Bayou Baby
Author: Lexi Blake
Reviewer: Nima
Rating: B
What I’m Talking About:
I had some mixed feelings about Lexi Blake’s Bayou Baby, but I liked it overall. I appreciated that it’s a single sitting read. Even though it’s the second in the Butterfly Bayou series, it can absolutely stand on its own. Bayou Baby has full cast of quirky characters and fun peripheral people that fill out the tapestry of the main story. The main characters should have been Seraphina Guidry and Harrison Jefferys, nephew of community powerhouse Celeste Beaumont, but after reading the book, I think that’s up for debate.
What first appears to be a book about the love story between Sera and Harry, I believe, is really the story between Seraphina and Celeste. They have history and their families have history. They’re both scrappy, the Beaumonts just do it with scads more money. Since money equals power, the Beaumonts always come out on top. Celeste has been protecting the Beaumont name and reputation for decades, but she has sacrificed a lot, especially relationships, to do that. Celeste has a journey to go on after her husband passed away that reminded me of Emily Gilmore after she lost Richard. Sera is going to play a significant role in that journey.
Blake writes emotions well. They felt genuine even if her characters sometimes fell into southern stereotypes. Add a musical number and it could be Hart of Dixie. I wish it had some of the fun of Hart of Dixie.
The female characters are strong and resilient. They don’t need a man to rescue them, it’s contemporary in that sense, but there are some good guys around ready to rush in if necessary. I won’t stick it with the dreaded women’s fiction label, but it is missing the fun and flintiness of Blake’s other works.
My Rating: B, Liked It
Nima
About the Book:
Seraphina Guidry loves Butterfly Bayou. A young, single mom, she’s trying to find a place for herself in the town she cherishes, but past mistakes have made her wary. She adores her son but has sworn off men. She’s dedicated herself to restoring an historic house and building her own business. A quiet life is all she wants.
Harrison Jefferys never expected to find himself in small-town Louisiana, but he has a job to do and a family to reconnect with. After years in the Army, he’s happy to spend time with his Aunt Celeste and his cousins in such an idyllic spot. When he meets Seraphina, he starts to think Papillion might be a great place to call home. But a secret from Sera’s past rears its head and threatens to tear the community apart.
Caught between the woman he’s coming to love and the only family he has left, Harry knows he has to follow his heart and with the help of the crazy, loving, meddling locals find a way to keep them both.
Release Date: August 25, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Butterfly Bayou #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (320 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)