Category: Sequel - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

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.

Always Two There Are

12/3/2023

Darth Bane: Rule of Two (Star Wars Legends)
by Drew Karphyshyn

Darth Bane continues to train Zannah, his apprentice - and he continues to grapple with his failure to create a holocron. His activities are veiled in secrecy, but there are still many ways that they can be brought to light. A figure from Zannah's past may expose them. Or perhaps it will be another figure from the past, a Jedi who can't shake the feeling that the Sith may not be as extinct as they seem.

The epic feel of the previous novel is notably absent here, but I would still say that it's a decent sequel - much better than I expected it to be. And yet it still falls short. Karpyshyn likes to use time jumps - I don't like the effect they have on pacing. But I appreciated the return of Farfalla and Darovit, just as I appreciated the use of locations introduced in other EU works. This really helped to make Rule of Two feel like it belonged in a galaxy far, far away (well, the pre-Disney version anyhow).

But I just...wasn't as enthralled with this book as I wanted to be. It needed more development in some areas and Bane needed to be a lot less passive.

Bishop Takes Inquiry Agent

11/3/2023

The Counterfeit Scoundrel (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction)
by Lorraine Heath

David Blackwood, AKA Bishop, has caused many a divorce by cavorting with married women and Daisy, AKA Marguerite Townsend, is posing as a maid after being hired by a suspicious husband to find proof of his wife's infidelity. Bishop is drawn to his new maid, he's well aware of his reputation - and even though it's all a performance, it won't help him when he's accused of murder.

In The Counterfeit Scoundrel, Lorraine Heath serves up a fascinating tale of divorce, inquiry agents, family secrets and unresolved trauma. There's a lot going on inside these pages. I was swept up by it all and I did enjoy the mystery, but I felt like it overwhelmed the romance at times. Happily, Bishop and Marguerite were such likeable characters that I didn't mind too much.

A Seductive Storyline

7/3/2023

The Return of the Duke (Once Upon a Dukedom #3)
by Lorraine Heath

Marcus Stanwick lost everything when his father was hanged for playing a part in a plot to kill the queen. Marcus was meant to be a duke - and he's done playing with shadows. He wants the truth. This means confronting Esme Lancaster, his father's mistress and the woman who inflicted further pain on his family. Esme has what he needs...and now he can't seem to stop needing her.

I have to admit that when Esme first appeared, I was thinking "a dude and his dad's mistress!?! No way am I down for this". But Lorraine Heath, as always, won me over by the end. Steamy scenes and secretive spywork - most definitely my cup of tea. Just add cameos by characters I loved from previous books and stir. The Return of the Duke is a satisfying finale to this storyline.

Another Excellent Romance

6/3/2023

The Duchess Hunt (Once Upon a Dukedom #2)
by Lorraine Heath

Penelope Pettypeace has a duty to perform: find a suitable duchess for her employer. And she will do it, even if her success means a painful and inevitable departure from the company of Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland. He requires a wife who won't fall in love with him - which, unbeknownst to him, completely rules out his secretary. But perhaps her pining is not unrequited...

Another day, another Lorraine Heath novel, another book review. This is becoming a habit! Penelope was such a genuine, realistic heroine and my heart ached for her. I was a bit anti-Hugh to start with, but as always Heath's writing won me over. This was the wonderful, heart-wrenching romance that I expected when I first started reading it, but I didn't expect to be teary-eyed by the epilogue.

Whose Kilt is This Anyway

5/3/2023

In Her Highlander's Bed (Highland Brides #11)
by Lynsay Sands

Allissaid MacFarlane escaped her family's enemy with nothing, not even her clothes, and her attempt to steal a man's kilt resulted in her waking up in his bed! Calan Campbell, Laird of Kilcairn, wants to protect the lass he found in a sorry state by the loch...but it's hard to do that when she has seemingly lost her memory. His bed is the safest place he can keep her. But his heart isn't safe at all.

I always enjoy Lynsay Sands' historical Scottish romances (and not just because of their fabulous covers). This was no exception! An exciting continuation to the storyline that began in the previous book, In Her Highlander's Bed offers a sweet and sensual romance that develops naturally, characters that you immediately want to befriend - and who doesn't love reading about secret passages?

Most Faire

3/3/2023

Well Traveled (Well Met #4)
by Jen DeLuca

Louisa Malone is an attorney who has been a year away from making partner - for years. She was used to pushing on, but a visit to a Renaissance Faire inspires her to quit and hurl her phone into a metaphorical lake. Now she's travelling with a group of musicians and one of them happens to be the notorious bad boy, Dex MacLean. Is there a chance he can see her as more than a temporary fling?

This series has quickly become one of my comfort reads and Well Traveled duly provided that cosy "cup of tea" vibe that I was after. I admit to disliking Dex because of a previous book, but DeLuca managed to win me over (THAT storm scene whew). I was shipping Lulu and Dex so hard by the end. Another lovely romance set amidst the delightfully colourful backdrop of Renaissance Faires.

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.

Simply Wonderful

6/2/2023

Can I Steal You for a Second? (Marry Me Juliet #2)
by Jodi McAlister

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

Mandie is a longtime watcher of reality show Marry Me, Juliet, but she would never have applied to be on it - before she got dumped by her toxic girlfriend, that is. She's not even sure she has the courage to go through with it. But then she meets Dylan, another romantic hopeful - who should be her competition, not her new obsession! After all, they're on the show for a chance at love - with a man.

How can you not love that premise? Two contestants on a Bachelor-style show falling in love (which has actually happened IRL!)? Sign me the heck up! To say I enjoyed this would be a vast understatement. There was plenty of delicious drama to be had, so much heart-twisting angst, and a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers tale that had me up past my bedtime.

But the best part? Representation. Oh my gosh. YES.

I don't usually see myself in romcoms. I will devour ALL the sapphic romances, but I'm always keenly aware that bisexual women like myself are generally not going to be the heroines. Unicorns are more visible than us lol. So imagine my delight to discover that both heroines were bi!

And pandemic fiction is my biggest weakness atm, so I ate up that aspect of the story. xD

A Short & Sweet Sequel

21/1/2023

Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns #1.5)
by Margaret Rogerson

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

After the excitement of Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth and Nathaniel are enjoying domesticity and their burgeoning courtship. But Thorn Manor is suddenly in chaos - of the magical kind - and if they don't discover what's wrong, they'll be locked inside for good.

I have very lukewarm feelings about the book which precedes this, because it was an underwhelming and samey YA fantasy tale in a market saturated with them. Oddly enough, I really quite liked this novella sequel. I'd say it's actually better, because the plot is simpler and we get to enjoy our time with the characters. And of course there's Silas, who always steals the show.