Alyce Caswell - Author - Book Reviews

Alyce Caswell - Author

Crazy Rich New Yorkers

30/9/2020

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

Lucie Churchill's sheltered life is shaken by an encounter with George Zao in Capri. She has spent years blissfully avoiding him - until he reappears in her life just after she becomes engaged to a man who cold seemingly give her everything. A retelling of A Room with a View.

I was taken in right at the start by Kwan's usual masterful blending of travel romance and comedy of manners - which I expected, given his previous books. But then of course the plot kept going and I lost interest. I'll admit I've never read the book this is based on, so I don't know who to blame for Lucie being extremely unlikeable. She got really nasty at one point. And I didn't see any love between her and George. It felt like they were strangers to each other, even at the end.

#TWINNING

28/9/2020

The Duplicate Bride by Ginny Baird

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hope's twin sister, Jackie, is getting married this week, but she's a wedding planner with another wedding to sort out first. She asks the unthinkable of Hope - take her place and pretend to be her, just until she arrives. It'll only be a day, tops! Hope knows it's all wrong, but she really wants her sister to be happy - and then she starts to fall for Brent and his family...

This was a fun and fresh take on the "marriage of convenience" trope (with twins thrown in for good measure!) and I enjoyed every minute of it. Brent and Hope were written well together, so clearly meant-to-be. You can throw characters together, but you've got to make sure they have chemistry - and boy, do they! I suppose the premise is slightly on the ridiculous side and sometimes I felt as frustrated as Hope as things continued to worsen for her. Still a great read, however.

Move Over, Max

27/9/2020

The Matriarch (Women of the Dust #1)
by Annabella McInnes

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yolanda is the Matriarch of the Horde, struggling alongside her people as they are denied water and sustenance. They are on the brink of annihilation when a disastrous battle sees Yolanda in charge of the fate of the new king of a rival nation. She could destroy him. Or she could save the Horde - if only she could allow herself to trust him.

A sexy, post-apocalyptic tale with a heroine who isn't reduced to the stereotypical "warrior woman"? Yes please! I absolutely loved everything about this book. The world-building felt natural, the relationship developed at just right pace, and the writing was superb. I'm an instant fan of this series - I can't wait to read the rest of it. A perfectly gritty sci-fi/romance.

The Holiday Version 2.0

20/9/2020

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe, Jules and Lucy are lifelong friends who are scattered across the globe (Australia, the US and the UK respectively) and have often travelled together. But they've always spent Christmas with their own families. This time, however, they've decided to swap locations for a change of scenery. Love can be found in many places, but this year it will be with a best friend's brother, a movie star and a hot winemaker...

As a huge fan of The Holiday, I was excited to get into this story, but perhaps my expectations were a little too high given the book's inspiration! That said, I think it would make for very pleasant reading over the holidays. These three women are interesting characters with interesting backgrounds, not cardboard cutouts.

However, the three storylines never quite meshed into a single cohesive plot for me - I think they might have worked better as separate novellas. There were some scenes I really wanted to see fleshed out more - or just see, given that they happened "off-screen". But this isn't a dealbreaker for me.

One thing I should flag is a line that appears in Jules' POV - the sentence is worded in such a way that it suggests that ace men are "boring". Being so near to the end of the book, it did leave a lingering impression (and not a good one). It's such a small thing, but still...

Gods Gone Wil - er, Just Gone

14/9/2020

Seer (The Titanomachy #1)
by S.E. Welsh

Chloe Santos was revealed as a Seer at the very moment she lost her sight. The horrific attempt on her life did not end it, but nor did it end the danger she's in. Someone is moving against the remaining Olympians and Chloe is thrown right into the middle of this plot. It's a good thing she finds her soulmate in a strong son of Ares.

I really dig the world-building in this book. Gods and mythology are my jam and Seer did not disappoint on that front. This was an easy, fun read that showed the ancient Greek gods in an interesting light. But I think this book could have been longer - the plot felt a bit rushed and the insta!love felt a bit like insta!lust. I was also hoping for less vanilla sexytimes, given the warning at the front lol

Some Things Come in Threes

5/9/2020

Bridge of Dreams (Ephemera #3)
by Anne Bishop

Ephemera is a living world that changes to suit the people inside it - and should you travel between parts of that world, you may find yourself in a place that resonates with your heart. Lee is a Bridge and can connect such places, but he begins closing himself off from his sister and the parts of Ephemera that belong to her after the events of Belladonna. A encounter with Wizards sends him to Vision, a place where his family can't reach him - and place where he is blinded and becomes a madman.

I'm going to be honest. The Ephemera books have always confused the heck out of me. I do my best to muddle along and am always glad that I did, because I enjoy the characters inhabiting that world. I loved the first two books. It's been a while since I read them, but they've stayed in my mind for years. I suppose Bridge of Dreams was never going to match up. Still a unique and fascinating fantasy story, just not as well rounded as Sebastian and Belladonna.

Hawaii Drift

29/8/2020

The Aftermath of Drifting Away by Audrey Beaudoin

Faye was so sure she was about to die when she asked Chris, a stranger, for her first kiss. There was no other reason she would ask. But after days of being adrift at sea, they were rescued - and now Faye has to live with the consequences. Including the fact that Chris isn't single!

I loved the premise for this one - there are many fictional romances that begin far away from reality and I always wonder what happens when the couples go back to their real lives. I really felt for Faye, who I honestly would have befriended myself, and she felt very real to me (even if some of the plot developments didn't). A sweet New Adult romance with writing that shows a lot of potential.

Alyce Caswell's Review!

28/8/2020

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sid Meier has had an undeniable impact on video games for four decades and his memoir traces an easy-to-follow line between each game he worked on, giving us an understanding of how they shaped his career. He is most known for his Civilization games.

One of my niche interests is video game history and I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. It will make sense to a layperson (no complex discussion of coding) and will intrigue someone who hasn't even played Meier's games (guilty - but I have played a LOT of games that I now realise were inspired by him in some way). Meier, unlike some memoirists I've encountered, takes ownership of his mistakes and is very frank - there are no fireworks here, only facts. I also think this is essential reading for devs who already know the "how" but need to know more about the "why" in creating video games.

Pure Magic

22/8/2020

Magic Lessons (prequel to Practical Magic)
by Alice Hoffman

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maria Owens enters the world with disadvantages - she has no identity, she is a woman, and she was born a witch. But there are advantages to being what she is, such as doing as you please and being able to discern one's fate. There are some fates Maria will gladly walk out to meet and other fates she will change, for better or worse. By the end of it, there will be a family curse to haunt her descendants.

I know that Alice Hoffman's works can be called magical realism, but I think they are simply magical. And this is book really is pure magic.

Hoffman deftly weaves together historical truths and fiction until you're convinced her version of events must be the real one, that Maria really did travel across the sea in search of a man who would give her diamonds. I really liked Practical Magic, but Magic Lessons is in a class of its own and I'm suddenly overcome with the need to make a pot of tea and drink it while observing the sunshine. I absolute adore this book. Definitely my favourite release of 2020 by far.

Witches Are Back, Back Again

18/8/2020

These Witches Don't Burn (These Witches Don't Burn #1)
by Isabel Sterling

Hannah is a real life witch living in Salem with her parents and the twelve other families that make up her coven. The most challenging things in her life are hiding her many secrets, trying not to get on the bad side of her grandmother, and dealing with an ex who just won't leave her alone. But her problems are about to get bigger. A LOT bigger.

I've read a lot of witchy teen books in my time - I grew up in the 1990s, after all. They're all very samey and unfortunately this one is no different, even if it did have queer representation. The typical 'incompetent adults' were especially incompetent, which I've always found a bit annoying. I think I'm willing to try the second book, since this was a decent enough way to pass the time.

About

Alyce Caswell, when she isn't buried in a book or drinking her way through a giant pot of tea, is a keen writer of science fiction and romance. She has published two novels and four novellas in her space opera family saga, The Galactic Pantheon Series.

Archives

August 2020
July 2020
June 2020

Categories