Bayou Sweetheart (Butterfly Bayou 5) by Lexi Blake-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 26, 2022
After leaving the military, Major Blanchard moved to Papillon, Louisiana, to be with his aging father, where he’s taken a deputy position with the sheriff’s department. Now that he’s settling into life on the bayou, he’s trying out the dating scene. Every single woman in town seems to be pining after the handsome newcomer. But so far, nothing’s worked out, and he’s had some spectacularly bad dates. Major’s getting ready to give up on love when a new lady roars into town to film a movie and turns his world upside down.
Actress Brynn Pearson is trying to make a successful transition from child star to leading lady. Now that she’s landed her first lead in a major film, nothing can stop her. She’s committed to focusing solely on her work, so romance is the last thing she needs—too bad she can’t get her mind off the dreamy deputy she keeps running into. He’s gorgeous, and something about him makes her feel safe. As Brynn’s feelings for Major deepen, she starts to wonder if maybe there’s more to life than her career.
When a family crisis throws Major’s life into a tailspin, he turns to Brynn for support, and hopes their budding relationship will shine brighter than Hollywood lights.
•••••
REVIEW:BAYOU SWEETHEART is the fifth instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary, adult BUTTERFLY BAYOU erotic, romance series focusing on the people who live and work in Papillon, Louisiana. This is thirty-three year old Papillon Deputy Major Blanchard, and twenty –five year old actress Brynn Pearson’s story line. BAYOU SWEETHEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Brynn and Major) BAYOU SWEETHEART follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-three year old Papillon Deputy Major Blanchard, and twenty –five year old actress Brynn Pearson. Brynn Pearson, her sister Allyson, and their ‘momager’ Diane Pearson, and fellow actor Gavin Jacks are in Papillon, Louisiana in preparation for an upcoming movie, a movie the ‘momager’ is hoping will make Brynn Pearson a star. Brynn has worked in the television industry since she was five years old, and jumping from childhood to adulthood in the world of movie stars meant missing all of the steps in between. Meeting local Papillon Deputy Major Blanchard went viral when our heroine had to rescue said deputy when he got himself and his dog stuck in the Bayou bog. From the outset Brynn and Major’s attraction was instant but Brynn was only in town for a few weeks, and the incoming paparazzi was about to blow up any chance of a relationship when scandal meets reality on the front pages of the news. What ensues is the building but struggling relationship between Brynn and Major, and the potential fall-out as a family emergency pulls Major out of Brynn’s life, and a scandal is about to destroy any hopes of Brynn’s burgeoning jump from child to adult star.
Brynn Pearson has been working since the age of five but work she no longer finds rewarding or fun. Wanting some time to recoup and reconsider the next stage of her life, Brynn considers setting down roots in Papillon Louisiana but Major Blanchard fears disappointment is only a matter of weeks away. Major Blanchard is struggling with family issues of his own but meeting Brynn gave Major hopes for something more but something more is going to have to wait in the wake of a paparazzi nightmare, and an ailing father who is caught between independence and his son.
The relationship between Brynn and Major is one of immediate attraction. As one of the few remaining single men in Papillon Louisiana, Major is has caught the eye of many women including women willing to set them up with somebody’s daughter but Major only has eyes for our story line heroine, a woman he refuses to tie down in Papillon Louisiana. 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 colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including many of whom we have me in previous story lines: Armie and Lila (Butterfly Bayou 1); Seraphine Guidry (Bayou Baby 2); Roxanne and Zep Guidry (Butterfly Dreaming 3) as well as the introduction of Brynn’s sister Allyson, their mother Diane; actor and mentor Gavin Jacks; several social pariahs and paparazzi reporters, as well as local gang leader and thief Brian.
BAYOU SWEETHEART is a story of family and relationships, power, control and acceptance ; fame and scandal; purpose and love. The premise is captivating and entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are charismatic and charming-there is plenty of witty banter, back and forth between many of the characters.
Reading Order and previous reviews
Butterfly Bayou
Baby Bayou
Bayou Dreaming
Bayou Beauty
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
Brynn winced. “Sorry. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. And no. Harry had an emergency. Apparently his mother-in-law had some plumbing problems and he went out to help. I called a car service.”
“We have a car service?” Major asked and then winced. “Please tell me Greg Bonham isn’t still trying to make Guber happen.”
She snorted. “Yes. I heard all about his plan to create a fleet of golf carts.”
“That’s not road legal. You are not calling him to take you back.” He groaned, though it sounded like a sexy growl. “I’ll drive you home, and I’ll have a talk with Greg because putting twinkle lights all over a golf cart does not make it safe. So, where’s your buddy this evening?”
“Duke?” She didn’t have another buddy. She had acquaintances. She had coworkers. She had fans. She didn’t have buddies beyond her dog. She suddenly realized how sad that was.
“Yes. I miss his royal disdain.”
“Disdain?”
A brow rose over Major’s eyes. “That dog does not like me. And he didn’t like Dolly, either, which is a mistake on his part because she is delightful.”
Brynn chuckled. “That’s not what you were saying when she was wrapped around your shoulders.”
“Well, we’ve moved on and she’s delightful again. She never met a stranger, and I think she was hurt by Duke’s rejection of her love.”
Oh, this was an infinitely more dangerous man than the one she’d met before. Was he flirting with her? If he was, it was working, because she was ready to throw out everything she’d learned about him earlier in the day. “Duke takes his time warming up to people, but once he gets used to you, you’ll find him delightful, too. He’s back at the B and B. When I’m not able to take him with me, he usually stays with an assistant. In this case, he’s hanging out with Shep. What has you in a good mood? Did you get to ticket a bunch of people?”
He put a hand on his chest. “I do not enjoy ticketing people, Brynn. Especially not people around here. They’re mouthy and very creative in finding an excuse for not using their blinker when they turn. By the way, speaking of ticketing people, you have a lead foot. That is not going to do you well here. The boss is always on the lookout to upgrade the station house’s appliances, and the money from driving offenses goes straight into his budget. He’s got two small children at home now. He wants an espresso machine. He kind of needs it to keep functioning.”
Ah, the joys of small-town life. “Thank you for the warning. How about I gift him one and maybe you gently look the other way?”
That jawline of his straightened, and he turned on his serious stare. “Ma’am, are you trying to bribe an officer of the law?”
That cop voice got to her. She suddenly understood why people role-played. She’d always thought it was dumb, but now she could see how Deputy Major doing a slow search of her body could be sexy. In a playful way, of course. A consenting way.
Was she thinking about hopping into bed with him?
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
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