Bayou With Benefits (Badges of the Bayou)

Erin Nicholas

Sep 2022 · EN Fiction, Inc.

About this ebook

They are friends. Without benefits. Unfortunately.

Michael LeClaire is small-town Louisiana. A firefighter. A single dad.

And Amelia Landry is New York City. A social media influencer. A model.

Sure, she’s his son’s favorite person on the planet.

And yeah, their families spend so much time together it’s hard to remember who shares DNA and who just shares secrets, inside jokes, and a sincere lack of boundaries.

And okay, he’s seen her nerdy side. Her sweet side. Her funny, self-deprecating side. 

Fine, yes, resisting this woman has taken a saint’s share of willpower.

But he has to. He just cannot do long-distance. And he can’t have a casual fling with someone he’s known–and will know–forever.

Thankfully, he only has to hide his feelings a few times a year when she visits.

And then, he slips. One time. One spontaneous I-knew-it-would-be-everything kiss and he’s a goner.

Now every time they see each other it's harder and harder to ignore the heat.

And when she shows up on his doorstep after a car accident changes her entire life, there’s no way he can resist the chance to see if this can last…or if they’ll finally flame out.  

Ratings and reviews

4.5 Stars I couldn't wait to dive into this single dad romance. Ami and Michael had me gobbling up the pages. Michael had me swooning big time. Michael is a fixer especially with those he cares. Ami goes through a lot in this one. It's beautiful watching forge a new path when her future did a 180. It opened her eyes to more possibilities then could ever imagined. I loved the bond Ami has with Michael's son Andre. It really warmed my heart to see how close they are.

Michael LeClaire is a hot, single dad, fire chief and paramedic in his small Louisiana town. Widowed at a young age, he has focused on the most important thing in his life, his son, and protecting everyone he cares about. Amelia Landry has always been "the pretty one" in her family. It's the position relegated to her by her mom, who had Ami in pageants from a young age. She is good friends with Michael's son and they share common interests. Now, she's a model and social media influencer who lives in New York. Michael has long been attracted to her, and the feelings have been mutual for Ami. But Michael can't do a long distance relationship. It's hard to hide the chemistry between them but it gets even harder after they kiss. But at least they only have to hide it a few times a year, when Ami comes back to town. Until the night when Ami has an accident. Now she has moved back to town and is living in Michael's house, helping to take care of his son.

This author writes the best romantic comedy small town stories. These last couple of books have been a little more serious than I’m used to from this author but just as good. “Grown men do stupid things that aren’t about relationships sometimes,” Michael has been in love with Ami forever and everybody knows it but her. This is a super slow burn romance. Just when there seems to be to much standing between them and there HEA everything works out. “Of course not. But new is fresh. Different.

About the author

Erin Nicholas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

You can find Erin at ErinNicholas.com