When the Stars Come Out is an awesome read. I have read all the books in this series. I really loved Jackson and Willa and their supporting characters.

Jackson and his 3 brothers own a garage that they inherited from their father. They all work together at the shop and they have one mechanic who is Willa. Willa has worked for them for about 2 years. She mostly works with Jackson but her person life is a mystery to Jackson and his brothers.

Willa from the time she started to work for Jackson and his brothers, she crushed on Jackson. Jackson was oblivious to her attraction and Willa in a romantic way. Jackson just saw Willa as an awesome mechanic. Jackson starts to notice Willa for more than her mechanic abilities when he thinks for some reason that she might quit the mechanic shop.

In this book Willa find her true self and over comes her past transgressions. Jackson is awesome during this time. Jackson is a fixer and Willa needs his help although she doesn't see it that way. This book is dual POV, with romance and suspense thrown in for good measure.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Laura Trentham takes readers back to her small southern town of Cottonbloom for more humor, emotion, and heartwarming romance in When the Stars Come Out. I've been reading this series from the beginning and with each book released, I become more invested in these characters who inhabit the two sides of Cottonbloom: the upscale Mississippi side of the river that bisects the town, and the working-class Louisiana side. In this fifth book of the series, Trentham continues to tug at readers' heartstrings with Jackson and Willa's emotional journey.

People joke that Jackson Abbott's most meaningful relationship has always been with his car and it's probably not far from the truth. He grew up working on cars in his late father's garage and racing them on dirt tracks has always been his escape when life gets rough. He's a good guy - kind and generous - but, except for his brothers and his late father, he's never allowed himself to get close to anyone, certainly not to a woman. A lot of that can be attributed to events early in his life.

Willa Brown is keeping secrets. Hired by their late father, she's worked as a mechanic at the Abbott Brothers Garage for the past couple years and is invaluable to the business. She's also had a crush on Jackson for that entire time but wouldn't dream of acting on it. She's been on the run for five years and has learned the hard way that she can only depend on herself. Jackson always knew how important Willa was to the business but it isn't until he fears she might leave that he realizes how important she is to him. Can he convince Willa to take a chance on him? The two of them are an unbeatable team under the hood of a car but will starting a relationship outside the garage deepen their bond or send a skittish Willa running for the hills?

I loved these two. They're so obviously perfect for one another but both have issues to confront and overcome before they can have their happy ending. Trentham guides them with a deft hand, allowing their journey to unfold slowly and realistically, infusing it with the awkwardness, humor, sweetness, fear, forgiveness, and romance it deserves.

The richness of the Cottonbloom communities and their citizens add to the appeal of this series and this story. The relationship between Sutton Mize and Jackson's twin, Wyatt (Leave the Night On) continues to evolve and we're given more insight into the other two Abbott brothers, Mack and Ford. Mack is the next Abbott brother destined for love in Set the Night on Fire, due for release July 31, 2018. Clayton Preston, a secondary character with a tumultuous past (Light Up the Night) makes a pivotal appearance in When the Stars Come Out, giving me hope that Trentham may have more in store for this ex-con brother of Cottonbloom, Mississippi's Chief of Police.

If you enjoy small-town romance rich with humor, deep emotion, and plenty of heart, I highly recommend Laura Trentham's Cottonbloom books. While all the books stand on their own, for a deeper understanding of the Abbott brothers I would recommend reading Leave the Night On first, followed by When the Stars Come Out.

Jackson and Willa were so fun to read. Willa was not the typical heroine, and Jackson was a good match for her in every way. The conclusion of her dramatic past was unexpected, but not in a bad way. Jackson and the relationship he has with his brothers and family was deep and realistic.

I voluntarily read an advanced reviewers copy of this book

I am in love with this series and I loved this book.

Willa and Jackson were great together because she didn't make things easy for him. Without even realizing it she made him see things he never noticed...like her! Willa spent so much time in the shop but for some reason one day Jackson realizes just what he may lose if she walks away.

Now to be very honest there were times I wanted to ask Willa what was she thinking. She made very drastic decisions that only a girl in her youth would make and suffered for a long time for a stupid reason. But hey without those decisions she never would have met Jackson so I guess I am happy she was such a crazy girl.

Overall a great book, I simply cannot wait for the next story!

Cottonbloom is a marvellous backdrop for this alluring romance.

Jackson is one of the three Abbott brothers who own and manage a motormechanic, and restoration garage. His first love is his classic Mustang!

Willa has been working in the garage for the past two years. She does her best to stay "invisible", but one of the best mechanics in town.

The brothers don't know much about Willa's past and have respected her privacy up to now. When Jackson starts to notice her, not as a coworker, but as a woman, he wants to know more about her. She has admired him from day one, but her secrets hang over her head with the threat that she might have to leave at short notice.

Once Jackson realises how much her leaving would affect him, he starts to cautiously delve into her past. Willa is torn as she doesn't really want to leave her modest life in Cottonbloom. He is set on gaining her trust and help her with whatever her issues are, if she would let him. After all the events leading her to Cottonbloom, she has difficulties in trusting anyone. Can Jackson gain the trust that he craves to keep her by his side?

Jackson and Willia are similar in many ways. Expressing their feelings doesn't come easy. I admire Jackson's gentleness and patience. Willa's strength materialises when she decides to face her past instead of staying on the run. The romance starts as a slow burn until it reaches a boiling point. It's a delightful read even though it's slow in places. It's a well carved storyline with well developed characters. A captivating novel well worth reading.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Love will always find a way!

Willa and Jackson were introduced in previous novels in the Cottonbloom series, Jackson being Wyatt's twin brother and Willa the auto garage's only non-Abbott family employee. It took Jackson a while to wake up to the fact that Willa was standing there right in front of him, but when he did she still wasn't quite ready for all the attention. I resonated with that about her character as I am also not grateful for too much attention. Anyways, so Willa and Jackson finally end up figuring things out and getting together. This was a sweet story and a light-hearted romance and was exactly what I needed right now. I like the series overall, and this was a great story with all our friends from previous books. There wasn't necessarily anything overly thrilling about the story line but work has been super stressful lately and it was so nice to escape into a sweet and easy love story, especially with it being right around Valentine's Day. This was a good read and I would recommend it!

Gifted read by Netgalley for an honest review.
I really like the Abbott brothers, well everyone but Ford. I have a feeling I'd like him, if I got to know him better. I liked the storyline and I like the quirky aunts. What I didn't like was Willa! She was an immature girl who choose poorly in her boyfriend, she was a spoilt brat! When her dad remarried (although when finally meeting stepmama she seemed like a witch) Will a is jealous she isn't the only women in her dad's life and acts out, making very poor decisions! Even though throughout the book Willa admits she was the problem and stepmama did nothing to her or alienate her. Willa just wanted to be daddy's only girl in his life, selfish much!? Willa runs from all her problems, she runs and five years later hasn't matured at all! Until the end of the book she is still an immature character!
The Abbott matriarch, runner as well!!
What is wrong with the women in this book? Instead of logical thinking, mature decisions and just acting like a freaking grown up, they run from their problems and their children!!! Wth!!! I'd never leave my kids, seek help yes but never would I abandon my babies!!!
2 stars for the Abbott brothers and Sutton, Wyatt 's girlfriend quirky, funny friendly

Iam a huge fan of Laura Trentham books and her Cottonbloom series has to be one of my favourate series that includes a small town romance, so when I heard that aa next book in that series was coming put I was sooo excited to dive back into this world and it was just fantastic . Jackson and Willa's romance was sexy , swoon worthy and will leave you feeling all warm and fussy just because of how cute these too are with each other . The romance wasn't all that made this book fantastic , there were so many other things in this book that had me feeling world wind of emotions and made is basically impossible to put down this book . When Stars come out is another fantastic book in the Cotton bloom series and I cannot wait to get my hands on Laura Trentham next book if you are looking for a sweet sexy swoon worthy small town romance then you should definitely pick up this book as soon as you possibly can .

When the Stars Come Out is a well written romance with a good plot and likable characters. I enjoyed the author’s writing and look forward to reading more books in this series.

When the Stars Come Out by Laura Trentham is the fifth book in her Cottonbloom series. As is true with all of the books in this series, this one can be read as a stand alone, however, having read the others in the series, I'd say I prefer to know the history of the characters when reading each new book in the series. While I had the opportunity to read books 1, 2 and 3, the only one that I posted on was the fourth book, Leave the Night On.

Jackson and his brothers, Mack, Ford and Wyatt own a garage left to them when their father died. (Wyatt was the main character in book 4). It's true that Jackson has never had a meaningful relationship with anything other than his car. It's also true that he can't help himself from getting involved with the new female mechanic, Willa.

In the past, Willa Buchanan trusted the wrong people and she's been on the run for a while thanks to threats of her drug dealing ex boyfriend. She takes her grandmother's car - along with her last name - and heads on the run until she lands in Cottonbloom working a the Abbott brothers' garage.

When the Stars Come Out had a great story and a great plot. The characters are believeable - I laughed at Willa’s wittiness and sarcasm, and I appreciated Jackson's big heart while being a quiet kind of guy.

Often with stories like this, I don't try to analyze the flow of the romance with Ms. Trentham's stories because I know they will get resolved by the end one way or another. I trust her writing, so I just dig right in and enjoy the story cover to cover and escape real life for a little while. This story provides readers with just the right mix of drama, suspense and steamy chemistry to keep us connected. When I finished this book, all I could think about was the sixth and final book in this series, while hoping Mack and Ella’s story would be just as great as Willa and Jackson's!

Thanks to the author, Ms. Laura Trentham, as well as St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, all for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of WHEN THE STARS COME OUT. I was not required to write a positive review and the thoughts expressed here are my own

3.5 stars.

This was a sweet return to Cottonbloom with two people who have been hiding their feelings for a while, one because he’s pretty oblivious to everything outside of his car and the other because she doesn’t believe she deserves to be happy. The pair of them are perfect for each other, so it’s just a matter of when they will finally realise this for themselves.

I like the Cottonbloom series and I like both Willa and Jackson and found this a pretty sweet, undemanding read. The town itself doesn’t play much of a part in this, but then the Abbott brothers – despite being born and raised in the place – aren’t a big part of the community. They have each other and mostly get along with their work in relative harmony – apart from Ford, who once again sets a jarring tone to the story with his off-screen antics that throw up a little extra drama in distracting ways.

Willa is a strange contradiction in that she’s strong enough to live life on her own terms and pull through even when she has next to nothing, yet she also runs from all of her problems. Her big bad secret felt like a bit of an anticlimax by the time it comes out, but I was pleased by the way she handles certain things towards the end. There was a moment when I thought I was going to be massively disappointed, but somehow she pulled it off.

Jackson is much more straightforward, even with his issues surrounding his mother. He’s not big on expressing his feelings, but he still feels deeply and I enjoyed how Willa slowly drew him out of his shadowy shell. He’s a real sweetheart when it comes to her.

In all, I liked it, especially when the Abbott brothers pulled together. It isn’t the most exciting or stirring of reads, but it was enjoyable and I look forward to finding out more about Mack in the next book.

"When the Stars Come Out"
By Laura Trentham
St. Martin's Paperbacks


Contemporary Women's Fiction -- Release Date: January 30, 2018


In the Cottonbloom series, book #5, Willa Brown is starting to believe she belongs after being in town for two years and working as a top-notch mechanic for the Abbott's. For the first time in many years, she can practically sigh with relief, and she finally may be able to put down roots after years of running. Not wanting to become too complacent, she worries if and when her past will catch up with her. She lives very frugally in a beat-up old trailer, wearing second-hand clothes and sometimes going without eating for she never knows if she'll have to run again and she needs funds if this happens.

Willa's main problem with the exception of her history is her infatuation with Jackson Abbot. During the time she's worked with him and his brothers, he doesn't notice her, and she realizes she can't fall for anyone with the mistakes she made still haunting her. Jackson, whose focus is solely on cars, still mourns the loss of his father, and now his older brother Ford wants to sell the garage. He doesn't have time to consider relationships.

When a stray dog adopts Willa, Jackson notices the soft side of her, and his eyes are opened to what a special young woman she is. So emotionally withdrawn, can he open up and trust her, knowing she is hiding things from him? The attraction between them both is intense, but the constant fear Willa clings to keeps her circumspect. Before they get too tangled up in each other, Willa realizes he deserves to learn all about her, even if it means he walks away from her. Will she face more disappointment?

I was so happy to be back in Cottonbloom! Laura Trentham’s writing is fantastic, her characters are vibrant and easy to love. The three Abbott brothers are all yummy hero material! In this book, we get to know Jackson, the quieter brother.

Willa Brown’s life has not been easy. She is on her own, living in a trailer park. In Cottonbloom, she has found a place to settle and a job. Willa is a mechanic and an invaluable asset to the Abbott’s business, she is darn good at her job. Her job is crucial to her, without the Abbott, she would be alone. The brothers help her recover a sense of safety, they are friendly, decent and kind.

From the start, Willa has had a crush on Jackson, but she can’t afford to want more than friendship with him. She avoids emotional entanglements and is used to moving on if she becomes attached.
But as she finds herself getting invested in the town of Cottombloom and as her feelings for Jackson continue to deepen, Willa finds the idea of growing roots doesn’t make her panic as it used to. It was wonderful to see her slowly relax into her relationship with Jackson.

These two are pretty cute together, the chemistry between them sparked and sizzled. Jackson melted my heart, he has issues with feeling abandoned, being a kid when their mother decided to leave. He is set on never opening himself up enough to allow anyone in. He’s got a lot of issues he needs to deal with, but he can’t afford to lose Willa. He is willing to do whatever it takes to earn her trust and help her, even though she sends him mixed signals. There is a definite connection that both Willa and Jackson are unable to ignore and I enjoyed watching their relationship evolve.

"When The Stars Come Out" is a charming, sweet story of new love and of what it means to finally find one’s home and family. The cast of secondary characters add depth and warmth to the story, I enjoyed the cameo appearances of the Fournette brothers. I’ll be looking forward to returning to Cottonbloom and I can’t wait for Mack’s story! 4.5 stars

You are back in Cottonbloom and with the story of Jackson the twin to Wyatt from the last book and Willa Brown. Willa is the only female mechanic in the garage and was hired by the boys’ father years ago. She has mad skills but really that is all anyone really knows about her and that is the way she likes it. She is attracted to Jackson but she does not want to start anything for various reasons. These reasons are shown to you the reader throughout the story slowly, and as much as I thought I would not like it. I actually did. You find out the Willa is a very complexed women and so much, much more. You find out where and how she got her skills from and how she ended up there in Cottonbloom. You are taken into her being in a way that takes you back in her life to where her fear and yet protecting herself and more importantly her family made her end up where she is today, and now fighting the urge to run from Cottonbloom, and start a knew in a new place. As much as I want to give Jackson credit for helping her and he does. I really think it begins with a stray dog that shows up at her trailer and allows her to pet him. That simple act of touch begins to open her up to Jackson when he shows up at her trailer unannounced. By this stray dog allowing her to touch and feed it, allowed her to be open to the possibility to human touch and kindness when Jackson just at first wanted to talk. This was and is a different type of love story and it really fit the two characters. A very good book and had some of the characters from the other books in it as well. Very much worth the read.

This is the second Cottonbloom book I have tucked myself into, and I'm loving every morsel of it, and unlike the last book, it's not so much about falling for someone unobtainable or finding love after being cheated on, When the Stars Come out is about working with someone every day, and not realizing just how much they mean to you, till you know they are going to leave.

So we find ourselves back at the Abbot brothers garage, and the boys are still at each other's throats, with Ford's underhand dealings. But when Willa Brown asks Jackson if she is going to lose her job, it opens Jackson's eyes to just how much he has come to rely on Willa, and how little he knows about her.

Willa is escaping from her past, to keep her family alive, but that doesn't stop her from having feelings about Jackson, but when he starts probing into her life, she gets scared and plans to bolt, Jackson knows she is planning this, but Jackson needs to come to grips with his own past, before he can help Willa.

When The Stars Come Out is such a wonderful book, I love the whole premise of the book, which made the characters so much more enjoyable, and it was a great book to read, on a snowy night.

I give When The Stars Come Out 5 stars.

I got this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review which I am happy to provide. When I initially heard about the book I did not realize that it was part of a series, so of course I was worried if that would be a problem, but it turned out to be fine. However despite it being a nice, though predictable storyline, I never really felt connected to the characters. Perhaps because I had not read the previous books? Overall it was entertaining, but it never hooked me enough to want to read the other books in the series.

When the Stars Come Out by Laura Trentham
Cottombloom #5

Jackson Abbot and Willa Brown, after two years working together, finally wise up and realize there might be more for them together in the future than working on cars.

Jackson and his three brothers are co-owners of the garage their father established four decades ago. The eldest, Ford, is putting pressure on all of them to get money for his share of the business. Wyatt, Jackson’s twin, met his love in the last book and Mack is to meet his in the next one. This one is all about Jackson and Willa, though, and it was a whole lot of fun to read!

The Abbot brothers are pretty sure Willa has secrets but she is a cracker jack mechanic they want to keep around. When Jackson realizes that Willa could move on at any time he also realizes he does not want her to do so. That means making some changes and making moves and he is quickly on task to keep her around.

This story deals with Willa’s past and her secret. It deals with why Ford needs money. It spends a bit of time at the track Jackson races on. It provides resolution for Willa. It sets up the next book in the series. And, it provides the HEA that Willa and Jackson so richly deserve.

This was an easy to read book without any major highs or lows and was somewhat predictable but perfect for that day you just want an easy relaxing romance to read that has a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

When the Stars Come Out by Laura Trentham is a Cottonbloom novel that I enjoyed reading. Jackson and Willa are the main characters with additional characters from the other stories in this series. I read this story as a stand-alone book and did not have any problems. These two both work at his father’s garage as mechanics, and until recently Jackson treated her as a co-worker. Willa is on the run from a bad ex-boyfriend and she moves frequently to prevent him from finding her. She is an excellent mechanic and may have found a good safe place to put down roots. Jackson is also an outstanding mechanic who is in love with his car that he has fully restored and babied. He finally opens his eyes and finds he is attracted to the mysterious female mechanic. He knows she is hiding her problems and secrets, but he feels protective of her. Will she be able to give her trust to Jackson and open herself up to his love? Will her past catch up with her? Read this story and find out if these two have their happy ending.

I received this advanced copy from Netgalley for my honest review.

This series is always well done. I love the Abbott family. This book concentrated on Willa and Jackson. This is a contemporary fiction story that is just fun to read. Willa and Jackson start to actually notice one another. They are not sure if they should cross the line between work friends and lovers. I look forward to reading about the next brother in line. I received an ebook copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I will start off saying I have not read any other books in this series. You don't need to, you can read this as a stand alone. I really enjoyed getting to know Willa and Jackson and the rest of the Abbotts. Willa had a lot to overcome, most of it as you get old realize it is very dumb stuff but for a teenager at the time was very hard for her. Jackson is the perfect match for her with his serious, quiet persona. Willa finally comes to trust people in this town and because of that and especially Jackson she faces her past for good. I can already tell who will the next book be about and I am interested to see how Laura decides to put the two of them together and I would like to see more of Abbott family.