Second Star to the Left

Van Dyke’s action-packed debut puts a sexy, adult spin on Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. Tink’s desperate to return to her home, the Sylvanna Vale, but she’ll need the help of Neverland’s mermaids to get there. To win their trust, she seduces Captain Hook and steals back a necklace he took from them. Awakening from a pixie dust–laced kiss, Hook discovers the necklace is missing, and the mermaids have cursed him with bad seas. But the mermaid queen, Titania, remains unsatisfied. She agrees to help Tink and remove Hook’s curse only if Hook and Tink work together to bring her the scale of Leviathan, an artifact few believe exists, from an island no ship dares go near. On this daring adventure, mermaids become the least of their problems, as Hook and Tink come under threat from their mutual enemy, Blackbeard. As they spend time together, they learn the complicated truth behind each others’ storied pasts—Van Dyke does a good job making Hook and his crew sympathetic—and a fiery passion grows. The steamy scenes, explosive battles, and adventurous treasure hunt make for a gripping tale. (Mar.)