escape into a story. You may even finish it in one sitting. I picked this up free on Amazon and would definitely read the next book in the series.
419 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2020
Loved it

I loved the story of James and Mercy it was heartwarming,teaching James to not be selfish and learn to love. I was glad to see the other characters from the other series. Looking foward to reading the next book.
165 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2022
I liked this story, its not your run of the mill magic/ fae stories. James Hook is thief from another releam sent to Earth. He is trying to get back to his world but meets Mercy Herrera and the story begins. A great first starter for the series. I enjoyed it immensly.
Profile Image for Donelle Howland.
7 reviews
August 20, 2018
Loved it!

Loved it! Complete love story, with a continuing story line. Liked it so much I brought the next book which I don't normally.
Profile Image for Queen Talk Talk.
1,203 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2019
Well written alternate mythology.

Only a hint of sexy times but lots of crushing. Interesting characters but this book is focused on Hook and Mercy.
37 reviews
August 13, 2019
Interesting new series

I love this author, and this is one of her best books. A definite change from her usual military men.
Profile Image for Beka.
395 reviews5 followers
July 11, 2021
Let me start with I've always been a Hook girl and really felt he got a raw deal as how he was portrayed (maybe I'm just in it for the Villains) so when I saw this book I jumped at reading it because HOOK!!!! Bell did not do this Hook loving girl wrong. I loved how she captured that essence that is totally what I imagined he would be like and then gave him so much more. She shows a side to him that you can't help falling for. I can't wait to see how the story plays out for the rest of the Exiles.
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