Blog Archives - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Not Just a Place of Cheese & Wine

31/8/2021

Daughter of the Hunter Valley by Paula J. Beavan

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

Madeleine has lost her mother and braved the seas to come to the hot, untamed Hunter Valley. Within a day of her arrival, she loses her father - and discovers that he has omitted many things in his letters home. There is no grand house. There is back-breaking work to be done, especially if she wants to hold onto her father's land and his dream. But help can come from unexpected places - and so can love.

A stunning debut novel - and I certainly hope it isn't Beavan's last. I stayed up way too late just to finish this, because I enjoyed the book so much (though now I wish I had savoured it a bit!). A lot of research went into this and it shows. The writing itself is superb and flows so well, which is part of the reason I couldn't put it down. I will admit that I was easily enthralled by the setting because my own ancestors arrived near the area at practically the same time as Madeleine!

Switcheroo

29/8/2021

The Girl Who Swapped by Emma Baird

Lottie and Josh aren't even out of their teens and are carefree students - so why did they just wake up in the bodies of two 40-something parents with children? Charlotte likes to keep her life in order, but now she's in the body of a young surfer and half a world away from her children. What is going on? And how do Lottie, Josh and Charlotte fix this mess they've found themselves in?

This book had an intriguing concept and a whole lot of potential - a pity that it wasn't fully realised. Some things really should have been fleshed out more, including the characters themselves. They seemed to be reduced to "young and tarty" and "old and boring". Still, there is some fun to be had in The Girl Who Swapped. And Baird's more recent books are much better, courtesy of experience.

Deck the Halls

27/8/2021

Highland Christmas (The Highland Books #5)
by Emma Baird

A family Christmas is always going to be stressful, but add in an ex-alcoholic father, a father reappearing after a lengthy absence, a father flying the coop when he realises his child isn't his, and a father with sad, secret news - then the stress becomes practically stratospheric! Gaby and Jack are so run off their feet with the pub that they haven't any presents for their daughter. Can this Christmas be merry at all?

So I'm writing this nearly a day after finishing the book because MY EMOTIONS. Baird made me love all these people and seeing them go through so much makes me want to hug them all (...even Zac). Evie and Tamar were a delight, especially in scenes together! And Dylan finally shed his cardboard cutout identity and became a well-rounded character. I'm sad that this seems to be the end, but also happy to see off Lochalshie and its people when they're in a relatively good place.

Awfy Good Fun

24/8/2021

Highland Chances (The Highland Books #4)
by Emma Baird

Times are changing in Lochalshie. It might've been easier if said times didn't occur when Gaby was pregnant and battling changes of her own at work! Gaby and Jack are run off their feet trying to keep a roof over their heads, as well as a roof over their favourite pub. But have they bitten off more than they can chew? And will The Lochside Welcome have to close its doors forever?

I just can't get enough of these books at the moment. The folks in Lochalshie are my friends and I would take a bullet for them. Okay, maybe not Zac. Ahem. Gaby and Jack's journey to parenthood was quite fun and I felt for them as chaos erupted. As always, there were moments where Baird made me chortle out loud. Prosecco and a loch in summer - need I say more? Okay, enough reviewing. I'm keen to get my nose into the next instalment of this runaway train.

Runaway Bride

22/8/2021

Highland Wedding (The Highland Books #3)
by Emma Baird

Gaby blurts out a proposal to Jack and of course he says yes. But soon she's saying yes to other things, like a job in London when she only has three months to get the wedding sorted, letting Jack's ex plan the whole thing, and going out with her new boss. Oops. All she and Jack have to do is get to December and say "I do"...but this runaway train might be a disaster waiting to happen.

Yay! An excellent sequel. I was a little worried after the last book, but those fears were unfounded. Gaby and Jack are like dear old friends (and just about everyone else who's popped up in this series so far - except Zac ha!) and I enjoyed their latest misadventures. Baird makes it so easy for you to slip into their lives, into the rhythm of Lochalshie, into a little pocket dimension where miscommunications and mistakes are the worst things that can happen. Now for the next one!

Och!

21/8/2021

Highland Heart (The Highland Books #2)
by Emma Baird

Katya has never had an instant connection with a man before and being with Dexter is incredibly exciting - if only he wasn't so geographically unavailable. Distance and miscommunications may prove fatal to their relationship. Or perhaps it will be the handsome newcomer Zac who finally drives that final wedge between?

Oooh I'm not sure about this one. Firstly, Katya just isn't Gaby and I couldn't connect to her (so that's more of a personal thing, I guess). Dexter being MIA so much meant that I never really saw him with Katya and thus I couldn't see how they'd ever work out as a couple. He also did something incredibly creepy - pretending to be someone else to Katya the whole time? WTF? And lastly, Mena... oh man. That really was a downer and I nearly DNFed.

I do love Lochalshie and its people and how Baird writes them, but I think I'll give this book a miss in future.

No Standing Stones Required

20/8/2021

Highland Fling (The Highland Books #1)
by Emma Baird

Gaby has just said goodbye to a ten-year relationship and needs a new place to stay - fast. She accepts a cat-sitting position in a remote town in the Scottish Highlands, immediately getting on the wrong foot with local Jack McAllan (who looks uncannily like a certain Outlander actor). Staying in the house of a dating guru might be a mistake...especially when Gaby can't keep away from said guru's ex.

This was a delightful, breezy romcom that transported me right to the place where I currently wish I was right now. And it was the kind of popcorn entertainment that I desperately needed. I am such a sucker for romances with misunderstandings, cats and Scotsmen. Okay, mostly Scotsmen...ahem. Gaby was fun. The town was instantly familiar and its people were a scream! I'm definitely going to check out the rest of the series on my Kobo (it's easier to read on that than on Wattpad, frankly).

An Unlikely, Unlikeable Hero

14/8/2021

The Formidable Heir (Diamonds in the Rough #6)
by Sophie Barnes

Simon Nugent is an unlikely hero, but he feels compelled to assist the daughter of a friend when he finds her in her brothel. Ida Strong's father was hung for a crime he didn't commit and now that she's resurfaced, her life is in danger. An earl is the only one who can help her - but every moment spent with him means risking her heart. Because she can never be his wife, only his mistress.

Bringing back a villainous suitor from one book and making him into the hero of another was simply too off-putting to me. Simon continued to be unlikeable, despite some character development that deal with his cowardliness. I did like Ida, though. And her quest to prove her father's innocence. But Simon was unfortunately in most scenes and I really wanted to throw a chamberpot at his head. I'll give Barnes props for what she tried to do here, but it's not for me.

Sin City

9/8/2021

The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #5)
by Sophie Barnes

Regina is desperate to escape a marriage to a mere boy and runs away in her wedding dress on the morning of her big day. She finds herself in St Giles, at the mercy of the streets - and Carlton Guthrie, a crime lord who offers her sanctuary, but out of the goodness of his heart. He wants revenge. Regina's father wronged him and he means to settle the score. Falling in love is out of the question.

I remember thinking "do I really want to see the Scoundrel of St Giles get his own story?" and the answer is a most emphatic yes! Easily my 2nd favourite book in the series (Blayne will always have my heart!). Carlton was perfect as the scoundrel with a heart of gold and I loved how his and Regina's relationship developed. Bonus intriguing subplot. And even if I hadn't already read Marcus' story, I would have felt for him. I could go on and on, but basically I freaking loved this book.

The Widow and the Rake

7/8/2021

The Infamous Duchess (Diamonds in the Rough #4)
by Sophie Barnes

Widow Viola Cartright shuns Society so they can't shun her for marrying an infirm and wealthy duke the day before his death. She has spent her fortune on building London's best hospital. But she might be about to lose it all when her wayward stepson returns to ruin her life. Henry Lowell wants to help her - and love her, if she'll have him - but he has his own reputation and she's been hurt before.

I was pretty much sold from the premise! I've had a soft spot for both Viola and Henry from the previous books, so I was delighted to see them in a story together. I thoroughly enjoyed The Infamous Duchess and the villain was so wonderfully detestable. I was so desperate to finish this book because I had to know how it all turned out! I look forward to completing this series, though I also dread it since I've enjoyed it so much...