4.5 stars!

I'm totally in love with this small town series and could not wait to revisit Papillion, Louisiana. Found within the pages of Lexi Blake's Bayou Baby is a heartwarming, moving story with all the feels. Sizzling passion, angst, scandal, relationship drama, an adorable little boy, a German Shepard that occasionally stole the spotlight, and a cast of memorable characters - captivated me from beginning to end. There's so much goodness to savor when a sassy, down on her luck single mom, Seraphina Guidry, falls for the ex-military hottie, Harrison Jeffreys. Sparks fly when this couple comes together in this eloquently written romance.

Facing many challenges while raising a toddler on her own, Sera's life is riddled with complications, including the inability to hold a steady job. Her luck begins to change when she finds herself the beneficiary of her late aunt's historic mansion and a small inheritance only to be used towards the repairs. To save Sera time and money, the sexy out-of-towner Harrison, a relative of Butterfly Bayou's wealthiest family, offered to lend her a hand. With an awkward beginning and a bumpy road towards love, this couple's experiences truly touched my heart.

What I adored most about Sera was her spirit. Regardless of her difficult circumstances, and bearing the brunt of Harry's wicked aunt's ire, this heroine managed to persevere. Throughout this read, she carried a tremendous amount of responsibility, secrets, and guilt. I admired Sera's courage in taking a faithful leap, opening her heart and life to Harry. There's were times his actions created more complications for poor Sera, but in the end, he was an enormous source strength and her perfect soulmate.

I immediately fell for big-hearted ex-army soldier turned handyman, Harrison. He's a drifter, a traveling man of sorts, who's temporarily in town to help with and attend his cousin's wedding. Meeting Sera was an unexpected game-changer - turning his world upside down while giving him the hope to settle and become a part of her family. However, there were so many obstacles for this couple to overcome. Secrets from the past, misunderstandings, and hurt feelings between Sera and his family, added loads of drama into this storyline, which had me on edge. There were times Harry's stubbornness frustrated me, but all in all, I adored this gentle hero for the way he loved Sera and the relationship he developed with her son Luc.

Another fantastic sexy yet emotional romance from Blake that I highly enjoyed and looking forward to the next installment Bayou Dreaming.

ARC received courtesy of publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Property porn, delicious family drama, and a gorgeous veteran turned contractor? So many of my favourite things in one story. This is a different side of Lexi Blake for me and I absolutely loved it.

Single mum Sera is a great leading lady. She’s a bit of a mess, has made a few big mistakes but she’s loyal, hardworking. and easy to love. Harrison is an equally perfect hero. If anything, he’s a little too perfect. He’s a blue collar veteran who feels more than a little out of place with his aunt’s wealthy family. He’s quiet and gentle and good – and hooked on Sera. I love the way he slowly earns Sera’s trust as he works to rebuild her home. Theirs is a quiet romance, a connection between two people who are both a little bit jaded by life.

As much as this is Sera and Harrison’s story, it is also the story of Harrison’s aunt. Villain or victim, the relationship between her and Sera is possibly more interesting than the one between Sera and Harrison. And then there’s Sera’s own mother, and the aunt she inherits her house from. In all honesty, it is the women who really shape this story and I think I enjoyed the themes of female fortitude and resilience as much as I enjoyed the romance.

This is a great book from a favourite author.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I think I would suggest you read them in order, as there is inevitably some world building in Butterfly Bayou, but you could read this as a standalone and love it too.

This story centres around two people who find themselves on the opposite sides of 'proper,' even though they are very similar and it is the interference of others which is at fault.

Harrison has come to help his aunt prepare for his cousin's wedding by rebuilding a wooden gazebo. Since he returned from war, less one leg, he has been happy travelling around the country doing carpentry jobs for friends, and he expects to be moving on again after the wedding. His widowed aunt, Celeste, lives in the big house with her two surviving adult children, and lords it over the community. But really as he learned from his mother, her sister, her origins were humble, and her superiority complex is not from her past. He is, however, tolerant. The son that died was the favoured one, and the fallout from this is still felt now.

Seraphina, single mum who will not say who the father of her son is, who is bequeathed a giant of a house, right in the backyard of Celeste and family. I loved her being so strong, yet accepting that she needed help, that her son deserved the best. That he came first and yet she was prepared to consider that her happiness affected his too. And knowing that Harry really did want her, not just for a short while, but for keeps.

It is the perfect set up for a complicated two-family storyline which plays out in the full view of the gossips of Papillon. I love that although Harry and Sera was central to the romance, there were lots of other issues playing alongside and vying for our attention. There are so many characters who could be the focus of future stories, I am really excited to see what happens next!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Bayou Baby is the second book in Lexi Blake’s Butterfly Bayou series but it can be read as a standalone. Sera Guidry, our heroine, is a young single mum living in her hometown with her family and her three-year-old son. She inherits an old house from her aunt but only on the provision that she uses money left to her to do it up. Enter love interest Harry, a gorgeous single contractor who has come to town to help his Aunt Celeste, who hates Sera with a passion, and helps Sera out with her house.

This is a lovely romance and I like the way that Sera and Harry click. Sera is a good woman and a great mum and Harry is an honest, upstanding hottie. But this story is about more than just their romance. Harry’s Aunt Celeste, a most unlikeable woman, plays a big part in this story. She has a long-standing hatred of Sera and when Sera and Harry start dating, she has to make some choices about her life and her long standing views. Parts of the story are told from Celeste’s point of view and it adds another lay of depth and emotion to the story.

Some parts of Bayou Baby are fun and playful, some are romantic, and others are upsetting and heartbreaking. I went from loving Harry to hating him to loving him again. I’m still not sure how I feel about Celeste, but I can say Sera is one understanding and forgiving woman. I felt a wide range of emotions reading this book and at one point I even had a good cry, but like all good romance stories, the happily ever after was worth the tears.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Romance

Seraphina loves living in her little town. Despite some hiccups in living there, she's happy. And while she hasn't quite found her place, she knows that if she keeps trying, she will. Her son is adorable, and she knows that she has to do what's in his best interest. When she sees the new guy in town, she warns him right away that her mother will try and set them up – she's not interested and doesn't think it's a good idea.

Harrison isn't used to living in a such a small town. Everyone knows everyone else's business. Rivalries are rampant and his aunt is right in the middle of one of the biggest. Harrison knows his own mind and despite appreciating his aunt's willingness to help him in his time of need, it doesn't give her carte blanche over his decisions or life.

When Harrison and Seraphina need to work together, their attraction is something out of a fairy tale. Sera knows she's walking a fine line. She's been at odds with Harrison's Aunt Celeste for years. Nothing she does will ever be okay in Celeste's eyes and Seraphina knows why. While Harrison is falling more and more for Seraphina, Celeste is working hard to ensure that Seraphina doesn't stay on the property that was willed to her.

Loyalties will be tested, family dynamics will change drastically, lessons are learned, and love is found. This is a sweet story that has a lot of drama. When the dust settles, everyone will know the truth and the truth will change everything.

Triggers: Death


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

This book is the second of the series and I would definitely suggest reading the first book in the series so that you will have a better understanding of the players in the Bayou.

The romance starts off slowly between Sera and Harrison. Each of them brings their own set of baggage to the relationship, including secrets that would devastate the families involved.

This was a good book, but at times, it seemed to drag for me.

What a touching story in a good series. Sera and Harry meet and she realizes he's related to a family that she's not fond of. The family of her best friend, Wes, who died in Afghanistan. She had his child and despite all the rumors and innuendo circulating around their small town, never corrects the falsehood that she was with a married man and that's why she's never revealed her child's father's nane.

Her aunt leaves her decrepit house and money for repairs to Sera in her will. Can she repair it and make a living running it as a B & B? Harry, as retired Army with a prosthetic leg, and training in construction, helps to make her dream come true. But when Celeste, Wes's mother, finds out Sara's son is her grandson all he'll breaks loose.

A great story I recommend. I can't wait for the next story in the series.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

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.

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.
One click and find out.

This series is sweet, sad, funny with wonderful insights into human nature and what makes people tick. Seraphina did not impress me in the first book in the series.  I was a bit skeptical about what to expect in this book but readers hold on to your hats, her character will blow you away and make you a fan for life. In my mind this series is a departure from Ms. Blake's usual writing style but in a wonderful quirky way. Can't wait to read more heartwarming, family oriented stories from this author.
Seraphina is a sweet, sassy, principled woman who is doing all she can to find herself and be a good mother to her son. Yes she is struggling to hold down a job and has tried all the options in the small town of Papillion but its through no fault of her own that she's not a success though she is loved by her family and friends. The bane of her existence is Celeste. I love the interactions between Sera, Celeste and Sera's mother in their so southern sarcastic way.
Harrison Jeffreys never expected to find himself in small town Louisiana but his desire to find family and the impending marriage of his cousin has him a guest of his aunt Celeste and attracted to Sera from his first meeting with her. He wages a campaign to win Sera and her son despite how much his aunt dislikes her.  Harry is a man who is confident in himself and willing to take a stand but when he finds out all of Sera's secrets all bets might be off.
Celeste covets the property next door and can't wait for her elderly neighbor to die so she can acquire it and extend her own property. Imagine her fury and displeasure when Sera inherits it and refuses to sell it. If that's not enough fuel for her fire, Celeste's nephew Harry is determined to lend his expertise to Sera in her restoration of the property and her possible plan to create a bed and breakfast.
The story will sweep you away in the depth of the relationships between the various characters, the undercurrents that will eventually become a rip tide sweeping everything in their way making way for new beginnings. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next book in the series.

In this second book of the Butterfly Bayou series, Seraphina Guidry is a young single mother working to make a life for herself and her son in Papillon; the small Louisiana backwater town where she grew up. With the help of her quirky family and some lifelong friends, Sera finally finds a job that suits her when an elderly aunt leaves her the family homestead. It is quite the fixer upper and since Sera has limited funds and time, she needs a whole lot of assistance. Sera knows few options exist and none of them first rate.\
Harrison Jefferys has come to the town where his Aunt Celeste and her offspring live to do some work and reconnect with his only living family. Celeste thinks of herself as local royalty and has a lot of folks in her pocketbook. Her main enemy is Sera because Celeste holds her responsible for the loss of a beloved son. The last thing Celeste wants is for Harrison to become involved with that woman.

Sera and Harry connect very quickly in not only work but pleasure even though he has been warned off and several other ladies in town have their eye on him. Harry has suffered some losses in the military including part of his leg; however, he has come to terms with it and is building his business as a contractor which is something Sera desperately needs to renovate the old mansion.

Celeste hopes on her broom in order to take down Sera, but somewhere along the line she begins to see who the real problem is and where blame should be placed. Sera is tired of fighting the mother of the man who was her best friend deciding she will no longer put up with such ill treatment. A carefully held secret threatens to blow everyone and everything out of the water once it is revealed.

While most definitely a romance, this story reads a bit like Women’s Fiction focusing more on Sera’s struggle both financial and personal as she seeks to become independent of her family to raise her son. Several other female characters fill out the pages while men for the most part take a back seat; sometimes it seems only a few of them are good guys. Ms. Blake has a talent for telling a good tale with witty dialog and some entertaining moments. The third in the series will be about Sera’s brother Zep: the town pretty boy player who spends up lot of his time keeping up that reputation.

"He and Sera had heat. Whether or not that was enough to build a fire, he couldn't know if he didn't spend more time with her."

I'm loving the Butterfly Bayou series. The colorful characters are so much fun, even Otis the gator. The delicious anticipation of waiting for Harry and Sera to finally build that fire that was burning between them was so satisfying. I giggled and sighed and laughed and raged my way to the end. At times I was wishing for a voodoo doll to poke pins in and at other times I was a puddle of goo on the floor.

I've totally fallen for several other characters as well that I hope to see featured in future books in the series. I highly recommend this small-town romance that is guaranteed to check all your boxes for an enjoyable read. I can't wait to get my hands on Bayou Dreaming. The line forms here...

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in a day. Harry falls so quickly for Seraphina (Sera). She’s a single Mom and his Aunt Celeste seems to hate her. There’s a reason Sera has never told who fathered her son Luc. Harry makes a mistake, and I ended up crying so hard. Can Sera trust him again? Loved getting multiple points of view and that I was so emotionally connected. Loved their happy ever after too. I highly recommend this book.

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!

As y'all already know I am a huge Lexi Blake fan so I couldn't wait to devour this book. As always Ms. Blake does not disappoint. The characters are all well written and easy to fall in love with. Seraphina (I love that name) is happy living in her little town. Sure things haven't been perfect and she's struggling a bit to find her place but she keeps trying. Her son could not be more adorable.

Harrison is just as easy to love although Celeste (his aunt) is a bit much. I do enjoy the way the story unfolds and Celeste becomes less of a hated character for me. I loved how Harrison accepted Celeste's help but refused to give her complete control of his life. He's a man who knows how to make his own decisions.

While Celeste doesn't like Seraphina (Sera) we watch their history unfold and let me tell you there is plenty of drama. Harrison and Sera have a chemistry that is off the charts and he could care less about his aunt hating Sera. This one is full of family drama that will leave you breathless!

I enjoyed this sweet quirky love story. I really like Sera and Harry and was rooting for them from the get-go. Interesting cast of characters in this little town, that's for sure. I would definitely read more from this author and series.

I have no idea how Lexi Blake manages to change my mind about the side characters of previous books so completely when they get their own books, but she does.
Seraphina previously appeared as airheaded, slightly flighty girl who does not manage to hold a job for long. I was looking forward to her book, expecting a nice and easy, kinda simple book...
Well, I did not get that. I got a strong and sassy woman, a hero with the biggest heart ever and of course an adorable dog and child combination that was just so sweet. Add to that the drama of who the father of Sera's child is and a completely disfunctional family that has its fair share of baggage and needs to cope with it somehow. It. Was. Glorious.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sera's story and I never wanted it to end. It was just so good and Sera's character development was one of the best Lexi Blake has ever done. I loved to see her shed the shell and become the beautiful butterfly she was always supposed to be.
It's one of my favorite Lexi Blake novels now.
Just loved it.

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.

The theme of many of Lexi Blake’s books is creating a family from the people around you, and that is part of this book, but not the main theme. Instead the theme is more about connecting with your past and overcoming the expectations placed on you.
While the love interest in the story is Seraphina Guidry and Harry Jeffries, the secondary part of the story is Celeste Beaumont, the reigning society queen of Papillion, La. She hates Sera because she blames her for causing her son Wesley to joining the army, where he was killed in Afghanistan
The attraction between Harry and Sera is immediate and intense, but both have reasons to avoid the other. Harry was warned away from Sera by Celeste, and Sera is keeping a huge secret from everyone but a special few people, but especially from Celeste.
As they work together on the house Sera inherited from her aunt, Harry and Sera fall in love and Harry falls in love with Sera’s son, Luc.
But when Sera’s secret comes to light, can Harry protect her from his family?
Because of the secondary story about Celeste, this book is more in depth than most of Lexi’s stories, and it makes it an even more enjoyable story.
Some of the other side characters were delightful. We see a better side of Sera’s brother, Zep, and her mother, Delphine. The animals were a welcome addition, both Shep and Otis.
Overall this was a totally wonderful, five star read.

Sera is a young mother, still grappling with decisions she made years ago and living life in a very small town. Harry is in town to reconnect with the only family he has left, and is still trying to find his place out of the military. They don't seem to have much in common at first glance, other than a lot of chemistry, which is just what Sera does not want in her life. As old secrets start to bubble up, the two of them have to decide what they are really looking for. Set in small town Louisiana, this is a loosely connected series that can be read as a stand alone. Fun secondary characters, including Otis the gator.

Seraphima a has it pretty rough. She had a baby out of wedlock in a small, Louisiana town, and the “founding” family matriarch hates her. How can you win against those odds? She gets a chance to establish herself when her great aunt leaves her an old southern creole home that she dreams about fixing up. With so many obstacles in the way, will she be able to put her past behind her and recreate the adult, responsible version of herself without too much backfire from the town and the Beaumonts?

I was so happy to read this story. Harry and Sera were wonderful and the back up characters added so much to it. Everyone got a second chance to be happy and it was worth the read.

Loved this book! Loved the little town - wish could live there - or at least visit! Strong heroine and sexy hero with an interesting connection. Thoroughly enjoyed - and hope author writes more in this setting!