Publisher Description
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?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Trentham's first Cottonbloom contemporary draws a clear, albeit stereotypical, picture of a town that straddles a river, half lying in white-collar Mississippi and half in blue-collar Louisiana. As a girl, well-off Mississippian Monroe Kirby climbed out of her bedroom window to escape her mother's predatory boyfriend. Louisiana swamp rat Cade Fournette rescued her. For years they secretly met and shared confidences, until he inexplicably left town. Fifteen years after their first encounter, Cade's a wealthy inventor and Monroe's a physical therapist. He limps back into town with a knee injury and ends up in her office. They still share an emotional connection, and as she treats his injury, desire enters their relationship, leading to sizzling intimacy. At the heart of this wrong-side-of-town story are deftly drawn characters who understand that everyone has fears. Trentham layers the weight of family responsibilities throughout the well-paced story. The towns' competing festivals and quirky characters add humor and link the other romances in the series.
Customer Reviews
Kiss Me That Way
First book I’ve read by this author. I couldn’t put it down. Plenty of background, authenticity of small town southern life, HEA. The steamy scenes were good but fit with the plot and weren’t just descriptive sexual exploits. I bought the next two books in the series and can’t wait to start on them.
Interesting
It’s a good romance between these two characters but kinda weird that the author acknowledges pretty much every other aspect of the American South and small towns except for the concept of race.
Easy romance to read
Enjoyed the book, liked the characters Monroe & Cade. Well written romance novel. Had a good ending.