What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bayou Bachelors #2
Bare Devotion
Sweet and sultry, hot and wild…that’s desire, Louisiana-style. And there’s no one better to explore it with than one of the Bayou Bachelors…
Returning to her flooded New Orleans home to face Henry Boudreaux, the man she jilted at the altar, is the hardest thing attorney Sonja Bosco has ever done—even before she discovers she’s pregnant. Sonja backed out of the marriage for Henry’s sake. He wants to be part of his father’s law firm, and his parents will never approve of an interracial marriage. Better to bruise his heart than ruin his life.
Henry can’t forgive Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that they’re going to be parents means there’s no avoiding each other. Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough…now they’re living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired. And with each passing day they’re getting a little more honest. A lot more real. And realizing that nothing—not even New Orleans at Mardi Gras—glows brighter than the desire they’re trying to deny…
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2018
10 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Geri Krotow
92 books196 followersAward winning, bestselling author of cozy mystery, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. Buffalo, NY native and proud of it. Navy veteran.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 11, 2018
There is a huge level of frustration I’m having with this series and this author. In both the first book, Fully Dressed, and this book I really love the concept of the stories. The characters and their personalities are people I want to read about. But there always seems to be something missing.
Let me get into what I really like about this story. The author really tries to take bigotry head on. Henry knows his parents are racist and maybe haven’t treated Sonja as an equal, but he doesn’t know the extent of it because Sonja has kept a lot of their interactions from him. For her part, Sonja has a deep-seated fear that Henry can’t really be so far removed from his parents’ views since they did, after all, raise him. This all leads to the real root of their problem…they don’t talk to each other. At least not about things that matter. Which has led to a rather large lack of trust on both sides.
I like how Sonja and Henry’s relationship looked great to all of those on the outside. And even from the inside; if they didn’t look too deep inside themselves, the couple was able to pretend all was great. They could have lived their whole lives happily together. But happy does not necessarily equal satisfied. Although Henry and Sonja probably do belong together, they had a lot of work to do before they should have been walking down the aisle.
Of course, this brings up all my frustration. This storyline is a bit of a different angle than I’m used to reading in a love story. There was potential for so much complexity and emotion. But something gets in the way. The writing tends to be choppy and the conversations can jump around a bit which breaks up the flow of the story. There are also a lot of repetitive bits that are just downright annoying.
I also want to address the character of Deidre. I’m going to try to do this without spoilers. I think the fact that it is mentioned over and over and over that the characters in this story do not believe Deidre has a mental health issue is a great disservice to the readers. Deidre absolutely DOES have a mental condition, whether it’s by nature or nurture it does not matter. To dismiss her actions as those of someone who was “just spoiled” growing up is dangerous.
So here’s my quandary. I truly hate to keep reading this series if it forces me to give this author a bad review. She must be doing something right since I really want to learn more about Jena and possibly Jeb…which I assume will be in the next book. Reading the author’s bio I am really impressed with her and respect her. It makes me think her stories that have more to do with the military life would be a smoother read??? I’m not sure. I guess I’ll have to see where my head is at when the next one in this series comes out.
One last thing. I am not hanging all my dissatisfaction on the author here. There is a reason there are editors in the publishing world. This is not a self-published book so I’m quite confident an editor has gone over this story before it was put to print. Since the storyline and ideas are all there and my biggest issue with the story is the flow and some missing pieces, it is absolutely the editor’s job to work with the author to fix these things. Rant over.
2.5 stars
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...
Let me get into what I really like about this story. The author really tries to take bigotry head on. Henry knows his parents are racist and maybe haven’t treated Sonja as an equal, but he doesn’t know the extent of it because Sonja has kept a lot of their interactions from him. For her part, Sonja has a deep-seated fear that Henry can’t really be so far removed from his parents’ views since they did, after all, raise him. This all leads to the real root of their problem…they don’t talk to each other. At least not about things that matter. Which has led to a rather large lack of trust on both sides.
I like how Sonja and Henry’s relationship looked great to all of those on the outside. And even from the inside; if they didn’t look too deep inside themselves, the couple was able to pretend all was great. They could have lived their whole lives happily together. But happy does not necessarily equal satisfied. Although Henry and Sonja probably do belong together, they had a lot of work to do before they should have been walking down the aisle.
Of course, this brings up all my frustration. This storyline is a bit of a different angle than I’m used to reading in a love story. There was potential for so much complexity and emotion. But something gets in the way. The writing tends to be choppy and the conversations can jump around a bit which breaks up the flow of the story. There are also a lot of repetitive bits that are just downright annoying.
I also want to address the character of Deidre. I’m going to try to do this without spoilers. I think the fact that it is mentioned over and over and over that the characters in this story do not believe Deidre has a mental health issue is a great disservice to the readers. Deidre absolutely DOES have a mental condition, whether it’s by nature or nurture it does not matter. To dismiss her actions as those of someone who was “just spoiled” growing up is dangerous.
So here’s my quandary. I truly hate to keep reading this series if it forces me to give this author a bad review. She must be doing something right since I really want to learn more about Jena and possibly Jeb…which I assume will be in the next book. Reading the author’s bio I am really impressed with her and respect her. It makes me think her stories that have more to do with the military life would be a smoother read??? I’m not sure. I guess I’ll have to see where my head is at when the next one in this series comes out.
One last thing. I am not hanging all my dissatisfaction on the author here. There is a reason there are editors in the publishing world. This is not a self-published book so I’m quite confident an editor has gone over this story before it was put to print. Since the storyline and ideas are all there and my biggest issue with the story is the flow and some missing pieces, it is absolutely the editor’s job to work with the author to fix these things. Rant over.
2.5 stars
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.c...
January 19, 2021
Good book. This story begins shortly before the end of the first book,
Fully Dressed
, so there is a little overlapping activity. At the beginning of the first book, Sonja and Henry are just hours away from their wedding. On the day of the wedding, Sonja runs, leaving Henry at the altar. This book takes on the aftermath of that action and the changes in their relationship.
As this book starts, Sonja returns to New Orleans three weeks after her non-wedding and comes face-to-face with Henry. He is understandably angry. He had no idea that Sonja had reservations about their marriage, so her desertion was a total surprise. They exchange some pretty harsh words. Sonja blames herself for the disaster, but she also holds resentment toward Henry for keeping secrets from her. Sonja doesn't have much room to complain, though, because she kept some things from him, too - not the least of which is that she is pregnant.
It is clear from their first meeting that the sparks between Sonja and Henry have not died, and neither one is happy about it. Each would like to cut ties altogether, but Fate decrees otherwise. First, they must work together to fix their flooded home before they can sell it. Because both of them invested everything in the house and the wedding, they are stuck sharing the tiny guest house on the property. Second, Sonja's pregnancy means they must find a way to co-parent their baby. This means they must face their past.
I enjoyed seeing Henry and Sonja work their way back to each other. Both had to take serious looks at their past relationship and admit to their mistakes. The biggest thing was facing the fact that their former relationship was more superficial than either wanted to admit. Everything looked great on the surface, but there were significant underlying issues that they never talked about. One of those issues was that of race. Sonja is black, and Henry is white. It makes no difference to their love for each other, but Henry's parents are not happy and make it obvious. Unfortunately, most of their attitude falls on Sonja when Henry isn't around to witness it. The last straw is their threat to disown Henry if he marries her, and she refuses to ruin his life. Sonja also worries that Henry might have similar attitudes (well-buried) thanks to his upbringing. On his side, Henry neglected to tell Sonja about his ex-fiancée's stalker tendencies, leaving Sonja blindsided when Dierdre confronted her right before the wedding. Both are left with some serious trust issues.
There were a lot of angry words and accusations thrown at each other at the beginning. Dealing with that anger forced Henry and Sonja to talk about things they had avoided before. It was a slow process, but they finally started to reach below the surface of their previous relationship and communicate. It isn't easy, and there is the occasional regression, but they do make progress. Complicating matters is the attraction that still has a tight grip on them. Giving into it adds to the pain and confusion. It takes a while for them to realize that the love they share is still there. There are some sweet scenes of them together as that love grows and matures to the point where they can admit their feelings to each other. I liked the ending as they moved toward a future together.
As this book starts, Sonja returns to New Orleans three weeks after her non-wedding and comes face-to-face with Henry. He is understandably angry. He had no idea that Sonja had reservations about their marriage, so her desertion was a total surprise. They exchange some pretty harsh words. Sonja blames herself for the disaster, but she also holds resentment toward Henry for keeping secrets from her. Sonja doesn't have much room to complain, though, because she kept some things from him, too - not the least of which is that she is pregnant.
It is clear from their first meeting that the sparks between Sonja and Henry have not died, and neither one is happy about it. Each would like to cut ties altogether, but Fate decrees otherwise. First, they must work together to fix their flooded home before they can sell it. Because both of them invested everything in the house and the wedding, they are stuck sharing the tiny guest house on the property. Second, Sonja's pregnancy means they must find a way to co-parent their baby. This means they must face their past.
I enjoyed seeing Henry and Sonja work their way back to each other. Both had to take serious looks at their past relationship and admit to their mistakes. The biggest thing was facing the fact that their former relationship was more superficial than either wanted to admit. Everything looked great on the surface, but there were significant underlying issues that they never talked about. One of those issues was that of race. Sonja is black, and Henry is white. It makes no difference to their love for each other, but Henry's parents are not happy and make it obvious. Unfortunately, most of their attitude falls on Sonja when Henry isn't around to witness it. The last straw is their threat to disown Henry if he marries her, and she refuses to ruin his life. Sonja also worries that Henry might have similar attitudes (well-buried) thanks to his upbringing. On his side, Henry neglected to tell Sonja about his ex-fiancée's stalker tendencies, leaving Sonja blindsided when Dierdre confronted her right before the wedding. Both are left with some serious trust issues.
There were a lot of angry words and accusations thrown at each other at the beginning. Dealing with that anger forced Henry and Sonja to talk about things they had avoided before. It was a slow process, but they finally started to reach below the surface of their previous relationship and communicate. It isn't easy, and there is the occasional regression, but they do make progress. Complicating matters is the attraction that still has a tight grip on them. Giving into it adds to the pain and confusion. It takes a while for them to realize that the love they share is still there. There are some sweet scenes of them together as that love grows and matures to the point where they can admit their feelings to each other. I liked the ending as they moved toward a future together.
September 2, 2018
An interracial couple finds each other when Sonja Bosco applies for a position at the law office owned by Henry Boudreaux father. The minute he sees the mahogany-skinned beauty he has to be with her. Being that Henry was the people, pleaser of the family, it was easy to always do what his parents wanted until Sonja.
You see Gloria and Hudson Boudreaux at that time had lost two of their children to their overpowering ways. So, when they would have their employees over to dinner Henry would do his flirting until he took it one step further. He started dating Sonja. Then soon after they moved in together. Then he asked her to marry him. Not being pleased with that decision his parents called Sonja in and let her know that if she married him he would not make partner and he would be disowned.
Loving him she has to do what is best she backs out. Living him at the altar. The thing that gets to Henry is her timing. It was the day of the wedding. What Henry doesn’t know is that his she’s pregnant and that with him inviting his ex-girlfriend and her seeing him hug her in front of the church after being confronted by her and his parents just a little earlier shake her to her foundation.
They have both kept secrets that have shaken them and come to figure out what should have happened before this wedding even got planned. But there is a lot of blaming and pointing fingers that will happen before you see any sunshine at all. This will not give you that warm and fuzzy that most books with give you but it will give you real.
When Henry wanted to get married the kid gloves were off with his mom and dad. They made it known that his future wife would not be totally welcomed by the family. He was prepared for that. He just neglected to make Sonja aware of that.
They must salvage what is left of the river house they had built to be their dream house. That is now Katrina damaged. All their savings was poured into it. They must work together in the same office in NOLA and they are living in the same little cottage behind the house. The one thing they did have right in the relationship was their sexual gratification.
Mistaking that sexual gratification as a form of communication and love, when it was the furthest from the truth. They mistaken urges for one another again when they move into the cottage house while the river house is being fixed. Only to find out how it hurt their hearts more because it fixed nothing only added to the pain and confusion.
Although, there is a long and drawn out resolution it was real. It may not have ended all nice and neat like most would like but it too was real and kept a family intact. The only thing that baffled me is the order of the books when I looked up the author and to see if this is a series because I would like to interview this author.
I have questions to be asked for my fangirl in me. I don’t understand Brandon and Poppy met for the wedding to gather things out of the house right after Katrina which was after the wedding right? Or is my timeline off? LOL! I give this: 4 stars. Provided by netgalley.com. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com.
You see Gloria and Hudson Boudreaux at that time had lost two of their children to their overpowering ways. So, when they would have their employees over to dinner Henry would do his flirting until he took it one step further. He started dating Sonja. Then soon after they moved in together. Then he asked her to marry him. Not being pleased with that decision his parents called Sonja in and let her know that if she married him he would not make partner and he would be disowned.
Loving him she has to do what is best she backs out. Living him at the altar. The thing that gets to Henry is her timing. It was the day of the wedding. What Henry doesn’t know is that his she’s pregnant and that with him inviting his ex-girlfriend and her seeing him hug her in front of the church after being confronted by her and his parents just a little earlier shake her to her foundation.
They have both kept secrets that have shaken them and come to figure out what should have happened before this wedding even got planned. But there is a lot of blaming and pointing fingers that will happen before you see any sunshine at all. This will not give you that warm and fuzzy that most books with give you but it will give you real.
When Henry wanted to get married the kid gloves were off with his mom and dad. They made it known that his future wife would not be totally welcomed by the family. He was prepared for that. He just neglected to make Sonja aware of that.
They must salvage what is left of the river house they had built to be their dream house. That is now Katrina damaged. All their savings was poured into it. They must work together in the same office in NOLA and they are living in the same little cottage behind the house. The one thing they did have right in the relationship was their sexual gratification.
Mistaking that sexual gratification as a form of communication and love, when it was the furthest from the truth. They mistaken urges for one another again when they move into the cottage house while the river house is being fixed. Only to find out how it hurt their hearts more because it fixed nothing only added to the pain and confusion.
Although, there is a long and drawn out resolution it was real. It may not have ended all nice and neat like most would like but it too was real and kept a family intact. The only thing that baffled me is the order of the books when I looked up the author and to see if this is a series because I would like to interview this author.
I have questions to be asked for my fangirl in me. I don’t understand Brandon and Poppy met for the wedding to gather things out of the house right after Katrina which was after the wedding right? Or is my timeline off? LOL! I give this: 4 stars. Provided by netgalley.com. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com.
August 22, 2018
Review also found at https://kristineandterri.blogspot.com...
2.5 stars
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This was the second in the Bayou Bachelor series. You will definitely want to read the first in order to understand the backstory on this one. I was so excited to read this after the first book however in comparison this one let me down.
I could not get past the constant bickering and blame that was doled out in large size portions throughout this book. I was 37% in to the story and the only thing that had happened was Sonja blaming Henry for everything wrong in their relationship, not taking ownership, and then some rather steamy sex scenes. Wash, rinse, and repeat. I found Sonja wasn't being fair to Henry, after all, she is the one that left him standing at the alter. Usually I am all about girl power and sticking together however sorry Sonja, I really didn't like you.
I would say the story started to turn around for me at roughly the 50% mark. This is when the all important aspect of communication began and I could actually tolerate the characters. I became invested once the effort was being put in to repairing the damage they caused each other. I still feel a little like their communication breakdown was a whole mountain out of a mole hill situation but at least there were positive attempts.
It is clear I was let down by this story. Neither character was strong enough for me and their issues seemed petty. Even so, I will still follow this series. Why? The first in the series was good and I am excited to see where the next one goes if it is going to feature who I think it will. There are so many possibilities and directions it could take.
2.5 stars
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
This was the second in the Bayou Bachelor series. You will definitely want to read the first in order to understand the backstory on this one. I was so excited to read this after the first book however in comparison this one let me down.
I could not get past the constant bickering and blame that was doled out in large size portions throughout this book. I was 37% in to the story and the only thing that had happened was Sonja blaming Henry for everything wrong in their relationship, not taking ownership, and then some rather steamy sex scenes. Wash, rinse, and repeat. I found Sonja wasn't being fair to Henry, after all, she is the one that left him standing at the alter. Usually I am all about girl power and sticking together however sorry Sonja, I really didn't like you.
I would say the story started to turn around for me at roughly the 50% mark. This is when the all important aspect of communication began and I could actually tolerate the characters. I became invested once the effort was being put in to repairing the damage they caused each other. I still feel a little like their communication breakdown was a whole mountain out of a mole hill situation but at least there were positive attempts.
It is clear I was let down by this story. Neither character was strong enough for me and their issues seemed petty. Even so, I will still follow this series. Why? The first in the series was good and I am excited to see where the next one goes if it is going to feature who I think it will. There are so many possibilities and directions it could take.
January 17, 2019
This is the second book in the Bayou Bachelors series. In the first book, we saw Sonja and Henry fail to get married and this story deals with the aftermath of her leaving him at the altar.
On the whole, I'm enjoying this series. There are a few things I've noticed, however, that do detract from the stories. Firstly the timelines don't really make much sense, they vary between the books and at times seem to contradict each other. Then there's the fact that some of the things that happen either contradict one another or just don't quite make sense. It's almost as though all of the ideas that the writer had, went down and then no one checked to make sure that the plot was still clear and worked. It's a real shame because the ideas behind the stories and the way that they are told for the most part are very good.
It also seems that in both this book and the previous one, a lot of the 'action' has already happened or is 'off-screen' and then what we do see is a bit repetitive.
I liked the way that Henry and Sonja learned more about each other and the reason that things had failed. I also liked the way that the approached the way that they would parent their unborn child. Of course, I was willing them to get together again.
I did really enjoy this book and I am perhaps being a little hard in this review. I enjoyed the read. It promised so much more and it wouldn't have taken much work to reach that, which ultimately makes it a little disappointing.
On the whole, I'm enjoying this series. There are a few things I've noticed, however, that do detract from the stories. Firstly the timelines don't really make much sense, they vary between the books and at times seem to contradict each other. Then there's the fact that some of the things that happen either contradict one another or just don't quite make sense. It's almost as though all of the ideas that the writer had, went down and then no one checked to make sure that the plot was still clear and worked. It's a real shame because the ideas behind the stories and the way that they are told for the most part are very good.
It also seems that in both this book and the previous one, a lot of the 'action' has already happened or is 'off-screen' and then what we do see is a bit repetitive.
I liked the way that Henry and Sonja learned more about each other and the reason that things had failed. I also liked the way that the approached the way that they would parent their unborn child. Of course, I was willing them to get together again.
I did really enjoy this book and I am perhaps being a little hard in this review. I enjoyed the read. It promised so much more and it wouldn't have taken much work to reach that, which ultimately makes it a little disappointing.
September 24, 2018
Returning to her flooded New Orleans home to face Henry Boudreaux, the man she jilted at the altar, is the hardest thing attorney Sonja Bosco has ever done—even before she discovers she’s pregnant. Sonja backed out of the marriage for Henry’s sake. He wants to be part of his father’s law firm, and his parents will never approve of an interracial marriage. Better to bruise his heart than ruin his life.
Henry can’t forgive Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that they’re going to be parents means there’s no avoiding each other. Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough…now they’re living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired. And with each passing day, they’re getting a little more honest. A lot more real. And realizing that nothing—not even New Orleans at Mardi Gras—glows brighter than the desire they’re trying to deny.
I really enjoy learning about Sonja & Henry and the trails and tribulations towards a real relationship. They put each other first after the non-weddings which they should be done in the begin. Happily ever after comes at a price and this was worth reading.
Netgalley review
Henry can’t forgive Sonja, and doubts that he can trust her again. But learning that they’re going to be parents means there’s no avoiding each other. Springtime on the bayou is already steamy enough…now they’re living in the same small space while their damaged house is repaired. And with each passing day, they’re getting a little more honest. A lot more real. And realizing that nothing—not even New Orleans at Mardi Gras—glows brighter than the desire they’re trying to deny.
I really enjoy learning about Sonja & Henry and the trails and tribulations towards a real relationship. They put each other first after the non-weddings which they should be done in the begin. Happily ever after comes at a price and this was worth reading.
Netgalley review
September 23, 2018
Sonja and Henry have it all. They both have great careers as lawyers, they built their dream house on the river, and they are about to get married. But then, on their wedding day, Sonja decides she can’t go through with it and makes a spur of the moment decision to flee. Henry is stunned. He thought everything was going fine, and had no idea Sonja was unhappy. Now they are faced with untangling their life together. The only thing is that is hard to do when you work at the same company and you own a house together. Not to mention, when that house needs major repairs from a flood before they can sell it. When Sonja realizes she is pregnant, things get even more complicated. How will they navigate being coworkers, parents, and ex-lovers?
I would give this book 4.5 stars. I liked it better than the first book in the series, but it works fine as a standalone book. I really liked Sonja’s and Henry’s characters, and it is a good story.
I was asked by the author for an honest review.
I would give this book 4.5 stars. I liked it better than the first book in the series, but it works fine as a standalone book. I really liked Sonja’s and Henry’s characters, and it is a good story.
I was asked by the author for an honest review.
July 22, 2018
Sonja is a black attorney and Henry is a white attorney, both working for Henry’s family’s law firm. They are also ex-lovers, ex-fiancés and just a few weeks past their un-wedding! The only reason that I point out race is because that is one of the story lines. I enjoyed the basic story but had a problem with the idea that racial prejudice is only in the South. As we know, the location could have been anywhere, North, South, East or West, period. The character of Deidre was ridiculous. I can’t imagine her being a physician and no one else ever seeing her bizarre and kooky behavior, including Henry’s parents. I did like the two main characters though.
Bare Devotion by Geri Krotow will be available September 11, 2018 from Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Bare Devotion by Geri Krotow will be available September 11, 2018 from Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
August 11, 2018
So, Ireceivzd an ARC of the book and here is my review. That was a good read. I was annoyed at first with all the crying and accusations and misunderstanding but I quite liked how the story unfolded and the way those two ended getting to actually learn about each other. I found a but weird that we were told a lot about Sonja's parent but never got to be meet them. But all in all it was a pleasant read.
September 10, 2018
DNF at 52%
This book should have worked for me because it had all the things I love in romance: second chance trope, surprise baby, the promise of angst. Unfortunately it didn't. Halfway through and I was still bored. I wasn't connecting to the main characters Henry and Sonja, and I also wasn't very keen about the stalker ex plotline.
I like the writing though, so I might try the author's other works.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
This book should have worked for me because it had all the things I love in romance: second chance trope, surprise baby, the promise of angst. Unfortunately it didn't. Halfway through and I was still bored. I wasn't connecting to the main characters Henry and Sonja, and I also wasn't very keen about the stalker ex plotline.
I like the writing though, so I might try the author's other works.
E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.
July 7, 2018
A highly passionate interracial romance about how two soulmates reconnect after what is supposed to be their happy-ever-after blows up. As they rebuild their home of a flood, they rebuild an unlikely relationship and friendship through the most difficult of circumstances.
Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy.
Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy.
September 17, 2018
I was a bit disappointed in this entry in the series. The concept/plot was spot on, the execution was off. There was a lot thrown in with the racism plot, the stalker ex plot, the baby/canceled wedding plot... I wanted to love it but I just didn't.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews