Romantasy Audiobook – The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond
This week I listened to a romantasy audiobook ARC of The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond. This romantasy audiobook is a new adult fantasy Peter Pan retelling. I know that sounds like a lot to unpack so I’ll break it down for you.
- Romantasy is the latest buzz word in the romance and fantasy genres that describes a romance book set in a fantasy setting with fantasy characters. In other terms, romantasy is a fantasy book where the main plotline is romantic in nature.
- New adult fantasy is a fantasy book where characters are of the new adult age roughly being 18-25. Specifically this book includes new adult scenes like graphic physical intimacy.
- A Peter Pan retelling is a reinvention or twist on the Peter Pan story.
To be completely transparent I had no idea this book was a new adult romantasy when I started listening to it. I’d read Casey L. Bond’s House of Eclipses audiobook series which is a mythology read, and loved it, so jumped at the chance to listen to this ARC. I don’t usually read graphic romance scene books and if you follow me you’ll know I keep scenes in my books closed-door, so some spice, but fade to black. But this romantasy only included one graphic romance scene and if you’re not into that it would be easy to skip over and still enjoy the book.
But, back to the book itself.
Title: The Last Lost Girl
Series: The Shadows of Neverland Duet, Book 1
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Narrator: Raven Wildewood
From the back cover…
Welcome to Neverland. Where shadows consume and magic is frighteningly real.
Ava is struggling to provide for herself and her sister, who slips further into insanity with each passing day. Raving about Neverland. Obsessed with a Second Star that Ava can’t see in the black, velvety sky. Until the night Belle succumbs to the terrifying shadows plaguing her and sweeps Ava away to a land that is only supposed to exist in storybooks.
Neverland is real. And so is Peter Pan.
He’s grown from boy to man, wielding a terrible power he uses to rule the island. When he senses Ava’s presence and sends his Lost Boys to collect her, a dashing captain with a silver hook for a hand comes to her defense. He offers her protection aboard his ship, and the help of his crew to find Belle before Peter and his Lost Boys do. But what he asks for in return might be more than she or her sister can possibly pay.
Belle once stole something invaluable from Peter Pan, something Hook and his crew need if they’re ever to escape the cursed island’s thrall. And despite their undeniable attraction, Hook will do anything to claim it before Pan can.
My review of this romantasy audiobook, The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond
The Last Lost Girl, is a new adult fantasy romance. I’d listened to The House of Eclipses Duology and thoroughly enjoyed the story and narration so didn’t hesitate to dive into this tale.
The main characters in The Last Lost Girl are Ava and Belle. The book is initially set in Savannah, Georgia and characters have a slight southern accent in the narration. Being from a town not far from Savannah, I found the voices comforting and fun to listen to. The book is excellently narrated.
Belle is haunted by shadows and her adoptive sister, Ava, tries to help her navigate the ever-growing hold on Belle’s psyche. One fateful night the shadows overpower Belle and she flies, with Ava in tow, to Neverland. Belle drops Ava on the shore, and she crawls onto the beach nearly dead from the fall. Alone and being hunted, Ava is “rescued” by Hook who she’s not sure to trust.
But Ava no longer has her shadow which means, like the others stuck in Neverland, she has no memories. Forced to cling to the only hope she has, Ava forms an alliance with Hook. But Pan, Peter Pan, wants Ava too.
I hadn’t read the book blurb before I started this book so was surprised that the book had a racy love scene. If you’re not a fan it can be easily skipped over.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series to find out how Ava will fare.
Although I’ve not recently read, or perhaps never read the entire book of Peter Pan, there were enough references filled in for me that I did not feel lost in this retelling. Curious, I have downloaded a narrated version of Peter Pan that I can’t wait to listen to.
The Last Lost Girl, and its narration, is definitely a 5* read/listen for me.
You can find The Last Lost Girl on Goodreads here.
Happy reading or happy listening!
Tricia Copeland
Tricia Copeland believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, a beautiful sunset, or a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Find all her titles from contemporary romance and fantasy, to dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.