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novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
KISS ME THAT WAY
(Cottonbloom: #1)
Written by Laura Trentham
2016; St. Martin’s Press Paperbacks (324 Pages)
Genre: series, fiction, contemporary, romance, small town
Rating: ★★★
Cade Fournette was born and raised on the Louisiana side of Cottonbloom, where life has not been easy for him and his siblings. When his parents died in an accident, Cade was left to raise his younger siblings, while having everyone expecting him to fail. He does find success once he leaves Cottonbloom behind but left behind his family and maybe his heart. Cade return home and realizes just what his departure had meant.
Monroe Kirby, a physical therapist, also volunteers her time to help girls learn self defense. Many years ago Monroe could have used this training and wants to make sure other girls have it. Cade had come to her rescue and became somewhat of a protector. When he left Cottonbloom without saying goodbye she thought she would never see him again.
Cade has turned to Monroe for her therapy and soon the two discover that the feelings they had all those years ago may have never extinguished.
I found that the first book was great in setting up the town and characters. I gave this book a three because I felt like while it was a good read there wasn't anything exceptional or unique to set it apart. The story between Cade and Monroe has been done before and while I liked them, I found the chemistry was just so-so. The secondary characters also seemed to have more characterization than the hero and heroine. I am looking forward to he next book which I hope is Nash and Tally's story.
***I received an eARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
(Cottonbloom: #1)
Written by Laura Trentham
2016; St. Martin’s Press Paperbacks (324 Pages)
Genre: series, fiction, contemporary, romance, small town
Rating: ★★★
Cade Fournette was born and raised on the Louisiana side of Cottonbloom, where life has not been easy for him and his siblings. When his parents died in an accident, Cade was left to raise his younger siblings, while having everyone expecting him to fail. He does find success once he leaves Cottonbloom behind but left behind his family and maybe his heart. Cade return home and realizes just what his departure had meant.
Monroe Kirby, a physical therapist, also volunteers her time to help girls learn self defense. Many years ago Monroe could have used this training and wants to make sure other girls have it. Cade had come to her rescue and became somewhat of a protector. When he left Cottonbloom without saying goodbye she thought she would never see him again.
Cade has turned to Monroe for her therapy and soon the two discover that the feelings they had all those years ago may have never extinguished.
I found that the first book was great in setting up the town and characters. I gave this book a three because I felt like while it was a good read there wasn't anything exceptional or unique to set it apart. The story between Cade and Monroe has been done before and while I liked them, I found the chemistry was just so-so. The secondary characters also seemed to have more characterization than the hero and heroine. I am looking forward to he next book which I hope is Nash and Tally's story.
***I received an eARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Blog
romancebookaffair's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved the characters in this book, couldn't put it down
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
First off I have to say that this is book one in the Cottonbloom series .
I didn't find this book as cheesy as most romance novels and it was a pretty quick and easy read which is great because that is just what I needed at the time. I fell in love with the main characters (Monroe Kirby and Cade Fournette) .
This book is very well written and yes I loved reading this book.
Kiss Me That Way is now available in bookstores and online.
I give this 4 out of 5.
I didn't find this book as cheesy as most romance novels and it was a pretty quick and easy read which is great because that is just what I needed at the time. I fell in love with the main characters (Monroe Kirby and Cade Fournette) .
This book is very well written and yes I loved reading this book.
Kiss Me That Way is now available in bookstores and online.
I give this 4 out of 5.
chymerra's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alleskelle's review
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Small town romances. Are you drawn to them like I am? I think it was Jill Shalvis who gave me the virus. I remember loving her Lucky Harbor series so much. You know why? Because it truly felt like living inside the book with all its characters. A real happy place.
And this is exactly why I loved Kiss Me That Way by Laura Trentham so much. She managed to capture the small town feel to perfection. And it doesn’t matter that I’ve never set a foot in Louisiana or Mississippi. I can tell by all the little details, the way she has to describe the light, the smell, the humidity of a southern small town, the walks along the river, the secondary characters… It all felt so genuine. I was charmed from the very first pages, and fell in love with this place, with this book. My happy place!
Kiss Me That Way is the first book in the Cottonbloom series and it gripped me from the very first page. I love second chances at love stories and with a start like this, having a peek in the past of both our heroes, I knew I was in for a treat. Kiss Me That Way promised just then to be everything I love a good romance story to be, some unrequited love, second chance at love all wrapped in a small town setting reunion 10 years later.
What more is there to ask?
Oh wait, the author if you’re new to her, has a gift to bring fictional characters to life. She gives so much details, so much flaws and so much care into character’s development, that she literally inflates life into them. And that’s pretty much the most important thing for me in my books. I need a dose of realism even though I’m reading fiction. It’s that thread of realism that makes me able to relate and immerse myself in a book. And let me just say that Laura Trentham does a hell of a good job a it.
Let’s chat about the story!
Told in a dual POV, Kiss Me That Way tells the story of Cade Fournette, unfortunately born on the Louisiana side of the river, and Monroe Kirby, the golden kid from the Mississippi side.
By one fateful night Monroe Kirby is going to meet the boy from the wrong side of town, Cade Fournette. And it’s no matter to Monroe that the Fournettes have the reputation to be no more than swamp rats nor it is that Cade is 17 to her 13 years old. What matters to her is that he was the one saving her that night her mother’s new boyfriend tried to molest her. She’s going to grow the infatuation she has for Cade through the years, until that day Cade leaves town suddenly without even saying goodbye. Short of ever discovering if her feelings could have been returned, Monroe is forced to forget about the man from the other side of the tracks.
Fast forward 10 years later, Monroe is a successful grown up woman, working as a physical therapist in Cottonbloom and as well giving self-defense classes to the women of the community.
I loved Monroe! She was definitely an heroine I could identify myself to. I loved her sass, loved that she wasn’t one to stop at first appearances or give importance to hear-says. She is this strong young woman, growing and upraising herself from a bad experience while trying to give back o the community.
Cade Fournette is back to Cottonbloom after 10 years due to an injury. His brother Sawyer arranged for him to be back in his hometwown to get some rest and the services of a physical therapist. He is not too pleased to be back, all this only serves to unearth too many memories, most of which he’d prefer to stay buried. Especially those few light hearted nights spent with that young Monroe Kirby ten years earlier…
I adored Cade Fournette. Latest addition to my book husband palmarès! He was close to perfection to me. Strong and down to earth type of hero, alpha but not over the top. Capable, protective, rough around the edges, sweet and sexy at the same time. There’s nothing more appealing than a real man and Cade Fournette was definitely ALL man.
Both of them shared great banter exchanges as well as a slow building tension, and I for one loved that the author took her time reuniting those two! It made it all the more powerful in my opinion, all the little jabs and sparks between them served a purpose and damn but the reunion was explosive!
Sexual chemistry? Off the roofs! We are not talking smut here, but the sex scenes were more than hot and perfectly written, with impeccable balance between steam and emotions, rightly in tune with the character’s feelings.
Kiss Me that Way was a sublime mix of sweet and slow burn romance, great banter, sexual tension and chemistry ( that delivers!) and perfect southern setting. Once I started I just couldn’t stop, and you’ll understand within the first pages how easy and addictive Laura Trentham's prose is.
I loved the attention given to introduce all the secondary characters, Tally, Nash, Sawyer and Reagan, Miss Lorna, Uncle Delmar… It felt as if I was part of the story somehow, knowing all the people of Cottonbloom.
All the books in the Cottonbloom series read as perfect standalones, I loved all three and would recommend them to any reader in search for a happy place with a thing for small town romances!
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
“I could take you right here, right now, with all the Tarwaters and all of crazy Cottonbloom a few rooms away. And I’d make it good, Monroe. I’d make your body sing. I’d make you beg before giving you everything you need. Then, you could walk back out into that damn party like nothing happened. No one would know the things you want to do in the dark with a poor, dirty boy from Louisiana.”
Small town romances. Are you drawn to them like I am? I think it was Jill Shalvis who gave me the virus. I remember loving her Lucky Harbor series so much. You know why? Because it truly felt like living inside the book with all its characters. A real happy place.
And this is exactly why I loved Kiss Me That Way by Laura Trentham so much. She managed to capture the small town feel to perfection. And it doesn’t matter that I’ve never set a foot in Louisiana or Mississippi. I can tell by all the little details, the way she has to describe the light, the smell, the humidity of a southern small town, the walks along the river, the secondary characters… It all felt so genuine. I was charmed from the very first pages, and fell in love with this place, with this book. My happy place!
Kiss Me That Way is the first book in the Cottonbloom series and it gripped me from the very first page. I love second chances at love stories and with a start like this, having a peek in the past of both our heroes, I knew I was in for a treat. Kiss Me That Way promised just then to be everything I love a good romance story to be, some unrequited love, second chance at love all wrapped in a small town setting reunion 10 years later.
What more is there to ask?
Oh wait, the author if you’re new to her, has a gift to bring fictional characters to life. She gives so much details, so much flaws and so much care into character’s development, that she literally inflates life into them. And that’s pretty much the most important thing for me in my books. I need a dose of realism even though I’m reading fiction. It’s that thread of realism that makes me able to relate and immerse myself in a book. And let me just say that Laura Trentham does a hell of a good job a it.
Let’s chat about the story!
Told in a dual POV, Kiss Me That Way tells the story of Cade Fournette, unfortunately born on the Louisiana side of the river, and Monroe Kirby, the golden kid from the Mississippi side.
By one fateful night Monroe Kirby is going to meet the boy from the wrong side of town, Cade Fournette. And it’s no matter to Monroe that the Fournettes have the reputation to be no more than swamp rats nor it is that Cade is 17 to her 13 years old. What matters to her is that he was the one saving her that night her mother’s new boyfriend tried to molest her. She’s going to grow the infatuation she has for Cade through the years, until that day Cade leaves town suddenly without even saying goodbye. Short of ever discovering if her feelings could have been returned, Monroe is forced to forget about the man from the other side of the tracks.
Fast forward 10 years later, Monroe is a successful grown up woman, working as a physical therapist in Cottonbloom and as well giving self-defense classes to the women of the community.
I loved Monroe! She was definitely an heroine I could identify myself to. I loved her sass, loved that she wasn’t one to stop at first appearances or give importance to hear-says. She is this strong young woman, growing and upraising herself from a bad experience while trying to give back o the community.
Cade Fournette is back to Cottonbloom after 10 years due to an injury. His brother Sawyer arranged for him to be back in his hometwown to get some rest and the services of a physical therapist. He is not too pleased to be back, all this only serves to unearth too many memories, most of which he’d prefer to stay buried. Especially those few light hearted nights spent with that young Monroe Kirby ten years earlier…
“- I grew up fast and tough.”
“- You were nice to me.”
“- Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m nice. I wasn’t then, and I’m sure as hell not now.”
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.”
I adored Cade Fournette. Latest addition to my book husband palmarès! He was close to perfection to me. Strong and down to earth type of hero, alpha but not over the top. Capable, protective, rough around the edges, sweet and sexy at the same time. There’s nothing more appealing than a real man and Cade Fournette was definitely ALL man.
“Her husky, sexy as hell near whisper shot through him lie lightning, setting all his muscles at alert. Was she flirting? Was he? And why the confirmation of her single status settled like a ball of warmth in his chest? What did it matter?
“ -You lied to me. You are wearing underwear.
-No. I said, ‘What if I’m not wearing underwear?’ And you shouldn’t be peeking. It’s shockingly unprofessional, Miss Kirby.”
Both of them shared great banter exchanges as well as a slow building tension, and I for one loved that the author took her time reuniting those two! It made it all the more powerful in my opinion, all the little jabs and sparks between them served a purpose and damn but the reunion was explosive!
“She brushed her lips against his. The hand in her hair clamped tighter, holding her in place. The slight tug sent pleasure to every nerve in her body.
– ‘What are we doing?’ His lips moved against hers.
– ‘I’m trying to kiss you, and you’re sitting here like a bump on a log.’ ”
Sexual chemistry? Off the roofs! We are not talking smut here, but the sex scenes were more than hot and perfectly written, with impeccable balance between steam and emotions, rightly in tune with the character’s feelings.
“His gentleness only threw tinder on the fire, making her frantic for more. More of his mouth on hers, his hands on her body, his body over hers, easing her ache. More of everything.”
Kiss Me that Way was a sublime mix of sweet and slow burn romance, great banter, sexual tension and chemistry ( that delivers!) and perfect southern setting. Once I started I just couldn’t stop, and you’ll understand within the first pages how easy and addictive Laura Trentham's prose is.
I loved the attention given to introduce all the secondary characters, Tally, Nash, Sawyer and Reagan, Miss Lorna, Uncle Delmar… It felt as if I was part of the story somehow, knowing all the people of Cottonbloom.
All the books in the Cottonbloom series read as perfect standalones, I loved all three and would recommend them to any reader in search for a happy place with a thing for small town romances!
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
westgurlie32's review
1.0
Made it to page 150 and just had to throw in the towel. It seemed I could not relate to any of the characters and granted that’s not all that I judge a book on... this one just didn’t keep me wanting to continue to read.
klndonnelly's review
4.0
Kiss Me That Way is the newest release from Laura Trentham, an author I have come to find quite delightful. She writes both contemporary romances set in the American South and English Regencies, which are two of my personal favorite brands of romance-nip. This particular book is the story of Cade and Monroe, who built a connection in their childhoods that shaped both their lives.
Overall, I would recommend this one for anyone who is a fan of second-chance romances, as well as slow burn books infused with Southern culture and hospitality.
Read full review at: http://beveragesandbooks.com/2016/05/kiss-me-that-way-by-laura-trentham/
Overall, I would recommend this one for anyone who is a fan of second-chance romances, as well as slow burn books infused with Southern culture and hospitality.
Read full review at: http://beveragesandbooks.com/2016/05/kiss-me-that-way-by-laura-trentham/
kikib_123's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway. I would definitely suggest adding some sort of trigger warning for abusive relationships in this book. There are definitely some heavy topics weaved in this storyline that impact all of the characters throughout. Having said that, Laura Trentham handles these topics beautifully and really pulls you in to feel what these characters are feeling. Not to mention she does a wonderful job showing how things like alcoholism, abusive relationships, and other family issues create a wide variety of struggles and how each of these things can indirectly impact those that you care about.
The book begins with a rather intense scene that helps set the tone for the rest of the novel and really opens the reader up to the relationships between the characters. You understand the characters life struggles, their draw to each other, why they seek each other out for protection. And then throughout the novel you see how these forces between the main characters shifts, how power shifts, and how working through their life struggles together brings them closer.
I love how the characters emotional status is lightly outlined for the read, it was incredible to see their growth throughout the novel and see their walls and barriers breakdown. It makes you as a reader feel as if you are on this journey with them. There are a wide variety of characters in this book from both the Mississippi (high class) side of town and the Louisiana (“swamp rat”) side of town and by the end of the novel you feel emotionally attached to each of their life circumstances and invested in the outcome of everything. Even when characters were acting crazy, like when Regan decided to spray paint the wall like a crazy person or when Cade shows up to an event unannounced, you may not agree with their actions, but you understand the driving forces behind why they are doing what they are doing. And the juxtaposition of the two sides of town and how they feel about each other, interact, etc. was a great element. There are struggles on each side that are similar but different. The characters and their actions felt very real, the storyline was amazing, I only have great things to say about this novel. (I only wish things had concluded at the tomato/crayfish festival because that was built up only to be left hanging)
I also was a big fan of how the steamy scenes between the main characters were portrayed. The author did not have to use vulgar or overly explicit language for you to understand the passion between the main characters and for your imagination to take off. The progression of their passion and how they act on it was also very realistic; I didn’t feel like these scenes were forced or moving too fast like in many other novels. And it kept with the southern theme of using decent/proper language rather than vulgarity. And god damn Cade is the biggest tease and it was amazing.
The book begins with a rather intense scene that helps set the tone for the rest of the novel and really opens the reader up to the relationships between the characters. You understand the characters life struggles, their draw to each other, why they seek each other out for protection. And then throughout the novel you see how these forces between the main characters shifts, how power shifts, and how working through their life struggles together brings them closer.
I love how the characters emotional status is lightly outlined for the read, it was incredible to see their growth throughout the novel and see their walls and barriers breakdown. It makes you as a reader feel as if you are on this journey with them. There are a wide variety of characters in this book from both the Mississippi (high class) side of town and the Louisiana (“swamp rat”) side of town and by the end of the novel you feel emotionally attached to each of their life circumstances and invested in the outcome of everything. Even when characters were acting crazy, like when Regan decided to spray paint the wall like a crazy person or when Cade shows up to an event unannounced, you may not agree with their actions, but you understand the driving forces behind why they are doing what they are doing. And the juxtaposition of the two sides of town and how they feel about each other, interact, etc. was a great element. There are struggles on each side that are similar but different. The characters and their actions felt very real, the storyline was amazing, I only have great things to say about this novel. (I only wish things had concluded at the tomato/crayfish festival because that was built up only to be left hanging)
I also was a big fan of how the steamy scenes between the main characters were portrayed. The author did not have to use vulgar or overly explicit language for you to understand the passion between the main characters and for your imagination to take off. The progression of their passion and how they act on it was also very realistic; I didn’t feel like these scenes were forced or moving too fast like in many other novels. And it kept with the southern theme of using decent/proper language rather than vulgarity. And god damn Cade is the biggest tease and it was amazing.
jgallagher1983's review
2.0
This book bored me. I started/stopped it at least three times and willed myself to finish it. To no avail. I can’t even tell you who won the competition and if Cade and Monroe get together. I tried. Really hard.