Alyce Caswell - Author
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Book Reviews

Blast from the Past

1/9/2021

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Artists Town (The Artist Books #1)
by Emma Baird

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Daisy isn't thrilled when her parents decide to swap the usual holiday in France for a small town in Scotland. But then she meets Katrina, the cool friend she's always wanted - and Kippy, the gorgeous older boy who makes her feel new things. Daisy doesn't want to leave. She's thrilled when her parents decide to move to the town permanently...but not every holiday can last forever.

I really enjoyed the 1990s setting, mostly because it's the era I grew up in and I've not seen many new books use it (yet!). This YA novel would have fit in perfectly back then. But does it fit in now? Mostly, yes. Though it can't quite decide if it's a book for teens or for adults who want to relive their teen years. That said, Artists Town is well written and hits all the right notes.
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Switcheroo

29/8/2021

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The Girl Who Swapped by Emma Baird

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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.
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Deck the Halls

27/8/2021

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

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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.
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Awfy Good Fun

24/8/2021

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

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​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.
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Runaway Bride

22/8/2021

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

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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!
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Och!

21/8/2021

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

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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.
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No Standing Stones Required

20/8/2021

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

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​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).
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    About

    ​Alyce Caswell, when she isn't drinking her way through a giant pot of tea, can be found dabbling in multiple genres and writing forms. She has self-published several titles in her space opera family saga, which is divided into two series: The Galactic Pantheon and The Pantheon War. Her most recent book is The Shadow of the Gods.

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  • Home
  • Books
    • The Galactic Pantheon >
      • The Tortured Wind
      • The Twisted Vine
      • The Flickering Flame
      • The Shifting Ice
      • The Whispering Grass
      • The Creeping Moss
      • The Galactic Pantheon Novellas
      • The Adventures of Grace Pendergast, Galactic Reporter
    • The Shadow of the Gods
    • Dealing with the Demon
    • Love and Lockdown
    • The Eyes of Charon
    • Sweet Delights
  • Other Works
  • Book Reviews
  • Get in Touch