Villere House by Leslie FearMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Voodoo stars!!!
Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t do scary. I like dark and twisted reads with broken people, but anything spooky you can count me out. It’s safe to say anything about ghosts, spirits, voodoo etc. wouldn’t be my type of book. Normally, I wouldn’t give this type of book a go, but I’m so glad I did. Full of suspense, mystery, romance and all kinds of paranormal things. Was it a little creepy? Yes. But it wasn’t too scary for me. I would classify it more like a paranormal/suspenseful romance and less horror. It was unique, unpredictable, entertaining and refreshing.
Lottie Boyd is on spring break in New Orleans with her two college friends. She’s supposed to be having some fun, but ever since she arrived at the city, these dreams have haunted her. Except they don’t feel like dreams. They feel real. The dreams are set in New Orleans in a much different time. Lottie doesn’t feel like she’s dreaming about Elise. She feels like she IS Elise. Elise is a widowed mother with a sick child. She is willing to do anything to get her child well, including a Voodoo ritual to make her well again. After experiencing these dreams and some other strange things, Lottie decides to do some digging. It’s getting to the point where she’s afraid of her dreams.
Maybe going to one of the local Voodoo places will shed some light on the situation. There, she meets Xavier.
Xavier Villere has grown up in New Orleans with the Voodoo culture. He is a bit disbelieving and cynical when it comes to believing in that stuff, but Lottie may be one to change all that. When she first tells him about her dreams/flashbacks, he’s skeptical. When her dreams start including Laurent Villere, things change.
Not only do the dreams continue for Lottie, but they get much more intense. Xavier and Lottie try to figure out what the dreams could possibly mean. Elise and Laurent. Lottie and Xavier. The stories intertwine. There are signs, she just has to figure out what the signs mean. And she needs Xavier’s help for that. With everything going on, Lottie and Xavier develop a bond. Xavier has this need to protect her, keep her safe, but he can’t deny the feelings he’s starting to develop for her.
Xavier is a stand up guy and a swoonworthy leading man. He has character, he’s kind and charming. No matter if he believed Lottie or not, he had to help her. It’s just his nature.
“What are you doing here? I thought I told you-”
“I know,” he interjected quietly. “But this is the man I am, Lottie. I can’t sit by and watch those I care about suffer. Not when I might be able to help. I realize it can be stifling, but I can’t be any other way.”
As things with the couple progress in present time, secrets from the past come to light. Things get confusing for this couple when the flashbacks start invading Xavier as well.
Was it him she kissed? Or Laurent? Was she acting as Elise or herself? He had no idea.
I was captivated by this story from the start, and as the end drew near, I was biting my nails to see how it would all turn out...
Villere House is not your traditional romance story. It’s full of paranormal mystery, but the two separate yet intertwining romances made it interesting. The authors did a wonderful job mixing the present day with the past story lines. While reading, I actually felt like I was in New Orleans. The book is rich with the culture of this city. A well written and entertaining story. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a paranormal/mysterious romance with a historical feel to it. I very much enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to book 2 in the series, which will focus on the other Villere brother.
**ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
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