Blog Archives - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

From Timber to Cedar

26/1/2022

Reclaim (Small Town Packs #2)
by Cassie Laelyn

Brax left Cedar Valley when he failed as an Alpha and he has no intention of going back. But a mysterious text message about the death of a pack member sends Kali after him and he can't refuse to help her - he can't refuse her. Kali has had her heart broken by Brax before. He might be able to save her life, but can he do it without breaking her heart all over again?

I really enjoyed this novella and quickly became attached to Kali and Brax. Sometimes novellas can lack important details, but this one didn't - it had all the action, sparks and sizzling angst that you can expect to find in a shifter romance. I'll admit that I like how the length meant that there wasn't time for too much drama. A great short read.

(Almost) Smooth Sailing

23/1/2022

Highland Lion (The Clan Sinclair Legacy #1)
by Celeste Barclay

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

Orkney is passing from Nordic to Scottish hands and Liam is there to accept it on behalf of his grandfather. He should be focused on reminding the Orcadians that he is one of them and not the plight of Elene, who faces a terrible future in Norway. Liam wants to save her, take her back to his home. But there's a lot of water between Orkney and Scotland. And Elene's pursuer is not giving up.

What I really liked about this was how natural the romance was - it didn't feel rushed or contrived. It flowed and felt real. And of course I loved the setting, because Orkney is fascinating on and off the page. I did find the POV shifts a bit startling (they occurred in between breaks and without warning) and there wasn't as much tension as I'd have liked. That said, this was a nice way to escape for a while.

Words are Magic

14/1/2022

The Book Boyfriend by Jeanna Louise Skinner

Betrayed and doubting her ability to write, Emmy takes over a bookshop after she inherits it from a friend. She doesn't expect to also inherit a magical book that has imprisoned a seriously hot guy for 500 years. Jonathan is sure that Emmy has the power to free him with her words. But Emmy doesn't believe in herself or her writing. It's hard enough to believe that Jonathan exists...

I certainly liked the idea of this book. A bookshop with magical secrets? Heck yeah. A female MC with schizophrenia who gets her HEA? Awesome! The story itself? Not bad...until the frankly OTT plot twist. I mean, it might have made more sense if it had been set up properly throughout the book. But it wasn't. The Book Boyfriend is a sweet, if somewhat unpolished, book that is let down by its ending.

Goldie and the Three Werebears

10/1/2022

Bared Magic (Woodland Curses #1)
by Sara R. Cleveland

Wynne is a siphon, which feels more like a curse than gift when people are chasing her so they can use her abilities. She finds shelter in a house belonging to three werebears...and so begins a familiar tale. Callum should feel more angry that Wynne used the sleeping spell he so desperately needed, but instead he feels the need to help and protect her. Will they be just right for each other?

So I definitely liked the retelling idea - and Cleveland built an interesting if barebones world around it. I do feel, however, that the shorter length did the story no favours. A bit more development between the leads would have been nice: either more time together or perhaps even opening the door on the sex scene. But I was still quite eager to see how it all ended. And what a lovely ending it was.

Her Way or the Highway

10/1/2022

Willful Widow (Lawless Ladies #2)
by Elise Marion

Effie is a widow who works herself ragged to look after the people in her care. Desperate, one night she robs a carriage and accidentally reveals herself to her mark. Griffin has grown bored with his comfortable life and finds himself intrigued by the woman who robbed him. Can he convince her to give up being a highwayman and accept a position as his mistress?

So this is the second time a book from the Lawless Ladies series has caused me to stay up way too late. Start one of these at night at your peril! I love the element of danger the highwayman concept introduces. Spinster Sister will always be my favourite, but Willful Widow is also excellent and I was Team Effie from the start. Griffin grew on me, which I didn't expect. Can't wait for the next instalment!

What's Past is Prologue

9/1/2022

A Governess of Unusual Experience (The Governess Bureau #5)
by Emily EK Murdoch

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

Rachel has lost 10 years of her memories after an illness. Luckily, she has been allowed back into the Governess Bureau and is given what should be an easy assignment. Timothy visits his sister in her time of grief, only to find that the woman he loved and lost is alive - and she's now his niece's governess! But she has no memory of him. And that might be for the best, because he betrayed her...

What a fascinating concept. I really enjoyed this, even if it did take a bit too long to get where it needed to go. And I'll admit that I was expecting a bit more danger, considering what Rachel and Timothy used to get up to, but I wasn't too disappointed in the end. The romance was certainly satisfying. The best part of this book, however? The supporting characters! They were fantastic.

A Catfish By Any Other Name

9/1/2022

Well Played (Well Met #2)
by Jen DeLuca

Stacey is desperate for some change in her life. She gave up her future to move back to Willow Creek after her mother became ill and she's been stuck in a holding pattern ever since. She did have a fun summer fling with Dex - he's only it for a romp, nothing serious. But then they start exchanging emails and he's suddenly the perfect man. Has he changed? Or is he someone else entirely?

I really can't get enough of Jen DeLuca's Renaissance Faire series! This time it was a case of mistaken identity (well, on one side) and it was resolved in a way I didn't expect - with maturity instead of shenanigans. I appreciated that. I also appreciate the fact that DeLuca's characters sound like real people - and I very quickly became fond of Stacey. The only problem is, I've finished all the available books! Now I have to wait for #4. AHHH!

Meet Me at the Faire

8/1/2022

Well Met (Well Met #1)
by Jen DeLuca

Emily moved to Willow Creek to help her sister out after a car accident. She's happy to help out with her niece, but unfortunately this means she has to volunteer at the local Renaissance Faire. So now she has to spend time with Simon, the English teacher who seems to hate her. But at the faire, he's a pirate with swagger and she might just be the bar wench he needs in his life.

I am so in love with the Renaissance Faire concept in this series. Well Met served up fake handfasting in place of fake dating and I enjoyed that quite a bit. I wish I'd started with this book, though it was nice to meet April at the start of her journey. Simon annoyed me sooo much at first, but DeLuca must have the magic touch because I was falling for him just as quickly as Emily was! And now I must begin the next book...

Past Raider

7/1/2022

The Making of Tomb Raider
by Daryl Baxter

I've near been much of a "gamer" per se, but Tomb Raider II came out when I was a child and it had a massive impact on me. I played it for hours. Lara Croft had - still has, in one form or another - massive appeal to just about everyone. To a young girl who was fed up with how female characters were portrayed in games, she was a revelation.

I've said it before, but here goes: video game history is one of my niche interests. I am also very fond of Lara. So obviously I was going to read this book! It was certainly a fascinating read, especially the audio side of things (My 2-year-old son's current favourite song? "Lara Plays in the Snow"). Some sections of the book resulted in "ohhhh!" moments, like the bits about Winston. He always scared me as much as the goons did and I'm glad I finally know why!

But ultimately, The Making of Tomb Raider doesn't stack up against the other oral histories I've read. Nostalgia only gets you so far. Baxter doesn't offer much analysis and the transition between prose and quotes didn't feel particularly smooth. I also feel like some things should have been expanded, like context (references to the Spice Girls aren't quite enough, I'm afraid). And yeah, it could have been edited at least once more.

Despite its faults, this book is essential reading for fans.

Come for the Kilt, Stay for the Plot

6/1/2022

Well Matched (Well Met #3)
by Jen DeLuca

April has been a single mother for nearly eighteen years and she has always planned to leave Willow Creek the moment her daughter graduates. But her plans may suddenly be in disarray - and all it took was agreeing to pretend to be the girlfriend of Mitch, the gym teacher who sometimes wears a kilt! But April knows she's not sticking around...this relationship has to stay fake. Right?

I really enjoyed this. DeLuca writes very genuine characters and it was such a relief to read about characters swearing, because I honestly can't relate to all those chick lit heroines who don't. Fake dating is, of course, one of my great weaknesses - I loved "watching" it all play out. Admittedly, I bought this book for the kilt on the cover, but I definitely wasn't disappointed by the lack of Scotsmen! I think I'll be checking out the other books in the series.