Mini-Review: Bayou Heat #1

Raphael/Parish (Bayou Heat #1-2)

by Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright

Blurb:

RAPHAEL

The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pant era shape shifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.

PARISH

Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family.

Review:

The newest series by two of my favorite authors kicked off with a bang.  Just the concept of a joint series by two authors was thrilling for me. As I understand it, the series will work something like this: each “book” will include two stories, one by each author, each based around one of the sexy Pantera shifters in this new world. Cool right? The first two Bayou Heat stories were both extremely well written, with lots of fun and the sexiest alpha cats around.

Raphael is dealing with the fact that he has discovered his mate, the one woman apparently that he can get pregnant, even though no one thought it was possible. But when an old enemy threatens the life of his mate and child, nothing can keep him from protecting them with all he is.  Ashe is determined to make a better life for herself than the one she’s lived while under her mother’s thumb.  But is being a single mother really what she wants? Nope.  And finding out about a whole different species, one that she now will be helping to repopulate, has left her feeling even more lost.  And handling the passion the sexy Raphael stirs with his very presence keeps her logic from kicking in to keep her from going off the deep end.

Parish’s story closely follows Raphael’s.  Parish is sent to a hospital to find the best OB in Louisiana to make sure that Ashe and Raphael’s baby is well cared for.  But his job is complicated immensely when he finds his own mate in Doc Julia.  Never having imagined he’d feel this way about a female, much less a human woman, Parish is still determined to make her his.  Kidnapped and introduced to a new world full of magic and wonder, Julia is at a loss as to how to handle a man like Parish.  Though her body cries out for his at every turn, trusting him is another story.  But in the end all anyone can do is trust their instincts, and hers are telling her that Parish is the man for her.

Both Raphael and Parish were full of passion.  Though overall a little short, they were both great reads and the entire premise is too intriguing to miss.  I love me some sexy alpha shifters, cats especially, and having them be bayou loving southern boys just about did me in.  Both heroines were great as well and I look forward to learning more about this world in future stories.  Kinda hoping the next one is a bit longer though.  Keep ‘em coming Laura and Alexandra!

Rating:   3.75 stars

Rose Rating: