A heartwarming contemporary romance set in Louisiana’s Butterfly Bayou from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake. 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 … 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.
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I was excited to get back to Lexi’s bayou! These people and town are definitely unique. Sera lives with her family and has the support she needs to raise her son. He’s her world and she would do anything for him. When she inherits her aunt’s house, Sera has a big task in front of her. But she’s bound and determined to make it happen. What she wasn’t expecting was help from the sexy guy next door. I enjoyed the way Harry took his time with Sera. He could read her body language and gave her what she needed. I liked the way they got to know each other and I liked that he truly wanted to help her. The rest was just icing on the cake! The chemistry between them was palpable through the pages! And with another crazy aunt in the picture, the reader didn’t know what was going to happen next. I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend!
Bayou Baby is the second book in the Butterfly Bayou series. OMG! I am so in love with this book! Bayou Baby really gives you all the feels. If you want a book that tugs at your emotions. This is it! I laughed, I cried, I got mad and I am over the moon in love with this book!
This is Seraphina Guidry and Harry Jeffrey’s story. I feel that Lexi Blake writes about real human beings. Her books come alive and Lexi is a master of the written word! Can you tell that I loved this book?
I kept waiting for Otis to show up and he didn’t until the end but he played a major role at the end. Of course you need to read this book to know who or what Otis is.
Great book Lexi! A true romance! 5 + stars.
5 So Much More Than I Was Expecting Stars!!!
I love small town romances and Lexi Blake is one of my go-to authors for these types of stories. And in this second book of her Butterfly Bayou story, not only do we get a second chance love story, but we also get to experience family dynamics that are fraught with tension and mistrust, most of which in my opinion is misdirected.
Sera and Harrison are two people you wouldn’t think would work well as a couple but for me they were totally meant to be. Harry is “passing through” town until he can find a new permanent home. Well, things begin to change when Sera inherited her Aunt’s Guidry House that needs a total overhaul and wouldn’t you know Harry is the man to help her with this because Sera is definitely not a construction expert. And so begins two working together to bring this house back to life and hopefully create a business she can make prosper!
There’s not only Sera’s heart on the line though. Her little boy plays a pivotal role in every decision Sera makes and I loved how Harry connected with him too! Their relationship is something this little boy needed based on the family dynamics taking place in this town… and to say they’re complicated would be putting it lightly!
There’s so many layers to this story which just makes it that much of a more engaging read. There’s Sera and Harry and their budding love, Sera and Celeste and their texting back and forth and when you mix in all the other family that’s living Butterfly Bayou it’s a big ole’ melting pot!!
This book is a definite must read thanks to Ms. Blake’s storytelling. I fell in love not only with our H/h but all the secondary characters that add their own personal touch to this story and the lives of this town and I can’t wait for the next book!!
If you follow me then you know that I really enjoyed the first book in the #ButterflyBayou series. I couldn’t wait for this one and when I started it I was all in. Then I met Celeste and she was enough to make me not want to go on. I really can’t stand the women.
I really loved both Sera and Harry. They are so perfect together right from the start. Most often I go with love at first sight in a book because who am I to judge, but I don’t often believe it. With these two I did. They just seemed to work. You heard wedding bells as these two first meet.
I felt for Harry that he couldn’t see what his aunt was like until it was almost too late. But sometimes we have to have it shoved in our faces before we believe. In the end, he did.
Celeste’s hatred for Sera is out of this world. She never had a reason to dislike her but couldn’t see that. Sera is so sweet and caring about everyone and lived for so long with the fear that Celeste could ruin her life.
I loved how her family and Wesley’s brother and sister tried to stand for her too. Thankfully she had people at her back.
These two might have had a hard road to travel to be able to show their love openly but when it all came down to it and they got their heads on straight they found the perfect medium and worked through their issues.
I might have almost put this story down because I couldn’t deal with the nastiness but I’m so happy I pushed on. I ended up crying at the end and was so happy. Now I can’t wait for Zep’s story. Talk about a character. His book will be something.
BAYOU BABY is the second instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult BUTTERFLY BAYOU erotic, romance series set in the Butterfly Bayou of Papillon, Louisiana. This is former US soldier and licensed contractor Harrison ‘Harry’ Jefferys, and single mother/hair stylist Seraphina ‘Sera’ Guidry’s story line. BAYOU BABY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from several third person perspectives BAYOU BABY follows the building relationship between former US soldier and licensed contractor Harrison ‘Harry’ Jefferys, and single mother/hair stylist Seraphina ‘Sera’ Guidry. Sera Guidry is a single mother whose reputation in the small town of Butterfly Bayou is tainted by her lack of a husband and the narrow minded attitudes of the small minded community, but adding fuel to the proverbial fire is Celeste Beaumont, whose son Wes was once in love with Sera Guidry until rejection sent him off to war. In town for a couple of jobs including attending his cousin’s wedding, Harrison ‘Harry’ Jefferys is drawn to the aura that is Seraphina Guidry but while Seraphina is from a local family, Harry’s well connected, rich and powerful aunt Celeste despises our heroine, and intends to destroy what’s left of her life. When Sera inherits her late great aunt Irene’s mansion, Celeste makes it known she wants the mansion and the land for her personal use. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Sera and Harry, and the potential fall-out when Sera’s secret is exposed further alienating the Guidry and Beaumont families.
The relationship between Sera and Harry is one of immediate attraction but Sera struggles with Harry’s connections to the Beaumont family, and the potential ramifications if and when Celeste discovers their clandestine affair. Already a target of the Beaumont family, Sera battles between head and heart knowing when her secret is revealed, more trouble will follow. Harry is a bit of a wanderer; a nomad who has yet to settle down since his return from Afghanistan and the loss of his leg but meeting Sera Guidry gives Harry a hope for a future but a future that is marred by his aunt’s obsession with the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Lila and Lisa Guidry; Zep and Remy Guidry, Hallie Rayburn, attorney Quaid Havery; Calvin, Angela and Celeste Beaumont, and Sera’s mother Delphine Guidry.
BAYOU BABY is a heart breaking story of secrets and lies; power and control; discrimination and alienation; friendships, relationships, family and love. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and colorful.
4.5/5 – Bayou Baby by Lexi Blake, book two in Butterfly Bayou series is a wonderful and enjoyable story, depicting the good and bad of small town life. Seraphina Guidry is a young, single mom, trying to make a life for herself and her son in the town of Papillion, Louisiana. Learning from past mistakes, Sera has sworn off men. Inheriting a historic house has given her a purpose as she dedicates herself to restoring it and turning it into a badly needed Bed and Breakfast. Harrison Jeffreys has been a bit of a nomad, moving around from job to job, since coming home injured while in the Army. He never expected to land in Papillion but he has family to reconnect with and a job to complete. Harry enjoyed spending time with his Aunt Celeste and his cousin, but once he met Sera he was a goner. He was head over heart in “like” with her, finding ways to spend time with her and help with repairing her inherited house; making it habitable. A secret from Sera’s past accidently gets revealed, resulting in the community getting all up in arms. Harry is torn; having to choose between the woman he’s falling in love with and the only family he has left. What’s a man to do but follow his heart? With the help of a couple of crazy, loving, meddling locals, he just might find a way to keep both.
I enjoyed watching Seraphina growth throughout the story. Her confidence was building and she was no longer allowing herself to behave or be treated as a victim. Harry was one of the best heroes I’ve read in a while. He was talented, caring, and passionate in connecting with Sera. Aunt Celeste was the one character who changed the most; and for the best. Witnessing her insightfulness as she recognized that she no longer needed to conduct herself and follow the rules established by her rude and snobbish mother-in-law and her chauvinistic husband. She could do as she pleased; even become CEO of the family company.
Ms. Blake wrote an emotional, sexy, and wonderful story that should definitely not be missed. She provided a tale that sizzled with magnetism, scorch the sheets chemistry, witty banter, and memorable characters keeping me flipping the pages of this intense and emotional romance. I totally enjoyed and highly recommend Bayou Baby to other readers and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Another incredible story by Miss Blake! it was simply charming, I couldn’t put it down, I read it in one sitting
Very emotional, I was sobbing by the end. I loved this new addition to the Bayou series!
While this is a love story between Sera and Harry, this is also a story between the women in the family of Guidry and Beaumont. Celeste Beaumont is the matriarch of the Beaumont family and is a southern lady who lets her name, money, and status guide her morales, just as it has the family name for generations. Why am I mentioning Celeste when this is a love story about Sera and Harry? Celeste is the aunt of Harry and was also the mother of Wes the boy who was best friends of Sera before he passed away. This is something that Celeste blames Sera for even though she had nothing to do with his actual death, but the animosity of her lifelong friendship are just deeply harbored and her grief lashes out to anyone close.
But…once again…back to the story of Sera and Harry. Harry is in town for his cousin’s wedding (Wes’ sister, Angie). He didn’t grow up in Louisiana and has rarely seen his cousins, so he doesn’t exactly understand the dynamic of the small town or why anyone wouldn’t like Sera Guidry. Anytime he’s been around her, she is sweet, a hard worker, and a wonderful single mother. That last fact alone won’t keep him away, no matter what the rumors are or what his family says. He won’t let his Aunt stand in his way of getting to know Sera better because something tells him she could be more and perhaps this small town could finally be home.
Sera struggles with letting Harry get close. She knows exactly how Celeste will react when she learns about Harry’s feelings for her and she also knows how important family is. Sera doesn’t want Harry choosing a life between her and his family. As much as Sera keeps trying to push him away, it’s also difficult because Harry is amazing and pushing him away becomes basically impossible.
I love how this story isn’t just about Harry and Seraphina, but also about Celeste and how she has had to overcome a lot of obstacles in her life. I found myself going back and forth with Celeste where I didn’t like her and then where I was sobbing for her. Her story is so powerful it really hit home with how women have had “deal” with social norms throughout time and I connected with her struggles so many times throughout the story. I appreciated how Lexi wove it in and how it made the overall story even more emotional and an intrical part of Seraphina’s story.
Bayou Baby was so emotional, but such a great addition to Lexi’s books I absolutely loved it.
I absolutely loved this book! Sera is a single Mom to a three year old boy, Luc. She is drawn to Harry, who is the nephew of the Beaumonts. He is a war hero, who has lost one of his legs. He is also in construction. Sera has inherited a house and has to restore it to be able to sell it or start a B and B which is her dream. But can her dreams come true? Or will her secrets come out and she will have to leave town? I loved how this book showed all the sides to the characters. 5 stars
4.5 Stars for Bayou Baby (Butterfly Bayou #2)
What a great addition to the Butterfly Bayou Series, I was excited to be back in Papillon, Louisiana which we know as Butterfly Bayou and I wasn’t disappointed, this book was everything I expected.
This is Seraphina (Sera) Guidry and Harrison (Harry) Jeffreys story and it’s about a couple who on the face of it are total opposites, Harry is new to Butterfly Bayou and Sera was born and raised there, Sera is a single mum and Harry is only in town to reconnect with with a Aunt and cousins, both have priorities that aren’t love but fate works in mysterious ways and sometimes we find love when we least expect too. Will Harry stay or will he walk away when secrets from Sera’s past surface, well I guess you will need to read the book to find that out….
An emotional read that touched me on so many levels, I cried, I smiled and I feel for this couple big time, the chemistry is sizzling and the characters are easy to love, so all that’s left for me to say is I highly recommend this great read.
This was a good read. I enjoyed the characters, many of whom we had already met in previous books (I absolutely adore Zed) Seraphina is the young single mom who is just trying to find a place in the world and what she is supposed to do while a Harrison is a retired military vet looking to connect with the only family he has left. The two have amazing chemistry but secrets from the past definitely try to come between them, secreted and and Harry’s aunt Celeste, who is less than likable when we first meet her although she does redeem herself.
So like I said good read, good characters, I love the world that is being built in this series but i didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Butterfly Bayou that may just be that I felt more personally connected to the characters.
**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review**
With the death of her aunt, Seraphina Guidry ends up with the run down Guidry house to revamp, but the only thing this single mother knows amount construction is what she has seen on HGTV. Contractor and new to the area, Harrison Jeffries is just the person she needs. An instant connection happens but will Sera be able to keep the secret she has been keeping from his family while at the same time staying involved with him? Lexi Blake has a unique way of storytelling that makes the reader feel like they are part of the family. With beautifully written characters and a storyline filled with heart and understanding this was a great read.
5 Star Review of Bayou Baby (Butterfly Bayou #2) by Lexi Blake
The latest addition to Lexi Blake’s series, it was great to be back in Papillon, Louisiana also known as Butterfly Bayou. Her writing was descriptive and I could easily imagine myself in the Bayou particularly since it is an area that I would love to visit. Papillon is a quirky community full of characters that are fun and entertaining to read about, not to mention Otis, the alligator.
This time it is Seraphina (Sera) Guidry, single mum o a cute little boy who is going to find love with out of towner Harrison (Harry) Jefferys. Harry has come to Papillon to re connect with his Aunt Celeste Beaumont and his cousins, although when he meets Sera, he finds himself contemplating making Papillon his home.
This was at times an emotional read and I admit to tears being shed. Ms. Blake weaves a tale that draws you in and quickly has you invested. I really loved how much Harry cared for Sera and that he refused to give up even as she tried to keep him at a distance. The chemistry between them sizzled
What will happen when secrets from Sera’s past are revealed? Will Harry be forced to chose between the woman he loves and his family who dislikes her?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
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Bayou Baby has it all. A ruggedly gorgeous hero and a beautiful strong heroine woven into a love story filled with small town scandals and gossip, disfunctional family dynamics, humor and romance. Add in a precocious toddler and a loyal protective German Shepherd and you’ve got it all, done in Lexi Blake’s own inimitable style. It just doesn’t get any better!
There is a certain comfort in reading a book and knowing right from the start the issue that is going to cause all the strife and problems. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the build to that moment, and I bawled like a baby when it happened and the aftermath. Lexi can seriously rip your heart out and stomp on it, and she did it exceedingly well here
I loved the strength and resilience of the female characters in this story. Sera, Celeste, Angie, and Delphine, along with their friends and family, had such inner strength, something uniquely theirs, and they learned and grew from each other. Whether intentionally, from mother to daughter, or unintentionally, fights and disagreements, they took something away and made it work for them.
Of course, Harry saw all the wonderfulness that was Sera well before she did, and he was a man dedicated to getting that woman. Sera led him on a chase for awhile before deciding to let herself be happy. The heat and chemistry between them sizzled, but the depth of their emotions is what made it work so well. Throw in a cute toddler and a faithful German Shepard, and even all the forces working against them, couldn’t keep them apart.
We get glimpses of the townsfolk, including Otis the gator in a last minute appearance, and previously met characters, and this story only whetted my appetite even more for Zep’s story!
Now I understand the German Sheppard on the front cover!
Sera is a single mom who has just inherited her aunts old house and it needs a lot of work to pass building codes and not get condemned.
Harry is in town for his cousin’s wedding and to help restore a gazebo for the new married couple to get married in. He meets Sera and see’s she needs a contractor to help fix her home as she needs all the work done in 90 days ir she could loose it.
This is a story of money and power trying to take down anyone who is beneath them. As Harry’s Aunt wants the house condemned so she can take over the property.
True Lexi style! This book is really funny, some really great sexy times, and a very heart warming story.
Amazing! The Butterfly Bayou series is absolutely amazing!
Lexi Blake is a genius storyteller. This series is one of her finest. Bayou Baby is the second book in Ms. Blake’s Butterfly Bayou series. The characters make me want to get to know them in person. Lexi Blake did an extraordinary job of redeeming the character I greatly disliked at first. I am very impressed with that feat! The storyline flows beautifully and is filled with emotion and some great family dynamics as well as a very dysfunctional family. This book had me turning the pages quickly to see what was going to happen next. Then again I was so happy in Papillion, Louisiana I didn’t want the story to end, meaning my stay there would be over. I am really really looking forward to the next book in this series, Bayou Dreaming.
An absolutely beautiful sweet novel with the right amount of soulful sassiness.
I really enjoyed reading about Seraphina and her romantic aspirations with Harry. The Papillion town is still as ever fired up and always gossiping but that doesn’t stop Sera from remodeling her Aunts bayou home. But will her secrets stay in the shadows or will they eventually be set free? Causing the bayou waters to stir.
This side of Lexi’s writing is all consuming. The wittiness, lustrous romance between the characters, the storyline with the side characters were so captivating it made me want more. I am most definitely looking forward to the third novel in the Butterfly Bayou series.