Review: Bayou My Love by Lauren Faulkenberry (@FirebrandPress)

Bayou My Love

Bayou Sabine, #1
Lauren Faulkenberry

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Velvet Morning Press
Date of Publication: March 7th 2016
Number of pages: 299
Cover Artist: Ellen Meyer & Vicki Lesage

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN

Thirty-one-year-old Enza Parker is struggling to change the trajectory of her life. To prove to her overbearing father she can flip a house on her own, she takes on a project much too ambitious for her––and it puts her in the path of the most alluring man she’s ever met.

Enza plans to flip the house she inherited from her estranged grandmother, Vergie, in Bayou Sabine, Louisiana. As a child, she spent summers there until the day her mother—Vergie’s daughter—inexplicably left. Since then, Enza hasn’t let anyone get close to her.

Arriving in Bayou Sabine, Enza finds her house occupied by bedeviling firefighter Jack Mayronne. Enza has no intention of being a landlord, but Jack convinces her to let him stay––in exchange for helping her with repairs. With only six weeks to fix the house and sell, she’s determined to prove her father wrong––but she didn’t count on all the delicious ways Jack could distract her.

When Enza’s fling with Jack intensifies, she finds herself entangled with a vengeful arsonist from Jack’s past. As she reaches her breaking point, she must decide: Should she sell the house and leave her past in Bayou Sabine behind for good, or can she overcome her fears and build a new life there with Jack?

This was a new to me author, one who contacted me about reviewing her book.  After reading the blurb, it sounded like something I would like so I decided to give it a try.  I didn't realize going in that this wasn't a typical HEA book - more a HEA For Now kinda story. The next book will continue Jack and Enza's story.  But that is okay, because there was no big cliffhanger, and the ending was at a good stopping point.

I really liked Enza.  She was hard headed and stubborn. But she'd had to develop her prickly shell due in large part to her parents and their personal issues. We don't learn everything about them, in fact we barely scratch the surface, but I am sure we will learn more about them in book 2.  Right now, I am comfortable calling Enza's father an asshat and her mother a self-absorbed twit. It was a joy watching Enza learn to spread her wings and take control of her own life, finally out from under her father's thumb.

Jack was a hot cajun firefighter. I could probably stop there and many of you won't need me to go any further.  But Jack really was just a solid, good guy.  Supporting Enza, even when she was being a prickly idiot, and looking out for her, made him a keeper.   Plus, his Uncle Buck and Aunt Josie are totally awesome.  I just know there is an awesome story behind them.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought it would. There was a hint of the paranormal, with Enza consulting a voodoo priestess over some things left in the yard, but nothing that moved this book into the occult or arcane. There was also a bit of mystery with Enza trying to figure out the who and why someone was leaving things in her yard. Add a dash of suspense and this book was chock full of good things. If you are on the fence about this book, the prequel novella, Back to Bayou Sabine is available for free. This tells the story of Enza's first return to Bayou Sabine in 15 years, for her grandmother's funeral. I didn't read it before reading Bayou My Love, and though an incident is mentioned, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel. I really enjoyed the world and characters that the author created and gave this book 4 stars.

Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.