Bayou Vows - Geri Krotow (Kensington - Jan 2019)

Series: Bayou Bachelors (Book 3)

Jeb DeVillier has a lot of explaining to do. True, he did steal millions from the sailboat business he ran with his partner, Brandon, and disappear to South America. But Jeb has a good reason -- Brandon's sister, Jena Boudreaux. A decade ago, she broke his heart when she chose career over their relationship. Still, when he learns she's being held for ransom by drug dealers, he doesn't hesitate. He'll save her life, no matter what the danger.

When Jena called Jeb out of the blue, it was to ask him to give her last words to her family. She knew the risks when she took one final mission for the CIA. Suddenly, Jeb's riding to the rescue like her own personal Cajun knight. Yet now that they're both safe in New Orleans, he refuses to give her a second chance. That's not good enough for Jena. Because when you find someone crazy enough to risk everything for you, the only sane thing to do is to hang on tight . . .

Good conclusion to the series. Like the previous book, Bare Devotion, portions of this story overlap the earlier books, this time from Jeb and Jena's perspective. A big part of the first book was Brandon dealing with Jeb stealing fifteen million dollars from their boat-building business and disappearing. In this book, we learn that Jeb took that money to save Brandon's sister's life. Jena was taken by a drug cartel and would have died without the ransom that Jeb provided. But there was more to the story.

Jeb grew up with the Boudreaux kids and was especially close to Jena. As they grew up, their childhood friendship grew into a college romance. After graduation, Jena broke it off when she decided to work for the CIA, but the attraction between them never died. A few years later, they reconnected and entered a "friends with benefits" relationship. That relationship took a hit when Jena's capture showed Jeb that he hadn't really known her after all. Though he did get Jena back to New Orleans, Jeb feels that his relationships with Brandon and Jena will never be the same and decides to move on. However, that turns out to be more difficult than he imagined.

Getting Jeb and Jena to a future together was a complicated process. Both of them have kept secrets from each other, and regaining trust isn't going to be easy. At the top of the list is that their feelings for each other have deepened, but neither dares to admit it. Jeb wants more from Jena but no longer feels that he deserves it. He also has some trouble reconciling her career with the CIA and how he has always viewed her. Jeb is a man who, thanks to his past, is compelled to take care of others. His ego takes a hit when he realizes that Jena is well able to take care of herself. Jena is very independent, and admitting that she sometimes needs Jeb is tough for her.

The struggle between Jeb and Jena felt very realistic. They had to learn to talk honestly with each other about their needs and dreams for the future. I ached for Jeb because he thought his actions made it impossible to stay in New Orleans, despite assurances otherwise. Jena faced her own problems of adjusting to civilian life and overcoming her need to keep part of her separated from everyone. Complicating matters was the intense attraction that made it challenging to keep their hands off each other. Some good scenes showed Jena and Jeb sharing things they hadn't shared with anyone before, and some sweet scenes that reminded them of the good parts of their past together. It all looks very promising until Jena's past comes calling and throws everything into turmoil. There are some tense moments for Jena that also prove to be eye-opening. The ending was wonderful. I loved the scene at their tree as they finally opened up fully to each other. The epilogue was a perfect wrap-up for all three couples.

Bare Devotion - Geri Krotow (Lyrical Press - Sept 2018)

Series: Bayou Bachelors (Book 2)

Returning to her flooded New Orleans home to face Henry Boudreaux, the man she jilted at the altar, is the hardest thing attorney Sonja Bosco has ever done--even before she discovers she's pregnant. Sonja backed out of the marriage for Henry's sake. He wants to be part of his father's law firm, and his parents will never approve of an interracial marriage. Better to bruise his heart than ruin his life.

Henry can't forgive Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that they're going to be parents means there's no avoiding each other. Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough...now they're living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired. And with each passing day they're getting a little more honest. A lot more real. And realizing that nothing--not even New Orleans at Mardi Gras--glows brighter than the desire they're trying to deny...

Good book. This story begins shortly before the end of the first book, Fully Dressed, so there is a little overlapping activity. At the beginning of the first book, Sonja and Henry are just hours away from their wedding. On the day of the wedding, Sonja runs, leaving Henry at the altar. This book takes on the aftermath of that action and the changes in their relationship.

As this book starts, Sonja returns to New Orleans three weeks after her non-wedding and comes face-to-face with Henry. He is understandably angry. He had no idea that Sonja had reservations about their marriage, so her desertion was a total surprise. They exchange some pretty harsh words. Sonja blames herself for the disaster, but she also holds resentment toward Henry for keeping secrets from her. Sonja doesn't have much room to complain, though, because she kept some things from him, too - not the least of which is that she is pregnant.

It is clear from their first meeting that the sparks between Sonja and Henry have not died, and neither one is happy about it. Each would like to cut ties altogether, but Fate decrees otherwise. First, they must work together to fix their flooded home before they can sell it. Because both of them invested everything in the house and the wedding, they are stuck sharing the tiny guest house on the property. Second, Sonja's pregnancy means they must find a way to co-parent their baby. This means they must face their past.

I enjoyed seeing Henry and Sonja work their way back to each other. Both had to take serious looks at their past relationship and admit to their mistakes. The biggest thing was facing the fact that their former relationship was more superficial than either wanted to admit. Everything looked great on the surface, but there were significant underlying issues that they never talked about. One of those issues was that of race. Sonja is black, and Henry is white. It makes no difference to their love for each other, but Henry's parents are not happy and make it obvious. Unfortunately, most of their attitude falls on Sonja when Henry isn't around to witness it. The last straw is their threat to disown Henry if he marries her, and she refuses to ruin his life. Sonja also worries that Henry might have similar attitudes (well-buried) thanks to his upbringing. On his side, Henry neglected to tell Sonja about his ex-fiancée's stalker tendencies, leaving Sonja blindsided when Dierdre confronted her right before the wedding. Both are left with some serious trust issues.

There were a lot of angry words and accusations thrown at each other at the beginning. Dealing with that anger forced Henry and Sonja to talk about things they had avoided before. It was a slow process, but they finally started to reach below the surface of their previous relationship and communicate. It isn't easy, and there is the occasional regression, but they do make progress. Complicating matters is the attraction that still has a tight grip on them. Giving into it adds to the pain and confusion. It takes a while for them to realize that the love they share is still there. There are some sweet scenes of them together as that love grows and matures to the point where they can admit their feelings to each other. I liked the ending as they moved toward a future together.

Fully Dressed - Geri Krotow (Kensington - Mar 2018)

Series: Bayou Bachelors (Book 1)

New York City stylist Poppy Kaminsky knows that image is everything, which is why she's so devastated when hers is trashed on social media--after a very public meltdown over her cheating fiance. Her best friend's New Orleans society wedding gives her the chance hide out and lick her wounds...

Brandon Boudreaux is in no mood to party. His multi-million dollar sailboat business is in danger of sinking thanks to his partner's sudden disappearance--with the company's funds. And when he rolls up to his estranged brother's pre-wedding bash in an airboat, a cold-as-ice friend of the bride looks at him like he's so much swamp trash.

The last person Poppy should get involved with is the bad boy of the Boudreaux family. But they have more in common than she could ever imagine-and the steamy, sultry New Orleans nights are about to show her how fun letting loose can be...

Good book about two people who experience significant crises in their lives, and with each other's help, find their way to new beginnings. The story opens as Poppy, a New York City stylist to the rich and famous, arrives in New Orleans for her best friend's wedding. The timing is perfect, as Poppy desperately needs to get away. After finding her fiancé in bed with her intern, Poppy had a very public meltdown, which ended up splashed all over social media. Her image is destroyed, and she needs to find a way to fix it. Hiding out in New Orleans for a couple of weeks will give Poppy the time to do so. However, she isn't really in much of a party mood, and the arrival of the groom's bad boy brother is one more irritation.

Brandon is the black sheep of his family. While his brother followed their father into the law, Brandon's interest lay in boat-building. After a massive blow-up with his father, Brandon and his best friend Jeb set out on their own. Brandon hasn't spoken to his parents in ten years, though he has remained in touch with his brother, Henry. He's not about to miss Henry's wedding and the hoopla before it, though he isn't in much of a mood to party. His partner Jeb has disappeared, taking all of the business's money with him. He doesn't want to believe it, but the facts are hard to deny. The last thing he wants to deal with is a stuck-up Yankee.

I liked the first meeting between Poppy and Brandon. He pulls up to his brother's dock in an obnoxiously loud airboat, and Poppy looks at him like he's pond scum. But there is no doubt about the sparks that fly between them. Brandon is a charming flirt, and he immediately lays it on thick with Poppy, who wants nothing to do with him or any other man right now. There's also a pretty big gentlemanly streak in him, and Brandon comes to her rescue when she has a panic attack. I thought she could have been a little more appreciative, but she was also fighting her attraction.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Brandon and Poppy. A hurricane-like storm brings them together as Brandon rescues her from a dangerous flooding situation. As they ride out the storm together, the attraction between them continues to grow. Both try to resist, as neither wants a relationship, thanks to the current upheaval in their lives. Instead, they form an unexpected friendship, discovering that they have more in common than they knew. I loved how their first impressions of each other changed as they got to know each other. I ached for Poppy, whose run of bad luck left her with some insecurities. Brandon is more sensitive than I expected at first, and it isn't long before he finds ways to show Poppy what an amazing woman she is. Brandon also faces a situation he doesn't feel prepared for, and this time it's Poppy who comes to the rescue. I had a grand time watching her prep Brandon for his big meeting.

All the while, the attraction between Brandon and Poppy continued to simmer until they couldn't resist any longer. Each one is clear that they don't want anything serious and decide to have fun together. But as Poppy builds Brandon up for his meeting, he discovers that he wants more than just her professional attention and a short-term affair. This freaks him out a bit, especially since he doesn't feel that he's in a place to do anything about it. Meanwhile, Poppy makes significant progress reinventing herself and her brand but doesn't know how to tell Brandon that she plans to relocate to New Orleans. After a blow-up where Brandon says some bone-headed things, both of them have some soul-searching to do before either is ready to look at a future together. I liked the ending. Both Brandon and Poppy show some real growth, and I loved Brandon's big moment.

The drama regarding the wedding between Henry and Poppy's friend, Sonja, added some extra tension to the story. I liked both Henry and Sonja, who genuinely appear to love each other. However, outside forces create an untenable situation, and Sonja doesn't handle it well. Their issues are left hanging, so I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see how that turns out. Brandon's troubles with his partner, Jeb, are also glossed over at the end, leaving that open for the third book.

I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of New Orleans, from the bayous to the little details about the city itself. I especially liked the scene set at Café du Monde, as it brought back fond memories of my visit there. I also liked the mentions of post-Katrina issues, from the loss of jobs to the way people helped each other. I liked Poppy's reminisces of her time volunteering and the impact it had on her life.