What do you think?
Rate this book
Healing the Bayou
What is a Queen without her King?
After learning that she is adopted, Eliza sets off to locate her biological family and finds them in the Louisiana bayou. But they’re more than just locals—they’re descended from the area’s most famous Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau—Eliza’s great-great-grandmother. Surrounded by a mysterious world of séances, spells, and sacrifices, Eliza finds herself worshiped as the last great priestess. What’s more, she’s inherited the ability to heal the souls of others with a simple touch of her hands.
Eliza is expected to cultivate this gift so she can claim her title as Queen and return the Voodoo community to glory. A task Eliza wouldn’t mind as long as she could perform it beside the devastating Samuel Mueller. But according to tradition, Samuel is her keeper, and a keeper never becomes romantically involved with his ward. His sacred duty is to protect her. And the bayou is rife with enemies who would sacrifice anything to eliminate outsiders like Eliza...
After learning that she is adopted, Eliza sets off to locate her biological family and finds them in the Louisiana bayou. But they’re more than just locals—they’re descended from the area’s most famous Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau—Eliza’s great-great-grandmother. Surrounded by a mysterious world of séances, spells, and sacrifices, Eliza finds herself worshiped as the last great priestess. What’s more, she’s inherited the ability to heal the souls of others with a simple touch of her hands.
Eliza is expected to cultivate this gift so she can claim her title as Queen and return the Voodoo community to glory. A task Eliza wouldn’t mind as long as she could perform it beside the devastating Samuel Mueller. But according to tradition, Samuel is her keeper, and a keeper never becomes romantically involved with his ward. His sacred duty is to protect her. And the bayou is rife with enemies who would sacrifice anything to eliminate outsiders like Eliza...
- GenresRomanceParanormal
265 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2014
260 people want to read
About the author
Mary Bernsen
5 books80 followersMary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child that she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of Healing The Bayou, The Ganga Shift, and Beyond the Gods series.
She also writes young adult romances under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.
She also writes young adult romances under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 16, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! I really wasn't sure what to expect, and when I saw it was about Voodoo, I was kind of apprehensive. All I'd ever heard or seen about Voodoo was that it about doing evil and curses. But that's not all this culture is about; there is a good side as well, a side that can do positive things and bring healing. That's what our young protagonist Eliza finds out. In doing so though she encounters danger, and there someone or perhaps more than one person out to kill her. It's a thrilling and exciting read. Check it out.
June 1, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Being from Louisiana, I was anxious & leery about capturing the essence of New Orleans & the whole Voodoo stereotype! It kept my attention from beginning to end! The heir to the Voodoo throne is trying to indeed find out where she came from & who she is after tragedy strikes. She knows she's special because of this strange "gift" that she carries. Never in a million years did she thought she was the grand-daughter of the most powerful Voodoo queen! The book was fast paced with lots of details! The twists & turns were never stopping! I actually wished it was a little longer to focus on the story but it was good anyways! Great debut novel!
November 24, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for a honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The main character is realistic and her struggles engrossing. The trip into voodoo and the superstitions and feel of New Orleans were very well done. The romance was suitably fiery, if a little quick and the plot was fast paced.
I do feel that the book could have been a little longer. A longer book would have developed the relationships between the characters a little more and made the denouement more of a shock.
Definitely recommend
I really enjoyed this book. The main character is realistic and her struggles engrossing. The trip into voodoo and the superstitions and feel of New Orleans were very well done. The romance was suitably fiery, if a little quick and the plot was fast paced.
I do feel that the book could have been a little longer. A longer book would have developed the relationships between the characters a little more and made the denouement more of a shock.
Definitely recommend
July 21, 2017
This book got my attention from the start. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised to read a great voodoo book. I love this author's knack for such description that I could see it all happening like i was there.
June 29, 2014
Eliza Morgan has just lost her parents in a horrible accident. Plagued by mysterious dreams and a rare condition/gift she comes to find out that her parents were hiding a big secret from her and it completely flings her into a world of mystery, spells, rituals, spirits and a history she knows nothing about. On a search for her biological parents she finds that danger and murder have been following her since she was an infant. Armed with new friends and family Eliza has to learn the culture she was born to and discover who has been hurting those she loves for so many years. During her time in her new surroundings she meets the devastatingly gorgeous Samuel, I mean this guy is all that and a bag of chips. Protective, strong, handsome, loving and loyal. He would do anything to keep Eliza safe.
There are some very neat aspects of this book. I don’t know a lot about Voodoo culture or history so this book pretty much sucked me in immediately. I liked the descriptions of the rituals and the spirits and how everything worked. Also Bernsen threw in some history with Marie Laveau, who was a renowned and infamous Voodoo Priestess. I am always enthralled by books that include history of the supernatural or mystical cultures, things outside of the norm or understanding of modern society and this book was filled with those elements. The plot was very fast-paced and kept you on your toes throughout the story, I found there was never a dull moment in the storyline and it kept me very engaged in the reading.
There were some things that I believe could have been improved. I felt that some of the relationships in the story were slightly underdeveloped. While I enjoyed the sense of this underlying connection and passion between Samuel and Eliza and I also felt it was not explored enough. Some scenes started out very passionate and then sort of dwindled to a simmer between them. I also think some background information with regards to the characters would have been great as well. We don’t learn too much about the past prior to Eliza’s parents’ death. I would have liked to learn how Eliza coped with her gift growing up or maybe even read about some of Samuel’s memories of Eliza.
Overall I totally enjoyed this book, I am not positive if this will be a series but I think it would do well as one. I would love to read more about Eliza and Samuel’s future. Good fun read!
There are some very neat aspects of this book. I don’t know a lot about Voodoo culture or history so this book pretty much sucked me in immediately. I liked the descriptions of the rituals and the spirits and how everything worked. Also Bernsen threw in some history with Marie Laveau, who was a renowned and infamous Voodoo Priestess. I am always enthralled by books that include history of the supernatural or mystical cultures, things outside of the norm or understanding of modern society and this book was filled with those elements. The plot was very fast-paced and kept you on your toes throughout the story, I found there was never a dull moment in the storyline and it kept me very engaged in the reading.
There were some things that I believe could have been improved. I felt that some of the relationships in the story were slightly underdeveloped. While I enjoyed the sense of this underlying connection and passion between Samuel and Eliza and I also felt it was not explored enough. Some scenes started out very passionate and then sort of dwindled to a simmer between them. I also think some background information with regards to the characters would have been great as well. We don’t learn too much about the past prior to Eliza’s parents’ death. I would have liked to learn how Eliza coped with her gift growing up or maybe even read about some of Samuel’s memories of Eliza.
Overall I totally enjoyed this book, I am not positive if this will be a series but I think it would do well as one. I would love to read more about Eliza and Samuel’s future. Good fun read!
July 30, 2014
The author has created a world of paranormal aspects that does not get mentioned in many books, which intrigued me to want to read. The cover is what first made me want to read this novel because of the vibrant color schemes and the mystery that you can see lies within. Always feeling like there was more to the life than what she is Eliza finds herself thrown into a whole new world of secrets that she must uncover to find out who and what she truly comes from. Apparently though she has had someone watch over her from afar and not even realize it, Samuel. His character seems a little mysterious to me at first but as the story starts to develop you start to realize that faith has built a path for him also. The plot in this story is one that will have you want to keep reading because it flows smoothly and has some mystery as it folds together. The characters are well written, some I would have liked to know a little more about just to get a better a picture, but there is always room for another book because the author is able to branch off with the way she ended it. I love that this is considered one of those that are standalone and complete novel but can also possible have another one in the future. Overall, I enjoyed this and recommend it because it is a new touch to the paranormal world that is very rarely breached in the world of voodoo!
July 12, 2014
This is the first book I have read about Voodoo and I loved it!
The story is about a woman named Eliza that was given up for adoption as an infant. When she is told about her adoption she decides she wants to know her birth family and sets off for the Louisiana Bayou. She soon discovers that she is a direct descendent to Marie Laveau the area’s infamous voodoo queen. Eliza has inherited the gift of healing with the touch of her hand. This gift she needs to prefect and claim her title as the Queen and help to restore the voodoo community.
Mary Bernsen did an amazing job of describing the life in the voodoo world so to speak. She had my interest right from the beginning all the way to the end! Mary did an awesome job of describing the rituals and how everything worked. I love how she gave us some history of Marie Laveau a renowned Voodoo Priestess.
I would love to see this story become a series I feel there is more that Mary can tell us readers!
The story is about a woman named Eliza that was given up for adoption as an infant. When she is told about her adoption she decides she wants to know her birth family and sets off for the Louisiana Bayou. She soon discovers that she is a direct descendent to Marie Laveau the area’s infamous voodoo queen. Eliza has inherited the gift of healing with the touch of her hand. This gift she needs to prefect and claim her title as the Queen and help to restore the voodoo community.
Mary Bernsen did an amazing job of describing the life in the voodoo world so to speak. She had my interest right from the beginning all the way to the end! Mary did an awesome job of describing the rituals and how everything worked. I love how she gave us some history of Marie Laveau a renowned Voodoo Priestess.
I would love to see this story become a series I feel there is more that Mary can tell us readers!
May 18, 2014
Mary Bernsen has created a sympathetic, strong heroine who is thrust into a voodoo bayou community after the death of her family. She must decipher friend from enemy and take her rightful place in this new home.
I've never read a book before with a voodoo theme but have wanted to do so. This book did not disappoint. I learned so much of the culture which was expertly woven into the plot as the heroine delves into the spirit world and harnesses her own inherited powers.
The romantic aspect of this novel was also well-done in that the hero had watched and protected her for years before she met him in person.
For readers of paranormal, especially those with a bent toward loving Gothic themes, this book will be a unique, fast-paced read.
I enjoyed Healing the Bayou and recommend it!
I've never read a book before with a voodoo theme but have wanted to do so. This book did not disappoint. I learned so much of the culture which was expertly woven into the plot as the heroine delves into the spirit world and harnesses her own inherited powers.
The romantic aspect of this novel was also well-done in that the hero had watched and protected her for years before she met him in person.
For readers of paranormal, especially those with a bent toward loving Gothic themes, this book will be a unique, fast-paced read.
I enjoyed Healing the Bayou and recommend it!
January 3, 2015
Well, the first thing I can say about this book is it caught me in the very beginning. It makes feel for the character of Eliza. She has had a rough life so far but things are looking up for her. Marie Laveau—Eliza’s great-great-grandmother, this character’s name makes me think of American Horror Story–Coven, this of course makes me want to find out more about Eliza and her Grandmother and the Voodoo mysteries of this book. I love the cover of this book Eliza is very pretty and this is talked about quite a bit in the book as well. Eliza’s gift is very interesting and so far the whole book makes you want to keep reading. I would say the great ending to this book was my favorite part!! I would ask everyone I know to read this book !!
**I received a copy this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
**I received a copy this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
January 11, 2015
***** 5 star rating
Book cover is very appealing and of high quality. This is a brilliant story and a great read. I truly enjoyed it! Eliza Morgan was 24 when her parents died and she found out she'd been adopted. Curious to find out who she really was, she searches for her biological family and finds out she was from a magical world. Her sleep is filled with dreams of magical powers and of her gorgeous protector Samuel but when her dreams become reality, she needs to find out who she can trust. She starts to have feelings for her protector but the question is, does he feel the same way?
Book was provided free of charge by author.
Reviewed by Grace Kagni on 1 January 2015.
Book cover is very appealing and of high quality. This is a brilliant story and a great read. I truly enjoyed it! Eliza Morgan was 24 when her parents died and she found out she'd been adopted. Curious to find out who she really was, she searches for her biological family and finds out she was from a magical world. Her sleep is filled with dreams of magical powers and of her gorgeous protector Samuel but when her dreams become reality, she needs to find out who she can trust. She starts to have feelings for her protector but the question is, does he feel the same way?
Book was provided free of charge by author.
Reviewed by Grace Kagni on 1 January 2015.
June 29, 2014
Interesting and mysterious!
After the tragic loss of her parents Eliza Morgan finds her self going back to her roots to find her birth parents. This throws her into a world of superstition, magic and voodoo. Meeting Samuel who is very protective she finds herself going through a world that she knows nothing about but is filled with a history that she needs to learn. This book was interesting as I have never read a book about voodoo and oh yeah the heat was good too ;)
After the tragic loss of her parents Eliza Morgan finds her self going back to her roots to find her birth parents. This throws her into a world of superstition, magic and voodoo. Meeting Samuel who is very protective she finds herself going through a world that she knows nothing about but is filled with a history that she needs to learn. This book was interesting as I have never read a book about voodoo and oh yeah the heat was good too ;)
May 23, 2014
the author has created a crazy, creepy, and vivid world that isnt too far from reality. The way she tells the story makes you think it really could happen. Eliza is a character thats easy to feel for and samuel is a hero thats easy to swoon over.
August 26, 2017
Since I'm the author, I suppose that makes me biased...but I hope you all enjoy reading about this world as much as I enjoyed writing it!
June 10, 2019
✨ REVIEW ✨
Healing the Bayou
by Mary Bersen
3.5/5 🦄
Healing the Bayou follows Eliza, a recently orphaned 20-something with the inability to bear human touch without pain. After her parents die and she nearly follows from a car accident that didn’t seem accidental, she finds out she is adopted and readily searches for her living, biological family. What she discovers is a world of Voodoo, the man from her dreams, and the power she didn’t know she had.
I really enjoyed this book as a quick, pretty satisfying read.
It falls prey to instalust and instalove, as well as classic tropes for the genre—discovering she’s the über powerful “one”, famous ancestor, immediate and unparalleled attachment to extra sexy man, wicked family, etc. but it does all these things pretty well and they are tropes for a reason. People like them. The issue I had most with the story was the pacing. Everything was either moving at breakneck speed or slowed way down. It’s a very fast read as I said, but it also moves really quickly with no real sense that time has passed when it clearly and logically had to. It’s as if the events are unfolding 24 hours of the day everyday. So that is my biggest complaint because things do actually take time. But I really enjoyed it all the same because it had a bit of everything I like in it and it was a nice evening read. Perfect for when you want to get the whole story in one evening.
E-ARC provides by @theparliamentpress in exchange for my honest review.
#healingthebayou #booksta #fantasyreader #ireadfantasy #ilovebooks📚 #bookblog #bookblogging #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookreviewer #voodoo #marielaveau #neworleans #advancereadercopy #newbook #newbookalert #bookstagrammer #flatlay
Healing the Bayou
by Mary Bersen
3.5/5 🦄
Healing the Bayou follows Eliza, a recently orphaned 20-something with the inability to bear human touch without pain. After her parents die and she nearly follows from a car accident that didn’t seem accidental, she finds out she is adopted and readily searches for her living, biological family. What she discovers is a world of Voodoo, the man from her dreams, and the power she didn’t know she had.
I really enjoyed this book as a quick, pretty satisfying read.
It falls prey to instalust and instalove, as well as classic tropes for the genre—discovering she’s the über powerful “one”, famous ancestor, immediate and unparalleled attachment to extra sexy man, wicked family, etc. but it does all these things pretty well and they are tropes for a reason. People like them. The issue I had most with the story was the pacing. Everything was either moving at breakneck speed or slowed way down. It’s a very fast read as I said, but it also moves really quickly with no real sense that time has passed when it clearly and logically had to. It’s as if the events are unfolding 24 hours of the day everyday. So that is my biggest complaint because things do actually take time. But I really enjoyed it all the same because it had a bit of everything I like in it and it was a nice evening read. Perfect for when you want to get the whole story in one evening.
E-ARC provides by @theparliamentpress in exchange for my honest review.
#healingthebayou #booksta #fantasyreader #ireadfantasy #ilovebooks📚 #bookblog #bookblogging #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookreviewer #voodoo #marielaveau #neworleans #advancereadercopy #newbook #newbookalert #bookstagrammer #flatlay
June 21, 2019
I have to admit, I was really intrigued by this book for two reasons. One, it featured Marie Laveau, and two, it was in New Orleans. This book ticked off all my must have's, an interesting plot, a well-developed character, and a steamy love interest, as well as some history! I truly enjoyed learning about Eliza's magic and her connection with the community. And, I will admit, I was duped by the villain. I can usually spot these nefarious people right away! So, if you're looking for a deep-rooted story with great pace, tension, and swoony love, you have to check this book out!
October 6, 2019
I could not put this book down. This story focused more on Voodoo as its religion rather than spells and curses, which made it different than your typical Voodoo story. It kept a good pace and kept my attention the whole time.
June 25, 2020
Absolutely stunning
I love this book!!! The characters are well versed, the storyline is captivating. I read this in one sitting, it was so intense. Couldn't out it down to even eat. Wonderful😍😍😍😍
I love this book!!! The characters are well versed, the storyline is captivating. I read this in one sitting, it was so intense. Couldn't out it down to even eat. Wonderful😍😍😍😍
June 18, 2019
2.5/5
I felt this book moved too fast and missed some key points. I wanted to love this book and be immersed in the Voodoo culture. I did like the plot but wish it was written out more.
I felt this book moved too fast and missed some key points. I wanted to love this book and be immersed in the Voodoo culture. I did like the plot but wish it was written out more.
July 28, 2019
Review is up on my blog 🖤💜
www.thebookishwiccan.wordpress.com
www.thebookishwiccan.wordpress.com
Read
March 26, 2020*I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
DNF @ 20%
I believe that this was a case of I was expecting one thing and got something different when I started reading. Not that anything in this book was bad, because it wasn't, but I went in expecting one thing and when it wasn't what I was envisioning I wasn't as interested. Having lots of family that is from Louisiana and the New Orleans area, I was interested to see elements of that in the story and I didn't really see any (it is entirely possible that I just hadn't gotten that far yet, but I cannot say that for sure). The more I kept reading, the more I realized that I wasn't invested and that I could not give it a fair review based on the fact that I wasn't going to finish it, so I knew I wasn't going to rate it without reading the entire thing.
There is a market out there for this book, those who like or are interested in voodoo being one of them, but this just wasn't for me. Hopefully someone sees this review and tries it out for themselves, because I hope that the next person to come across this book enjoys it more than I was able to.
DNF @ 20%
I believe that this was a case of I was expecting one thing and got something different when I started reading. Not that anything in this book was bad, because it wasn't, but I went in expecting one thing and when it wasn't what I was envisioning I wasn't as interested. Having lots of family that is from Louisiana and the New Orleans area, I was interested to see elements of that in the story and I didn't really see any (it is entirely possible that I just hadn't gotten that far yet, but I cannot say that for sure). The more I kept reading, the more I realized that I wasn't invested and that I could not give it a fair review based on the fact that I wasn't going to finish it, so I knew I wasn't going to rate it without reading the entire thing.
There is a market out there for this book, those who like or are interested in voodoo being one of them, but this just wasn't for me. Hopefully someone sees this review and tries it out for themselves, because I hope that the next person to come across this book enjoys it more than I was able to.
July 5, 2014
This book started off really strong and got my attention right away. Unfortunately, about halfway through things fell a little flat. I felt like there was a ton of potential in this story but as things progressed it felt very rushed. This was a very quick read and I personally feel like if it was quite a bit longer and explained things in more detail then I would have felt more invested in the story.
The book begins as Eliza is reeling from the recent deaths of her parents. In dealing with the aftermath of their deaths, Eliza learns that they were actually her adoptive parents and the news raises questions about her past that she wants answers to. She decides to seek out her birth family and ends up in the Louisiana bayou. Reunited with her aunt Vivian, Eliza learns all about her heritage and rightful place as the Queen of the Voodoo. Eliza also makes an immediate connection with another member of the Voodoo community, Samuel. She soon learns that he is her “Keeper” and therefore off limits romantically.
This is about the time when things go into overdrive. A lot happens and it’s not really explained in much detail. I really wish that the author took a little more time and really explained things better. I felt like this could have been a much longer book or even a series. As for the romance, there really wasn’t much. I would have loved to have gotten to know Samuel better. There wasn’t much detail about him and he came off a bit one dimensional. I would have liked to have seen a little more one on one time between Eliza and Samuel and see their relationship develop a bit more. If you are looking for a steamy read this is not the right book for you. It had one sex scene that was completely fade to black.
“Healing the Bayou” was overall an enjoyable read that has some room for development.
Dana
The book begins as Eliza is reeling from the recent deaths of her parents. In dealing with the aftermath of their deaths, Eliza learns that they were actually her adoptive parents and the news raises questions about her past that she wants answers to. She decides to seek out her birth family and ends up in the Louisiana bayou. Reunited with her aunt Vivian, Eliza learns all about her heritage and rightful place as the Queen of the Voodoo. Eliza also makes an immediate connection with another member of the Voodoo community, Samuel. She soon learns that he is her “Keeper” and therefore off limits romantically.
This is about the time when things go into overdrive. A lot happens and it’s not really explained in much detail. I really wish that the author took a little more time and really explained things better. I felt like this could have been a much longer book or even a series. As for the romance, there really wasn’t much. I would have loved to have gotten to know Samuel better. There wasn’t much detail about him and he came off a bit one dimensional. I would have liked to have seen a little more one on one time between Eliza and Samuel and see their relationship develop a bit more. If you are looking for a steamy read this is not the right book for you. It had one sex scene that was completely fade to black.
“Healing the Bayou” was overall an enjoyable read that has some room for development.
Dana
May 20, 2014
There was a lot I loved about this book - starting with the fact that it name-dropped my hometown several times (Pensacola) and took place in New Orleans. I found this book because the author was named as an "author of the week" in a book club, and downloaded the first sample, then decided I was hooked.
I enjoyed the first half immensely - I thought it was great build-up, great chemistry, and a lot of fun. Then...it kind of went downhill in the end. The book should have been 300 pages, not 170 - as there was so much in the second half that I wanted more detail on. There was a paragraph that explained away at least three chapters' worth of denouement, so instead of slow discovery it was, "Oh, and this person is actually the bad guy." The end jumped around a lot and went on three chapters longer than it should have.
I would still give this book 3 stars - maybe 3 and a half. The concept was excellent, the voice superb, and the first half was exquisitely written. I just really wish the author would have tightened the end and spent more time on the build up to the climax, instead of having five different climaxes.
I enjoyed the first half immensely - I thought it was great build-up, great chemistry, and a lot of fun. Then...it kind of went downhill in the end. The book should have been 300 pages, not 170 - as there was so much in the second half that I wanted more detail on. There was a paragraph that explained away at least three chapters' worth of denouement, so instead of slow discovery it was, "Oh, and this person is actually the bad guy." The end jumped around a lot and went on three chapters longer than it should have.
I would still give this book 3 stars - maybe 3 and a half. The concept was excellent, the voice superb, and the first half was exquisitely written. I just really wish the author would have tightened the end and spent more time on the build up to the climax, instead of having five different climaxes.
July 25, 2014
Eliza’s life is in turmoil. Her parents have both died in a horrible car accident, she herself has been in a car accident and now she finds out she was adopted. When her aunt and uncle offer no real clues to her past, she goes to New Orleans to find the house where her birth mother lived. Eliza has no real friends. She must keep everyone literally at arm’s length because of a sensory issue where touching another person brings her extreme pain. So heading out on her own, she leaves the only home she has ever know for The Big Easy alone.
Finding the past might not always bring the closure you are searching for. The more she learns, the more questions she has. Her parents were both involved in an alternative religion, voodoo. She is slowly coming to realize the her past, present and future are and have always been intertwined and she was never truly alone.
This was a good read, very interesting subject that I had never read about. 3.5 stars
Finding the past might not always bring the closure you are searching for. The more she learns, the more questions she has. Her parents were both involved in an alternative religion, voodoo. She is slowly coming to realize the her past, present and future are and have always been intertwined and she was never truly alone.
This was a good read, very interesting subject that I had never read about. 3.5 stars
June 18, 2014
I love reading books that are set in the Deep South of the US at the moment. There is something so charming and eerie about them at the same time. Healing the Bayou is no exception. I loved learning so much more about Voodoo. I found it really, quite intriguing.
The beginning of the book had me gripped pretty much from the start. Mary Bernsen's storytelling is certainly catchy, however I found that the latter half of the book seemed to all happen too fast. I wanted to know much more about the way things happened to the main character. Why she made decisions so quickly, for instance, when there was life and death to think about. And speaking of life and death, I did think it could have been a little deeper, a little darker. As it stands, I would think this book would appeal more to the YA audience. All in all though, I did enjoy it and I would certainly read more from this author.
The beginning of the book had me gripped pretty much from the start. Mary Bernsen's storytelling is certainly catchy, however I found that the latter half of the book seemed to all happen too fast. I wanted to know much more about the way things happened to the main character. Why she made decisions so quickly, for instance, when there was life and death to think about. And speaking of life and death, I did think it could have been a little deeper, a little darker. As it stands, I would think this book would appeal more to the YA audience. All in all though, I did enjoy it and I would certainly read more from this author.
July 2, 2014
Some one is trying to Kill Eliza. Unfortunately for her she finds his out at her parents funeral when she gets into an accident. Then on top of that she finds out that she is adopted. When she finally meets her Aunt, a whole different world opens up. She is caught between love and destiny.
OK I loved this story. It is different but told so well. The story slowly unfolds. Slow enough to not give everything away but quick enough to keep you interested. Then She finds Samuel is her keeper but they are also in love. Now she has to learn who she is to save her people. All this without knowing who is trying to hurt her.
A so as I picked it up I could not put it down. I just kept wanting to know what was going on. I just loved the story and characters. It was so well written and kept you there until the end. A must read book!
OK I loved this story. It is different but told so well. The story slowly unfolds. Slow enough to not give everything away but quick enough to keep you interested. Then She finds Samuel is her keeper but they are also in love. Now she has to learn who she is to save her people. All this without knowing who is trying to hurt her.
A so as I picked it up I could not put it down. I just kept wanting to know what was going on. I just loved the story and characters. It was so well written and kept you there until the end. A must read book!
August 17, 2019
3.25/5 stars
I was left a bit confused on how I felt about this. The beginning was really rough for me. I had a hard time getting into it and the overall plot. It doesn't help that the romance ended up being very much insta-love. Like I've said before, I usually don't mind it depending on the characters, but this one bothered me a bit. It didn't feel genuine to me at all, even at the end I still didn't feel any connection. This goes into the issues of me enjoying the latter half of this book. I liked how the story was going, but again the characters just didn't bring everything to the table. I felt that they were lacking in development and had a lot of tropes surrounding them. This book is also a bit short, at just over 200 pages, so that may have played into this as well. Overall, I thought this was an alright book, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it again.
I was left a bit confused on how I felt about this. The beginning was really rough for me. I had a hard time getting into it and the overall plot. It doesn't help that the romance ended up being very much insta-love. Like I've said before, I usually don't mind it depending on the characters, but this one bothered me a bit. It didn't feel genuine to me at all, even at the end I still didn't feel any connection. This goes into the issues of me enjoying the latter half of this book. I liked how the story was going, but again the characters just didn't bring everything to the table. I felt that they were lacking in development and had a lot of tropes surrounding them. This book is also a bit short, at just over 200 pages, so that may have played into this as well. Overall, I thought this was an alright book, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it again.
August 16, 2019
Eliza is thrust into a new world when she visits New Orleans to meet family after her parents are killed. Her whole life is turned upside down when she finds out she's the heir to the voodoo throne and has a keeper who has been looking after her for years.
Healing the Bayou was a well written novel that kept me hooked from beginning to end with interesting characters, a great setting and a big plot twist that I didn't see coming!
Healing the Bayou was a well written novel that kept me hooked from beginning to end with interesting characters, a great setting and a big plot twist that I didn't see coming!
July 5, 2014
Check out my full review on Red Cheeks Reads
http://redcheeksreads.com/healing-the...
http://redcheeksreads.com/healing-the...
July 5, 2014
This read like a young adult book very little romance ... Overall just ok type story. The full review can be seen on my blog 7/5/14
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews