Category: Paranormal Romance - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Cosy Creepiness

24/8/2023

Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson #13)
By Patricia Briggs

Wulfe, the unhinged vampire that has been stalking Mercy, has gone missing and now a creature worthy of a horror movie - quite literally - is slaying people with a slight magical bent with a scy - er, a sickle. Dealing with the Soul Taker is one thing. Figuring out how to dispose of a weapon that will only create another in its place when someone's hand touches it is quite another.

Despite not being a horror fan, I quite enjoyed the horror movie inspiration in this book and felt it paired well with the cosier domestic dramas flowing alongside it. Admittedly, the latter did dampen the tension a bit too much. But it's always nice to hang out with Mercy and Adam and perhaps I did need a book that didn't induce too much anxiety or despair.

20/80 Vision

7/6/2023

Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows #3)
by Kim Harrison

Rachel is being stalked by a demon who has made her his familiar, her boyfriend (also her familiar) has skipped town, she's pissed off one of her partners, and now she has to protect Trent (aka Not A Good Guy). She's also struggling to balance her feelings for a vampire with the dodgy stuff he's done in his life. She might come out of this mess in one piece, but will her soul remain untouched?

I really wasn't impressed with this book until the last 20%, which was brutal and epic and everything a climax should be. But I'm not sure it makes up for the crappy 80% that preceded it. The plot, if there was one, rambled aimlessly in unnecessary directions and Rachel's previous love interest just up and left. I mean, he's not a great character so it's no real loss, but that was a lazy and jarring decision. Still, that last 20%...

And no, this book isn't getting my "LGBTQIA+ representation" tag because it's so badly done.

Unbleugh My Heart

6/6/2023

Unending (The Fallen Guardians #5)
by Cassie Laelyn

Cole has been forced to watch his soulmate die over and over again throughout the centuries, their moments together few but worth the pain. Evie is now on her last incarnation. She has no memory of their past and he should leave her alone, like she wanted him to, but Evie isn't making it easy for him. And nor will she cease her pursuit of the book that could end everything, once and for all.

It's always fun to catch up with the Guardians and see what else Blaine (aka the Big Bad) seems to be cooking up. And hey, I have a weakness for cupcakes and immortals who consume cupcakes. However, this book didn't grip me as much as the previous titles - maybe I'm a bit fatigued of the series. It's also a bit creepy when a man refers to his lover, someone he's attracted to, as "baby girl". Bleugh.

Hot Damn

30/5/2023

Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1)
by Kat Kinney

Asher Heath is part fae and part human, gifted with extraordinary fire magic - but when he tried to fight one particularly large blaze, he failed and has been haunted by that day ever since. It doesn't help that suspicious fires keep following him. He's not the only one being hunted - Gwyn Drake is a dragon shifter with her own troubles. It's a good thing fire and dragons are an excellent combo.

Light My Pyre is a cosy small-town paranormal romance and this is an excellent combo itself. And I just love that title! I really enjoyed the mystery that Kinney gave us - and obviously my favourite character was Daisy the Wolfhound, who is such a scene stealer. But I was a little disappointed that we didn't really get to see Asher and Gwyn properly fall for each other.

Sometimes I Read Non-Star Wars Books

16/3/2023

Fae's Alpha (Fated Mates of the Fae Royals #3)
by Helen Walton

Briana heads to Earth against her father's wishes to assist her sister. But first she runs into Sledge - a strong, sexy Alpha who just happens to be her fated mate. Briana doesn't want to risk her heart again. Sledge will do anything to win her over - even promise not to touch her until she asks him to.

What's not to like about firefighter wolf shifters? Especially one who rescues koalas! Another enjoyable steamy PNR from Walton, with the added bonus of a slightly more intriguing plot than the previous two instalments.

Fae Twofer

21/2/2023

Fae's Song (Fated Mates of the Fae Royals #1)

Niamh is a Fae with the gift of an enchanting voice, but it is more curse than blessing. Men who hear her sing believe she is theirs. So when a Fae prince decides she is his mate, she is sure he must be mistaken. But what if he's right?

This was a sweet story that didn't take too long to read, so it was a good decision to pair it with my evening pot of tea. I did find the multiple - and lengthy! - time skips a bit jarring, however. For readers not looking for anything too complicated.

Fae's Wolf (Fated Mates of the Fae Royals #2)

Saoirse is a Fae princess forbidden from entering the world of humans, but it's the easiest way to scratch a persistent itch. A hot firefighter is exactly what the Fae ordered. A hot firefighter who wants to do a lot more than scratch that itch, on the other hand...

Whew, that was a steamy read. A marked improvement on the first book, partly because there were no time skips - and mostly because Arrow was a very loveable hero. It's also the perfect length to read in bed before lights out.

Timber Fall-ing in Love

28/12/2022

Awaken: Wolves of Timber Falls (Small Town Packs #3)
by Cassie Laelyn

An attack on Timber Falls leaves Layla tired of bloodshed and so when she finds a hunter, her enemy, badly wounded and practically on her doorstep, she does the unthinkable - she saves him. Wyatt's bloodlust should be uncontrollable around a shifter, but there's something different about Layla. Will it be enough to keep him from seeking a cure by slaying her father?

A steamy (and sweet!) enemies-to-lovers novella that kept me up past my bedtime - no doubt because it's my favourite instalment of the series by far. I was almost instantly in love with Layla and Wyatt and I was ready to protect them from everyone on all sides. xD An enjoyable read.

A Howling Good Time

26/12/2022

Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4)
by Kat Kinney

Brody Caldwell became the Alpha of his pack during his father's absence and is doing his damndest to protect everyone in his territory, human or otherwise - and he's also doing his damndest not to start something with London Blake. She lost her pack but she's still an Alpha. And Alphas aren't allowed to mate, so they absolutely CANNOT fall for each other...yep. No problems here. ;)

Definitely my favourite book of Kinney's so far. The overarching plot in this PNR series is one of the best I've come across and I'm always hankering for the next one. And yeah, I was hanging out for Brody's story because I just love Alphas and this was a two-for-one deal! London and Brody have such amazing chemistry. It's also nice to catch up with all the characters in this series...I'm rather fond of them all.

Team Bad Guy

9/4/2022

Untamed (The Fallen Guardians #4)
by Cassie Laelyn

Raine isn't complicated - she likes sharp, pointy things and she has a destiny fulfil (thanks, Fate!). Nothing is going to get in her way, certainly not a Fallen who's been on Team Bad Guy this whole time. Slater craves freedom but he needs a certain item to achieve this - a weapon forged by Raine and a weapon she wants back. But he can't let her get it...and he can't lose his heart to her either.

Whew, sparks were definitely flying in this one. Raine and Slater are quite the pair - and I'm a sucker for random cats in my romances lol. If you've read books from this series before, you'll get exactly what you're expecting. I am getting a bit of fatigue over the main story arc since it does move forward quite glacially, but this is still a fun enemies-to-lovers romp (bonus cat - did I mention the cat?).

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.