Jayna and Quaid’s love story in Bayou Beloved by Lexi Blake, book six in her Butterfly Bayou series, is a story of second chances, finding love, healing, and taking chances. The story follows Quaid Havery and Jayna Cardet, their reconnection, their baggage, their romance; in addition to the shenanigans of the people of Papillon. As Jayna finds herself on the opposite side of a case from her high school crush, Quaid, who didn’t remember her, they must navigate this new connection while also figuring out if it could lead to a lifetime of happiness or end in tears.

Ms. Blake wrote a wonderful story that should definitely not be missed. She provided a fun tale filled with the magic of Butterfly Bayou; that was also sweet and sassy, fun and flirty, with love, laughter, magnetic attraction, sparks, chemistry, and difficult decisions to be made. I totally enjoyed and highly recommend Bayou Beloved to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

The sixth installment of Lexi Blake's Butterfly Bayou series, Bayou Beloved, is a delightful read that transports readers back to the charming Papillon, Louisiana.

Lexi Blake is an author whose writing is so immersive that it's easy to feel like you're right there in the Bayou with the quirky and entertaining cast of characters who are always ready to offer their unsolicited opinions.

Bayou Beloved revolves around the romance between Quaid Havery and Jayna Cardet, and it's a great addition to the series.

As Jayna finds herself on the opposite side of a case from her high school crush, Quaid, they must navigate their newfound connection while also figuring out if it could lead to a lifetime of happiness or end in tears. Jayna is smart and confident. I found her to have a tough shell but to be completely endearing. She doesn’t try to be more than she is and has worked hard for every step forward.

Quaid seems to be the epidemy of southern privilege. He has an easy way about him and every likes him. He loves his mama but is realist as to how hard things can be. He is a dreamer who has yet to achieve his deepest dreams.

Overall, Bayou Beloved is a must-read for fans of the series and those who enjoy small-town romance novels. So, click that button and lose yourself in the magic of Butterfly Bayou once again!

Bayou Beloved is hot, funny, and full of small town shenanigans. The smile never left my face the whole time I was reading this lovely small town romance.

When Jayna Cardet returns to her hometown of Papillon,LA with her tail between her legs, she doesn't stay down for long before finding clients of her own. The residents of Papillon may not be the high paying clients she was used to back in New Orleans, since she's now getting paid in gas, chips, and jumbalyla, but beggars really can't be choosers, especially when Jayna isn't the only lawyer in town. She is fully prepared to take on the long standing, and smooth talking lawyer, Quaid Harvey. The man who doesn't remember she existed, which is bad news for him especially when Jayna is the most exciting thing to happen in Papillon in a very long time. Watch out Quaid, Jayna takes no prisoners, she's feisty and I loved her fire.

This book is full of so much small-town charm and quick witted banter I couldn't get enough. While I did want to toss a few mom's out of town, the rest of Papillon is a pure joy to visit. I loved all of the courtroom; Jayna vs. Quaid fisticuffs and even the out of courtroom battles. This couple sizzled and made the return to the Bayou a joyful reading occasion.

4 Star Review of Bayou Beloved (Butterfly Bayou #6) by Lexi Blake
The latest addition to Lexi Blake’s series and it was great to be back in Papillon, Louisiana also known as Butterfly Bayou. I feel as though I am transported to the Bayou such is the power of Ms. Blake’s writing.
Papillon is a quirky small town with just as quirky and entertaining characters who are fun and often meddle with no thought to withholding their opinions. They are determined to express it which often makes for head shaking and laugh out loud moments. Add in Otis the alligator who wanders Papillon and it makes me smile and feel as though I am catching up with old friends.
This is Quaid Havery and Jayna Cardet story and was a good addition to the series. Jayna has returned home, not something she planned to do, but fate often works in mysterious ways. Suddenly she finds herself as opposing council against her high school crush, Quaid and that’s when they fun really begins.
As they reacquaint themselves, lines are crossed, and a connection is born. Will it be the start of a lifetime of happiness or it all end in tears?
One click and find out.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Loved this book! I love Papillon and all of the quirks that come with the small town. This includes what happens when there are now two lawyers in town. Life brings Jayna back to the town she grew up in and also vowed to never return to. Quaid took over the business from his father and now not only does he have to be a lawyer he has to take care of his brother's issues. These two are thrown together and while they battle each other in the courtroom, out side of it they are battling their attraction to each other. Jayna is divorced and doesn't plan to stay in town, Quaid wants her to stay. The push and pull between these two puts a strain on the neck from all the back and forth. They are both good for each other if they can just get out of their own heads. There are also others who do not want them to get together and oh lets not forget family drama that pops up. This book had so much going on in it that there was not a slow point! I read way past my bedtime and did not want this book to end.

Quaid and Jayna certainly know how to heat up a courtroom! And in this small town, that means they have become a spectator sport. Short fences, large tress, and naked senior citizens are causing all sorts of trouble for them, while the judge just wants to get to his fishing hole. The still waters run deep with these two though, as much as it seems they are up front about everything. Deep hurts and regrets, feeling helpless and ineffective, trust is hard for both of them. While they won’t deny themselves of the heat between them, admitting to the love growing there, that is hurdle they both desperately need, and want, to get over <3
p.s. best line, and probably a bit of foreshadowing, “If my turn means talking about my private relationships like we’re a bunch of teenage girls, then I don’t want a turn,” Landon complained.

This was a cute little small-town romance showcasing a bit of rivals to lovers, a cute dog, and plenty of chemistry.

Quaid is adorable, he totally simps for Jayna and slips so easily into a domestic routine with her. They both have family drama that can't be ignored in a small town, but it's managed well. I'm not sure how well the lawyer side of things was portrayed but I appreciated some of the social messaging, like investing in educating people as workers, and revitalizing small towns that are dying off.

Overall a very fluffy, TV movie vibe to this that was nice and cozy, a good read for a sunny beach day or chilling on the porch.

Jayna Cardet left her hometown of Papillion with the intention of never returning, but when her life unravels after her divorce it's the only place that makes sense. She is going to stay with her mom until she gets back on her feet and then she plans on leaving again, this time hopefully permanently. But then she runs into her old crush in the courtroom and everything changes...

Bayou Beloved is a wonderfully penned story of second chances, finding love, healing, and taking chances. When our heroine finds herself down on her luck she makes the decision to return to a place she'd hoped she'd never have to see again. The town of Papillion holds a lot of memories for her, most of them not good memories, and returning home means she will have to relive them. It's a journey she's not ready to take, but she also doesn't have any other options. Her return is a little of what she expected, but there are also some unexpected things that happen to, and those are the ones that bring her the happiness she's craved but never been able to find.

Sometimes going home is the best medicine for the heart, and Jayna learns that and finds that once in a lifetime kind of love to boot! Highly recommend you take a chance on this one, it's words are bound to bring some smiles, swoons and set your heart aflutter!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Bayou Beloved by L. Blake is book six in the Butterfly Bayou Series, published by Berkley Romance.
Quaid Havery is the lone attorney in the town of Papillon. But that's about to change when Jayna Cardet returns home from New Orleans and opens her practice.
But there are undercurrents, both know each other since high school and she has had a crush on him for forever. Only he doesn't recognize her at all.
This is a just right story with characters that I immediatedly connected with. A read just right on a cold winter day, a story that wraps you in a warm blanket, snuggly.

3.5 STARS

In the small Louisiana bayou town of Papillon, Quaid Havery is the one and only lawyer, a job he inherited from his father. Quaid’s family is very wealthy and one of the town elites. Quaid chose a path that was expected of him; however, his heart is not always in the practice of law. Quaid also has a hard time keeping up with all the local demands for his services some of which are quite quirky. When a new lawyer in town starts taking cases as opposing council, he is pleased and quite intrigued with Jayna Cardet.

Jayna Cardet grew up poor and underprivileged in Papillion, the very opposite of Quaid’s experience. Because she excelled in school, Jayna left her home and family as quickly as possible to seek a career far from Papillion. Coming back was never in Jayna’s plans until her life in New Orleans imploded. Jayna and her mother have a prickly relationship so living back home in their trailer causes major stress for them both.

Even though Quaid did not remember Jayna from school, he sure wants to get know her now. Interfering with Quaid’s interest in Jayna, after he offers her an office in his building, is his family troubles of an addict brother who is home and in trouble…again, as well as a controlling, snobby mother. Quaid still lives at home too so it is difficult unless he stays at the office in a small apartment to have any kind of autonomous private life.

Both Quaid and Jayna have a lot of emotional baggage to work out, mostly in front of the nosy townsfolks who are always in each other business. Jayna left a marriage and career that had been her whole adult life so she is still trying to get herself back together while fighting her unethical ex-husband and his family. Quaid’s dream to be a writer has always been on the backburner as he seems to spend much of his time still taking care of his family and serving the town. While Quaid and Jayna are very attracted to each other, family issues and complications seem to make having any kind of relationship a challenge. This story is the 6th book in the Butterfly Bayou series but can be read as a standalone.

"When a woman returns home to Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou, her high school crush finally notices she exists, in a small-town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Quaid Havery always planned to follow in his father's footsteps. He went to law school and then came home to take over his dad's legal practice. Being the only lawyer in small-town Papillon, Quaid is pretty sure he's seen everything. After all, he was once asked to sue an alligator for defamation of character. He's prepared for anything the town can throw at him, until he encounters Jayna Cardet. She's gorgeous, smart, funny, and unlike any woman he's met before.... Except he has.

Jayna never thought she'd return to Papillon, but when her life gets turned around she must learn to live in the close-knit community again. She certainly never dreamed she would practice law in her little town, but she finds herself in the courtroom, and the opposing counsel is her former high school crush, Quaid. It wouldn't be so bad if the man had developed a beer belly, but Quaid is more handsome than ever. And instead of ignoring her like he did in high school, he's made it plain that he wants to get to know her.

Thus begins a courtship destined to end in a wedding or a war. Either way, the locals are popping some corn and eagerly awaiting the outcome."

Hallmark meets all your high school reunion fantasies in one!

This is a charming addition to the Butterfly Bayou series.
When Jayna Cardet came back to Papillion after losing her job and her husband, she started trying to put the pieces back together. She isn’t helped by the fact that no one remembers her, including her high school crush, Quaid.
Quaid may not remember her from high school but everything in him sits up and takes notice of the beautiful woman she has become. But the two of them are the only two attorneys in town and they keep finding themselves on opposite sides in court.
Once again, we see the charm of the little town and the eccentricities of the characters. Can Quaid convince Jayna to stay in the town she once fought so hard to leave? And can Jayna overcome the feeling of being from the wrong side of the tracks and deal with both her mother and Quaid’s?
It's fun to catch up with some of the characters from earlier books in the series. Otis is mentioned, but we don’t see him in this story-but we do meet Brian the Bandit Raccoon and we still need to learn his fate.
4.5 stars

4 stars — I really love this quirky little town and it’s lovable crazy characters.

I will admit that I had an entirely different expectation of who Jayna was going to be, and I think it took me a little bit to warm up to her. She’s very forthright and ambitious and I was expecting more shy or something! She it NOT SHY!! ROFL. And while we have nothing in common, and I think she was a bit of a jerk as a child, she really grew on me and I felt like I got to know what shaped her and made her who she was…back then and now. She was definitely damaged, and had a lot to work through, but I was rooting for her to see her place in Papillon.

Quaid was such a strange hero for me. He could be absolutely adorable, and I loved the way he cared for his town. But wow, he was damaged when it came to his family. I was truly worried that he wouldn’t see his way forward with them and with Jayna, he kept making missteps, but it made his eye opening that much more satisfying.

Obviously I loved the two together, they had chemistry right from their first courtroom battle. It made for a very fun dynamic between the two, and I appreciated how they respected one another as lawyers, and how that just added a little something extra to their courtship.

I will admit that the pacing felt a bit unpolished at times…I don’t know if it was me, but it just felt a bit fast at times. Not necessarily the plot, but just the writing…something. Obviously I am not a writer, something just didn’t feel as smooth to me.

I hope Ms. Blake continues with this series forever, because I love this town and it’s crazy inhabitants.

3.5 Stars
I was excited to read more from Lexi Blake's Butterfly Bayou series after having read and loved the fifth book in the series, Bayou Sweetheart. Bayou Beloved wasn't the instant hit with me that the fifth book was. While I enjoyed a large part of it, there were some things that didn't work as well for me.

I had a little bit of trouble connecting with the story from the beginning. My first impression of Jayna wasn't exactly positive. Until I got to know her background and her motives better, I didn't care for her. Quaid, on the other hand, I loved right away. I ended up loving their banter, their courtroom battles, and how their connection through work brought them closer together. I also loved how everything came together for them in the end.

What I didn't love was harder to pinpoint. There were lots of pieces to this romance. Maybe too many? Both Jayna and Quaid had family issues. Quaid's brother brought trouble around. There was the drama with Jayna's past and her work. It was all interesting, but it made the pacing of the story feel off to me. Sometimes it was fast, and I was pulled in. Other times it was slow, and I struggled to keep reading. That had an effect on my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, this was a good small-town romance. The small town really shined. I'm interested to see where the series goes next. I hope Jayna's sister and Quaid's friend will get a sweet romance.

Bayou Beloved by Lexi Blake is book #6 in the Butterfly Bayou series. Attorney Jayna Cardet returned to Papillon looking like a big loser. When Jayna left Papillon to attend college and law school she planned to never return. One divorce later there she was back in Papillon. Jayda couldn't wait to resolve her problems and escape Papillon once again. But then there was Quaid Havery, Jayna's high school crush and, up to now, Papillon's only lawyer. I really enjoyed following along as these two bickered in and out of court, their hot love-making scenes and how both managed to solve family relationship problems. I love their "battles" in court and it made me laugh when the judge commented on those "arguments." The poor judge isn't getting enough fishing time with these two battling in court. It was fun reading along as Quaid fumbled along to repair his relationship with Jayna after his screw up. Reading about the dynamics of both families made this storyline feel so real for me. Made me imagine families acting the same. This is a great addition to the series.

Quaid and Jayna are a great couple. Loved their banter and history.
Delightful small town quirkiness and drama.
Relatable family dynamics: both the love and the encumberment.

I have read some but not all of the Butterfly Bayou series so if this is your first book, no worries, you won’t feel lost but will feel compelled to pick up another book in this wonderful series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read this series before and I really enjoyed this story. It stars Quaid, a small town lawyer. He comes from a waelthy family and he is the only lawyer in town but he dreams of being an author. That is until Jayne comes to town after divorcing her husband, losing her job and place to live. She now is the second lawyer in town. This town is a hoot and has very interesting law cases shall we say. Quaid meets Jayne and its pretty insta love/lust but Jayna is just in town until she finds a new job and she is not interested in more than sex.

This book was a lot of fun with a quirky town and some very interesting characters. But this book is more centered on family. The good. the bad and the complicated. Jayne comes from a poor part of town and ends up in her moms trailer but Quaid offers her a job and a place to stay as she looks for a more permannent job.

Both come from very disaprate families but they have very complicated relationships with their moms and siblings. I loved the whole family angle and found this book very entertaining.

Bayou Beloved is the sixth book in the Butterfly Bayou series, and once again Lexi Blake delivered another winner. Jayna and Quaid’s families have a lot of history in Papillion, and not all of it is good. Jayna left several years ago, but now she is back to recover from her divorce. Can she find a place to hang her lawyer shingle since there is already a very sexy one already in town that everybody loves? Sparks fly professionally and personally for Jayna and Quaid. Their road to a happily ever after is quite bumpy. Can it work, or is it too much to overcome? I enjoyed the ride, and I couldn’t put the book down. I hope that the adventures of Butterfly Bayou keep happening for a long time!