Book Review – Set the Night on Fire

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham, Set the Night on Fire

Every trip to Cottonbloom is a treat!

*****

Set the Night on Fire

Cottonbloom, Book 6

by Laura Trentham

Release Date: July 31, 2018

Blurb:

From award winning author Laura Trentham comes Set the Night on Fire, a novel about starting over, finding your way back home—and falling head over heels. . .

Ella Boudreaux has a lot to prove to her family, friends, and foes—and to herself. So when her marriage ends she decides to invest her energy and money into a place that brings back some of Ella’s happiest memories: the Abbott brothers’ garage. Maybe, if she puts her mind to it, she can teach skeptical, stubborn Mack Abbott how to make the business a true success. Which would be a lot easier if the hunky mechanic didn’t make her motor run quite so fast…and hot.

Mack was furious when his brother, Ford, sold his share of the business. He’s in no rush to team up with a wealthy divorcée who shows up to the garage in stilettos—and the longest, sexiest legs he’s seen in forever. But Ella’s grit and determination won’t quit…and soon Mack can see that she’s been down a few rough roads herself. Neither Mack nor Ella can deny the fierce attraction that’s revving up between them. Could it be that true love has been in the backseat all along…and they’ve finally found the key?

Amz: https://www.amazon.com/Set-Night-Fire-Cottonbloom-Novel-ebook/dp/B078X17ZDW

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/set-the-night-on-fire-laura-trentham/1127802341?ean=9781250131317

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/set-the-night-on-fire/id1333504213?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/set-the-night-on-fire-7

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Laura_Trentham_Set_the_Night_on_Fire?id=-PRFDwAAQBAJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36797817-set-the-night-on-fire

*****

Excerpt:

“How the—” Mack caught the curse in his hand. “You’re not a mechanic, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“Call me Ella.” At his stony stare, she shrugged and continued. “You don’t need another mechanic. You have plenty of mechanics. What you need is someone to market you.”

“And you know enough about cars to do that?” His skepticism hit her like a kid pulling her pigtails behind the monkey bars. Annoying.

She shouldn’t rise to the bait. Unfortunately, her mouth was less mature than her mind, and she reeled off facts her brother had recited with pride.

“That Datsun 240Z you were under? It’s a seventy-three with a 2.4-liter straight-six and side-draft carburetors. It can hit sixty in 8.2 seconds with 151 horsepower. Top speed is a hundred twenty-five miles per hour. Not that anyone should be driving that fast on parish roads.”

He looked . . . stunned. She confined herself to a small self-satisfied smile. She had a feeling nothing much surprised Mack Abbott, or if it did, he made sure the world didn’t realize it.

“How did you . . . How do you know all that?”

“That’s not important. What is important is that I can help you.”

“We don’t need help.” He shook his head and re-chinked the breaks in his wall of grump.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, we don’t.” The playground-level annoyance continued with his childish denials.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, probably not helping to diffuse the situation.

“Name your price.”

“That’s not how this is going to work, Mack.”

“I say how things are run and done in this garage. Not you, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“I have a quarter stake and an equal voice.”

“Except, we handle things democratically around here and my brothers will have my back. Every. Single. Time.”

Dangit. He had her there. Pushing against Mack was like trying to move a mountain. She glanced at the twins. If she couldn’t move Mack, then she’d have to go around him. She wanted to stalk out and slam the door, but forced herself to mosey as if she wasn’t bothered at all by the situation or the man. He followed her to the door. She stopped with one foot out and one in. The breeze caught her hair, and she tossed her head to get it out of her eyes.

“You might vote me down, but at least give me a chance to be heard.”

“Name your price,” he repeated in a growly, grizzly voice that was meant to grind down her dissension.

Where she found the gumption she didn’t know, but she gave his cheek two pats and said, “You can’t afford me, tough guy.”

*****

Review:

I love Mack. He’s taken on a lot, plus the stress that comes with being the de facto head of the Abbott family, after the passing of their father. He’s working hard to keep things moving as they have been … but things are changing and it is all brought to a head with the sale of a part of the business to Ella. He’s happy with his younger brothers finding good women to settle down with but the garage belongs to the Abbotts and that’s one change he’s not going to just accept.

Ella has her reasons for buying Ford out and I admire her gumption in not letting Mack intimidate her. Her fake it until you make it attitude makes her one of my favorite heroines. She’s not going down without a fight and she definitely keeps Mack on his toes, which he so very much needs.

Both Mack & Ella come into the situation with baggage but I love the fact that once they get over the animosity of how their partnership began there really isn’t too much drama. There’s a little difficulty in figuring out how to move from enemies to lovers but there isn’t so much back & forth that it gets annoying. Instead they handle it with the maturity that reasonable people should 🙂

(Returning readers will enjoy the resolution of a few issues in the latest Cottonbloom book, but Trentham does a great job of giving new readers a complete & enjoyable story.)

*****

Author Info:

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. KISS ME THAT WAY, Cottonbloom Book 1, won the Stiletto Contest for Best Long Contemporary and finaled in the National Readers Choice Award. THEN HE KISSED ME, Cottonbloom Book 2, was named an Amazon Best Romance of 2016 and was a finalist for the National Excellence for Romance Fiction. TILL I KISSED YOU, Cottonbloom Book 3, is a finalist in the Maggie contest. LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, the latest Cottonbloom book, was named an iBooks Best Book of the Month and a Recommended Read from NPR.

When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Website: https://www.lauratrentham.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTrentham

Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauratrentham/

Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham

*****

Giveaway:

The first five (5) books in the Cottonbloom series!

Kiss Me That Way, Book 1

Then He Kissed Me, Book 2

Till I Kissed You, Book 3

Leave the Night On, Book 4

When the Stars Come Out, Book 5

Contest is open to International entries! US winner will receive autographed copies.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/746772684/

*****

Tour Schedule:

July 30

The Reading Café (Review) – http://thereadingcafe.com

July 31

Romance Reviews Today Blog (Review) – https://romrevtoday.blogspot.com

SOS Aloha – http://sosaloha.blogspot.com

August 1

Cara’s Book Boudoir – http://www.carasbookboudoir.com

Ever After Book Reviews (Review) – https://everafterbookreviews.blogspot.com

August 2

Community Bookstop (Review) – http://communitybookstop.blogspot.com

StoreyBook Reviews (Review) – http://www.storeybookreviews.com

August 3

Reds Romance Reviews (Review) – https://redsromancereviews.blogspot.com

Katherine’s Book Universe (Review) – https://www.katherinesbookuniverse.wordpress.com

August 4

Moonlight Rendezvous (Review) – http://www.moonlightrendezvous.com

Nicole’s Book Musings – http://nicolesbookmusings.blogspot.com

August 5

My Novelesque Life (Review) – http://mynovelesquelife.wordpress.com

August 6

Bigreadersite (Review) – http://bigreadersite.wordpress.com

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews (Review) – http://www.smutbookjunkie.com

August 7

Cathy’s World (Review) – http://cathygeha.tumblr.com

August 8

2014 & Beyond! (Review) – http://2014andbeyond.com

Paulette’s Papers – http://paulettespapers.com

August 9

Romantic Reads (Review) – https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com

August 10

Francoise’s Reading Corner (Review) – https://bookishattic.wordpress.com

Book Review – When the Stars Come Out

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham, When the Stars Come Out

This isn’t my first visit to Cottonbloom … and I really hope it won’t be my last!!!

*****

When the Stars Come Out

A Cottonbloom Novel

by Laura Trentham

Blurb:

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past—and find reason to stay forever in Laura Trentham’s When the Stars Come Out. . .

Willa Brown never planned to stay in Cottonbloom. She was on the way to somewhere else when she landed there and found work at the Abbot brothers’ garage. . .and a sense of comfort and safety that she had never known. The same holds true for Jackson Abbott himself. With one glance in her direction, he can make Willa’s heart melt. But what begins as an unrequited crush turns into something far more powerful than Willa could have ever imagined. . .

Jackson’s most meaningful relationship has always been with his car—and he’s not afraid to admit it. Still, he can’t help but become emotionally entangled with his new star mechanic Willa, who is definitely hiding some dark secrets of her own beneath the hood. Jackson desperately wants Willa to trust him, and to seek protection in his arms. But even as the two slowly surrender to their shared attraction, the danger lurking in Willa’s past remains a stubborn obstacle. Can she open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/minm6t

Amz: http://smarturl.it/ot9u7g

BN: http://smarturl.it/z4d8xz

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/5dles5

Kobo: http://smarturl.it/j60yyx

GooglePlay: http://smarturl.it/qvi0by

Praise for When the Stars Come Out

“The fifth installment in the Cottonbloom series, following Leave the Light On (2017) is hot and sweet, and readers will cheer for Willa and Jackson. Fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Mallery will love the immersive world that Trentham has created in Cottonbloom, a small southern town divided by the Mississippi River.” Booklist

“When the Stars Come Out is a tender and sexy small-town tale of blossoming love.” BookPage

Returning to Cottonbloom has never been sweeter, When The Stars Come Out is pure literary magic, it’s sure to have readers mesmerized from start to finish!! Red’s Romance Reviews, 5 stars

*****

Excerpt:

Willa glanced down and back up at Jackson through her lashes. The gentle, flirtatious look hit him like a punch. This time his heart kicked like he might require someone to call 911. “Do I clean up good?”

He knew what she wanted to hear and later, in the dark solitude of his bed, he’d tell her and, even better, show her. But, for now, he tempered his response, hoping to get a rise out of her. “Not bad.”

She stepped forward and punched his arm. It might have stung if she hadn’t tipped to the side as her fist made contact. Her eyes popped wide and a little huff escaped. With reaction times honed on the racetrack, he wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her flush with his body.

“You sure you know how to operate those shoes?” This time he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“They don’t require a license. And I was doing fine until you showed up.”

Her admission made him feel slightly better. He wasn’t the only one who was off balance. Her body notched into his perfectly with the added inches the heels lent her. His focus dropped from her sparking eyes to her mouth. Maybe he’d kiss the gloss off them right now. His lips hovered an inch from hers. So close he could feel the ramp-up of her breathing. Or was that his breathing spinning out of control?

*****

Review:

Be still my heart – I just want to give every Abbott brother a hug! Abandoned by their mother as small boys, they were loved by their father and their aunts, but they definitely missed out on something without that motherly love. And now with the sudden death of their dad, things are even more complicated.

For Jackson it all comes to a head when he realizes that he might lose his right-hand woman. Willa has been running from her past and trying her best to lie low. And while she’s had a crush on Jackson for years, having him finally notice her as more than a great employee doesn’t fit her plan for hiding.

Trentham is one of the best at delivering character driven small-town romances. There is such a feeling of community (here it shines with the closeness of the brothers) and when trouble happens they rally around each other. And while Willa doesn’t think that’s what she wants, it is definitely what she needs. It is time that she faces up to what happened so she can finally start living again. Unfortunately she’s been on her own for so long, scared and hesitant to trust thanks to some bad experiences, so it is going to take a lot of patience and understanding on Jackson’s part to get her to that point. Good thing the more self-contained Abbott brother has both in spades!

*****

Author Info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTrentham

Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauratrentham/

Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win the first four (4) books in the Cottonbloom series!

Kiss Me That Way, Book 1

Then He Kissed Me, Book 2

Till I Kissed You, Book 3

Leave the Night On, Book 4

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/746772683/

*****

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour

Book Review – Leave the Night On

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham, Leave the Night On

Woo Hoo! It’s time to return to Cottonbloom!!!!

*****

Leave The Night On

Cottonbloom #4

by Laura Trentham

Releasing August 1, 2017

St. Martin’s Press

Blurb:

Love, betrayal, and sweet revenge–life in Cottonbloom is about to get a whole lot hotter . . .

Sutton Mize is known for lavishing attention on the customers who flock to her boutique on the wealthy side of her Mississippi town. So when she finds a lace thong in her fiance’s classic cherry-red Camaro, she knows just who she sold it to: her own best friend. In an instant, Sutton’s whole world goes up in flames. . .

Wyatt Abbott has harbored a crush on Sutton since he was a young kid from the other side of the tracks. He witnessed Sutton’s shocking discovery in the Camaro at his family-owned garage–and it made him angry. What kind of man could take lovely, gorgeous Sutton for granted? But then Sutton comes up with an idea: Why not give her betrothed a taste of his own medicine and pretend that she’s got a lover of her own? Wyatt is more than happy to play the hot-and-heavy boyfriend. But what begins as a fictional affair soon develops into something more real, and more passionate, than either Sutton or Wyatt could have imagined. Could it be that true love has been waiting under the hood all along?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450643-leave-the-night-on

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/178426-cottonbloom

Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

Jackson grabbed Wyatt’s arm and forced him around. “You like her.”

“Everyone likes her. She’s nice.”

“I mean, you like like her. You have since we were kids—I’ve not forgotten how you walked around with cow eyes around her—and that kiss out front wasn’t pretend. You two nearly melted the asphalt.”

Jackson’s twin powers had veered sharply annoying. “I maybe, sort of like her. What’s wrong with that? She’s single; I’m single.”

“She’s been single for less than a week. She’s using you.”

“I’m using her too. In return for me squiring her around, she’s going to get her judge daddy to talk up the garage at the country club. Send some more projects our way to make up for the Camaro.”

“That kiss was all a selfless act for the garage?” Jackson’s sarcasm was not appreciated.

Wyatt had to look away from his brother’s gaze which prompted a muttered curse from Jackson.

“Do not fall for this woman, Wyatt. Whether she means to or not, she’s going to rip your heart into little pieces and feed it to the gators before she goes back to her old life.”

“We’re not getting serious. In fact, we agreed that after I take her to the gala, it’s over.”

Jackson didn’t look pleased with the news. He looked worried. “As long as you don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s anything more than that. She’ll be back with Tarwater or someone like him by Christmas.”

Because the thought had already burrowed into his chest, Wyatt’s reaction was knee-jerk and defensive. “Someone like him?”

“You know, sophisticated. Worldly. Rich. Well-connected. Well-groomed.”

“Eff you,” Wyatt shot back, but there was little heat to it.

Jackson was right. “I’ve been told I clean up real nice.”

Jackson’s smile revealed his dimples. A rare sight since their pop had died last year. “Doesn’t count if it’s from a female relative over the age of sixty.”

*****

Review:

I’ve seen a few reviews where people have had a problem with Sutton – I think they feel like she didn’t put as much effort in or that she took advantage of Wyatt. But relationships aren’t always even. Sometimes you are having a bad time of it, like Sutton, and need the support. Wyatt does a fantastic job of being there for her, even when it’s not easy for him, and helping her find her mojo.

You get the feeling she’s never really had anyone push her or challenger her to be the person she wants to be. Instead she’s just done the expected thing and floated through life. With the discovery of being cheated on, not just by her fiancé but her best friend, things are turned upside down. Luckily Wyatt is there to catch her and help her find her place. He’s just hoping it will be by his side …

Wyatt comfortable in his own skin and has a good idea of who he is. It’s his family that has a bit of the drama going on. Ever since his dad died things haven’t been easy for the brothers and it seems to be getting worse. Having Sutton ask him to be her fake boyfriend, something that he wouldn’t mind making real, is a good diversion from the more difficult things at home.

It’s those problems at home that you know will turn into some great future stories 🙂 The closeness among Wyatt’s brothers (or at least most of the brothers) is heart-warming but also got me very curious about what things they are hiding from each other. Trentham yet again creates an interesting group of people with a lot of potential.

If you love small town charm, quirky characters, and touching love stories, Trentham’s Cottonbloom series is a must read – she is definitely making a name for herself as a go-to author of southern contemporary romances. While this is part of a bigger series, Leave the Night On is the start of a new subsection and can easily stand on its own so those that are new to this little divided town definitely have a great place to start. And it means that you are all set to enjoy all the delicious goodness that the Abbott brothers are sure to bring! (But don’t blame me if you find yourself adding a whole lot of her backlist to your TBR pile 🙂 )

BTW, for those that worry about the apparent one-sidedness of their relationship, the epilogue does a good job of showing exactly how well Sutton gets Wyatt.

*****

Author Info:

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Win signed copies of the Cottonbloom series with bookmarks, bath bombs, scented soaps, and a beach ready bag.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/746772681/?

*****

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Book Review – Light Up the Night

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

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Light Up the Night

Cottonbloom #3.75

by Laura Trentham

When a police chief who craves stability meets a free-thinking, colorful college professor, neither anticipate the fireworks that light up the night…

After a mugging in grad school left her with an irrational fear of the night not even her PhD in psychology has helped overcome, Sadie Wren is sure she’s found an idyllic, safe place in Cottonbloom. When a break-in at her house shatters her sense of safety, gruff, protective Thaddeus Preston storms into her life. On the surface, they have little in common, but a loneliness she’s only too familiar with hides behind his infrequent smiles. But based on her knowledge of the human psyche, Sadie is convinced her infatuation with Thad will burn out as quickly as it flared.

As the Chief of Police of Cottonbloom, Mississippi, Thaddeus Preston maintains a strict control on everything in the small town—himself included. With an older brother serving time for a crime Thad committed when he was just a kid, he lives a life of penance, not allowing anyone to get close. When a reported lurker turns into a real threat, Thad is determined to restore order as quickly as possible and get back to his virtual jail.

But Thad’s brother gets out on probation just as Sadie and the town turns to him for protection. His tidy, barren life spins into chaos, and the only thing that makes sense is the one woman who shouldn’t.

I really don’t think the blurb gives Sadie enough credit … or maybe it’s just me that sees “free-thinking, colorful” and automatically thinks hippie 🙂 And she totally isn’t. Yes, she’s got dyed streaks in her hair and she’s a little (ok, a lot) more bubbly than the oh-so-serious police chief but she’s definitely not the wild child I thought she’d be. She’s smart, funny and a good foil for the taciturn man in uniform who comes to help her after a break-in.

Thad has put himself in his own kind of prison after his brother went to jail. They were both young and stupid and he hates that he’s free while his brother is in a cell. He’s turned himself into an all-business cop who doesn’t have a life outside of his job and no real friends to speak of. And women are definitely not in his orbit. Until he meets Sadie and she has him thinking about things he hasn’t in years.

I adored these two together. Thad is great at settling Sadie when her fears get too much. His steady, strong presence helps her calm down enough that her professional mind can help her work through her issues. On the other side, Sadie touches a part of Thad that he’s locked away and helps him find the man under the uniform. She brings out laughter and fun that he’s been missing for way too long.

My only complaint, and this is common for Threntham’s stories, is that I definitely didn’t get enough! Even her full-length books are over too soon so you know that her novellas, while complete and satisfying, will always need more pages. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing missing in the story – the characters are well-crafted and the plot is believable & thorough, I can’t help but want for more when something is this good! I’ll definitely be first in line when the next book comes out this summer knowing that Trentham just owns it at delivering the quirky small-town romance 🙂

Book Review – Candy Cane Christmas

28 Friday Oct 2016

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Book Review, Candy Cane Christmas, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham

Candy Cane Christmas

A Cottonbloom story

by Laura Trentham

A very Cottonbloom Christmas!

Jeremy Whitehurst has tried to leave his bad-boy behavior and tarnished image behind in Alabama for a fresh start in Cottonbloom, Louisiana. Unfortunately, trouble has dogged him across state lines. Stepping up and protecting a young woman from her abusive boyfriend earned him a beat-down and got him fired. Although the thanks in the girl’s dark eyes made it all worth it, he recognizes she’s just a different kind of trouble. A trouble he’s not sure he can stay away from.

One rebellious summer dented Kayla Redmond’s carefree innocence. Now her focus is on completing her associate’s degree for bookkeeping, and no one is going to derail her plans. Unfortunately, her job at Fournette Brothers Designs puts her in the path of the one man who has seen her at her worst, yet his blue eyes don’t judge her. He sees beyond the brokenness inside of her and rouses her wild side once more. But, that’s what got her in trouble in the first place.

Christmas is coming and Kayla’s ready to forgive herself and take a chance. But the holiday has only ever brought heartache to Jeremy. No Christmas miracle kept his mother clean or out of jail. Will one reckless night and some time spent in the back of a cop car be the best present Jeremy’s ever been given?

I’ve been waiting a long time for Jeremy to get a HEA and Trentham delivers beautifully. She gives us all of his background info that we’ve been waiting for, plus forgiveness and a chance at something more than just living for him.

Jeremy’s been beating himself up for his bad decisions for a long time but he’s proven himself to be a better man, to have learned from his past. Now he just has to realize it J Kayla also has a little self-forgiveness to do and to realize that bad choices don’t define us. Like Jeremy, it’s what you do from then on that’s important.

While there isn’t a lot of conflict here, the growth that they go through is just as important. It’s a Christmas novella so there’s the requisite heart and emotion, learning and moving forward, fresh starts and healing old wounds … but of course with Trentham flair! She’s not going to give us just any old holiday cheer – ours has leather, motorcycles and cop cars just to keep things hopping.

Book Review – Till I Kissed You

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham, Till I Kissed You

Till I Kissed You

Cottonbloom #3

by Laura Trentham

It’s summertime in Cottonbloom, where two lovers find themselves at a crossroads just as things start to heat up. . .

Regan Lovell grew up on the wealthy Mississippi side of Cottonbloom—and now, as mayor, she’s determined to save it from the fate of so many small towns. Part of her plan to help the local economy is the Labor Day tomato festival. If only she wasn’t being undermined by Sawyer Fournette, who’s planning a crayfish-themed celebration on the Louisiana side of the river on the very same weekend. The pranks and sabotage are getting out of hand, and she’s had it with him—no matter how much she enjoyed those stolen hours in his truck bed, so many years ago…

Sawyer knows that Regan’s never forgiven him for breaking her heart—but despite his reputation as a low-class swamp rat, he’d never hurt the woman who still secretly drives him crazy with desire. Someone in Cottonbloom has it out for her, though, and Sawyer intends to watch her back…and the rest of her too, if she can ever let go of her distrust. But will a common enemy be enough to unite them—and finally fulfill the promises they made one passionate night under the stars?

I hate to say it but it took me a little bit to get into this book. I absolutely loved the first two in this series (Kiss Me That Way & Then He Kissed Me) and was so excited at the idea of finally getting this couple’s story … and it was because of that that I kept at it until I got hooked. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, maybe it was because I was so anxious to get their HEA that the build-up just got to me, but whatever it was I was very happy that I didn’t give up. Once it did get going I had a hard time putting it down.

I love Sawyer. He’s got a good heart, cares about his family and his community. His only big weaknesses are his feelings for Regan and how his insecurities from his childhood still cause him moments of doubt. Especially with the wealthier ‘Sips (most importantly Regan’s mom).

Regan isn’t my favorite of the heroines but she grew on me as we find out her secrets and fears. She’s a complicated person but she’s spent her whole life hiding every little thing and putting on a “face” for everyone. I think that it causes her to be misunderstood by not only those around her but the readers as well. As we get to see beneath the surface we start to understand her more.

The threat to Regan wasn’t as big of a deal as I expected it to be after having it be a part of all three stories – if you’ve read the others, it pretty much continued on in the same vein, but of course we finally get to find out who is behind it, which worked very well with what we’ve seen so far. I was also thrilled to get the resolution on what happened to Regan & Sawyer all those years ago, causing such bad feelings between the two of them. Unfortunately those emotions are still present and give them all sorts of trouble in the present. But it was fun seeing them try to fight it out!

As is to be expected from Trentham, complex personal interactions and layered personalities are present in the last of the Fournette stories. These stories are so much more than just a romance – it’s the chance to get to know people and love them like family. I’m happy that there are more coming (most especially a HEA for my favorite Alabama transplant) and I definitely am looking forward to the new & sure-to-be interesting characters we will have the pleasure of meeting 🙂

(This is part of a series but can stand on its own with minor overlap to other stories, which are explained well so you can easily keep up if this is your first book.)

Book Review – Then He Kissed Me

28 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Laura Trentham, Then He Kissed Me

Then He Kissed Me

Cottonbloom Novels #2

by Laura Trentham

Can two hearts come together in one divided town?

As a boy, Nash Hawthorne spent countless afternoons on the Louisiana side of Cottonbloom with Tally Fournette, wading in the river, peeling oranges and catching frogs. When illness stole his mother, Nash yearned to take Tally and run away—for good. Instead, he crossed the state line to live with his aunt. It was a short distance as the crow flies, but it swept him into a whole new world…

After Nash left, Tally managed to struggle through her own losses without him. But now that she’s crossed paths with him again—at Cottonbloom College, where the grown-up, gorgeous Nash teaches history—she is reminded of their cherished youthful connection…and an attraction that has only gotten stronger with age. Between Tally’s possessive ex and Nash’s snobbish aunt, no one thinks they belong together. In a town torn apart by old resentments and rivalries, can they find their way back to the life they once shared—and turn their long-lost dreams into a real and lasting love?

Do you need to have read Kiss Me That Way to enjoy this story? No. But it does help because this is one of those series that are intertwined and each is benefited by the others.

We caught glimpses of Nash and got to know Tally a little bit in the first book so we knew where this one was going to go. But their histories have so much depth – the way that they had an amazing connection and then lost so much at the same time, being separated and having to go through difficult adolescences alone. It’s similar to Cade and Monroe, the way that they meant so much to each other as kids but life took them away, only to bring them back together at the right time. But Trentham makes sure that Tally & Nash have their own individual issues to work through.

Tally has felt stupid for years because she struggled in school. Unfortunately the death of her parents just compounded what was already turning into a problem for her. With her flighty uncle Del as her guardian and being raised by her teenage brother as best he could there wasn’t enough attention to get her the help she really needed. It’s led to a lot of years where she’s felt like a lesser person, even after starting a very successful gym. Subsequently her choices on a personal level haven’t been exactly the best. Seeing her childhood best friend again, looking hot and being all smart & charming, definitely doesn’t help her insecurities.

Nash had his own image issues. Being Nerdy Nash and super smart, he was an outcast at school – picked on or ignored. Just because he got hot along the way doesn’t mean he’s all that more sure of himself than she is. He seems to have a better handle on it than Tally does, thanks to finding a home for himself in academia, but he’s got some scars from his teen years that still impact things today … isn’t that always how it is?

I absolutely LOVE how easy it is for these two to reconnect. They complement each other so well and to have that still there even after all these years leads to the foundation that they need to build something more. As long as they can get over the fear of what it could mean for their hearts.

Then He Kissed Me is an absolutely freakin’ fantastic story of second-chance love. Together Tally and Nash are cute and fun, bringing out the best in each other and challenging each other to do something more, to finally lay those last few issues to rest and move into a lasting, grown-up love.

Once again Trentham delivers good-ol’ down-home Southern living with quirky but lovable characters and a love story that will having you sighing with pleasure. And she gives a little more about Sawyer and Regan – enough that I can’t wait to get my hands on their book next month!

Book Review – Kiss Me That Way

31 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Book Review, Cottonbloom series, Kiss Me That Way, Laura Trentham

We’ve seen Laura Trentham’s Falcon Football Series and I was super stoked when I found out that she’s got a new place for us to call home!

*****

Kiss Me That Way

Cottonbloom #1

by Laura Trentham

Releasing May 31, 2016

St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Blurb:

A river divides Cottonbloom in two: the upscale enclave on the Mississippi side and the rundown, rough and tumble side in Louisiana. They’re worlds apart—but nothing can build a bridge like love…

Cade Fournette never had it easy Cottonbloom. He stuck around long enough to raise his orphaned siblings and then hightailed it out West—and never looked back. Even though he’s made a success of himself in Seattle, Cade never lost the toughness and the angry edge that helped him survive down South. His only weak spot: the girl he left behind…

Monroe Kirby came from the wealthy side of town, but that didn’t protect her from her mother’s drinking—or her mother’s boyfriend. It was Cade who did that, on a long-ago hot September night, before he disappeared…along with a piece of her heart. Now Monroe is a physical therapist who can fight for herself, and it’s Cade who could use some conditioning when he makes an unexpected return back home. Will he and Monroe pick up where they left off and finally explore their mutual passion—or will the scars and secrets of the past divide them once more?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114466-kiss-me-that-way

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“You left Cottonbloom without telling me. Without saying good-bye. I want to know why.” Monroe hadn’t meant for the words to come out at all, much less with such vehemence.

“It was complicated.” Cade broke eye contact. “You were a good kid in a bad situation.”

“Weren’t you a good kid in a bad situation?”

He shifted toward her, bracing a hand on the dash and laying his other arm over the back of her seat, invading her space. She didn’t retreat. His intensity spurred her heart rate into an erratic gallop, yet she wasn’t intimidated. Perhaps it was only echoes of the past, but he made her feel safe, even when he was the one she should be scared of.

“I grew up fast and tough.” His voice contained more than a hint of warning.

“You were nice to me,” she said softly.

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m nice. I wasn’t then, and I’m sure as hell not now.”

He ran a callused finger down her cheek, the rasp igniting her nerve endings like a flint. His hand continued south and wrapped itself in her braid, the slight tug on her scalp sending shivers through her body in spite of the sun bearing down on the truck. Her nipples felt tight, and she hoped her tight sports tank masked her sudden, inexplicable arousal.

He pulled her braid, forcing her toward him. She didn’t fight him. He dropped his face next to hers, his coarse beard hair caressing her cheek, his mouth close to her ear. “If I see something I want, I go after it and get it by any means necessary.”

“How very Machiavellian.” She tried a laugh, but it came out more like a stuttering sigh. His scent hooked her even closer, and her lips grazed the outer rim of his ear.

He pulled back, his green-eyed gaze roving her face. She returned the favor, noting the faint brackets around his mouth, the crinkles at his eyes, the thick beard. A full-grown man. Yet was he so different from the boy she remembered?

“Ovid.” The movement of his lips jammed the cogs of her brain. The word made no sense. Her confusion must have been obvious, because the mouth she stared at tipped up in the corners, deepening the grooves. “The Greek philosopher Ovid, not Machiavelli, actually wrote: The end justifies the means.”

“Ovid. Of course.” Apparently, Monroe had slept through that philosophy class at Ole Miss. The fact that high-school dropout Cade Fournette was quoting Ovid made her wonder what other mysteries she might uncover if she went digging.

Just when she was ready to grab a shovel, he released her braid and slipped away. His limp was less pronounced as he took the stairs holding the cane parallel to the ground. Although he’d physically released her, she felt bound to him in some other fundamental way, incapable of tearing her eyes off him until he disappeared behind Sawyer’s front door. Even then, she sat, unable to drive away for a long minute.

How could the simple brush of Cade’s finger ignite a fire when other men left her cold? As her arousal ebbed, she realized something else. She’d just been manipulated by a master. He hadn’t explained why he left.

She spent the evening going through the motions of her life, eating when her stomach growled and heading to bed when her eyes felt heavy. A few short hours ago, her life had been tidy and predictable and boring. Cade Fournette’s return had spun her into chaos.

*****

Review:

*sigh* Trentham did it again – made me fall in love with a small Southern town and the wonderful people who live there.

My heart just breaks for how much Cade had to take on when his parents died. Too much pride and youth had him taking on too much, doing anything he could to make sure his siblings stayed together and had what they needed to have a chance at a future. Unfortunately that meant that he gave up a lot of his own dreams. But the same grit and smarts that had him surviving in the swamps had him making a name for himself as an adult. Guilted into a trip back home has him back with the girl that meant so much to him as a kid … but she’s all grown up.

While it might seem that Monroe would have had a golden past, things aren’t always better on the other side of the river. Her childhood has left scars of their own and she’s still living with the fallout. Running into the one man that always made her feel safe throws her world off kilter. The man he’s grown into is hard to resist, especially as he was one of the bright spots of her past. But he’s not staying … right?

You know that these two are going to get together and that he’s going to find a way to come home to Monroe & his family. But as with any romance, it is the journey that makes it so good and this one is a can’t miss. The characters are interesting, with great depth, and you easily find yourself sucked in as they try work their way through some long-held troubles. We’re also introduced to characters who are going to make appearances in the next couple of stories and from what I’ve seen they are going to be must reads!

*****

Author Info:

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

a $25 Gift card for Amazon or B&N

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81052/

*****

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