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adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
dark
sad
I think I liked this book the first time I read it, but that was a translation into another language—maybe some of the harsher details were softened. Reading it now, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much. The only real highlight was the MMC. I adored him. Everyone else? Not so much.
The first flashback chapter was disgusting. I just “love” reading a vivid description of a brutal rape. Then, to make it worse, the attacker’s mother helped him cover it up and created a justifiable story for him. Honestly, I don’t know who was worse—the rapist or his mother. After that, I skipped all the flashbacks and wished I’d skipped the first one too.
Declan was great—a standup guy who did my favorite thing: he fell in love first and made his intentions for the FMC very clear. But I didn’t like her. She didn’t appreciate him enough, and the more I read, the more she frustrated me. At some point, I just wanted him to do what she kept telling him to—ditch her and move on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like many others, I really liked the first half and then it took a sharp turn. I loved the haunted house aspect, the NOLA setting, Manet Hall. But I grew to really dislike Declan and was annoyed by Lena. The ending was a flop.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an excellent read as an audiobook. The narration was wonderful and added to the story. I enjoyed the time changes and how both viewpoints married beautifully together to tell the whole story. A mix of historical romance with some thriller characteristics, this book kept me engaged and guessing what would happen next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Pregnancy
Thoughts 💭
Unfortunately, I went into this novel blind so to speak. None of the reviews I skimmed had any mention of the events of Chapter 1. If you are someone that is not able to handle detailed Sexual Assault in novels, please do NOT read Chapter 1 or when the events start to take shape in the direction of SA skip to the end of the chapter. It's very easy for someone to get the gist of what happens without having to read the details.
I don't think my mind and body will come back from reading the detailed assault in Chapter 1 to try and complete the book. So please be warned, do more research than I did.
Unfortunately, I went into this novel blind so to speak. None of the reviews I skimmed had any mention of the events of Chapter 1. If you are someone that is not able to handle detailed Sexual Assault in novels, please do NOT read Chapter 1 or when the events start to take shape in the direction of SA skip to the end of the chapter. It's very easy for someone to get the gist of what happens without having to read the details.
I don't think my mind and body will come back from reading the detailed assault in Chapter 1 to try and complete the book. So please be warned, do more research than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Murder
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Midnight Bayou is one of oldest Nora Roberts title, although written in 2000-ish. It's also already adapted into Lifetime movies, feature Jerry O'Connell that in my opinion while he's an Irish, he's not what in my mind when try to picture the hero, Declan Fitzgerald (funny enough, the movie Declan have Fitzpatrick as his family name). Midnight Bayou is more like paranormal romance, but not that heavy in the paranormal aspect. It's have ghosts, so while it's kinda give me a heebies jeebies, the ghost itself more like memory and didn't appear at all. Only the vibes, and maybe sounds like baby crying, door slammed, music playing. So, if you like your books really haunting, the level of haunting in this book is pretty mild.
I did like the trope "he feel first, she feel harder" that Roberts incorporated and honestly many of her books have trope in which the hero fall in love first or in case of Declan, he fall in love instantly but the heroine is playing hard to get. Although Lena, the heroine, is REALLY playing hard to get. Afraid to fall in love because of her shamed past and constantly guard her heart. I did understand why she behave like that, Lena is prickly af and with good reasons. But honestly when she finally accept that she loved Declan, I just don't feel..the love? I still think that she still guard her heart although less wary than the first.
I liked the past that unravel behind the mansion that Declan try to restore, Manet Hall. It's have Romeo and Juliet vibes, complete with racism and funnily enough a mention of Pride and Prejudice that actually describe the condition of Manet Hall's family. Trigger warning, there's a pretty graphic description of rape and some scenes contain grief that result in suicide by one of the past characters so you might want to read this with caution. Sadly, the ending I feel is just so so.
For romance, it's still worth to read because I really loved to read how Declan try to woo Lena and in process catch Lena's grandmother heart too. But for haunting and chilling factor, then this book is not so much. Still, the book is perfect if you want to read a book with gothic setting and angsty galore.
I did like the trope "he feel first, she feel harder" that Roberts incorporated and honestly many of her books have trope in which the hero fall in love first or in case of Declan, he fall in love instantly but the heroine is playing hard to get. Although Lena, the heroine, is REALLY playing hard to get. Afraid to fall in love because of her shamed past and constantly guard her heart. I did understand why she behave like that, Lena is prickly af and with good reasons. But honestly when she finally accept that she loved Declan, I just don't feel..the love? I still think that she still guard her heart although less wary than the first.
I liked the past that unravel behind the mansion that Declan try to restore, Manet Hall. It's have Romeo and Juliet vibes, complete with racism and funnily enough a mention of Pride and Prejudice that actually describe the condition of Manet Hall's family. Trigger warning, there's a pretty graphic description of rape and some scenes contain grief that result in suicide by one of the past characters so you might want to read this with caution. Sadly, the ending I feel is just so so.
For romance, it's still worth to read because I really loved to read how Declan try to woo Lena and in process catch Lena's grandmother heart too. But for haunting and chilling factor, then this book is not so much. Still, the book is perfect if you want to read a book with gothic setting and angsty galore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Violence, Grief
Minor: Racial slurs
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this story and the characters and their banter. So funny in certain parts that I was laughing out loud. The ending just seem kind of “meh” to me compared to the rest of the story, didn’t really have much of a climax, which is why I didn’t give it 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Murder, Pregnancy