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bhunsberger's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book.
This book is second in a series but serves as a standalone book. Greer has made some poor choices and is assigned to volunteer in a music therapy situation. She interacts with a troubled teen, and a Veteran who has just returned home with a war injury and a lot of memories. The book explores these different topics and draws out the emotions tied to each of them. The characters struggle but grow as they find themselves together bound by their common interest in music.
This book is second in a series but serves as a standalone book. Greer has made some poor choices and is assigned to volunteer in a music therapy situation. She interacts with a troubled teen, and a Veteran who has just returned home with a war injury and a lot of memories. The book explores these different topics and draws out the emotions tied to each of them. The characters struggle but grow as they find themselves together bound by their common interest in music.
shellysbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
*NetGalley Review*
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.
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.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is a beautiful novel of healing, redemption and love. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Heart of a Hero series, it can be read as a standalone.
Thirty year old Greer Hadley is back in her small hometown of Madison, TN after years of trying to launch her music career in Nashville. Living with her parents and performing court ordered community service, she is uncertain what she wants to do next. Although nervous and unsure, Greer begins her community service. She is initially skeptical that she can help fifteen year old Ally Martinez work through her issues stemming from her military father's death in Afghanistan. But she is very pleased as she starts to make a progress in connecting with Ally.
Despite her small successes with Ally, Greer is less certain she will be able to help former classmate Emmett Lawson. Emmett is a military veteran discharged from service after he was wounded in action. He has retreated from everyone as he spends his days in isolation in a cabin on his family's horse farm. Greer refuses to give up, but he is not exactly cooperative as she continues working on bringing him back from the darkness that envelopes him. Her persistence gradually begins to pay off, but Emmett's emergence from grief and survivor's guilt is a slow, fragile process.
Despite her feelings of failure and uncertainty, Greer is surprisingly upbeat and positive as she helps both Ally and Emmett. She is also little taken aback at how glad she is to be in Madison. Greer's journey of self-discovery is a work in progress as she finds herself taking employment that feels like a step backward. But with her self-confidence beginning to return due to her sessions with Ally, Greer feels much optimistic about her future.
Greer and Emmett's relationship is a delicate dance as they both try to deal with their respective issues. Greer does not back down from Emmett's somewhat adversarial attitude and he slowly but surely begins to emerge from his self-imposed isolation. Greer is uncertain what her next steps will be and Emmett offers her unexpected support and encouragement. Their friendship slowly turns into a real relationship but do they have a future together?
An Everyday Hero is an warm and engaging novel with a vibrant cast of characters and a heartfelt storyline. Greer and Emmett are multi-layered, true to life characters who are working on personal problems that are realistic and relatable. Ally's grief is palpable as she tries to come to term with her heartbreaking loss. Although there is slight romantic element, the main focus of the novel is the characters' growth as they work to overcome their issues. Laura Trentham brings this captivating novel to an uplifting conclusion that tugs on the heartstrings.
I absolutely loved and highly recommend this latest addition to the Heart of a Hero series to readers of the genre.
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is a beautiful novel of healing, redemption and love. Although this newest release is the second installment in the Heart of a Hero series, it can be read as a standalone.
Thirty year old Greer Hadley is back in her small hometown of Madison, TN after years of trying to launch her music career in Nashville. Living with her parents and performing court ordered community service, she is uncertain what she wants to do next. Although nervous and unsure, Greer begins her community service. She is initially skeptical that she can help fifteen year old Ally Martinez work through her issues stemming from her military father's death in Afghanistan. But she is very pleased as she starts to make a progress in connecting with Ally.
Despite her small successes with Ally, Greer is less certain she will be able to help former classmate Emmett Lawson. Emmett is a military veteran discharged from service after he was wounded in action. He has retreated from everyone as he spends his days in isolation in a cabin on his family's horse farm. Greer refuses to give up, but he is not exactly cooperative as she continues working on bringing him back from the darkness that envelopes him. Her persistence gradually begins to pay off, but Emmett's emergence from grief and survivor's guilt is a slow, fragile process.
Despite her feelings of failure and uncertainty, Greer is surprisingly upbeat and positive as she helps both Ally and Emmett. She is also little taken aback at how glad she is to be in Madison. Greer's journey of self-discovery is a work in progress as she finds herself taking employment that feels like a step backward. But with her self-confidence beginning to return due to her sessions with Ally, Greer feels much optimistic about her future.
Greer and Emmett's relationship is a delicate dance as they both try to deal with their respective issues. Greer does not back down from Emmett's somewhat adversarial attitude and he slowly but surely begins to emerge from his self-imposed isolation. Greer is uncertain what her next steps will be and Emmett offers her unexpected support and encouragement. Their friendship slowly turns into a real relationship but do they have a future together?
An Everyday Hero is an warm and engaging novel with a vibrant cast of characters and a heartfelt storyline. Greer and Emmett are multi-layered, true to life characters who are working on personal problems that are realistic and relatable. Ally's grief is palpable as she tries to come to term with her heartbreaking loss. Although there is slight romantic element, the main focus of the novel is the characters' growth as they work to overcome their issues. Laura Trentham brings this captivating novel to an uplifting conclusion that tugs on the heartstrings.
I absolutely loved and highly recommend this latest addition to the Heart of a Hero series to readers of the genre.
booklover1974's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book a lot but it was not an earth schattering novel. I thought it was well written and I liked the characters, I just missed more to the story.
amyma's review against another edition
5.0
An Everyday Hero (Heart of a Hero #2) by Laura Trentham had me hooked from the beginning and kept getting more intriguing as the story evolved. This is a beautiful story of redemption and grace. Greer, Ally, and Emmett are the main characters in this story that will draw you in and make you want to come back for more. The author did a great job of providing backstory, I felt like I knew each character very well and was rooting for them at a deep level. An Everyday Hero deals with some pretty heavy subject matter (addiction, war wounds, loss of a parent to name a few), but it is done in a compassionate way that seemed quite realistic to me. I would highly recommend this book. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book, my review is 100% my honest thoughts.
nahyee's review against another edition
2.0
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.
************
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.
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.
************
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.
mags_louise's review against another edition
4.0
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.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by St Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review**
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.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by St Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review**
faerietxn's review against another edition
5.0
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!! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
kle105's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this story, it had grit, sass, attitude, heartbreak, triumph, second chances, and hope. Greer returns home after trying to make it work in Nashville, and a cheating ex breaks her heart. After a night of fighting with a jukebox she gets community service. Working with a company that pairs veterans or their family members with a volunteer to help through music. With Greer's background she is a good fit, but when she gets sullen teenager Ally she isn't sure if it will work.
Ally lost her dad while he was serving overseas. She is struggling with her grief and also trying to keep her Mom together with her pain. Greer's persistence breaks down Ally who has a lot of potential. Greer also gets assigned Emmett, a man who lost his leg while serving. He hasn't let anyone on to his property before, but he at least has history with Greer.
Their story progresses slowly and I loved seeing them both grow and come into themselves, figuring out their next path in life.
I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ally lost her dad while he was serving overseas. She is struggling with her grief and also trying to keep her Mom together with her pain. Greer's persistence breaks down Ally who has a lot of potential. Greer also gets assigned Emmett, a man who lost his leg while serving. He hasn't let anyone on to his property before, but he at least has history with Greer.
Their story progresses slowly and I loved seeing them both grow and come into themselves, figuring out their next path in life.
I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
5.0
I received an eARC of this book via the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
My heart was not prepared for this book. An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is the second book in her series Heart of a Hero that follows the lives of soldiers and those closest to them. In this installment, we meet Greer Hadley, Emmett Lawson, and Ally Martinez when they are at their lowest point. Dealing with grief, depression, and a glimpse of PTSD, An Everyday Hero shows what a little persistence and a lot of love can do.
Greer Hadley has officially hit bottom. Arrested for being drunk and disorderly at a bar in her hometown, Greer thinks it can’t get any worse. Then her uncle (who is also the judge) sentences her to community service at a local agency that provides music therapy to veterans and their families. After selling her guitar to make rent money, bombing her last performance, finding her boyfriend sleeping with another woman, and moving back in with her parents (in her thirties!), the absolute last thing Greer wants is to pick up a guitar again. Now she has no choice but to confront her newfound stagefright all while helping two people that do not want her help.
Ally Martinez is a fifteen year old who has just lost her father, killed in action. To say she’s acting out is an understatement. Yet Greer sees past her anger and attitude. She sees a girl who is hurting, and all she wants to do is help. The relationship between these two builds naturally. I wanted to reach through the pages and give Ally a hug. She’s a strong young woman that stole my heart as she stole Greer’s.
Then there’s Emmett Lawson, the golden boy that starred in many of Greer’s high school fantasies. Emmett is not the boy she remembers. Haunted and drowning his memories in Jack, everyone has written him off as a lost cause. But not Greer. Like with Ally, Greer sees what Emmett’s anger really is: a front for his insecurities. He lost a leg and friends, and he blames himself for not preventing it. A little tough love is in order.
I absolutely love Greer and Emmett. She doesn’t put up with his bull, and it’s exactly what he needs. Where he pushes, she bucks back. And it isn’t one-sided. Emmett pushes Greer, getting to the root of her anxiety and stagefright. It starts as friendship, and I love the progression the author shows in the book. It felt real and right.
Overall, An Everyday Hero will tug at your heartstrings and may even have you shedding a tear or two. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend it.
This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, follow the link.
My heart was not prepared for this book. An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham is the second book in her series Heart of a Hero that follows the lives of soldiers and those closest to them. In this installment, we meet Greer Hadley, Emmett Lawson, and Ally Martinez when they are at their lowest point. Dealing with grief, depression, and a glimpse of PTSD, An Everyday Hero shows what a little persistence and a lot of love can do.
Greer Hadley has officially hit bottom. Arrested for being drunk and disorderly at a bar in her hometown, Greer thinks it can’t get any worse. Then her uncle (who is also the judge) sentences her to community service at a local agency that provides music therapy to veterans and their families. After selling her guitar to make rent money, bombing her last performance, finding her boyfriend sleeping with another woman, and moving back in with her parents (in her thirties!), the absolute last thing Greer wants is to pick up a guitar again. Now she has no choice but to confront her newfound stagefright all while helping two people that do not want her help.
Ally Martinez is a fifteen year old who has just lost her father, killed in action. To say she’s acting out is an understatement. Yet Greer sees past her anger and attitude. She sees a girl who is hurting, and all she wants to do is help. The relationship between these two builds naturally. I wanted to reach through the pages and give Ally a hug. She’s a strong young woman that stole my heart as she stole Greer’s.
Then there’s Emmett Lawson, the golden boy that starred in many of Greer’s high school fantasies. Emmett is not the boy she remembers. Haunted and drowning his memories in Jack, everyone has written him off as a lost cause. But not Greer. Like with Ally, Greer sees what Emmett’s anger really is: a front for his insecurities. He lost a leg and friends, and he blames himself for not preventing it. A little tough love is in order.
I absolutely love Greer and Emmett. She doesn’t put up with his bull, and it’s exactly what he needs. Where he pushes, she bucks back. And it isn’t one-sided. Emmett pushes Greer, getting to the root of her anxiety and stagefright. It starts as friendship, and I love the progression the author shows in the book. It felt real and right.
Overall, An Everyday Hero will tug at your heartstrings and may even have you shedding a tear or two. If you enjoy contemporary romance, I highly recommend it.
This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, follow the link.