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Things that go Bump in the Bayou #1
Crimson Bayou
Vampires, werewolves, and magick, oh my.
Carissa Blaine is a young widow, and all she wants is to move forward with her life. However, her hope for normalcy shatters when she meets Aden McTarver, her handsome, secretive neighbor.
Despite their differences, sparks fly between the two. When Carissa is kidnapped by the Crimson Bayou Pack Master, a brutal fight ensues, and Aden is left to decide if his secrets are more important than her life.
Little do they know, things in the bayou are much worse than they fear. Evil waits in the shadows, playing them all like puppets, and no one knows who’s pulling the strings.
Carissa Blaine is a young widow, and all she wants is to move forward with her life. However, her hope for normalcy shatters when she meets Aden McTarver, her handsome, secretive neighbor.
Despite their differences, sparks fly between the two. When Carissa is kidnapped by the Crimson Bayou Pack Master, a brutal fight ensues, and Aden is left to decide if his secrets are more important than her life.
Little do they know, things in the bayou are much worse than they fear. Evil waits in the shadows, playing them all like puppets, and no one knows who’s pulling the strings.
- GenresParanormalRomance
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2016
5 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Alizabeth Lynn
9 books19 followersThe year was 1984, the day a dreary December Monday. At 3:30 in the morning, the screaming began…and there hasn’t been an ounce of silence, since. From verbal to written, words have always held a peculiar fascination for Alizabeth Lynn, so much so that the only dream she’s ever had was to be a writer. From that glorious Kindergarten moment when she first learned the proper way to hold a pencil, to 1998 when computers offered her a new way to save the never-ending flow of story-thoughts that lived in her mind, she’s always had an idea brewing.
Her career has run the gamut from atrocious poetry, to The Book that Shall not be Named, but she lived, and she learned. Since those lessons, Crimson Bayou, the first book in her Things that go Bump in the Bayou series, was officially released in December of 2014. She was also included in two anthologies, which were published independently in October 2015, and she has more books waiting in the wings.
Alizabeth is a Northwest Louisiana native that currently calls a little West Texas town “home.” Living there with her fiancé, two children, and feline writing buddy, she balances her writing with taking care of her family, running an independent formatting company, and trying her best not to lose what’s left of her mind. Copious amounts of coffee and chocolate help, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to one simple thing: she is living her dream, in every way that matters.
Her career has run the gamut from atrocious poetry, to The Book that Shall not be Named, but she lived, and she learned. Since those lessons, Crimson Bayou, the first book in her Things that go Bump in the Bayou series, was officially released in December of 2014. She was also included in two anthologies, which were published independently in October 2015, and she has more books waiting in the wings.
Alizabeth is a Northwest Louisiana native that currently calls a little West Texas town “home.” Living there with her fiancé, two children, and feline writing buddy, she balances her writing with taking care of her family, running an independent formatting company, and trying her best not to lose what’s left of her mind. Copious amounts of coffee and chocolate help, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to one simple thing: she is living her dream, in every way that matters.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 29, 2016
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Aden’s deep secret that he’s a vampire is pretty much out of the closet to the reader in the first 20% of the book. I almost stopped reading right there because I would have liked a trigger warning that this was a vampire story to begin with. However since the author gave me the book and expected a review back, I finished reading the book. Aden has an even bigger secret then being a vampire that is uncovered late in the book which I’ll leave alone for spoiler reasons.
Other than my own personal squeamish dislike for reading anything vampire, the story was very interesting. The blurb implies werewolves and sorcerers—which I don’t mind reading about—but leaves the vampire aspect out of the equation. If you like all three, you will get a very interesting story line involving a conflict between werewolves and vampires and manipulative sorcerers.
Carissa is returning to her home after a year-long absence following the death of her husband. She’s unaware of the existence of supernatural beings until she meets the neighbor across the street. She becomes suspicious of his nature and starts looking for information on him. That’s when she finds some information on her ex-husband’s computer that completely changes her view of the world.
Aden, AKA Mr. Magnificent, has moved in across the street from her. He knocks on her door late one evening to introduce himself and causes Carissa to become suspicious of his activities. But eventually he earns her trust by looking out for her and helping her.
Together they uncover evidence of supernatural beings and illegal activities on Carissa’s deceased husband’s computer. In doing so, Carissa learns more about her former husband and about the man she’s now falling in love with.
The writing is sound and the plot is well thought out, and those cute little gator graphics at the scene breaks is an added plus.
Aden’s deep secret that he’s a vampire is pretty much out of the closet to the reader in the first 20% of the book. I almost stopped reading right there because I would have liked a trigger warning that this was a vampire story to begin with. However since the author gave me the book and expected a review back, I finished reading the book. Aden has an even bigger secret then being a vampire that is uncovered late in the book which I’ll leave alone for spoiler reasons.
Other than my own personal squeamish dislike for reading anything vampire, the story was very interesting. The blurb implies werewolves and sorcerers—which I don’t mind reading about—but leaves the vampire aspect out of the equation. If you like all three, you will get a very interesting story line involving a conflict between werewolves and vampires and manipulative sorcerers.
Carissa is returning to her home after a year-long absence following the death of her husband. She’s unaware of the existence of supernatural beings until she meets the neighbor across the street. She becomes suspicious of his nature and starts looking for information on him. That’s when she finds some information on her ex-husband’s computer that completely changes her view of the world.
Aden, AKA Mr. Magnificent, has moved in across the street from her. He knocks on her door late one evening to introduce himself and causes Carissa to become suspicious of his activities. But eventually he earns her trust by looking out for her and helping her.
Together they uncover evidence of supernatural beings and illegal activities on Carissa’s deceased husband’s computer. In doing so, Carissa learns more about her former husband and about the man she’s now falling in love with.
The writing is sound and the plot is well thought out, and those cute little gator graphics at the scene breaks is an added plus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2016
Crimson Bayou, by Alizabeth Lynn, is, in a word, wonderful. The story is captivating while her character's humor helps to lighten the darkness that seems to surround them. Carissa and Aden are very well-rounded, believable characters, and the author's voice is strong and consistent throughout the story. The world she builds is thriving and true to live and will pull you in. I find myself wishing I could go visit Juane, Louisiana!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, paranormal and supernatural, and well-rounded characters.
10/10 will read again, and look forward to more by this author!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, paranormal and supernatural, and well-rounded characters.
10/10 will read again, and look forward to more by this author!
September 4, 2017
Alizabeth Lynn has such a way with words that she sucks you in quickly in Crimson Bayou. I found myself immediately captivated by the world she created and craving more and more of this story. And that's saying a lot since Crimson Bayou isn't typically the genre of novel I read. But I took a chance and absolutely fell in love with the characters and the story.
I have to say that Aden is probably my favorite character, and it's not to do with his looks. It's more his personality and the way he cares for Carissa. He goes on this emotional roller coaster that I feel a lot of us go through when we care for someone and I feel we don't see that enough in novels. I feel it's always you love someone you go for it and get what you want. In Aden's case he fought his emotions so much and seemed like a lost puppy at times not knowing whether to tell her how he felt or just play the role of friend desiring her from afar because it could never work out in his head. And trust me as I read I screamed at him to just freaking go for it each and every time and when it finally happened I was so happy.
But Crimson Bayou isn't just a love story, like I just conveyed, there's a lot more going on here. There's werewolves and vampires, and they're not at peace with each other. And people aren't who they claim to be either. Not only are the characters on a roller coaster of emotions they also learn that who they thought was someone turns out to be something else, as the reader learns the same thing. It makes you learn quickly that you can't trust everyone one in the Bayou, as you journey through this wonderous roller coaster of emotion.
I have to say that Aden is probably my favorite character, and it's not to do with his looks. It's more his personality and the way he cares for Carissa. He goes on this emotional roller coaster that I feel a lot of us go through when we care for someone and I feel we don't see that enough in novels. I feel it's always you love someone you go for it and get what you want. In Aden's case he fought his emotions so much and seemed like a lost puppy at times not knowing whether to tell her how he felt or just play the role of friend desiring her from afar because it could never work out in his head. And trust me as I read I screamed at him to just freaking go for it each and every time and when it finally happened I was so happy.
But Crimson Bayou isn't just a love story, like I just conveyed, there's a lot more going on here. There's werewolves and vampires, and they're not at peace with each other. And people aren't who they claim to be either. Not only are the characters on a roller coaster of emotions they also learn that who they thought was someone turns out to be something else, as the reader learns the same thing. It makes you learn quickly that you can't trust everyone one in the Bayou, as you journey through this wonderous roller coaster of emotion.
August 12, 2016
Crimson Bayou is a book that I would recommend to anyone who even has an inkling of preference towards supernatural and thrilling novels. With more twists than a turkey twizzler, this book will leave you running in circles wanting to be a part of it. Suspense, seduction, and a little bit of shock, Crimson Bayou is just the stone entering the water. I'm looking forward to those ripples. If the rest of the series is of the same standard as Crimson, this could easily be everyone's favourite series! Non-cliché and extremely witty, Alizabeth's style is easy flowing and it tethers you along. You find three chapters later that you were meant to only read 'one last chapter'. It's intense!
November 30, 2019
I read a few scenes from this book on Amazon. My verdict is that it is the worst steaming pile of hot garbage that I have ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes upon. The semi-illiterate prose made my eyes water over. I gagged. My stomach churned. I didn't have a barf-bag handy, so I ran outside, because that was closer than the bathroom. It took me many days to feel well again - and I never could make myself read any of this shit again.
July 13, 2016
This was definitely a page turner. Also, not your average Vampire/Werewolf saga. It's very imaginative and doesn't go anywhere near the sparkles. I love this story so much, I can not wait for the next.
July 11, 2016
I was surprised I liked it as much as I did. When reading I really enjoyed how great the connection was between the characters and the reader and characters. The author has a great voice, so it made it very easy to read. It's been a long time since I couldn't out down a book.
March 16, 2018
This is a genre I really would normally never read but the characterisations and story were so well put together that it didn’t make me cringe as paranormal romance - or any romance in general - would do. Alizabeth Lynn is a great story teller and I would recommend her Bayou books to anyone who loves this genre
July 19, 2016
It's difficult to write about vampires and werevoles, these times--The risk of offering a boring, stereotyped product is real. When the subject of a novel is supernatural, it's way too easy to indulge in focusing too much on the supernatural and too little on the characters and the relationship between them. But somehow, the author manages to write characters interesting enough to keep the reader interested. Aden is not the typical vampire, while Carissa's more than "the girl who found herself surrounded by weird creatures" and has quite the interesting background story. The plot is charming and full of surprises, much more than one could expect from a vampire novel. Also, the descriptions, any description, are lovely and always allow the reader to understand what's happening, what's in front of them, what a character is thinking and what he/she feels.
However, in my opinion the relationship between Aden and Carissa grew a bit too fast. They speak of love way too early for my taste, while I would describe what's between them, at the beginning, more like an infatuation. A deep-rooted, certainly bond to develop into something more kind of crush, but still an infatuation. In addition, while the characters are beautifully written and developed sometimes I felt that some emotions were rushed--that forgiveness was too quick or, for example, Carissa's understanding of that whole new world of monsters was too "easy". But after all, it's only book one. There's plenty of time for the interactions between characters to grow and get deeper.
Overall, to sum it up, the virtues shine more than the flaws. You should definitely give this book a read!
However, in my opinion the relationship between Aden and Carissa grew a bit too fast. They speak of love way too early for my taste, while I would describe what's between them, at the beginning, more like an infatuation. A deep-rooted, certainly bond to develop into something more kind of crush, but still an infatuation. In addition, while the characters are beautifully written and developed sometimes I felt that some emotions were rushed--that forgiveness was too quick or, for example, Carissa's understanding of that whole new world of monsters was too "easy". But after all, it's only book one. There's plenty of time for the interactions between characters to grow and get deeper.
Overall, to sum it up, the virtues shine more than the flaws. You should definitely give this book a read!
June 29, 2016
I am not a fan of romance, especially paranormal, but I thought I would give this a shot.
Carissa was a boring character. She got better, but she felt a bit disjointed, and lacking in character. I want more from to her, i felt Like even at the end of the book, I still didn't know her the way I hoped to.
Aden was more developed than any other character. I find that men in this genre tend to be lacking in character, and Aden certainly wasn't.
I did not like the way character point of views changed and felt one of the views were not needed. I like a bit of mystery
The story is interesting, and the whole series has a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more
Carissa was a boring character. She got better, but she felt a bit disjointed, and lacking in character. I want more from to her, i felt Like even at the end of the book, I still didn't know her the way I hoped to.
Aden was more developed than any other character. I find that men in this genre tend to be lacking in character, and Aden certainly wasn't.
I did not like the way character point of views changed and felt one of the views were not needed. I like a bit of mystery
The story is interesting, and the whole series has a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more
July 20, 2016
I absolutely loved this book! I knew when I bought it that it was paranormal type story. However, it is not your typical vampire/werewolf story. Alizabeth Lynn brought a new twist I never would have thought of. It is very interesting and worth all the emotional twists and turns she sent me through. I was mad, sad, happy, and all three at the same time throughout reading this story. I was beyond thrilled with they ending and can not wait for book 2! Alizabeth Lynn is an author worth keeping up with!
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January 10, 2017I found myself drawn into this book by the believable characters. And enjoyed the journey they took me on. There were a few instances in the book that I felt contradicted each other... is the business being a success do to people coming from miles around and then later the conversation about the town not appearing on any map or being searchable. Just raises the question of how do people know to come. I look forward to the next book in the series and can't wit to visit this sleepy town again. Would love to see more of Nana and Ophelia
July 11, 2016
I am in love with this story. The kick ass, fighting every step of the way, stubborn main character is my spirit animal! Minus a few typos and a hatred for a particular character or two I really enjoyed this book.
April 15, 2019
I had high hopes for this book, and I was *mostly* not disappointed. It admittedly took me longer than I'd like to get into the story, but eventually (and I cannot actively recall when) I found myself unable needing to know how it all ended. Alas, to my dismay, I found the ending to be a bit lacklustre and unfulfilling for my personal tastes, though I hope book 2 will redeem it.
I also feel the book overall could do with another looking at with some minor tweaks and edits made. While overall things were enjoyable (once I got into it), I noticed the pacing was a bit quick at times I'd personally have preferred it to be slower, and some events were a bit lost in the action, requiring me to go back and double check I had indeed read them. Likewise, some details felt thrown in and equally as glazed over, annoying my poor, critical mind a bit (note that I'm a reader who likes to hover on the small "irrelevant" details and puzzle things out based on findings, so this may not be a "problem" to many others).
But all of that said, I did enjoy the book and look forward to seeing the characters again in the rest of the series.
I also feel the book overall could do with another looking at with some minor tweaks and edits made. While overall things were enjoyable (once I got into it), I noticed the pacing was a bit quick at times I'd personally have preferred it to be slower, and some events were a bit lost in the action, requiring me to go back and double check I had indeed read them. Likewise, some details felt thrown in and equally as glazed over, annoying my poor, critical mind a bit (note that I'm a reader who likes to hover on the small "irrelevant" details and puzzle things out based on findings, so this may not be a "problem" to many others).
But all of that said, I did enjoy the book and look forward to seeing the characters again in the rest of the series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews