Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love Laura Trentham books and this one didn't disappoint! This book is about second chances, seeing that sometimes life has a different path than you originally thought and that sometimes the power of songwriting and music can make a difference.

One of the boomerang generation, Greer Hadley returns home at age thirty after failing in her dreams of being a famous singer in Nashville. She has been brought low by that harsh reality, adding insult to injury is a cheating boyfriend that sends her off the rails to a bad night of tequila and trashing a bar. Shamefully going before her judge uncle (Madison is a small town),Greer gets community service in a music program designed to help veterans and their families cope with loss and tragedy. Greer’s first client is a sullen, goth teenager, Ally, who lost her father four months before and resents being put in the program.

Greer’s other assignment is the town’s favorite son who was grievously injured in a bomb attack that wounded much more than his body. Emmett bears a lot of guilt because of a lost comrade. He has holed up in a family cabin wallowing in misery and rejecting all offers of help. Greer has always admired Emmett from afar, but now she is determined to haul him back into the world. They are both injured people as Greer has her own issues about ever performing again while Emmett thinks his life is hampered not only by a prosthetic leg, but that his future is life at the end of a bottle.

Not surprisingly, Greer has a tough row to hoe getting Emmett and Ally out of their funks and believing there is life after loss. Greer is wobbly enough on her own, but as is often the case, helping someone else who is in need brings grace and renewal to her own life. Emmett has choices and opportunities if he is willing to take them and with Greer, he begins to see that all is not lost and dark. This story is Women’s Fiction with a “sweet” romantic element in that most of the intimate scenes are behind closed doors although they are referenced.

Bartender Greer Hadley’s life isn’t turning out the way she had planned. Her early dreams of success as a Nashville singer-songwriter have evaporated, the naïve aspirations of a much younger Greer. Now, she’s “performing” all right – performing court-ordered community service, the consequence of a drunk and disorderly arrest. She is sentenced to fifty hours of volunteer work at the Music Tree Foundation, using her music skills to help military veterans and their families cope with trauma. But the mere thought of playing music again has Greer’s crippling self-doubt kicked into overdrive.
Emmett Lawson is newly returned from a stint in Afghanistan where he lost a leg in an IED explosion that killed his sergeant. Like so many wounded warriors, he wonders why he was spared. What if he had done something differently? Was this his fault? Emmett sinks into a state of isolation, anger and reckless behavior that even his parents can’t penetrate.
In desperation, his mother contacts the Foundation for help, and Emmett becomes one of Greer’s music clients. He makes it abundantly clear that he wants no part of this, but his brash resistance falls flat with Greer, who has known him since high school. If anyone can get through to him, it’s her. The question is, who can get through to Greer?
Book #2 of Trentham’s Heart of a Hero series looks at the emotional toll of war, on both the soldiers and their families. Through well-crafted dialog, she provides insight into the inner turmoil and upheaval that can occur as a byproduct of military deployment. And for those lucky enough to find and accept help, the rebirth that follows. Trentham pens another highly worthwhile read that is both poignant and entertaining.

I liked the cover of the book. I was drawn to the synopsis. After the third chapter I struggled to keep reading it. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I did like the ending. It’s not one of my favorites by Trentham.

This was a very moving story about two people who have lost themselves. Life hasn’t turned out the way either of the thought when they were in high school together. Golden boy Emmett Lawson went to West Point and entered the military and has come back missing a leg and a whole load of survivor’s guilt. Greer Hadley thought she could go to Nashville and achieve fame with her songs. It didn’t work out and now she’s had to retreat back to living with her parents in their small Tennessee home.

She gets disorderly in a local bar and is assigned community service working teaching veterans and surviving family members music. She bonds with a surly, lost teenager whose father died in the war. And she gets assigned to try to break through with Emmett.

Emmett doesn’t want any help, but Greer is stubborn and starts to break through with each of her assigned contacts. And they in turn help her recover her love of music and confidence to return to music-writing and performing.

These are two very wounded people, but there is something very touching in how they find each other.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Ms. Trentham has written another book that takes you on a journey. You are not in a rush to get to the next page or the next chapter. You are just enjoying the journey. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. The three main characters are trying to find their new normal. Greer Hadley was born to make music. She set out to make a name for herself in Nashville but came home broken. Emmett Lawson was a Captain in the army. After his last mission, he came home missing a limb. Ally Martinez is a 15 year old army child. She was her father's pride and joy. Since he died, nothing has been the same. Court ordered music therapy brings Greer and Ally together. Ally is tough but Greer is tougher. Now Emmett has decided to give up on life. He can never be what he used to be and doesn't want pity. Greer is good at giving him grief. As Ally and Emmett are making progress, Greer is just treading water. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Emmett is about to give Greer a taste of her own medicine. It takes a foal coming into this world, an old guitar returned and reaching out for help for them to find out where they belong. I just loved reading this book!

An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is book two in her A Heart of a Hero Series. Every book can be read as a stand alone. The previous book is The Military Wife.
Greer Hadley is a 30 year old, back home in her small town and the story starts out when she gets court ordered to community service. Yay, so my kind of girl, a rebel.
On her way she meets a 15 year old teenager and a battered hero with scars, visible and invisible. The two of them are prickly, but Greer sees behind the rough exteriour and doesn't give up on them.
An Everyday Hero is a heart warming second chances story, excellent written and I can't express how much I loved the characters and the words.
The story is told in a third pov and that took me some time to get acquainted with. It's an emotional read about loss,2. chances and being a true hero. 4,5 Stars.

Publisher’s description: 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. To make matters worse, a series of bad decisions and even crappier luck lands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families. Greer cannot fathom how she’s supposed to use music to help anyone deal with their trauma and loss when the one thing that brought her joy has failed her.

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. So she shows up one day with his old guitar, and meets Emmett’s rage head on with her stubbornness. 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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Laura Trentham’s “An Everyday Hero” is a sweet story about second chances, touching on the aftermath of war on veterans and their families. I know there are people who love this book based on some other reviews, so I will focus first on what I like before I talk about what makes this only 2 stars for me.

Greer Hadley has returned home to Madison, TN, after failing to become the superstar she thought she would be in Nashville. Too many stories make it seem like it’s easy to make it big, and this character has experienced the tough side of the music business — tending bar to make ends meet, pawning her possessions to pay the rent, NOT making it big and having to figure out her plan B.

I also like the realistic story lines of Ally Martinez and Emmett Lawson. Ally is a teenager acting out after losing her father in combat, and Emmett was the hometown high school football golden boy who lost his leg in combat and has returned home feeling the survivor’s guilt and not like a hero at all. Their emotions and reactions are exactly what you would expect from someone in their situation.

We know going into this (it is a love story after all) that Greer and Emmett will end up together, and I enjoy their interactions, although they feel a lot younger than their 30 years.

That’s the extent of what I like.

The main thing I don’t like is the author’s writing style. I like a good simile or metaphor as much as the next person, but this author is so over the top with them that it borders on ridiculous FOR ME. I started highlighting all the examples about 25% of the way through because they are so distracting, and some of them don’t even work well.
— “His face was a dark blob, and as if she were answering a Rorschach test, she said the first thing that popped into her head....”
— “Greer scooted back in her chair as if the guitar were weaponized.”
— “....anticipation burned through him like he’d injected whiskey straight into his jugular.”
— “Terrance was a bear of a man who attracted women like a beekeeper attracted bees, utilizing a smoke show to get their honey before leaving them with broken hearts.”

There is one glaring error that a book about a musician should not miss that I hope gets fixed in editing. The reference is to the song “Imagine” being by The Beatles. This was written by John Lennon long after The Beatles went their separate ways.

***SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD***
The other thing that doesn’t work for me is the way the author makes it seem like Madison and Nashville are so far apart. Part of Greer’s back story is that she doesn’t make it in Nashville. At one point, she pawns her prized guitar to pay her rent. And when Emmett goes to every pawn shop he can find between Madison and Nashville to buy back Greer’s guitar for her, it seems like it’s quite a drive — I imagined a couple of hours at least. But then I Googled it. Center to center, Nashville and Madison are 9.5 miles apart. Why on earth would Greer pawn her Dolly-signed Martin guitar to pay rent when she could have gone home?!?! I get that she was trying to make it on her own, but this was her prized possession, and I just couldn’t believe that she would make that kind of a sacrifice.

I also guessed long before the reveal that one of men that Emmett lost in combat turns out to have been Ally’s father. What I can’t believe is that Emmett doesn’t already know this since Madison is portrayed as a typical small town where everyone knows everybody else’s business.

I am certain there will be plenty of readers who will absolutely love this book. As I said, the story itself is a sweet one that I would have enjoyed more if not for the author’s style.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be available on February 4, 2020.

I just started this one last night and once I started I couldn’t stop! It was amazing and real. I laughed, I cried, I got pissed off. I loved everything about this book. The problems and struggles, the encouragement and grace. This is a must read.

I have been a fan of Laura for a while now, I started with her historical spy books. Anyway this book was definitely different than what I am used to with her, and not in a bad way if that is what you are thinking. This book gave you some different feels. We meet Greer who is back home and in a humiliating fashion. After finding her boyfriend cheating on her Greer goes a little crazy and trashes a bar and since her uncle is judge she thinks she can get out of it with a slap on the wrist but that is not what happens. Her uncle sends her for community service and honestly that was the best thing that could have happened to her. She meet Ally who is new in town and has just lost her dad whom she loved dearly, and gets reacquainted with Emmett who she had a crush on in highschool. Emmett is not who she remembers, hear is a lost soldier who has lost his leg and is so angry. Emmett tries to get rid of Greer but she continues showing up and pushing him and eventually they both help each other overcome the fear that they both had and find live when they both least expect it and also end up helping Ally be the friend and adult that she needs at this time..

An Everyday Hero is a novel that I would never pick up. It's not my typical genre. But I'm glad I discovered this and was approved! Two tough characters with a interior that's recognizable and easy to relate with. It was heartwarming without being too sappy. .

This was such a beautiful book. The author is a masterful storyteller and I will be seeking more of her work.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Funny, exciting and so much fun this on top of emotional, frustrating (in a sometimes good way) and more. There are so many words to describe this book but these are the ones I'm going with. Greer and Emmett are great! Greer is a tough chick who doesn't let anyone walk all over her but she did. Emmett is the tough guy who can't give himself a break. Both worry they've let their parents down. Sounds like everyone in the world... This book brings them together for a very important purpose and I loved every moment of it. This is one of those books you can't put down and wish there was more to read!!

Reading this book made me have all kinds of feelings. It had more depth than I expected and more emotion than I bargained for. It was the best kind of reading surprise...

A very heartwarming and lovely story. The characters were well developed, the storyline moved at a good pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review AN EVERYDAY HERO by Laura Trentham. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars and here’s why:

LOVED IT! This is the third book I’ve read by this author and Ms. Trentham does not disappoint! Her writing is stellar, poetic, and compelling. This is a story about finding yourself in the most unlikely way, and how the story of lost souls unfolds will tug at your heartstrings and keep you riveted to the very last page with its exploration of family, loss, addiction, and self-discovery. Be prepared to put aside your chores or responsibilities and read this story in one sitting! Highly recommend.

Ms Laura Trentham is on her way to being one of my favorite go-to authors. Her writing, to me, is reminiscent of Nora Roberts. The writing/prose is beautifully done and rolls off the pages. This is the 3rd book of hers that I have had the honor to read/review as an uncorrected digital galley.

This story is about a number of lost souls. The main characters Greer and Emmett's first meeting starts with a bang, literally; he is shooting to keep people away from him. Greer has just returned home with her tail between her legs, so to speak. She had forgone the standard route to college after high school and went to Nashville with a dream of making it big. These two have serious self-esteem and bruised heart issues; among other things. Into the mix is an arrest, community service, a mouthy teen (never met one that wasn't), and a foundation that uses music to help troubled youth and service men/women. This is also a story about family, understanding, addiction, coping with death, and self-discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and thank Net Galley and the publisher (St Martins Griffin) for the opportunity to read this

A nice book about people needing second chances, support, and tough love. Greer and Ally's bond was nice to watch as it transformed from complete dislike to friendship and love, just like Emmett and Greer and Emmett and his father. The happily ever after ending was sweet, and not as cheesy as I was expecting considering how often they can be in books of this genre.

First and foremost a thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing us a copy of this book so that we can bring you this review. 

I have a huge weakness for these military stories so of course I was eager to read it. What I wasn't fully prepared for was the pain and sadness I would experience for one of the characters that isn't even a main character. I guess part of the reason is because as a parent to teens I can understand when they are going through so much, but for this particular teen she was going through even more. Though Greer was reluctant and not prepared for what she is about to experience with both Ally and Emmett it is great to see how they both help not only Greer but each other. Things happen that some how show all of them together that they need to get past some of their hardships and work together to help someone else. It was such a heartwarming story and great way to see things change and grow. I love these books and I can't wait to see what else Laura Trentham has for us next.

I give this book 5 kisses.

Happy Reading... Adri

I received a complimentary copy of An Everyday Hero from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Oh! Words cannot express how much I loved this book! Laura Trentham has done it again--creating some very prickly, damaged characters in desperate need of TLC and attempting to soften them with brutal and unconventional, yet therapeutic, forms of tough-love. Interactions between Emmett and Greer were highlights for me, but I also really appreciated the teenage attitude that Ally brought to the novel. With undertones of hope and brighter futures, war tragedies, losses of even civilians and their repercussions on everyday life lie at the heart of this storyline. An Everyday Hero was a true delight to read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.