Man From Tennessee – Jennifer Greene

After a whirlwind courtship, Kern Lowery whisked his young bride away to the mountains of Tennessee to start a new life. Unfortunately, Trisha’s sheltered Grosse Pointe upbringing didn’t prepare her for marriage or the hardships of country living, so she left with barely a goodbye. 

Five years later, an accident brings Trisha back to Tennessee. No longer the shy, helpless girl she was, she keeps her composure when she comes face-to-face with the stranger she is still technically married to. Inside, however, her emotions are a riot of passion—and fear. Fear of falling for the man she loves once again…

When I read the blurb for this book on NetGalley, I was pulled in and hopeful for a great story. After reading it…not so much.

This is the “love” story of Kern and Trish Lowery. Trish met Kern when she was 19 at a New Year’s Eve party in Grosse Pointe. It seems they were married a few short weeks later and then Kern was whisking Trish away to his mountain in Tennessee. Seems though, that while Kern was telling Trish all about his dream for his land in the Smokey Mountains, he forgot to mention that they were starting from the ground up. Due to this slight omission and Trish’s naivety, insecurities and perceived “failures” as a wife, she packs her stuff and heads back to Grosse Pointe. 

Fast forward five years, we find Trish driving her mother-in-law back to the home she left five years prior. Yep, I said mother-in-law, seems she and Kern never bothered ending that marriage of theirs. So after finding out Kern’s been hurt in an accident, she hops into the Mercedes and off they go. Sure, she aged those five years and somewhat matured, but you can see immediately she hasn’t grown all the much when all those same insecurities that had her running before come right back the minute she sees Kern. 

At this point, the book lost me. Kern, you see your wife who abandoned you five years earlier and you act as if you saw her earlier in the day? I know if I were in the same situation, my reaction would not be fit for young ears.

Let’s fast forward a little in the story, Kern is trying to seduce his wife and then asks how many men she’s been with. Does Trish, who hasn’t been with anyone since leaving Kern, get mad and scream at him? Nope, she changes the subject keeping all the hurt feeling inside.

This was how the book went. Back and forth with Trish running/hiding and Kern trying to take. It was too much. Even at the end the explanations for both their actions came about 2 seconds before all was forgiven and they were happily ever after. I’m all for the happy ending, but these characters didn’t really have to prove themselves to each other in order to get that HEA.