Blog Archives - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Austen-esque

31/1/2021

The Earl's Lady Geologist (The Lindfield Ladies Series #1)
by Alissa Baxter

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

Cassy Linfield is content with her chosen path in life - a spinsterhood spent discovering fossils at Lyme Regis. The arrival of Lord Rothbury is not only the catalyst for her being sent to London for her Season, but the catalyst for her heart to begin overruling her fears. Their mutual love of geology will soon not be the only thing they share.

This was a very pleasant read - the romance was sweet and comfortable and I was very interested in the geology side of things. I suppose it's unsurprising that a novel set predominantly in Lyme Regis would lean heavily on Austen references and even Austen's style, though at times I found it to be a bit too much. Fans of Persuasion will love it, however.

Side note - I deliberately read Persuasion for the first time while I was in Lyme Regis. This book brought back many fond memories.

Tasty Slow Burn

29/1/2021

Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen

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

Clancy is a small town girl who has always loved Heath, the man who preferred to travel the world for years instead of coming home. Heath has his reasons for staying away - and not just for his career as an artist. He can feel the promise of something more when he's near Clancy. But he knows he's not good enough for her. And besides, he's only in town to paint a mural and then he'll be gone once more. He's definitely not staying...

I adored this novel and the characters populating its pages. This is a sweet rural romance underpinned by delicious longing (mmm tasty slow burn) and words left unspoken - and to top it all off, there's a fascinating family mystery threading its way throughout the story. Rural romance can be quite crowded, but Alissa Callen has written a true gem here and any fan of the genre should check this one out.

Alice + Aaron = <3

21/1/2021

The Alice Equation (Laws of Love #1)
by Davina Stone

Aaron and Alice have been magnetised together ever since they met at university while Alice was having a panic attack. For Alice it was love at first sight. But for Aaron, Alice has been a solid friend for five years while he's gone through a string of casual flings. When he needs a stable girlfriend to land a job at an old-fashioned law firm, Alice is the perfect choice... for a bout of fake dating.

I loved this! The Alice Equation is delightfully steamy at times and hits all the right notes at all the right times. I really liked the side characters, including Alice's mother, who provided an interesting but relevant side plot for Alice. There's also some delicious drama floating about. I am honestly surprised this is a debut - it's really too good to be a first book. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next few.

Vampires and Superheroes oh my

16/1/2021

The Labyrinth Index (The Laundry Files #9)
by Charles Stross

The United Kingdom is currently being run by an elder god, but it seems things are worse across the pond because most people there have forgotten the President exists. Enter Mhari, a vampire(?) who is being sent with a bunch of her colleagues to see if they can't help out the stricken US of A. Very weird things happen. Cthulu is involved.

I never, in my life, expected to stumble across a book that was a chaotic merging of Doctor Who, James Bond and Lovecraft. But it's definitely the most entertaining book to have emerged from that bargain box I bought last year. I did find it a little too choppy though, since the scenes were all arranged out of order (which can be a fun literary device, but I am so very tired and that state of being isn't likely to change soon). Jim and Mhari were a delight. This whole thing felt like a fever dream. I do think I liked it, however.

Up to Scratch

8/1/2021

Starting from Scratch by Penelope Janu

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

Sapphie Brown found sanctuary in Horseshoe Hill as a troubled teen and is now the local school teacher, with dreams of buying a farmhouse. Her quiet life becomes abruptly complicated with the arrival of Matts Laaksonen, the man from a past Sapphie would have preferred to keep buried. Can she keep avoiding him - and her heart?

I'm warming up to these small town romances and the idyllic life inside them. I did enjoy Starting from Scratch, but I chose to read it before bed so I could relax and therefore found it difficult to muddle my way through unexpectedly science-heavy scenes. That aside, I found Sapphie's father to be a perfectly vile villain and I liked Matts (probably because I love Finland and could easily "hear" his accent). This was a nice, pleasant read. But maybe don't try to read it when you're tired!

Solid but Same-y

6/1/2021

The God Tattoo (Twilight Reign)
by Tom Lloyd

This is a collection of stories set in the Twilight Reign universe, dodging through genres including fantasy, crime drama and gothic horror.

Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the series or the author, this being yet another book from the fabled bargain box that I bought. I think this is a pretty solid collection, but I'm not tempted to try out the rest of the series - mostly because I am so very tried of fantasy novels set in a male-dominated society. Given the lack of decent female characters in his collection (and the way they were written), I don't think I would enjoy Lloyd's other books.

Post-Apocalypse Now

5/1/2021

Mara and Dann (Mara and Dann #1)
by Doris Lessing

Mara and Dann are taken from their family and are then rescued, but danger from those who know them better than they know themselves continues to stalk them throughout their lives and the great journey North. Marching at their heels is swift, cruel and unrelenting climate change. Thousands of years in the future, some things change - but most things stay the same.

What a fascinating book this was. At first I thought "oh dear, this was in that bargain box for reason", but then I got used to the style of writing - which befits the type of book this is. Part epic, part folktale, part philosophical (mostly about civilisation and human nature), part mystery, part love story, part adventure... it really transcends the post-apocalyptic genre. I don't think any other book I've read set in humanity's future is anywhere near this good or this thoughtful.

Gladiator: Scots Style

3/1/2021

Highland Defender (Scots and Swords #2)
by Kathryn Le Veque

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

Bane Morgan has hit rock bottom when a chance encounter with Lucia, a lady's maid, turns his life around. But with no way to pay the debt that keeps her shackled to an increasingly dangerous situation, Bane must enter the Ludus Caledonia and survive not only battles but the jealousy of Lucia's lady.

A gladiatorial arena in medieval Scotland? With our heroes pitted against other fighters as well as the obstacles between them and true love? What a fascinating premise! I love reading the same Scottish romance story over and over again, don't get me wrong, but this was such a refreshing take on the genre. I blitzed through this because I was just so keen to see how things would end. The pacing was pretty good too, allowing the relationship to develop realistically (despite the short timeframe).

Change is definitely a good thing here.

Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

2/1/2021

Second Stage Lensmen (Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

Kim Kinnison (often referred to as THE Lensman) just wants to settle down with his lady love, but first he must defeat Boskone through a variety of physical and mental force. Infiltration is his weapon. Getting married is his goal (well, among many things!).

It's hard to rate something like this, especially since this is the only Lensmen book I've managed to read so far. The series' impact on 20th century science fiction is undeniable. Kinnison is, to me, a very recognisable blueprint for many characters that came after him - and his adventures are so familiar as well. I usually have trouble reading older sci-fi titles, but this one was a nice surprise. The writing drew me in immediately, even in that opening recap of the previous goings-on. The part I enjoyed the most was Kinnison masquerading as a criminal with his own racket, in order to take out another racket (a la Britt Reid).

The flaws of this book primarily arise from its episodic nature (it was originally serialised) and the sexism of the time. But I'm honestly still quite impressed with it.