Blue Bayou

BLUE BAYOU (French Quarter Collection, #1) . . . Did you ever find such a jewel? I was or was not ready for the enjoyment that I got out of this one. I loved Carys from the start. She was spunky and determined. She loved the legacy left to her by her grandparents and her mother. She was just a little lost on how to make the legacy more of what it was and better at the same time. Then there was Maverick. He had morals. I could not say that for Mr. Kensington. Grandson Maverick was much more like Grandpa Maverick. Grandpa Maverick left much of himself behind in his journals and most of all in his grandson. There was much for me to love here. The Blue Bayou, the French Quarter, the characters primary (Carys & Maverick) and secondary (CeCe, Jewel, Shep and more) and most of all the world created by Jiffy Kate's words. I could see the Blue Bayou. I could see the quarter and surrounding areas. I love that level of imagery. I owe thanks to Loretta Rawlings & Eric Michael Summerer. They gave a new layer of dimension to the characters. They gave that extra to the characters through narration of the story, tone, pitch, and variation.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the way it made me feel as if I was back in the middle of one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. So much about this made me long to be there, even with the sweltering humidity, I was reminded of the wonderful food and the lively people and atmosphere that makes the city such a unique and fun place to visit. The characters were ones that made good romantic interests for each other, and had their own personalities that were a perfect fit to make their match. At times the writing made such wonderful use of descriptive language that I was itching to pick up my own novel I’ve been working on and try to see if I could come up with my own vivid imagery. Once or twice though, it seemed to be a bit more of telling than the showing that is recommended for fiction. And some of the storyline was a bit predictable, but then again, so many romances use those same types of situations to create the drama, so I can’t really fault the story for that, just because it is a pet peeve of my own. It’s these things though that kept my rating to a 4 star instead of any higher. But back to the food! I was reminded of my love of beignets, I could almost taste the sweet powdery sugar fried pastry as I listened to the story. And then the description of the special Blue Bayou flavored macaron made me actually want to give these cookies another try, even though every experience I’ve ever had with them has been a negative – dry and bland. And finally, the cast of characters was great, and as I finished up, I was hopeful for stories of the two that I know are coming up in the other two books of the series that work at the bar called Come Again, and the coffee shop called Neutral Grounds. Oh, and I have to also talk about the narrators, because I really liked both of them! Although I did get a little annoyed with how the female narrator got about saying macaron, other than that she had the perfect voice for this character. And the male narrator is one that I know I’ve heard before, and I really like him as well.

Oh, Maverick and Carys, you almost broke my heart! I'm so glad it all worked out in the end. I'm a fan of Jiffy Kate. This duo writes so many books that filled with intelligent characters, humor, fun and heart. Blue Bayou lived up to every single one of my expectations from them, and then some. Maverick is a man that needs to find himself, and he takes the most interesting journey to get there. Along the way, he meets Carys, and all of the characters that work with her at the quaint inn that she's inherited. And what a cast of characters they are! I love it when side characters leave an impression and the prove that the main characters aren't one dimensional. Carys is a bit of a free spirit, but she's close to caving under the pressure of trying to refurbish the Blue Bayou. Maverick comes into her life at just the right time. I loved listening to them fall in love. The narration by Eric Michael Summerer and Loretta Rawlins complemented the material and really brought the story to life. It was so easy to listen to both of them capture the spirit of these characters.

This is my very first Jiffy Kate book and it was a solid read and start to a series. There is something about falling into that southern drawl. Life in the south doesn’t always have to move as fast so you get to take your time saying things. Eric Michael Summerer did a great job with the southern drawl. This was my first Loretta book, but she sounds like she is a native southerner to me. NOLA is one of those places you go to and it feels like it has an old soul. The Blue Bayou is exactly the same. I could imagine being in this hotel with all its charm. I want to stay there and see this in real life. I’m so excited to get to live in NOLA for a few more books. The relationship was so sweet and both these characters are just all around good people with genuine hearts. You can’t help but want the best for them. You just want to be a part of this circle. I loved all the side characters too. I’m so excited to see where this goes.

Blue Bayou By: Jiffy Kate Narrated by: Loretta Rawlins, Eric Michael Summerer I thoroughly enjoyed this great book, it is well written with interesting story lines that captivated my mind from start to end. I just adored Carys, she has a great personality and I could relate to her all her clumsy mishaps, they were funny and cute. I loved her determination to maintain her family tradition and the “Blue Bayou” and her dedication to George and Mary. Maverick trying to get away from it all goes to New Orleans for a vacation and finds himself in the Blue Bayou and Carys immediately falls for him, literally fall. He helps her up and realizes what a mess of a woman she is and he wants to know more about her. I liked the chemistry between them, they just clicked. Finding out who is Dad is and what he is all about I was waiting for the shoe to drop and things to go array. Which they do for Carys and Maverick. I was sad when Maverick left the Blue Bayou and was hoping things would be set straight. And it was said, “Eventually, everyone comes back to the Blue Bayou”. I highly recommend this story, there is so much to like, the characters, their drama, the sweet moments, funny ones, angst ones and the sweet romance. Oh and a shout out to Jules, everyone needs a Jules in their life. This is my first book by Jiffy Kate and it will not be my last, they are a creative duo, their story is entertaining and enjoyable. Thanks for this great story! I listened to the Audiobook version, Loretta Rawlins and Eric Michael Summerer are wonderful narrators and voice performers. They bring the characters to life, give each their own voice and personality. They project the emotions of the characters and the drama of the story in their performance. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this great listen.