Category: Romance - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

The Missing Developmental Edit

19/10/2023

The Last Love Song by Katie Holford

I received this ARC from Blackstone Publishing (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Mia Peters grew up in the same town that her famous mother, the singer Tori Rose, was always trying to leave - in fact, Tori never returned from her final tour. Mia doesn't really know what her mother was like, but she's about to. Tori Rose has gifted her a scavenger hunt for graduation and Mia only has one week to solve it before her best friend and crush, Britt, also leaves her behind to chase the music.

If you can manage to suspend your disbelief enough - and it is very hard at times - this is a cute, if unremarkable, YA read. I really liked the premise and some of the characters were interesting, if underdeveloped. The major issue is that we're supposed to believe that in a small town certain characters never crossed paths with Mia. Or that she wasn't able to find out her mother's cause of death from anyone in town or online (trust me, you could find this stuff on the Internet in 2006 and many articles from that period are still searchable now). Had these issues been smoothed out, I might have really enjoyed The Last Love Song.

Fancy a Firestarter?

10/9/2023

Not Here to Make Friends (Marry Me, Juliet #3)
by Jodi McAlister

I received this ARC from Simon & Schuster Australia (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Murray O’Connell needs to produce another season of reality show Marry Me, Juliet and he has to do it without his best friend, Lily Ong. Or so he thought. After a year of silence, she's back - as Lily Fireball, not a producer and not the woman he knew, but the villain of his season. She could completely derail his plans...or help him make the most brilliant season of reality television ever.

I don't often get obsessed with a series. I'm extremely obsessed with this one.

I devoured the first two books, so of course I did my damndest to pick up an ARC of the third instalment. I was not at all disappointed! It was so much fun to read about two MCs who are such a mess - especially when they are so delightfully messier when put together. Lily Fireball is one of the most complex characters I've ever encountered and you will easily find yourself rooting for the "villain" here. McAlister has done it again - and yes, I'm still obsessed.

Taking A Gamble

28/8/2023

Driven to Distraction (Gamble Racing #1)
by Renée Dahlia

Ondrej needs to focus on reestablishing himself as an S1 driver with a new team and doesn't need any distractions. Cue the arrival of Hudson into his orbit, the historian Ondrej's father has hired to solve the mystery of a unique Bugatti that has been missing since WWII. Distraction is inevitable. But whether or not it will lead to something else is another matter entirely.

A super steamy and super fun romance with the added bonus of a mystery (though I do wish more pages had been devoted to the later, since it was so fascinating!). I really liked how Ondrej and Hudson were give the space and plenty of time to develop their relationship, especially given how much they had to work through. I'm happy to report that this book is just as good as its cover. ;)

Sweet & Sunny

25/8/2023

Summer Beach (Escape to the Coast #1)
by Amber Jakeman

Sam has returned to Australia from her busy life in LA and is cleaning up her late father's holiday house, eager to have it sold as soon as possible. She discovers that the house has a neighbour - Jake, a songwriter and guitar player who has no tolerance for out-of-owners who only see dollar signs. But he and Sam have more in common than she realises. And now she might have a reason to stay.

This was a charming book and a pleasant detour between heavier reads. I did feel that it could have used a structural edit and I thought the MCs were rather mean to each other at times (too mean, perhaps, to make things work). Ultimately, Summer Beach: Escape to the Coast delivers exactly what it promises its readers - sweetness, romance and a sunny setting.

These Trending Books

12/8/2023

These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows #2)
by Lexi Ryan

Abriella has been turned immortal against her will and is now forever bound to Sebastian, who betrayed her when she trusted and loved him. Now she must find a way to save the fae from a terrible fate by using the crown given to her - even if it means betraying her own heart and staying bonded to the male who ruined her life. The crown must be used. And perhaps it was always meant to be hers...

Oh dear. I did enjoy the first book, even though I knew it wasn't that great. I feel a bit like Abriella - deceived, thinking that I was getting something worthwhile when in fact I was getting something else. This book was rushed (a duology that should have been trilogy) and extremely derivative. I could overlook some of the Sarah J. Maas similarities before, since fae romance is a popular trend at the moment, but the sequel went so far into ripoff territory that it could no longer be ignored.

Lastly, I was a bit disappointed that this great thief we were introduced to never got to properly use her skillset... not to mention the fact that Abriella just had to be ~extra special~ when her humanity was what made her so likeable.

Red, White & Hell Yes

22/7/2023

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Alex Claremont-Diaz, First Son of the President of the United States, has a nemesis. Prince Henry, British royal, bland, boring and absolutely infuriating. Alex cannot stand him. But after a very public incident at a royal wedding - involving the cake no less - he and Henry are forced to portray a fake friendship for the media. But that friendship might soon become something more political volatile.

Gosh. I just loved this book so much and moved mountains so I could finish it without interruption. The story starts out being utterly cute and then becomes deliciously angsty. My kind of romance. And yay, bi rep! It's nice to feel seen, because I too had that "so if I like the opposite gender, I must be straight" thing going on until my early twenties. Now I must impatiently wait until August 11 for the film adaptation.

Last Book Standing

15/7/2023

Last Bride Standing (Majestic Maine #3)
by Ginny Baird

Charlotte Delaney lost the bet with her sisters and has prepared herself to enter into a marriage of convenience with Aidan Strong. But Aidan has no intention of marrying Charlotte when he can just give her half of the business, which is fair compensation for her family. Charlotte wants more than a fair, though. She wants everything...maybe even at the cost of the one person she really wants.

When you reach the end of a series with tears in your eyes, you know the author has done a good job of engaging your emotions. I was just so happy for everyone, including the supporting cast who also got their HEAs. This wasn't my favourite book of the trilogy, however. The stakes didn't seem high enough and Baird's ham-fisted use of "Britishisms" was incredibly distracting.

Anything I really liked about this book was just a leftover from the ones that preceded it.

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.

More Less than More

27/5/2023

More or Less a Temptress (The Somerset Sisters #3)
by Anna Bradley

Hyacinth Somerset has always been the most delicate Somerset Sister, so it's not surprising that she loses her senses when a murderer arrives at a ball populated by polite society. Lachlan Ramsey is no murderer: he's the long lost brother of the Lord of Huntington. But now his reputation is in a precarious position - and soon his heart will follow. For Hyacinth is not as demure as she seems.

Alas, this one was not as fun nor as good as the previous two titles in the series. Hyacinth got on my nerves and I'm not sure she had enough character development to justify her bold decisions towards the end. It's still a pleasant enough read, but it's distracting when more interesting characters are floating about in the background, awaiting their moment to shine in another series.