Rating: 
Summary: Exciting yet ....
Review: I have to admit. I was hesitant when I bought this book. Than I could not put it down. I would read when ever I could. I just had to get to the ending...than poof. It fizzled. It seemed Mrs.Roberts was tired of writting the book than just ended it abruptly. It was like reading the end of a Harlequin Romance. The obligated chapters were set in place. Time to emd it and send it in.
I did indeed love the story. But the ending was rather abrupt. I felt it left loose ends.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T WAIT FOR THE PAPERBACK!
Review: I am constantly amazed by reviews from readers who try to place harsh literary restrictions on the romance genre. While I certainly have no time for stupid romance books aimed at women with an IQ of 10, even Nora Roberts at her least inspired is better than most. I may not find her choice of a story my personal favorite, but I always come away feeling like the price and my time was worth it. And so it is with "Midnight Bayou". As is the case with all her books, her characters are interesting and her stories creatively unique. Her character's perfections and story situations are intensified for a reason--and that reason is why we all enjoy the genre. "Midnight Bayou" was a fun read and I recommend it highly to all readers who enjoy quality romance writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring...and not well researched...
Review: Bored, burned out, yuppie lawyer Declan Fitzgerald quits his cushy life in Boston and purchases a decrepit mansion outside New Orleans. He saw the place while in college and has dreamt of restoring it for years. Of course, the house is not just fashioned of wood and plaster...it has many stories to tell...and ghosts to tell them. Declan hooks up with a mysterious local woman with stories of her own. Together they try to unravel the mysteries of Manet Hall and finally put the ghosts to rest. I liked the characters and the way the stories from the past ran concurrently with the present, but I figured out the 'twist' too early. I'm not sure where Ms. Roberts grew up, but I can almost bet it was not Louisiana. Writers find the bayous and their surroundings full of possible plot lines, but unless they've lived there (or have a research assistant who did), their work usually leaves me a little disappointed. However, I continue to buy their books hoping "This one will have gotten it right". I'm almost always disappointed. Leave Louisiana stories to the natives who have grown up with Spanish moss, bayous, rich roux, wonderful oral traditions, and just a touch of magic. They're the ones who can weave a spell just by saying: "Cher, have you heard the story about that crazy Yankee lawyer who finally solved the mystery of Manet Hall? No? Well, just sit yourself down and let me tell you ....."
Rating:
Summary: Kind of a dissapointement
Review: I usually love her books. But this one, it fell short of her usually high standerds. I could swallow the gender switching ghosts, but for Abby & Julian to just "rest in peace" after all that. It left me kind of annoyed!! She put so much of them into the story that I expected more in the ending. As for the relationship between Dec & Lena, well it seemed that they go through this "spiritual cleansing" toward the end, then everything is just peachy?!?! What was that all about??? I will still read her books, as I think she is a gifted story teller. But I am sorry to say that this one just did not do it for me.
Rating:
Summary: Up with the best of Nora's past work
Review: I've been a Nora Roberts fan for decades, and I've realized over time that I don't hold her to the same standard I do most other authors. I judge Nora's books by how they stack up against my favorite Nora classics, not how they stack up against anyone else's work. And perhaps logically, as time has worn on, I'll admit that while I enjoy every one of her books, it has become harder for Nora to thrill and surprise me as much as she used to. This all contributes to my delighted surprise with Midnight Bayou, which has rocketed itself to the top of my "Favorite All Time Nora" shelf. I was riveted to the pages and couldn't get to sleep afterward because I kept wondering if I maybe felt a "presence" in my own house...!! hint- don't start reading this book late at night thinking you can read a little, then put it down and pick it up again in the morning. It doesn't lend itself to that - you're more likely to stumble into work the next morning with an all-night-reading hangover! As other reviewers have noted, I really enjoyed the hero providing the main character perspective and pivotal role. This is something Nora does fairly often in her category romances, and it worked well in Midnight Bayou. Of course it helps that Declan Fitzgerald is such a great character. Yes, he has some of the classic "formulaic" romance hero traits (rich, good-looking, etc) I've seen some negative comments about in reviews, but what makes Declan work for me are his layers. This is not a one-dimensional character the way the bad romance heros are. He's not perfect/alpha or saving the day (except for himself). Like so many of us, he's conflicted in some ways, and bullheadedly sure of himself in others. He has come to Manet Hall to start a new life, but first he has to deal with the tragic remnants of many lives before him, and their possible connections to his own present relationships. This is big stuff for anyone, and he handles it with appealing boyishness, dedication, humor and nerve. What I want to know is where I find a guy like him for myself?! I don't even care about the looks and the money! Give me the kindness and the humor and the dreamy determination. This is a man worth having. Nora gives Declan a woman to love in Angelina (Lena) Simone and I liked her. Again, I've seen some reviews talk about Lena as a selfish b--ch, but I didn't get that feeling from her at all. She's been badly hurt in the past by relationships, and not by a man, but by her mother (a greater betrayal and more scarring as presented here). She doesn't trust and she depends on herself almost to the exclusion of others. She sees Declan as simply too good to be true, and therefore not worth the risk. Her struggle to accept his feelings for her and hers for him was believable to me, and endearing. She's not a typical romance heroine (if there is such a thing anymore), and I liked that too. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot itself, with its woven storylines of past and present, and elements of paranormal activity, which I thought was very well done. I cared about both levels of story, and wanted justice/forgiveness in the present for the tragic victims of the past, even as I couldn't quite figure out how that would happen. I agree with some of the reviews I've seen that mentioned the ending not quite living up to the rest of the book. I was surprised by its brevity, given the wonderful depth and narrative lushness of the story itself. I was a little disappointed, and would've liked an epilogue or something to flesh out the HEA more. But it's kind of like eating a big ice cream sundae and then saying just as you finish, but wait, it didn't have enough nuts on top...it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the whole. It speaks to the success of the characters and the story that we all wanted to see more of them, doesn't it? If you've been a fan of Nora's who has been wishing she would try something a little different, then I think you'll like Midnight Bayou a lot. If you like her books just the way they are, you will like it, but may be surprised because she does some different things. If you've never read Nora before, oh boy, do you have lots of great stuff ahead of you! ENJOY!! I sure did and expect to again many times in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Ending fizzeled...
Review: I'm a big fan of Ms. Robert's paranormal books so had been looking forward to this release. Unlike a lot of the reviewers I had no problem with the gender switch in the karmic group. It worked quite well in the movie *Dead Again* and worked just as well here. I adored Miz Odette and Remy as well conceived secondary characters. The bacholor party is one of my favorite scenes and one of the few places in this book where Ms. Robert's humor really shines. However, I was really annoyed with all the foreshadowing that Ms. Robert's set up then blew off. The biggest offender being all the machinations to get Remy and Effie's wedding moved to Manet Hall. Were you expecting all kinds of fireworks at the wedding as Miss Josephine's and Julian's spirits were vanquished and laid to rest? They'd been slamming doors, throwing crockery around and causing frigid bursts of air in the passage in front of the nursery. I hardly expected them to go quietly! Were you expecting the lovers to find peace? And the baby to stop crying and the clock to stop bonging? *AT THE WEDDING?* I was. The ending was such a dissapointment. Without a whimper the ghosts have suddenly found peace and are gone. After the wedding. What was up with that? It was as if Ms. Robert's had either just gotten tired of the book, or had used up her word count and wasn't willing to go back and revise. I enjoyed most of the book so will give it three stars, but even as I write this I still feel cheated by the ending. I'm waiting to buy Heaven and Earth the second part of her Three Sisters trilolgy later this week and only hope that it isn't suffering from the same symptoms.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: After "The Villa" and "Carolina Moon," Midnight Bayou was a breath of fresh air. I really liked how Roberts focused primarily on the two main characters, Declan and Lena while the supplementary characters stayed as just that, not taking more of the spotlight than necessary from the other them, such as by making Remy and Effie an already established couple than taking the reader through their relationship as she did with Pilar and David in the Villa. I really liked how the ghosts of the past played into the story with some twists that honestly came out of left field but made perfect sense in light of the preceding events. The book was anything but predictable in multiple respects and I really missed that. Initially, as I got into the novel I saw shades of Sophia from "The Villa" in Lena but as the novel progressed, Lena came off as a different, if not improved, version of that character. I do also think that Declan is just a tad too perfect <why can't guys in real life be that smooth and not come of as corny?>, but then again, this is a romance novel, not real life :). The supporting characters were wonderful and I really enjoyed the interplay between Remy and Declan. Another character who seemed a little too perfect was perhaps Miss Odette, but it looked so good on her it's hard to complain. The ending felt a little rushed ... would have loved an epilogue. But all in all, a wonderful book and a great reminder as to why this woman is an excellent storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: HO HUM
Review: I have been a Nora Roberts fan for years and have read everything she and JD Robb write. This book is not her best. The charactors were not interesting, only her attention to detail made the book acceptable.I say wait until paperback or it hits the used list.
Rating:
Summary: Midnight Bayou
Review: Nora does it again! She is one of my favorite authors and yet she still cease to amaze me. If you are truely a Nora Roberts fan you will read this book just because. The inserts are amazing and the preveiw speaks for itself.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!!!
Review: This book was great. I didn't think I was going to like it after reading the prologue. Once you begin this book clear your day and be ready to get sucked in. This book takes place in the bayou outside of New Orleans in a haunted mansion. The leading man, Declan, has given up a successful law practice in Boston and has re-located to the bayou to re-construct a mansion that he felt a pull from during his early college years. Then he is met by the sexy Angelina. You feel their fire for eachother as soon as the pages introduce their two characters. He is living in a haunted mansion and refuses to leave. This novel had romance, suspense, and drama. I really enjoyed this book, if your'e a Nora Roberts fan, you will not be let down. After reading this I know that it is a book that I will re-read in the future.
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