As the daughter of a veteran I really appreciated the different viewpoints of a soldiers return, and also to the family members when they don’t return.

Harper has had to figure out life without her husband. Being a single mom wasn’t what she wanted, but her son is her world. She is trying to figure out how to make her life more meaningful while also wanting answers to help her move on.

Bennett has the answers but he won’t tell her about her husbands final days. He doesn’t want her to take on that burden. They strike up an unlikely friendship which grows into more.

You also see other military wives dealing with issues relating to work, and their husbands PTSD. A rollercoaster of emotions, making each character come to life!

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham
A Heart of a Hero #1

What an emotionally deep and thought provoking book this book proved to be! I have enjoyed every book I have read by this author and found this one perhaps the best so far. With so many men deployed right now and wars throughout the world this book reminds the reader of the effort soldiers put in to become warriors and also speaks of the impact their chosen profession may have on them and their families.

Sitting here I began to write that “this is the story of two families” but in fact it is much more than that as there is a ripple effect that one life has in and on the lives of the many around them. There are parents, siblings, significant others, progeny, friends stateside and in the military and perhaps more that I am not listing. This is, in my mind, a tribute to the soldier and to his family and I look forward to reading more in this series as soon as the books are written.

This story flips moves between the present and the past with almost every chapter and though I don’t usually like that way of telling a story it really worked in this one. I felt I got to know Laura, Noah and Bennett in ways I might not have if he story had been more linear. It eventually tells the story of how Laura and Noah met and how their relationship progressed. It tells of the friendships both of them forged and how those friendships impacted them as those around them. It made me feel for both of them and wish that things could have been easier. So much is given up sometimes to be with the person one loves...and this book managed to convey this while also conveying so much more.

What I liked:
* Laura’s strength
* Laura’s mother for supporting her daughter as well as her honesty
* Noah’s sunny disposition, openness and ability to love
* Bennett – what a wonderful person he proved to be
* The depth to the story
* The way PTSD was dealt with in Allison’s family situation
* The military wives being there for one another
* What I assumed to be “honesty” in looking at issues I had not thought of before
* The story and how it flowed
* The idea that it is okay to lean on someone else
* So much more

There was nothing that I disliked in this book. Sure, there were things I wished could have been different in the lives of some of the characters but isn’t that true of real life, too!

NOTE: This story was so good that I stayed up till 3am to finish it ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – Griffin for the ARC ~ This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Although I have read a couple of books by this author, I don’t remember her books being quite this deep. This was a very good portrayal of the ups and downs of being a military wife these days. Centered around Harper Lee, a military widow with a small son, we see an in depth view of “living” after your spouse has been killed in battle. We also see her best friend, Allison, who’s husband has PTSD and how that affects the whole family! This, however, is a romance at heart, and Harper and Bennett have an interesting history, which makes this romance even sweeter. A book I am glad I read!

This was my very first Laura Trentham read and it consumed me from beginning to end. Portraying the every day struggles for those in and after military duty, as well as how it effects their loved ones throughout. I've never read a book quite like this, all the emotions and descriptions depicted... it was incredibly absorbing. Both very moving, soul shattering, whilst an uplifting tale of love, determination and hope. Beautifully written, I REALLY LOVED IT as I'm left eagerly awaiting Book #2.
4.5 Stars

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. Harper Lee Wilcox finds herself five years later after her husband was killed in action finding herself without purpose, living with her mom and five-year-old son, whom her deceased husband never got a chance to meet. While reaching out to help an old army wife friend she finds out that she's not the only military wife feeling rudderless. The other military wives and she come up with a possible business plan and her friend she runs into her husband’s best friend Noah finds out they both still have pasts haunting them. I am not going to give it away but all I have to say the sparks fly all around! I loved this story, not because I have several family members who have served in just about every branch of the military. It was really well written, and the characters grab you from the first page! Laura, you've hit it out of the park again! Keep up the great writing and can't wait for the next installment in the series!!!!

The title says it all but the story tells us so much more. Who doesn’t love reading about a strong and sexy navy SEAL who is ready to not only take on the world, but to do anything to protect his woman and his country? Well, Laura Trentham brings us the story of a woman who not only loved and lost one hero but is on the verge of losing her heart to another one.

Harper Wilcox knew the dangers of falling in love with a man whose life could end at any moment. A man who was trained to look death in the eye and yet fell head over heels and married him, only to loose him soon after with nothing left but a son who is a constant reminder of him. She still has no idea what her late husband Noah’s last minutes were like and has so many unanswered questions lurking in her mind. That is until she meets Bennett Caldwell, Noah’s best friend and fellow navy SEAL.

Bennett Caldwell has had a difficult and lonely childhood. The only family he has ever known are his SEAL brothers and there has been no one closer to him than Noah. Ben makes Noah a promise to take care of his wife and unborn baby. He never thought that Harper would be so beautiful, funny and determined. Now all he has to do his keep his promise while trying to keep his distance.

A heartbreaking and beautiful story that brings to life the true life of a man in uniform and the struggles of loving one. If you’re expecting a read full of sweaty, explicit love scenes, then this won’t be your cup of tea. However, if you are looking for a romance that will wrench your heart and make you think and give you hope, then this is the perfect book for you! A beautiful read.

A good book, I enjoyed reading and would recommend to others that enjoy military and second chance romance.

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham took me by complete surprise. What a heartwarming story of love, loss and second chances in the world of military families. This was such a beautiful story of the past and present intertwined with a slow burning romance with amazing characters.

Harper Lee Wilcox is a military widow struggling to move forward. She knows life goes on and she has her son to think about but moving on means letting go of the man she once loved. Could she do that? At the same time, she realizes many military families may need support and decides to venture a new business. She reaches out to Bennet Caldwell who was a SEAL brother of Noah, Harper’s husband. And suddenly she feels something she never thought she would again.

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham was such a moving story. Told in dual point-of-views in both past and present, we see the characters in many stages of their lives. I loved the story, characters and their journeys so much. I am excited to read more of this series!

It is hard being a member of the military. It is also hard being a military spouse. I have been both and while my family is no longer active duty the memories (good and bad) will stay with me forever. The Military Wife encompasses how hard being a military wife can be. While every marriage has its ups and downs, Trentham is careful to give credence to the institution while still detailing some of its pitfalls. For the most part, the military elements are correct. There is perhaps a bit too much generalizing of the military man, but that is nitpicking. It is the carefully constructed story of Harper's rebirth that is as moving as it is inspirational. The story of her loves, past, and present is beautiful and heartwarming. However, it is the male lead, Bennett, that transforms this story from a run of the mill romance to a study in character development. Too often, the hero doesn't get a well-rounded backstory, but Trentham brings gravity to Bennet that showcases his sensitivity and sensibility in a very sensual package. The Military Wife is poignant and touching with a steely confidence that hits just the right note.

Ms Trentham is a favorite author, so I was excited when she decided to try a new genre of fiction. The Military Wife is a timely story, especially given the demands currently being placed on the men and women of our armed forces and their families.
With quick glimpses of the past to fill in needed details, we meet Harper five years after she became a military widow and is feeling restless with her life.
Well written with engaging characters, The Military Wife paints a well thought picture of people we often take for granted.
I enjoyed getting to know Harper and the group of characters that surround her as she not only broadens her horizons with new endeavors, but also begins to consider letting love back into her life.
This is the first book in a new series and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next. Whatever it is, hopefully we see glimpses of Harper, Bennett, and their friends.

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham is the first book of the contemporary romance A Heart of a Hero series. As once may guess from the title/series this one is centered around our military with the main character having lost her husband as he served.

Harper Lee Wilcox lost her husband, Noah, five years before while he was on active duty in the military. Harper had been a college graduate that struggled with being a military wife with whom employers would pass over knowing that the husband could move on at any time. Unfortunately her fears over losing her husband became real just before their son was to be born and even five years later she struggles to move on.

With Harper’s best friend struggling after her husband had been injured and looking to find her own place Harper keeps tossing around ideas to start a business to help military wives like herself. This path brings Harper into contact with Bennett Caldwell who had been Noah’s best friend and there at the time of his death. As the business idea brings them closer together Harper and Noah both struggle with the past.

The story within The Military wife is one that alternates between what is happening with Harper and Bennett in the present but also looks back into the past when Noah and Harper were just beginning to show both timelines. As one would guess this is an emotional read which was to be expected reading about what Harper and her family and friends go through with spouses who are injured or don’t return from duty. It was also nice to show the different times in one’s life through how Harper was before and how she is now with Bennett. Lovely read I’d definitely recommend.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was enthralled by this deeply emotional romance.

This is an intense romance, one that goes right to the heart of survivor's guilt, PTSD, and starting over after losing the one you love. Bennett is the strong silent type, a loner who has never had anyone in his corner before, except Noah. He's not interested in reliving the ghosts of the past, nor is he ever going to allow himself the luxury of leaving his loneliness behind.

Five years after losing her husband, Noah's widow, Harper, wants more answers than she got from the official report. She goes to his teammate and best friend, the man Noah named their son after, knowing that Bennett was there when Noah was killed. But Bennett refuses to discuss any of that, despite her best efforts to push the matter.

Harper is also starting up a new business, one that would be run by other military wives, who find that jobs are hard to come by due to the risk of being moved to another base at any time. Bennett helps Harper set this up, and together they help another couple who are dealing with PTSD.

The romance between these two was delicately handled, due to their shared connection in Noah. It was beautifully written with multi-layered characters and a refreshing honesty about the emotional impact of military service. It's a wonderful story, and I loved every bit of it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This is a relatively new author for me and it was really good, I enjoyed the story and the characters were likeable, can't wait to read more.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

Oh my heartstrings. This one was very raw to me. It was moving as well as uplifting. What I really loved about this story is the raw emotions that were put through in it as it felt powerfully realistic. Harper has been through so much but she is such a fighter and I loved that about her character. She was so beautifully written to me. There is just the right amount of drama and romance. Seeing how things change and grow. I really enjoyed those moments and how the concept was. Overall, I found this to be a stunning story that flowed amazingly. The words were effortless as you honestly devour this book. With how the story interconnects as well the roles of the secondary characters. They add so much depth into it that makes it just that much more special. I rarely read books like this but the blurb drew me and I absolutely enjoyed every word. Very much looking forward to more.

Exceptional! This story was an emotional journey, about life, loss, grief, forgiveness, survival, friendship, community, courage and love. Beautifully written, this story captured my attention from the beginning to the end. Written in present and past times, that was effortless to read, and helped tell such a thorough and captivating story.

Harper Lee Wilcox lost her husband five years ago, but she is still grieving. She has been living with her mother and her son, Ben, who was born shortly after her husband died. When she receives a letter from her friend Allison, whose husband is having difficulty adjusting to his past deployment and exhibiting sign of P.T.S.D., she goes to visit them to see if she can help in any way. She finds her friends are stressed, and barely holding it together for their three young children. While she is there Allison and her attend a meeting on base with other military wives, that help both of them in their struggles. Harper has been trying to think of how she could start a secret memorial of some kind in memory for her husband, and was going to use the money she received from a Bravery Award. Now after meeting with these wives she has an idea, but after finding out that the award wasn’t real she needs to confront his best friend. Harper goes to look for a friend of her husband’s, to see if he can help Allison’s husband deal with his PTSD and also to give her answers that she has about her husband’s death and the award.

Bennett Caldwell left the Seals after Harper’s husband died and is now running a Survival School. He refuses to tell Harper how her husband died, and why he had given her money and a fake Bravery award in her husband’s name. But he will not take the money back, but will help her with her idea to help with a project of a coffee house on the base. He does agree to help Allison’s husband. These two are attracted to one another, and although they had never met before Noah’s death, Bennett had been attracted to her from her letters she wrote to Noah. Now these two will need to work together. What will happen between them? Will Bennett tell her what happened when Noah died? You will definitely want to read this story to find out all the details.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Military Wife is the latest novel by Laura Trentham. This book captured me in a way that not many do. It is the story of Harper Lee Frazier of Nags Head, NC. Harper, a rather reserved young lady, meets young Navy recruit Noah Wilcox the summer before he leaves for SEAL training and she leaves for college. After the perfect few days they spend together in her home town, she doubts she will hear from him again. And she doesn’t until his first email arrives several hours later.

Over the course of her double degree pursuit, their relationship grows and he asks her to marry him right after her graduation. Rather than drawing things out, they elope and begin their life together in Virginia Beach, where his SEAL team is based. They socialize with Noah’s team members and their families and Harper becomes close to Allison Teague, wife of his team commander. The only one that she seems to not meet is Noah’s best friend, Bennett Caldwell.

After a few years, Harper and Noah begin a family. An assignment late in Harper’s pregnancy leaves her a widow and her son, Ben, without his father. Soon after this loss Ben is born and a mysterious man visits Harper with a certificate for heroism for Noah and a certified check for $100,000. When she finally meets Bennett and realizes the story behind his and Noah’s friendship and why Noah chose to name their son after his friend, her healing takes a new turn. And in her act of healing, Harper uses her education to help spouses of military folks, especially her friend Allison.

This story delves into many facets of what the people serving in our armed forces endure, as well as what is endured by those left on the home front. It is eye opening and yet the starkness of the story almost makes readers want to cover their eyes. This book is well written with rich and endearing characters. I very much enjoyed this book and do recommend it!!

This was an absolutely amazing story of the strength, determination and fortitude it takes to be a spouse of our military personnel. I'm going to keep this short because I want you to experience all the goodness this story has to offer as it unfolds on the pages before you. I don't want to give anything away. Just know this, the writing is exceptional and the characters are strong and well developed with flashes into the past to give us their full story. This one needs to go on the must read list. I highly recommend it.

The Military Wife is a beautiful, moving dive into the joys and hardships of military family life. Laura Trentham draws readers in with the story of a young woman grieving the loss of her husband.

Harper realizes that her life has come to a standstill. Her son is now five years old, and the one thing that has kept her going, but she still finds herself feeling only contentment. While supporting her friend Allison, whose husband is suffering from PTSD, she realizes that military wives need support too. Drawing on her own experience, Harper decides to start a business to give them something to occupy their time and engage their creativity.

To get her plan underway Harper finds Bennett Caldwell, and with him secrets about Noah's final mission. Bennett is an interesting character. His past with Noah is what connects him to Harper and her son. I loved the background stories that lead readers to Bennett and Harper's present. The emotional ride from the moment Harper and Noah meet, to the moment when Harper discovers the next stage of her life is captivating and engaging.

The Military Wife is the kind of story that hits your heart and burrows deep. It's a look into someone else's perspective that will leave readers fully satisfied. I recommend to fans of Emily Colin.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Oh.my.gosh!!! This book!! It was everything I needed in a romance! It made me cry, it made me laugh, honestly it made me mad....in a good way! Although slightly predictable it left me satisfied and with a full heart and ready to run and buy the book to reread over and over! If you are looking for a romantic quick read then I suggest this one. The only thing I wish, is for a second book!! I need more Harper!

A satisfying read with a wonderful balance of romance and gritty, emotional issues (PTSD, death of a husband who was a navy SEAL, falling in love again after a devastating loss). Harper is a strong, determined heroine who doesn't know she needs Bennett until she meets him. Their character arcs and the way their stories intertwined through their relationships with Noah was well-written and enjoyable to read. I appreciated the author's ability to shine the spotlight on the need for jobs for military wives. The subplot with the coffee shop was a great addition to this wonderful story. The bonds forged between the SEAL team members and their spouses, as well as their commitment to supporting one another was nicely done too. Bravo! Looking forward to more in the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions stated here are my own.