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Tit for Tat #1
Tit for Tat (34)
Cold has never been so hot.
College sophomore Derek is busy working over his holiday break—but his shifts at the toy store are no hardship if they mean more opportunity to dream about the sexy new guy working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop. When his mother gifts him a bag of cookies, Derek regifts them to Flynn as an excuse to get to know him. Flynn has presents to offer as well, and soon they’re dating, with Derek finding out his comfort zone is bigger than he imagined.
But Flynn is hiding a secret—he’s really a winter fairy whose magic is bound to the season. He can't stay in the mortal realm, and Derek doesn't want to lose contact with his family. Can they find a way to hold on to each other when the snow and sugar plums melt away?
College sophomore Derek is busy working over his holiday break—but his shifts at the toy store are no hardship if they mean more opportunity to dream about the sexy new guy working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop. When his mother gifts him a bag of cookies, Derek regifts them to Flynn as an excuse to get to know him. Flynn has presents to offer as well, and soon they’re dating, with Derek finding out his comfort zone is bigger than he imagined.
But Flynn is hiding a secret—he’s really a winter fairy whose magic is bound to the season. He can't stay in the mortal realm, and Derek doesn't want to lose contact with his family. Can they find a way to hold on to each other when the snow and sugar plums melt away?
231 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 18, 2018
About the author
J.S. Harker
12 books31 followersJS HARKER loves stories. She was one of those kids who always had a book in her hands and spent many hours adventuring with her siblings. These days she wanders into her imaginary worlds and conjures up tales of magic, passion, and happily-ever-afters. She currently lives in the part of the Midwest that makes Tatooine look interesting by comparison (not that she’s ever obsessively thought about becoming a Jedi or anything).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 16, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was a sweet, low-angst fantasy read, one filled with fae life, Christmastime joy, and first loves.
When visiting from the feylands, Flynn, a winter fae, wants nothing more than to explore the human realm while he can, taking in new wonders and experiences, and enjoying every sugary treat he can get his hands on.
He doesn’t expect to give his heart away to a shy and endearing young human named Derek, who he meets while both working at the mall during the pre-Christmas rush, but give his heart away Flynn does, and with Derek, who gives his heart so readily in return, it’s so very easy to fall deeply in love and to start considering a life more permanently among the humans.
More new adult in nature than I was expecting, but not to its detriment, this blended the fantasy elements of the fae with the magic and joy of Christmas quite nicely.
I liked spending time with Flynn and Derek, both lovely characters in their own rights. I liked Flynn’s pure heart and his wonderment of all new things and experiences, and Derek, slightly shy and insecure to start, was a great match, always patient and open minded, which came in handy where Flynn and his fae secrets were concerned.
This was a charming little read and I look forward to exploring this fae/human world more in the already available sequels.
This was a sweet, low-angst fantasy read, one filled with fae life, Christmastime joy, and first loves.
When visiting from the feylands, Flynn, a winter fae, wants nothing more than to explore the human realm while he can, taking in new wonders and experiences, and enjoying every sugary treat he can get his hands on.
He doesn’t expect to give his heart away to a shy and endearing young human named Derek, who he meets while both working at the mall during the pre-Christmas rush, but give his heart away Flynn does, and with Derek, who gives his heart so readily in return, it’s so very easy to fall deeply in love and to start considering a life more permanently among the humans.
More new adult in nature than I was expecting, but not to its detriment, this blended the fantasy elements of the fae with the magic and joy of Christmas quite nicely.
I liked spending time with Flynn and Derek, both lovely characters in their own rights. I liked Flynn’s pure heart and his wonderment of all new things and experiences, and Derek, slightly shy and insecure to start, was a great match, always patient and open minded, which came in handy where Flynn and his fae secrets were concerned.
This was a charming little read and I look forward to exploring this fae/human world more in the already available sequels.
December 19, 2018
3 Hearts
A wintery Beyond story that was fluffy and cute!
Insecure, forever nice guy Derek, doesn't really have a confident bone in his body. Derek’s trying to move on from a bad break up and so terribly wants to approach the hot elf working across the mall at Santa’s Corner, but he knows he just doesn’t have the charm nor the looks to catch such a catch! However, Flynn isn’t your average guy. He’s actually a fairy secretly visiting the fascinating dangerous human world, and he sees something special in the shy Derek.
This was whimsical and sweet as these two get to know each other. Flynn is definitely a fish out of water, completely naive about humans but equally enchanted and wary. He’s literal to a fault which makes him quite an endearing character as he wins the heart of Derek and falls in love at the same time. Thing is, it’s not so easy for fairies to remain on this side of the veil indefinitely, and Flynn just might lose his magic should he choose to stay.
This definitely had strong NA vibes, featured a virgin, and contained some good dashes of newbie smexy thrown in.
Overall, easy enjoyable reading as it wrought out a seemingly impossible to achieve happy ending which of course, made me happy in turn!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
A wintery Beyond story that was fluffy and cute!
Insecure, forever nice guy Derek, doesn't really have a confident bone in his body. Derek’s trying to move on from a bad break up and so terribly wants to approach the hot elf working across the mall at Santa’s Corner, but he knows he just doesn’t have the charm nor the looks to catch such a catch! However, Flynn isn’t your average guy. He’s actually a fairy secretly visiting the fascinating dangerous human world, and he sees something special in the shy Derek.
This was whimsical and sweet as these two get to know each other. Flynn is definitely a fish out of water, completely naive about humans but equally enchanted and wary. He’s literal to a fault which makes him quite an endearing character as he wins the heart of Derek and falls in love at the same time. Thing is, it’s not so easy for fairies to remain on this side of the veil indefinitely, and Flynn just might lose his magic should he choose to stay.
This definitely had strong NA vibes, featured a virgin, and contained some good dashes of newbie smexy thrown in.
Overall, easy enjoyable reading as it wrought out a seemingly impossible to achieve happy ending which of course, made me happy in turn!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
November 6, 2018
This was sweet if kind of all over the place. I loved the first time/virgin thing, didn’t quite understand why Flynn was on Earth, thought the sugar fiending was hysterical and thought the workaround clever.
It was odd that everyone besides Flynn and Derek were assholes – including the fairy side kick, both families, and Derek’s co-workers. The only nice guy is the roommate.
All in all a fun holiday read.
3.5 stars
It was odd that everyone besides Flynn and Derek were assholes – including the fairy side kick, both families, and Derek’s co-workers. The only nice guy is the roommate.
All in all a fun holiday read.
3.5 stars
December 28, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Tit for Tat is a charming holiday romance complete with fudge and first times where two young men learn that — even though they’re not the strongest, fastest, or tallest — they deserve to be loved and that there’s a magic in loving someone and being loved in return. While it’s a little heavy on the sugar, there’s a bit of spice thrown in.
Derek has been saving himself for the right man. His ex boyfriend, Gregory, wasn’t that person, certainly not after he cheated on Derek. Somehow Gregory managed to keep all of their friends and his reputation while Derek, the one who was cheated on, was dumped by everyone. It’s left him feeling a little insecure. Fortunately, his mother plays cupid unknowingly as he uses her gift of cookies as a way to get to know Flynn.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Tit for Tat is a charming holiday romance complete with fudge and first times where two young men learn that — even though they’re not the strongest, fastest, or tallest — they deserve to be loved and that there’s a magic in loving someone and being loved in return. While it’s a little heavy on the sugar, there’s a bit of spice thrown in.
Derek has been saving himself for the right man. His ex boyfriend, Gregory, wasn’t that person, certainly not after he cheated on Derek. Somehow Gregory managed to keep all of their friends and his reputation while Derek, the one who was cheated on, was dumped by everyone. It’s left him feeling a little insecure. Fortunately, his mother plays cupid unknowingly as he uses her gift of cookies as a way to get to know Flynn.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
February 3, 2019
This is a story that initially looks deceptively contemporary, except it stars not just Derek, an insecure college student who is recovering from a breakup, but also Flynn, an out-of-this world winter fairy who is exploring the human world. As you can imagine, what with a shy human and a-not-very-knowledgeable fairy, their romance is filled with obstacles, interference from others, and threatened to end as soon as winter is over because that is when Flynn will have to leave. It’s a sweet tale with some charming moments and very tender loving, and the solution for dealing with their potential separation as soon as spring comes around is creative and very fitting.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 19, 2021
3.75 Stars
Enjoyable Christmas themed book.
I liked Derek. He is so shy at times and so very patient with Flynn and his never ending questions. He never made fun of him or laughed at him for his limited knowledge in things that he really should have known. He did get pushed around a little and it was nice to see him stand up for himself at times, but also the self reflection of missing his time with his mum baking was great to see.
Flynn was also an entertaining character. I liked the way the fairy world was set up. I can't wait to see where the author takes it.
The compromising that was done by the guys so they could spend their time together was well done. it showed both having a say and working together so they could both get what they needed.
I am assuming that the Greg in the next one is Gregory from this one so I'm interested to see how the author redeems him as he wasn't a likeable character in this one at all.
Good start to the series
*** ARC provided by GRR. This is my voluntary and honest review ***
Enjoyable Christmas themed book.
I liked Derek. He is so shy at times and so very patient with Flynn and his never ending questions. He never made fun of him or laughed at him for his limited knowledge in things that he really should have known. He did get pushed around a little and it was nice to see him stand up for himself at times, but also the self reflection of missing his time with his mum baking was great to see.
Flynn was also an entertaining character. I liked the way the fairy world was set up. I can't wait to see where the author takes it.
The compromising that was done by the guys so they could spend their time together was well done. it showed both having a say and working together so they could both get what they needed.
I am assuming that the Greg in the next one is Gregory from this one so I'm interested to see how the author redeems him as he wasn't a likeable character in this one at all.
Good start to the series
*** ARC provided by GRR. This is my voluntary and honest review ***
October 14, 2019
Tit for Tat (Tit for Tat #1) by J.S. Harker
★★★★☆
242 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Themes: Holiday, Contemporary, College, First Time, Age gap, Magic, Fantasy: Fae
I really enjoyed this one! I was lucky enough to have some extra money for books about a month ago, needed to round up the cost and discovered this, in paperback, for a few quid. Since J.S. Harker was a new-to-me author, I decided it was the perfect time to give them a shot.
I am not disappointed.
I love heartwarming Christmas stories, especially with a little fantasy thrown in. This one will be added to my list of favourites, to read every holiday. It is sweetness and spice, a little bit flirty and hot, and a whole lot adorable. There's an opposites attracts vibe, and a hint of age gap, due to Flynn being immortal and Derek being just nineteen. Add in lots of magic and romance, and it's a winner.
At first, I was intrigued by the title and how it would fit into the blurb provided. Once I realised that Flynn was Fae and anything given to him had to be reciprocated, I absolutely understood the concept and loved the idea. Because, as humans, we are constantly and inadvertently giving things to people, like a cup of coffee or a sweet or something – in this book – the Fae consider a gift. It was so adorable to see Flynn trying to figure out the cost of gifts and how to repay them to prevent a debt.
Derek was an utterly adorable character. Young, jaded from his past relationship, haunted by his ex hanging around every corner, and with some body self-confidence issues. He was quite strong when he didn't feel judged, and that was really nice to see. He had this inner strength that emerged whenever Flynn was around, and they truly did make each other better people. Not by changing each other, but by the subtle yet remarkable influence of being around each other. Flynn was sweet, loving and kind to Derek and that kind of positive attention boosted his self-confidence until he could really blossom and be himself. And, in turn, Derek's attention and the time he spent being patient with Flynn and his ignorance of the human world, helped him feel more capable of being himself, helped him open up and ask more questions. Flynn was always hungry to learn (and for sugar!) and Derek needed someone to love him honestly, without settling or adding conditions. They found that with each other, and that was beautiful to see.
So, why didn't I give it 5*? Well, the blurb makes it sound like Flynn's time in the human world is compromised, and that trying to figure out a way for them to remain together is a huge part of the plot. But it's really not. Derek doesn't find out about Flynn until 167 pages in. Even then, he didn't discover that Flynn would have to leave until about 200 pages. Which means they only had a short amount of pages to handle the problem, panic over it, and worry about losing each other. There was so little conflict that I almost wonder if it was necessary at all. I would have been just as happy with a fluffy romance as with this tagged on conflict at the end. I also didn't really understand the dynamics, because everyone in the world was an ass except Derek and Flynn. But, for being the asshole ex, Gregory wasn't as big a conflict as he could have been, either.
So, although I loved it, there was a bit of an imbalance. Seeing that the next book in the series is about Gregory makes me twitchy. There was so much emphasis in this book about him being a total twat that it's hard to imagine rooting for him to have his own romance. There was an attempt at redemption at the end, but not enough to convince me I'll ever like him as a main character. Hopefully I'm wrong, because I would love to enjoy both books equally.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm not sure anything has ever taken my breath away.” Flynn nipped at Derek's lips as he rolled on his side to face him. “We should keep trying.”
“Derek was beginning to believe Flynn was either a time-travelling foreigner or an alien sent to investigate the human race.”
★★★★☆
242 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Themes: Holiday, Contemporary, College, First Time, Age gap, Magic, Fantasy: Fae
I really enjoyed this one! I was lucky enough to have some extra money for books about a month ago, needed to round up the cost and discovered this, in paperback, for a few quid. Since J.S. Harker was a new-to-me author, I decided it was the perfect time to give them a shot.
I am not disappointed.
I love heartwarming Christmas stories, especially with a little fantasy thrown in. This one will be added to my list of favourites, to read every holiday. It is sweetness and spice, a little bit flirty and hot, and a whole lot adorable. There's an opposites attracts vibe, and a hint of age gap, due to Flynn being immortal and Derek being just nineteen. Add in lots of magic and romance, and it's a winner.
At first, I was intrigued by the title and how it would fit into the blurb provided. Once I realised that Flynn was Fae and anything given to him had to be reciprocated, I absolutely understood the concept and loved the idea. Because, as humans, we are constantly and inadvertently giving things to people, like a cup of coffee or a sweet or something – in this book – the Fae consider a gift. It was so adorable to see Flynn trying to figure out the cost of gifts and how to repay them to prevent a debt.
Derek was an utterly adorable character. Young, jaded from his past relationship, haunted by his ex hanging around every corner, and with some body self-confidence issues. He was quite strong when he didn't feel judged, and that was really nice to see. He had this inner strength that emerged whenever Flynn was around, and they truly did make each other better people. Not by changing each other, but by the subtle yet remarkable influence of being around each other. Flynn was sweet, loving and kind to Derek and that kind of positive attention boosted his self-confidence until he could really blossom and be himself. And, in turn, Derek's attention and the time he spent being patient with Flynn and his ignorance of the human world, helped him feel more capable of being himself, helped him open up and ask more questions. Flynn was always hungry to learn (and for sugar!) and Derek needed someone to love him honestly, without settling or adding conditions. They found that with each other, and that was beautiful to see.
So, why didn't I give it 5*? Well, the blurb makes it sound like Flynn's time in the human world is compromised, and that trying to figure out a way for them to remain together is a huge part of the plot. But it's really not. Derek doesn't find out about Flynn until 167 pages in. Even then, he didn't discover that Flynn would have to leave until about 200 pages. Which means they only had a short amount of pages to handle the problem, panic over it, and worry about losing each other. There was so little conflict that I almost wonder if it was necessary at all. I would have been just as happy with a fluffy romance as with this tagged on conflict at the end. I also didn't really understand the dynamics, because everyone in the world was an ass except Derek and Flynn. But, for being the asshole ex, Gregory wasn't as big a conflict as he could have been, either.
So, although I loved it, there was a bit of an imbalance. Seeing that the next book in the series is about Gregory makes me twitchy. There was so much emphasis in this book about him being a total twat that it's hard to imagine rooting for him to have his own romance. There was an attempt at redemption at the end, but not enough to convince me I'll ever like him as a main character. Hopefully I'm wrong, because I would love to enjoy both books equally.
~
Favourite Quotes
“I'm not sure anything has ever taken my breath away.” Flynn nipped at Derek's lips as he rolled on his side to face him. “We should keep trying.”
“Derek was beginning to believe Flynn was either a time-travelling foreigner or an alien sent to investigate the human race.”
February 2, 2020
This was a fluffy and sweet young love romance that just lost itself a little at the end in the quest to make a tense climax before the finish.
Much of the book focuses on Flynn and and Derek just falling for each other and working out a relationship. There are the little troubles like a jealous ex-boyfriend (jealous that Derek lands Flynn, not actually wanting Derek back), meeting the family, and working things out with school/work. On top ot it all was Flynn's little misunderstandings of the human world as he is a fairy and so many things are still new to him. There were a lot of annoyances in the rest of the characters, from how over the top and asshole Gregory is to the irksome feelings of Derek's family. But Gregory is just a young man who is egotistical and focused on being popular, not exactly a great guy but not evil incarnate either. Derek's family is a bit meddling and his mom overprotective, but they are malicious just trying to protect Derek in the wrong way. Even Flynn's family/friends are protective, with Lulu accusing Derek of being deceitful, are just drawing from their own experiences and trying to protect Flynn from pain and heartache. Of course all that Derek and Flynn see are people who are controlling and wrong, but it is also there to see the other side of what all of these characters are trying to do. This makes most of the tension and concern in the relationship come from very normal troubles, which was sweet and worked well in this relationship and story.
The best parts of the story come from what Flynn and Derek learn about themselves through each other. Derek matches so well to Flynn because he still believes a little bit in the magic of the world, but growing up is starting to beat that out of him. The course he is in for undergrad is not something he has passion for later in life but he has accepted his lot and what it will mean. Flynn reminds him that it is okay to dream and take some risk to pursue the things he really loves. Flynn has always been a bit apart from his people, interested in exploration and not flitting from one shiny thing to the next. Derek loves his interest in the world and fuels that passion, letting the two truly be themselves when together. It showed that they could really be something together and was by far the sweetest exploration of the book.
The over the top part comes from Flynn's fairy nature. A fairy can't stay full time in the human world because it keeps them from their magic and will slowly drive them mad. This fact becomes very evident near the end of the book and drives the two young men to find a way around it. While their actions were for love it just felt so.......over the top ridiculous to me. Largely from Derek. That bit of extra drama at the end kind of took away from the story and made the two seem a bit selfish after everything. But, what they were trying to achieve, being together but not losing everything, showed that they weren't selfish just a little oblivious at times. It was an unfortunate diversion but didn't diminish the story too badly.
Much of the book focuses on Flynn and and Derek just falling for each other and working out a relationship. There are the little troubles like a jealous ex-boyfriend (jealous that Derek lands Flynn, not actually wanting Derek back), meeting the family, and working things out with school/work. On top ot it all was Flynn's little misunderstandings of the human world as he is a fairy and so many things are still new to him. There were a lot of annoyances in the rest of the characters, from how over the top and asshole Gregory is to the irksome feelings of Derek's family. But Gregory is just a young man who is egotistical and focused on being popular, not exactly a great guy but not evil incarnate either. Derek's family is a bit meddling and his mom overprotective, but they are malicious just trying to protect Derek in the wrong way. Even Flynn's family/friends are protective, with Lulu accusing Derek of being deceitful, are just drawing from their own experiences and trying to protect Flynn from pain and heartache. Of course all that Derek and Flynn see are people who are controlling and wrong, but it is also there to see the other side of what all of these characters are trying to do. This makes most of the tension and concern in the relationship come from very normal troubles, which was sweet and worked well in this relationship and story.
The best parts of the story come from what Flynn and Derek learn about themselves through each other. Derek matches so well to Flynn because he still believes a little bit in the magic of the world, but growing up is starting to beat that out of him. The course he is in for undergrad is not something he has passion for later in life but he has accepted his lot and what it will mean. Flynn reminds him that it is okay to dream and take some risk to pursue the things he really loves. Flynn has always been a bit apart from his people, interested in exploration and not flitting from one shiny thing to the next. Derek loves his interest in the world and fuels that passion, letting the two truly be themselves when together. It showed that they could really be something together and was by far the sweetest exploration of the book.
The over the top part comes from Flynn's fairy nature. A fairy can't stay full time in the human world because it keeps them from their magic and will slowly drive them mad. This fact becomes very evident near the end of the book and drives the two young men to find a way around it. While their actions were for love it just felt so.......over the top ridiculous to me. Largely from Derek. That bit of extra drama at the end kind of took away from the story and made the two seem a bit selfish after everything. But, what they were trying to achieve, being together but not losing everything, showed that they weren't selfish just a little oblivious at times. It was an unfortunate diversion but didn't diminish the story too badly.
November 12, 2023
Holiday Cheer Meter: 3/5
(Where 1 is about as Christmassy as 'Die Hard' and 5 is more like 'Elf')
Human, Derek (19), and Winter Fae, Flynn (young for a fae), meet each other at the mall during Christmas and fall in love after a whirlwind courtship. The catch, Flynn's magic will start to fade with the season and he's not sure Derek believes in magic enough for their love to survive.
Okay, I really, really, really liked this book. My heart wants to give it five stars but there are some rather big plot deficiencies that would objectively keep it from being a five-star read. I loved Flynn's sweet, wide-eyes innocence at the human realm, he was a real fish out of water with idioms, and had some pretty big knowledge gaps, which was entertaining. My favourite quick of his was his love of sweets and especially his obsession with sugar, eating it by the packet at times - adorable! His ability to see Derek for the honourable, shy, cutie-pie he was was endearing and I loved how he kept falling behind by fae standards in the gift exchange department.
Derek's infatuation with Flynn was cute and as they became closer his desire to feed his sweet tooth was adorable. After a recent break-up from his first boyfriend, Gregory, who also unfortunately works with Flynn, Derek lacks confidence but musters up the courage to strike up a conversation with Flynn and they begin an easy friendship that quickly becomes much more. Derek consuming the magic-infused candy canes was rather hilarious, and I loved the skating scene as well as the fudge-making scene. Just an all around sweet story - oh, the snowflakes! My heart!!!
I could have done without most of the secondary characters, they were all kind of downers and didn't really enrich the story. The only ones I really liked were Derek's manager/co-worker, his dorm roommate, and his sister. I was enjoying the fluffy chemistry between them so much though that it didn't even really matter. Like I said, this book just hit my Kindle when I was in the perfect mood for it and it checked all my boxes at the moment.
Plot Holes/Missed Opportunities:
(Where 1 is about as Christmassy as 'Die Hard' and 5 is more like 'Elf')
Human, Derek (19), and Winter Fae, Flynn (young for a fae), meet each other at the mall during Christmas and fall in love after a whirlwind courtship. The catch, Flynn's magic will start to fade with the season and he's not sure Derek believes in magic enough for their love to survive.
Okay, I really, really, really liked this book. My heart wants to give it five stars but there are some rather big plot deficiencies that would objectively keep it from being a five-star read. I loved Flynn's sweet, wide-eyes innocence at the human realm, he was a real fish out of water with idioms, and had some pretty big knowledge gaps, which was entertaining. My favourite quick of his was his love of sweets and especially his obsession with sugar, eating it by the packet at times - adorable! His ability to see Derek for the honourable, shy, cutie-pie he was was endearing and I loved how he kept falling behind by fae standards in the gift exchange department.
Derek's infatuation with Flynn was cute and as they became closer his desire to feed his sweet tooth was adorable. After a recent break-up from his first boyfriend, Gregory, who also unfortunately works with Flynn, Derek lacks confidence but musters up the courage to strike up a conversation with Flynn and they begin an easy friendship that quickly becomes much more. Derek consuming the magic-infused candy canes was rather hilarious, and I loved the skating scene as well as the fudge-making scene. Just an all around sweet story - oh, the snowflakes! My heart!!!
I could have done without most of the secondary characters, they were all kind of downers and didn't really enrich the story. The only ones I really liked were Derek's manager/co-worker, his dorm roommate, and his sister. I was enjoying the fluffy chemistry between them so much though that it didn't even really matter. Like I said, this book just hit my Kindle when I was in the perfect mood for it and it checked all my boxes at the moment.
Plot Holes/Missed Opportunities:
May 25, 2021
Rating: 3 / 5
Steam: 3 / 5
It was enjoyable, pretty, and messy. I was expecting more for this story, I am not sure why. I mean, JS Harker is a new author to me and the blurb was interesting. I just think it could have been more and didn't reach its full potential. It was cute and fluffy and pretty but there was something missing and don't know what it is.
I am usually the first to jump when there's anything supernatural, tbh. But I can't understand, for the life of me, why the fairy or fae stories that have so much potential, can fall flat at times. It saddens me.
Now, onto our MCs. Derek is the overly shy and self-conscious guy that has zero to no confidence and it's trying to piece himself back together after a bad breakup. Flynn, our fairy, is fascinated and intrigued by our shy Derek. Flynn is charmed by the humans altogether, but he's somewhat naive and despite his wariness, he embarks on earning the heart of our shy Derek. In a very witty way, he's quite the character and it was lovely to watch him pursue Derek.
These are the highlights for me; good and bad and meh.
- BAD: It fell flat despite all the pretty nuances.
- GOOD: Derek and the endearing way he pursues Derek.
- MEH: Everyone being an asshole.
POV: Dual First Person
Standalone or Series: Standalone - 1st Book in Tit for Tat Series
Buy Links: Amazon
Would Recommend? Hmmm not sure, tbh.
** ARC RECEIVED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS (GRR) FOR AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW **
If you liked my review and wouldn't mind a longer review in a blog, please consider supporting with a cup of coffee or just a Ko-Fi
Laura M.
Steam: 3 / 5
It was enjoyable, pretty, and messy. I was expecting more for this story, I am not sure why. I mean, JS Harker is a new author to me and the blurb was interesting. I just think it could have been more and didn't reach its full potential. It was cute and fluffy and pretty but there was something missing and don't know what it is.
I am usually the first to jump when there's anything supernatural, tbh. But I can't understand, for the life of me, why the fairy or fae stories that have so much potential, can fall flat at times. It saddens me.
Now, onto our MCs. Derek is the overly shy and self-conscious guy that has zero to no confidence and it's trying to piece himself back together after a bad breakup. Flynn, our fairy, is fascinated and intrigued by our shy Derek. Flynn is charmed by the humans altogether, but he's somewhat naive and despite his wariness, he embarks on earning the heart of our shy Derek. In a very witty way, he's quite the character and it was lovely to watch him pursue Derek.
These are the highlights for me; good and bad and meh.
- BAD: It fell flat despite all the pretty nuances.
- GOOD: Derek and the endearing way he pursues Derek.
- MEH: Everyone being an asshole.
POV: Dual First Person
Standalone or Series: Standalone - 1st Book in Tit for Tat Series
Buy Links: Amazon
Would Recommend? Hmmm not sure, tbh.
** ARC RECEIVED BY GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS (GRR) FOR AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW **
If you liked my review and wouldn't mind a longer review in a blog, please consider supporting with a cup of coffee or just a Ko-Fi
Laura M.
May 16, 2021
Derek is working in a toy store during the Christmas season while going to college. He recently had a bad break-up with his ex who he caught cheating. His ex made everything seem to be Derek's fault even though he is the one who cheated. Working in the toy store near the Winter Wonderland display is both good and bad. His ex works there but so does Flynn the hottie "elf" that Derek is trying to find the courage to approach. When Derek finally gathers the courage to speak to Flynn it is the start of a beautifully sweet relationship. Derek really like Flynn even though he often acts like he is clueless about life today.
Flynn is a winter fairy who sneaked to the human world to learn more about humans. Queen Mab doesn't want her fairies to get close to humans because they are deceitful and can hurt the fairy. Flynn feels like fairies should keep informed of the human world just as a matter of self-protection. Flynn goes to Wisconson and works in the Winter Wonderland there to learn more. He brings Lulu a little fairy who has experience in the human world. Flynn loves lots off things about the human world especially anything with sugar. He is attracted to the shy man in the toy store and agrees to go out on a date with him especially after he is given a bag of cookies. The more time Flynn spends with Derek, the more he falls in love. He is having a hard time keeping his secrets when he just wants to tell Derek the truth.
This is a sweet and fun book. I voluntarily received a copy of this story in return for an honest review.
Flynn is a winter fairy who sneaked to the human world to learn more about humans. Queen Mab doesn't want her fairies to get close to humans because they are deceitful and can hurt the fairy. Flynn feels like fairies should keep informed of the human world just as a matter of self-protection. Flynn goes to Wisconson and works in the Winter Wonderland there to learn more. He brings Lulu a little fairy who has experience in the human world. Flynn loves lots off things about the human world especially anything with sugar. He is attracted to the shy man in the toy store and agrees to go out on a date with him especially after he is given a bag of cookies. The more time Flynn spends with Derek, the more he falls in love. He is having a hard time keeping his secrets when he just wants to tell Derek the truth.
This is a sweet and fun book. I voluntarily received a copy of this story in return for an honest review.
May 11, 2021
Derek is working in a toy store for Christmas. While it would be a tough to work and go to college, watching the sexy elf in Santa’s Workshop makes it all worthwhile. To get to know him, he gives his sexy elf, Flynn, the cookies his mother gave him. Flynn give him some gifts as well and soon the two are dating. Flynn is, in reality, a fairy – a winter fairy whose wellbeing is tied to the season. He cannot stay in the mortal realm for long but Derek and Flynn know they have something special and do not want to give up on finding a way to be together.
Derek was an amazing hero. When he found out what Flynn was, he had no problems (except to find a way to be together). Flynn was perfect for him. The love the two have shone from the pages and that is what helped them work to find a way to be together. J.S. Harker has created a wonderful version of this world, populated with it with incredible heroes, and allowed us the pleasure of visiting. I look forward to more delicious stories set in this world.
Derek was an amazing hero. When he found out what Flynn was, he had no problems (except to find a way to be together). Flynn was perfect for him. The love the two have shone from the pages and that is what helped them work to find a way to be together. J.S. Harker has created a wonderful version of this world, populated with it with incredible heroes, and allowed us the pleasure of visiting. I look forward to more delicious stories set in this world.
June 25, 2021
This is a story that initially looks deceptively contemporary, except it stars not just Derek, an insecure college student who is recovering from a breakup, but also Flynn, an out-of-this world winter fairy who is exploring the human world. As you can imagine, what with a shy human and a-not-very-knowledgeable fairy, their romance is filled with obstacles, interference from others, and threatened to end as soon as winter is over because that is when Flynn will have to leave. It’s a sweet tale with some charming moments and very tender loving, and the solution for dealing with their potential separation as soon as spring comes around is creative and very fitting.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 25, 2021
Derek is working at the mall at a toy store during the holidays. There is cute guy, Flynn, working in the Santa's village display that has caught his eye. His ex Gregory is also working there and since Gregory cheated on him that makes coming to work either pleasant or moody. Derek finally works up the nerve to talk to Flynn and they connect. Derek needs something positive in his life, some magic. Which, although he does not know it at first, Flynn is. Flynn is visiting earth from his realm because he is curious about earth. They are adorable together and as they fall for one another the fact that Flynn is a winter fey means that his time on earth is limited. Will they find a way to make it last past the winter?
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review
May 26, 2021
If you love enough, there is always a solution. Derek recently got his heart broken by his cheating ex, Gregory. Sadly they work near each other, so avoiding him is not realiztic. Then Derek spots a cute guy he has to gather his courage to approach. Flynn is a winter fairie exploring the mortal world. They are immediately drawn together. The guys are complimentary drawing the best from each other. What happens after the holidays? Does Flynn's stay being temporary cause a problem? Can Flynn stay? Can Derek go to Flynn's world? Will he get to travel back? Will Derek stay mortal? Fun story. Lots of humorous situations that keep a smile on your face. Nicely done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 13, 2021
ᐯᗴᖇY ᑕᑌTᗴ!!
Although there are a few things I really didn’t care for, overall it’s a really cute story!! Derek’s family is really kinda jerky; like major. Honestly, I would avoid going home too. And his little sister is a brat who needs positive attention and discipline. Seriously, 9 year olds shouldn’t act like that, her behavior was more befitting a 3 or 4 year old.
I really enjoy the slow build up to Derek & Flynn’s relationship, but got a little nervous when there was less than an hour left in the story and we hadn’t hit the arc yet!! I anticipated a rushed ending, but it wasn’t at all. Quite perfect in fact.
Although there are a few things I really didn’t care for, overall it’s a really cute story!! Derek’s family is really kinda jerky; like major. Honestly, I would avoid going home too. And his little sister is a brat who needs positive attention and discipline. Seriously, 9 year olds shouldn’t act like that, her behavior was more befitting a 3 or 4 year old.
I really enjoy the slow build up to Derek & Flynn’s relationship, but got a little nervous when there was less than an hour left in the story and we hadn’t hit the arc yet!! I anticipated a rushed ending, but it wasn’t at all. Quite perfect in fact.
May 20, 2021
This is a really sweet book. Derrick is a human dealing with his first breakup and working retail during the holidays and Flynn is a fey who’s escaped his realm to ease his curiosity about the human world.
Derrick is a sweet and gentle soul. He’s young and seems to have lost himself to settling for a course of study rather than going for his desires. Flynn challenges him, his way of thinking and their relationship progresses through a series of dates that seem to include a ton of sugar for Flynn.
There isn’t much heat, but still a sweet story with a sweet hea.
Derrick is a sweet and gentle soul. He’s young and seems to have lost himself to settling for a course of study rather than going for his desires. Flynn challenges him, his way of thinking and their relationship progresses through a series of dates that seem to include a ton of sugar for Flynn.
There isn’t much heat, but still a sweet story with a sweet hea.
May 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this.
This new to me author definitely caught my interest. They have a unique writing style that I’m going to want more of. What I especially liked was that even though this was a fantasy work there was such realism to it. The situations, thoughts, reactions, and solutions were well thought out and the characters had to work for what they wanted. They got their HEA but it wasn’t a magical fix. And what you thought would be the climax was actually more of a learning situation. I found it to be a very fascinating read.
This new to me author definitely caught my interest. They have a unique writing style that I’m going to want more of. What I especially liked was that even though this was a fantasy work there was such realism to it. The situations, thoughts, reactions, and solutions were well thought out and the characters had to work for what they wanted. They got their HEA but it wasn’t a magical fix. And what you thought would be the climax was actually more of a learning situation. I found it to be a very fascinating read.
June 8, 2021
Oh the magic of winter..
I am not really a fan of cold, but snow can be pretty and Christmas season is always special. This book brought back all the warm winter feelings and wonders. It was very fluffy and cute, centered about magic and wonders, with the strongest magic of all being love. I quite enjoyed this feel-good story about a human and fairy falling in love and beating the odds to be together.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the GRR for an honest review**
I am not really a fan of cold, but snow can be pretty and Christmas season is always special. This book brought back all the warm winter feelings and wonders. It was very fluffy and cute, centered about magic and wonders, with the strongest magic of all being love. I quite enjoyed this feel-good story about a human and fairy falling in love and beating the odds to be together.
**I was provided an ARC of this book from the GRR for an honest review**
January 23, 2019
I really enjoyed this story, it adds just the right amount of holiday magic to a fairytale romance story. It was a lot of fun watching Flynn try to get used to how the human world works, a supernatural out of their element is definitely a favorite story element of mine and this book executes it perfectly. The world may be very different from the author's first story, but it's wonderful in its own right and I hope we can revisit it sometime!
April 30, 2021
The winter fey
Nice little story about a human and the winter fey he falls in love with. Derek is a college student, unlucky in relationships and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He is enchanted with the young man who works at the Santa Workshop in the mall as an elf. Little does he know Flynn isn’t human at all. Cute tale about finding true love and figuring out how to make it actually work.
Nice little story about a human and the winter fey he falls in love with. Derek is a college student, unlucky in relationships and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He is enchanted with the young man who works at the Santa Workshop in the mall as an elf. Little does he know Flynn isn’t human at all. Cute tale about finding true love and figuring out how to make it actually work.
May 18, 2021
This author was new to me! I enjoyed reading all three books in this series! Derek and Flynn were adorable together. There were some very interesting parts and things didn't happen quickly for them. There were some twist and turns and some unpredictable parts which is always great to have in any book. I enjoyed getting to know Derrek and Flynn and I was excited to read book two. I read an advanced copy of this book and this is my unbiased review!
May 19, 2021
I enjoyed this sweet cute story about a winter fairy and a shy boy working at the mall. These two were adorable and I loved the gift-giving. They meet, date, and fall in love, but what will happen when winter is over? As a winter fairy, Flynn will lose his magic if he stays in the human world. Will these two find a way to be together always? Warm, fell-good story.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
May 25, 2021
Just turned my air conditioning on for the first time and here came a wonderful Christmas romance. Perfect timing to help with chilling. I loved the set up here with Derek and Flynn working in the toy store and Santa's workshop and shooting heart eyes at each other. The sweetness continued with Derek's cookies and Flynn's reciprocal gifts. I couldn't wait to see how the author would get the HEA considering Flynn's real identity, but it was perfect.
May 30, 2021
Cute and fluffy sweet read. Unsure boy sees handsome boy across a crowded mall. Boy doesn't think he is worthy of meeting his flame. All in all this is a quick and cute read. This was my first JS Harker book and I will read others. Both main characters were likable even though one was a fairy from somewhere... Enjoy.
I received an ARC of Tit for Tat from Gay Romance Reviews but it in no way influenced my honest review and opinion.
I received an ARC of Tit for Tat from Gay Romance Reviews but it in no way influenced my honest review and opinion.
May 31, 2021
Derek is working in a toy store during the Christmas season while going to college. He recently had a bad break up with his cheating ex. Flynn is a winter fairy who went to the human world to learn more about them. Nice story about a human and the fairy he falls in love with. Cute tale about finding true love and figuring out how to make it work.
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
June 6, 2021
Flynn and Derek are really adorable. I love Flynn, he is such a sweet being. I really loved watching Flynn and Derek fall for each other and I really hated Derek's ex. The characters were so easy to get to know and to care about. I really liked all of the scenes with Derek and Flynn. There was a lot of great plot points in here and I really like this world. I am excited that there at least 2 more in the series and look forward to reading them. I would definitely recommend this book.
May 6, 2021
The blurb says it all just know had loveable characters and an ex who wasn’t pleasant, sweet fuzzy moments and heartwarming it was easy to like Derek and Flynn.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I definitely recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I definitely recommend this book.
May 8, 2021
This one was good also! I love the Christmas season so this fit right in. Found it interesting thinking about living in winter. Giving it all up to follow winter around the globe was an interesting concept for the two characters. Four stars!
I received this ARC from GRR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received this ARC from GRR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 3, 2021
A well written character will draw me in every time. Derek has very little self confidence thanks to his ex and Flynn is so adorably naïve. There is a slow build but the characters are well written and their story is although kind of predictable, well worth reading. The secondary characters all do their part to add to this book. “I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.”
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