I thought I’d round out October with some Halloween-adjacent reads. Although the romance genre is chock full of vampires, werewolves, and the occasional witch, good luck finding one where the meet-cute happens at a Halloween party.
Nora Roberts’ Midnight Bayou tells the story of Declan, who chucks his law career and his fiancé in one fell swoop, buys a ramshackle mansion in the Louisiana bayou, and dedicates himself to restoring it. No dilapidated home in the bayou worth its salt comes without a few ghosts, and Manet Hall is no exception. The house has an unresolved past of heartbreak and loss, and Declan will find himself spending as much time managing its ghosts as he will sanding its floors.
Don’t despair for Declan, li Squad; he will also meet the beautiful and prickly Lena, and sparks will fly. Lena is no swooning damsel-in-distress, and Declan will have his work cut out for him, convincing her to fall into his waiting arms.
Nora Roberts is the comfort food of romance writers, possibly predictable, but she’s also a consummate storyteller, so it ultimately doesn’t matter. Her male leads are alpha males who never cross the line to Neanderthal, and her female protagonists are more salty than sweet.
Lifetime created a movie out of Midnight Bayou. I’m on the fence about the casting, although Faye Dunaway as Lena’s grandmother Miss Odette is spot-on.
[Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault. There is a rape scene in Chapter One.]
Find your copy of Midnight Bayou from your favorite retailer.
Want more romance reads? Get the best love and romance novel recommendations, handpicked by our experienced editor, straight to your inbox each week. Sign up for little infinite’s Romance Newsletter, here.
