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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Greer has made a mess of her life. She has tried and failed to make it in Nashville. Her long time boyfriend cheated on her…she CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT! Then she destroyed a bar and ended up in front of her uncle, the judge. Instead of sentencing her to pick up trash, he made her community service about music. The one thing she is trying to forget! She is to volunteer at a non profit organization which helps veterans and their families heal through music.
Greer has been given two of the hardest cases in the organization. A teenage girl, Ally, who lost her father in military action. And then there is Emmett. Emmett is a mess as well. He lost his leg and his will to function in this world. When these two get together sparks fly, in anger and attraction!
Now, I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars on this read. The main reason I went with 5 stars…the music! Many, many times in my life music has been my lifesaver. It is in this book as well. Music can heal if you let it. And that is exactly what the author portrays in this read. This book does slow down a little in the middle but the characters, trauma and the healing really create a great read.
Now…this cover is not at all what the book is about. I guess the design was meant to portray tranquility…sooo not what I got out of the book. Music as the cover would have been much better, in my opinion. But, it is still a very good read! Grab this one today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I read my first Laura Trentham book a few months ago and really liked her writing. I’ve missed a couple of releases that I’ll eventually get around to reading (my TBR pile is daunting!) because I really loved her book, The Military Wife.
Greer Hadley’s life is falling apart. After returning home from Nashville, no closer to her dream of making it big in the music industry, she finds herself doing court-appointed community service hours at the Music Tree Foundation. It’s the last place she wants to be, but with no other choice, she reluctantly shows up. Faced with the one teenager no one else can handle, she begins a journey she never expected she’d ever be on. One that will change her…and her life in ways she could never have predicted.
Emmett Lawson is home from war, scarred more than physically and feeling like less than a man. He just wants to be left alone. But Greer doesn’t want to give up on him, either, despite his surly attitude at their initial reunion. Can she help him see that there’s more to life than just existing?
NICUnurse’s Rating: This book was quite simply fantastic. While there was an underlying romance in the story, An Everyday Hero is so much more than that. The theme is ultimately about overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, despite where you are in life. It’s about never giving up on people, no matter how big their emotional walls may be. And it’s a story about never giving up on your passions and your dreams. You can’t help but root for Greer as she learns how to look beyond herself to see hurting people and how she can be there for them and learning that sometimes, just simply being there when someone else is at their lowest point and not giving up on them is what miracles are made of. I can’t say enough good things about this book! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would but since I can’t,
I give An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham 5 out of 5 stars!
Two lost souls find their way again by helping each other. This book shows how people can be lost but find a way back through both music and talking to the right person. The emotions that everyone is going through in this book are huge. It takes the right kind of person to push someone in the direction they need to go. It does help to have support from family, friends and outside help. Greer and Emmett find both love and understand in each other. This book also shows you the different sides of what people go through in the Military and coming back home after war or the loved ones who are left behind.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
An Everyday Hero is the latest novel by prolific and varied author Laura Trentham. Thirty year old Greer Hadley has hit an all time low. After a disastrous day in which the young songwriter froze at a very important showcasing opportunity and then found her boyfriend in the arms of another, Greer proceeded to drink herself into a state resulting in damage done to Becky’s Bar and Grill, and a well placed crotch kick to the handsy officer. As Greer stood with her parents and in front of Judge Duckett, her Uncle Bill, she was ready to accept her public service sentence. When she was sentenced to 50 hours working with veterans or family of service personnel dealing with issues at the Music Tree Foundation she begged to pick up trash instead, feeling her music days were past.
Her uncle was adamant that the penalty stand and ordered Greer to report to the foundation’s head, her cousin Amelia, the following day. Her first charge was 15 year old Ally Martinez who is fueled by her grief and anger over her father being killed in action while serving in Afghanistan. When Greer sets a time record with Ally before the girl runs out, Amelia assigns another difficult case to her. He is 30 year old Capt. Emmett Lawson with whom Greer had attended high school. He had been the golden guy quarterback in those days. Now he had been caught in an ambush which lost lives and his left leg below his knee and is in a very dark place.
The story unfolds as Greer interacts with these two clients and the reader begins to wonder who is saving whom. This is a wonderful multidimensional tale with endearing characters and surprises as the story develops. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!
I loved everything about An Everyday Hero – characters, plot, songwriting, etc. Laura Trentham delivers a great small town romance with flawed characters, wounded and deceased veterans and the characters affected by these veterans. This book is an amazing, emotional, gut wrenching, heart warming, inspirational romance that I could not put down!
Laura Trentham’s An Everyday Hero is a remarkable unique story. Certainly a romance but also more than that. A story of grit, determination in the face of failure, rising to help others which leads to helping yourself.
Characters that have all suffered major losses find acceptable, love and restoration perhaps where they least expected it. My heart went out to each of the characters especially Emmett Lawson but also to Greer Hadley and the young Ally Martinez. All need a second chance. These characters grew so much in this story, it felt so real that I felt like cheering at the end. Wonderful and significant read.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was my first Laura Trentham book and I can tell you it won’t be the last. This is such a beautifully written story that is not just an emotional journey for your heart but for your soul as well. The relationship between Greer and Emmett is one that works so well because they lift each other up and force each other to face reality and be brave. Their live grows organically and it’s beautiful. I absolutely love this couple. They have funny, sweet, tender and very real even sometimes difficult moments that endeared them to me and filled my heart all the way up. The side story with Ally was equally endearing and I love how Greer was able to reach her through their shared love of music and I felt Emmett was also able to reach her but on a different level. This couple is able to heal through love and mutual respect and as they grow as confident people they pay it forward. This is just an amazing story! I loved it!
I was lucky to receive an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
Heartfelt, uplifting, and sweetly romantic!
An Everyday Hero is a compelling, touching tale that reminds us of the enduring emotional, physical, and psychological effects of war on those in the military and their families and highlights the incredible healing power that friendship, trust, love, and music can have.
The prose is clear and fluid. The characters are wounded, stubborn, and empathetic. And the story is a beautiful tale about life, loss, grief, family, ambition, forgiveness, introspection, patriotism, community, PTSD, pride, resilience, and love.
Overall, An Everyday Hero is another emotional, absorbing, enchanting tale by Trentham that is a wonderful addition to a series, A Heart of a Hero, that is quickly becoming one of my all-time favourites.
At thirty, Greer Hadley never expected to be forced home to Madison, Tennessee with her life and dreams of being a songwriter up in flames then she ends up doing community service an organization that aids veterans and their families. When Greer meets fifteen-year-old Ally Martinez, her plans to stay detached and do as little as possible get thrown away. New to town and dealing with the death of her father in action, she hides her emotions behind a mask of bitterness and sarcasm, but Greer is able to see past it and recognizes pieces of who she once was in Ally. The raw and obvious talent she possesses could take her to the top and Greer vows to make sure life’s negativities don’t derail Ally’s potential. After Greer is assigned a veteran to help, she’s not surprised Emmett Lawson, the town’s golden boy, followed his family’s legacy. What leaves her shocked is the shell of a man who believes he doesn’t deserve anyone’s help. A breakthrough with Ally reminds Greer that no one is worth giving up on.
A truly lovely slow burn romance that took me through a range of emotions & left me light hearted. I loved Greer & her determination. I loved Emmett the bruised hero but how their relationship developed was up lifting. I was undecided if I’d love this book as I don’t often read contemporary romance but I love the author’s books & I loved the first book in the series. I needn’t have worried as this is a lovely romance that I thoroughly enjoyed
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This book is very different then any book I have read in a while. That’s a good thing the whole story just grabs your attention and sucks you in and before you know it the books almost over. The subject matter is tough with a young girl dealing with the loss of a parent and a guy coming home from war and learning to cope. There’s also so much more to it. I really loved Ally it was simply hard not too. The author will have you laughing and crying through out sometimes on the same page. I felt I was connecting with friends not a bunch of fictional characters. I really enjoyed all the character in the book but the cop I wish in the end Greer would have kicked him where it counts and he would have lost his job. lol!!! There is some adult language and situations through out some may not be suitable for all readers. Overall an amazing read and well worth it, in the end I wanted so much more I just was not read to be done. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion
Laura Trentham is a new-to-me author and definitely one I will be going back to.
Emmett and Greer’s story involves real-life struggles and the possibilities that can come with them. I was riveted from the very beginning. I can’t wait to see what more there is to discover from this author!
5 stars!!!
Just when I think her writing can’t get any better, Trentham does this! Two broken souls find each other in a beautiful story of healing, redemption, and love, and trust me, you’re going to want to keep the tissue box handy. This one has a PG rating and all of the elements we love in a good romance, each perfectly placed for maximum heart string manipulation. And manipulate they do in one of the most touching, poignant books I’ve read in a long, long time.
Singer/songwriter Greer Hadley had dreams of making it big in Nashville, but now she’s come crawling home to the small town of Madison, TN. Not dealing well with her dream laying in ashes, she goes a little off the rails one night, resulting in court-mandated community service by volunteering at the Music Tree Foundation which works with military veterans and their families. But how can Greer help anyone through music when her own music has died? Especially when her first client is a moody fifteen-year-old girl whose father was recently killed in combat.
Emmett Lawson’s military career ended after he lost his leg and one of his men in an ambush. Now he spends his days wallowing in the cabin on his family’s horse ranch, running off anyone who shows up with his harsh words and his grandfather’s shotgun. When Greer shows up at the cabin after Emmett is assigned as her next client, Emmett’s rage and shotgun don’t run her off like they have others. No, Greer threatens to tell Emmitt’s mama on him, not only putting him in his place, but nudging him out of his haze of self-pity.
These characters effortlessly ran away with my heart, and their story will be a part of me indefinitely. Emmett, Greer, and fifteen-year-old Ally are so bruised, broken and beaten down, but they all have an inner strength that serves them well as they heal and grow in the most heartfelt, wonderful way. These are some of the most compelling, thought-provoking, authentic characters I’ve ever read, and I felt every bit of emotion from each of them as I read their story.
If you want a book that sweeps you away on an unforgettable journey, this is it. If you love a book that pulls out all the stops and takes your emotions on the most glorious of rides, you’ll love this one. With loveable characters who are complex and lifelike, and a storyline that will steal your heart, this is one you definitely don’t want to miss!
Greer is disillusioned with her choices, Ally does not accept her father’s death and Emmett does not want contact with the world because he does not feel like a hero.
Three lives and a beautiful story about new beginnings, about second chances, about love.
Exciting, simple and sweet. I fell in love with each of the main and secondary characters. They give real life lessons on how we should empathize with each other’s pain and anguish. How we should love without judging, help the person to rise.
With light touches of humor, Laura Trentham transports you into the book and it is impossible not to be touched by the story of Greer, Ally and Emmett.
5/5 stars
“The scene was both common and a miracle. A common, everyday miracle. An oxymoron that made perfect sense in the moment.”
Greer Hadley is 30 years old, has been in Nashville for the last ten years trying to make it in the music industry, but has admitted defeat and is back living with her parents in Madison, Tennessee. And not handling it well.
Emmett Lawson is a soldier that lost part of one leg in combat and lost men that served under him. He’s home in Madison, trying to drown his loss and feeling of uselessness in too much liquor.
Fate brings these two wounded people together and they are able to help each other overcome the obstacles standing in the way of their happiness.
I enjoyed this real feeling romance. The main characters were great but I also liked all the different side characters thrown into Greer and Emmett’s lives.
The book doesn’t sugarcoat the horrors of war but brings a lot of understanding to some of the byproducts of it.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press through Edelweiss and Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
A Story of Growth – Emmett has to come to terms with his survivors guilt, Greer has to find a new career path and Ally has to adjust to her father’s death. An enjoyable story with relatable characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In helping others, we often find that they help us as well. I loved the music tie ins throughout and this was an easy book to read, the pages flew as I was immersed in the story.
All of the characters are at a crossroad each looking for their future paths with regrets as an underlying theme. We get to witness all of the characters transformations.
Greer is all sass and Emmett is bitter and feeling sorry for himself. Their interactions are fun to read and you can’t help but feel the connection grow. You can feel their epic love story.
Greer and Ally help one another more than either ever thought they would. Ally is the angsty teenager that Greer allowing Greer to reach the heart of Ally. You feel the friendship and respect grow.
The connection between Ally and Emmett was a great tie in and helped heal their regrets.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
An Everyday Hero was a book I was looking forward to after reading the description and I was not disappointed!
Greer Hadley has returned to her hometown after leaving Nashville and her dreams of making it in the music business behind. When she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she has a bit too much to drink and ends up getting arrested for the incident. As part of her punishment, the court commands that she volunteer at a music therapy office to earn her hours. She’s not sure about it at all, but she doesn’t have much choice.
Emmett Lawson has recently returned from war not only with emotional wounds, but the physical ones as well after he lost his leg. He’s basically turned into a recluse and he’s stopped doing the basic things to take care of himself. His parents have tried to help, but he is resistant to anyone even coming onto his property.
As Greer begins to work at the therapy office, she encounters a young girl named Ally, who she begins to make inroads with. In the meantime, she’s asked to try to reach Emmett too, even though no one has been successful and most have been scared away by his actions! Will Greer have more luck?
This is a book that is not only about readjustment, but also about forgiveness, it was inspiring and it really made you think about how not only those that have returned from war are affected, but also how family and friends are as well. I really enjoyed this offering and would recommend it!
What a beautiful addition to the Heart of a Hero series. While I enjoyed the heroine and what her volunteer work exposed her to, I was head-over-heels in love with Emmett. A top favorite kind of hero – Broody, broken, scarred, and/or bruised, while little by little, allowing someone in to aid their recovery. Hero catnip.
An Everyday Hero was the kind read where the pages flip easily and time simply flies by. Even though this story had its emotional moments, I felt like I had a smile on my face for most of the book. The writing was effortless without heavy angst or constant drama driving the story. Just good people working through difficult circumstances and trying to find a new normal. I loved it!
An Everyday Hero is my first book by Laura Trentham. I found this story to be an emotional journey toward life’s intended path. Gree finds herself back in her hometown after trying so very hard for a career in teh music industry. Greer also finds herself completing community service at a local non-profit helping veterans and their families cope with loss through music. If you enjoy emotional, heartfelt stories than I highly recommend “An Everyday Hero”. ****
**4.5 Stars**
This is my first book by this author and I am very impressed with both the writing style and story line. I found myself engaged with the story from the first pages, and that didn’t waver once throughout the course of reading the book.
Greer is not at all where she thought she would be in life, and after finding her boyfriend cheating on her, goes on to make bad decisions, which results in her being ordered to do community service hours with a music program, something she would definitely rather not do. Music used to be her passion but at 30 she finally gave up on having a career in the music industry and is kind of floundering about. Through the program though she ends up meeting a couple of people who will change the course of her future and help her both learn more about herself and figure out what is truly important in life.
Emmett is a military veteran who recently returned from combat after having survived a horrific experience in which most of his fellow soldiers did not, and he has secluded himself away from the rest of the world and is barely surviving while dealing with his feelings of guilt.
I really enjoyed Greer’s character. She was real and honest and flawed, but caring and dependable and a fighter. I loved how hard she worked to help both Emmett and Ally and that she didn’t give up on them even when she partially gave up on herself and her own dreams. I really enjoyed reading about Emmett and Greer’s initial interactions and then as their friendship took off and then ultimately into the slow burn of a little more. I loved that they both pushed each other to be better and want more and to not settle. And I loved how protective Greer was of Ally and in turn how much Emmett cared for her as well because of how much she meant to Greer. I would definitely recommend this book and cannot wait to read more from this author. I am so excited to have found a new author!!!