From award-winning author Laura Trentham comes an emotionally layered novel about redemption, second chances and discovering that life is worth fighting for. At thirty, Greer Hadley never expected to be forced home to Madison, Tennessee with her life and dreams up in flames. A series of bad decisions and even worse luck lands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids … organization that aids veterans and their families. Greer cannot fathom how she’s supposed to help anyone deal with their trauma and loss when everything that brought her joy has failed her.
Then Greer meets fifteen-year-old Ally Martinez, a gifted girl who lost her father in action and now hides her pain behind a mask of sarcasm. But Greer sees something undeniable that she can’t walk away from. To make matters more complicated, Greer finds herself spending more and more time with Emmett Lawson–a man with both physical and emotional scars of his own. When a situation with Ally becomes dire, the two of them must become a team to save her–and along the way they might just save themselves too.
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I started this book with plans to read a few chapters before I went to sleep. At 4 am I read the last page – I’m glad that I’m retired so that I didn’t have to worry about going to work for 8 hours but the book was so good that I probably would have read it even if I had a work day ahead of me. This is the second book in the Heart of A Hero series but can be read as a standalone as there is no overlap of characters or story line.
At 30 years of age, Greer is back home after trying her luck in Nashville. She was talented but had never gotten the break as a songwriter that would take her to the top. Instead she spent years playing in dive bars until a panic attack when she was starting a song ended her singing career in Nashville. After she comes back to her childhood home, a bar fight with her cheating boyfriend lands her in court and she is sentenced to community service at a nonprofit agency that aided veterans and their families with music therapy. Her first client is a 15 year old girl named Ally whose father died in combat. She has a major attitude and doesn’t want to work with Greer and after the first session, when Greer remembers what it was like to be 15, she finds a common ground for them even though it’s still a struggle. Her next client is even more difficult. Greer knew Emmett in high school when he was a football star and he was definitely not in her social group in high school. He had been injured in the war and had lost his leg and had major survivor’s guilt and PTSD. He lived in a small house on his parents’ property and spent his time drinking. He didn’t want to talk to anyone or make any effort to return to his old life and his attitude kept people away until Greer decided to ignore his attitude and to try to help him. Will her sarcasm and attitude help Emmett in his recovery or push him further away? or can they both help each other???
After a drunken escapade at the local pub, Greer must undertake community service at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans.
There wasn’t anything I disliked about this small-town romance. The dialog is great, and the plot flows well, but it is the compelling and relatable characters who make this book extra special.
Greer is depressed after her music career has hit a dead end. She’d rather pick up rubbish than work at the nonprofit, but after meeting Ally Martinez, who has lost her military father, Greer slowly changes her mind. She attacks the next part of her assignment—to visit Emmett, who was the golden boy next door. Now, he’s angry and depressed, missing a leg and chasing visitors away with a shotgun. Survivor’s guilt is dragging him down. The three main characters are well-rounded, with strengths and weaknesses. Gradually, they come to trust each other and find that together they’re much stronger.
Laura Trentham is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I enjoyed this book very much. Highly recommended.
Heart warming. Emotional. Intense. Page-turning. You are not going to be able to just read a little then come back later. It will be on your mind. Because I tired is how I know. Greer, Ally, Emmett, life, small town, community service all brings this together for more everything. The rich main characters had perfect support from their supporting character, the town, the story.
Wow! What a read!! I thought I would read a couple of chapters before bed but I got so caught up in all that was happening that I read well into the night until I finished the last word and I was still ready to read more. I loved Greer Hadley who moves home at 30 and ends up with community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families where she meets Ally Martinez, a gifted 15 year old who lost her father in action and hides her pain behind sarcasm. Then she reconnects with her old schoolmate, Emmett Lawson who has both physical and emotional scars from his time in Afghanistan. Ms. Trentham writes emotionally charged books that make me laugh, cry and sigh and I love every minute!! I highly recommend “An Everyday Hero” and look forward to more from this gifted author. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review. I also purchased a copy so I can read it again.
As a military veteran myself and married to a combat military veteran. I am always cautious when invited to read military romances. But this story has completely floored me in the best way.
This story of Emmett and Greer is nothing short of inspirational and sweet! And with a twist that you don’t see coming, but makes the story even more heartwarming.
Greer is marching to the beat of her own drum. She feels that the music industry machine has chewed her up and spit her out. She has lost her mojo when it comes to music and when she made to “face the music” again, well magic happens.
Emmett is truly an everyday hero. He is a combat veteran that has experience tragedy and loss on an epic scale. When he is at his lowest and darkest. Greer brings a bit of light and laughter into his world.
The secondary characters are phenomenal and bring so much more to the story.
To see the journey that both Greer and Emmett go through in this story is truly inspirational! I want to thank Ms. Trentham for making a believable, moving love story with heart!
I loved this read. So well written keeping the reader entrenched, no matter the scenario.
A fast, engaging, realistic journey that is still on my mind. I felt every emotion as I read this, the frustration, a fear of the unknown, guilt, happiness, pride and love. Greer and Emmett, both strong characters with setbacks of life and war, were very real with their ups and downs alike, just finding their way. They hadn’t intended to fall in love, but life has a way of knowing what’s right. I laughed as Greer kind of bulldozed over Emmett in a genteel way, of course, LoL.
Now Ally, her devastating loss, her Mom, just everything surrounding her was incredibly emotional, and yet she proved to be the strongest, amazing young lady. An inspiration!
There was also Bonnie the kitten, Eddie Munster, and Daisy making the read that much better. Furbabies are always bonus.
I recommend reading this, I don’t think you’ll come away the same.
5* Real Hero Stars
I was so excited to read Laura’s second book in the, “A Heart of a Hero” series which centers around the military. They are both stand-alone books.
When 30-year-old Greer Hadley’s life and dreams suddenly shatter she is forced back to her hometown of Madison. Unfortunately, things only get worse when she makes some bad decisions which have consequences and she is sentenced to 50 hours of community service at the non-profit Music Tree Foundation that helps veterans and their families cope with the trauma they have endured fighting for their country. This is where Greer meets 15-year-old Ally who has recently lost her father and does not know how to deal with his loss and is rebellious. I enjoyed reading how Greer saw past the angry and sarcastic Ally and slowly through music broke down her barriers. Greer is also assigned the task of helping a veteran named Emmett who has become a recluse and wants nothing to do with anyone, including his family. I enjoyed and laughed out loud reading about their first encounter and the way that Emmett dealt with unexpected visitors. His story was very real and sad, and it was interesting to see these two stubborn people butt heads and break down each other’s barriers. They were total opposites which managed to attract each other, and they were good for each other. I was routing for them all the way.
This wonderful story is about Greer, Ally and Emmett learning to deal with the past and together navigating the future.
An Everyday Hero was a fantastic read. It was heartfelt and very real. Laura’s writing is engaging and full of emotion. Once you read the first page you will not be able to put it down until the last page is read.
ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley 4.5 stars
Everyday Hero is book 2 in the Heart of a Hero series by Laura Trentham an another awesome read!
Greer Hadley has made some bad decisions and has some bad luck that lands in community service at a nonprofit for veterans and families. There she meets Allie Martinez a 15 year old and veteran Emmett Landon.
What happens next is second chances, romance, redemption and so much more!
Fantastic story of love, loss, and second chances. The characters are relatable, real people with believable problems and reactions. I loved that they all had good days and bad days, the occasional foot-in-mouth moment, and undeniably good hearts that were buried beneath layers of pain.
Greer left her small hometown to follow her dream of stardom in Nashville. Ten years later, she returned home, broke, and with her dreams shattered. Adding insult to injury, she found her boyfriend in bed with another woman. The book opens with Greer in front of a judge after combining too many drinks with her anger led her to inflict damage on the local bar. The judge sentences her to community service hours at an organization that uses music to help veterans and their families. Having put her music behind her, Greer is none too happy with the charge. That starts to change with her first assignment.
Ally is a fifteen-year-old girl hiding a lot of pain behind an armor of attitude. Her father died in Afghanistan, and her mother isn’t handling her grief well, leaving Ally floundering. Greer is no soft-spoken therapist, and she and Ally butt heads before Greer finds a small crack in the armor. I loved watching Greer encourage Ally to express her feelings by writing song lyrics. Greer’s honesty about the efforts (they’re going to suck at first, but they’ll get better) goes a long way toward earning Ally’s trust. Greer doesn’t expect to care as much as she does, and that caring leads to some heartwrenching moments. Not only does Greer help Ally deal with her pain, she receives some unexpected healing in return.
Greer’s other challenge is recently returned veteran Emmett. Emmett came home missing a leg and suffering from overwhelming survivor’s guilt. He isolated himself from everyone, hiding out in a cabin on the family property, drinking too much, and wallowing in self-pity. Greer remembers Emmett from high school as the golden-boy football hero and her secret crush. Emmett tries to run Greer off with anger, and a shotgun blast in the air in their first encounter. She’s made of sterner stuff, though, and faces him down. Though tempted to give up on him at first, Greer persists. It was fun to watch her call him on his attitude, and it wasn’t long before he looked forward to her visits. I especially enjoyed watching her drag him back into the world of the living with some not-so-gentle boots to the rear.
I liked watching the relationship between Emmett and Greer develop. They begin as adversaries, as Emmett wants to be left alone, and Greer refuses to indulge him. Emmett resents the pity and ultra-caring he experiences from most people and finds Greer’s sass and sarcasm refreshing. I loved his surprise when he realized that he was ready to come out of isolation. I also liked that it wasn’t all one-sided. As Emmett got to know Greer, he found himself wanting to help her the way she helped him. There are some sweet scenes of him offering support as she faces her demons. And under it all is a simmering attraction that soon draws them even closer.
An unexpected twist reveals a connection between Ally and Emmett. I ached for Emmett and its effect on him and loved the straight talk from Greer that helped him through it. Ally also helped by being her practical, honest, and straightforward self. The scene between Ally and Emmett was amazing in its depth of emotion and its impact on both of them. I loved the solution they came up with to deal with the crisis. The epilogue was terrific. I loved witnessing the changes a year made in their lives.
Wow this is a great book, part of it was dealing with the past, second chance love and it takes a village to raise a child. The author deal with all issues wonderfully. I enjoyed reading it.
I’ll keep this short and sweet;
I’ll start this review by saying this one spoke to me as soon as read the blurb.
This was a roller coaster for sure. From crying to smiling, it had it all. Story about loses, heartbreak, broken and damaged people who found each other and helped to fell healed.
This story showed me the meaning of friendship, trust, tough-love and simply letting some else caring our burdens every once in a while.
I read it in one sitting and couldn’t get enough of it.
***Review copy received by NG for an honest opinion***
I loved this story. I love the idea that dreams can change. Not everything happens right away, but dreams evolve and turn into something else. I love that what initially scared Greer not only helped her heal but helped others to heal as well. It was a trickle effect. I love that she was a little sarcastic and gave Emmett what he really needed…while Emmett was a hero because of his service and sacrifice, Greer was one in helping others deal with their pain.
What a great, feel good read! There were numerous “heroes” with troubles that needed healing in this touching, small town story.
The writing was as top notch as the story itself. I’m a first time reader of Laura Trentham but it won’t be the last investment I make reading more of her work.
This was a great novel about love, loss,and second chances! Greer is back in her hometown. One night she makes a mistake and is assigned to do community service. There she is assigned to work with two people both who have experienced incredible loss in their lives. They are all angry and disappointed about what has happened to them. Greer will become more involved in their lives in ways she couldn’t imagine.
This was the first book I have read from this Author and I really enjoyed it considering I didn’t know what really to expect. Laura wrote this one so well and covered real issues really brilliant with a realistic look that was filled with emotional. Tissues will be required but this did show great healing.
I’m now wanting to go back and read the first book in this series The Military Wife
Heart of a Hero #2, A heartfelt emotional romance about healing, grieving, learning to move on, and music. Greer left Nashville and came back home to find her boyfriend cheating on her, instead of feeling inspired to write she felt more dejected than before and thought she’d never pick her guitar up again. But after a night of drinking and getting in trouble with a perverted cop she winds up with community service helping out a local place where they use music to help with veterans and their family. Her first assignment is a young teenager, Ally, who lost her father overseas and her mother isn’t handling it any better. Greer’s second assignment is a little bit more personal. Emmett was the popular one in high school and he even stood up for Greer once and she never forgot the incident so when she heard what happened she easily took the assignment.
Emmett blamed himself for what happened, he may have lost part of his left but several of him men lost their lives. He plans to just sit alone in the cabin and just drink the pain away until a feisty little spitfire named Greer calls to his senses, brings music back into his life and shows him he still has something to live for. Ally hates her new school, she hates that her mom acts like her dad’s not dead, she doesn’t want to do the music therapy but Greer shows her a way to vent through her lyrics. Ally and Emmett also help Greer get out of her funk, show her that she deserves better than her last boyfriend and that the music never left her she just needed the right person, or persons, to push her where she needs to be.
Overall, this was a beautiful story. Laura Trentham wears a coat of many colors when it comes what she can write and she writes emotional, not to angsty, romance just as well as she writes the funny stuff.
Wow! Powerful story of life, of love and war and the fallout. This book pulled me in and made me laugh and made me cry. I highly recommend. I will be looking at this author’s back list. lley
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review.
What a wonderful heart-felt story that addresses the guilt survivors experience as well as many other current issues people are dealing with these days. Characters are all so realistic and believable, very well developed. I reached for the tissue box a couple times but I also chuckled and smiled and nodded my head in agreement. Totally enjoyable and emotional read.
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is an incredible story. It is well-written and the emotions jump off of the page. I instantly felt connected to Greer and Emmett. This is one of those books where I picked it up to just read a few pages and found myself up past my bedtime for a couple of nights. The small-town setting, complex characters, and plot that pulls at your heartstrings make this one a five-star read for me. Absolutely wonderful.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
This was a terrific story of starting over when your life has taken a disastrous turn. I loved Greer and Emmett. They were extremely well developed characters; I felt like I kept learning more about them and the more I read, the deeper I became invested in their life struggles as well as their growing respect for and attachment to one another. I loved seeing them support and encourage each other before they ever thought they might have a future together.
I requested and voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.