Title: Till I Kissed You
Series: Cottonbloom #3
Author: Laura Trentham
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
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?
This is the final book in the Cottonbloom series and the
second chance romance theme continues with Sawyer and Regan’s story.
There is a river that runs through Cottonbloom separating
the Mississippi and Louisiana sides of the town. For years there has been a
constant rivalry between the two sides. Regan Lovell is the Mayor on the
Mississippi side and Sawyer Fournette is the Parish Commissioner on the
Louisiana side. When a festival is coming to town it sets the old rivalries tenfold.
To further complicate matters, Regan and Sawyer have a history. They were once young
lovers over a decade ago and the festival brings them into closer proximity
once more and with that feelings of the past are brought back to the present.
Throughout the previous two books the reader is given a
brief glimpse of these two warring lovers but little is given as to what had
happened to make them change from lovers to enemies. Well now we find out of
what went wrong ten years ago and why it has taken them so long to finally
attempt to redeem the past.
These two were an intriguing pair and I liked it was kind of
portrayed as opposites attract – swamp rats and swans springs to mind! However
it was a constant back and forth in their forgiving of the past, just when you
thought things were making headway, something else would come along to throw a
spanner in the works. I loved that Sawyer, as the level headed of the Fournette
siblings was out of his depth with Regan and how he acted on his frustrations.
He was a sweet lovable guy but when he went alpha he went ALPHA. He was smoking
HOT! I liked the element of vulnerability he gave off in relation to not
feeling good enough for Regan. She on the other hand had always lived under her
meddling mother’s wing who was a fundamental part of the reason the loving pair
parted ways all those years ago. But their passion for each other could not be
denied and each time they spent more time in each other’s proximity meant those
old yearnings and feelings got all caught up again. It took a while for them to
get to act on those feelings but once they did it was intensity at its best.
Whilst all this romance was going on there was still the
mystery of who was sabotaging the festival activities. Regan and Sawyer joined
forces in trying to track down the perpetrator with a few ‘who done it’
spanners thrown in for good measure.
I adore small town romances and this series had an abundance
of that vibe. It was so engaging and atmospheric that I felt I was there
sitting and observing from the pavilion. All the secondary characters from the
town just pulled the story together bringing a richness of light and shade to
the storyline.
I liked how the two couples from the previous books remained
in the thick of the story too. The Fournettes held a united family bond that
was touching and tangible to read about. When Cade and Sawyer hugged it just
pulled at my heartstrings.
If you are a lover of small town romances, with plenty of
passion, humour, mystery and happy ever afters then this is a series not to be
missed. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend. Five stars.
*ARC kindly provided by the publishers St Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Laura Trentham’s romances are like the icing on the cake, the extra scoop of chocolate ice cream or a perfect summer day…” - Tome Tender Book Blog
“I am really sad that this series is over as I have fallen in love with Cottonbloom. I can't wait to see what Laura Trentham writes next!” - Love’s A State of Mind“Till I Kissed You is full of spark and snark. There is heat and tension, with a bit of a whodunnit thrown in there for good measure.” - BJ’s Book Blog
“Are you going to pretend last night never happened?” Sawyer asked.
Regan took a quick breath and matched what sounded like hurt feelings with equal amounts of defensiveness. “You were the one pretending.”
He took a step closer. She held her ground even though one of her feet slid backward on the dirt floor. “It’s almost like it was a dream, isn’t it?”
At least he hadn’t said “nightmare.” She rubbed her lips together. He took another step. The heat of his body and fresh scent enveloped her. He’d showered recently. Maybe he’d worked late. Maybe his hair was still damp. Maybe the stubble from the night before was growing into a beard.
“It was dark and secluded and we were kind of forced into one another. It had nothing to do with you and me. Just like the night of the rabbits. It was the situation, right?” Why had she asked instead of stated? And why had she mentioned the night he had pressed her into the sweet-smelling grass and left her a puddle of lustful confusion?
“Exactly. It’s dark and secluded now too.” Another step and his chest grazed hers. She lifted her face toward his, every nerve ending straining for him.
“It is that. And we’re close.”
“How do we keep managing to get ourselves into these dark and secluded situations?” He circled her nape with his hand. It was all the encouragement her body needed. She pitched into him, her arms rising to circle his shoulders. Her fingers wound in his damp hair, the faint scent of his shampoo niggling at her memories. It was the same one he’d always used even though he could probably afford a salon brand. Solid, practical, sexy Sawyer.
His lips coasted from her temple to her jaw, laying small kisses along the way. She arched against him, turning her head in search of his mouth. Finally, he kissed her. A stuttering sigh escaped her on contact.
His one hand tightened on her nape while the other coasted down to cup and knead her backside. She whimpered, the noise coming unbidden from her throat. His tongue made gentle forays inside of her mouth, twining with hers. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and nipped it. He pulled back with a growly sound that veered humorous.
“You missed this haven’t you, baby? I’ll bet none of those Mississippi boys made you feel like this.”
His words were a dunk in the ice-cold waters of reality. She had spent too long getting him out of her system to regress over one short summer. Pushing off his chest drove her pelvis into his, and she nearly succumbed to temptation. His hard length pressed into her.
The truth was she had missed him. Terribly. Not only physically, but the emotional connection that sparked so readily between them. She twisted against him and he let her go, leaving her stumbling backward two steps before she caught her balance.
Her lips felt swollen and tender and craved more. “This is crazy.”
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. 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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