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The Catch
John Dearborn, newly dumped, meets a handsome stranger named Vic. Vic is a little weird, but he’s a catch—sexy, sweet, and an animal in bed. If John didn’t know better, he’d think Vic were too good to be true.
And in fact, Vic has a secret: despite his impressive good looks, he’s normally gray-skinned, hairy, and four feet tall, just like every other fairy in the woods. But to catch John’s attention, Vic is masquerading as a human—temporarily. When the spell breaks, Vic turns into a fairy again, John freaks out, and their relationship shatters.
Vic can’t go back to sleeping in a dead tree and eating bugs; he needs his human body, and he needs John. He has one last chance to pick up the pieces and become a human man again. But now there’s a catch. Vic will only remain human if he can wring a commitment out of a hurt and wary John, and the spell will keep him from confessing his feelings. Instead Vic has to show John why they’re so good together, and he can think of only one way…
And in fact, Vic has a secret: despite his impressive good looks, he’s normally gray-skinned, hairy, and four feet tall, just like every other fairy in the woods. But to catch John’s attention, Vic is masquerading as a human—temporarily. When the spell breaks, Vic turns into a fairy again, John freaks out, and their relationship shatters.
Vic can’t go back to sleeping in a dead tree and eating bugs; he needs his human body, and he needs John. He has one last chance to pick up the pieces and become a human man again. But now there’s a catch. Vic will only remain human if he can wring a commitment out of a hurt and wary John, and the spell will keep him from confessing his feelings. Instead Vic has to show John why they’re so good together, and he can think of only one way…
139 pages, ebook
First published August 26, 2014
28 people want to read
About the author
Nessa Vincent
11 books6 followersDescended from circus artists, Nessa spent her early life traveling the US and Europe under the big top. When she got tired of lugging her books around with her, she settled in Texas, but she still never misses a chance to hang upside down on the monkey bars.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 25, 2014
This was a cute idea, and I have to say, it had a surprising bit of humor to it. I really enjoyed the style in which it was written, beginning with Vic's unique POV as a fairy in the wood. He was a-freaken-dorable! It was fairly light, and so even when the characters were in turmoil, I didn't get too emotionally invested. Which was actually sorta nice.
I did get annoyed with John at the initial reveal. Ignoring the fact that I would probably react the same way to finding out my lover was in fact 4 feet tall, grey, and had sharp teeth and claws. I was very disappointed in how superficial he was. Even at the HEA, they don't really talk about the fact that Vic needs to be human so they can live in the village together, etc. It's just assumed he needs to be human because, little grey guy, ick. I kinda wish John had had to grovel to fairy Vic a little, just to prove he could still love him even if he is ugly. (made me think of Altair, read this if you really want a book where love conquers all and looks don't matter)
And also, a certain secondary character pissed me off . Of course we warm to him in the end, but again with this dehumanizing (I know that's a stupid word in this case but it's the only thing that fits) of faeries, and really, all supernatural creatures. Pretty much locking someone into slavery for eternity really didn't seem to bother any of them.
Okay okay, I'm off my soap box about equal rights for all creatures great and small. This was a fun, light, and quick read. Solid 3 star with some good steam. P.S. Sequel please!
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
I did get annoyed with John at the initial reveal. Ignoring the fact that I would probably react the same way to finding out my lover was in fact 4 feet tall, grey, and had sharp teeth and claws. I was very disappointed in how superficial he was. Even at the HEA, they don't really talk about the fact that Vic needs to be human so they can live in the village together, etc. It's just assumed he needs to be human because, little grey guy, ick. I kinda wish John had had to grovel to fairy Vic a little, just to prove he could still love him even if he is ugly. (made me think of Altair, read this if you really want a book where love conquers all and looks don't matter)
And also, a certain secondary character pissed me off . Of course we warm to him in the end, but again with this dehumanizing (I know that's a stupid word in this case but it's the only thing that fits) of faeries, and really, all supernatural creatures. Pretty much locking someone into slavery for eternity really didn't seem to bother any of them.
Okay okay, I'm off my soap box about equal rights for all creatures great and small. This was a fun, light, and quick read. Solid 3 star with some good steam. P.S. Sequel please!
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
October 2, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
The Catch is a modern day fairy tale that puts a unique spin on what a fairy looks and acts like. These fairies ain’t your childhood Tinkerbell, that’s for sure.
John is your typical closet case. You know the type, the one where the entire world knows they are gay and yet they are in denial. What I found interesting about John is that he decides to just come out, be gay and end the hiding but, as the story progresses, we discover that he has had sex with men before, and I was baffled. This did not make sense based on what we had already learned about John.
The fairies were neat, yes neat. There was a whole new and interesting slant to them and their societal norms, which helped with the whole “love at first sight” thing, as well as Vic’s somewhat obsessive behavior. I would have to say that the fairies and the Warden were the best part of the story for those very reasons.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
The Catch is a modern day fairy tale that puts a unique spin on what a fairy looks and acts like. These fairies ain’t your childhood Tinkerbell, that’s for sure.
John is your typical closet case. You know the type, the one where the entire world knows they are gay and yet they are in denial. What I found interesting about John is that he decides to just come out, be gay and end the hiding but, as the story progresses, we discover that he has had sex with men before, and I was baffled. This did not make sense based on what we had already learned about John.
The fairies were neat, yes neat. There was a whole new and interesting slant to them and their societal norms, which helped with the whole “love at first sight” thing, as well as Vic’s somewhat obsessive behavior. I would have to say that the fairies and the Warden were the best part of the story for those very reasons.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
September 2, 2014
This didn't really work for me. I never felt the connection between the two MCs especially since the story moved so quickly. Cute idea, just not for me.
February 15, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
John has been soundly dumped by Kathie, his long-distance girlfriend of 18 months, and he can’t figure out what he did wrong. He had absolutely no clue she planned to end it or that she was even seeing anyone else. He’d even bought a ring when she talked about settling down, and he’d had it in his pocket that night with a vague plan of proposing. In fact, the entire relationship with Kathie had been an experiment that had gone so smoothly that until that moment, John had forgotten it was something he was just trying out. His boss, Merrick, seemed to have an answer, though.
After a ramble in Holmbush Wood downs with his dog Kimball, John catches the attention of a fairy named Vic. Vic becomes determined for John to be with him; however, John can’t see Vic in his fairy form. Vic tries all sorts of things — writing messages in flour on the floor, stealing things, leaving John’s laddie mags out all around the house… to no avail. And when John brings another man home after a date, Vic quickly ruins it. John is confused and a little frightened by the strange goings-on in his house; and Vic is anguished — how will he ever get the love of his life to see him?
This begins a convoluted quasi-Shakespearian tale of a fairy who believes in human love and desperately wants to become one — enough to leave his world behind. He makes a deal with Halym the Dragon, The Warden of Holmbush Woods. But there’s always a catch. He can become a human being, but he can’t give John his full name. To ensure this–if John ever speaks Vic’s full name, Vic will turn back into a fairy. Conversely, if Vic doesn’t tell John his full name, then John won’t know his true soul. And Vic wants that connection more than anything. Vic agrees to Halym’s conditions and voila! He’s a human–a very handsome human. Indeed, a catch!
Or at least John thinks so when he meets him on the streets of Chiddingfield. After they have a drink at the local pub, they end up at John’s house and have an amazing sexual encounter. Both are ecstatic at the connection; however, John is puzzled by Vic. He is very vague about where his home is and what he does for a living. It seems that it’s possible that he’s met someone who has less social skills than he does!
For Vic, operating in this new, strange world is scary and exciting. He doesn’t know what he is supposed to do or say, but he knows he can’t tell the truth because that would freak John out.
But when he meets John’s boss Merrick and recognizes him as the “Magician” that tried to bind his fairy magic to him years ago, he realizes that there is more to fear than John discovering who he is.
I just loved this story. You’ve got to suspend disbelief, first off. Second, even if you’re not a geek English major like me, if you love wordplay like puns and plays on words and double- and triple-entendres, this story will be a delight for you! These abound throughout the book. Last, and most importantly, this story is simply to amuse and delight. It won’t cure any disease and may not even make sense – it is a lighthearted wisp of a dream, a delicate meringue that will dissolve at the faintest whiff. It is to be savored for the enchantment it is. So if you’re grumpy and inclined to be pessimistic, then skip this. But if you want a clever story, layered with old classic tropes, iced with delightful new twists, and decorated with lots of clever wordplay on top, then this is a delicious story for you. Brava, Nessa Vincent!
John has been soundly dumped by Kathie, his long-distance girlfriend of 18 months, and he can’t figure out what he did wrong. He had absolutely no clue she planned to end it or that she was even seeing anyone else. He’d even bought a ring when she talked about settling down, and he’d had it in his pocket that night with a vague plan of proposing. In fact, the entire relationship with Kathie had been an experiment that had gone so smoothly that until that moment, John had forgotten it was something he was just trying out. His boss, Merrick, seemed to have an answer, though.
After a ramble in Holmbush Wood downs with his dog Kimball, John catches the attention of a fairy named Vic. Vic becomes determined for John to be with him; however, John can’t see Vic in his fairy form. Vic tries all sorts of things — writing messages in flour on the floor, stealing things, leaving John’s laddie mags out all around the house… to no avail. And when John brings another man home after a date, Vic quickly ruins it. John is confused and a little frightened by the strange goings-on in his house; and Vic is anguished — how will he ever get the love of his life to see him?
This begins a convoluted quasi-Shakespearian tale of a fairy who believes in human love and desperately wants to become one — enough to leave his world behind. He makes a deal with Halym the Dragon, The Warden of Holmbush Woods. But there’s always a catch. He can become a human being, but he can’t give John his full name. To ensure this–if John ever speaks Vic’s full name, Vic will turn back into a fairy. Conversely, if Vic doesn’t tell John his full name, then John won’t know his true soul. And Vic wants that connection more than anything. Vic agrees to Halym’s conditions and voila! He’s a human–a very handsome human. Indeed, a catch!
Or at least John thinks so when he meets him on the streets of Chiddingfield. After they have a drink at the local pub, they end up at John’s house and have an amazing sexual encounter. Both are ecstatic at the connection; however, John is puzzled by Vic. He is very vague about where his home is and what he does for a living. It seems that it’s possible that he’s met someone who has less social skills than he does!
For Vic, operating in this new, strange world is scary and exciting. He doesn’t know what he is supposed to do or say, but he knows he can’t tell the truth because that would freak John out.
But when he meets John’s boss Merrick and recognizes him as the “Magician” that tried to bind his fairy magic to him years ago, he realizes that there is more to fear than John discovering who he is.
I just loved this story. You’ve got to suspend disbelief, first off. Second, even if you’re not a geek English major like me, if you love wordplay like puns and plays on words and double- and triple-entendres, this story will be a delight for you! These abound throughout the book. Last, and most importantly, this story is simply to amuse and delight. It won’t cure any disease and may not even make sense – it is a lighthearted wisp of a dream, a delicate meringue that will dissolve at the faintest whiff. It is to be savored for the enchantment it is. So if you’re grumpy and inclined to be pessimistic, then skip this. But if you want a clever story, layered with old classic tropes, iced with delightful new twists, and decorated with lots of clever wordplay on top, then this is a delicious story for you. Brava, Nessa Vincent!
November 4, 2014
4.5/5 stars...
To say John Dearborn is unlucky in love would be an understatement. His boyfriend dumped him not long ago, only to be followed up by a seriously disastrous date. When he meets Vic, he's attracted, but wary. Vic is gorgeous, sexy and confident, and John cannot fathom what the man would want with a guy like him.
Vic, in actuality, is a 4 foot tall, grey skinned fairy that fell in love with John at first sight. He barters a deal with a dragon to become human and have just one night with John. While Vic's appearance may be deceiving, his soul is not. He opens up to John and the two truly get to know each other, but will the soul deep connection be strong enough for John to choose Vic after he learns the truth about who Vic really is?
This was just a short, sexy, fast, fun read! The bones of the story rooted in magic, the legends of the Fae and the conditions that circled around that were intriguing. And then the chemistry shared between John and Vic was pretty steamy, and then watching as John realized he loved Vic regardless of who or what he was, happy sigh. There was just a little hiccup for me with the character Merrick, he was sort of power hungry but then did a complete 180 and it confused me a little. But overall I enjoyed this short story very much. A must read for anyone that likes paranormal, fantasy or fairy stories.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
To say John Dearborn is unlucky in love would be an understatement. His boyfriend dumped him not long ago, only to be followed up by a seriously disastrous date. When he meets Vic, he's attracted, but wary. Vic is gorgeous, sexy and confident, and John cannot fathom what the man would want with a guy like him.
Vic, in actuality, is a 4 foot tall, grey skinned fairy that fell in love with John at first sight. He barters a deal with a dragon to become human and have just one night with John. While Vic's appearance may be deceiving, his soul is not. He opens up to John and the two truly get to know each other, but will the soul deep connection be strong enough for John to choose Vic after he learns the truth about who Vic really is?
This was just a short, sexy, fast, fun read! The bones of the story rooted in magic, the legends of the Fae and the conditions that circled around that were intriguing. And then the chemistry shared between John and Vic was pretty steamy, and then watching as John realized he loved Vic regardless of who or what he was, happy sigh. There was just a little hiccup for me with the character Merrick, he was sort of power hungry but then did a complete 180 and it confused me a little. But overall I enjoyed this short story very much. A must read for anyone that likes paranormal, fantasy or fairy stories.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
November 7, 2014
This was short and sweet and I actually enjoyed it far more than I expected.
Vic, the fairy, was just so adorable. I liked him right away. I genuinely felt bad for him when things started to go pear-shaped, which, kudos to the author for making me care about a character even though this was a short read.
John... I have mixed feelings about John. On one hand, his reaction upon finding out the gorgeous man he'd had steamy, hot sex with is really a four-foot tall, gray/brown skinned fairy was probably how most people would react in the same situation, but I still felt really bad for Vic that the love of his life probably wouldn't have been able to look beyond his physical appearance to love him.
I was also curious about how Vic would carve a life for himself as a human and wanted at least an epilogue... Ah well, at least this had a happy ending. And even though Merrick the Magician and Halym the Dragon were quite dickish for most of the book, they weren't so bad by the end. Actually, with the hints of attraction between them, I'd probably be interested in a sequel with those two as the main couple.
Vic, the fairy, was just so adorable. I liked him right away. I genuinely felt bad for him when things started to go pear-shaped, which, kudos to the author for making me care about a character even though this was a short read.
John... I have mixed feelings about John. On one hand, his reaction upon finding out the gorgeous man he'd had steamy, hot sex with is really a four-foot tall, gray/brown skinned fairy was probably how most people would react in the same situation, but I still felt really bad for Vic that the love of his life probably wouldn't have been able to look beyond his physical appearance to love him.
I was also curious about how Vic would carve a life for himself as a human and wanted at least an epilogue... Ah well, at least this had a happy ending. And even though Merrick the Magician and Halym the Dragon were quite dickish for most of the book, they weren't so bad by the end. Actually, with the hints of attraction between them, I'd probably be interested in a sequel with those two as the main couple.
October 9, 2014
Cute! I wasn't sold on the first chapter because reasons (). I stuck it out to chapter 2, however, and for reward, I got Vic. I loved Vic. he's adorable. The story was definitely on the lighter, fairy tale side, but the author makes it work very very well. once I got past the first few chapters, I even started to like john a lot, too. so definitely stick with. Hoping for a book 2 with
February 16, 2015
3.25 stars
March 27, 2016
Very meh, but I have this compulsion to read all the things in order, so I read this before proceeding to the next (hopefully better) book.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews