Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Read by Jessica Almasy

Butterfly Bayou, Book 6

From the publisher:

When a woman returns home to Louisiana’s Butterfly Bayou, her high school crush finally notices she exists, in a small-town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Quaid Havery always planned to follow in his father’s footsteps. He went to law school and then came home to take over his dad’s legal practice. Being the only lawyer in small-town Papillon, Quaid is pretty sure he’s seen everything. After all, he was once asked to sue an alligator for defamation of character. He’s prepared for anything the town can throw at him, until he encounters Jayna Cardet. She’s gorgeous, smart, funny, and unlike any woman he’s met before … Except he has.

Jayna never thought she’d return to Papillon, but when her life gets turned around she must learn to live in the close-knit community again. She certainly never dreamed she would practice law in her little town, but she finds herself in the courtroom, and the opposing counsel is her former high school crush, Quaid. It wouldn’t be so bad if the man had developed a beer belly, but Quaid is more handsome than ever. And instead of ignoring her like he did in high school, he’s made it plain that he wants to get to know her.

Thus begins a courtship destined to end in a wedding or a war. Either way, the locals are popping some corn and eagerly awaiting the outcome.

https://amzn.to/4hIriaD

Jayna grew up in a trailer park in the small Louisiana town of Butterfly Bayou. From a young age, she dreamed of escaping her circumstances. Through determination and hard work, she put herself through college and law school. After marrying a fellow attorney, she joined his father’s prestigious law firm in New Orleans. But when Jayna discovered that one of her clients was involved in illegal activity, she did the right thing and reported it. Her honesty came at a steep price—in rapid succession, Jayna finds herself divorced, fired, homeless, and under investigation by the bar association.

With nowhere else to turn, she returns home to live with her mother in the trailer park she once escaped. Her mother resents her for leaving and trying to build a better life, while her sister—a single mom living nearby—seems to be repeating their mother’s mistakes. The family tension is thick, and Jayna feels like a failure all over again.

Butterfly Bayou has only one lawyer, Quaid, and Jayna faces him in court over a property dispute. She had a crush on him back in high school, though he doesn’t remember her. Still, he’s intrigued by her now and wants to get to know her. Quaid inherited his law practice from his father and still lives with his mother, though he keeps a small apartment above his office. When his wastrel of a brother moves in with their mother as well, Quaid moves into the apartment full-time, stirring up old family tensions of his own.

After Jayna’s mother kicks her out, Quaid offers her a place to stay in his apartment. He also gives her office space and passes along legal work he’s too busy to handle. As they live and work side by side, a genuine partnership begins to blossom—despite Quaid’s mother’s disapproval, believing Jayna isn’t good enough for her son.

Jayna faces a crossroads: should she fight to clear her name and return to New Orleans, or stay in Butterfly Bayou and build a new life with Quaid? Ultimately, love and redemption prevail, and the story ends on a hopeful note.

This was my first read in the Butterfly Bayou series, and based on reviews, each book stands alone. I didn’t feel like I missed anything by starting here. The narrator was excellent, bringing each character to life with distinct voices and personalities. I’ll definitely be heading back to the bayou to explore the earlier books in the series.

11/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BAYOU BELOVED by Lexi Blake. Narrator: Jessica Almasy. Blackstone Publishing; March 28, 2023. ASIN: B0BLJ87BFW. Listening Length: 8 hours and 53 minutes

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Read by Samantha Summers & Daniel Chambers

White Collar Brothers, Book 2

From the author:

He’s the arrogant Manhattan realtor with billboards advertising his six-pack more than his expertise in negotiations.

I’m the competing broker who stupidly moved across the hall from his office.

From day one, I’ve been his sworn enemy. Okay, so I might have accidentally stolen one of his clients. Well, is it stealing if the client comes to me?

Even our vicious banter and loathing gazes can’t hide the chemistry between us. Who can blame me? He has enough charisma to make every hot-blooded woman in the city melt with a single word.

Just when I think a mutual respect could be born between us, the biggest developer in the city offers us an opportunity that pits us against each other.

Time to forget Carmelo Mancini’s dreamy eyes and tight abs.

Game on.

https://amzn.to/4hIriaD

We first met Carm in the series opener, Sexy Filthy Boss, where he didn’t make the best impression—and honestly, he didn’t win me over in this book either. Still, it’s Piper Rayne, so I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did.

Carm is a Manhattan real estate agent who markets himself by posing shirtless on billboards. Not exactly professional, but it certainly attracts attention. He’s notorious for his one-night stands and total disinterest in commitment—until Bella enters the picture.

Bella, a former real estate agent, has struck out on her own with a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) business model, helping clients list their properties on the MLS. Her new office space was a bargain, but there’s a catch: it’s right across the hall from Carm’s agency, setting the stage for a classic enemies-to-lovers workplace romance.

Their first real clash comes when Bella unwittingly steals a client who was actually on his way to meet with Carm. Despite finding each other attractive, they’re at odds: Carm resents Bella’s FSBO model threatening traditional agents, while Bella dismisses him as a player and keeps her guard up.

When Bella’s mother’s boyfriend proposes a contest between them—whoever sells more condos in his new building wins—it feels like Bella’s big break. Carm is confident he’ll crush her, certain that buyers in this price range want personal attention, not a DIY approach. But as the competition intensifies, so does their chemistry. Despite their best efforts to stay professional, something deeper starts to grow.

It’s always satisfying to watch the player fall hard, and Carm definitely does. With Piper Rayne’s trademark witty banter, sizzling heat, and fast-paced fun, this one delivers plenty of entertainment—even if it’s not my favorite in the series, it’s still a solid, enjoyable read.

11/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DIRTY FLIRTY ENEMY by Piper Rayne. Narrators: Samantha Summers & Daniel Chambers. Piper Rayne Inc.; August 14, 2019. ASIN: B07WC7JT2L. Listening Length: 7 hours and 45 minutes

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Read by Rose Dioro & Tory Duran 

Plain Daisy Ranch, Book 2

From the author:

It’s the classic story— best friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing.

Jude would do anything for me. He’s stood by my side since we were six, and I’ve done the same for him.

When my father dies, leaving our family farm drowning in debt and on the brink of being auctioned, I’m not surprised Jude steps in to help. I just never dreamed he’d fall to bended knee and devise a plan for us to fool everyone into thinking there’s more than a lifelong friendship between us.

Soon, I’m moving into his house, we’re planning a wedding on his family’s ranch, and we discover a new side to our relationship. I keep reminding myself it’s not real—it’s only to secure a loan to save the farm.

I’ve secretly loved Jude all my life, and now that I know how good we are together, I’m not sure we can return to being just friends.

https://amzn.to/3LrR6eU

The book opens with a tender flashback: young Jude grieving his mother’s death while his best friend Sadie sits beside him. Though embarrassed by his tears, Jude finds comfort when Sadie promises to keep his vulnerability secret, allowing him to truly let go. This bittersweet moment sets the emotional foundation before launching into the present day.

When Jude’s father informs him and his brothers that Sadie’s family farm is struggling, they offer what help they can—but for Jude, it’s not enough. Sadie is his best friend, and he’s determined to do more. The situation becomes dire when Sadie’s father dies unexpectedly, leaving her and her mother (who suffers from fibromyalgia) unprepared to manage the farm. Her father’s old-fashioned belief that only men should handle business affairs has left them vulnerable, and they soon discover the farm is in foreclosure.

Refusing to give up, Sadie approaches the bank with a plan to pivot from soybeans to a more profitable free-range chicken operation. However, the banker delivers crushing news: without collateral, she doesn’t qualify for a loan, but adds that if she were married, her husband might. Talk about a throwback to the 1960s!

Devastated but not defeated, Sadie finds an unexpected ally in Jude. When his father prevents him from loaning her the money directly, Jude proposes a different solution: a marriage of convenience to secure the loan. For Sadie, who has secretly loved Jude for years and dreamed of marrying him, this isn’t the romantic proposal she’d imagined—but desperation wins out, and a hasty wedding is arranged.

Since their families have long expected them to marry anyway, no one questions the union itself—only the rushed timing. Once wed and living under the same roof, both Jude and Sadie struggle with their unspoken feelings. The tension builds as they navigate their arrangement, each afraid to confess their true emotions. Eventually, their walls crumble, leading to a passionate, emotionally satisfying happily-ever-after. The farm is saved, their families are thrilled, and their chemistry is absolutely scorching.

The duet narration was excellent, and it is my preferred audiobook format. The narrators brought Jude and Sadie’s story vividly to life and kept me engaged throughout. Overall, this is another heartwarming, sizzling romance from the talented Piper Rayne writing duo.

10/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ONE I STOOD BESIDE by Piper Rayne. Narrators: Tory Duran & Rose Dioro. Piper Rayne Inc.; June 28, 2024. ASIN: B0D8BRXLLT. Listening Length: 6 hours and 25 minutes

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Read by CJ Bloom & Robert Hatchet 

Plain Daisy Ranch, Book 1

From the author:

It’s the classic story—boy goes off into the world to fulfill his dreams and leaves the girl behind.

Not every boy returns home, and I wish Ben Noughton wouldn’t have come back to our small ranching town at all after he retired from playing professional football.

I figure it’s a quick layover for him. He always wanted out of this town and off his family’s ranch. I just have to bide my time until he turns his back on all of us again.

Then he takes on the coaching position for the high school football team and starts milling around too much, bulldozing the protective walls I’ve built around myself. But he goes too far when he takes my son under his wing to help him be the best player he can be. Leaving me to protect not only my own heart but my son’s too.

Because I promised myself a long time ago that I’d never be the girl in the rearview mirror again.

https://amzn.to/476BWTS

As usual for me, I started this series somewhere in the middle, so now I’m backtracking to read all the rest of the books in order. They easily stand alone, but I feel more connected to the characters when I can watch them grow and change.

Ben and Gillian were once inseparable—high school sweethearts madly in love until college and an NFL career pulled Ben away. Now retired, he’s facing a wide-open future and returns to his hometown to reconnect with family. Seeing Gillian again isn’t part of the plan. She’s the girl he walked away from, the one he’s tried to forget—though his heart never truly let go. The moment he sees her, every buried feeling resurfaces. He wants to explain, to make things right, but she refuses to listen.

When Ben’s former high school football coach suffers a medical setback, Ben steps in to coach for the season. Suddenly, he can imagine building a life in Willowbrook again—one that includes Gillian—if it’s not already too late.

Gillian is a single mother studying for the bar exam, determined to launch her law career and escape small-town Willowbrook. The news of Ben’s return shakes her, and she’s determined to keep her distance to avoid reopening old wounds. But when circumstances force them to work together, she realizes she may not be strong enough to resist a second chance with her first love.

Gillian has never revealed the identity of her son’s father, and while most of the town assumes it’s Ben, they’re wrong. She’s kept that part of her life private—even from her son, Clayton. Still, her feelings for Ben linger, and as they grow closer, new challenges emerge: how long will Ben actually stay in Willowbrook, and will Clayton ever accept him?

This is a heartfelt small-town romance filled with second chances, single-parent dynamics, irresistible charm, and sizzling chemistry. Gillian shines as a strong, sassy heroine and a fiercely devoted mother. Her bond with Clayton feels genuine, and his guarded reaction to Ben rings true for a protective teenager. The story strikes a perfect balance between the angst of past hurt and the spark of playful, flirtatious banter as the couple discovers they still can’t resist one another.

The duet narration really adds to the story and brings these characters to life. Breezy, light, and utterly escapist, this compulsive read left me eager to return to Plain Daisy Ranch.

10/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND by Piper Rayne. Narrators: CJ Bloom & Robert Hatchet. Piper Rayne Inc.; May 13, 2024. ASIN: B0D42D7RTV. Listening Length: 6 hours and 33 minutes

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