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

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. An Everyday Hero is the second book in Laura Trentham’s The Heart of a Hero Series. It can be read as a stand-alone. Greer Hadley spent the last ten years in Nashville trying to make a success of a career as a singer/songwriter and feeling a failure at age 30 has moved home to Madison, Tennessee. A drunken fight with a jukebox after catching her boyfriend cheating on her leads to a sentence of community service hours to a non-profit organization that uses music to help veterans and their families. The clients she is assigned include a troubled teen and the former golden boy football hero from her high school. Emmett Lawson came home from his tour of duty minus a leg and buried in guilt because he survived, and soldiers under his command did not. This is a lovely slow-burn small town romance and I enjoyed reading it. The characters are well written with strong supporting characters as well. Medium Steam Publishing Date February 4, 2020. #NetGalley #AnEverydayHero #LauraTrentham #ContemporaryRomance #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin #bookstagram

"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.

Ms. Trentham does not disappoint in this second installment to her Heart of a Hero series!

When I think of rock stars in the contemporary romance genre, Laura Trentham is on top of the list. The way she writes a story is magical. And she’s brought that magic to An Everyday Hero.

The story immediately captured my attention and never let go. Greer is a down-on-her-luck heroine with a sassy mouth, sarcastic sense of humor and a wounded soul. She’s so funny and so likable. She had me laughing out loud several times.
Emmett is gruff, bitter and broken. He’s dealing with unimaginable issues that no one should ever face. Yet, so noble and loyal and trustworthy. You can’t help but to love and protect him… if he doesn’t scare you off first.

I absolutely love this book. There is so much heart and brokenness in this story, but there’s also strength and courage and honesty. I could relate to so much. I laughed and wept right alongside the characters. It was beautiful, I never wanted it to end.

I strongly recommend reading An Everyday Hero. It’s brilliantly crafted with compelling characters, real-life emotions, witty dialogue, and a relevant and heartfelt storyline.

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed An Everyday Hero, especially the heroine, Greer. After a series of bad decisions leads her to bust up a bar, the judge assigns her to community service, helping veterans and their family members through songwriting. Greer has given up her music for reasons we only discover over time, and she does not want this assignment, but the judge is implacable.

She turns out to be quite good at it. Instead of offering pity and wounding their pride, Greer deals with her “clients” — disabled veteran Emmett and grieving, angry Ally — with Southern sass, sarcasm, and occasionally, brutal honesty. At the same time, she’s dealing with her own issues, less tragic but still painful.

Emmett, who lost a leg in combat, is gruff, angry, and withdrawn. When Greer first shows up at his door, he runs her off with a shotgun, literally. It says something about her grit as well as her compassion that she doesn’t give up. And eventually, of course, we begin to see the better man who still exists under the anger and grief for what he has lost. (The scenes with the kitten are adorable.)

On the surface, Ally is the quintessential sullen, angry teen. Surprisingly, Greer handles her just right most of the time. I loved seeing Ally begin to get interested in music and songwriting, though she doesn’t lose her attitude for quite a while.

I also appreciate that even at the end, the issues aren’t all magically solved. Greer & Emmett work hard to get back to living their lives, and those lives aren’t the ones they once thought they’d have. On the other hand, they now have each other, and Ally has friends, adults who have her back.

An Everyday Hero straddles the line between romance and what is often called “women’s fiction. (I’m not a fan of the term for reasons that are outside the scope of this review. ) You could argue that An Everyday Hero is a straightforward romance. It certainly includes one, but the relationship doesn’t feel to me like the central or even primary theme of the book. It’s at least as much about three wounded people learning to go on with their lives, finding the strength to pick themselves back up and let someone else in. For the two POV characters, Emmett and Greer, part of that journey does include becoming friends and eventually lovers, but the author gives as much time and attention to each of them on their own as to the time they spend together. The focus isn’t just on the ups and downs of their romantic relationship (pun not intended), it’s on the ways in which they help each other heal and start living again.

The third character, Ally, is secondary to Emmett and Greer, but her journey is also important. She’s not a POV character; we never see through Ally’s eyes, nor know what she’s doing when she’s not with Greer. Yet it is clear from what Ally says and does that she is making a similar journey to theirs, from her original porcupine-like defensiveness to learning to trust, from grieving to beginning to heal.

An Everyday Hero is the second book in Trentham’s “A Heart of a Hero” series, but it reads like a standalone. The book is well-written, full of humor but never shying away from the realities of what war, and life, can do to people. I enjoyed it so much that I’m putting the first book on my TBR, for whenever I’m next in the mood for a contemporary romance.

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.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

I loved this story. Greer, Ally and Emmett all came together in this book to create a powerful story that will stay with me long after today. All three of them have experienced incredible losses and didn't know how to cope on their own, but found something in each other that helped them plow through. There isn't a single page of this story that doesn't take the reader along. There isn't a single plot point that doesn't carry significant weight. I'm so happy I took the chance on a new to me author through NetGalley and read this book. I feel like I need to get out there and do more with my life. I need to be the better person I know I can be just like these three characters did in this book!

Wow...this story has so much going on, in an amazing way. I loved watching Greer and Emmett work through their heartbreak and devastation, learning how to be their new selves, finding each other and their HEA.

**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 the follow up to Laura Trentham's The Military Wife. Like The Military Wife this book is an emotional, heart wrenching and uplifting story about loss, love and finding yourself. Greer grew up wanting to be a country star, she followed her dream to Nashville but years later she crashed and burned. After returning home, and back to living with her parents, she busts up a local bar after a night of drinking. She's given community service...50 hours of music therapy working with local veterans and Ally, a teen whose father was killed in action just a few months previously. Greer connects with Ally when no one else has been able to. While working with Ally Greer finds music again.
She also is assigned Emmett, who lost a leg in battle and has given up on life. She had a crush on him in high school but figured he wasn't aware of her. When she shows up at his place he greets her with a shotgun. But she refuses to back down and pushes him to rejoin the world. The back and forth between these two is alot of fun, and gives us some of the best scenes in the book.
An Everyday Hero is a beautifully written story about overcoming loss and love, coming to terms with the past and finding a future. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel. This was a lighthearted read about never giving up. Everyone encounters struggles, but those who persevere will succeed and find happiness.

Greer Hadley is a singer and songwriter who went to Nashville to make it big and ended up coming home with her tail between her legs and finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. Now she’s broken hearted and standing in front of her uncle who is the local judge with the jerk of police officer behind her. It’s not her best moment in life and she would rather do anything except for what he just gave her for punishment. Helping at her step cousins music foundation- that’s rubbing salt in the wound for sure. There she is given the worst assignments. She also runs into former high school classmates who just nosy and can’t quit talking about her. It’s the small town way of life and she’s had enough it. Greer has to go see former classmate Emmett who is a veteran and lost his leg in the war. He’s not the most friendly and doesn’t want any help from her but they definitely have a connection and he least is interested in being a friend with her. Greer doesn’t pity him like everyone else and he likes that. This is a great story about second chances and music and friendship and small towns. It’s got amazing characters that will just draw you in and I absolutely love everything this author has wrote so far. It’s a stand alone and it will make you fall in love with small town romance. Highly recommend this book!!!

I just really enjoyed this book. It was just really easy to get lost in this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

This novel in Trentham's A Heart of a Hero series, focuses on how the loss of a those in the military not only affect family, but it also shows how those that return alive from a deployment can be affected by losing someone on their team. 

I loved how this book used music to help the characters that are in need, even if they aren't affected by military loss. The author did a great job of highlighting how music is connecting and healing. Greer, the main character, was my favorite because she was placed in her situation not by choice, and yet she did what she could. While she had her own struggles, the author showed how being around and connected to a few others can help healing in everyone. 

I think that it's important to have books like these. Many people are affected by military loss in different ways, and I liked how the author showed two different examples of loss in this novel. The characters also reacted so different to the loss, and it helped to show how grief is a vastly unique situation to every person.

Great contemporary romance from an author that I hadn't discovered before! Greer has given up on her music career after a series of failures. She moves back home and gets herself in additional trouble that leads to community service involving music therapy with veterans and their families. Here she meets Ally who is grieving her slain father. Ally is your typical teen who unfortunately has been dealt a not-too-typical hand in life. Greer also helps Emmett-a veteran who has lost his leg in the Middle East. I liked that the issues that the characters were dealing with were dealt with an empathetic yet not maudlin way. Greer and Emmett have a predictable attraction to each other-since it is a romance novel- but the story was well-written with engaging characters.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Loved it. A definite page turner. A few tears may have been shed along the way. Great characters and all very realistic and relatable. I am eager to read more by this author.

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”. ****

4.25⭐

An Everyday Hero is my first book by Laura Trentham and I found it to be a very absorbing story; and quite honestly I enjoyed it more than I was expecting too, as even though I love reading military romance I never normally read ones that are completely missing action, suspense and edge of your seat drama. But what An Everyday Hero lacked in those areas, it made up for in others, as not only was it tender, uplifting, and heartwarming, but it highlighted and tackled many issues faced not only by the families of soldiers who don't make it home, but those who do, and the veterans themselves who sadly do return from serving having suffered catastrophic injuries or minus limbs, and suffering survivor's guilt, and often questioning the point of a war where nothing seems to have changed; and every issue raised and knock on effect caused was well-handled, realistic and sensitively treated.

Yet, for me the ending all came together a bit too well, and the story itself was, for my taste overly sweet. But nevertheless it was a well written and very enjoyable story, and it certainly made a nice change to the usual military romance I read; and so, I would happily recommend An Everyday Hero to others, especially if you like your military romance clean, uplifting, and super sweet.

**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!!!