Blog Posts - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

6/10/2025

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Ember is struggling to find a job and discovers that a little lying can go a long way - she embellishes her education and ticks the box for Caucasian instead of Native American, a scheme that quickly scores her a job. Unfortunately, the lies start stacking up. Now Ember's new success is in danger of imploding... and so is the burgeoning relationship with Danuwoa, the hot IT guy.

There's a lot to like about this novel. But it's hard to focus on that when the main character is so unlikeable. I know heroines in these books need to make mistakes for Plot Reasons, but Ember's mistreatment of the hero and chronic lying really grated on me (and it made me anxious during much of the book!). Nava's writing is not yet polished (most debuts tend to have this issue) but shows a lot of promise. I'll be checking out her next book.

Great Batch

27/9/2025

Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel (Star Wars Disney)
by Lamar Giles

Pabu has survived, but has a long way to go to rebuild and credits are desperately needed. Phee Genoa hooks Clone Force 99 up with two different jobs - and there's no way that both jobs will go horribly wrong, right? Soon, the crew of the Marauder are being chased by the ISB and a wannabe governor with delusions of grandeur. Can they help Pabu, much less keep the world safe?

I had reservations about a Bad Batch book, since I figured it'd be hard to capture the spirit of the show, but Giles completely nailed it. Every clone has spot-on characterisation and the theme of brotherhood and family is carried strongly throughout. I was throughly invested in the story, so much so that I felt anxiety while reading the climax! A great piece of tie-in media.

A Few Objections

22/9/2025

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

When Sophie met Max, it was just after he'd been hired to object at her wedding. He got her out of a particularly sticky situation. She never expected to see him again, but now he needs her help with objecting at other weddings. Sophie, who doesn't believe in love, agrees. There's no chance of her catching feelings for Max, no way, no matter how electric their chemistry is...!

This was a fun one. The premise was great and I enjoyed Sophie and Max's banter, which felt genuine - and happily, there were many, many, many pages of it (although I'm sure other readers may not like this as much as I did lol). However, there were aspects of this book that needed to be fleshed out more (mostly? the other characters and their jobs). It really should have been longer. Still fun, though.

Hungry Hungry Happiness

17/9/2025

The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama
Translated by Takami Nieda

I adore healing fiction and I adored What You Are Looking For is in the Library, so of course I had to locate this book at my local library. It was the delightful palate cleanser I needed. Aoyama's characters always feel so real and have struggles that feel so similar to my own. As they heal, so do I. Or it feels like it, anyway... I will say that this one didn't captivate me quite as much, though it's still a great read.

The Cosiest House in Town

10/9/2025

The Only Purple House in Town (Fix-It Witches #4)
by Ann Aguirre

Iris Collins has never fit in, not even in her own family - they're all successful, they're all vampires, and she's none of those things. But then she inherits a house in St Claire. To pay her bills, she rents out the rooms to an eclectic mix of people. One of them is Eli Reese, a shifter who agreed to move in...but not because he needed a place to stay. His motive might ruin everything. But he can't seem to stay away.

This is one of the most charming books I've ever read. The rest of the series was great, but this is something else entirely (probably because the romance takes more of a backseat - it's primarily a found family book!). It's truly enchanting. I didn't get much done today, because I was busy finishing this lovely tale. I'd love to inhabit Iris' world - and her house in particular. I have a suspicion that The Only Purple House in Town is going to become a favoured comfort read.

A Very Convenient Husband

10/9/2025

Extra Witchy (Fix-It Witches #3)
by Ann Aguirre

Leanne Vanderpol is a witch on a mission: she wants to run for city council and her chances will be much better if she has a husband. Trevor Montgomery's life has gone nowhere for years and he needs to get out of a toxic situation. Obviously, a marriage of convenience is the perfect solution! Or it would be, if Leanne wasn't hiding something...and if they weren't both catching feels.

It's probably obvious by now that I love this series and I love the characters populating St Claire. Reading these books is always...dare I say it...magical. And cosy! I really liked the dynamic between Leanne and Trevor. I suppose my only complaint is that certain developments in this book affect the first book - and it isn't fair to Danica and Titus that they didn't get this resolution in their own story. Casting that aside... I adored Extra Witchy.

Back to the Beginning

10/9/2025

Witch Please (Fix-It Witches #1)
by Ann Aguirre

Danica Waterhouse is a single witch and has no intention of mixing with a mundane, something that would deplete her power and take her from her sister witches. But then she has to fix the local bakery's oven and being around the baker, Titus, has her magic sparking out of control. She can't keep away from him. It's bad enough she might lose her magic, but now a witch hunter is in town...

I really enjoyed Danica and Titus as a couple, especially with such a nice cosy setting and atmosphere backing up their burgeoning relationship. It's a pity I found the second book in the series first, because I was very aware of the overlap in this one. I was a bit impatient because of that. And so the ending felt odd, because I know it's a midpoint for the next instalment. I wonder if I would have felt differently about Clem's story (which I loved more) if I'd read it in the correct order... anyhow, this was cute but see below for my main issue with it.

There was one very troubling aspect with this novel - one I can't ignore.

Spoilers ahead!

Danica's relatives are revealed to have put the so-called curse on Titus so that he was never able to have any sexual experience before meeting Danica. It's... uh... yikes. Yikes is the word. And poor Titus doesn't even get to learn that he was never the problem. I was really enjoying the book until that point.

A Succulent Vampire Meal

10/9/2025

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

"In the end, we are always our hunger."

Atl has lost her family - and her safety along with them - and needs to get out of Mexico City before a rival vampire clan catches up to her. She doesn't need a human slowing her down, but Domingo - a garbage collector - is difficult to shake. He's too young, too naive, too damn sweet. But perhaps he may be of use to her... before she drains him dry. It's inevitable. Escape, however, is not.

This novel completely captivated me - and that's in no small part due to the incredible setting (it was practically tangible!) and Moreno-Garcia's confident (but not overdone) world-building. Every single character fascinated me. How I wish there was another book set in this world because I would happily return in an instant. Originally published in 2016, Certain Dark Things definitely deserved its 2021 resurrection.

One Dollar Too Much

8/9/2025

Lightning Game (GhostWalker #17)
by Christine Feehan

Rubin Campo is a GhostWalker and psychic surgeon. Though his childhood was rough, he still occasionally returns to his childhood home - but this time someone else has made it their home. Jonquille is a failed GhostWalker experiment and can't be near people because of her unstable lightning gift. This same gift is why she's being hunted. Rubin is determined to keep her safe.

This was... wow. So bad. I like to pick up ex-library books at $1 a piece, but I wish I hadn't chosen this one. The series premise is actually pretty cool. It's very reminiscent of the TV series Dark Angel, which I suspect - given the timing of the first book of this series - did in fact inspire Feehan. Despite being released in 2021, Lightning Game is a relic of the early 2000s. I wasn't wild about the baked-in misogyny or the general outdated feel of it (don't get my autistic self started on the fact that a character is said to have Asperger's lol).

As for the book itself, the pacing is way off (a huge chunk of the first 100 pages is essentially one conversation!). This is supposedly a romance and I never saw the characters actually fall in love. It was basically "oh we're bonded so she's my woman now". So I just couldn't care about Rubin or Jonquille or their supposed relationship.

Maybe other folks will like this sort of thing, but I don't and I will now actively avoid Feehan's books.

Bright Lights, Big City

21/8/2025

Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward

Brynn Wallace, a Bigambul woman who has to deal with heavy literal and metaphorical baggage, heads to New York City to try to land her dream internship. But the only employment she can get is at a doggy daycare and not every encounter is pleasant. Brynn, however, has found fast friends who have her back...including Sienna, who is confident in her own skin and strangely alluring...

I love, LOVE this book. So much. I'll admit that, like Brynn, I grew up with The Baby-Sitters Club and adored any adventure set in New York - which maaay have contributed to how much I enjoyed myself. This is like a BSC book but all grown up! Brynn was instantly likeable as an MC and I desperately wanted her to find herself and her happiness. Her healing process felt very real to me. And I'm just going to keep giddily enjoying this Season of Bi Heroines. I have been spoilt for choice of late!

PS: My favourite BSC book, which is very battered but still in my bookcase, is The Ghost at Dawn's House.

Content warning: emotionally abusive (ex-)relationship, racism, fatphobic comments, cancer