THE BAYOU NEVER TELLS by CHELLEY ST CLAIR

“Everyone has a moment where they need an angel, and anyone can be the angel in someone’s moment.”

Our introduction to the writing of Chelley St Clair was with the co-written The Thorns Remain, and we’ve been looking forward to her solo debut The Bayou Never Tells ever since. We would recommend before picking up this book that you read the triggers on the author’s website. Some parts of this dark, gritty romantic suspense are quite brutal and not for the fainthearted.

“That…that was something, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah…it was somethin’.”

Chelley St Clair has woven a tense, suspenseful torrid age gap enemies to lovers’ story with a menacing underlying tone. This author certainly doesn’t shy away from the gritty, with parts of this story being quite brutal, and sometimes difficult to read. However, the tone of this story dictated that Ivy and Silas’s story be told in all its ugly and jaded ominous environment, and Chelley St Clair did just that.

“I can handle your storm, Ivy.”

Silas Montgomery hasn’t got much faith in life. Apart from a loving stepfamily, everything else in Silas’s life was on a knife edge. By the time Silas had turned sixteen, his life had become a harsh cacophony of danger and death, controlled by a crime gang who would resort to anything to keep him in line.

  “I ruin people, Princess.”

Ivy Summers grew up between Hollywood and politics – a political commodity for her dangerously ambitious mother and father, Ivy was expected to toe the line and do her mother’s begging, regardless of how unfulfilling and horrid Ivy’s life would be.

Silas and Ivy are controlled by those whose sole existence it is to use these lost souls for their greed and ambition. Silas and Ivy become trapped in a web of deceit, danger, and warring families. A forbidden attraction that could cost those they love dearly.

We loved Silas and Ivy’s story. The drama, the suspense, the passion, and the dark and gritty underbelly ensured our desperation to uncover how their story would unfold. The political aspect didn’t overwhelm us, as this was Ivy and Silas’s story down to the core.

“There are lots of good men out there you could give yourself to, and I ain’t one of them. I got nothin’ to offer a sweet thing like you.”

Told in a dual POV, we discover, despite their very different upbringing, Silas and Ivy have more in common than they would ever know. As much as we were gripped by The Bayou Never Tells, we have to admit that there were times we felt the story slow-going and we became a little disconnected, however, the author would once again drag us back in until the dark, intimidating story hit its crescendo, with part two taking a very dark turn – you’ve been warned!

“I know our secrets will stay here…because the Bayou never tells…and neither will we.”

A fabulous solo debut that’s led us to be desperate for more from this author. To hear two brilliant supporting characters would be getting their story next left us squealing with delight. OMG! We can’t even tell you how excited we are about that book! That’s going to be a saucy beauty!