Category: UK - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Reliable Old Magic

27/7/2026

Movie Magic at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop (Wildest Dreams Bookshop #3)
by Gracie Page

Mia believes in cinematic moments and happy endings, which is why she's so excited that her favourite book is being turned into a movie - and is being filmed right in Fox Bay! She wants to snag a job on set and maybe go further with her career, but there's a problem. Freddie. The film bro who doesn't like romance. Her competition. Is this supposed to be her big romance? Mia doesn't think so!

This YA/NA series is a fun, safely predictable bit of escapism and this instalment neatly fits the bill. Once again, I find myself wishing that I was in a small seaside town populated by the characters that can be found at the Wildest Dreams bookshop. I will admit that I'm starting to tire of these teen protagonists who all seem to feel the same... but it's still a pleasant read, regardless.

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.

Starry & Misty Eyed

22/5/2026

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby

Safiya's mother ends up in a coma after they have an argument and Saifya regrets the last words they exchanged. Then she begins to slip into dreams that take place in her mother's past, a strange reality where Safiya discovers that she can collect lost items to unlock more memories. Will completing this game help Saify level up and save her mother - or will it be game over forever?

This is a heartfelt story that captures that awkward stage of adolescence. I really did feel for Safiya and got a bit misty eyed on her behalf. The game concept was quite clever, though it - and other aspects of the book - seemed unfinished, perhaps due to this being Bushby's debut novel. I also found Safiya's voice too similar to characters in other MG novels. That said, it suits its audience well.

Eventually Enchanted

13/2/2026

Enchanting the Fae (Queens of Villainy #2)
by Stephanie Burgis

Lorelei is a half-fae queen with a neighbour set on conquering the continent and ousting all of faekind. Gerard de Moireul, infuriatingly resistant to her charms, is a general who wouldn't hesitant to obey orders to attack her land. Lorelei needs to change his mind somehow. So she abducts him and whisks him away to the fae realm, where she doesn't intend to lose...least of all her heart.

I adored the first book in this series because it was totally up my alley. This one was a little less so, I could tell that from the blurb, but I love the world Burgis has created so of course I had to jump back in. The fae tournament wasn't all that interesting and it felt rather weak to me. I was thinking I wouldn't enjoy any aspect of Lorelei and Gerard's story... but oh those intimacy scenes were top notch. Reluctantly, I have to admit that I was won over.

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.

Twelve-Night Stand

13/8/2025

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

After buying back his family's houseboat, Zeke is looking for a real connection. Lexi's life was entirely centred around her friend's little girl, but now she's been essentially kicked out. So she's up for a little harmless fun with a stranger. It's just for one night, right? Except she and Zeke become stranded on the houseboat and now they're stuck at sea. Together. What else can possibly go wrong? A lot!

This is such a fun premise and an excellent selling point. As for the execution...oh dear. The issue is that a lot of the book is focused on the "being stuck at sea" part with not much of it dedicated to "after", which affected the pacing in a negative way (frankly, a lot of this book dragged endlessly). The "after" is the good stuff. Drama! Delicious angst! Why did we have to wait so long to get there? It's an interesting choice but I can't say that it worked. There's a reason books with similar concepts go the flashback route instead.

But I'll admit that I enjoyed the romantic buildup - there were some really lovely moments between Zeke and Lexi. And omg I miss Eugene and he's not even real. What's wrong with me? Ahem. If you can switch off your rational brain and don't mind a romance that gets bogged down at times, you might like this.

Consider Me Wooed

10/6/2025

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Felix has escaped the clutches of his in-laws and has sought sanctuary with their enemy - Queen Saskia, the witch queen of Kitvaria, whose powers and nonhuman friends make her dangerous. Felix doesn't expect a case of mistaken identity to land him as her librarian. Saskia believes she's hired a dark wizard, not her magic-less foe. Very soon it's not just Kitvaria at stake but her heart as well.

*flailing*

It's been ages since I accidentally read a book in one sitting. I had meant to do things today (dang it!), but obviously this book was just too good to put aside. The Hidden Identity trope is my weakness in romance. Just add a fantasy setting and I'm done for! (Side note: No, I can never say "romantasy" with a straight face, because fantasy/romance has existed for decades without needing a portmanteau). Ahem. Did I mention the library featured in this book? Who doesn't love a library - especially when it's full of books about magic? And yay! Bi rep. Which makes my bi heart so happy.

Wooing the Witch Queen should just be called "these are a few - A LOT - of my favourite things".

In the Beginning

28/11/2024

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Tori Spring exists. The world exists around her. Apathy keeps her from seeing anything real in her school or her supposed friends - and she doesn't care that maybe something should be different. Then strange pranks start happening at school, enacted by the mysterious so-called Solitaire. Tori has no interest in Solitaire at first. But soon she realises it might have everything to do with her.

I was very disappointed in this book, having read some of Oseman's other work. It definitely reads like a first novel penned by a teenager. I suppose some of my reaction is due to my experience of teen depression and suicide ideation being quite different from Tori's... but also because this book was in dire need of more editing and redrafting (and apparently I read the newer version!). I'm not saying it had to be as slick as other YA novels published in 2014, but I did expect a certain quality.

A Charming Read 2.0

15/8/2024

One Enchanted Evening by Katie Fforde

Meg is determined to become a professional cook in 1960s England. She has it all planned. But when her mother urgently calls for her help, Meg finds herself working in a kitchen in a quaint Dorset hotel that has seen better days. She soon falls in love with the hotel and its people - except Justin, of course, the owner's son who it seems would rather see the hotel shut instead of thrive.

This is my second outing with Katie Fforde and once again I found myself drawn in by the charming setting she'd created (though I will admit that I find her writing slightly unpolished - the charm helps smooth things over!). I had found the other book too old fashioned for the modern era, so the 1960s setting solved that issue for me this time around. It was a very pleasant read.

Side note - I'd have finished it sooner, had Influenza A not robbed me of my ability to read for a whole week.

A Charming Read

24/7/2024

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde

Philly and her grandfather have run away from home - that is, moved to England to pursue their independence and indulge in gardening and cooking respectively. Philly's work leads to a friendship with Lorna, who is trying to make a rundown estate respectable again - and trying to move on after decades of unrequited interest. Gardening is rewarding...and so is cultivating new relationships.

This was a charming, uncomplicated read that managed to smooth out a stressful week for me. Philly and her grandfather were my favourite characters, though I really did feel for Lorna. This book was oddly old fashioned for 2017 and seemed to reflect that the author hadn't updated her view of the world (and familial relations) in a really long time. Perhaps it should have been set in an earlier decade.