分类: Romance - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Have Camera, Will Travel

2/6/2026

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

Katie barely arrives at her father's isolated Scottish home when he sends her off to hurricane-stricken Dominica, accompanied by Ranulph, her father's dishy neighbour. Katie and Ranulph need to locate a petroglyph of great cultural importance. But it won't be an easy journey. The island is in upheaval, a rival is trying to sabotage them and Ranulph doesn't return Katie's feelings. Or does he?

Katie Fforde's novels are always a pleasant dose of escapism and this one is no different. The Dominican setting is the real star here... admittedly at the detriment of the characters and the plot. Katie and Ranulph's relationship really didn't get the chance to develop properly and various other elements also felt unfinished. Still, it managed to be an enjoyable read at times.

Rom-Com Gore Core

3/4/2026

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

Jamie is a huge fan of slasher flicks and rom-coms. She's also convinced they are pretty much the same. Anyway, what are the odds that she'll end up in a situation that combines both? Pretty high, as it turns out. When she and her friend head to a speed dating event, they're catapulted right into the most horrific, romantic situation ever. Jamie must use her cinematic knowledge to survive the night.

If you're a Millennial movie fan like me, you will grin at all the references (yes, I too can quote much of While You Where Sleeping, like Jamie can) and find yourself having fun as you follow the formula that Thompson lays out for you. This is definitely an entertaining read. I won't say it's brilliant and despite not being a horror fan I figured things out early on, but it's a nice little diversion.

EDIT: Oh, alright. I might not be a horror fan but I have seen a fair few of these films and know how they work, because I have friends like Jamie lol

Bridgerton It Ain't

1/4/2026

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (Bevelstoke #1)
by Julia Quinn

Miranda Cheever has been in love with Turner (AKA Nigel Bevelstoke) ever since she was a child. How can she possibly have a London season with him at her side, especially as he just lost his (admittedly awful) wife? Not to mention that kiss! It's clear that proximity might be the undoing of them both. Miranda's heart is in as much danger as her virtue. Will Turner finally man up and speak his feelings?

Sometimes I forget that while Bridgerton might be wonderful, some of Quinn's books are not.

Turner is extremely unlikeable as a hero. He sexually assaults the heroine near the start of the book! He even uses the world "assault"! Then he is incredibly pushy, which made me anxious on Miranda's behalf. I cannot call what they had between them love or anything like it. I do not even know how their relations reacted to such a shotgun wedding, because we never get to see those moments. I will say, however, that the last chapters of the book are actually quite sweet (even if Turner is still bloody annoying as he sorts his shit out).

False Advertising Strikes Again

24/1/2026

Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop (The Wildest Dreams Bookshop #2)
by Gracie Page

Ivy was desperate to get out of Fox Bay and into art college, but her first term was a disaster. So she finds herself back home for the winter break, working in the Wildest Dreams Bookshop. Fox Bay can be pretty weird on its own, but the upstairs holidaymakers may even be weirder. Trip, one of said holidaymakers, is so infuriatingly optimistic. There's no way they can get along...or can they?

First of all, that's a very misleading title and it was so obviously an intentional ploy to hook a certain audience. I'm so tired of publishers pulling this shit. I seriously don't trust any of you anymore. Fast sales are apparently more important than building up reader loyalty... Ahem. Regardless, I enjoyed this sequel, which felt comfortably New Adult (unlike the first book, which had a weird vibe), and I connected with it on a personal level because I'd have related to Ivy if I was younger. It's a light, pleasantly entertaining read.

Remix and Repeat

22/1/2026

The Wildest Dreams Bookshop (The Wildest Dreams Bookshop #1)
by Gracie Page

Anna had her whole summer - and her whole future - mapped out, but she messed up her exams, her internship fell through and her boyfriend just dumped her. Now she's helping out her aunt in a bookshop in a small town in Cornwall, with the usual eccentric locals...and the so-called bad boy Jacob, who is unreliable and also not single. But maybe what Anna needs is a dash of the unexpected.

This is a fairly ordinary novel that wobbles uncomfortably on the fence between Young Adult and New Adult without actually managing to land in either camp (Anna's age is not the cause of this, I will point out). It also felt like the author gathered some recent trends and quickly weaved them together. The end result is a summer read that is a nice way to pass the time but is ultimately forgettable.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

17/1/2026

The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor #5)
by Lauria Gilmore

Annie Andrews has made her bakery business in Dream Harbour into a success. She's exactly where she wants to be. So why did Mac Sullivan have to come back into town and ruin everything? Mac knows he broke Annie's heart, but he was young and stupid. He's spent three years trying to get through to her. Will a wintry wedding be the perfect setting for a shot at a second chance?

This book had soooo much setup in the previous instalments in the series. It was going to have to deliver BIG TIME in order to appease readers and... it mostly did that for me. A dual timeline in a romance can be a tricky thing to handle, but Gilmore succeeded with apparent ease. And it was easy to be Team Annie... Mac I never really warmed too, possibly because I can hold grudges worse than Annie lol. I'd like to have known more about what convinced him that Dream Harbour was his future.

Disaster Heterosexuals

14/1/2026

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbour #4)
by Laurie Gilmore

Archer wants to be back in Paris, chasing Michelin stars - but he's just discovered that he's a father and Olive, his daughter, needs him in Dream Harbour. He takes over at the local diner and hires Iris as a nanny. Iris is something of a walking disaster when it comes to jobs and relationships. She barely knows anything about kids. But it's easy to fall in love with Olive...and maybe even her hot chef dad.

So I know that characters in books have to make bad decisions in order for the plot to be interesting, but wow...at times, I just couldn't think kindly of Archer and Iris. Other times, however, they were a delight together. I've always liked Regency romances involving governesses - I guess I could like the modern version too, if the characters weren't always this frustrating. Anyway, I was sighing happily by the time I reached that gorgeous ending.

Hallmark Spice

9/1/2026

The Christmas Tree Farm (Dream Harbor #3)
by Lauria Gilmore

Kira North wanted the homesteader life that influencers sold to her, so she bought a Christmas tree farm. But now she doesn't even have the money to keep the heat on. She'll have to tone down the grumpiness and - shudder - interact with the locals to sell her trees. Bennett Ellis is only in town for a month. Will that be long enough to thaw Kira out? And what happens after New Year's?

I have watched many movies that include a Christmas tree farm and I'm a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. So of course I was going to love this book (...and yes, I was lured in by yet another gorgeous deluxe edition). The previous instalment in this series also used an expiry date to add tension to the proceedings, but it was done a lot better here. Bennett and Kira were wonderful together. Mostly, I adored Kira, because I can be that kind of grumpy. Haha. Ahem. Lastly, what I like about the characters in Gilmore's novels is that they aren't perfect and nor are they outright villains. Probably the most realistic part of these cosy tales.

Nice-ish

6/1/2026

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor #2)
by Laurie Gilmore

Hazel is almost thirty and she's having a bit of a crisis about it. So that's why, when mysterious clues appear in the books in the store where she works, she decides to fill the last weeks of her twenties with adventures. Noah is never with a woman for more than a season, but Hazel is different. While he agrees to accompany her on her quest to have casual fun, he wants the very opposite of casual.

This one didn't enchant me the way that the first book in this series did and I found myself glad there wasn't a deluxe edition yet or I'd have wasted my money on it. Noah just...wasn't very interesting as a hero for me. He felt a little flat. I did like Hazel very much, though, and the established setting is the strongest element here. It's an alright read. Just not particularly memorable.

Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice

4/1/2026

The Pumpkin Spice Café (Dream Harbor #1)
by Laurie Gilmore

After walking into work to find her boss dead, Jeanie leaps at the chance to run her aunt's cafe in the small town of Dream Harbour, hoping for a change of pace. What she gets is weird noises at night and encounters with a sexy farmer. Logan doesn't want to get involved with yet another woman who'll leave town. But he just can't help but stay in Jeanie's orbit. Will his heart be broken again?

Okay. I'll admit it. I bought this book because I spied the absolutely gorgeous deluxe edition in the bookstore and simply had to have it. And I really can't resist a cosy small town romance, because I just love feeling all warm and fuzzy inside - and yes, The Pumpkin Spice Café TOTALLY delivered. Much warm. Many fuzzies. So cosy. Very romance. Wow. Ahem, I think I'll forgo the memeing from now on. This book is a delight and I'm not just saying that because of how gorgeous my copy is. I'm absolutely going to dive into the rest of the series.