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Hero of her Heart

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From the moment Bethany Warner was born, Sheriff Tanner Montgomery was on the run. And he was only four at the time. Their mothers’ matchmaking efforts finally ended when Bethany’s family moved away. Now, ten years later, she’s coming back to Ruby Creek and his mother is up to her old tricks again.

Tanner is happy with his life just the way it is. No emotional entanglements. No wife or child to worry about leaving behind if something should happen to him in the line of duty. Then Bethany returns, all grown up and sexier than sin. Now he’s on the run for a whole new reason.

Growing up, Bethany idolized Tanner. He was the HERO OF HER HEART. But to him she’d been nothing more than a tag-a-long little kid. Too tall, too thin, with unruly curls and teeth she could whistle through.

That was then. Now she’s coming back to Ruby Creek, a successful, confident businesswoman, and no longer the ugly duckling she had once been. Can Bethany convince Tanner to give love a chance? And if she does, will it be everything she had always dreamt it would be?

310 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2011

128 people are currently reading
873 people want to read

About the author

Lindsey Brookes

18 books148 followers
Romance author Lindsey Brookes grew up reading romance novels. She penned her first romance, a historical, at the age of seventeen. From there she went on to join Romance Writers of America where she learned the ins and outs of the publishing business and ways to hone her craft. She switched to writing contemporary romance and has finalled in/or won more than 75 RWA chapter sponsored contests with over a dozen different manuscripts. She is also a three time RWA Golden Heart finalist as well as a past American Title III finalist. She's married to her childhood sweetheart, her hero, with whom she has two beautiful daughters.

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5 stars
159 (23%)
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200 (29%)
3 stars
222 (33%)
2 stars
62 (9%)
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26 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession.
1,225 reviews3,702 followers
May 25, 2017
Very Cute read....

*Spoilers*

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Their mothers are best friends and they have been planning the marriage of their son and daughter since Bethany Warner was born. Four years older, Tanner has always seen Bethany as the pesky lil girl his mom pushed on him, always taggin along. Childhood Friends until Bethany moves away with her parents after high school. Tanner has no plans on ever getting married, having kids and settling down, not with his job as sheriff. No way is he willing to leave behind a wife and kids if he dies in the line of duty like his father did. It's been 10 years since Bethany has been gone. Now she is coming back to her home town, back to where she grew up and back to Tanner Montgomery, her life long crush. As a teen she was plain Jane, lean, tall always being picked on for being the ugly duckling, but she is all grown up now and ready to see if she can get Tanner to notice her now! Tanner can't believe it's Bethany, this beautiful sexy as hell woman standing in front of him. Will he go for what he wants and make Bethany his or will his fear of repeating his father's past keep him from claiming Bethany for his own?

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This book was a sweet read, funny and cute. I really enjoyed it. I really liked both Tanner and Bethany. Tanner was sexy and funny as hell making a fool of himself over Bethany. Bethany was cute and funny, driving Tanner insane with her flirting. The sexual tension between them was hott as hell. I really liked the other characters in this book, and I love the ending although I wish it was a little longer. This book was a great, light hearted, feel good read!


This book was free on Amazon here is the link if you want to read it for yourself
http://www.amazon.com/HERO-HER-HEART-...


http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
Profile Image for SamBFN.
370 reviews31 followers
February 11, 2012
I can't believe I've wasted 2 hours of my valuable reading time reading this book. To be as cliched as everything in this book it was like driving by a train wreck, I kept wanting to turn the reader off but kept going to see if it possibly got any better. Yes, this book was free on Kindle, but save yourself some time and don't bother with it.

I am not an overly hard reviewer. I ask to be entertained and allowed to escape into a world that I'm reading into and care about those that I'm reading about. All I kept doing with this book was wishing it was over. The main characters and the supporting characters were pretty much unlikable and the situations were so overdone I just kept rolling my eyes.

Here are some of the issues I had:

The supposedly funny cute meet.


"I told Bethany you probably wouldn't know her, having changed so much and all, his mother continued.

Bethany's full pink lips formed a perfect "o" as the surprise registered on her face. She inhaled sharply. "Tanner?"

That sudden intake of breath drew his gaze to the top of her low cut neckline and creamy swells the Bethany Warner he'd known had never had. "Breasts?"


* Of course they are both "hot" for each other and she admits that's she's a 28 year old virgin, who's a smart, beautiful and sucessful who's been in love with him since birth and asks him to take care of that. "no strings attached of course." yeah right!

* All sorts of "cute misunderstandings"

* He at one point thinks she is paying her friend to have sex with him after he rejects her initial offer of sex.

* Another misunderstanding where he thinks she's having a 3 way with his 2 friends.

* A mother who has "match making" in her eye and grandma lust.

* The best friends who all know that Tanner is in love with Bethany.

The big overheard misunderstanding when she thinks he's telling his friend that she can see other people.

Anyways if this didn't turn you off, read at your own risk.
Profile Image for Bonnie.
418 reviews8 followers
August 26, 2013
I have stooped to a new low. This was a free kindle book, and since my kindle fire’s bookshelf is poor-mother-hubbard bare, I thought I’d take up the free offer. The ONLY reason I am listing this as a read book is so that I can get the credit of one book towards the 53-finished-books-in-2013-goal that I set in January, a goal I’m running behind on (not to worry, I ALWAYS meet my goal).

The start to the book description: "From the moment Bethany Warner was born, Sheriff Tanner Montgomery was on the run. And he was only four at the time. Their mothers’ matchmaking efforts finally ended when Bethany’s family moved away. Now, ten years later, she’s coming back to Ruby Creek and his mother is up to her old tricks again" . . . belies just how bad this book is. Case in point, regarding his and hers first meeting after not having seen each other in 10 years:

Bethany: "Tanner?"

That sudden intake of breath drew his gaze to the top of her low-cut neckline and the creamy swells the Bethany Warner he'd known had never had.

Tanner: "Breasts?"
His mother gasps: "Tanner!"

Yep, that about sums it up. Nothing redeeming about this book: story-line, nope; characters, nay; descriptions, negative; etc. I'm red-faced.

The only good thing that could come out of my having read this book, is for me to write my own, to show that any ol' body can write one.

203 reviews
February 12, 2012
This was really good. I loved every character, even though Bethany irked me towards the end .. I wish the beginning was longer though, just because is was so sweet. I wanted to read more about young Tanner and Bethany.. The ending was pretty close to perfect! I loved it except I was wanting maybe an epilogue or something.

Secondary characters- I did find it a little odd how close this group of people were that they were that comfortable talking about sex like they did.. I mean he talked fairly openly to his friends (nothing real shocking or questionable there) but talking about it wish his mom was what had me scratching my head..

Like I said I loved every character and wouldnt mind reading more about them *hint, hint* :) T.J and Brandon need love too :)
Profile Image for Lisa.
33 reviews
September 4, 2018
The ending.

A good book typical romance catching the one that got a way, but the ending was missing a lot. Its like the author was like yeah thats enough.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,576 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2019
Good book

You people should just read this novel yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourselves and I really enjoyed reading this novel very much so. Shelley Ma
Profile Image for Miska Reads.
104 reviews6 followers
August 14, 2023
I tried but could not get into this title. It was hard to read in the beginning and I tried several times. The cover looks nice.
Profile Image for Lisa Spinden.
9 reviews
February 18, 2017
Good

Easy reading. Funny. Light hearted. Easy to follow. Short story. Good describing characters and scenery. Fell in love with Tanner
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,329 reviews38 followers
September 29, 2014
Hero of Her Heart was a quick, fun summer read. From the moment Bethany was born both her parents and Tanner's parents were pushing them together. Tanner did not like this at all, especially since he was only four years old when it all started. His whole life his mom has been trying to get him together with Bethany, the tall lanky girl who follows him everywhere.

Bethany has always loved Tanner. She follows him around and hopes that one day he will notice her. Her family moved away at the end of high school and she hasn't been back in a number of years. Now she is back and incredibly beautiful so of course Tanner notices her as more than a friend.

Tanner doesn't want to get married ever. Bethany knows this, but hopes once he notices her he will change his mind. He doesn't want to leave a wife and kid behind like his dad did. He knows his job has risks and he doesn't want someone else to suffer because of that.

Bethany hasn't really dated much. She has always been in love with Tanner so she has never hooked up with anyone else. She has a successful business and she is happy with that. When she comes back and Tanner finally seems to notice her she is so happy. She is more confident and flirty with him than she has ever been and she eventually wears him down. It was just a fun read. A bit silly and you know what is going to happen, of course there is some drama, but it is still enjoyable.

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Profile Image for Emily.
5,888 reviews552 followers
December 5, 2013
Even at four years old Tanner Montgomery knew two things, he would never get married and he would be Sheriff one day like his daddy. Over the years though his matchmaking mother never wavered with the hope that one day her best friend's daughter Bethany Warner would be his bride. To Tanner, Bethany was a pest always following his footsteps and having to include her when he was hanging out with is buddies. He got a reprieve though when Bethany moved away, but now she is back for a month and his mom is in full force matchmaking mode.

Bethany couldn't wait to see her childhood crush Tanner, she used the wisdom only Cosmo could provide for women and hoped that she would knock him off his feet. Bethany does and Tanner turns into the village idiot trying to gain some footing around her, but Tanner will not be wavered on his single life status. Although when Bethany comes to him needing help with something he never expected everything changes, now both are avoiding one another and seem to be willing to walk away even though their hearts are breaking.

Delightful read, was pretty funny and had some unexpected moments where you can't help to smile. Tanner is an idiot (but in a sweet way), he rationalizes his stance but can't see what is right in front of him, often making an ass out of himself. I love the type of stories where the hero has been kind of cocky when it comes to the heroine and the heroine has a way of making him eat crow later. Very fun read.
Profile Image for Amanda.
1,069 reviews
December 8, 2015
I read this when it initially came out about 4 years ago, then forgot about it and read it again. It's pretty fluffy, not very remarkable though. Premise is she's been in love with him since birth, and he never was interested. She moved away at 18 and they don't see either for 10 years. She's supposedly a late bloomer, and now comes back to town as the hottest bombshell ever. She claims she was always shunned in school for her looks, then she became great liking but was too focused on her ridiculous novelty boxer line to meet anyone. Besides she's so focused on the guy she grew up with even after 10 years with no contact to see anyone. Surprise! She's a virgin! Uhm, no. If she is as ridiculously good looking as the whole town and book makes out, she would have had men beating down her door to get to her.
I love second chance romances, but her fixating on him for 10 years and dating no one is pathetic- not sweet.
It's not the writing- it's just the sorry state of the hill l girl that bugs me.
Profile Image for Suzie.
56 reviews
February 18, 2016
This is one of the best books I've read recently. I loved the story line....The idea of not only knowing who you are destined to be with, but also growing up with them. Bethany & Tanner's mothers were best friends, and so when Bethany was born, they conspired to have Tanner & Bethany marry some day. So growing up, Tanner always had this girl 4 years younger than himself following him around with the boys until Bethany's parents moved away. After 10+ years of being away, Bethany returned home to her childhood home and her childhood hero all grown up. This time around, it is more of Tanner doing the chasing. Bethany is no longer flat chested, gap toothed, or pasta haired, she is all beauty. I liked seeing not only Tanner's mother, but his brother and best friends pushing him towards Bethany. My only complaint, the book seemed a little rushed. I'd have liked to have seen more interactions with all the characters.......And I'm hoping there will one day be a story for Tanner's friends TJ & Bobby Lee as well as his brother Brandon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
173 reviews
October 14, 2014
Childhood Friends Grow Up

Tanner was four years old when his mother's friend had Bethany. As they grew up next door to each other, Bethany was set on marriage to Tanner eve though he treated her like his little sister. Once she left for college, they didn't get to see each other and only their moms kept in touch.

Now Bethany returned to her hometown for an award presentation and couldn't wait to see Tanner. He on the other hand was only interested in law enforcement and being Sheriff like his Dad was when he was alive, but has no intentions of ever getting involved with a long relationship, never mind marriage.

The now beautiful Bethany, with gorgeous blue eyes, still wants him, and excitement continues while Tanner does his best to avoid being around. Will Bethany stay long enough to make it work out, or will Tanner keep his promise to himself and stay out of her sights so she has no chance.
Profile Image for Kayla.
81 reviews
February 17, 2012
I give this book more of 2.5 because it was somewhat enjoyable if you can over look some sappiness. Bethany has loves Tanner forever. She moves away right after high school a skinny flat chested plain Jane and comes back 10 years later smoking hot and stacked oh yeah she is a virgin to boot. She chases Tanner shamelessly he resists because she "deserves more" (he has vowed never to marry). She wears him down. Then she leaves town brokenhearted because she doesn't think she is woman enough for him (even thought he told her over and over and over and over that he couldn't give her commitment and she agrees that she doesn't need it). Finally he sees the error of his ways but it's too late he has lost her blah blah blah...
Profile Image for Angie.
2,460 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2016
This was a good story about two people that grew up together that saw each other after ten years apart. They both had changed physically and they both still had all of the old feelings about each other they were dealing with. Tanner wasn't sure how to deal with Bethany since she had changed so much physically. Bethany wasn't going to chase Tanner she was going to get him to chase her. Tanner can't seem to say what he means when Bethany is around and she overhears part of a conversation Tanner is having with a friend and not the whole conversation and takes it the wrong way. Bethany decides to leave town to lick her wounds and Tanner doesn't understand why she left. The ending was really cute!
1,021 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2015
I like the concept of loving someone since you were a child. Bethany has loved Tanner since she used to follow him around when she was a little girl. She comes back home for a visit and still loves him. He's a sheriff and decides that he will never marry, in case he dies in the line of duty. It was a cute read, pretty fluffy. It felt kind of rushed toward the end. Tanner went from never wanting to get married to falling in love and buying a ring too quickly. And toward the very end, he goes to talk to her and sees her car is still in the carport, but the next chapter talks about how she has left town (driving in her car)! Glad it was free.
Profile Image for Neena Christianson Martin.
1,185 reviews11 followers
Read
August 8, 2014
Love of a lifetime

Bethany has loved Tanner her whole life, and he has thought of her as a pest to keep running away from. Now she's back home and all grown up, and not the awkward beanpole she was when her family moved away. Now the tables have turned, and Tanner is chasing Bethany. Between his momma, brother, and his best friends, the two are having all kinds of misunderstandings. This is a very good book, and the only reason I gave it 4 stars was due to some editing errors, which is a pet peeve of mine.
Profile Image for Char (1RadReader59).
3,225 reviews19 followers
October 20, 2012
What an absolutely funny happy HEA love story. I was laughing out loud with this story. To the point where I was dragging my husband into the storyline cuz he wanted to know what was so funny. The characters were so loving thought out & real that I could see so many different parts of different of my own friends. You will not be disappointed if you read this story. Maybe frustrated at times because Tanned is wishy Washy at the enth degree. But he recovers well.
Profile Image for Jo Smith.
695 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2013
A beautifully written story of ever-lasting love & how your first love could be the love for the rest of your life. Written from both perspectives, this story builds hope & real empathy for the characters. From Tanners stubborn view point to Bethany' s insecurities, you are rooting for this couple right from the start. A will they, won't they with a little nooky added in for good measure. An enjoyable & easy read which I very much enjoyed!
Profile Image for Heather Wardrup.
Author 1 book27 followers
December 16, 2013
A charming story that shows how time can change people, and a smidgen of confidence can go a long way. The writing was pretty good, the plot development progressed well and the characters were easy to like (even the supporting characters). Well, all except for the Mom. I wanted to gag her after a few appearances, but the funny thing about her character is we all know someone just like her. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,406 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2014
A nice enough read but there was really nothing new in either the story or the plot to really grab me and make me give this a higher rating. It was well written and many people would probably feel this is too low a rating, however for me, this book failed to really grab me. someone who does not read as much as I do would probable enjoy this book though so dont let my personal review turn you off.
Profile Image for Sarah.
562 reviews
November 4, 2014
Cute little home-town romance story. Well written although not super deep. I loved the image of awkward Bethany following Tanner around as a child. Some other reviewers indicated that some interactions between Bethany/Tanner were unbelievable, but I thought they were cute and clearly in the story for comedic purposes.
Profile Image for Karen Wood.
749 reviews3 followers
October 25, 2015
this is a quick, fun book, following tanner and Bethany, as the tables turn, she was always tagging along as a child but now she is grown up and full of curves, Tanner wants her but scared with his job that he cant give her the life she wants and deserves.

loved this book as much as i love all of Lindsey's other books.
101 reviews
November 8, 2015
Wonderful love story

Only imagine having a group of boys growing up and having a younger girl who is not your sister tagging along every where you went! Then growing up, going separate ways and coming back together years later, to discover a love that grew through all those years. Tanner and Bethany...beautiful love story.
Profile Image for Raychel.
119 reviews23 followers
April 5, 2012
Very cliche book with the most ridiculous misunderstandings between the two main characters, but a quick mindless read nonetheless. I found it entertaining, though the silly misunderstandings did make me cringe. Glad this was a free kindle book.
Profile Image for Jeanette Hornby.
Author 7 books80 followers
June 14, 2012
The beginning of this novel was unique and piqued my interest. The story was such an easy read with a good amount of sexual tension and the characters were likeable. The ending was a little cheesy but still enjoyable. 4 Stars.
Profile Image for Erica Snay.
84 reviews2 followers
September 21, 2014
Fast read... No real drama, not very realistic. But if you are looking for a fast not too deep, love story. This is it. I won't say I didn't enjoy it because I did. Mostly the jealousy between Tanner and his friends ( and brother) I found that very humorous.
Profile Image for Beth.
8 reviews9 followers
September 27, 2014
THe characters were good. I felt the connection between them. The ending just seemed so sudden and abrupt. I just wanted to more. The supporting characters were colorful. Makes me wonder if this is a series. i would love to read about the other guys in this small Texas town.
Profile Image for Sue.
856 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2014
Story that could have been great, but fell short. The main characters had promise but with stilted conversations and not-so-great editing, this book was more like a rough draft. Maybe this one could be re-worked and re-published - and be great!!
Profile Image for J.J. Ellis.
Author 50 books38 followers
February 28, 2015
Amazing sweet story.

I love true old fashioned romances and this fit the bill for me. The characters were amazing age the story warmed my heart. I can't wait to read more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

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