Category: Sequel - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

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.

Adventures in Angst

21/5/2023

More or Less a Countess (The Somerset Sisters #2)
by Anna Bradley

Nicholas Balfour, the Earl of Dare, is back in London and can't leave until he gets himself a wife. But in his hasty pursuit, he mixes up the two Miss Somersets and gets far more than he bargained for. Violet Somerset has a book to write and Lord Dare could fill an entire chapter. She definitely doesn't want him anywhere near her sister and she definitely isn't going to fall in love with him!

I wasn't so sure about the premise, but I'm glad I dived in anyway. Violet and Nick were such a delight during their initial adventures - and we got to see the Selfish Rake start to melt in her presence. Then things took a more angsty turn. I'm usually into stories were a lack of communication is the driving force of the plot...but even this was a bit much for my patience! Overall, an enjoyable read.

Diana Merriwell, P.I.

9/5/2023

Never Rescue a Rogue (The Merriwell Sisters #2)
by Virginia Heath

Giles Sinclair is in big trouble. He's just inherited a dukedom, except it might not be his at all - his unknown mother certainly wasn't a duchess. His secret won't stay secret for long. Luckily for him, he knows a most infuriating woman who might actually be able to save him. Diana Merriwell never wants to cede her independence to any man...but she does have a soft spot for a duke in distress.

Okay, I was a little worried with the slow pace at the start, but then things really got going and I REALLY enjoyed myself. Giles and Diana are delightful. Especially when they're together! I was also drawn in by the mystery and found it very satisfying, despite guessing its resolution early on. Heath creates great MCs, but it's her fabulous minor characters that make her books so brilliant.

Second Book Down

28/4/2023

Second Bride Down (Majestic Maine #2)
by Ginny Baird

Misty Delaney doesn't have long until either she or her sister has to marry the son of their family's enemy. But she didn't expect a billboard to go up, advertising her desire for a quick husband. Her long-time friend Lucas comes to her recuse with a plan - he'll move in with her and they'll pretend to be together for a week. Just until everything cools down. But maybe things will heat up instead!

As before, I knew this was my kind of book because it has my kind of premise! I enjoyed this second instalment more than the first one, mostly because the hero and heroine were refreshingly level-headed in how they handled things. The rivalry with Charlotte, Misty's sister, was more fun than I was expecting too. Ah, I'm just so happy for Lucas and Misty. A story of love and compromise.

A Mess of Prequel Proportions

11/4/2023

Cataclysm (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Lydia Kang

Sorry, folks. This got kind of long.

The Battle of Jedha has halted the peace treaty between Eiram and E'ronoh. Fighting could re-erupt at any moment, the rulers' heirs now being wed and doing all they can to keep their planets in concert. To complicate matters, The Path of the Open Hand are clearly up to something. It's time to take the fight to them - many Jedi are dispatched to Dalna. Not all of them will return.

Well, I'm glad I finished the Jedha-based audiobook the day before I started reading this. But my opinion remains unchanged: this project suffers greatly when major plot points are farmed out to media that AREN'T the main adult novels. Multimedia projects have multiple types of audiences. It seems the High Republic folks didn't understand that when planning this out. Sure, use the other mediums to explore events and characters in a different way - but your main thrust has to remain in one consistent medium (i.e. the adult novels - Phase One actually managed to do this, for the most part). Phase Two's adult novels feel...strangely like an afterthought.

Right. I better review the book itself! So I liked Axel's journey and how he missed various moments of redemption (which is more realistic in a sentient being). I loved Xiri and Phan-tu, long may they reign (when it's time!) - they're frankly adorable and I would take a blaster bolt for them. But it's hard to be invested in the Jedi characters because if they find out about the Leveller, they're either going to die - or will decide to keep it a secret for ~reasons~. Phase Two's placement in the timeline has destroyed any potential for tension in its stories.

Also, it's difficult to figure out the logic of injuries in this novel. Fatal wounds seemed to either be shrugged off or completely kill a character, depending on what was needed for the plot. Kind of annoying, actually.

In summary: this book contains likeable characters and an underwhelming storyline, a problem mostly generated by the flaws of the High Republic project itself.

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.