Author: Lexi BlakeSeries: Butterfly Bayou #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 5th 2020
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly PR
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is back with an all-new heartwarming, small-town contemporary romance series set against the spicy southern backdrop of Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou.*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of his book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
Life in Dallas took a tragic turn for nurse practitioner Lila Daley. In need of a fresh start, she retreats to Papillon, Louisiana, a tiny town on the bayou. Sure she's greeted by a gator, finds herself in the middle of golf cart wars, and unwittingly adopts a scruffy dog, but Lila remains undaunted. She's focused on running the town's medical clinic, but fitting into the quirky community is harder than she imagined.
As a single dad, Sheriff Armie LaVigne embraces routine. But there is nothing routine about the town's newest resident. Lila is a gorgeous fish out of water and he’s ready to catch her. In fact, in no time at all, Armie knows Lila is the woman for him and he plans to win her heart. But when the past threatens their happiness, Armie will have to decide if he has the courage to trust Lila enough to find a true happily ever after.
**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only
Every new book that Lexi Blake puts out is an adventure to me, and I'm honestly such a fangirl of hers that I don't even read the blurb anymore. I just know that I'll love it, and to expect laughter, tears, and lots of happy feelings. Butterfly Bayou is the first book in a new Lexi Blake series, and it's just the perfect start to a new world, and it delivers laughter, tears, and happy feelings.
It's not a secret that I'm a huge Lexi Blake fan. Whether she's writing urban fantasy, contemporary romance, or erotic novels, everything she writes will end up being a favorite book of mine. And while I love all the sarcasm, hot sex, crazy dangerous situations that she puts some of her characters through, her way of writing small town romances is probably my favorite thing about her stories. Because she makes me believe in these small towns, in their crazy adventures, the very interesting cast of characters, and the magic that these small towns have.
Butterfly Bayou is the story of Lila Daley and Armie LaVigne, and their chance to start a new life away from their fears. It took me a while to realize why I knew Lila, why she felt familiar to me, but once I realized she was Will's sister, I knew I was going to love this book. I love the Daley clan, I truly do, and I they all need to be happy for all eternity and not have anything bad happen to them. Lila especially. They all had a traumatic childhood, but Lila had it the hardest, because she had to be the mother of her siblings when she herself was just a child. The book starts off with a very traumatized Lila, and you find out really quick what happened to her and it's an event that will shape who she is not just throughout this book, but it changes her life forever. Lila was hard on herself before, but now she's even more so. The Lila that arrives in Papillon however is also a Lila that wants to be better, she wants to make a life for herself, a life that has meaning. So she follows her sister to this small town far away from the traumatic experience she went through.
I loved that Lila wasn't a pushover. She had a hard time connecting with her emotions, and going after what she wanted, but she was no pushover. She stood her ground even when people around her were trying to talk her down, and I loved that about her. She defended herself and took no crap from the people in town that were judging her even though they didn't know her. She was professional and kept her cool whenever she needed it, but she also knew how to dish out some sass and some tough love. Her relationship with Armie was great, but I love the fact that she loved herself a little bit more than she did Armie. Don't get me wrong, Armie was great, and I'll get to him in a second, but she was honest with herself when she needed to be, which is something I don't read about that often.
Like I said, Armie was great. He hasn't been able to forgive himself for playing a part in the accident that claimed his ex-wife's life and his daughter's ability to walk, which is why he is so protective of his daughter, Noelle. But this protectiveness turns to have a negative impact on Noelle's life, which can potentially harm his relationship with Lila. I liked what Armie was able to do for Lila. It's not just that he showed her she was worthy of love, it's that he allowed her to feel guilty about what had happened, but not to the extent she took that feeling. Lila was living in a nightmare, and Armie allowed her to admit that to herself, but also to let the past go. Which is kind of ironic considering he was doing the same thing as Lila was, so they healed each other.
Papillon is full of very interesting characters, and I cannot wait to meet them all again and read about their crazy antics. More so than the people, I absolutely fell in love with Otis, the town alligator. There's just something about a small town with an alligator that always manages to pull me in, and I am not ashamed to admit that.
Butterfly Bayou is truly a great book to start off a new Lexi Blake series, and if you want to try out her writing but aren't sure which book to try, you should give this one a go. Now to wait for the next book in this series, Bayou Baby.
ABOUT LEXI BLAKE
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem.
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