4+ Stars!

I love this town. I love the Abbot brothers. And I am completely enamored with Laura Trentham and her writing. This is the 5th Cottonbloom book, but the second book featuring the Abbot brothers. Jackson Abbot was a dream hero. He's finally noticed his co-worker/employee Willa as more than just an exceptional mechanic. She's a walking mystery and he wants to know all her secrets. Having read Wyatt's story previously, I already knew most of this family's history. Willa's back story was equally compelling, as well as heartbreaking. I really enjoyed how Willa's back story was revealed and then reconciled. Although rather fast-paced, Jackson and Willa's romance was sweet and endearing. This book also sets up the next story rather nicely and has me anxious to read about Mack and his new love interest. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced copy of When the Stars Come Out via the publisher and Netgalley)

Jackson Abbot has a twin brother, Wyatt and other brothers as well. They all work in their family auto body shop along with Willa. She is one of the best mechanics there is the guys tell her and she doesn't take the compliment lightly as she knows it is a respect given compliment. This is the fifth book in the CottonBloom series and my first read by this author. I'll need to look up more by this author since I really enjoyed this. Willa doesn't plan on stopping in Cottonbloom she just ends up there on her way to somewhere else. She is on the run from an idyllic childhood after something happens that she blames herself for. Jackson finally notices her not just her beauty but her shyness,her vulnerability, her skittishness. Willa sees a stray dog near her trailer and it has the same characteristics as her so she can relate,it's shy and skittish. She befriends it with food and soft words and the dog,River is a loyal pal to her when she needs a friend the most. The brothers were abandoned by their mother when they were young and are bitter about this. Will a reunion take place and can hearts be mended?
I loved reading the small town description,the sights,sounds,the colors. I could imagine myself there. This story really flowed well and I enjoyed it.
Pub Date 30 Jan 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Despite the emotional roller coaster I was on and the tugging of my heartstrings, I loved reading When the Stars Come Out by Laura Trentham, book five in her Cottonbloom series. Willa left home five years ago, changed her name, and has been on the run since. She was afraid if she stayed harm would have come to her dad and his car repair business. Luckily for her, she landed in Cottonbloom where she found a job working on cars at Abbott’s Garage and Restoration. Working alongside the Abbott brothers was a joy, especially her crush Jackson. It was not until Jackson’s twin, Wyatt, commented that they were lucky Willa stayed considering how little they paid her before Jackson noticed her; I mean, really noticed her. Once that happened, Jackson couldn’t stop thinking about her. As these two start spending time together, Jackson wonders what secrets Willa is hiding and Willa wonders how long before she would tell Jackson those secrets. Willa needs to come to terms with her secrets and past before she can give Jackson the trust he desires. Lots of other drama happen in this wonderful story; Willa rescues a dog, Ford disappears, Jackson finds the mother who deserted them, and Willa makes peace with her dad and her past.

I really loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms. Trentham is a wonderful story teller, drawing me in and not letting go until I read the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

When the Stars Come Out is the first book I've read written by Laura Trentham. It is the fifth book set in Cottonbloom. I would definitely say it could be a stand alone book but I will be going out to find the previous four. I immediately fell in love with the authors style of writing and excellent story telling capabilities.
Willa and Jackson have know each other for a couple of years. He is her boss in a family owned garage. Jackson barely notices that Willa is even a woman. Suddenly he sees her in a different light and things start to change. Little does he know that Willa has been running from a problem that really needs to be resolved. I love how Jackson is able to bring Willa out of her shell. She is able to trust again and he will help her to the end. Jackson also does a lot of growing when he opens himself up to Willa.
I must say I have a new favorite author in Laura Trentham. I will be buying past and future books by her. I absolutely love Cottonbloom! I was gifted this copy by Netgalley and St Martin’s Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Publisher's Description:

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past—and find reason to stay forever. . .

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?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story of a woman who is hiding from a rocky and possibly dangerous past.
Willa Buchanan's past consisted of a happy young girl who trusted the wrong people. Now and for the past few years she has been on the run from the threats of her drug dealing ex boyfriend. Taking her grandmother's car and last name and continuing to run she finally lands in Cottonbloom with a job at the Abbott brother's garage.
Jackson Abbott finds himself attracted to his new female mechanic. But Willa is hiding something from her past and Jackson has avoided emotional entanglements very successfully. His cars are his only love.
Will Willa's past jump up to cause havoc or will her mutual attraction to Jackson lead to something lasting?
I enjoyed this read and gave it 4.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames. The intimacy was a secondary part of this well written story.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Although When the Stars Come Out is the first Laura Trentham novel I've read, I know it won't be the last. This is a solid romance with excellent writing, fleshed out characters, and small town charm.

There isn't a huge amount of romantic conflict, however, what exists is realistic. Can the distrusting Willa allow herself to trust the man she's fallen in love with? Since trust is the fundamental basis for any relationship, this worked for me as the impediment.

The Abbott brothers were all winners for me and I'll probably dig up the preceding novel to read about Wyatt and Sutton's romance because I liked the bit of Wyatt's charm that I saw. Jackson is protective, even though Willa seems well able to take care of herself, and thoughtful, which I liked.

The only disappointment was that I expected messiness. There were so many opportunities for messiness to bleed all over the pages yet they never occurred. Which is good, I guess--although it feels a little deceptive and sterile. And, yet, maybe that's good too. Sometimes we need to read novels in which the bad dreams turn out to be nothing more than bad dreams, the workings of stress and not reality. The silver lining and all of that. Maybe that's a good enough reason to read romances like this. We can all use a little more light at the end of the tunnel.

Lastly, I was wondering about the title as it had no relevance (seemingly) to the book and meant nothing to me. Lo and behold there's a country music tune with this as the title and the lyrics fit the book so I'm thinking that's it. Presumably riddle solved.

And, lastly, lastly, this can definitely be read as a standalone novel. Although I knew there was history, nothing in When the Stars Come Out required that you knew about previous characters or actions.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Willa has moved to Cottonbloom a few years ago, in order to get away from her past and anyone who knew her. She Has worked in the Abbot Brother's Garage since she moved and couldn't be happier as an amazing mechanic. Also, because she gets to work with Jackson Abbot every day. Problem is that Jackson is suddenly, feeling things about Willa that he has never felt and, can't figure out what to do about it because, he feels that she is hiding something important from him and he is afraid that she doesn't trust him enough to tell him. When Willa and Jackson finally get together, things are going amazingly well until Jackson starts pushing for Willa to tell him about her past. Willa panics and runs. Thing is, Willa runs and, the whole Abbott family comes after her. How can you keep believing that you're alone when you have a whole group of men doing their best to convince you otherwise??!!

This story had mystery & romance. It focuses around a strong female character who is running from her past. She has to learn to trust again, in order to experience love. Check it out!

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

Country Aire trailer park wouldn’t get a magazine spread unless it was in Trailers and Trash, but she’d lived in far worse places.

With curly red hair and dark blue eyes, she crackled as if an electrical current gave her endless energy.

The Honda coughed like a lifelong smoker that needed an oxygen tank.

The only new clothes Willa splurged on were underwear. Apparently, the line she wouldn’t cross in the name of poverty was buying used panties.

Everything the man did was sexy and arousing. She pictured him with a wrench in his hand and the flex of his biceps as he torqued a bolt. Her inner muscles clenched. Next time she saw him do that she might require resuscitation on the shop floor.

“I have a feeling all those Abbott brothers are good with their hands. I know Wyatt sure is. Comes from working on cars, I’d guess.” Sutton made a sound like she’d tasted something delicious.


My Review:

This was a cleverly amusing, heart squeezing, emotive, and angsty read that was packed with family drama, quirky characters, and wry humor, and written from my favorite dual POV. Deftly detailed with lush descriptions the story flows in an agile and engaging manner while Ms. Trentham kept the sharp and colorful visuals smoothly scrolling through my gray matter while the stalwart and admirable character of Jackson was rattled from his routine enough to find what he needed was right under his nose, although the anxious and skittish Willa made him work for it.

When The Stars Come Out could easily be read as a stand-alone book although it continues on from the established storyline with many of the characters from the previous book in the series, Leave The Night On. And while you don’t need to have read the previous book, it was also an engaging and fun story and would deepen your enjoyment of this clever tale. I was intrigued by the various multi-layered storylines and characters as Willa’s secrets were slowly being revealed. Willa was a complicated and fretful character and I found her to be somewhat frustrating as she was severely lacking in interpersonal skills and was rather cowardly as her fight or flight response was always flight, which had lead to some bad decisions. Of course, I’ve never made any of THOSE myself. ;) There were several subplots and lots going on yet the ending pulled most of it together nicely with a surprising twist and a few treats, while also lighting a fuse for the next installment, which I am already eager to get my mitts on.

This is a small town contemporary romance featuring a female car mechanic who is hiding from a secret in her past in Cottonbloom.

I read this as part of my ongoing quest to try and find which tropes I like in contemporary fiction - and there was stuff here that I liked a lot - like the competancy porn. Willa is very good at her job and so is Jackson. She's definitely treated as an equal at the garage and I really liked that. I also liked the way that the author handled the fact that Jackson is Willa's boss - as in there's an actual discussion between the two of them about it that he initiates. But. But. I didn't love the make over angle (although it isn't the make over that makes Jackson like Willa, so minor points there ) and I thought the whole mystery, big secret angle of Willa's story petered out into nothingness as it was resolved.

So, some good, some less good - and I'll add that I didn't think the set up for the next book was particularly well done either - I'm certainly not that interested to read it.

A girl has to have a few secrets. In Willa's case secrets are a way of life. Her demons are well hidden but her fears hover close to the surface. On the run from her past, a charming piece of heaven catches her eye and convinces her to put down roots, while looking over her shoulder every step of the way. Trouble finds her when she meets a sexy guy, willing to take a chance on a drifter like her. Jackson Abbott has a good heart, reliable soul and a sense of family that draws her in, even as she pulls away.

Jackson is equally intrigued about the spitfire with haunted eyes, hot body and mad mechanic skills. He knows she's hiding something and wants her trust even as he craves her heart. Will he convince the drifter to stop running? When the Stars Come Out takes a walk on the wild side with a fiery heroine and sizzling attraction. Willa is a masterful illusionist and Jackson has all the tricks to figure her out. Suspenseful, sweet and seductive.

Willa is on the run from a past she would like to break free from but she is finally in a place where she feels some what safe. She can't seem to get one person out of her head and as long as she can stay invisible then she will be ok. Jackson is dealing with family drama and the loss of his dad. When he finally notices Willa and it seems like she may run from whatever she is hiding from. Can he convince her to stay and trust him with the truth of the past or will the past coming back and send her into a panic?

I did enjoy this story, I loved the city of Cottonbloom and the fun characters. I love Aunt Hazel and Aunt Hy they seem like they would be such fun people to hang around. I did however feel like the author dragged out some of Willa's and it was a constant build up then she would move on to a twist in the story. I started to loose some interest in the story. I did enjoy while the story seemed predictable towards the end of the book the author through a twist in that you didn't see coming. This book does have adult scenes and language. I can't wait to here more of Mack's story. Overall this book was a super fun and fast read.

Willa has been on the run for years and she has lost the ability to trust anyone. Jackson is a quite reflective sort of man who doesn’t share or show his feelings that often and for the past two years hasn’t seen what has been right under his nose, Willa, but when she hints at the need to move on all of a sudden he sees her and wants her. Willa has had a crush on Jackson all two years she has worked in his family's garage, but when he suddenly sees her, she realizes her façade that helped her disappear in a crowd is gone. Jackson doesn’t want her to leave and starts to get to know that her life has been rough and in order to win her trust he has to work extra hard to show her that he is one of the good guys. I enjoyed watching them grow closer, fall in love, and learn to open up to each other. Willa wasn’t the only one who needed to learn to trust. I have been trying out more contemporary romances lately and I am finding them refreshing. I enjoyed this small town romance that was passionate enough and with enough edge to it that it didn’t fall into the "Hallmark/Lifetime romance category, which I don’t like. Willa’s past experiences gave it an edginess and a dark undertone that made it both sweet and real, but not rose-colored-glasses sweet. I enjoyed it. I want more from the Abbot brothers for sure.

Laura Trentham never disappoints! I am so in love with this series and I am always on the edge of my seat. She has a way of making you feel like your a part of the story. Can’t wait for the next one.

This the fifth book in the series but the second one featuring one of the Abbot brothers. Technically this book can stand on its own but since I actually read the previous one featuring another Abbot brother I'd recommend reading that one first just so you get a feel for the brothers. Jackson has been working side by side for Willa for two years and never really noticed her as a woman, let alone a woman harboring a crush on him. But once he does, all bets are off even if he has to convince a very skittish Willa to remain in town long enough to make his feelings know.
This was an enjoyable small town romance that features some intriguing characters. With all the characters and hints at potential story lines, this series can definitely run for several more books. Definitely looking forward to the next book to see just how hard the next Abbot brother falls, especially since I think it is the last person he'd ever consider!

The continuation of the Abbott men of Cottonbloom is a great addition to this series. I loved the strength & loyalty that Jackson showed to Willa & his brothers. His character was a brooding mess, his life revolved around work, his car & racing. Willa was the heroine that you rooted for & hoped that she’d finally get a break. I enjoyed the continuation of the Abbott brothers troubles with one of their own & how it brought the past back to life for them. The wit & sarcasm of Willa a great addition to the garage, but what I truly loved was chemical explosion between Jackson & Willa when they finally stopped dancing around each other. The addition of River the stray dog as another protector for Willa was beautiful, in the way the stray took to Willa. This story will have you rooting for Willa & Jackson from the first moment you see them together. Definitely recommend.

Awesome read! I truly enjoy this series and this book is one of my favorites. Willa is such a unique character and Jackson is just so swoony. The story is wonderfully written with a great storyline and a nice pace to the story.

Willa Brown wound up in Cottonbloom strictly by accident. Then what she thought would be a quick stop along the road turns into a home she doesn't want to leave. She may have no choice though if her past ever catches up to her. She would definitely miss Jackson Abbott. She knows it's a one-sided crush but a girl can dream. Right?? Jackson has never been the relationship type but what he feels for Willa is different and new. He knows she has secrets and while he won't push her he wants nothing more than for her to trust him. Can they find a way to each other or will Willa's past have her running for the hills?

I highly recommend this one.

“When the Stars Come Out” is book five of Laura Trentham’s Cottonbloom series and features Jackson Abbott (Wyatt’s twin and whom we met in “Leave the Night On”) and Willa Brown – mechanic extraordinaire.

Willa has worked at Abbott Brothers Garage and Restoration for two years and it isn’t until Jackson believes she’s going to leave that he notices her. Really notices her. They’ve worked so well together under the hood that he never took the time to get to know her.
Willa, on the other hand, noticed Jackson right away and has had a crush on him ever since. But she knows nothing can become of it because of the reasons behind her showing up in Cottonbloom and at Abbott’s garage.
Jackson and Willa have more than chemistry. There are emotions neither wants to admit to and, combined with that chemistry, bring genuineness to their time together.

There is a scene in “When the Stars Come Out” with Willa that brought tears to my eyes (no spoilers!), a scene between Jackson and Mack that made me laugh out loud, and several other scenes that will make you feel.

Ms. Trentham has penned a story that draws you in to the lives of Jackson and Willa from the very beginning.

When the Stars Come Out by Laura Trentham is a solid romance with strong imageries of small-town Southern life. I enjoy the setting having settled in a place that is so like Cottonbloom that I can attest it feels like home reading the series.

Willa is female mechanic (yeah, we have one of those here where I live too) for the Abbot Brothers Garage. It has taken Jackson quite a while for him to see her as more than a capable mechanic. For her part, Willa kept quite too keeping her feelings and secrets to herself. I liked seeing these two work through their past, find a future as they enjoyed the present.

This is a marvelous addition to the series, but you could read it as a stand-alone, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. A modern romance with very quirky characters. Many secrets hinted at then revealed as the story progressed. An enjoyable read.