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Rougaroux Social Club #2
Bayou's End
LGBT Paranormal Shape-shifter
Rougaroux Social Club; Previous Bayou Dreams
Peter Graham’s pack threw him out when they discovered he was gay. Ever since then, Peter’s been adrift. Denying his wolf and being the boy toy of a string of older men is all Peter knows. But when his lover brings another man to their bed, and that man abuses Peter, there’s nothing left for Peter but to run, all the way back to St. Jerome, a small town on the edge of the bayou, where he once painted. He meets Billy Trosclair, a deputy and a werewolf, and discovers the town’s secret -- the Rougaroux wolf pack. They have a gay man as their alpha who is mated to a gay man. To Peter this looks like home, but he’s not the type of man either Billy or the pack would want.
Not everyone in the pack is happy about the inclusion of gay werewolves, and Peter joining the pack is seen by some as a threat. Can Billy keep his mate safe until he claims Peter in front of the pack?
Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find male/male sexual practices, sex in shifted form, violence (date rape, beating).
Rougaroux Social Club; Previous Bayou Dreams
Peter Graham’s pack threw him out when they discovered he was gay. Ever since then, Peter’s been adrift. Denying his wolf and being the boy toy of a string of older men is all Peter knows. But when his lover brings another man to their bed, and that man abuses Peter, there’s nothing left for Peter but to run, all the way back to St. Jerome, a small town on the edge of the bayou, where he once painted. He meets Billy Trosclair, a deputy and a werewolf, and discovers the town’s secret -- the Rougaroux wolf pack. They have a gay man as their alpha who is mated to a gay man. To Peter this looks like home, but he’s not the type of man either Billy or the pack would want.
Not everyone in the pack is happy about the inclusion of gay werewolves, and Peter joining the pack is seen by some as a threat. Can Billy keep his mate safe until he claims Peter in front of the pack?
Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find male/male sexual practices, sex in shifted form, violence (date rape, beating).
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2011
About the author
Lynn Lorenz
62 books315 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)gay romance
I’m from New Orleans, that’s N’awlins for those of you who speak the language. I grew up in the Riverbend, or Carrollton, for the old timers, but was a Quarter rat from the age of 11, taking 3 buses to go to art class on Burgundy Street at the Cabrini Doll Museum and NORD center. I attended University of New Orleans and have a BA in Fine Art. My mother worked at Tulane University, six blocks from our house and when we were kids my brother and I parked cars in our driveway for the Saints games at Tulane Stadium. We could get six cars down the drive, two on the front lawn, and two on the street and we only charged $2 a car. We made enough to buy a coupla roast beef po’boys at Comeaux’s on Hickory St. and a snowball over at Williams Snow Ball Stand. We lived 1/2 a block from a cemetery, but doesn’t everyone in N’awlins? We used to watch jazz funerals from our front porch.
Now, my family lives in Katy, Texas. I have a “real” job, a truly supportive and understanding husband, two incredible kids, and a slightly neurotic dog. We used to have a guinea pig, but the dog killed it. Did I say slightly?
My son is 15 and has Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Crohn’s Disease, and is a constant lesson in patience, acceptance and managing expectations. He’s super smart, loves video games, fencing, movies, building with legos, and hanging around the house. Like me, he believes that it’s all about him. Sometimes, I wonder if I don’t have Asperger’s, too. Oh, and he’s very handsome.
My daughter, 13, is so creative it’s scary- she loves to paint, draw manga and anima, build dioramas with any box she can get her hands on, create worlds with legos and then make movies with them, sculpt people, animals and objects with those little twist ties from the grocery store, does pottery, and wants to be a lifeguard. And she’s smart, too. And
beautiful, inside and out.
I write for a few hours in the evenings and on weekends as much as I can, without neglecting my family. (That laughter you hear is my husband) I attend a critique group, and do whatever the kids are into at the time.
(1)gay romance
I’m from New Orleans, that’s N’awlins for those of you who speak the language. I grew up in the Riverbend, or Carrollton, for the old timers, but was a Quarter rat from the age of 11, taking 3 buses to go to art class on Burgundy Street at the Cabrini Doll Museum and NORD center. I attended University of New Orleans and have a BA in Fine Art. My mother worked at Tulane University, six blocks from our house and when we were kids my brother and I parked cars in our driveway for the Saints games at Tulane Stadium. We could get six cars down the drive, two on the front lawn, and two on the street and we only charged $2 a car. We made enough to buy a coupla roast beef po’boys at Comeaux’s on Hickory St. and a snowball over at Williams Snow Ball Stand. We lived 1/2 a block from a cemetery, but doesn’t everyone in N’awlins? We used to watch jazz funerals from our front porch.
Now, my family lives in Katy, Texas. I have a “real” job, a truly supportive and understanding husband, two incredible kids, and a slightly neurotic dog. We used to have a guinea pig, but the dog killed it. Did I say slightly?
My son is 15 and has Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Crohn’s Disease, and is a constant lesson in patience, acceptance and managing expectations. He’s super smart, loves video games, fencing, movies, building with legos, and hanging around the house. Like me, he believes that it’s all about him. Sometimes, I wonder if I don’t have Asperger’s, too. Oh, and he’s very handsome.
My daughter, 13, is so creative it’s scary- she loves to paint, draw manga and anima, build dioramas with any box she can get her hands on, create worlds with legos and then make movies with them, sculpt people, animals and objects with those little twist ties from the grocery store, does pottery, and wants to be a lifeguard. And she’s smart, too. And
beautiful, inside and out.
I write for a few hours in the evenings and on weekends as much as I can, without neglecting my family. (That laughter you hear is my husband) I attend a critique group, and do whatever the kids are into at the time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 16, 2011
3.5 stars
When I saw a low rating from a friend list for this one, I'm ready to be disappointed and keep my expectation low. When I finish though, I find this story to be all right.
I'm a sucker for underdog characters who are trying to reform themselves. This I find in Peter Graham. Being an outcast from his pack, then living solely on sugar daddies, I admire Peter for finally realize that he is not living up to his potentials. That meeting Billy makes him want to be a better man, to achieve something of his own and in addition to make Billy proud, Peter wants to make himself proud. That, I love.
I also think Billy as adorable at times, especially when at first reaction he denies of the idea finding his mate in the age of 26 years old.
The sex doesn't come until half of the book (though both are dealing with self-relief) since Billy thinks Peter needs time after the abuse that he experienced -- so I'm good. They are quite a number after that, including sex in wolf form (consider that as a warning) but it doesn't border to my definition of too erotic. There is still space for character development.
Except for the overused of the word "baby" (GOD, I truly dislike that term of endearment!). I actually think the nicknames "Little Wolf and Big Bad Wolf" are better. It just gets into my nerves, when everytime Billy calls Peter, he uses "baby". Aarckkk!!!
When I saw a low rating from a friend list for this one, I'm ready to be disappointed and keep my expectation low. When I finish though, I find this story to be all right.
I'm a sucker for underdog characters who are trying to reform themselves. This I find in Peter Graham. Being an outcast from his pack, then living solely on sugar daddies, I admire Peter for finally realize that he is not living up to his potentials. That meeting Billy makes him want to be a better man, to achieve something of his own and in addition to make Billy proud, Peter wants to make himself proud. That, I love.
I also think Billy as adorable at times, especially when at first reaction he denies of the idea finding his mate in the age of 26 years old.
The sex doesn't come until half of the book (though both are dealing with self-relief) since Billy thinks Peter needs time after the abuse that he experienced -- so I'm good. They are quite a number after that, including sex in wolf form (consider that as a warning) but it doesn't border to my definition of too erotic. There is still space for character development.
Except for the overused of the word "baby" (GOD, I truly dislike that term of endearment!). I actually think the nicknames "Little Wolf and Big Bad Wolf" are better. It just gets into my nerves, when everytime Billy calls Peter, he uses "baby". Aarckkk!!!
October 4, 2011
I put off this book for awhile because I didn't like Peter much in the first book Bayou Dreams. I ended up really liking Peter, but this book was just okay. I didn't like it near as much as I liked the first one, though.
What I liked:
♦ Peter and Billy. They were kinda sweet and some of the sex was hot.
♦ The Louisiana references. It's obvious that the author has lived here and is familiar with the area and the culture.
What I did not like:
♦ The mystery was lame
♦ I thought that Peter was a lot too horny and ready to have sex so soon after being drugged, raped, and beaten.
♦ Too much shifted wolf sex. Sorry, but that IS NOT hot.
♦ Too many plumbing references about leaky cocks
So, it seems I disliked more than I liked. Go figure! Somehow it's still getting 3 Stars from me.
What I liked:
♦ Peter and Billy. They were kinda sweet and some of the sex was hot.
♦ The Louisiana references. It's obvious that the author has lived here and is familiar with the area and the culture.
What I did not like:
♦ The mystery was lame
♦ I thought that Peter was a lot too horny and ready to have sex so soon after being drugged, raped, and beaten.
♦ Too much shifted wolf sex. Sorry, but that IS NOT hot.
♦ Too many plumbing references about leaky cocks
So, it seems I disliked more than I liked. Go figure! Somehow it's still getting 3 Stars from me.
October 5, 2011
4.5 stars
Billy is deputy sheriff. Peter is a broke young painter. They both are werewolves, although Peter has not shifted for long since he was exiled from his pack for being gay. They met when Peter was looking for Ted, a friend he knew from an art class took place in St. Jerome. Running from his abusive boyfriend, he remembered that Ted had asked him to call if he ran into trouble. However, Ted was out of town with his mate, Scott. Since Peter had no place to go, Billy offered a room, at least until Ted returns. They both were attracted to each other. Peter, however, wanted to make himself more worthy before he continue seeing Billy. Unfortunately, it led to a disastrous situation for both and hard decisions. Sometimes, when duty calls, you just got to do what you got to do.
We met them all in the first book of the series. The story is standard shifter stories. What makes it different is the way the author discusses homophobia in the Pack and Scott's mom is who still doing her spe... uh prayer... . Still, it's a funny and nice reading.
Billy is deputy sheriff. Peter is a broke young painter. They both are werewolves, although Peter has not shifted for long since he was exiled from his pack for being gay. They met when Peter was looking for Ted, a friend he knew from an art class took place in St. Jerome. Running from his abusive boyfriend, he remembered that Ted had asked him to call if he ran into trouble. However, Ted was out of town with his mate, Scott. Since Peter had no place to go, Billy offered a room, at least until Ted returns. They both were attracted to each other. Peter, however, wanted to make himself more worthy before he continue seeing Billy. Unfortunately, it led to a disastrous situation for both and hard decisions. Sometimes, when duty calls, you just got to do what you got to do.
We met them all in the first book of the series. The story is standard shifter stories. What makes it different is the way the author discusses homophobia in the Pack and Scott's mom is who still doing her spe... uh prayer... . Still, it's a funny and nice reading.
October 4, 2011
Having read an abysmal were book before this one (gak my eyes are still hurting), I was thrilled to get my hands on this book. I gave it 4 stars perhaps for that reason, maybe it should have had 3 1/2 but I still throughly enjoyed this one.
I really loved the beginning book in this series, Bayou's Dream and had been looking forward to this one. I finished it around 2:30am this morning and have been thinking about the characters. Ted and Scott in the first book, are such strong men with layers to them that I did miss them in this book.
Billy and Peter are both younger men, Peter especially. And it shows in that I felt his character was not as developed. At first that bothered me and then I realized that it bothered Peter himself as he realized how little depth to his own character he had and how much growth he had to do. I wish the book had been longer and Peter given the chance to get the growth he needed. Billy is another young were startled to find his mate in Peter, a young man who first appears in Bayou's Dream. I do have one small complaint in that there are 2 men here who deserve a comeuppance and didn't get it. Perhaps it will come in the next book.
Lynn Lorenz does so many things well, including location and St. Jerome's feels so very real to me. I love her secondary characters as they are so fully realized like Scott's witchy Mama and her black cat or Bobby the former pack Alpha, that they stay with you and you want to know their history too.
I know that the author has another book planned in this series and already I am looking forward to it. I hope she extends this series beyond 3 as St. Jerome is full of characters with stories that need telling.
I really loved the beginning book in this series, Bayou's Dream and had been looking forward to this one. I finished it around 2:30am this morning and have been thinking about the characters. Ted and Scott in the first book, are such strong men with layers to them that I did miss them in this book.
Billy and Peter are both younger men, Peter especially. And it shows in that I felt his character was not as developed. At first that bothered me and then I realized that it bothered Peter himself as he realized how little depth to his own character he had and how much growth he had to do. I wish the book had been longer and Peter given the chance to get the growth he needed. Billy is another young were startled to find his mate in Peter, a young man who first appears in Bayou's Dream. I do have one small complaint in that there are 2 men here who deserve a comeuppance and didn't get it. Perhaps it will come in the next book.
Lynn Lorenz does so many things well, including location and St. Jerome's feels so very real to me. I love her secondary characters as they are so fully realized like Scott's witchy Mama and her black cat or Bobby the former pack Alpha, that they stay with you and you want to know their history too.
I know that the author has another book planned in this series and already I am looking forward to it. I hope she extends this series beyond 3 as St. Jerome is full of characters with stories that need telling.
October 6, 2011
3.25 stars.
I reviewed the first book in this series, Bayou Dreams on JW. I found that book to be a unique take on the werewolf trope with the MC being straight, but his wolf leaning towards being gay because his mate was. The story of Scott and Ted was interesting and hit all my werewolf kinks of bonding, claiming and shifters in love. While I did enjoy the second book in this series, Bayou’s End, this book had a completely different tone — it dealt with rape recovery — and so this was a far more serious novel than book one. Now that is not a bad thing, but readers should be aware of it.
The book starts out with Peter Graham, who was introduced in book one as someone who pursued Ted, as he’s running away from his lover, Darcy (another character from book one). From what Peter can remember, Darcy and he were in a club and next thing he knew he was tied up in a hotel room and another man was raping him — with Darcy being present. Broken and hurt, Peter decides to run to New Orleans and find Ted, who he thinks can help him. Little does Peter know that Ted and Scott have become bonded mates and moved to Scott’s hometown, St. Jerome. When he finds this out, Peter goes there only to learn Ted and Scott are out of town. Alone and utterly depressed, Peter meets Billy Trosclair, the acting sheriff and their first meeting sets up the premise that they are mates and belong together. Throw in some homophobia, town folks wanting to kill Peter and a crime that could pull apart Billy and Peter and you have a rollercoaster ride of angst and mystery.
My problem with Bayou’s End was not the sex in shifted form (as wolves they mate) or even the time one is shifted and the other is in human form, but the lack of continuity in the plot. I will explain.
First, the book starts out with Peter as a traumatized rape victim, who is running away from an abusive boyfriend who gave him to some other guy to be raped and beaten. That is some heavy stuff, but instead of following up the rape storyline with Peter learning to cope after his ordeal, Ms. Lorenz has Peter and Billy immediately falling in love and having sex, then bonding. Personally, I found this aspect of the story to be rather unrealistic. I did not care that both Peter and Billy were werewolves and could heal quickly. Yes, Peter’s wounds healed, but mentally? That was never really addressed. It was all Insta-Love and bonding and healing sex without any of the hard worked involved that many rape victims, especially men who under-report the crime most of all, need. I wanted Billy to woo Peter and for them to take their time getting together as Peter recovered, so the Wham-Bam, Thank You, Ma’am tone of their relationship did not work for me. (Which is abnormal, as normally I love a good Insta-Love werewolf book, but in the case of a rape recovery novel, it just did not compute.)
Second, there plotline of Peter’s ex is never again explored. From the set-up of the beginning of the novel, I fully expected Darcy and the rapist to show up in town and that play out. However, Darcy and the guy and what happened in that hotel are seen in a flashback (people who have triggers should avoid that scene), but then that subplot is completely ignored in the rest of the book. There is no justice, no resolution for Peter. In essence he finds Billy and all is well, they fall in love, and the rape is forgotten for the real crux of the book: homophobia within werewolf society.
I do realize that my concerns may not be other readers concerns. And other people may choose to ignore the niggles I had with this book, and that is fine. On the other side, I did enjoy the typical werewolf tropes that were in this book. I liked learning more about Billy’s pack and the people in it. (I especially hope Bobby, the former sheriff and pack Alpha before Scott took over, will get his own book next. His sounds like a fascinating tale.) And for those, who like me, loved Scott’s mother, Mrs. Dupree in book one…she is back! Yes, the Cajun yenta is at work again, casting spells in the swamp and talking to her cat all the while wearing her pink ‘Princess’ slippers. I absolutely adore this character and she is used beautifully in this book for some well needed humor.
Overall, I found Bayou’s End to be an appealing sequel in the werewolf genre. I would have liked to have seen Ted and Scott get a cameo (they are “out of town” for the entire novel), but Billy and Peter’s relationship was interesting enough to pull me into the plot. Despite my concerns about some parts of the plot, Lynn Lorenz delivers a gripping tale of the power of love and redemption. I will be looking forward to book three.
Reviews by Jessewave
I reviewed the first book in this series, Bayou Dreams on JW. I found that book to be a unique take on the werewolf trope with the MC being straight, but his wolf leaning towards being gay because his mate was. The story of Scott and Ted was interesting and hit all my werewolf kinks of bonding, claiming and shifters in love. While I did enjoy the second book in this series, Bayou’s End, this book had a completely different tone — it dealt with rape recovery — and so this was a far more serious novel than book one. Now that is not a bad thing, but readers should be aware of it.
The book starts out with Peter Graham, who was introduced in book one as someone who pursued Ted, as he’s running away from his lover, Darcy (another character from book one). From what Peter can remember, Darcy and he were in a club and next thing he knew he was tied up in a hotel room and another man was raping him — with Darcy being present. Broken and hurt, Peter decides to run to New Orleans and find Ted, who he thinks can help him. Little does Peter know that Ted and Scott have become bonded mates and moved to Scott’s hometown, St. Jerome. When he finds this out, Peter goes there only to learn Ted and Scott are out of town. Alone and utterly depressed, Peter meets Billy Trosclair, the acting sheriff and their first meeting sets up the premise that they are mates and belong together. Throw in some homophobia, town folks wanting to kill Peter and a crime that could pull apart Billy and Peter and you have a rollercoaster ride of angst and mystery.
My problem with Bayou’s End was not the sex in shifted form (as wolves they mate) or even the time one is shifted and the other is in human form, but the lack of continuity in the plot. I will explain.
First, the book starts out with Peter as a traumatized rape victim, who is running away from an abusive boyfriend who gave him to some other guy to be raped and beaten. That is some heavy stuff, but instead of following up the rape storyline with Peter learning to cope after his ordeal, Ms. Lorenz has Peter and Billy immediately falling in love and having sex, then bonding. Personally, I found this aspect of the story to be rather unrealistic. I did not care that both Peter and Billy were werewolves and could heal quickly. Yes, Peter’s wounds healed, but mentally? That was never really addressed. It was all Insta-Love and bonding and healing sex without any of the hard worked involved that many rape victims, especially men who under-report the crime most of all, need. I wanted Billy to woo Peter and for them to take their time getting together as Peter recovered, so the Wham-Bam, Thank You, Ma’am tone of their relationship did not work for me. (Which is abnormal, as normally I love a good Insta-Love werewolf book, but in the case of a rape recovery novel, it just did not compute.)
Second, there plotline of Peter’s ex is never again explored. From the set-up of the beginning of the novel, I fully expected Darcy and the rapist to show up in town and that play out. However, Darcy and the guy and what happened in that hotel are seen in a flashback (people who have triggers should avoid that scene), but then that subplot is completely ignored in the rest of the book. There is no justice, no resolution for Peter. In essence he finds Billy and all is well, they fall in love, and the rape is forgotten for the real crux of the book: homophobia within werewolf society.
I do realize that my concerns may not be other readers concerns. And other people may choose to ignore the niggles I had with this book, and that is fine. On the other side, I did enjoy the typical werewolf tropes that were in this book. I liked learning more about Billy’s pack and the people in it. (I especially hope Bobby, the former sheriff and pack Alpha before Scott took over, will get his own book next. His sounds like a fascinating tale.) And for those, who like me, loved Scott’s mother, Mrs. Dupree in book one…she is back! Yes, the Cajun yenta is at work again, casting spells in the swamp and talking to her cat all the while wearing her pink ‘Princess’ slippers. I absolutely adore this character and she is used beautifully in this book for some well needed humor.
Overall, I found Bayou’s End to be an appealing sequel in the werewolf genre. I would have liked to have seen Ted and Scott get a cameo (they are “out of town” for the entire novel), but Billy and Peter’s relationship was interesting enough to pull me into the plot. Despite my concerns about some parts of the plot, Lynn Lorenz delivers a gripping tale of the power of love and redemption. I will be looking forward to book three.
Reviews by Jessewave
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2013
4.5 Stars ~ This is book two in Lynn Lorenz's extremely fascinating and well written series 'Rougaroux Social Club' which is set in Louisiana bayou country. This story picked up three months after the end of the first volume and involves the little town of St. Jerome. I get really excited about good, and interesting, shifter stories. The fact that 'Bayou's End' also involved a pairing with a pretty damaged young man, and a strong, loyal man, led me to believe I was going to really like these two main characters. I knew the story would also share glimpses of Ted and Scott, the main characters from book one, and that was an added appeal.
Peter has been making do ever since his father kicked him out and stopped paying his tuition at twenty when he came out as gay. Since then his life has consisted of a number of sugar daddies to take care of him. Unfortunately, the last one, the artist he met on his retreat in St. Jerome, turned into quite the abuser and all around sleazeball. Peter left and decided to head back to Louisiana to see if he could get some help from his friend Ted, whom he met at the retreat. It comes as quite a surprise to Peter when he discovers the werewolves that live in town, especially a gay wolf, since his own pack threw him out for being gay.
Billy. Hmm. How best to describe him? Is it bad to say that I kept hearing the Waylon Jennings theme song to Dukes of Hazard? "He's just a good ole' boy, never meaning no harm..."
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
Peter has been making do ever since his father kicked him out and stopped paying his tuition at twenty when he came out as gay. Since then his life has consisted of a number of sugar daddies to take care of him. Unfortunately, the last one, the artist he met on his retreat in St. Jerome, turned into quite the abuser and all around sleazeball. Peter left and decided to head back to Louisiana to see if he could get some help from his friend Ted, whom he met at the retreat. It comes as quite a surprise to Peter when he discovers the werewolves that live in town, especially a gay wolf, since his own pack threw him out for being gay.
Billy. Hmm. How best to describe him? Is it bad to say that I kept hearing the Waylon Jennings theme song to Dukes of Hazard? "He's just a good ole' boy, never meaning no harm..."
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
October 23, 2011
I was looking forward to reading this book after reading the first one in this series and liking it a lot,I was actually hoping the new main characters would be Peter/Billy, so I had to chuckle when that was who the characters were. I was a bit disappointed with this one though. I didn't feel the same connection to these two as I did to Scott/Ted in the first book. This book felt rushed to me, I thought it should have been a longer book so more time could have been spent in making you want to cheer for these two. The beginning was so promising with what happened to Peter I thought more would have been done to this part of the story, it just seemed to die with no real answers. Also the way the first book ended I had hoped Scott/Ted would have a continued roll in this one not just a passing one. Having said all this I still liked the book, I'm glad I read it and still hope there will be another, this time with Bobby as the main focus.
UPDATE Oct 2, 2020
Doing a reread of the series to get myself up to speed before reading Bayou des Enfants
My feelings haven't changed from the first time reading it so no rating change. I connected to Peter & Billy a bit more this time.
TAGS
-- quick easy read --shifter/wolf -- past abuse -- mates -- some homophobia -- sweet moments -- really likeable MCs... Peter & Billy -- read in one sitting
UPDATE Oct 2, 2020
Doing a reread of the series to get myself up to speed before reading Bayou des Enfants
My feelings haven't changed from the first time reading it so no rating change. I connected to Peter & Billy a bit more this time.
TAGS
-- quick easy read --shifter/wolf -- past abuse -- mates -- some homophobia -- sweet moments -- really likeable MCs... Peter & Billy -- read in one sitting
May 27, 2012
Quite enjoyable story, even if rather predictable. I have a thing for shifters in my romances, though I've never liked them in F/M books ;) It always amaze me.
It could be better, if it was longer and with more developed plot, but, well, it wasn't. You can read it and probably forget, cause it's not bad, but nothing exceptional either.
But what bothered me the most, and it's not the first time since I started to read this genre, is the characteristic of MC's. Seriously, I understand that not all men are tall, broad and strong - I like them the best in my books :P - but I don't get this whole idea about complete opposites. One guy has to be smaller, weaker, prettier and, of course, needs someone to help him and take care of him... Huh, people sometimes need other human being to fight nightmares, fears and troubled events from past, but why it always has to be some big, 'all alfa' man? It often makes me wonder if it's still a couple of two men or is this already het couple in disguise... I'm tired of those uncertainty :/
Just saying. I'd like to read about smaller, but strong and self-confident hero, who can take care of himself and if he want a big, muscled man, it's only because he's attracted to him :D
Yeah, maybe I'm whining, I know it. I can do that, it's my opinion ;)
It could be better, if it was longer and with more developed plot, but, well, it wasn't. You can read it and probably forget, cause it's not bad, but nothing exceptional either.
But what bothered me the most, and it's not the first time since I started to read this genre, is the characteristic of MC's. Seriously, I understand that not all men are tall, broad and strong - I like them the best in my books :P - but I don't get this whole idea about complete opposites. One guy has to be smaller, weaker, prettier and, of course, needs someone to help him and take care of him... Huh, people sometimes need other human being to fight nightmares, fears and troubled events from past, but why it always has to be some big, 'all alfa' man? It often makes me wonder if it's still a couple of two men or is this already het couple in disguise... I'm tired of those uncertainty :/
Just saying. I'd like to read about smaller, but strong and self-confident hero, who can take care of himself and if he want a big, muscled man, it's only because he's attracted to him :D
Yeah, maybe I'm whining, I know it. I can do that, it's my opinion ;)
October 9, 2011
After reading RSC-Bayou Dreams, I was fervently waiting for the next installment, and I was not disappointed.
During the September Anniversary Chat, I asked author Lynn Lorenz, if Billy Trosclair will find a mate in part 2, and she said yes. This made me really happy because for a secondary character Billy was truly endearing.
As my Loose Id newsletter arrived, proclaiming Bayou’s End available, I was delighted to discover that Billy’s flame would be none other than Peter Graham, twink godling and almost-protégé of Ted Canedo during the artist retreat, and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in the story.
I’m not going to spoil it for you, giving details, because that’s not the point of this review. I just want to let you know that the story is completely different and simply awesome. And a Rougaroux Social Club story could not be complete without Scott Dupree’s mother, her black cat and her pink, fluffy ‘princess’ sleepers.
I give 4.5 stars because someone that should have gotten his ass kicked in the story --didn’t. By the end of it, you will understand what I’m talking about.
WARNING: there is hot, hot sex in shifted form.
During the September Anniversary Chat, I asked author Lynn Lorenz, if Billy Trosclair will find a mate in part 2, and she said yes. This made me really happy because for a secondary character Billy was truly endearing.
As my Loose Id newsletter arrived, proclaiming Bayou’s End available, I was delighted to discover that Billy’s flame would be none other than Peter Graham, twink godling and almost-protégé of Ted Canedo during the artist retreat, and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in the story.
I’m not going to spoil it for you, giving details, because that’s not the point of this review. I just want to let you know that the story is completely different and simply awesome. And a Rougaroux Social Club story could not be complete without Scott Dupree’s mother, her black cat and her pink, fluffy ‘princess’ sleepers.
I give 4.5 stars because someone that should have gotten his ass kicked in the story --didn’t. By the end of it, you will understand what I’m talking about.
WARNING: there is hot, hot sex in shifted form.
October 13, 2012
3.5 stars
The book would have been a lot better if it had been longer and the timeline had been more than a couple of days. The short timeline meant too many issues were rushed and not given the depth/time they should have received.
I did like Billy and Peter. They were good together, and they both seemed willing to work together. Scott's mother (from book 1) also made an appearance, I so enjoy her meddling.
The book would have been a lot better if it had been longer and the timeline had been more than a couple of days. The short timeline meant too many issues were rushed and not given the depth/time they should have received.
I did like Billy and Peter. They were good together, and they both seemed willing to work together. Scott's mother (from book 1) also made an appearance, I so enjoy her meddling.
June 27, 2012
This book, unfortunately, wasn't as good as the first BUT it was still a good read. I found the angst a trifle contrived & I am starting to doubt Scott's abilities as an alpha of his pack because of the insubordination he seems so indifferent about. I'm not deterred from reading more of the series, as I liked the characters but I hope the next book has a tighter, more believable (an oxymoron I know) plot.
March 4, 2019
This had a bit of the same problem as the first one. the first half was just long ... and the second half was better, but seriously I don't understand why the mates of these werewolves have to accept everything with a smile
I thought Peter should have been way more upset with Billy .... even if it was in the end the right way but there should have been more of an explanation.
not sure I want to read the next ... although I like the cast but I am not 100% sure about the writing
I thought Peter should have been way more upset with Billy .... even if it was in the end the right way but there should have been more of an explanation.
not sure I want to read the next ... although I like the cast but I am not 100% sure about the writing
October 4, 2011
If you like animal attraction wrapped in a feel-good romance, than this book is for you. It's fun, light and has a couple of hot scenes where the lovers go at it while in their furry form! (I love that!)
4.5 Recommended for shifter fans.
4.5 Recommended for shifter fans.
August 8, 2012
For me, the best part of Bayou's End was the hilarious scene near the end.
Honestly though, I liked most of the story just fine, but like so many others have already pointed out, the buddy-buddy vibe the ending had felt forced and unbelievable.
Honestly though, I liked most of the story just fine, but like so many others have already pointed out, the buddy-buddy vibe the ending had felt forced and unbelievable.
February 28, 2012
Okay not great..
October 4, 2011
Oiye, Lynn??? Bobby needs a story!!
March 15, 2019
2.5 stars. I was glad to get Peter’s story because he was a cutie in book 1, but, overall, this book was a miss for me due to possible bestiality and two instances full wolf-on-wolf sex, among other issues with the writing.
Before I say anything else, I want to point out that this book raised some questions for me regarding the worldbuilding. First, are only men werewolves? Can werewolves not have daughters? If they do, does the shifter gene skip them? It really seems as if the only women are the non-shifter wives, but it’s never addressed in the series one way or another. I know this is an mm series, but I found myself almost more interested in the story of one of these hypothetical daughters who was born into this world but separate from it by nature. Anyway.
This story focuses on Peter and Billy—Scott’s second in command, who is in charge while Scott is out of town with Ted. Peter and Billy are mates, but they are somehow oblivious to this for awhile, even though everyone else in the world can tell. This homophobic Cajun community doesn’t want anything to do with a second gay couple, and the story goes from there.
I had a few problems with the plot.
1. I had no idea why Peter didn’t have a mate reaction or why Billy didn’t realize that he was having a mate reaction. We learn MUCH later that Peter didn’t believe that gay weres could have male mates, so I guess that could explain that, but that explanation was too little too late. It had been too weird for too long by that point. I still don’t know what Billy’s problem was. One of the women in town summed it up best: “Oh Billy. Bless your heart, you can’t be that clueless.”
2. The resolution between Peter and the homophobic villain felt way too easy. The homophobic man was chastised, shook Peter’s hand, and called him “son,” and that was pretty much it. It honestly felt like anti-homophobia wish fulfillment because, in a series full of voodoo and werewolves, that was the most unrealistic thing.
3. Shit was basically hitting the fan throughout the entire book, with the potential for things to be brought into the human justice system, and no one thought to update the pack alpha until 94% of the way into the book, when the problem was already resolved. Wtf???
I also had problems with the writing itself. For example, the author changed the spelling to “Kristen” instead of “Kirsten” in this book and used apostrophes to make non-possessive words plural. Her depictions of dirty talk also made me cringe in several places. She kept referring to penises as “meat,” and I burst out laughing when she referred to “that choice nut.”
Honestly, I wanted to drop the book when the wolf-on-wolf sex and bestiality started, but I was so close to the end that stopping at that point seemed pointless. I think the author knew that those scenes would be alienating because she placed similar scenes near the end of book 3 as well.
PROGRESS UPDATES
43% Mama DuPree, back at the voodoo 😂 here we go again
Here are my reviews and ratings of the other books in the series:
(1) Bayou Dreams ★★★★
(3) Bayou Loup ★★★
(4) Bayou des Enfants ★★★★
Before I say anything else, I want to point out that this book raised some questions for me regarding the worldbuilding. First, are only men werewolves? Can werewolves not have daughters? If they do, does the shifter gene skip them? It really seems as if the only women are the non-shifter wives, but it’s never addressed in the series one way or another. I know this is an mm series, but I found myself almost more interested in the story of one of these hypothetical daughters who was born into this world but separate from it by nature. Anyway.
This story focuses on Peter and Billy—Scott’s second in command, who is in charge while Scott is out of town with Ted. Peter and Billy are mates, but they are somehow oblivious to this for awhile, even though everyone else in the world can tell. This homophobic Cajun community doesn’t want anything to do with a second gay couple, and the story goes from there.
I had a few problems with the plot.
1. I had no idea why Peter didn’t have a mate reaction or why Billy didn’t realize that he was having a mate reaction. We learn MUCH later that Peter didn’t believe that gay weres could have male mates, so I guess that could explain that, but that explanation was too little too late. It had been too weird for too long by that point. I still don’t know what Billy’s problem was. One of the women in town summed it up best: “Oh Billy. Bless your heart, you can’t be that clueless.”
2. The resolution between Peter and the homophobic villain felt way too easy. The homophobic man was chastised, shook Peter’s hand, and called him “son,” and that was pretty much it. It honestly felt like anti-homophobia wish fulfillment because, in a series full of voodoo and werewolves, that was the most unrealistic thing.
3. Shit was basically hitting the fan throughout the entire book, with the potential for things to be brought into the human justice system, and no one thought to update the pack alpha until 94% of the way into the book, when the problem was already resolved. Wtf???
I also had problems with the writing itself. For example, the author changed the spelling to “Kristen” instead of “Kirsten” in this book and used apostrophes to make non-possessive words plural. Her depictions of dirty talk also made me cringe in several places. She kept referring to penises as “meat,” and I burst out laughing when she referred to “that choice nut.”
Honestly, I wanted to drop the book when the wolf-on-wolf sex and bestiality started, but I was so close to the end that stopping at that point seemed pointless. I think the author knew that those scenes would be alienating because she placed similar scenes near the end of book 3 as well.
PROGRESS UPDATES
43% Mama DuPree, back at the voodoo 😂 here we go again
Here are my reviews and ratings of the other books in the series:
(1) Bayou Dreams ★★★★
(3) Bayou Loup ★★★
(4) Bayou des Enfants ★★★★
September 7, 2020
Less than I Expected
Was this written by the same author as book 1, because it appears to have been written mostly for MM sex scenes? The storyline is weak and disconnected, and there is minimal character development. It ends well enough, but unfortunately the book leaves me with no interest in continuing the series.
Was this written by the same author as book 1, because it appears to have been written mostly for MM sex scenes? The storyline is weak and disconnected, and there is minimal character development. It ends well enough, but unfortunately the book leaves me with no interest in continuing the series.
January 8, 2019
This book is about inclusion, being free to be your true self, and love who you want. It missed the mark big time in the inclusion arena. Women can’t vote in pact matters, are assigned the typical jobs of clerk or office staff, and cleanup after the men.
August 18, 2021
Something Scary in the Swamp
Rougaroux isn't just a myth in St. Jerome. Wolves walk upright, own businesses, and are officers of the law. Times are changing for the pack and this second story is a great sequel to the first.
Rougaroux isn't just a myth in St. Jerome. Wolves walk upright, own businesses, and are officers of the law. Times are changing for the pack and this second story is a great sequel to the first.
May 6, 2021
Not nearly as good as the first book but still a great read. The werewolf “action” was kinda weird.
August 6, 2022
I read this ages ago when it first came out. I'd forgotten how good it was.
January 12, 2013
4 stars
A Joyfully Jay Review
For those of you who haven’t guessed, I have a small obsession with paranormal and fantasy stories. Okay, it’s probably not that small. I like pretty much anything and don’t like to limit myself to one or two genres because I would hate to miss out on all of the awesomeness of the m/m world. But if I have the choice, I’ll most likely choose the paranormal or fantasy first.
That being said, I reviewed Bayou Dreams, the first book in the Rougaroux Social Club series, a few weeks ago and I fell in love with this world. It’s southern charm, Cajun culture, and a little voodoo meets wolf shifters, pack dynamics, and mating bonds. Plus I’ve really enjoyed all of the characters introduced, major and secondary, so I am excited to continue on with this series.
Both Peter and Billy were introduced as secondary characters in the previous book. They were the two characters that I most wanted a story for, and thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.
Peter Graham is scared and alone. When he was kicked out of his birth pack two years ago, Peter used the only resources he had to get by, his looks and sexuality. But his worst mistake was in trusting his most recent lover, Darcy. After the traumatic night when Darcy invited a stranger into their bed, Peter left in search of the last person with whom he felt safe – his friend, Ted. But when Peter makes it to St. Jerome and discovers that Ted is out of town he’s disheartened, to say the least. With no money and nowhere to go, Peter finds himself at a loss.
Acting Sheriff Billy Trosclair never expected his mate to walk through the front door of the sheriff’s office battered, bruised, and running scared. The need to protect the younger man is powerful and the need to keep him close even stronger. Offering his spare room to Peter seems like the perfect idea. Knowing that Peter has been injured and is healing not only physically, but emotionally, Billy is determined not to push a mating on Peter. But keeping his hands to himself is harder than he imagined.
Peter remains confused as Billy’s attraction seems to run hot and cold when it comes to him. Peter is sure that Billy must think that, because of his past, he’s not good enough for the lawman. So Peter sets out to prove himself worthy of Billy. He finds a job and his own place to stay, much to Billy’s dismay.
Determined not to lose out on getting to know his mate and spending time with him, Billy asks Peter out on a date. Their relationship begins slowly, but the passion between them is intense. When as Peter finally accepts Billy as his mate, Peter’s world begins to crumble and he has to trust Billy to help him come out of this unharmed.
Story-wise, I liked this book better than the first. It was well paced and the characters worked well with each other instead of against each other. The plot was both sweet and exciting. The romance part of the story is charming. The mystery was a little obvious, but still entertaining. I would have liked the conflict to be less about homophobia and more about something else, anything else, really. But we don’t always get what we want.
The characters are well-written and likable. I really like Peter. He’s a broken hero. The hurt in his past ruled who he has been to this point in his life. He’s now determined to turn his life around, but he’s not sure how to do that until he meets Billy. Billy is strong and stable, a rock of sorts to more than just Peter. His alpha depends on him, as does his pack. He has great control of his emotions and his wolf, and Peter walking into his life threatens to shake that up. The relationship between Billy and Peter is kind of a tug-of-war. They fight more against themselves than they do each other, but once they find even ground they work well as a couple.
I should let you know that there is reference to date rape in this story. It’s not a graphic description of the act, just some memories and discussion of the act. One of my quibbles with this story is the lack of conclusion when it comes to the rape storyline. Who was the guy? What was Darcy’s goal in inviting him into their bed? Why did the rapist not get what he deserved? That whole storyline just died without a real ending.
I should also warn you that there are scenes where the characters have sex in their shifted forms, and a sort of iffy point of shifting during sex. It wasn’t a problem for me, but I understand that for some readers it’s not their thing.
In the end, I liked this story even more than I liked the first. So, why the lower rating? Well, the lack of conclusion to the date rape storyline was frustrating. Add that to the predictability of the mystery and I settled with a 4 star rating. Bayou’s End is a good tale that I recommend to lovers of the paranormal, the broken heroes, and the sweet love stories of meant-to-be.
A Joyfully Jay Review
For those of you who haven’t guessed, I have a small obsession with paranormal and fantasy stories. Okay, it’s probably not that small. I like pretty much anything and don’t like to limit myself to one or two genres because I would hate to miss out on all of the awesomeness of the m/m world. But if I have the choice, I’ll most likely choose the paranormal or fantasy first.
That being said, I reviewed Bayou Dreams, the first book in the Rougaroux Social Club series, a few weeks ago and I fell in love with this world. It’s southern charm, Cajun culture, and a little voodoo meets wolf shifters, pack dynamics, and mating bonds. Plus I’ve really enjoyed all of the characters introduced, major and secondary, so I am excited to continue on with this series.
Both Peter and Billy were introduced as secondary characters in the previous book. They were the two characters that I most wanted a story for, and thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.
Peter Graham is scared and alone. When he was kicked out of his birth pack two years ago, Peter used the only resources he had to get by, his looks and sexuality. But his worst mistake was in trusting his most recent lover, Darcy. After the traumatic night when Darcy invited a stranger into their bed, Peter left in search of the last person with whom he felt safe – his friend, Ted. But when Peter makes it to St. Jerome and discovers that Ted is out of town he’s disheartened, to say the least. With no money and nowhere to go, Peter finds himself at a loss.
Acting Sheriff Billy Trosclair never expected his mate to walk through the front door of the sheriff’s office battered, bruised, and running scared. The need to protect the younger man is powerful and the need to keep him close even stronger. Offering his spare room to Peter seems like the perfect idea. Knowing that Peter has been injured and is healing not only physically, but emotionally, Billy is determined not to push a mating on Peter. But keeping his hands to himself is harder than he imagined.
Peter remains confused as Billy’s attraction seems to run hot and cold when it comes to him. Peter is sure that Billy must think that, because of his past, he’s not good enough for the lawman. So Peter sets out to prove himself worthy of Billy. He finds a job and his own place to stay, much to Billy’s dismay.
Determined not to lose out on getting to know his mate and spending time with him, Billy asks Peter out on a date. Their relationship begins slowly, but the passion between them is intense. When as Peter finally accepts Billy as his mate, Peter’s world begins to crumble and he has to trust Billy to help him come out of this unharmed.
Story-wise, I liked this book better than the first. It was well paced and the characters worked well with each other instead of against each other. The plot was both sweet and exciting. The romance part of the story is charming. The mystery was a little obvious, but still entertaining. I would have liked the conflict to be less about homophobia and more about something else, anything else, really. But we don’t always get what we want.
The characters are well-written and likable. I really like Peter. He’s a broken hero. The hurt in his past ruled who he has been to this point in his life. He’s now determined to turn his life around, but he’s not sure how to do that until he meets Billy. Billy is strong and stable, a rock of sorts to more than just Peter. His alpha depends on him, as does his pack. He has great control of his emotions and his wolf, and Peter walking into his life threatens to shake that up. The relationship between Billy and Peter is kind of a tug-of-war. They fight more against themselves than they do each other, but once they find even ground they work well as a couple.
I should let you know that there is reference to date rape in this story. It’s not a graphic description of the act, just some memories and discussion of the act. One of my quibbles with this story is the lack of conclusion when it comes to the rape storyline. Who was the guy? What was Darcy’s goal in inviting him into their bed? Why did the rapist not get what he deserved? That whole storyline just died without a real ending.
I should also warn you that there are scenes where the characters have sex in their shifted forms, and a sort of iffy point of shifting during sex. It wasn’t a problem for me, but I understand that for some readers it’s not their thing.
In the end, I liked this story even more than I liked the first. So, why the lower rating? Well, the lack of conclusion to the date rape storyline was frustrating. Add that to the predictability of the mystery and I settled with a 4 star rating. Bayou’s End is a good tale that I recommend to lovers of the paranormal, the broken heroes, and the sweet love stories of meant-to-be.
February 13, 2019
I will be very up front about my biases. I have an intense dislike for fated mate stories, alpha/omega dynamics, and probably about 97% of the shifter stories in existence. It’s not something I think shouldn’t be written, it’s just something that tends to rub me the wrong way. I wanted to expand my horizons and push myself beyond my comfort zone, so I grabbed this book and threw myself into it.
I knew I was going to have issues with it from the start. And I was okay with that. It’s good for people to (knowingly and consensually) expand their minds.
So, let’s start with the parts I loved. Lorenz wrote a story that sucked me in and grabbed me from the very start, okay? The worldbuilding in this book was phenomenal. I started with the second book in the series (which seems to be a pattern for me) but I didn’t have any trouble following along or figuring out what was going on.
And honestly, even though I will always have deep issues with the whole idea of Fated Mates and whatever, I found myself deeply invested in this story. As an author myself, I was deeply impressed by (and envious of) Lorenz’ ability to take a story with which a reader had deep-seated moral and philosophical issues and make that reader invest in it. I can learn a lot from it, and I hope to. Even though I do have issues with the idea, I bought up the whole series, just for that purpose.
So, before I get into any of the issues I had, I want to establish that Lorenz is a phenomenal author who managed to wound me deeply with a book I emphatically wanted to dislike.
That said, I had a lot of trouble with the idea of fated mates, especially for these characters. It’s hardly telling tales out of school to say that Peter is an abuse victim. He’s already had his free will stolen from him, and relatively recently too. He comes to this small town looking for safety and shelter, and not only is there an incident that runs him afoul of law enforcement but the particular cop that has to address the issue is his Fated Mate.
Is there trauma associated with this? You betcha. (And I felt that trauma deeply – thanks, Lynn Lorenz.) Does it matter? Nope. Fated Mates. Does Peter have the slightest control over whether or not he reacts to this cop, whether he will be with this cop? Nope. It doesn’t matter how the cop behaves toward him, because Fated Mates.
And honestly, this isn’t a criticism of Lorenz’ writing. I cried knowing Peter was going to be stuck in this situation. I didn’t necessarily blame Billy. I just… I have a hard time viewing an abuse survivor losing more of his autonomy as romantic. Maybe it’s just me. I know the Fated Mates trope is hugely popular and I’m probably the only person in the world who feels uncomfortable with it.
But I do, and I felt it needed to be said.
At any rate, the book really was good enough that I did indeed buy the rest of the series. I don’t think it will “cure” me of my discomfort with the genre, but I hope it will help me to understand it better. If you want amazing worldbuilding, perfectly detailed and unique characters, and emotional situations to pull at your heartstrings so well you’ll find yourself getting worked up about something you’ve always recoiled from, Bayou’s End is the book for you.
I knew I was going to have issues with it from the start. And I was okay with that. It’s good for people to (knowingly and consensually) expand their minds.
So, let’s start with the parts I loved. Lorenz wrote a story that sucked me in and grabbed me from the very start, okay? The worldbuilding in this book was phenomenal. I started with the second book in the series (which seems to be a pattern for me) but I didn’t have any trouble following along or figuring out what was going on.
And honestly, even though I will always have deep issues with the whole idea of Fated Mates and whatever, I found myself deeply invested in this story. As an author myself, I was deeply impressed by (and envious of) Lorenz’ ability to take a story with which a reader had deep-seated moral and philosophical issues and make that reader invest in it. I can learn a lot from it, and I hope to. Even though I do have issues with the idea, I bought up the whole series, just for that purpose.
So, before I get into any of the issues I had, I want to establish that Lorenz is a phenomenal author who managed to wound me deeply with a book I emphatically wanted to dislike.
That said, I had a lot of trouble with the idea of fated mates, especially for these characters. It’s hardly telling tales out of school to say that Peter is an abuse victim. He’s already had his free will stolen from him, and relatively recently too. He comes to this small town looking for safety and shelter, and not only is there an incident that runs him afoul of law enforcement but the particular cop that has to address the issue is his Fated Mate.
Is there trauma associated with this? You betcha. (And I felt that trauma deeply – thanks, Lynn Lorenz.) Does it matter? Nope. Fated Mates. Does Peter have the slightest control over whether or not he reacts to this cop, whether he will be with this cop? Nope. It doesn’t matter how the cop behaves toward him, because Fated Mates.
And honestly, this isn’t a criticism of Lorenz’ writing. I cried knowing Peter was going to be stuck in this situation. I didn’t necessarily blame Billy. I just… I have a hard time viewing an abuse survivor losing more of his autonomy as romantic. Maybe it’s just me. I know the Fated Mates trope is hugely popular and I’m probably the only person in the world who feels uncomfortable with it.
But I do, and I felt it needed to be said.
At any rate, the book really was good enough that I did indeed buy the rest of the series. I don’t think it will “cure” me of my discomfort with the genre, but I hope it will help me to understand it better. If you want amazing worldbuilding, perfectly detailed and unique characters, and emotional situations to pull at your heartstrings so well you’ll find yourself getting worked up about something you’ve always recoiled from, Bayou’s End is the book for you.
October 8, 2011
First of all, I really need to say that it's never a good idea to skip the publisher's/author's warning about ANY book. I was remiss in not reading the warnings for this one so I missed this bit in the synopsis that said: "This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices, sex in shifted form, violence (date rape, beating)." Lesson learned there.
Of course two wolves being engaged in a mating ritual when they're both in animal forms would not send me running in the other direction. But there was one instance where one of them shifted and the other hadn't. So it was really a scene of man/animal sex, albeit a very brief one, and - I'm not going to lie - that was absolutely jarring for me as "bestiality" is usually one of my major squicks. Luckily for me I am not the same reader that I was a few years ago where, upon finding a squick in a story, I used to the file/book faster than you can say "come". After spending about 3 minutes obsessing about this "objectionable material", I got over it and moved on with the story.
Why? Because the story is funny, heartwarming and sweet.
Without reading the synopsis at all (I just saw that it was a Lynn Lorenz story and I quickly decided that, whatever it was about, I'd read it), I already knew that it was going to be about Peter and Billy. They are the slightly younger characters than the guys in the first Rougaroux Social Club book, Scott and Ted, and they are not as funny. But when it comes to UST? These two beat their older gay counterparts hands down and with a big stick.
Peter is a young guy who's used to of living loosely but now he wants to prove himself that he's worthy of Billy's love. Billy, on the other hand, has to juggle his professionalism and integrity with that undeniable attraction with a man who's supposed to be his mate. Their push-and-pull is not as angst-ridden as Scott and Ted, that's true, but it's a lot more heartfelt. They both know they're gay but they still felt the need to deny their bond because of the circumstances that happened outside their own relationship. In a way, these two have it harder than Scott and Ted and I felt for them.
In a way, I'm quite glad that Scott and Ted weren't around for Billy and Peter's story because, as much as I liked Bayou Dreams, I just felt that it was slightly overpopulated, characters-wise. This is purely Billy and Peter and I appreciated the chance to get to know the characters without the disturbance of characters from the previous book.
The plot is a tad predictable and there were moments where I wanted to hit one of the other characters and also Billy with a very big spatula (which I might as well borrow from Scott's mom) but, as they say, all's well that ends well. This wouldn't be a Lynn Lorenz story if it ended in gut-wrenching angst. The resolution of conflict comes swiftly - although she did put her characters through their paces first and didn't immediately get there - and in a way that won't leave anyone crying into their bowl of gumbo.
Clearly this series is meant to be a funner and more lighthearted version than Common Powers. It could seriously get addictive, as proven by how eager I am now to find out what happens in the third one. The great thing is, I already know who will be starring in the third one if and when it comes out and my appetite has officially been whetted. I hope the next book comes soon!
Of course two wolves being engaged in a mating ritual when they're both in animal forms would not send me running in the other direction. But there was one instance where one of them shifted and the other hadn't. So it was really a scene of man/animal sex, albeit a very brief one, and - I'm not going to lie - that was absolutely jarring for me as "bestiality" is usually one of my major squicks. Luckily for me I am not the same reader that I was a few years ago where, upon finding a squick in a story, I used to the file/book faster than you can say "come". After spending about 3 minutes obsessing about this "objectionable material", I got over it and moved on with the story.
Why? Because the story is funny, heartwarming and sweet.
Without reading the synopsis at all (I just saw that it was a Lynn Lorenz story and I quickly decided that, whatever it was about, I'd read it), I already knew that it was going to be about Peter and Billy. They are the slightly younger characters than the guys in the first Rougaroux Social Club book, Scott and Ted, and they are not as funny. But when it comes to UST? These two beat their older gay counterparts hands down and with a big stick.
Peter is a young guy who's used to of living loosely but now he wants to prove himself that he's worthy of Billy's love. Billy, on the other hand, has to juggle his professionalism and integrity with that undeniable attraction with a man who's supposed to be his mate. Their push-and-pull is not as angst-ridden as Scott and Ted, that's true, but it's a lot more heartfelt. They both know they're gay but they still felt the need to deny their bond because of the circumstances that happened outside their own relationship. In a way, these two have it harder than Scott and Ted and I felt for them.
In a way, I'm quite glad that Scott and Ted weren't around for Billy and Peter's story because, as much as I liked Bayou Dreams, I just felt that it was slightly overpopulated, characters-wise. This is purely Billy and Peter and I appreciated the chance to get to know the characters without the disturbance of characters from the previous book.
The plot is a tad predictable and there were moments where I wanted to hit one of the other characters and also Billy with a very big spatula (which I might as well borrow from Scott's mom) but, as they say, all's well that ends well. This wouldn't be a Lynn Lorenz story if it ended in gut-wrenching angst. The resolution of conflict comes swiftly - although she did put her characters through their paces first and didn't immediately get there - and in a way that won't leave anyone crying into their bowl of gumbo.
Clearly this series is meant to be a funner and more lighthearted version than Common Powers. It could seriously get addictive, as proven by how eager I am now to find out what happens in the third one. The great thing is, I already know who will be starring in the third one if and when it comes out and my appetite has officially been whetted. I hope the next book comes soon!
January 9, 2013
4.0 Stars
Peter Graham is a wolf without a pack. Shunned by his family and his pack when they discovered he was gay, Peter has been adrift, floating from one failed relationship to another. Being the boy toy of a string of older men is all Peter knows. Most recently, Peter thought himself in love with Darcy Wentworth, an artist. But when Darcy betrays him by bringing another man to their bed, and that man abuses Peter, there’s nothing left for Peter but to run. In his search for his friend Ted, Peter finds himself back in St. Jerome, a small town on the edge of the bayou, where he once painted. There, he meets Billy Boudreaux, a deputy and a werewolf, and discovers the town’s secret -- the Rougaroux wolf pack. They have a gay man as their alpha who is mated to a gay man. Although Peter longs to belong and finds himself feeling at home, he worries that he is not the type of man either Billy or the pack would want. And, the pack is not without it's share of bigots. Not everyone in the pack is happy about the inclusion of gay werewolves, and Peter joining the pack is seen by some as a threat. When Peter is framed for a theft, Billy is forced to choose between upholding the law and keeping his mate safe.
I liked this book. I enjoyed Peter's character in Bayou Dreams and looked forward to his story. Peter's lonely existence pulled at my heart strings. I was totally rooting for him and was ecstatic when he found a place to live and work in St. Jerome. When he was accused of stealing from Maurice and Marie, I was outraged. When Billy came in and didn't (admittedly, couldn't) stand up for Peter, I wanted to pummel him and scream at the unfairness of it all. Which brings me to my gripe: Peter was arrested and held in custody despite the fact that Billy and former alpha Bobby Cotteau knew he was innocent. I get that they had to handle the situation delicately but no one seemed to acknowledge the unfairness. And I wanted, ne expected, Billy to rage on Peter's behalf more than he did.
Bottom line: an enjoyable read but I was frustrated for Peter. He got the shaft and Billy should've been more supportive than he was. Sure he solved the mystery and exposed the wrongdoer but Peter being set up didn't rile Billy as much as it did me and that irritated me.
Peter Graham is a wolf without a pack. Shunned by his family and his pack when they discovered he was gay, Peter has been adrift, floating from one failed relationship to another. Being the boy toy of a string of older men is all Peter knows. Most recently, Peter thought himself in love with Darcy Wentworth, an artist. But when Darcy betrays him by bringing another man to their bed, and that man abuses Peter, there’s nothing left for Peter but to run. In his search for his friend Ted, Peter finds himself back in St. Jerome, a small town on the edge of the bayou, where he once painted. There, he meets Billy Boudreaux, a deputy and a werewolf, and discovers the town’s secret -- the Rougaroux wolf pack. They have a gay man as their alpha who is mated to a gay man. Although Peter longs to belong and finds himself feeling at home, he worries that he is not the type of man either Billy or the pack would want. And, the pack is not without it's share of bigots. Not everyone in the pack is happy about the inclusion of gay werewolves, and Peter joining the pack is seen by some as a threat. When Peter is framed for a theft, Billy is forced to choose between upholding the law and keeping his mate safe.
I liked this book. I enjoyed Peter's character in Bayou Dreams and looked forward to his story. Peter's lonely existence pulled at my heart strings. I was totally rooting for him and was ecstatic when he found a place to live and work in St. Jerome. When he was accused of stealing from Maurice and Marie, I was outraged. When Billy came in and didn't (admittedly, couldn't) stand up for Peter, I wanted to pummel him and scream at the unfairness of it all. Which brings me to my gripe: Peter was arrested and held in custody despite the fact that Billy and former alpha Bobby Cotteau knew he was innocent. I get that they had to handle the situation delicately but no one seemed to acknowledge the unfairness. And I wanted, ne expected, Billy to rage on Peter's behalf more than he did.
Bottom line: an enjoyable read but I was frustrated for Peter. He got the shaft and Billy should've been more supportive than he was. Sure he solved the mystery and exposed the wrongdoer but Peter being set up didn't rile Billy as much as it did me and that irritated me.
February 24, 2017
This is the second book in the series. It doesn't give enough gravity to really serious issues. Rape is glossed over while theft is made a big issue of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2012
Typical m/m werewolf romance
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- I’ve never been to Louisiana, but Lorenz describes it in a way that made me want to go there. The setting is lazy and sleepy and laidback, and it fits the story well.
- The author does a good job of making Peter seem helpless without making him too pathetic or over-the-top whiny. He’s a gentle soul who’s been abused, but he isn’t just a doormat.
- There’s a small helping of angst, but it’s not very painful at all because it’s resolved so quickly.
- Stories about werewolves always have to include some sort of “cover” so that the wolves can hide their true nature from regular people, and the cover the characters use in this book is clever.
CONS:
- As far as the basic storyline goes, there’s nothing too original here. I’ve seen this “instantaneous chemical Mate Bond but one of the men denies it” dance before. In almost the exact same configuration.
- Parts of the relationship struck me as rather corny and over-the-top. Peter calls Billy “big bad wolf,” for example. And not just once…it’s a running nickname.
- If a story is short, like this one, it has to dive right into the action. This story does that, but the first several pages that are devoted to filling in the backstory didn’t quite make sense to me 100%. The details were a little too sparse for me to really understand what had happened and how the characters had wound up where they were.
Overall comments: I wouldn’t call this a standout, but I thought it was a pleasant little read. There’s nothing unusual about the angst or the men’s attraction to each other, but it kept me entertained for a few hours. I haven’t read the first story in the series, and I got the impression that some of the background would have made a lot more sense if I had.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 6/10
PROS:
- I’ve never been to Louisiana, but Lorenz describes it in a way that made me want to go there. The setting is lazy and sleepy and laidback, and it fits the story well.
- The author does a good job of making Peter seem helpless without making him too pathetic or over-the-top whiny. He’s a gentle soul who’s been abused, but he isn’t just a doormat.
- There’s a small helping of angst, but it’s not very painful at all because it’s resolved so quickly.
- Stories about werewolves always have to include some sort of “cover” so that the wolves can hide their true nature from regular people, and the cover the characters use in this book is clever.
CONS:
- As far as the basic storyline goes, there’s nothing too original here. I’ve seen this “instantaneous chemical Mate Bond but one of the men denies it” dance before. In almost the exact same configuration.
- Parts of the relationship struck me as rather corny and over-the-top. Peter calls Billy “big bad wolf,” for example. And not just once…it’s a running nickname.
- If a story is short, like this one, it has to dive right into the action. This story does that, but the first several pages that are devoted to filling in the backstory didn’t quite make sense to me 100%. The details were a little too sparse for me to really understand what had happened and how the characters had wound up where they were.
Overall comments: I wouldn’t call this a standout, but I thought it was a pleasant little read. There’s nothing unusual about the angst or the men’s attraction to each other, but it kept me entertained for a few hours. I haven’t read the first story in the series, and I got the impression that some of the background would have made a lot more sense if I had.
April 25, 2012
The book didn't really work for me. It felt rushed and unrealistic. I'm not a big fan of insta-love and there are not a lot of books or authors who can do a good bonding-for-life werewolf story without that.
Won't continue the series.
Won't continue the series.
February 6, 2015
This one is about Peter Graham, a gay man down on his luck. We meet him in book one taking the same class that Ted took. But against Ted’s advice Peter decided to follow the artiest, Darcy around on his tour, three months later he finds himself running away from Darcy after a very scary night. He remembers that he had Ted’s card in his wallet, with the words – if you ever need me. So with that Peter finds himself heading the New Orleans in reach of help and sanctuary. Once he gets there he finds out Ted now lives in that small town they took that painting class, St. Jerome. With no other options that’s where he heads. Billy a gay wolf and a Deputy Sheriff in St. Jerome is in the station when Peter walks in. Takes one look at the battered and bruised man and knows he found his mate. But how will the rest of the pack react to two mated gay werewolf couples?
Oh gosh, poor Peter. If you could ever just reach in and hug a character and tell them just to believe this would be him. And Billy so shell shocked doesn’t know which way is up. Scott’s mother is up to her old tricks have everyone hoping and guessing who now is after Peter and why. Diving into book 3.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Crystals Many reviews
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