Trouble in Bayou Sabine

Bayou Sabine #1

by Lauren Faulkenberry

Louisiana gets a whole lot hotter in this spellbinding story of secrets, betrayal, and seduction. 

When Enza Parker inherits her estranged grandmother's house, it dredges up a haunting mystery—and puts her in the path of the most alluring man she's ever met.

For Enza, Bayou Sabine means pain and heartache: a mother who left her and a father whose lies have caught up with him. Her only fondness for the bayou comes from the summers she spent there with her grandmother, Vergie. Now that Vergie’s gone, Enza wants to flip the house and put her past to rest—but this small town is full of big secrets—and it has one more surprise for her.

When Enza finds her grandmother’s house occupied by sexy firefighter Jack Mayronne, she wants to kick him out. But Jack turns on the charm and convinces her to let him stay in exchange for helping her flip the house. Sparks fly as they share the same roof, and as their fling intensifies, Enza learns that Jack has dangerous secrets of his own. When the truth about her mother’s disappearance begins to surface, Enza must decide: how much is she willing to sacrifice to start over—and can she trust Jack with her heart? 

Note: This book was previously published with the title Bayou My Love.

“Faulkenberry creates a world of magic, suspense, and desire. An engrossing romance with just the right amount of heat!” -Julie C. Gardner, author of Letters for Scarlet

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery, Amazon, Suspense, Contemporary Romance

338 pages, ebook

First published March 7, 2016

About the author

Lauren Faulkenberry is author of the novels TROUBLE IN BAYOU SABINE, BAYOU WHISPERS, TROUBLE WILL FOLLOW, and the novellas BACK TO BAYOU SABINE and JUST THE TROUBLE I NEEDED (all from Blue Crow Books). An IPPY-award-winning author, she's a member of WFWA and writes sweet romances under the pen name Lucy Day.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense, erotic read.
I liked this book a lot, one thing though, the heroine was a bit neurotic for me. The hero was swoony. Sigh...
Big ex-drama
Voodoo ...

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (9/16/18)!💝

[mk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The words that come to my mind after reading: unexpected love, mystery, voodoo, action, romance, thriller, fire, old house, swamps, revenge.

Story of Enza who went to Bayou to renovate and sell an old house standing near swamps she inherited from her grandmother. But what seemed to be easy, quickly turned out to be more difficult than Enza would ever imagine.

I loved the setting and the mystery, I even got the creeps a few times. The book is full of action, it’s impossible to get bored. Great plot, every detail has been taken the care of. The book includes many detailed romance scenes and it’s easy to feel you’re in Enza’s skin. However, I didn’t like some of the decisions she made, like accusing people without any proof or visiting Miranda at work. The mystery of voodoo is still not solved. I’m curious who stands behind all of these things she found in the garden. I can’t wait to read the second part!

I received a digital copy of this book via Member Giveaway on LibraryThing in an exchange for an honest review.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bayou My Love is fun. It is full of hot romance. It is also a very well-written and enjoyable read.

"As I opened the last moon pie I'd smuggled from the motel, I was hit with a flash from years before. Vergie and I were sitting on a quilt in one of the old cemeteries, back in a corner under an oak tree with limbs that undulated along the ground like tentacles. She was telling me ghost stories while we had tea and beignets, the powdered sugar clinging to our noses. We sat still as tombstones while a funeral procession passed, the people dancing as music filled the whole sky. "Why are those people having such a good time?" I asked. "Isn't that a funeral?" "That's the grandest way you can say goodbye to someone," Vergie said."

And so it goes in the South. We celebrate our life and then we send off with a celebration.

The author did a fantastic job with describing the bayou life in Southern Louisiana. Living in the area, it wasn't hard to form a picture in my head while reading the book. And, when you are picturing the scenery right outside your door, you know the author has hit the proverbial nail on the head.

The story invoked the mystery surrounding voodoo, folklore, and the swamp land and bayous. Bayou My Love was an enjoyable summer afternoon read in the springtime. I am giving the book five stars. The writing was exceptional and consistent throughout the book and offered some surprises in the story. A perfect read.

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. More on www.mylifeonestoryatatime.com

[Bronwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bayou My Love is set in the hottest part of Louisiana. The main protagonist, Enza, must decide what she will do with her grandmother's home in the bayou - flip it or keep it? The house comes with an unexpected and handsome tenant, Jack. While trying not to get mixed up in a complicated relationship and yet being drawn in by an unknown family history, Enza must decide the journey she will take. Continue being a stomping ground for her overbearing father or begin a new life in the Louisiana bayou?
This book has great character development, very well edited, and also has a sequel (of which I will be reading!). I received this as a free ebook through librarything.com for my honest review.

[Donna Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the plot was predictable for a romance novel, I did like the characters. Faulkenberry did well developing them. I would have liked to have seen a bit more tension between the adversaries but again this is a romance novel and not a thriller. There are a few subplots that I would have liked to have seen more resolution for, but perhaps there will be a sequel. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads

[Jennie Goutet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light, fun read where the girl gets the guy (or the guy gets the girl). It takes place in New Orleans and involves some danger and an old fixer-upper house. I liked both of the main characters a lot. If light, fun, romance sounds good to you, you'll like this one.

[Lauren Masse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this through LibraryThing and greatly enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for romance and old houses; this mixed the two perfectly for me.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best parts about this was the suspense and the voodoo elements. I did like that, while a romance, there was so much more to the story, too.

[Jana Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Just Finished Reading "Bayou My Love" from Lauren Faulkenberry and I Want to Thank Lauren & Goodreads for Allowing Me to Win This Amazing Book in a Giveaway! I Will Keep This Short & Sweet, Without Giving Away Too Much! I Absolutely Loved This Book and if I Could Have Given it More than 5 Stars than I Absolutely Would Have! This Book is the Sweetest, Most Passionate Book I Have Read in a Very Long Time and it Held My Attention the Whole Time b/c There Was Also Some Mystery & Excitement to the Book as Well! It's About a Girl Named Enza that Flips Houses for a Living with Her Father in NC and She Wants Her Father to Give Her More Responsibility and Take Her More Serious, So She Moves to Louisiana to Flip Her Deceased Grandmother's Beautiful Old House! When She Gets to Louisiana She Finds a Guy Named Jack Who has Been Living in the House for Some Time Now and She Can't Seem to Force Him Out So She Allows Him to Stay as Long as He Helps Her Flip & Renew the House! While Enza is There She Learns More About Her Grandmother and Her Mother Through Old Journals and She Makes Some New Friends as Well as Some Enemies! That's as Much as I am Willing to Give Away b/c I Wouldn't Want Anyone to Ruin the Excitement for Me So I Will Do the Same for Others! What I Will say is I Highly Recommend This Book and I am Going to Find Some More of Lauren Faulkenberry's Books to Delve into for Sure! I'm Not Much of a Reviewer, Just a Big Reader So Thanks for Baring with Me! Thanks Everyone and I Hope You Have a Blessed Day! - Jana

[The Blonde Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I even finished the first chapter, I knew I was going to love this story. The way Lauren describes her characters… it was perfect! She described the characters with wonderful detail, but not too much detail. I appreciated that because I always love to use my imagination and make the characters my own. Enza and Jack are authentic characters and easy to relate to. I adored reading more about them and found myself unable to put the book down.

This story was about much more than just a simple romance. There was mystery, suspense, voodoo, drama, and some steamy love scenes! No cliché love story here! I wasn’t ever able to guess what was going to happen next and I loved that.

All in all, Lauren’s writing is exquisitely smooth and easy to read. I loved the story she told and the characters she created in Bayou My Love. I would highly recommend this novel to any readers who enjoy fiction novels that include a splash of mystery and love.

Rating 4/5

[Debbie Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given book for an honest review.

This book feels so good. Enza is a strong women who finds herself and her life when she goes to Louisiana to flip her grandmothers house. Enza isn't looking for anything and she finds everything. This book is just a great read. It feels so real, and the characters come to life. I was so anxious to find out the "who" in who's doing what.
I may study up on voodoo....

While reading I could hear the accent in the writing. And as she describes Jack I can see him coming towards her. The characters come to life and you will become part of the story.

This book give you romance, mystery and sex....everything you want in a novel!

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bayou my love is full of voodoo, mishaps and revenge. Truthfully, I couldn't put the book down and read it in one evening. I was fascinated and anxiously awaited each eloquent sensual and seductive action in the Bayou. I felt amid elements of Louisiana, and all the small town characters that make that click and work perfect together. The past and present meet bringing lovers and haters together. I look forward to reading the additional books. I give this book 4 stars. I was advanced a copy of this book for an honest review. Kris

[Pelusa Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) I enjoyed Enza and truly loved jack..felt bad they had so much to deal with starting out with a fresh relationship. .But that makes you stronger..so many problems to deal with...crazy exes, horrible family members, arsonists. But how to deal..well my friends read the book to see the outcome, because they did have good friends to stand by them..given for honest review

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense, erotic read.
I liked this book a lot, one thing though, the heroine was a bit neurotic for me. The hero was swoony. Sigh...
Big ex-drama
Voodoo ...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and the entire Bayou Series. Jack is hot and infuriating and hot. The Louisiana setting is spot on (my family is literally from here), and the main character has some real struggles that she works through in ways that make you cheer her on. This is a great book and the start of a great series.

[Janice Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading and the bayou suspense. It was dirty, hot, sexy, fun and the manipulation of the characters. There are TRiGGERS.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on Musings and Ramblings.

This was a new to me author, one who contacted me about reviewing her book. After reading the blurb, it sounded like something I would like so I decided to give it a try. I didn't realize going in that this wasn't a typical HEA book - more a HEA For Now kinda story. The next book will continue Jack and Enza's story. But that is okay, because there was no big cliffhanger, and the ending was at a good stopping point.

I really liked Enza. She was hard headed and stubborn. But she'd had to develop her prickly shell due in large part to her parents and their personal issues. We don't learn everything about them, in fact we barely scratch the surface, but I am sure we will learn more about them in book 2. Right now, I am comfortable calling Enza's father an asshat and her mother a self-absorbed twit. It was a joy watching Enza learn to spread her wings and take control of her own life, finally out from under her father's thumb.

Jack was a hot cajun firefighter. I could probably stop there and many of you won't need me to go any further. But Jack really was just a solid, good guy. Supporting Enza, even when she was being a prickly idiot, and looking out for her, made him a keeper. Plus, his Uncle Buck and Aunt Josie are totally awesome. I just know there is an awesome story behind them.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought it would. There was a hint of the paranormal, with Enza consulting a voodoo priestess over some things left in the yard, but nothing that moved this book into the occult or arcane. There was also a bit of mystery with Enza trying to figure out the who and why someone was leaving things in her yard. Add a dash of suspense and this book was chock full of good things. If you are on the fence about this book, the prequel novella, Back to Bayou Sabine is available for free. This tells the story of Enza's first return to Bayou Sabine in 15 years, for her grandmother's funeral. I didn't read it before reading Bayou My Love, and though an incident is mentioned, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel. I really enjoyed the world and characters that the author created and gave this book 4 stars.

Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I had read the prequel to this story, Back to Bayou Sabine, a while back so I had a pretty good idea of the background to this story. Enza is tired of her father giving her all the crap parts of the job of flipping houses and none of the responsibilities. She’s good at what she does, and it’s time that good old Dad lets her tackle one on her own – and she’s already picked it out. The house she inherited from her grandmother, the one where she had spent childhood summers in the sultry heat of the bayou. That was the house she was going to work on and sell to prove once and for all that she had just as much business sense and talent at flipping houses as her dad did.

She didn’t count on the memories that would come flooding back as she approached the house. And she certainly didn’t count on Jack, the sexy fireman who was doing a bit of squatting on her property. Jack offered his services as handy man and worker in exchange for letting him continue to live in the house until it was sold. Enza agreed because she could use the help.. and he was one fine specimen of a man.

As Jack and Enza begin to act on their attraction to each other, more surprises are awaiting them in the swamp. A vindictive arsonist. A touch of voodoo magic. To name just two. This couple has some issues to work out and quickly before someone gets hurt.

I enjoyed Bayou My Love . It had such a Southern feel to it that I didn’t need to stretch my imagination too far in order to fall into the locale or the people living there. Jack and Enza were a solid couple who had some issues to deal with – and Enza had some decisions to make, the kind that change lives forever.

If you enjoy a bit of mystery, local flavor and sultry nights in the bayou, then you’ll want to put Bayou My Love on your reading list. Definitely an entertaining tale.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enza Parker is headed back to New Orleans ... or the area just outside it ... to "flip" her aunt Vergie's house after that lady's death. Unbeknownst to Enza, local firefighter Jack Mayronne has been staying there. He agrees to help Enza get the house ready for sale.

Complicating things is an old girlfriend of Jack's, who shows up periodically. She may or may not be the one leaving voodoo love charms all over Enza's yard.

And then there's the arsonist who is keeping Jack's station busy. The criminal even strikes Vergie's house, but Enza is quick with the water hose and the cell phone, so the damage isn't complete.

There are some whodunnits sprinkled in with the romance that inevitably strikes up between Jack and Enza ... and there are lots of sexy-times. A pretty good romance read.

[Deb G · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot line was a solid concept, though poorly executed. Enza obsessess over her father and his approval and this point is made a little too often, and he makes few appearances. The entire book is her worrying over the damn house and the deadline, then suddenly she just decides to hell with it? It didn't fit. There were several other parts that went along that way, over emphasizing a point, only to have it suddenly dropped and/or magically fixed. The story was good, the characters were good, the writing, plotline, and tying it all up smoothly needed help.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this advanced copy from Library Thing. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the sequel. I've found a new author I love.

[Romance Rehab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review and other fun stuff on the Romance Rehab blog: http://www.romancerehab.com/

I was sold on reading this book when I saw that it was a renovation romance. (Even though the title is a little lame) That’s all it took. I have an almost unnatural fascination with home remodeling shows. I’ve lost DAYS to HGTV binges. I’m not proud of that, by the way. I’m just letting you know how much I adore the idea of renovation romance novels. And this one started off strong, too. Too bad it didn’t quite stick the landing…

First of all, I loved that it was the heroine, Enza, (which is a name that struck me as almost too unique, bordering on weird) was the house flipper, not the hero, Jack. There was a good amount of competence porn here. (And y’all know I love me some competence porn)
Jack was a great hero, too. He was laid back and sexy and alpha without being a complete jackhole. (He was also a handsome firefighter, which is NEVER a bad thing)

Where this one lost me was early on when Enza gets drunk and does some really stupid things that force Jack to rescue her, all alpha-man style. (If I remember correctly, he even had to toss her over his shoulder at one point while she argued about why her asinine behavior wasn’t asinine. Spoiler alert: it was asinine. She was just too drunk to realize it.) I’d really liked Enza up until that point, and it totally bummed me out to see her turn into a ridiculous, spoiled, TSTL heroine who would’ve been at home in any Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock romantic comedy. (Not that I’m knocking Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock. They’re talented ladies who have made some awesome films, but let’s face it, they’ve had a few stinkers in the romantic comedy department.)

From there, there was an annoying “other woman” plot (She’s a crazy stalker. There wasn’t any cheating) and a truly odd voodoo plot that I didn’t see the point of. (I won’t spoil that one. You’ll have to read this book if you’re really curious about that)

And finally, while this didn’t really end on a cliffhanger, there were some unanswered questions that I assume will be answered in future installments in the series. I hate unanswered questions. I also hate it when an author tries to force me into reading other installments in their series because I need to have my questions answered. It feels manipulative. I want to read the rest of the series because I love the series, not because I have unanswered questions.

But, long-story-short, I guess fans of romantic suspense and competence porn could do worse than Bayou My Love. It’s well-written and the characters are interesting. And there were parts of it that I truly loved. As a whole, though, it just wasn’t my cuppa.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Natward1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It was a cute little read. I did finish it so that says a lot for me. I did have to skim a bit sometimes. It started out strong but lost steam toward the end. Or maybe lost steam isn’t quite right, more like it started to kinda just repeat itself with the same problems.

I liked enza. I liked jack. I’m glad the author didn’t make enza into an uptight, quick to anger lead female like soooo many other romance authors do. The two love interests were pleasant towards one another. So I liked that. Enza was dumber than I would have liked. She admits it which is something I guess but I’d rather her not be a moron in the first place. Mostly regarding jacks enemy person.

Sadly The romance happened too fast and easily and there was no real build up. No “foreplay” if you will, which is the best part. And I don’t mean sexual foreplay I just mean like the sexual tension, the initial awareness, the figuring eachother out, getting to know the other, the things like that where you’re building up to something amazing. That didn’t really happen much before they started their relationship. It was a sweet relationship though, albeit a bit forgettable.

The conflict didn’t feel believable either. Or, maybe not the conflict itself but the things that happened regarding the conflivt. Like Enza kept randomly running into jacks nemesis several times out of the blue and getting into fights with him. It just didn’t feel like a natural progression and felt highly unlikely. And her being at her house most of the time renovating made for a storyline/plot that is hard to make anything of.

But overall it was nice. Nothing major wrong with it. There were some grammatical and spelling errors, as well as a couple of paragraphs being repeated. Needs editing. Also sometimes the descriptions of things happening weren’t super put together. Like two characters would be sitting up then they’d all of the sudden be in a more laying down position, things like that. It happened a lot where the descriptions needed some fine tuning.

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite impressed with this book. Enza, our heroine,runs a house flipping business with her father. When she inherits her grandmother’s house in Louisiana, she wants to flip it but her father insists she sell it as is. But Enzo stands up to him as it is her house and a part of her roots. Her mother left them and although Enza would spend summers in the bayou with her gran, that ended when her mother left. But she still has good memories.

When she gets to the house, planning to live there while she renovates, she discovers a border already there. Around her age, Jack, a firefighter, was a friend of her grans who has been renting the house. Enza wants to kick him out right away but he’s signed a lease and he’s paid up months in advance. Instead they compromise. He will remain and help her with repairs when they’re complete, he’ll find another place to live ad refund the remaining rent.

There is a strong chemistry between them but Enza can’t stay. She has to return to work for her father. Then things begin happening. It seems Jack has himself a stalker who’s convinced she and Jack are together. Then they have a few run ins with a dangerous enemy of Jacks. Strange things begin showing up on the property, straw dolls, alligator skulls, snake charms. There seems to be strangers hanging around and even a mysterious fire. Enza begins to believe somehow voodoo is involved and begins investigating. Jack is sceptical but goes along with her.

I found this book hard to put down. Both Jack and Enza are well drawn characters though Enza is a bit too beholden to her father who is areal jerk. The story takes place in the Louisiana bayou and though I’ve never even been close, so I can’t confirm but the atmosphere seems very authentic. From what I’ve learned, the bayou is a world onto itself. Very haunting and very mysterious. And this really comes across in this intriguing story. I really recommend it and plan to read more books in this series.

[Sarah Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enza is a feisty heroine who “fixes things” – houses for a living, and live-in boyfriends before they move on. She has one chink in her armour – her hard-headed businessman father. She works for him, and he’s tougher on her than the rest of his staff. When she inherits a house deep in the Bayou swamps, she digs in her heels and persuades Dad to provide the money for its makeover and to give her six weeks and a free hand. Enza isn’t expecting to find a man in residence. Will Jack’s DIY skills help her finish on time, or is he better at capturing her heart? What is the house’s history? And is voodoo more than a myth to trap New Orleans’ tourists? Be prepared for Louisiana June heat, in and out of the bedroom.

[Wanda Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could imagine the sights and smells as Enzo was driving to her grandmother Vergie’s home. I love when an author can transport me by their descriptions. i was engaged in Enza’s quest to rehab her grandmothers house and reconnect with her past. That she was connected to Jack was even more interesting. He is the kind of hero I like to read about. Kind and loving and fiercely protective of the people he loves. The smile and hot bod didn’t hurt either. I loved how the romance and mystery were intertwined and kept me engaged from beginning to end. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a little mystery added to romance and headroom scenes that are not cringeworthy. I loved it from beginning to end.

[Janice M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense, voodoo, and a little bit of love, Lauren Faulkenberry gives us all the ingredients to a great story and delicious page turner. Enza is a house-flipper, who convinced her father to let her go to the Louisiana bayou. A house inherited from her grandmother should a be a quick and easy flip, or so she thinks....... I loved the setting and the mystery. Faulkenberry provides us realistically flawed characters and beautifully captivates the human side of relationships. Will Enza let go of her past mistakes and let love in? Or will it destroy her and everything she has worked so hard to accomplish?

Highly recommend!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enza is a thirty year old single woman that works for her father flipping houses. She has inherited a house from her estranged maternal grandmother in the bayou of Louisiana . Hoping to prove herself to her always disapproving father she strikes a deal to flip the inherited house in six weeks with a budget of $8500.00. When she arrives she finds her Grandmother had rented the house to a man named Jack with an iron clad lease prepaid several months ahead. Jack is the least of her worries.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the swamp... l enjoy all of the HGTV fix-it shows, so the renovation of Grandma's house attracted me. Faulkenberry has great attention to detail in the construction aspects and the voodoo was mesmerizing. Jack was a dreamy leading man and Enza was a character that I could relate to. Determined and pulled in many directions. I look forward to many more in this series.