Then He Kissed Me

May 30, 2016
Cottonbloom (introduced in Kiss Me That Way) is a town divided by the Mississippi River: poor “swamp rats” live on the Louisiana side, and wealthy ’Sips on the Mississippi bank. After a brief childhood idyll, Nash Hawthorne and Tallulah Fournette are separated by the river’s unspoken rules for 18 years. Then Nash returns from Ph.D. studies abroad to take up a professorship at a local college. He’s as nerdy as Tally remembers him, but now he’s also handsome, socially adept, and trained in self-defense. She’s as magnetic as he remembers her, but enigmatic in her prickly manner and tied to dead-end habits—like her connection with Heath Parsons, school bully turned MMA fighter, who’s determined to take Tally for himself. Trentham’s handling of the big battles—class struggle, stalking, physical violence—is deft and personal, making for an easy read but disappointing conclusions. Readers who believe that economic and social discrimination can be solved by identifying personal insecurity and being rescued by a privileged man will find this pleasant beach read ticks all the right boxes. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

June 15, 2016

Nerdy Nash Hawthorne and scrappy Tally Fournette were childhood best friends until his mother's death sent Nash off to live with his aunt across the river and out of Tally's life. Now, 18 years later, Nash is back in Cottonbloom with a shiny PhD in history and a position at the local college; reconnecting with Tally is at the top of his to-do list. One encounter is all it takes for them to realize their link is still strong--and will become something more--but deep-seated insecurities still haunt them, and they both have a few ghosts to lay to rest. An assortment of diverse personalities add genuineness and spice up the action in a town divided by the river, state lines, and decades-old issues. VERDICT Appealing protagonists, a heartwarming relationship, and descriptions so vivid one can feel the steamy heat and the river mud between their toes make this a perfect, lazy summer read. Trentham (Kiss Me That Way) lives in South Carolina.

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