Blog Archives - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

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.

Not Sleepless in Not-Seattle

17/8/2020

Lonely in Longreach by Eva Scott

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

Do you believe in love at first sight? Sarah doesn't - but then she finds the dating profile of Lonely in Longreach and can't stop thinking about him. She has to meet Sam. The problem? Sam has no idea he has a dating profile. His son and a friend set it up to make sure he won't be lonely anymore. This might work brilliantly - or blow up in everyone's faces.

This is a delightful 21st-century Australian take on Sleepless in Seattle and I found myself feeling a little bereft at the end of this book, since I really became quite fond of the characters. Maddie and Levi are such a pair - and at times outshone the adults.

All in all, a fun bit of escapism. Your enjoyment will vary depending on how much you can tolerate teen shenanigans.

Cosy Spoof Lit

16/8/2020

Truth, Lies and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davison

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

Captain Ava Capp is a pilot with a man in (not quite) every port and a tragic backstory. When her past (and a murderer) comes back to haunt her, she'll have help from an ME called Dr Tom Baker (lol!). Ava's days of casual sex might be over - and possibly her life as well.

This cosy mystery/chick lit/spoof (I laughed at loud at some points, so if it's not a spoof then I consider it time well spent anyway!) was so unexpectedly fun and I had a blast reading it. Davidson combined many aspects that I enjoy about these sorts of books and blended it with humour and weirdness. Probably not a style I'd read often, but it sure put a smile on my face.

This Universe's Review

15/8/2020

Again Again by E. Lockhart

The Adelaides of various universes spend their summers walking dogs, creating a project that might save their grades, and encountering boys who may or may not remain in their lives.

Hmm. Do you ever read something that you know is clever and you really should appreciate it - and yet, you don't? I actually liked how this was laid out and the last part provided the pay-off I was looking for. But the story didn't grab me and I couldn't love it. A good idea let down by execution.

From Simmer to Boil

15/8/2020

On The Square (University Square Series #1)
by Brenda Murphy

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

Stung by an ex and the cancellation of her cooking show, Mai Li has come back to her hometown to restore her family's restaurant. She enlists the services of Dale Miller, a contractor who is adamant about never mixing business with pleasure. But the heat simmering between them is about to boil over.

I'll admit I expected something a little different based on the cover. Maybe a greater focus on the cooking and renovation aspects? But I got over my initial disappointment because this F/F romance has drama, miscommunications and delightfully steamy scenes (heat level 100000!). Dale's sons are strong secondary characters. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, but while the physical aspects of the relationship were really good, the emotional side was more "tell" than "show".

What I Like About This Book

13/8/2020

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Maisie Martin is being forced to keep a journal over the summer by a tyrannical teacher. What she'd rather do is spend summer the same way she always does: hanging out on the usual family holiday, pining away over Sebastian, running away from her problems and definitely not entering a beauty pageant.

Okay. All caps time. WHERE THE HELL WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER?

Well, obviously I couldn't obtain it through wibbly wobbly timey wimey means. But you know what I mean! Jenna Guillaume writes YA books that I can really relate to. Her characters feel like people I know in Real Life - and they all speak like people I know. But Guillaume's real strength is in how she tackles teen issues (eg. body image) without it feeling forced or heavy-handed. I really would have loved Maisie and learned a lot from her when I was younger.

And here I was thinking that nothing could best You Were Made For Me...

Finding a Free Novella

10/8/2020

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5)
by Colleen Hoover

Daniel meets his Cinderella in a dark storage closet, has a life-altering experience with her, and then spends his days thinking about the woman whose face and name are a mystery to him. But then Six comes into his life - for the second time.

I really shouldn't be so annoyed that a book I got for free had a massive preview of another book (40% of the entire ebook file) tacked on at the end, but I am. The novella itself was, for the most part, sweet and sensual. I liked Daniel and Six together, even though I wasn't wild about their actual story (the less said about the sudden and rushed bombshell, the better).