Then He Kissed Me: A Cottonbloom Novel

Laura Trentham

Jun 2016 · St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

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?

Ratings and reviews

ARC Review: Then He Kissed Me (Cottonbloom) by Laura Trentham As I familiarize myself more with Laura Trentham's body of work, I have come to realize that she has mastered the tearjerkers quite well. It is hard not to feel every heartache, regret and experience every memory presented within Tally and Nash's story. Victims of circumstance, these two close friends could always depend on each other until tragedy caused a divide that proved hard to overcome. Then He Kissed Me examines the strength of friendship and the powerful connection between the main characters. It is a story that conveys stirs up deep emotions but is also a journey of hope, forgiveness and redemption.

I adore geeky nerd heroes in my romances and this book has one of the best! Nash Hawthorne is back in Cottonbloom after spending time in Scotland on his studies. Now he's a professor at the local college. Nash and Tally Fournette were inseparable as kids until Nash's mother passes away. Then he's whisked away by his aunt to live on the Mississippi side of the river. While the miles are few, the differences in their lives were great. In the small divided town of Cottonbloom, which side of the river you live on means everything. Now that they are adults that doesn't seem to matter, to them anyway. The connection between them is still as strong as ever only now a real adult attraction is there too. Can they be together regardless of the past? I loved this story. These characters feel like they live next door. Real, vibrant, and intriguing. Definitely a book I recommend to everyone.

I love stories where the hero & heroine have grown up together! Nash and Tally’s story was absolutely beautiful! Both experienced the loss of their parents at a young age. Nash was taken in by his aunt and moved across the state line, severing his and Tally’s friendship. It just broke my heart. Thankfully years later, the two are reunited when Nash moves back to town to take care of his aunt and start a teaching job at a local college. As the pair rekindle their friendship, sparks start to fly as they spend more time together. Nash wants to explore these new feelings but Tally is very afraid, self-sabotaging herself throughout most of the book. It was jarring to read, every time their relationship picked up momentum, Tally hit the brakes. Nash and Tally both dealt with past insecurities and they frequently got in the way of their budding relationship. Yes, their issues were valid but at one point, I wanted to shake some sense into Tally. What was also really special was a smaller secondary storyline with a rekindling of love for two older citizens of Cottonbloom. It was so adorable! I wish the storyline could’ve developed more but maybe it will in the next book. THEN HE KISSED ME is an endearing story that will tug hard on your heartstrings. Despite my exasperation with Tally, their story was a joy to read and I’m looking forward to the next book, Regan and Sawyer’s story. ***I was gifted an eBook copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

About the author

Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, including Caught Up in the Touch, Kiss Me That Way, and others. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.