Member Reviews
Oh my, those wounded warriors get me every time! An Everyday Hero is a phenomenal contemporary romance by Laura Trentham. I think this might be my favorite of the books I've read by this author. Ms. Trentham has provided readers with a book that's well-written and populated with a cast of characters you can't help but love. Greer had a meltdown at a bar after finding her boyfriend with his assistant. The jukebox objected, the cops were called and Greer found herself in front of a judge. Emmett has been hiding away in his family's cabin since losing part of his leg since leaving the military. Emmett and Greer's story is loaded with drama, humor and spice. While I loved the characters in this book, I feel I should also mention Ms. Trentham deserves kudos for the outstanding dialog. I love Greer's sass. An Everyday Hero is book 2 of A Heart of a Hero Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel on October 5, 2019, from Netgalley, Laura Trentham, and St. Martin's Press - Griffin. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read An Everyday Hero of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest personal opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this work to friends and family.
Laura Trentham brings us a novel with fully rounded protagonists facing relevant, modern problems and handling them with grace and conviction. An Everyday Hero is an interesting, fast-paced feel-good read. Set for the most part in Madison, Tennessee we see daily life in this small town near Nashville and peek into the life of a musician/songwriter, and that of a recently returned military vet trying to recover from his injuries and rebuild his life and help the widow and child of one of his men find a way back into their lives without him.
Greer Hadley isn't winning at life. After leaving her small town to make it big in Nashville she's returned a decade later having blown her last big chance only to find her boring boyfriend in bed with another woman. Then to top it off she has one too many tequilas to drown her sorrows and ends up being sentenced to community service at a music therapy centre for veterans and their families.
Greer gets two of the most difficult cases: Ally Martinez, a teenager whose father died and has turned to petty theft and general surliness as a way of acting out her sadness; and Emmett Lawson her former high school crush who has returned from combat missing a leg.
This could have been formulaic but in Laura Trentham's steady hands the romance and the humour are well-balanced and the angst is pretty low key. I loved the snarky interactions between Greer and her two awkward clients, the way that she never knows from day-to-day whether they will see her again, her tough love brand of therapy whilst struggling with her own issues.
All in all I absolutely devoured this novel - just loved it!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This was a very emotional and uplifting story about three loss souls caught between past heartbreaks and future uncertainties. They each had to deal with serious issues but ultimately became that everyday hero for each other… and became the best version of themselves.
This was a very enjoyable read and highly recommended.
This is a story that is a contemporary story about how lives are impacted when things just don’t turn out the way you thought they would. Greer Hadley is a dreamer and she had big dreams. She never expect to find herself back home in Madison, Tennessee with her song writer dream bursting to a thousand pieces. At the age of 30 she is back at her parents’ house. One night after making a few bad decisions she is now in trouble with the law. Before she can figuring out her life and a direction she first has to complete her community service. Greer has given up music and yet she is working at a nonprofit that aids veterans and their families, unsure how music can help anyone when it let her down.
Greer’s bad attitude gets a big adjustment once she meets Ally Martinez. Along with being new to town, Ally is trying to come to terms with her dad being killed in Action. Ally is a master at hiding her emotions and be a snarky teenager. Greer remembers what is like to be a teenager and she can see right through her tough exterior to the girl who needs help. It takes some courage for both Ally and Greer to open up even a little bit. Greer can see Ally potential talent as a song writer.
In addition to working with Ally, Greer is assigned Emmitt Lawson for music therapy. Emmitt Lawson was the town favorite in his high school years, due to being a football star. But after graduation Emmitt followed the family legacy and went into the military. Greer knew Emmitt from high school but the person she sees when she reaches out to him is just a shell of the person he was before. Emmitt is not wanting any help, he does not feel he is worth it, and he has pushed his family away. Ally pushes herself into Emmitt’s life and runs into one stubborn man. Thankfully Greer is even more stubborn and determined.
When Ally’s life takes a turn for the worst, Greer and Emmitt must decide if they can work together to help Ally find her way. Will Greer and Emmitt be able to turn Ally’s life around? Will Greer be able to find a direction for her life? Will Emmitt be able to begin to live again after so much loss?
I really enjoyed this story. I loved how the situations that were tough were true to life and not sugar coated. Returning from war is difficult and finding your footing is a challenge. This story help to provide hope for those facing those changes. Life’s dreams are worth having, even when the journey is not what you expected.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy to read. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
I would have kneed the "deputy", too.
Ha, her qualification for this job is annoying people.
Shut it, Richard.
Holy crap, Emmett!
I wonder what song that is.
His dad is an uppity prig.
Caroline needs a good slap.
Lonely, my butt.
Mind over matter.
Seriously, her mom needs to realize she's a grown-up.
He is so romantic.
Small world.
Haha, poor Ally is running away from the love-fest!
Karen and Ryan should get together.
A wonderful read a book that kept me involved from beginning to end.Wonderfully written great characters an author to follow,#netgaley#stMartinsbooks
Emmett Lawson and Greer Hadley are both struggling. Emmett because he was discharged from the service after losing part of his leg because of an explosion. Losing men under his command haunts him too. Greer because after 10 years trying to make it in the music business in Nashville she has given up and gone home. In the kick her while she’s down category Greer catches her boyfriend cheating on her. Greer proceeds to drown her sorrows, do some damage to a bar and gets assigned community service at a nonprofit music foundation for returning veterans and their families. That is how she meets Ally, the daughter of a serviceman killed in action, and reconnects with Emmett, an acquaintance from high school.
*A big thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
As far as sweet & thoughtful HEA’s go, this is one of the best I’ve read in awhile! The protagonists both present with a myriad of flaws, past hurts and regrets running deep. We have the privilege to watch them both slowly start peeling back the layers of their emotions though- coming together and supporting each other when they need it most- resulting in a beautiful, selfless ending. So lovely.
I sure hope there are plans for more than just the 2 books I’ve had the pleasure of reading in this series. So enjoyable and heart warming, I can’t get enough!
This is just the right book for someone needing a boost to their spirit alongside a little bit of love. No sappy, not unrealistic, just a dose of 'what if' with a side of sassy, non-nonsense reality.
We all know someone who may have had their dreams or heart crushed. Bouncing back from that is always easier if one is supported by friends, which is the underlying theme of this new novel. Oh, a little love doesn't hurt either.
This was a great book! It held my attention and I couldn't put it down, kept me awake at night because I just wanted to keep reading! It was an easy to follow along story and contained good easy to follow characters. I highly recommend this to anyone and can't wait to read more by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this.