wayfaring_witch's review against another edition
4.0
This book received 4 stars as a 'guilty pleasure' type of book. I was in the mood for a little ghost story, family secrets, and romance. This fit the bill perfectly.
In the end the mystery was revealed to the protagonists in a bit too much of a paranormal way that fell outside my suspension of disbelief, and I would have liked to see more digging around or more straight forward ghosts. Still, I enjoyed the whirlwind romance while it lasted!
In the end the mystery was revealed to the protagonists in a bit too much of a paranormal way that fell outside my suspension of disbelief, and I would have liked to see more digging around or more straight forward ghosts. Still, I enjoyed the whirlwind romance while it lasted!
antidietleah's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't sure how into the Cajun Bayou scene I'd be but I enjoyed it, cher. I adored Declan's character but wasn't really into the paranormal activity bits.
amandaj6's review against another edition
5.0
What a twisty ride!!
This was so different and so much more than what I was expecting. And all of it in a wonderful romantic way. I’m not going to say more about the story. But sheesh, Declan and Lena...epic love story. I felt like I was in New Orleans and at that house with them.
This was so different and so much more than what I was expecting. And all of it in a wonderful romantic way. I’m not going to say more about the story. But sheesh, Declan and Lena...epic love story. I felt like I was in New Orleans and at that house with them.
disconightwing's review
5.0
After the travesty that was the last romance novel I picked up, I didn’t have high hopes for Midnight Bayou at all. I’m going through a brain candy phase and I picked it solely because the cover was green and pretty and I like “swamp stories.” Profound, isn’t it?
But this book didn’t let me down and to be completely honest it exceeded every (extremely low) expectation I had for it. It’s really two stories in one, and even though there wasn’t so much of a big reveal, it was still very well written.
Much to the dismay of his parents, Declan Fitzgerald leaves Boston and his law practice for New Orleans and a deserted mansion with a reputation for being haunted. He plans to fix it up to its original splendor and live there, apparently hopefully as a contractor. He’s only been inside the mansion once, when he and his friend broke in while they were drunk one night, but he knows he has to have the house. He goes to meet Remy (the friend) and Effie (his fiancée) at a bar one night and meets its owner, Angelina (Lena), and decides that he’s going to marry her one day. Lena has a different opinion.
Meanwhile, Dec begins having disturbing dreams, sleepwalking, and waking up to noises that he shouldn’t be hearing. A grandfather clock chiming when there isn’t one, a baby crying when he lives in the house alone, doors slamming. He’s dreaming of the Manets, the family who originally owned the house which he’s bought, and a tragedy that happened a hundred years before. The Manets were a wealthy family, and the older of two twin boys married a servant of the house. Shortly after giving birth to the first child, a girl named Marie Rose, the servant-turned-mistress disappears. While her husband’s mother says that she just ran away with her secret lover, the descendants of Marie Rose tell a different story.
This is the first Nora Roberts book I’ve read, so I’m not sure if the technical aspects I enjoyed the most are present in her other books, but I’m definitely willing to find out. Her writing was brilliant, descriptive and simple and I had absolutely no problem visualizing anything at all. Even though I knew what the ‘ghosts’ were trying to convey (the 1900s storyline, while flowing smoothly throughout the book, ‘ends’ in the first few pages), I still wanted to keep reading to see if the main characters would realize it, too.
The characterization was strong; none of the characters had a personality transplant and yet they learned to live with and love each other anyway. Their relationships with each other were fascinating to read about, and Dec’s slow acceptance of who he was and his adjustment of an entirely new way of life flowed smoothly. In the beginning, I thought he was brave to move away from everything he knew, to a city where he only knew one person (Remy). When new characters were introduced, they were unforgettable. Also, when new characters were introduced, the old ones weren’t shoved to the side. His circle grew, it didn’t shift.
Any disappointment I felt was near the end, and it just wasn’t enough to detract from my giving this five stars. I felt like it ended too quickly, was tied up in too much of a neat little bow, and it just… stopped. Conflict resolution and… end. There were ghosts in Manet Hall, and they just vanished and no one gave them a second thought ever again? Then again, this seems like a common theme in horror novels—you can’t drag it out too much, or else the shock vanishes and what are you left with? That creeping doubt that you’ve been reading too much into it all along. So maybe there was no way to continue the story and maybe it would have been too much to keep dragging it out. I know that I would have kept reading, and maybe I would’ve been disappointed because there really isn’t much left to do after this point.
I’d really love to read this again sometime.
But this book didn’t let me down and to be completely honest it exceeded every (extremely low) expectation I had for it. It’s really two stories in one, and even though there wasn’t so much of a big reveal, it was still very well written.
Much to the dismay of his parents, Declan Fitzgerald leaves Boston and his law practice for New Orleans and a deserted mansion with a reputation for being haunted. He plans to fix it up to its original splendor and live there, apparently hopefully as a contractor. He’s only been inside the mansion once, when he and his friend broke in while they were drunk one night, but he knows he has to have the house. He goes to meet Remy (the friend) and Effie (his fiancée) at a bar one night and meets its owner, Angelina (Lena), and decides that he’s going to marry her one day. Lena has a different opinion.
Meanwhile, Dec begins having disturbing dreams, sleepwalking, and waking up to noises that he shouldn’t be hearing. A grandfather clock chiming when there isn’t one, a baby crying when he lives in the house alone, doors slamming. He’s dreaming of the Manets, the family who originally owned the house which he’s bought, and a tragedy that happened a hundred years before. The Manets were a wealthy family, and the older of two twin boys married a servant of the house. Shortly after giving birth to the first child, a girl named Marie Rose, the servant-turned-mistress disappears. While her husband’s mother says that she just ran away with her secret lover, the descendants of Marie Rose tell a different story.
This is the first Nora Roberts book I’ve read, so I’m not sure if the technical aspects I enjoyed the most are present in her other books, but I’m definitely willing to find out. Her writing was brilliant, descriptive and simple and I had absolutely no problem visualizing anything at all. Even though I knew what the ‘ghosts’ were trying to convey (the 1900s storyline, while flowing smoothly throughout the book, ‘ends’ in the first few pages), I still wanted to keep reading to see if the main characters would realize it, too.
The characterization was strong; none of the characters had a personality transplant and yet they learned to live with and love each other anyway. Their relationships with each other were fascinating to read about, and Dec’s slow acceptance of who he was and his adjustment of an entirely new way of life flowed smoothly. In the beginning, I thought he was brave to move away from everything he knew, to a city where he only knew one person (Remy). When new characters were introduced, they were unforgettable. Also, when new characters were introduced, the old ones weren’t shoved to the side. His circle grew, it didn’t shift.
Any disappointment I felt was near the end, and it just wasn’t enough to detract from my giving this five stars. I felt like it ended too quickly, was tied up in too much of a neat little bow, and it just… stopped. Conflict resolution and… end. There were ghosts in Manet Hall, and they just vanished and no one gave them a second thought ever again? Then again, this seems like a common theme in horror novels—you can’t drag it out too much, or else the shock vanishes and what are you left with? That creeping doubt that you’ve been reading too much into it all along. So maybe there was no way to continue the story and maybe it would have been too much to keep dragging it out. I know that I would have kept reading, and maybe I would’ve been disappointed because there really isn’t much left to do after this point.
I’d really love to read this again sometime.
lindscodycats's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely fabulous. I love anything set in New Orleans and also with a ghost. The vibe throughout kept me wanting more. I don't know how I missed this one when it first came out.
danahuff's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this creepy ghost story/romance, but not enough to read it again.
renpuspita's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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: Sexual content, Rape, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs
shaykay's review against another edition
2.0
Midnight Bayou, why did you have to go that way! I wanted to love this one, but it fell so flat for me. I think it would've been better for me if the whole paranormal aspect wasn't there. I liked when the book did the whole flashback moments, and we got to learn more about the house that Declan's fixing. I didn't mind Declan either as the main character, and I loved scenes where he was fixing up the house or even with Lena's grandma. But his connection the Lena just didn't make any sense, and it was so cringy whenever they were together. Plus, the whole relationship he had with Effie was always so awkward. So the book overall just wasn't for me.
dianabp25's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was an easy read. I think I was expecting more mystery in it, and it definitely is more romance/drama. It is still good and I enjoyed seeing the characters develop. As someone who enjoys mysteries I would’ve liked to see the ghost part of the story to have been developed a bit more.