Tuesday Reviews: A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert

 

Once upon a time I was a girl who believed in love and happily ever afters.

Now the only thing I believe in is revenge. Unfortunately for me, there's only one man willing to help me. Hook. I should have known it wouldn't be out of the goodness of his heart. He doesn't have one.

No, Hook wants his ring on my finger and me on my knees before him—and he won't take no for an answer. I'm willing to pay any price in order to bring our mutual enemy down…even if it means I lose my soul in the bargain.

A Worthy Opponent is another dark, addictive entry in Katee Robert’s Wicked Villains series, and one of my favorites so far. This Peter Pan retelling flips the fairytale on its head, pairing Tink with Hook in a messy, passionate, and surprisingly heartfelt story about revenge, healing, and the kind of love that doesn’t look like a fairy tale.

Tink and Hook’s chemistry is immediate and electric. From the moment they meet, you can feel the tension between them—two people who have been through too much, both convinced they’re too damaged for something real. Hook’s combination of dominance and tenderness makes him one of the most compelling characters in the series, and I loved how Tink’s strength and confidence match his intensity perfectly. She’s fiery, self-assured, and unapologetically herself, and the way she owns her body and her choices is refreshing.

The story itself leans heavily into spice and kink, which is expected for this series, but it’s done with respect, communication, and consent. Hook being a “consent king” adds so much depth to their dynamic. The emotional development comes a little later in the story, but when it hits, it feels earned and satisfying. The author’s annotations throughout the ARC were also a nice touch, giving insight into her process and the emotional layers behind the scenes.

While I would have liked a bit more plot progression earlier on, the emotional payoff in the last part of the book makes up for it. The mix of revenge, vulnerability, and genuine affection between Tink and Hook hits all the right notes. Seeing cameos from other characters in the Wicked Villains world also adds to the fun—it feels like revisiting a wild, dark, and interconnected universe full of heat and heart.