Publishers Weekly
★ 11/11/2019
Trentham (The Military Wife) nails the pride and pain of military families with this expertly rendered, deeply felt contemporary romance. Greer Hadley gives up her Nashville music dreams and returns to her tiny hometown of Madison, Tenn., only to find her long-distance boyfriend in bed with someone else. She responds by getting drunk and trashing a local bar. After getting arrested, Greer must complete 50 hours of community service as a music teacher at a local charity dedicated to aiding veterans and their families. One of Greer’s first students happens to be her high school crush, Emmett Lawson, an Army captain who lost his leg to war. Undeterred by Emmett’s initial prickly manner, Greer pushes for him to open up, and soon animosity turns to attraction between them. Trentham’s agility with tough topics—including PTSD and substance abuse—and her effortlessly empathetic characters combine to create a compulsively readable tale. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this story will grip readers from start to finish. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
"By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this story will grip readers from start to finish." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Trentham (The Military Wife, 2019) explores the complex range of emotions facing members of the military and their loved ones, emphasizing the power of connection. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews' novels and Matthew Quick's The Reason You're Alive (2017) will enjoy this patriotic and heartwarming story of ambition, identity, and regained potential." - Booklist, Starred Review
"Readers will delight in the heartfelt way the characters' lives are woven together." - Library Journal
Library Journal
01/01/2020
After her hopes of a career as a songwriter in Nashville fizzled, 30-year-old Greer Hadley moved home to Madison, TN. Then her boyfriend, Beau, cheated on her. Following a night of drinking and bad decisions, Greer is sentenced to serve 50 hours of community service at an organization assisting veterans and their families coping with trauma. She is assigned to 15-year-old Ally Martinez, whose father was killed in action. Ally is angry, abrasive, and still struggling with her grief. Greer also takes on reclusive war hero and town golden boy Emmett Lawson, who lost a leg in combat and now hides out in a secluded cabin on his parents' horse farm. Handsome, guilt-ridden Emmett resists efforts to help, even from sexy, fiery-tempered Greer. When a surprise connection between Ally and Emmett is brought to light, readers will delight in the heartfelt way the characters' lives are woven together. VERDICT Though part of the "Heart of a Hero" series (following The Military Wife), Trentham's romance with themes of family, music, and military can stand alone. Recommended for purchase where contemporary romance is popular.—Laura Jones, Indiana State Lib., Argos