Well-written military fiction about moving on and figuring out how to maintain memories without getting buried in them. Trentham captures the essences of military wives in both installments of her Heart of a Hero novels.

One never knows what is held within the pages of a book. Sometimes the summary gives you a pretty good idea of the theme and you can choose your book that way; or it could just be a book cover; or simply a favorite author. In any event for AN EVERYDAY HERO hooked me right from the beginning.

Thirty year-old Greer Hadley, our hard-ass heroine, has returned home, defeated by life and looking for comfort only to find her ‘so called- Beau’ in flagrante delicto with another many things happened. The injured party, Greer, would need to have a few cocktails which would then cause said person to tear apart the bar, finishing the next morning in front of a judge who decreed she pay for the damages and hands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families. At the music academy, 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.

Greer’s first assignment was 15 year old Ally Martinez, and 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, Ally 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.

Later Greer is assigned a veteran to help, she’s not surprised Emmett Lawson, the town’s golden boy, followed his family’s legacy into the service. 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, attitude, and just a little remembrance of her high school days ‘hero worship’.

Another book I couldn’t put down - it was naturally very fast paced with great writing featuring redemption, forgiveness, betrayal, and second chances. I could say when life hands you lemons - you learn to make lemonade. With AN EVERYDAY HERO, you will

5 Healing Stars!!!

This book captured my heart from the minute I started it. Ms. Trentham has written a book that brings to life the tragedy of PTSD and shows us how music can not only be healing but also helps to bring people that you never would think belong together into each other’s lives.

Greer has returned to her small hometown after not making it big in Nashville and thanks to finding her boyfriend doing another woman, she’s found herself being sent to do volunteer work with a local foundation that works with veterans and their families suffering from PTSD. It’s an amazing organization and Greer really doesn’t want to do this because she feels like she’s not the best person, but, she really is and this becomes clear as she starts working with a young girl, Ally. She’s also assigned to Emmett Lawson a man she knew in high school that’s recently returned home missing more than a limb.

This book is filled with heart, caring and characters that have touched my soul. I loved how Greer wouldn’t listen to Emmett even with his warnings, and how she wanted to be there for Ally because she saw a little bit of herself in this young girl. This is also a story filled with second chances in more ways that I was expecting.

I found myself consumed by this story not wanting to put it down. I felt Emmett’s frustration and Ally’s fear at letting someone in as well as her frustration of not knowing what happened to her father. This is an instance that fate has a way of working miracles by bringing these three people together.

Greer has her own fears to face and with the help of Emmett she does just that. I loved him for what he was doing for her….letting her see there’s more to her life than thinking she’s a failure because she’s definitely not but she needs a little help in seeing that! Seeing these characters find comfort and redemption in each other and those around them was truly beautiful. There were times my heart hurt for one or all of them and I loved how music was a central theme in this story.

Ms. Trentham is a new to me author and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book. Her writing is alive with vivid details and characters that are deep and moving and living lives that that are both painful and healing at the same time. I loved how they interconnected and how not only were they put back together but so were those around them. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time to come!

Laura Trentham writes beautiful stories and this one is another winner. This is an emotional, touching and heartwarming story about two broken people helping each other realize they aren't as damaged as they thought. It was genuine and lacked unnecessary drama. I loved the depth of the characters, each one of them is written perfectly flawed and beautifully broken.

No one can know what it is like for soldiers who had to endure unspeakable tragedy and loss. Emmett feels like he failed the men under his command. He is stricken with grief and guilt, unable to move forward in his life. An injury has cost him his old life. He spends his days attempting to disconnect himself from the world and denies himself a purpose and a future. He is bitter, angry and cold.

Greer is dealing with a mistake and, as part of her plea agreement, she has accepted to perform hours of community service, working at a foundation that focuses on helping veterans and their families heal through music. This girl has the most beautiful soul. She has a great gentle strength, spirit and whit.

When they first meet, Emmett is being his grumpy, frustrating self and wants nothing more than drive Greer away. I really enjoyed the banter that goes on between Greer and Emmett, they have great chemistry. The connection they form is deep and meaningful. From the beginning I was completely enthralled in their story. Emmett captured my heart and you can’t help but love Greer. Their romance develops very slowly and in a very realistic way. They are attracted to each other but they need to heal first in order to successfully be together, and the way their relationship develops reflects this.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you like beautifully crafted characters, and an inspiring story that grabs at your emotions.

I would like to thank @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC of An Everyday Hero.
The story centers around Greer (who recently received court ordered community service) and Emmett (a veteran in crisis).
Greer beings volunteering at a facility that uses music as therapy. Greer is a talented musician who has a lot to offer to others.
Emmett is broken but not so far gone he can’t be saved. I loved how their relationship blossomed.
Enter a stray kitten, a moody teen named Ally who is paired with Greer, and some strong families.

Overall I enjoyed the story but Emmetts post-war issues were wrapped up in a bow way to quickly and I don’t want for anyone to think that’s how it is. Some vets needs years of therapy. Heck, my dad was in Vietnam and once told us he can’t stand a pitch black night because he’s afraid of an ambush.

The veteran in me didn’t understand the timeline & age with Emmetts dad and aspects of his ‘combat’ based on when he was in.
The story is well written, overall I really enjoyed it, and aspects reminded me of being a kid in the South. While the book references church and southern values it is not a Christian book. There is a little steam, but not a raging fire.
Out now!
#aneverydayhero #netgalley #stmartinspress #advancedreaderscopy #goodreadschallenge2020 #goodreads #februaryrelease

This was a book I didn't want to put down. It was so good and not just the chemistry between Greer & Emmett which I loved. I was really invested in all the people in the book and I can't wait until the next book in the series.

This was an amazing story of a woman who's given up on her dreams and a man who isn't "living" since suffering an injury while deployed overseas. Just WOW. Loved everything about it. I'm sure I have the first book in this series on my electronic TBR pile and I'm going to find it to read since I was so moved by this story. Looking forward to more!

An Everyday Hero is my first introduction to Laura Trentham's books. I thought it was a great read and I look forward to more by her in the future. Four and a half stars.

This is the second book in the Heart of a Hero series. I loved it!

It gave me an insight I'd never had into the lives of military families. The characters are very real and it was an easy read. I recommend it along with the first book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this story! It is a great small town romance. Although the story dealt with serious issues it was also lighthearted and a joy to read. This was my first Laura Trentham read but it won’t be my last.

After reading The Military Wife by this author I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I really like Greer, she was sassy and took no mess but behind that exterior she was vulnerable as well. Emmett is dealing with some serious ptsd after serving in the army and isn’t the man he once used to be and lives a life of solitude.

The two of these characters were fun to read about who made me smile and laugh. They were both stubborn and stuck in their ways. They had good banter and chemistry. I love that once they finally broke each other walls down they both were able to heal in their own ways. I love when couples can learn and grow from each other.

This is my second novel by Laura Trentham and the story held my attention from beginning to end. The characters are flawed but relatable. This book is a little on the heavy side with certain themes but it was still a good read with an important message.

In An Everyday Hero, Laura Trentham brings readers into the lives of three people who are all in pain but, when brought together, just might be able to save each other...and themselves. Greer invested her whole life in her single-minded pursuit of a music career only to have it all spectacularly crash and burn in the midst of a panic attack. Returning home to her small town looking for solace from her boyfriend, she instead finds him pants-down with another woman. Is it any wonder she goes a little batsh*t crazy at the local bar when someone plays Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," and finds herself before the local judge (who also happens to be her favorite uncle)? She expects a light fine, maybe highway trash pick-up, but instead he sentences her to volunteer hours at a local musical therapy center. Music. Her greatest love, greatest failure, and greatest fear. She is not a happy camper which, of course, makes her the perfect person to be assigned to two others resistant to the center's efforts: Ally and Emmett.

Athletic and handsome, Emmett was the golden boy of his hometown who went off to war to uphold his family's tradition of service but came home severely wounded, both physically and emotionally, and is well on his way to closing himself off completely from his friends, his family, and life. I ached for him and for his parents who have no idea how to reach him. Fourteen-year-old Ally is a heart-breaker. Her father is dead, killed in service, her mother has lost the ability to cope following his death, and Ally is so consumed with anger and grief she fairly vibrates with it, the walls she's erected around herself, practically impenetrable. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and take her pain into myself but what Ally needs is something else.

I found Greer, Ally, and Emmett all so very realistic and relatable, quickly becoming invested in each of their stories. Processing pain, and grief, are very personal endeavors and Trentham excels at creating those individual journeys on the page while, at the same time, intricately weaving them together as a whole. Greer is the catalyst that puts both Ally and Emmett on their individual paths to recovery, eventually bringing them together in a surprising way but Greer is on her own path as well and as much as she helps them, they help her in return. I liked Greer and I loved the (totally different) relationships that form between her and Emmett and her and Ally. You can feel their pain - Trentham doesn't sugarcoat it - but there's also hope, humor (especially between Emmett and Greer), heart-tugging romance, and deep friendships that form as they all sort through the fears and feelings that are keeping them from moving forward.

An Everyday Hero is a story of second chances, redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. Its a story of overcoming the challenges faced by wounded veterans and by military families left behind. And it's a story of healing, friendship, acceptance, and finally finding the path we're meant to travel. I laughed, I cried, and I turned the final page so grateful to have met these wonderful characters through Laura Trentham's deeply emotional storytelling. It's a book I highly recommend.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
All opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

This is my third book by Laura Trentham and I swear they just keep getting better and better. I loved A Military Wife, which was the first book in this series, and honestly couldn’t imagine how she could improve on that. I am eating my words. An Everyday Hero blew my expectations out of the water. I knew this was going to be a great book but I didn’t realize it was going to be as emotionally charged as it was. What I really liked was how this book, even though it’s a second in a series, is a complete stand alone. I didn’t really notice any cross over characters and it was just a whole new story.

I love Laura’s writing with a passion. Her characters are easy to relate and connect to, her writing is so easy to read, and she has a knack for southern humor that gives me such belly laughs. I have never been part of the military or married to anyone in it so you would think it would be harder for me to even grasp what was going on but, like I said, Laura’s writing makes it so easy to just dive in and connect.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(5 out of 5) This book is perfection. So much emotion was felt while reading this and at one point I even had to reach out to the author on Facebook to let her know how much a scene moved me. She responded back and proceeded to tell me how she is so proud of this book and, golly, does she have every right to be.

Thirty year old Greer has made some bad choices recently. As a result she has been sentenced to community service by the court. She is sent to work with vets and their family members in a nonprofit which centers on music as a therapy. Here she meets fifteen year old Ally, whose father was recently killed in combat. She is sullen, sarcastic and deeply unhappy. As Greer, whose whole life has been about music, tries to connect with Ally, she finds that the girl is very musical indeed. Another client Greer is asked to work with is a former high school classmate, Emmett, who is recently back from the war, minus his leg. He is having a hard time adjusting to his loss and is difficult to communicate with, never mind approach. As time passes, Greer finds herself establishing a rapport with both Ally and Emmett which she benefits from as much as they do.

This is a delightful read. It is well written, encouraging, funny, romantic, sad and a great story right up to the very last page. I strongly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, the very talented author Laura Trentham and the publisher St.. Martin's Press for the complimentary digital ARC of this excellent book. The opinion expressed here is strictly my own.

Laura Trentham has once again delivered a heartfelt, emotional story that tells the tale of two people who find exactly what they need from each other to rediscover themselves and heal from the wounds of their pasts.

I just loved Greer Hadley. Even though she’s trying to get over the disappointment of her dreams not panning out, she hasn’t lost her sass and spark, which was what exactly what was needed to help both Ally and Emmett. From Greer’s first meeting with Emmett, I just knew that these two would end up connecting in a way that touched both of their souls. Greer was the kick in the pants that Emmett needed, Emmett was the support that Greer needed to lean on – even if it took them a bit to figure this out! And watching Greer work with Ally, as well as Emmett redefine and rediscover his relationship with his parents, was exactly what this story needed to add additional depth to the characters.

I have become a huge fan of Laura Trentham’s ability to craft a story with realistic characters, refreshing dialogue, and a well-designed plot. Although there are some sensitive subjects touched upon in this book, the story is able to promote healing and growth from pain, tragedy, and loss. Ms. Trentham is able to convey both the vulnerability and the strength of her characters through both dialogue and actions, and finds a way to give her characters emotional depth as she tells their story. The love scenes are fade to black, but she is still able to give the reader a sense of the physical intimacy and connection that Greer and Emmett develop and share.

Ms. Trentham is quickly becoming a go-to author for me and is one I would recommend to anyone looking for a book with all the feels that will capture your heart.

I love the way Laura writes – she takes on a huge topic and approaches it with dignity, compassion, a touch of humour and hope. This book is just as fantastic as her last novel.

In this book we have two main characters who have both returned back to their hometown broken and scarred but for very different reasons. Greer did everything she could to make it work in the music industry and lost everything. She has even given up on her love of music and playing. She returns home to live with her parents for a fresh start scarred from this experience and with little hope of ever playing again. She has been left battered by the industry, a person who was supposed to love her and feeling as though she will never succeed as an adult and on her own. Emmett was sent home from the war after a surprise attack that left him physically injured and changed for life both physically and mentally. But it is the emotional and mental injuries that he hides that are far worse. He is angry at the world, and not the same person he was when he left.

The pair are forced together through an outreach program and their first encounter makes quite an impact! It left me laughing but the incident truly describes the pair. The two have many emotional and mental challenges to work on individually. Together they are the support that they didn’t know that they needed nor that they wanted. They are that kick in the butt, that breath of fresh air that encourages you to do better, to see the positive and to move forward with hope. I found at times, they were one step forward and two steps back and you were on the edge of your seat praying that they would make it through. The one piece that brings the story together and gives the hope and redemption that our two main characters need, comes in the most unusual but fitting way.

An Everyday Hero is a beautiful, well written novel from start to finish, you will not be able to stop reading it. It makes you laugh, cry and warms your heart. You fall in love with the characters and are left craving more. It is a definite must read.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! If you couldn't tell by the first three words I loved this book. The story really hit home to me and I enjoyed reading every single word. I didn't want this one to end. The writing style of author Laura Trentham really flowed and I was pulled right into this book with the first few words. I couldn't get enough of this 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.

Let me just put this out there right now, I don’t read a lot of military fiction or romances. While I love military history and have family that have served and continue to serve in the military, it’s just not a genre that I ever think about picking up to read. Ever. No real reason why, I just simply don’t think of it.

So why now? Here is the shallow answer—I loved the cover. Sure the cover lured me in, but I have to admit I was intrigued by the summary and I love Southern fiction and thought this one might be a diverting read.

Plus, I love romances what can I say. There is just something so satisfying about a happily ever after that I just can’t say no to! That’s how I came to review this one and I am not at all sorry that I read it!

Summary
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. (summary from Goodreads).

Review
This is a new to me author and I was drawn in by the fact that she has won awards for her writing. She must be doing something right—-right? Well the answer is yes—yes she is! This book got me in the feels. It was an emotionally packed novel. There was a lot of things going on here, love, redemption, self discovery—all the things and I had a lot of emotions while reading this one.

All of the characters face very realistic and relevant problems in this book. I loved watching the characters navigate their feelings as well as the issues with the other characters in this book. This author did a fantastic job at showing the strength of each character that was unique to them. As a reader, I felt like I was going through the emotions of each character right along with them and I was entirely hooked on it all.

The setting was also cozy. I don’t live in the South, but I loved reading about the small town life and I really felt like I was right there with the characters. I watched a documentary on the famous Blue Bird Cafe recently and I loved seeing it here in this book in a small way.

This book is full of tragedy but also redemption and I am so here for it. I am glad I decided to take a chance on this one. This was so much more than just another ‘romance’ novel. It has a ton of heart and soul and I think it will appeal to a wide audience. There is a lot to love and if you are looking for an emotional read then give this one a shot! I also have a giveaway for this one going on over on my Instagram page so pop by for a chance to win a copy!

An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is the second book in her Heart of a Hero series. Ms. Trentham writes complex, flawed characters with problems they fight hard to solve. Both Greer Hadley and Emmett Lawson have returned home to lick their wounds; Greer from her failure in Nashville to make it big and Emmett from the loss of his leg in an explosion in Afghanistan. The author does an excellent job of matching these two as just right to help each other heal. I really like this author's voice. She takes on tough, emotional subjects and draws the reader in with the reality of the characters' situations. I found myself strongly cheering on Greer and Emmett.