This book was so good. I really enjoyed every part of it. Great storyline, great pace and very sweet!

This was my first ride on this author's merry-go-round...I enjoyed it. A community bands together, relationships are built, and there's lots of character development. A small mystery was even thrown in there! I like that. I'll be looking at her other stuff too, very talented.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced pdf so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛

Teacher Ellie Fields takes a new job in Louisiana to stretch her wings. On her drive to her new town, she visits New Orleans and makes a new friend of Heywood, a regional photographer. Once settled in her new town on the bayou, Ellie quickly adapts to the area. She falls quickly in love with Raphe who is fostering his nephew, Remy. It turns out that Heywood is a long-time friend of Raphe – plot twist!
The bayou sits on oil reserves and conspirators in the state aim to take that from the Cajun residents through scare tactics. They misjudge the community of caring that the neighbors have to band together.

This book is a Southern romance. And while that is not my favorite genre, this had much more to offer. The characters were well developed and they seemed like genuine people you would know. Their interactions and the way they joked with each other added to the book. The description of the bayou, their lifestyle, their struggles, the outside attempt at manipulation, and the threat to their culture makes this a wonderful book. And when you add in the rare white alligator, you realized how it is actually becoming a part of the story of everyone in this town.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fleming H. Revell Company for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was my first read by this author. It was good. The characters were memorable, the setting stunning. A nice slower read; I was invested in the story and characters and felt like I could just take my time and savor the moments described so beautifully.

Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Under the bayou Moon is a beautiful historical fiction and romance story set in a corner of the Louisiana bayou. It's not a setting I know very much about, so I enjoyed the lush descriptions! A novel like this would make a great movie, but ultimately the book was rather formulaic.

I received a copy from the publisher to read and review, thank you Revell Books.

Under the Bayou Moon is a wonderful Southern historical novel set in the Louisiana bayou. Full of romance and suspense, this novel pulled me in from the first page. I'm adding this book to my favorite list. Thanks to author Valerie Fraser Luesse, publisher Revell, and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

This is the third book I have read by Valerie with her fourth sitting in my night stand. I will read any book she writes. I love her way of writing, the stories she pulls together from the south.

This book is set in Louisiana, deep in the bayou. Travel is mostly by boat and as I read the descriptions of going from one channel to the next, I was lost in the reading of it, and am sure I would have been hopelessly lost had I needed to travel that way. Alligators are prevalent with a legend about an all-white alligator for whom a bounty has been set.

Into this setting comes Ellie Fields. She's from a small town in Alabama and she is searching for home, a place to belong. She comes to teach school, falls in love, and lives the rest of her days there. And while that's a theme in the book, it doesn't feel as overarching as it can in some books. There is also the alligator bounty, there is an outgoing, gregarious man who becomes a dear friend of Ellie's, there is foul play that goes on, and there is segregation in the schools yet that Ellie wants to fight against.

It's a story of belonging, a story of home, a story of friendship, and an illustration of what greed can do, the hurt it can cause.

I really enjoyed this book and now I really want to go read "The Key to Everything" as soon as I get caught up on some of my other reading.

I received this book from Revell and NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ellie Fields leaves her Alabama home and ventures to the swamplands of Louisiana to take charge of a one-room schoolhouse. While much of the country is modernizing in the freshly-post-WWII era, the backwoods of Cajun country is a culture unlike anything Ellie’s experienced before. She’s an outsider, moving into a town suspicious of outsiders, used to oppression and cultural suppression, and with no love for the government or public education.

Under the Bayou Moon feels like 1940s in the bayou. Luesse builds her world magnificently, making it come to life through her characters and their relationships. It’s a deeply relational novel that hits upon cultural issues that are both contextual and timeless. Reading this book is like taking a hot bath. You just want to luxuriate in it. I found myself reading slower, putting the book aside at times, just to stay in the world a little bit longer.

Normally when we say a book isn’t a page-turner, we mean it’s boring. Not so here. Under the Bayou Moon is decidedly not a page-turner. It moves along at precisely the pace it needs to go. You’re left wanting to just continue a while longer getting into the people’s minds and cultures and relationships. You turn the page reluctantly because you want the story to move on but at the same time you want to bask in the world that Luesse has recreated.

The story itself—a schoolteacher is changes and is changed by the town they live in and students they work with—is a trope that’s been played out many different times in many different genres. Occasionally, those stories were not sensitive to the culture they were written into and exhibited a sort of “white saviorism” where the hero (usually white) comes in and saves the school/town (usually non-white). Luesse offers a version of that here, with the southern belle of Alabama relocating to French Cajun country. However, Luesse avoids the problematic saviorism elements and instead portrays a young woman immersing herself in the history and culture of the place she’s been called to and fighting against institutional oppression.

But none of these social issues are handled in a heavy-handed or issues-first way. Rather, they naturally flow out of the story as Under the Bayou Moon moves follows Ellie’s story, along with some drama that entails. It’s a historically-rich, well-written novel that invites the reader into a place that’s likely a bit unfamiliar. That’s a good thing for fiction to do and Luesse crafts it expertly. Simply put, Under the Bayou Moon is the best historical novel I’ve read this year.

This is the first book by Luesse that I have read but it definitely will not be the last. Under the Bayou Moon is a mixture of romance, mystery, drama, and intrigue. Being from Louisiana I am familiar with the scenery and language used in the book and it was spot on. This book is about family, culture, dirty Louisiana politics, and hunting aligators. Things that all Louisiana natives are familiar with. The author's vivid descriptions of bayou life makes the story come alive.

This is the story of Ellie Fields, a young school teacher from Alabama who makes her way to the small bayou town of Bernadette, Louisiana. Ellie meets Raphe, a local fisherman who is raising his nephew after loosing his family is a storm. Ellie also befriends Haywood, a young photographer she met in New Orleans on her way to Bernadette. Ellie teaches at the local school where the school board has forbidden the children to speak their native French. Luesse explores the pride and fears steeped in the cajun culture. The elusive white aligator, l'esprit blanc, is part of that culture.

There are so many layers to this book. It is definitely a book you can't put down. I received this book from Revell books for an honest review. I can't say enough how much I loved this book.

I thought this would be an interesting read as I am from the South and could picture the locations of the book. I can't imagine traveling from home to a small town as Ellie did and trying to fit in with the community that she becomes a teacher in. She soon wins over many in the town as the come to see her not as a threat, but as someone to learn from. She also learns about their culture as well and soon teams up with one of the townspeople as they try to save the white gator.

I received a copy of the book to read the review is mine.

Under the Bayou Moon is a beautifully written novel by Valerie Fraser Luesse. I have never been to Louisiana but when reading about the culture, the food and the people in this novel I felt like I was there! The story is about Ellie a new schoolteacher who ends up not only teaching the children but adults as well. There is a little bit of everything in this book - a love story, politics and all the things that you can imagine could happen in a small town. Really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more by this author!

Valerie Fraser Luesse certainly has a special style of storytelling. Her new book, “Under the Bayou Moon” is especially enjoyable. Luesse paints a vivid picture of Bernadette, Louisiana where we follow school teacher Ellie Fields and her journey to self discovery. As she embraces the beauty and culture of her new home, she opens the hearts of those within a community that is typically wary of outsiders. Luesse is extremely talented at creating this storyline.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

I had never read anything by Valerie Fraser Luesse before. But the description sounded good so I requested it from NetGalley. In my opinion, the book was OK. Not fantastic, not bad, just OK. The characters were good, the description was well written, and the plot line was a little slow. I found myself wanting to finish it just to move on to the next book in my list.

I did enjoy reading about life in the Bayou. In some ways, it feels like a different world. I felt for the poor people and smiled at their triumphs. I also liked Raphe's connection with the white alligator in the story.

This was a beautiful, atmospheric novel set in 1950's Louisiana. I loved the setting and the charming characters. It had the feeling of being even farther back in history because of the one room schoolhouse, and everyone getting around on boats. The author did and excellent job of making you feel like you were really on the bayou.

The romance was sweet and mature, which I appreciated. I enjoy a romance that isn't too drawn out with lots of angst and hand wringing. The character development is well done too. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical romance and atmospheric novels

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Under The Bayou Moon by Valerie Fraser Luesse is a most delightful Christian historical novel about community.
The tale is set in 1949 in Bernadette in the Bayou. It is an area where the Cajun people live. The community all exist side by side, it is outsiders who make all the rules and disturb the balance.
The white superintendent’s father is prejudiced against the indigenous population. He outlaws the speaking of French in schools and prevents those who are not white from a right to education. School has been hard and unhappy for all the children until a new teacher brings love, light and care. She believes in education for all and sets out to achieve this.
Greed is a dreadful master. Greed prompts people to behave in awful ways, believing they are above the law and some are guilty of hubris.
The community welcomes strangers into their midst. It also pulls together when a need is spotted. People are welcomed as they serve each other.
There is much love that infuses the novel. It reaches from the pages to encompass the reader.
We are told to take care of the widows and orphans. This command is lived out within the novel.
With rich descriptions the reader is easily able to picture the scenes, especially vivid are the swamps and the white alligator.
Valerie Fraser Luesse is a new author to me. I am looking forward to discovering more books by her.
Under The Bayou Moon was a charming read of love and community.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Valerie Fraser Luesse is a masterful writer of Southern historical fiction. Focusing on the middle years of the 20th century, her books bring to life the paradoxes of the South. The power of community is a strong theme in her books, but she does not shy away from the prejudices and injustices that plagued the part of America that claims my heart. In her newest novel, Under the Bayou Moon, Luesse travels back to post-WWII Cajun country. I am a big fan of Louisiana — it is one of my favorite places to visit, and I felt like I was set right down in the midst of small town Bernadette with its loving, fiercely independent, and thorougly cajun/creole residents. Bernadette is in Bayou country — houses are on stilts on the edge of the swampy inlets, adults and children get to town, work, and school via fishing boats and pirogues. I can’t say it enough. Luesse brought the place and time to life for this reader. The story of Ellie and Raphe, an Alabama schoolteacher and a cajun fisherman, is charming. The two are characters I came to love and will never forget. There’s romance, suspense, danger, and a bit of magic involved in their story. If you ever visit the bayou, I promise you will be on the lookout for a white alligator! 😉 Luesse does not sugarcoat the history of the region, however. The plan to rid Louisiana from the cajun culture was real. I’m just glad that as in the book, the politicians did not succeed!

Filled with all the flavor of a very special region, Under The Bayou Moon is a must-read. I loved it all — the beautifully detailed setting, the endearing characters, and the uncovering of an important history. This book is very highly recommended!

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

This is one of those books that I wish I could give a better rating than a five out of five stars. I did not want to put this book down. This book is filled with happy and sad emotions. It is so sad the way children were sometimes treated while all they wanted was an education. The characters are wonderful. My favorite characters were Heywood, Remy and Doc. They helped bring what Ellie and Raphe did all together. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Valerie Fraser Luesse writes stories you cannot put down and you never want to end. This time she took us to the Cajun country of Louisiana in Under the Bayou Moon. This author is in a class all by herself and has a knack for storytelling like no other. The way she draws the reader into every aspect is untouchable and I know I am not alone when I say her stories stick with you long after the ending. I actually have to take a break afterwards or the next book I read will be sure to disappoint.

Under the Bayou Moon, is full of beautiful scenery, drama, romance, mouth watering food, mystery and suspense. In other words it has something for everyone. I was immediately drawn into this story by Valerie’s enchanting, delightful, easy flowing southern style prose as I jumped aboard the pirogue joining her characters as they row about the Bayou. Emotionally I had moments of awe, nail biting dread, tears, out right laughter and everything in between which makes Valerie’s stories so delightfully wonderful to read. Every element of Under the Bayou Moon was so well portrayed by Valerie making it truly an unforgettable experience.

I received this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group/Revell via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

This was my first time reading anything by Valeries Fraser Luesse. I can honestly say it will not be the last. I was pulled in by her storytelling and descriptions that made me feel as if I was living the story right along with the characters and could see what they were seeing and feel everything they felt. Under the Bayou Moon is a story of love, community, friendship and finding yourself in the middle of it all.

**I was given an ARC of the story in exchange for my honest opinion. These words are mine and mine alone.