Showing posts with label Laura Trentham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laura Trentham. Show all posts

Monday, February 5, 2018

Susan's Review of Laura Trentham's When The Stars Come Out



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?






Laura Trentham’s When the Stars Come Out is a heartwarming, friends to lovers romance which pairs hardworking Auto body shop owner Jackson Abbott with mechanic Willa Brown. The Abbott bothers storyline continues in book five of the author’s Cottonbloom series. The compelling storyline and the unique characters appealed to me and set this book apart from the others in the series.

Jackson Abbott is the quiet, dependable Abbott brother who oversees the repair and restoration work in the family owned business. A causal conversation with his twin brother Wyatt about Willa shifts Jackson’s attention away from the family’s finances towards the shy, mysterious woman whom he’d come to count on. Jackson’s life revolves around work and car racing until he takes a big step back and realizes that he cares for Willa. Loved his resolve to win Willa’s trust and his desire to protect her. The author’s decision to have Jackson step out of his comfort zone and take a leap of faith to pursue a relationship with Willa drew me into the story immediately.

Jackson is attracted to Willa even though he knows she has secrets. Willa’s story unravels bit by bit during the course of the novel. She accepts Jackson’s offer to bring the stray dog she’s been caring for to the vets. This act of kindness and Jackson’s racetrack crash bring the couple together. Can Willa trust Jackson with her secrets?

I enjoyed how the characters changed during the story. Jackson’s leadership role in the family business changed as he became more emotionally involved with Willa. The Abbotts wanted to find their brother Ford and needed to reach out to their estranged mother in order to find him. Ford’s gambling debts and his threat of selling his share of the family business negatively impacted the family. I admired how much Willa trusted Jackson when she chose to come clean about her past before they made love. Both characters had to believe in themselves and trust each other completely in order to find happiness. Loved that their romance took time to develop—their chemistry and desire for each other sizzled.

The resolution of Willa’s story is fabulous and is revealed in true Abbott brother’s style! The last few chapters of the book are well paced and there are several plot twists in this emotional story which is full of heartbreak, compassion and most of all forgiveness.

When The Stars Come Out has it all—relatable characters, a small town setting and a compelling love story!

Reviewed By Susan Gorman

ARC provided by St Martin’s Press





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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.




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?

Monday, January 29, 2018

When The Stars Come Out Release Blitz !






When the Stars Come Out
A Cottonbloom Novel
By Laura Trentham



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?

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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.

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“I’m not a damn car.” Anger heated her voice.

“I know that.”

“Do you?” She stopped and he turned to face her. “You haven’t spared a thought about how much you pay me or what I wear or why fall is my favorite season for two years.”

“I know and that’s my bad. I should have been paying more attention to you.”

She made a scoffing sound. That’s exactly what she didn’t need. Everything depended on her staying under the radar. “You want to fix me like I’m some broken-down car. Or fix my problems or whatever. But that’s not how people work. Maybe I’m unfixable.”

Half his face was in shadows from the setting sun. Even in the best of times it was difficult to get a read on his mood, but the roughness in his voice was more pronounced than usual. “I don’t want to fix you. I want to help you. I want you to trust me.”

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Cover Reveal-- A Reckless Redemption by Laura Trentham


A Reckless Redemption
by Laura Trentham
Series: Spies and Lovers, #3
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: December 5, 2017



Can a single night’s deception lead to a lifelong love?

On the eve of her wedding to a man she detests, Brynmore McCann can think of only one way to escape—by ruining herself—but the local lads leave her wholly uninspired. Just as she’s ready to accept her fate, she spots Maxwell Drake, home after nearly a decade. Even though he had loved her sister when they were young, Bryn has always considered him hers and she can’t think of anyone she’d rather have bed her for the first time. Only she never intends for him to find out who she is.

Upon returning home, Maxwell is stunned by the news that his father may have left him an inheritance. As the unacknowledged by-blow of a local nobleman, Maxwell struggles with resentment over the way he and his mother were treated by his father and the village. To add to his troubles, he discovers the lass he spent an incredibly satisfying night with was not the village whore, but the high-born sister of his first love. He insists Brynmore travel with him to Edinburgh until they determine if she is with child. Because if she is, she’ll marry him whether she wants to or not.

Along the road to Edinburgh, they are attacked by persons unknown. As the list of suspects who want them dead grows longer and his worries deepen, Maxwell prepares for an even more personal battle—how to keep from surrendering his heart to Brynmore.

Warning: Contains a broody Scotsman, a fiery-haired lass, and a night of passion that changes everything. Readers are encouraged to bring a fan.




A man’s murmur rose through the occasional nicker and whinny. For a long moment, Bryn stood still, letting the cadence soothe her like a wild pony. The deep, rich voice mesmerized her, and she found herself under its spell, moving inexorably closer to the open stall. She peered around the door to see a man rubbing down his horse with sweeping, graceful strokes of a blanket.

He exchanged blanket with brush and methodically groomed the horse’s flanks, all the while talking nonsense to his besotted mount. The low timbre of his voice lilted with a Scot’s brogue. The horse nuzzled the man during his ministrations. A greatcoat and brimmed hat kept his identity a secret.

The edge of his coat and boots were muddy and road-worn but of excellent quality. How had such a fine gentleman ended up in such an out of the way village as Cragian? For her wedding? Why then wasn’t he at the house with all the other kowtowers?

He circled to the horse’s opposite flank, and she caught sight of the lower half of his face. Weakness crawled into her knees, and her stomach took a fearless leap. She knew him.

Dark stubble covered a strong, square jaw. In juxtaposition, his mouth was sensuous, the bottom lip full and curled up in a smile as if caring for his horse was a pleasure and not a chore. Something deep inside of her, something she hadn’t even known was lying dormant, stirred to life after almost ten years.

It would be this man or no one. The man who’d once loved her sister. The man she’d loved from afar for too many years. Maxwell Drake. The Fates had made her decision.




Book 1: An Indecent Invitation

Book 2: A Brazen Bargain


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.

Visit her at www.LauraTrentham.com or connect on Twitter at @LauraTrentham or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LauraTrenthamAuthor) or Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/lauratrentham/)


Email:  laura@lauratrentham.com





Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Susan's Review of Leave The Night On by Laura Trentham


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


LEAVE THE NIGHT ON
Cottonbloom #4
Laura Trentham
Releasing Aug 1, 2017
St. Martin's Press


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?
 






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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.



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Sutton's hand found Wyatt's like a magnet finding its mate, and she knitted their fingers together. Music drifted through the trees.

“You know how to two-step?” Wyatt asked.

“No, but I learned how to waltz and foxtrot during cotillion, a lot of good that does me.”

Wyatt tugged her into a faster walk. “I’ll teach you.

“No way. Not in front of everyone. I’ll look like an idiot.” She pulled at his arm, but inertia was on his side.

“That’s your fear talking. Come on and take a chance on me.”

Even though he was talking about something as simple as a dance, the moment felt like a tipping point. Fearful or brave? Which did she choose?

She quit fighting and let him lead her into the circle of light. A handful of couples danced, but a majority of the partiers hung around the edges talking and watching. Before her feet could mount a rebellion and retreat, Wyatt spun her around and put a firm hand on her upper back, holding her other hand in a typical dance hold.

“The two-step is simple. Four steps, two quick, two slow. I step forward on my left, and you step back on your right. Okay?”

She made an affirmative sounding hum and tried to assimilate what he was saying, but heat streaked across her back where his hand branded her. All the eyes fixed on them didn’t help her concentration.

He counted them off, and she made it two steps before screwing up. She bit the inside of her cheek. “I can’t do it.”

“You’re acting like this is worse than a firing squad. What are you thinking about?”

“Amoebas.”

He gave a slight shake of his head before bursting out in chesty laughter that sent vibrations through his hold to her. “Dare I ask why?”

“I feel like we’re being examined like reproducing amoebas through a microscope.”

“If I recall my high school biology, amoebas are asexual. I’m not. Forget about everyone else and look at me.”

She focused on his face. The flickering fire set gold sparking in his gray eyes, and since he’d invited her to, she let her gaze linger on all his features, but especially his mouth. His lips were mouthing “quick-quick-slow-slow,” and she dabbed her bottom lip with her tongue, remembering what they’d felt like against hers.

“You’re dancing.” His sweet, sexy lips turned up in a smile.



Are you looking for a fabulous summer read?

Leave the Night On by Laura Trentham has all the feels; it’s a sweet tug-at-your-heartstrings friends- to- lovers romance with an engaging heroine and a kind, sexy hero. The honest conversations between Sutton Mize and Wyatt Abbott are exquisitely written. The storyline in Leave The Night On is perfectly paced and plotted; the story and its characters stayed with me for days.

Sutton Mize brings her fiancés car to Wyatt Abbott’s garage to be restored. While cleaning the car, Wyatt finds restaurant receipts and a sexy, black thong embroidered with a heart. Sutton recognizes the thong as it was special ordered item from her clothing store. She’s crushed when she puts the pieces together; her fiancé has been cheating on her with her best friend! I loved the scene when Sutton confronts her fiancé and best friend – she stays cool, calm and collected when she is told she is boring. Sutton explains that she’s been seeing someone, too—Wyatt! Sutton developed self-confidence and purpose as her relationship with Wyatt deepened.

Wyatt gave up a college scholarship to work with his brothers in the family garage. He is the peacekeeper in the family- the brothers don’t agree on how to run the day- to= day operations or how to increase the lucrative restoration piece of the business. The friendship and trust between Sutton and Wyatt is apparent when Sutton shows up at Wyatt’s with a homemade dinner after he texted her cancelled their date. The chemistry between the two characters exploded in the next few scenes.

Leave the Night on exceeded my expectations! The unique characters, complicated family dynamics and small town southern feeling appealed to me. Family and community are important to both Sutton and Wyatt. The author does a fabulous job threading Wyatt’s brother Ford throughout the novel. Was Ford trying to get new business for the garage or was he secretly looking to sell his share of the business without giving his brothers the opportunity to buy him out? Loved the characters of Hazel and Hyacinth and their relationship with the Abbott brothers.

Kudos to Laura Trentham – Leave The Night On is an amazing read—perfect for readers who adore a small town romance with engaging characters, family drama and a bit of mystery!

Am looking forward to the next book in this series!

5 Stars! 
★★★★★

Reviewed by: Susan Gorman

ARC provided by Tasty Tours