Butterfly Bayou
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4.3 • 17 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is back with an all-new heartwarming, small-town contemporary romance series set against the spicy southern backdrop of Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou.
Life in Dallas took a tragic turn for nurse practitioner Lila Daley. In need of a fresh start, she retreats to Papillon, Louisiana, a tiny town on the bayou. Sure she's greeted by a gator, finds herself in the middle of golf cart wars, and unwittingly adopts a scruffy dog, but Lila remains undaunted. She's focused on running the town's medical clinic, but fitting into the quirky community is harder than she imagined.
As a single dad, Sheriff Armie LaVigne embraces routine. But there is nothing routine about the town's newest resident. Lila is a gorgeous fish out of water and he’s ready to catch her. In fact, in no time at all, Armie knows Lila is the woman for him and he plans to win her heart. But when the past threatens their happiness, Armie will have to decide if he has the courage to trust Lila enough to find a true happily ever after.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blake (the Courting Justice series) takes a break from romantic suspense with this sweet and spicy small-town contemporary series debut. After a traumatic incident in a Dallas, Tex., emergency room, nurse practitioner Lila Daley pursues a low-stress lifestyle running a clinic in small town Papillon Bayou, La., where her younger sister lives. Lila's first interaction with sexy sheriff Armie LaVigne, during which he writes her a speeding ticket on her way into town, ignites an attraction. But independent Lila is haunted by her past and isn't sure she's ready for a relationship, especially when she realizes getting the townsfolk to trust her medical skills is going to be more difficult than she'd thought. Lila's strength and vulnerability are balanced by Armie's intelligence and humor, making them an easy couple to root for. Blake captures the flavor of her colorful Southern town with a vividly drawn cast, including conspiracy nut Gene, lazy alligator Otis, and a slew of ladies determined to keep Armie to themselves. This charming series opener hits all the right notes.
Customer Reviews
3.75 stars—edgy and intense
3.75 stars--BUTTERFLY BAYOU is the first instalment in the contemporary, adult BUTTERFLY BAYOU erotic, romance series focusing on the people who live and work in Papillon Bayou Louisiana. This is forty year old, single father and Sheriff Armie La Vigne, and practical nurse Lila Daley’s story line.
NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Armie and Lila) BUTTERFLY BAYOU follows three distinct paths: the building relationship between forty year old, single father and Sheriff Armie La Vigne, and practical nurse Lila Daley; a couple of cases of domestic abuse that place Lila in the direct line of fire; and the relationship between Lila, Armie and Armie’s sixteen year old daughter Noelle, a young woman confined to a wheelchair since the accident that claimed the life of her mother.
Eight months earlier Lila Daley’s life imploded when a gunman killed her co-worker taking Lila hostage in the process. Fast forward to present day wherein our heroine, struggling to move on from the past accepts a position as a practical nurse, moving from Dallas Texas to Papillon Bayou, Louisiana, a town that is unwilling to accept Lila as one of their own. Having to deal with the small-town mentality and discrimination that comes with the inability to change, Lila finds herself on the outside looking in when Papillon Bayou, Louisiana refuses to accept Lila into their arms. Enter Sheriff Armie LaVigne, the man with whom Lila will fall in love. What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship between Lila and Armie, and the potential fall-out when Lila finds herself on the receiving end of death threats, anger and Armie’s inability to accept Lila’s methods and means of tough love towards his only daughter.
Lila Daley is a strong, independent, intelligent, practical nurse with attitude to spare; who gives as good as she gets, and who isn’t afraid to speak her mind but speaking her mind in Papillon Bayou, Louisiana means alienating the townies who struggle to accept Lila as their new primary care personnel. Used to the ways of the old doctor, the residents of Papillon Bayou begin to make Lila’s life miserable until an accident threatens the life of one of their own. Armie LaVigne is a single father who cares for his daughter, a young woman whose carefree attitude hides a darker fear but it is Armie’s personal battle with Lila’s stance that threatens his relationship with our story line heroine.
The relationship between Lila and Armie begins when Armie pulls over Lila Daley in an effort to get to know Papillon’s newest resident but everything backfires when Lila’s ego, demeanor, mindset and temperament continues to annoy the townsfolk, including the man with whom she will fall in love. Lila believes she is better than the people of Papillon Bayou, and it’s this philosophy and perspective that begins to push away any future relationships. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Armie’s daughter Noelle, Lila’s sister Lisa Guidry and her husband Remy, her brother Will and his wife Laurel, nurse Mabel; townies Rene Daron, Zep Guidry, Quaid Havery; town deputies Major and Roxie; real-estate agent Miranda Jossart; Carrie Petrie, her husband Bobby, his brother Donny , and their mother Lorna, as well as several other town folks who push in and out of our heroine’s life.
BUTTERFLY BAYOU is a story of family, friendships, acceptance and love; of struggle and betrayal; vengeance and drama. The premise is edgy and intense; the characters are spirited, sassy, judgemental and snobs; the romance is seductive and moving but struggles in the face of preconceived notions, issues of trust, misunderstanding, and spurious reactions to events and outcomes. BUTTERFLY BAYOU is a wonderful introduction to the people and town of Papillon Bayou, Louisiana but you have to set aside first, second and third impressions about our leading characters.