What do you think?
Rate this book
The Callahan Brothers #1
Blue Bayou
Danielle Dupree, daughter of a prominent judge, was the closest thing to a princess that the sleepy Louisiana town of Blue Bayou ever had. Her passionate teenage love affair with Jack Callahan was cut short for reasons that were never clear to Dani -- but were all too obvious to Jack, the sexy bad-boy son of Judge Dupree's housekeeper.
Thirteen years later, Dani, a widow with a son, comes home to start a new life and is surprised that Jack, too, has moved back to the bayou. A former DEA agent who is now a bestselling author, Jack has bought Dani's childhood home, Beau Soleil. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air. . . and that the past may ruin their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love.
Thirteen years later, Dani, a widow with a son, comes home to start a new life and is surprised that Jack, too, has moved back to the bayou. A former DEA agent who is now a bestselling author, Jack has bought Dani's childhood home, Beau Soleil. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air. . . and that the past may ruin their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love.
263 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
JoAnn Ross
239 books801 followersNew York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written over a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmo and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 28, 2018
I selected this from a friend's inventory when mooching, to plump out the parcel a bit, and I'm awfully glad I did. I see I had actually chosen this some ten years ago from a bookobsessed VBB, only to have it stolen from a car before I could read it. I have already looked in to getting the other books in this trilogy. I liked the almost Jack Reacher type character of the hero, and there was quite a bit of wit and good dialogue, while the plot itself was not without its subtle twists. A very good holiday read.
January 7, 2012
Well, I'm just not sure what to say. This didn't blow me away, but it didn't suck balls either. I loved the fact that it was set in south Louisiana, since that is where I was born and raised....the author even mentioned my hometown a couple of times in there. I'll admit, if you're not use to the Cajun accent and speech patterns, this may be a hard read, and I was a little irritated that readers may read this and think all Cajun people talk this way and sound sort of dumb and uneducated, when we do NOT all talk that way all the time (and I've never ridden in a pirogue on the bayou either, even though I do come from a city with a beautiful bayou in it LOL)
As for the story itself, Dani and Jack got their HEA and all things worked out for them, just a bit too easily in my opinion. But hey, it's fiction, so anything goes :)
As for the story itself, Dani and Jack got their HEA and all things worked out for them, just a bit too easily in my opinion. But hey, it's fiction, so anything goes :)
April 2, 2020
3.5 STARS
March 24, 2011
Having just discovered JoAnn Ross and looking forward to a delicious romantic southern trilogy I went into this one with high hopes. And yet again I was disappointed on the execution.
I don't know what it is, because the pieces are all there in her stories (at least in the two I've read so far.) A bayou setting, a Cajun man who is a former town hellraiser turned DEA agent turned drunk whose restoring the antebellum home his mother used to work in and the town princess lived in. The same town princess he had a hot and sweaty summer with and then had to disappear from because her Judge father gave him an ultimatum. Now however many years later everyone is back on the bayou stage.
And in the beginning of the book you feel the potential. Jack is sitting out on the gallery of said rundown antebellum home working on a bottle of whiskey that ain't working on him, surrounded by old ghosts and you're just thinking, "This story is gonna be good." The imagery of that first scene just clinched what had the makings of a Sandra Brown type story with a sexy, complicated Southern hero. I was looking forward to the electric love story, the flashbacks, the regrets, the desire, the redemption. But after all his badass talk of not wanting Danielle back in his life, once he sees her he starts putting the tired moves on her. Just like that. No yearning. No build-up. It was like they'd just met in a bar. Where was the pained history? Where was the heat? All the delicious ingredients of a reunion story.
Jack disappointed me. As did Danielle.
Everything just happens too easily. And the character's actions don't make a lot of sense to me. There has to be MORE to these people, but they begin to feel like cardboard cut outs of their own potential. The Judge is forgiven in the blink of an eye for some pretty heinous actions all in the name of Lets-Be-a-Family! Her son is conveniently away for the big turns of events including the unveiling of her dirty secret, which is tied up with such a big bow it's almost frustrating.
Will I work on the second? Yes, because I checked out all three books, and I'm hoping that something in Finn's story will redeem this series for me.
I don't know what it is, because the pieces are all there in her stories (at least in the two I've read so far.) A bayou setting, a Cajun man who is a former town hellraiser turned DEA agent turned drunk whose restoring the antebellum home his mother used to work in and the town princess lived in. The same town princess he had a hot and sweaty summer with and then had to disappear from because her Judge father gave him an ultimatum. Now however many years later everyone is back on the bayou stage.
And in the beginning of the book you feel the potential. Jack is sitting out on the gallery of said rundown antebellum home working on a bottle of whiskey that ain't working on him, surrounded by old ghosts and you're just thinking, "This story is gonna be good." The imagery of that first scene just clinched what had the makings of a Sandra Brown type story with a sexy, complicated Southern hero. I was looking forward to the electric love story, the flashbacks, the regrets, the desire, the redemption. But after all his badass talk of not wanting Danielle back in his life, once he sees her he starts putting the tired moves on her. Just like that. No yearning. No build-up. It was like they'd just met in a bar. Where was the pained history? Where was the heat? All the delicious ingredients of a reunion story.
Jack disappointed me. As did Danielle.
Everything just happens too easily. And the character's actions don't make a lot of sense to me. There has to be MORE to these people, but they begin to feel like cardboard cut outs of their own potential. The Judge is forgiven in the blink of an eye for some pretty heinous actions all in the name of Lets-Be-a-Family! Her son is conveniently away for the big turns of events including the unveiling of her dirty secret, which is tied up with such a big bow it's almost frustrating.
Will I work on the second? Yes, because I checked out all three books, and I'm hoping that something in Finn's story will redeem this series for me.
October 4, 2011
A fairly decent read that had potential to be so much better. The set up for the story was ripe with angst. But all that emotional potential was sort of ignored.
This was the story of young lovers, Jack and Danielle, who were separated by the heroine's father who forced the hero to leave her when they were teenaged lovers. Then he forced her to an unwed mothers home to have their baby and give it up for adoption. Now they have both moved back to Blue Bayou. He has purchased her ancestral home and she is a widow with a young son.
I expected the son to play a bigger role in the story since it was mentioned several times that he was the center of her world. He was in there some but several important events didn't include him
There were many opportunities for the angst level to build but they didn't happen. The two fell back into each others arms very easily in fact she almost seemed like a Harlequin Presents heroine in the way that she couldn't control her trembling, melting response to him anytime he was near. The father also was forgiven way too easily, twice. In fact I would have preferred that she not forgive him at all.
Overall a decent read that kind of just missed the mark for me.
This was the story of young lovers, Jack and Danielle, who were separated by the heroine's father who forced the hero to leave her when they were teenaged lovers. Then he forced her to an unwed mothers home to have their baby and give it up for adoption. Now they have both moved back to Blue Bayou. He has purchased her ancestral home and she is a widow with a young son.
I expected the son to play a bigger role in the story since it was mentioned several times that he was the center of her world. He was in there some but several important events didn't include him
There were many opportunities for the angst level to build but they didn't happen. The two fell back into each others arms very easily in fact she almost seemed like a Harlequin Presents heroine in the way that she couldn't control her trembling, melting response to him anytime he was near. The father also was forgiven way too easily, twice. In fact I would have preferred that she not forgive him at all.
Overall a decent read that kind of just missed the mark for me.
September 10, 2024
The Callahan Brothers Bk #1
"Beautiful Danielle Dupree returns to Blue Bayou with her young son to rebuild her life after a bad marriage ends. With her estranged father soon to be released from prison and her new apartment damaged by fire, she has more than enough problems to deal with. But fate throws Danielle another curve when she learns that her first and only love, Jack Callahan, has also returned to the small Louisiana town. Once known as Bad Jack, Callahan is a wildly successful author and the owner of Beau Soleil, the antebellum mansion that was Danielle's beloved childhood home."
"Filled with a host of terrific secondary characters, Blue Bayou is the first in a trilogy of novels by Ross featuring the Callahan brothers. The Louisiana bayou setting drips with Cajun atmosphere and the heroine is a quintessential southern princess paired with a sexy bad-boy hero. he two generate enough sensual heat between them to make the pages sizzle--"
Loved it.
"Beautiful Danielle Dupree returns to Blue Bayou with her young son to rebuild her life after a bad marriage ends. With her estranged father soon to be released from prison and her new apartment damaged by fire, she has more than enough problems to deal with. But fate throws Danielle another curve when she learns that her first and only love, Jack Callahan, has also returned to the small Louisiana town. Once known as Bad Jack, Callahan is a wildly successful author and the owner of Beau Soleil, the antebellum mansion that was Danielle's beloved childhood home."
"Filled with a host of terrific secondary characters, Blue Bayou is the first in a trilogy of novels by Ross featuring the Callahan brothers. The Louisiana bayou setting drips with Cajun atmosphere and the heroine is a quintessential southern princess paired with a sexy bad-boy hero. he two generate enough sensual heat between them to make the pages sizzle--"
Loved it.
August 31, 2024
Another book with main female character being a doormat. Dani was manipulated and lied to by her Dad, ex-husband and “first love “ Jack. I had a very hard time finding anything I liked about Jack. I was tired of him acting like every woman dropped at his feet. Dani showed no backbone around him. He was just terrible about the last 10 percent of the book. He yelled at Dani accused her of lying to him He grabbed her hard enough to leave bruises, He degraded her and had rough sex with her. He left her crying all because he was angry at her. The next day he gave her a half assed apology and she ( being a doormat) told him it was fine. So much for HEA. There are two more books in this series. Need less to say I’m sure the lead male characters in these will be jerks also. I will not be reading anymore from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2024
i’m giving it a four star rating because it didn’t suck completely and it was different than most other books that i’ve read. it had a lot of twists that i didn’t expect, so there was a bit of a “shock” factor but it was done well. this book came out the year i was born so it was fun to read something from then. i really liked the characters and have the second book so i will be continuing the trilogy!
February 13, 2025
Jake and Dani have a whirlwind affair in their teens. He runs away after being threatened by Dani's Judge of a father. She tries to reach Jake when she realizes she's pregnant but cannot find him. She's told the baby died. After an unhappy marriage, she returns to Blue Bayou. Jake returns to Blue Bayou also and does everything he can to get Dani back. There are plot twists and turns that at times will make your head spin, but it's so worthwhile.
May 23, 2024
A pretty good read
The story is very romantic. It would have Would have been much better story for me personally if it did not been explicit sex scenes. They don’t add anything to the book or the story from my perspective.
The story is very romantic. It would have Would have been much better story for me personally if it did not been explicit sex scenes. They don’t add anything to the book or the story from my perspective.
August 16, 2017
Jack was a little too raunchy for me. Definitly over the top and inappropriate at times. I don't think I would have liked him like Dani does. But it was an easy read and enjoyable most of the time.
December 6, 2020
Jack and Dani were lovers. Others tore them apart. Will they find a second chance? Jack's reaction to Dani's secret is way over the top. Plus a judge can not find a good lawyer really??!!
April 6, 2022
Wowza
There's nothing like the Bayou for hot, hot, hot! I love JoAnn Ross books because there is always just the right amount of everything in them!
There's nothing like the Bayou for hot, hot, hot! I love JoAnn Ross books because there is always just the right amount of everything in them!
Read
June 7, 2023I just love every book that JoAnn Ross puts out.
January 6, 2025
I thought this book was so poorly written, I didn’t even finish it. I didn’t enjoy characters at all either.
January 30, 2026
Kept me interested.
February 12, 2026
Danielle Dupree, daughter of a prominent judge moves home to Louisiana when her politician almost-ex-husband dies in a freak accident. She then runs into a former flame, and things go on from there.
August 31, 2021
I've most definitely read this trilogy out of order but that hasn't prevented me from enjoying it. Each book focuses on a different Callahan brother and this one focuses on Jack, an ex cop, current right, and still town bad boy. Dani and Jack's history is full of passion and heartache and I feel this author did a wonderful job of healing that heartache and rekindling that passion. This was a fun romance to read (certainly lives up to the promise of being steamy) and it was enjoyable to read the healing that took place between Dani and her father, a relationship that had also suffered a great deal in the past. This book covers a lot of topics regarding relationships and I think the author did a good job writing those experiences.
May 2, 2010
Danielle Dupree, daughter of a prominent judge, was the closest thing to a princess the sleepy Louisiana town of Blue Bayou ever had. Her passionate teenage love affair with Jack Callahan was cut short for reasons that were never clear to Dani -- but were all too obvious to Jack, the sexy bad-boy son of Judge Dupree's housekeeper.
Thirteen years later Dani, a widow with a son, comes home to start a new life and is surprised that Jack, too, has moved back to the Bayou. A former DEA agent who is now a bestselling author, Jack has bought Dani's childhood home, Beau Soleil. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air...and that the past may ruin their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love.
Thirteen years later Dani, a widow with a son, comes home to start a new life and is surprised that Jack, too, has moved back to the Bayou. A former DEA agent who is now a bestselling author, Jack has bought Dani's childhood home, Beau Soleil. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air...and that the past may ruin their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love.
June 18, 2015
This was a wonderful, very romantic book with a character our of the 50's movies. Jack Callahan moved back to Blue Bayou when the swore he would never return and Danielle Dupree returned after her husband's death and these two were on a difficult path from that moment on. Jack, after a stunning career in undercover work, had written a best selling novel that was made into a movie so money was not a problem for him. To keep the mafia out of Blue Bayou, he bought the southern home of Danielle Dupree and was renovating it back to it's original spender.
The story is pulling and wonderful and if you ever want to know what Jack is like, just think of a young Paul Newman and you will know exactly what he was like.
The story is pulling and wonderful and if you ever want to know what Jack is like, just think of a young Paul Newman and you will know exactly what he was like.
June 10, 2009
I really enjoyed this book, though I couldn't give it Five Stars because I felt that although the story was good, there could have been so much more. The heroine, Dani, had much mor potential. Her fathers story had room for intrigue and suspense that was never fullfilled. And at the end of the book I felt that she kind of hurried there, trying to get it wrapped up. Overall worth the read, but could have been more.
September 22, 2010
Found in SHB's pile when we installed the Readers Stand 8/5/2010
Think I read this a couple years ago added to my to-read pile 8/5/10
started 9/18/2010 don't remember reading it but have read many like it.
Think I will order books 2 & 3 of this group.
Several words phrases used from Cajun dialect of Louisiana's bayou country. Most familiar from other books I have read/listened to. finis early am 9/20/2010.
started again 5/15/2011, finis 5/17/20
Think I read this a couple years ago added to my to-read pile 8/5/10
started 9/18/2010 don't remember reading it but have read many like it.
Think I will order books 2 & 3 of this group.
Several words phrases used from Cajun dialect of Louisiana's bayou country. Most familiar from other books I have read/listened to. finis early am 9/20/2010.
started again 5/15/2011, finis 5/17/20
December 27, 2010
This is JoAnn Ross’s first book that I have ever tried out and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how good this story is. I think I picked up the “scent” of this novel in some discussion forum in Amazon and this book certainly does seem to have got its fair share of good reviews which the story certainly deserves.
Beautiful love story with enchanting characters and steamy sensuality that’s sure to be a winner for any romance novel lover.
Full review: http://bit.ly/9GV2Sk
Beautiful love story with enchanting characters and steamy sensuality that’s sure to be a winner for any romance novel lover.
Full review: http://bit.ly/9GV2Sk
August 12, 2011
This is the first romance story in a while that I actually enjoyed. The first half is definitely stronger than the second. Yes, the characters could have developed more, but they were likable. The various subplots could have been more developed but I didn't read it for the suspence. the author flavored the dialog with Cajun patois without spelling it phoenetically. The sexy bits were hot. I liked the story and the writing. Definitely moving on to the second book.
March 8, 2016
The first 3/4 of this book was good, but then it just got way unrealistic and too easily resolved. There were also just some inconsistencies in character development, like Jack's one-page 180 from determination to ignore her to being in love. I was also disappointed that there really was no suspense element to this--it's purely romance.
April 19, 2014
Woman returns to Blue Bayou, Louisiana to open the local library and encounters the man with whom she had a teenage fling. Old feelings reignite. Very similar to Nora Roberts. The chemistry not quite as charming, a little preachy. First of a trilogy. I'll read the rest
Read
August 20, 2011This is the first book in the Callahan Brothers trilogy, and it bears many similarities with Nora Roberts’ non-suspenseful romances. Vivid settings, sympathetic characters, and a focus on family and relationships may appeal to you.
June 14, 2012
I love this book!!!
The story line is great. The setting is definitely a change from all the big cities. the characters are good, though my favorite does have to be jack callahan. daniel dupree is just to original.its hot, steamy, and makes your imagination run wild.
The story line is great. The setting is definitely a change from all the big cities. the characters are good, though my favorite does have to be jack callahan. daniel dupree is just to original.its hot, steamy, and makes your imagination run wild.
May 21, 2013
I liked the book especially the setting, I love the bayou...at least in books. There were some things that irritated me in the book such as the father, I would never ever ever had forgiven him if I was any of the MC's, seriously he could have rotted away in the prison as far as I'm conserned.
February 24, 2024
Jack Callahan has returned to Blue Bayou, Louisiana after leaving his career as a DEA officer. He has PTSD and copes by writing fictional best sellers of his career. His teenage lover, Danielle Dupree has also moved back after a disastrous marriage.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews