Stay with Me Forever: Bayou Dreams

by Farrah Rochon, Marissa Hampton (Narrator)

In Gauthier, love isn't just found. It's forever.

Paxton Jones returned to her Louisiana hometown for one reason . . . to buy her mother the bar she's tended for twenty years and turn it into the dream they've both wanted. What she didn't plan on was working alongside Sawyer Robertson, the state civil engineer assigned to her levee protection project and the untouchable golden boy she crushed on throughout high school.

Sawyer came back to Gauthier to rebuild his life and start fresh, not to rehash ancient history. But the sharp, successful woman who once watched him from the sidelines is impossible to ignore now. Especially when she's challenging his engineering decisions and making him question everything he thought he knew about ambition, belonging, and what he really wants.

Between clashing over flood control systems and stolen moments that feel dangerously close to those teenage dreams, Paxton and Sawyer must figure out if some connections are worth the wait. In Gauthier, where the past and present meet on the banks of the bayou, they'll have to decide if this time they're brave enough to stay with each other forever.

Audible Audio

Published June 2, 2026

About the author

A native of south Louisiana, Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine's Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers series, garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers' Choice Awards.

In September 2010, Farrah joined the Kimani Romance family with the launch of her new series that follows the life of the fictional New York Sabers football team.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading her favorite romance novels, hanging around on Twitter, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

Reviews

[AshleeInPages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook A.R.C. Stay With Me Forever is a romance filled with longing, tension, and years of unresolved feelings. Paxton and Sawyer reconnect in their hometown after secretly crushing on each other in high school, which made their story both emotional and engaging from the very beginning. Their forced proximity while working together on the town project, combined with memories of their one night together years before, created so much chemistry and anticipation throughout the book.

Sawyer was incredibly easy to love because of how open he became about his feelings and how ready he was to finally pursue a future with Paxton. Paxton’s struggle with feeling unworthy of Sawyer because of their families’ vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds was understandable, even if it became frustrating at times because it was so obvious how deeply they loved each other. The push and pull between Sawyer’s determination and Paxton’s resistance carried through most of the story, creating compelling dialogue, emotional tension, and plenty of moments that kept me invested.

Once they finally stopped fighting their feelings, the romance turned wonderfully passionate and heartfelt. Their journey from secret high school crushes to realizing they truly wanted forever together made this such a satisfying and sweet read. Also, the narrator for this audiobook did an amazing job reading this story. The narration brought the story to life.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series but this is my least favorite of the series. I liked the book but the last third of the book Paxton was seriously overdoing the woe is me. Did she have real hang ups yes, did she take it too far yes, was that unrealistic no. Sawyer, however, was written to be the most perfect, understanding, and patient person in existence. Dude did not have to put up with that. Overall, I think this book is worth the read for the series but is not the standout of the other books.
The narrator was wonderful and did a fantastic job voicing this world.