A Hero to Come Home To

Tallgrass #1

by Marilyn Pappano

First he fought for his country. Now he'll fight for her.

Two years after losing her husband in Afghanistan, Carly Lowry has rebuilt her life in Tallgrass, Oklahoma. She has a job she loves teaching third grade and the best friends in the fellow military wives who understand what it means to love a man in uniform. She's comfortable and content...until she meets a ruggedly handsome stranger who rekindles desires Carly isn't quite sure she's ready to feel.

Staff Sergeant Dane Clark wanted to have a loving family, a twenty-year Army stint, and then a low-key civilian career. But the paratrooper's plans were derailed by a mission gone wrong. Struggling to adjust to his new life, he finds comfort in the wide open spaces of Tallgrass--and in the unexpected attention of sweet, lovely Carly. She is the one person who makes him believe life is worth living. But when Carly discovers he's been hiding the real reason he's come to Tallgrass, will Dane be able to convince her he is the hero she needs?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Military Fiction, Fiction, Disability, Military Romance

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author, international traveler, feted at a Hollywood premiere . . .

All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.

I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.

Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.

My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.

I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.

And I've never been bored.

Reviews

[Sibel Gandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bolca Amerikan vatanseverliği ve biraz da Tanrı sevgisi katılmış küçük Amerikan kasabası hikayesi 😊

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two years after her husband was killed in Afghanistan, Carly continues to grieve the loss and is unable to move on. Her one respite is the Tuesday night Margarita Club, a group of women who like her have lost their husbands and look to each other for support.

Dane lost his leg after a roadside bomb detonated under the vehicle he was in. Now his life is one of rehabilitation and learning to function on a prosthetic limb. But even more debilitating than the physical trauma is the emotional trauma and he struggles with his feelings of inadequacy.

When he first meets Carly he hides his amputation from her, but as their relationship deepens he knows he needs to come clean. But as he comes to depend on her and the emotional support she gives him more and more, it becomes harder and harder tell her the truth.


A Hero to Come Home To has it's feet firmly planted in the contemporary romance genre, and as a contemporary romance it's one of the better ones I've read. But the thing that really sets this book apart...the thing that takes it from a solid 4 Stars to 5 Stars, is how the author has dealt with grief, PTSD and survivor's guilt.

I've read a few books that have broached the topic, most of them come across as well researched but somehow don't quite get it right. Marilyn Pappano gets it...more than just about any other author I've read.

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely start to the series following a group of widows/widower of US servicepeople as they slowly pick up their lives after losing their loved ones. This is Carly's story, a war widow, and that of Dane who is grateful for retaining his life even as he struggles to come to terms with the loss of his leg. Nicely told by the author and pleasantly narrated. However, I could do without the extended deviations into the other characters's stories, because it took the focus away from our two protagonists, and the others will get their turn in the limelight later anyway. I guess, the series falls under inspirational fiction, but the Christian influence is very subtle and definitely should not deter the non-religious person from tackling this well-written and moving series, a great tribute to the servicemen and women and their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

[İlkim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asıl hikayeden çok Therese'in hikayesi ilgimi çekti. Bu nasıl bir şeytan evladı acaba? Onun hikayesini okumak için yakın zamanda seriye döneceğim.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Carly is slowly rebuilding her life after the death of her husband in Afghanistan. Some days are harder than others, but she has her friends in the Tuesday Night Margarita Club to help her. They have all lost husbands in the war so they understand. When she meets Dane there is a connection but she's not sure if she wants it to go anywhere. Dane is in Tallgrass recovering from his injuries. He's not coping well with his changed circumstances, but meeting Carly has brightened his life. Now he needs to find a way to tell her why he's in Tallgrass.

I loved Carly. The loss of her husband hit her really hard, but with the help of her friends she is starting to live her life again. When she meets Dane she notices him but doesn't think anything about it until she starts running into him in various places around town. I loved the way that they started talking to each other and became friends first. It didn't take too long before she started noticing him as a man as well as a friend, but she was torn over those feelings. She felt somewhat disloyal to her late husband but she also knew that she deserved to have a life of her own. I loved seeing the changes she started making in her life, from painting her house to giving herself permission to feel things for Dane. One of the things I loved most about her was her sensitivity. She takes her class to visit the soldiers every week and has a great way of making everyone comfortable with the visits. As she gets to know Dane she has a great way of being there for him without pushing for more than he's comfortable with. She also has a wonderful sense of humor and uses it on Dane constantly, something he really needs. When she finds out his secret she is furious that he hadn't told her, but also hurt that he hadn't trusted her with it. She has to decide if she wants to fight for him through those feelings or back away.

Dane was great. There is a lot about him that I really like. He has a fun sense of humor that meshes well with Carly's. I also like the way that he starts his relationship with Carly as friends. I loved the scene where he helps her pick out the paint. He is in Tallgrass trying to decide what direction he's going to take now that his previous plans are no longer possible. He is pretty bitter about his injury and the loss of his career. Carly makes an impression on him when he meets her but a relationship is not in his plans. He divorced his wife when he discovered she was sleeping around, sometimes even with men in his unit. After his injury even his mother is treating him like he isn't a whole man and it's really doing a number on his self image. He spends a lot of time pretending that there is nothing wrong with him. When he starts hanging out with Carly he doesn't tell her about his injury because he doesn't want to risk possible rejection. By the time he realizes that it wouldn't matter to her he can't figure out how to bring it up. When she finds out about it he has to figure out how to show her that he knows what an idiot he had been and how to get her back in his life. I completely loved the ending. It was obvious how hard it was for him but that he was doing it for her.

Besides the wonderful romance between Carly and Dane, I loved the whole theme of the book. The realism of the lives of Carly and her friends and the soldiers in the WTU was occasionally hard to read because it was so emotional. As the first book in the series there was also a fair amount of time devoted to the supporting cast. Therese and her issues with her stepchildren were a secondary story that got a lot of attention. I wanted to shake her a few times and tell her she was going overboard on being understanding of their issues. Jacob was semi-obnoxious but somewhat typical of his age. Abby, on the other hand, was a first class brat and bitch-in-training. I'm looking forward to the next book, which is Therese's story. I'm hoping to see her grow a backbone when it comes to those kids.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hero to Come Home to, by Marilyn Pappano is a story of a woman falling in love again after her husband was killed while serving in the military. It was well written and interesting, with well-rounded characters and great insight into the lives of the men, women and children whose lives are influenced by loved ones dying while serving our country. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, with one minor exception. Although I am a religious person, I find myself bothered by books that make frequent references to God and religion (church, prayer, miracles, etc) unless they are classified specifically as religious books. I felt almost distracted by the religious references in the book, although I'm sure other readers might find these references uplifting or enjoyable. I didn't. However, I still recommend the book and will most likely read the next one. 3.5 out of 5 stars

[Mojca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carly Lowry had lost her husband to the war in Afghanistan and she cannot imagine letting any other man close enough to break her heart. The only company and solace she needs, she gets from her fellow Army widows. Then Dane Clark walks into her life, and maybe Fate is offering Carly another chance of being happy and getting the best of life.


I came to know the little town of Taallgrass, Oklahoma in the short story A Family for Christmas. I liked Ilena, the Army widow determined to continue with her life, even after losing her husband, so I expected all the members of the Tuesday Night Margarita Club (all Army widows) to be just like Ilena. Sure, they've lost the men they loved, but they weren't afraid of living their life after their husband's death.

Unfortunately, this story proved me wrong with its prologue in which Carly was so far removed from a human being accepting her Fate (a whole year after her husband's death, mind you), it made me queasy. She improved quite a lot throughout the story, but there were always moments that made me roll my eyes...Like her refusal to pack her husband's stuff two years later, stubbornly wearing his favorite perfume, even though she didn't really like it, refusal to make any changes to the house...Until she met her hero.
Who was even worse with his pity party about his lost leg. At least you're alive, you ass!

Yes, maybe this review is making me appear heartless or at least cold-hearted, and yes, I understand people grieve in different ways, but did we really have to be saddled with an unable unwilling-to-move-on heroine and a self-pitying hero with body-image issues?

They got on my nerves so much (him more and more as the story progressed, while she improved) that I couldn't have been bothered to enjoy their "romance". Which felt rushed at least judging from the ending. They worked better as friends, IMO.

There were other problems with the story that cannot be overlooked: the two side-plots involving one of Carly's friends who should've killed her spoiled, self-centered bitch of a stepdaughter and buried her in their backyard instead of turning her other cheek as the good book teaches, the rancher, who lost his wife because she couldn't live without her legs (talk about selfish), that had a one-night stand with another of Carly's friends (I don't know why, I guess it will serve as background for their book), and the whole praying, churchgoing, bible-reading-in-the-evening shtick. At first it pissed me off at the publisher for not warning unsuspecting readers, but then I just skipped those parts.

I liked the premise, and it had its brighter moments (when the heroine wasn't bemoaning her lost husband and the hero forgot about not having a leg), but overall it was quite a disappointment.

[Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story.

Marilyn Pappano tells the story of losing a spouse to war and trying to live after returning home from war without a limb.

Carly and Dane are both affected by the war, but in different ways. The author weaves a believable tale of pain, suffering and the desire to move on/get better, but being stuck in grief. Whether grieving a person or grieving your previous quality of life.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspirational Romance: I wish I knew this ahead of time.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staff Sergeant Dane Clark lost a leg in a roadside bomb went off under the vehicle in which he was riding. Lucky to be alive, Clark transfers to a medical transition unit in Oklahoma where he must learn to embrace the idea of a prosthetic leg for the rest of his life. It’s not an embrace that comes easily or smoothly for him.

Carly Lowry can tell you exactly how many years and days it has been since her husband died in Afghanistan. He was merely weeks away from completing his tour and coming home to her. But he came home in a body bag too early.

Still, Carly has rebuilt her life. She teaches school, and she is close to a group of other military wives who, like Carly, lost their husbands to war. Known as the Tuesday Night Margarita Club, these youthful war widows come together every week to lend one another strength and support. They occasionally do weekend expeditions to local attractions. It is on one of these weekend expeditions with her girlfriends that Carly meets Dane Clark. She was sure she had pushed the romance part of her life into a distant corner, but Cane managed, from their first encounter, to draw her out and with that drawing came her desire for someone to love who would love her back.

I’ve long ago given up on romances for lots of good reasons. But this book escaped my romance book hard drive purge, and I’m glad it did. It’s a bit less formulaic than most, and it’s definitively G-rated. The author seems to capture survivor’s guilt and the adjustment process to a newly gained disability super well. In fact, it’s the drama in which these characters are involved that kept me reading. One of Carly’s friends is raising the children of her dead husband from a previous marriage, and the rough spots that woman goes through will keep you involved even though this is primarily Carly’s story. All the women who are part of the Margarita Club have unique challenges, and I assume those get focus in future books of the series, which I probably won’t read. But this one was worth my time.

Loretta Rawlins is a fantastic narrator for this book. Her diction and cadences are magnificent—a pleasure to listen to. She vivifies Carly so well you can almost believe they are acquaintances.

[Sharon Redfern · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely romance novel about a really hard subject. Carly Lowry is an elementary school teacher whose husband, Jeff, made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. She is living her life by merely existing, counting the days and wondering if she will ever feel normal again. She bonds with a group of other women in the same situation and finds her life getting somewhat better. During one of the group’s adventures she meets Staff Sgt. Dane Clark sitting alone in a cave and contemplating his life. Dane was a paratrooper who lost his foot in an IED explosion and had to have two subsequent amputations of more of his leg due to complications. He has not adapted to his new normal and on the fence about what the future holds for him.
This is not your typical light hearted romance. That said there are moments of humor and silliness. Most of the time this story is an honest look at the sacrifices that military spouses have made and respectful of how they cope when their loved ones die in battle. Carly and her friends live their lives and hope for future happiness but they have bittersweet memories that will never be left behind. . Ms. Pappano does an excellent job of portraying characters that are trying to balance the past and the present with an uncertain future. The relationship between Carly and Dane unfolds at just the right pace and feels realistic given the circumstances. They deserve a second chance at love and they have to work to get it.
Carly is further along the healing process than Dane and that causes some bumps in their road to happiness. There are friends and supporting characters who add so much to the story, especially Carly’s friend Therese who will be featured in the next book in the Tallgrass series- A Man to Hold On To.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

First a disclaimer (or two). -I'm not a religious woman, quite the contrary.-This book isn't a romance, but a Christian inspirational story on war widows in which love almost has to happen.

Why do I start with a disclaimer (or two)? For the same reason I believe the publisher should have declared the Christian part. Fairness.

It isn't a bad book. No, in any way. It's a bitter-sweet story of lost hopes and new ones. But it's also the story of a group of women some of which I'd personally like to squish. But, hey, this is me reacting to a preaching story. I despise martyrs, and women martyrs even more. (And I think that the author has really gone overboard with a [not so minor] character. Above all given what it's waiting for her in the next book.)

As I said, A Hero to Come Home To is loosely a love story, and I mean that yes there is a couple, but a good chunk of the book actually deals with other people. Which is off-putting at best. There is also a HEA, but to me marrying after five weeks isn't a HEA, it's stupidity. But again, this is my cynical self speaking. Again. :)

So, no it's not my cuppa. But I'd recommend it to lovers of (very)old-fashioned romances, those who appreciate Christian values, for those who don't want sex in their stories or want simply a change from the usual.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I like the connection between Carly, a young soldiers' widow and Dane, a paratrooper severely injured in the Mideast. Their romance is slow in building which seemed real to me. Carly was still grieving and had to deal with that while Dane had to come to grips with his injury and where live would leave him.
Carly was in a group with other widows dealing with the same problems. That was where the problem for me started. Since this was the first book in the series, Ms Pappano was setting up other characters. I wish she had strung them out into other books in the series, especially one of the widows who had a horrible step-child to deal with. These additions were very distracting and took away the new romance building with the lead couple. Otherwise, I felt Carly and Dane's relationship was very touching.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, timely story about love and intimacy between a widowed Army wife and a wounded soldier. Marilyn Pappano has, yet again, given us a book we can embrace filled with her usual flair and also enlighten us about the special needs of returning warriors. This story begins a new series and some of the other couples are introduced in this first book. There is a sensitivity and spirituality in this story that I haven't always seen in her books although I love them all. There is very little sex but considering the nature of the primary relationship, it is understandable. Carly is still grieving and Dane is dealing with injuries that change his life forever. Marilyn deals well with the topic of Dane's amputation. So, settle in and get to know the ladies of Tallgrass, OK and the Margarita Club. They already feel like family. You won't be disappointed.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Good Reads. I totally loved it! I liked the characters, the plot and the work done on not only the main characters, but also the supporting characters. I am now looking forward to the next book in the series and hope it comes out soon. The main focus of the book is a group of military wives who have lost their husbands in combat....how they support one another and how the deal with their individual losses. Also Carly the main character in this book, meets Dane a soldier who has returned from combat with his own problems to overcome...namely the loss of his leg. The book is written with warmth and straight forward dealing with the issues presented. I give this book 5 stars.

[Julie Mink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and can not wait for the next one. I have read many books with the feats of military heroes but this is the first with the widows of these heroes being the main characters. I did not think too much of the wives and families left behind/ This is a beautiful love story of one of these widows and the wounded soldier she met and fell in love with to start the next chapter of their lives.

Keep a hanky in hand and love this story.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway! It was a very quaint, heartwarming story, touching on the subject that I think a lot of people fear: the loss of a spouse, and moving forward. This book is also about overcoming your fears and putting one foot in front of the other. A great read...can't wait until the second book in the series comes out!

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a fine debut of a series. My only problem is that I specifically looked up the keywords for this book before I bought it & it did not classify itself as a Christian book, yet it is. I just wish the publisher would have been more honest, I probably would have still bought it, but I would have been prepared for the many Christian references in the book.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that I will love this book! Can't wait to read it.
I loved this book from the first page to the last. A wonderful story.

[Candy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all. a little too sweet for my tastes. Was not prepared for the religious overtones as well

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

her husband died in the war. she joined a group of widows from the base that met in a mex restaurant. they all took a hike and she met a soldier in teh cave . they started a relationship

one of the other widows was raising her husbands 2 teens. they were not nice to her. their mother and other relatives didnt want them. the girl slapped the step mom in the face. she arranged for them to visit their mom at spring break and was going to look into giving them up (thats where the book ended, want to read more about that!)

the widow and the solider became close but he was afraid to tell her he only had one leg. she found out and was upset he didnt trust her enough to tell her

he asked her to marry him in front of the widows and she said yes

[Phyllis M. Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took being an Ombudsman for the Navy to realize that there are those that need a kindness - a gesture like a smile, a hug, a phone call, a visit, someone to just sit there with you, not talk, just sit. Hard to believe it was 20 years ago, being an Ombudsman. I'm glad these Army wives found each other. The comradery is essential when your involved in any branch of military, and civilian live, whether you know it, or not.

[Judy]

Surprisingly realistic in the way widowed wives and damaged veterans come to interact. Although one of the widowed is a widower. Carly was amazingly optimistic and forgiving. Poor Therese; she's stuck with her husband's daughter who is a bitch from hell, and deserves some hard lessons. I can see this is going to be a series. Everybody deals with grief in their own way, and the support the widows give each other is heartening. The writing is smoooth and it's an easy read. 3 to 3.5

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about women who have lost their husbands, from the army. Carlie finds love again, along with love and supporthat from her 6 friends who are going through the same loss. it's a very nice read.

[Lucy Oneto · Rating 4 out of 5]

a new perspective

Loved the women’s perspective. Those who sit home and wait for the spouses they love deserve more credit than they normally get. This book gives us insight into the process of those who wait and those who come home damaged but hopeful for acceptance.

[Peggy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of this author I have read but it will not be the last. I love Dane and Carly's love story. I cried, and I sighed and I laughed but most of all I felled in love with this series. On to the next one.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a captivating read and I can’t wait to continue with the series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good. Cried tears of sadness and joy!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story that gives an honest look at military life after deployment, death, and survival.

[Puckgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*