I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Forever My Hero is about two very broken people and is part of the Blessings, Georgia series. It's a great story with excellent characters and a place you want to visit for real.

Sharon Sala's "Forever My Hero" follows a widower (Dan Amos) and a widow (Alice Conroy). Both were not looking for love but found it anyway after their hometown was hit by a tropical storm. Acting like a good neighbor, Dan opened his house to Alice and her son. He soon found out that he also opened his heart. Short and sweet, "Forever My Hero" is about being good neighbors with a little bit of romance thrown in.

Finding book 7 of the Blessings, Georgia series is a wonderful gift. This is Sharon Sala writing a love story that depends on the characters and the setting, not a murderer and a stalker terrorizing people. It has Christian values and is a pleasure to read. Blessings, Georgia is in the path of a hurricane barreling up the ATlantic coast and the town is boarding up and making sure folks are safe. Dan Amos is the property owner and relative new comer but opens his home to an elderly neighbor and a widow and her young children. Alice and her family are grateful for the help and before long the spark of romance is in full bloom. I enjoyed catching up with previous characters and just the hint of drug activity in Blessings makes the story realistic. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dan Amos and Alice Conroy have both experienced great personal tragedy but still manage to experience fulfilling lives in the small town of Blessings, Georgia. Dan begins to care for Alice and her two children and Alice learns that she can safely depend on Dan's protection. Their new trusts are tested when a tornado hits the town and many people are affected.

I enjoyed returning to Blessings and catching up on the residents of this small town and look forward to more stories.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

Sala is my go-to for downhome, small town, feel good stories.  She gives her readers characters that may not have a lot materially but they have a ton of heart and know what it means to be part of a community.  (I will say that this one just seemed to have a bit more going on than I remember from the first stories.  They seemed to focus more on a particular couple while introducing parts of the community.  The last couple seem to be getting a little heavier with subplots and secondary characters, but it’s delivered in a way that isn’t too complicated or hard to follow, just a little bit more crowded.) 

Being there with Dan and Alice as they feel out each other is all sorts of sweet.  There’s an attraction there, but both of them had a tragedy take their spouse from them so they have to decide if they are at a point where they can give their hearts again.  As if that wasn’t enough, throw in some trouble with drug dealers, mean girls, & a hurricane closing in on the town and there’s a decent amount of tension to keep things extra interesting. 

Driven by the characters and their connections throughout the town, Sala’s Blessings series shows the complications and reality of life, love, and community. 

(Can easily be read as a standalone but would probably be better enjoyed as part of the entire series just so you get an understanding of how everyone fits together.)

Sharon Sala has always been one of my go-to writers when I want a book that has engaging characters and this is no exception. This book had it all for me and I enjoyed it immensely. It was slow to start and then picked up the pace. It was a pleasure to get an ARC.

Forever My Hero is the seventh book in Sharon Sala's Blessings, Georgia series and it's also the sixth novel in the series I've read, and although I've given previous books in this series 5-star ratings, I found that the sheer number of characters and crises in this one was a bit too much, and a bit too pat, and that's why I'm giving Forever My Hero a 4.5 star rating.

Let me start by stating that Ms. Sala's Blessings, Georgia series makes me homesick for a place I've never been. The people and plot lines of these books are sweet, homey, heartwarming, and each novel can be read as a standalone, but although this one introduces new characters, many of the characters from the earlier novels are also present, which is why I suggest reading this series in the order in which it was written, primarily because those inter-relationships become more important in this novel than in any of the previous ones I've read.

Alice Conroy, the heroine, and her her two children, Charlie and Patty, were dropped off in Blessings with nothing but the clothes on their backs and barely enough money for to pay for a room for one month, by her late husband's family after he became a meth addict, built a meth lab in their home, which then blew up, killing him, destroying their home, and leaving his wife and children homeless. Because of the kindness of local residents, Alice was supplied with enough food and clothing to survive on, and found a job working at the local hardware store in Blessings, which is where she meets another fairly new town resident, Danner (Dan) Amos, who is working as a property manager and handyman for a house rental company and who came into the hardware store looking for some pipe fittings, and was immediately attracted to Alice.

Dan, the hero in this novel, also has been widowed. He was once a high-powered prosecutor in Dallas, Texas, but one of the people he prosecuted didn't like the verdict, and when Dan's wife couldn't get her car to start one morning as she was driving their 7-year-old to school, he gave her the keys to his car, which was rigged to blow up, and he watched as everything that really mattered to him exploded, killing his wife, their son, and his dreams of a happily ever after. Unable to remain in Texas, he moved to Blessings, where he's been living day to day without much hope of ever finding happiness again, just going through the motions.

In the midst of all this, there's drug dealing going on behind the scenes, and the attempted murder of retired local artist, Elliott, Dan's neighbor from across the street, who's driven to a spot overlooking Grey Goose Lake, a spot his deceased wife used to love, and he's painting the scenic view from a high cliff overlooking the lake, oblivious to the fact that a drug deal is going down in two boats on the lake, and the when dealer notices him up on the cliff, he orders his suppliers to kill him. The attempt fails, and Elliott barely survives after two days of lying unconscious in the wild, but he's finally found, rescued and hospitalized, not having the faintest idea who attacked him or why.

As if this wasn't enough drama, Hurricane Fanny, a category 5 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in Savannah, Georgia, less than one hour away from Blessings, and everyone in town is getting ready to brave the oncoming storm. Also happening is a second-grade class field trip to gather leaves at a neighboring farm for a class project, a class in which Patty, Alice's young daughter, is being bullied and ostracized because of a nasty rumor among some of the gossipy, nasty neighbors, which they then passed on to their children, that little Patty's family is a family of drug-dealers, and that rumor and the bullying it sets off nearly gets Patty killed, just as the hurricane is bearing down upon them, and it's Dan, Alice's son, Charlie, and Charlie's dog, Booger, to the rescue.

As I stated earlier, this summary is just for starters, because there's an attempted murder mystery to solve, drug dealers to get their comeuppance, some clairvoyance from Elliott, a lot more drama, danger, calamities, both physical and emotional, internal angst, rescues, and regret to come, all in a small town where love happens on a regular basis, a happy ending is always ensured, and where the aforementioned calamities always seem to bring out the best in the people of Blessings. It's a sign of Ms. Sala's incredible talent that she makes this town and its many inhabitants come alive, and I recommend this series wholeheartedly.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

The people of Blessings, Georgia are faced with Hurricane Franny as she barrels down on the coast and two widows find their way to each other. Dan Amos lost his family when they inadvertently got in the way of a death threat meant for him and Alice has been disillusioned by marriage. As the town prepares for the worst, Dan opens his heart and his home.

This sweet and emotionally gripping romance is a truly inspirational read that readers can really sink their teeth into as it moves them tears or to smile as it warms their heart. The characters are strong, compelling and easily draw readers into the story as they Dan and Alice hearts begin to heal and accept that they can still love and have a future. The relationship is quite emotional and readers can’t help but empathize which causes a few tears as well as a few chuckles and smiles. Alice has two children – a boy that surprises readers and a little girl that delights readers as they both charm their way into hearts.

The plot is steady paced and spotlights all of the happenings in the town as they prepare for the storm which gives readers a well-rounded and fully informed view of how weather the natural disaster. This is truly inspiring as townsfolk come together to help each other while it also shows how Karma can be quite spiteful. Readers are held hostage throughout this heartwarming romance as Dan and Alice get a second chance at love.

There is a lot going on in the book, right from the first page. I struggled to get into the story because it felt like there were too many stories to keep straight. The character's intertwined and it all started to come together. If you are a reader that tends to read more than one book at a time, this is a book that needs to be read on its own. I found that once I focused more to this book solely, it was a great story.
I love all the twists and turns, the depth of the story that Sharon Sala presents. Great job overall!

This book started with a beautiful cover and the insides did not disappoint. As you continue the story in the 7th book in the series, it is important to note that you do not have to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this story. It is a book that helps the reader to escape from the outside world for a little while.

I love anything this woman writes! I was not disappointed! This book tugged at my heart strings. Can not wait for next book.

Another book in the Blessings series. It was a fabulous read with characters returning from previous books. I love how everyone came together during the storm.

What a great story teller!!! Sharon Sala tells such great, inspiring stories and the town of Blessings felt so real and grounded. I have most of the books in the series and for the most part, I have surely enjoyed this small town. Each installment in the series involves a different couple from the small community. This installment involves recently widowed, Alice, and the Dallas cowboy, Dan. This story lives true to its title because Dan is basically Superman undercover. I mean, Wow!! He did some pretty amazing things in the story and he was charming on top of it. Recently widowed, Alice is a single mom to two children with a job in the local hardware store. Dan and Alice share a deep connection with the loss of their spouse and after a series of unfortunate events, they connect on deeper level than they both expected. A ferocious hurricane is on the horizon and Dan has offered Alice and her kids shelter from the hurricane. What will happen when they are confined under one roof while a raging hurricane sweeps through town?


Now as I said before, this small town has touched my heart and in my previous reviews, I wanted to pack my bags and move to this small town. Now I want to pack up and move back home to Texas. The romance aspect of the story was a straight line and not the least bit exciting. In my opinion, Dan was under developed as a character and I wanted to know a little bit more about his past. Dan was a true hero in this story and I wanted to connect with him a little more and he seemed almost super human. The chemistry between the characters were there, but the love story was so easy and I like a little bit of a fight or grand gesture. In contrast, the hurricane and the destruction that it caused was truly heart breaking. As I said before, Sharon Sala is a great story teller and it shows in this story. I was looking for a snap to happen because some people died in this book, but don't worry the main characters doesn't die. If you don't know what I am describing, then where have you been for the past year? I am talking about Avengers: Infinity War, the saddest and kick ass movie of all time.!! Sorry!! Now back to the issue at hand, the story was touching and the small town was charming and was full of love.

Alice, as a character was okay and there was nothing special about her. She was on the borderline of being a jerk, but I kind of understood because of the circumstances concerning her daughter. This story was underwhelming in the romance aspect and I was disappointed.

I so enjoy returning to Blessings, Georgia for another dose of sweet, Southern charm and small-town happenings. It’s one of my favorite fictional small town locations. This time around the residents of Blessing are facing the threat and true danger of a hurricane, along with other events in FOREVER MY HERO.

Although Dan and Alice are not new to us characters this time they are newly falling in love or allowing that sweet emotion back into their lives that have been touched by tragedy in the past. Watching Alice find a special man to trust again, one who will never harm her or her children was a delight. Seeing Dan embrace the future with another family was one of the most tender moments for he has been through so much.

As a hurricane races toward the Georgia state line, the residents of Blessings are hurrying to deal with that emergency while also facing other troubles around their hometown. The sense of community, of getting not only the main couple’s story but peeking in on the events going on in other lives is one of the many reasons I love this series.

I always close the final page of a story set in Blessings, Georgia with a sense of just having taken a trip back home… and that is a priceless feeling. If you love small town romances with believable characters, a large cast and very good stories then you’ll enjoy FOREVER MY HERO.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

We met Alice Conroy and her children in the previous book Return to Me (Blessings #6) and I am glad to see that they received their own story. Alice was a widowed mother in dire straits that had recently arrived in Blessings. She finally found her health, a job and her children were doing well in school. She felt that was all she needed out of life now. Dan Amos is a widower that is a new transplant to Blessings and thought that his heart was unavailable to love but that changes when he meets Alice and only expands as he gets to know her family. All this is taking place during a hurricane that greatly effects the other residents of Blessings. Forever My Hero stands on it's own however I recommend reading the rest of the series because there are characters from all of the books that make appearances in this story. It's a loving, inspirational story of second chances and small town love and hope. The characters are funny, original and it makes me wish that Blessings was a real city that I could visit! Another great book if a really good series. I can't wait to read more!

I’m not sure where to start with this one.

I have a policy of giving a new-to-me reader at least two reads before writing them off. Even my favorite authors write books that aren’t my favorite, so I feel it’s only fair to give an author a second read even if I wasn’t crazy about the first read. Especially if, on the surface, it should be a book - or a series - that I will enjoy. And being that I’m a big fan of multi-character, small town romances, this Blessings, Georgia series should be right up my alley.

Except it isn’t.

Dan Amos left his high-powered job as a Dallas lawyer when his wife and son were the victims of a car bomb meant for him. He moved to the quiet, peaceful southern town of Blessings, Georgia and works as a property manager, overseeing the needs of multiple rental properties.

Alice Conroy lost her husband, also in an explosion - only that one was of his own making. To make matters worse (as if your husband blowing up your house isn’t bad enough as it is), her husband’s family packed them up with only the clothes on their backs and dropped them on a corner in Blessings. It’s been a rough year, but Alice has a good job at the hardware store, and her children are settling into school. Things are looking up for her, and her new-found - and mutual - attraction with Dan is unexpected, but not unwanted.

And if this book had focused on Dan, Alice, and her children, I may have liked it more. Instead we get a whole cacophony of storylines that felt like a jumbled mess, with too many things happening to too many residents and none of them getting adequate time to do justice to their part of the book. There’s an odd juxtaposition in this idyllic town where everyone is nice, and kind, and watches out for everyone, but all these terrible things keep happening (good grief, four people die in explosions!). We start out with marijuana growers who try to kill an old man, move to mean girls and a perilous situation, and to top it off there’s a hurricane and several people have more dramatic things happen to them than just the effects of the hurricane. It was exhausting to read so many storylines, when all I really wanted to read about were the hero and heroine. Forever My Hero could have an alternate title: Everyone Has Something Terrible Happen and No One Catches A Break.

Part of my issue may be that this is book seven and I’ve only also read book six. I’m not invested in these characters, and it’s hard to keep track of them all. But it was especially difficult in this book to get to know anyone better, where it seemed the author couldn’t decide who she wanted to focus on, or whether she wanted to be writing a mystery, a suspense, or a romance.

So I have a decision to make...do I keep reading Sharon Sala and the Blessings, Georgia series because it should be something I enjoy, or do I make a judgement based on the two I read (and didn’t enjoy at all)? Sadly, I think I’m going to move on. Sometimes an author just isn’t your cup of tea. And that’s okay.

* thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

2.5 stars - THE SHORT VERSION:
I made it to 64% and stopped reading this one. I love this author, but don’t like this story. There’s too much going, some weird happenings, and not enough focus on the main characters.

THE LONGER VERSION:
What??? Right now, I'm at 41% and probably should stop reading. Here’s why: there’s too much going on in this story. Unfortunately, I have to share a few spoilers in order to explain.

The story starts with a retired famous painter being struck on the back of the head by one of two brothers who was trying to kill him. The brothers are marijuana growers and the painter saw them making a deal (though he didn’t know what he is seeing). When interviewed by the sheriff days following the accident, the painter sees the sheriff’s carotid artery jumping (or something) and tells him to go to the ER immediately. Is he supposed to be clairvoyant? There’s more that happens with him but that’s enough to give you a picture. This is a romance, why is so much of the book dedicated to his story line??? Also, why didn’t he “see” the bash on the head coming???

The main characters have the fact that loved ones were blown up in explosions in common. The h’s husband was dealing with meth. The h’a wife and child were killed by an explosion meant for him. Yep! Enough said about that.

There’s also mean kids, a fair amount of praying and talking about God (I love Jesus, and even to me this feel forced), a teacher who wishes she could spank, hunting squirrels for stew, and a woman who uses her binoculars to spy on the police while they’re conducting an investigation. Another problem is that I can’t get a handle on what year the story is set in. The h gives her daughter 25 cents for milk at lunch. I lived in NC growing up and paid 25 cents for school lunch milk in the 80s, my guess is it’s probably a lot more than that now. Yet, there are cell phones, so it’s not the 80s.

I made it to 64% and stopped reading this one. At this point, the painter and his clairvoyance save at least one more person and the H and h are even closer.

Final verdict: I love this author, but don’t like this story. There’s too much going, some weird happenings, and not enough focus on the main characters.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review

My Review
The small town of Blessings, Georgia is the setting for a sweet contemporary story from award-winning author Sharon Sala.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series but had no trouble connecting with the characters and their fascinating lives. I enjoyed learning about Alice Conroy, her children and dog, Booger.

The drama came from an impending hurricane and the preparations the town takes to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Excessive head-hopping drew me out of the story here and there, but otherwise an enjoyable read.

I give Forever My Hero 4 lovely kisses- a good second-chance romance!

Sending a thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆
The love story at the heart of Forever My Hero is between widowed mum of two, Alice and Dan, a widower. We’ve already meet Alice and Dan and now we get to know who they are and see them get a happily ever after, and given the heartache both of have experienced, it is a well-deserved happily ever after. Dan, once a big city lawyer, turns out to be a jack of all trades, repeatedly coming to the rescue of Alice and her kids and their love story is so sweet.

But Forever My Hero is more than the romance between Dan and Alice. We get multiple storylines with different points of view that all interconnect, including an attempted murder, bullying, and a hurricane that causes destruction in Blessings.

One of the things I always enjoy about spending time in Blessings is that we get to spend time with characters we’ve already met in previous books, like Sheriff Pitmann, Lovey, and Ruby. There are new faces too and not all of them good.

I really love this series and Forever My Hero is a really good romance and another enjoyable story. At the end we meet a new character, which I hope means there will be more stories from Blessings in our future.

Sharon Sala always writes good stories. Forever My Hero is so sweet. Alice has had a rough time of it and is finally in a place where she can keep her head above water. Dan is the same, and is looking forward to getting a real life again instead of one steeped in grief.

Sala excels with writing suspenseful plots full of danger, and this is no exception. While "heartwarming" is a word I would use to describe this story, "exciting" is the other word to use, too. It's a mile-a-minute story that you won't want to set aside.