Second Chance Hero

Texas Grooms #6

by Winnie Griggs

Winning the Widow's Heart

To help his dying sister, Nate Cooper once broke the law—and he's regretted it ever since. Now the ex-con turned saddler hopes for a new beginning in Turnabout, Texas. So when Nate saves a young widow's daughter from imminent harm, he's shocked to be called a hero.

Single mom Verity Leggett leads a safe life, avoiding danger and excitement at all costs. But her daughter's rescuer Mr. Cooper seems like a perfectly responsible—and handsome—man she can rely on. But when his secrets come to light, will Verity be able to get over his past and see Nate for the caring man he's become?

Texas Grooms: In search of their brides…

Genres: Love Inspired, Christian, Romance, Love Inspired Historical, Westerns, Historical, Historical Romance

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Winnie Griggs grew up in south Louisiana in an undeveloped area her friends thought of as the very back of beyond. With her two younger siblings and another family of two siblings for playmates, she spent many an hour exploring the overgrown land around her home, cutting jungle trails, building forts and frontier camps, and looking for pirate ships on the nearby bayou.

Once she ‘grew up’ she found other outlets for dealing with all those wonderful, adventurous imaginary friends by filling notebooks with their stories. And somewhere along the way, those scribblings gave way to full length stories.

Eventually she found her own Prince Charming, a rancher whose white steed takes the form of a tractor and whose kingdom is situated in a small rural community that she loves to call home, and together they’ve built their own storybook happily-ever-after. Their lives together expanded to include four now grown children who share Winnie’s vivid imagination and her husband’s steadier influences and are now out in the world pursuing their own adventures.

Winnie shares her stories with readers through her writings for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Historical books. You can learn more about Winnie at www.winniegriggs.com

Reviews

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! It had vibes of To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer, one of my favorites. Nate is starting over after leaving behind a troubled past, and Verity encourages him in finding his footing and embracing their small town. They develop a sweet friendship, even though Nate doesn't feel worthy of her, and their attraction naturally grows as well. They are both heavily involved in the church and festival music production, and the details of that slowed the pace a bit in the middle of the story. I liked the themes of forgiveness and acceptance, and the faith of the characters was woven into the storyline organically.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikki’s Musings

Rating 3.5 Stars

I have been a fan of Winnie Griggs for quite some time, so when I found Second Chance Hero on Net-Galley I immediately requested it. As I expect with one of Ms. Griggs books, she puts me in the moment of a small western town at the end of the 19th century. I love her ability to do that.

Verity Leggett is a young widow with a five-year-old daughter. When Joy disappears from her friend’s dress shop, she rushes outside only to see Joy chasing after a little dog. She screams the child’s name and her daughter freezes as a horse and wagon come barreling toward her.

Then the saddler next door to the dress shop shots past her as he dives for the child pushing her out of the way. Once she knows Joy has not been harmed, she realizes that Mr. Cooper did not come out of the near miss as well. Her medical training kicks in, and she checks Nate for injuries. When she discovers he has a deep gash on his arm and his ankle is swelling. She insists on getting him to her uncle’s clinic.

Once the doctor stitches his arm and determines that his ankle is not broken, but badly sprained, Dr. Pratt suggests that he remain in the clinic overnight for observation. While Verity helps get him settled, Nate cannot help noticing how pretty and sweet smelling she is, but a man like him could never hope to gain the affections of a woman as upstanding as Verity. His past would always stand in the way, especially when he finds out how her husband died. But the heart does not always agree with the mind.

Is it possible for a cautious widow and a man with a checked past to fall in love and find their ‘happily ever after, or will Verity’s fears keep the walls around her heart firmly in place?

Winnie Griggs has penned a sweet romance, and I fell in love with Nate’s character right away. While he may have had poor judgement years ago, he is now a man who deserves a second chance at life. His tender heart and his helpful attitude made him one of the most endearing heroes I have read of in a while.

Unfortunately, as the story progressed I found myself liking Verity’s character less and less. She comes across as too sanctimonious and too quick to jump to conclusions before getting all the facts for my taste. While I had empathy for her losses, it did not outweigh her judgmental attitude toward Nate. In fact, I do not understand how a nice man like Nate could fall in love with her. Yes, she does have some good points like her desire to help the children prepare for the upcoming festival, but those traits were just not enough for me to like her character.

Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. The story line drew me in, and the pacing is steady. I liked all the other characters in the book, especially the little girl, Joy. I also enjoyed the dog, Beans, a great deal. He added a bit of humor and liveliness to the story. If you enjoy western romances with a heart-warming hero, then you will enjoy Second Chance Hero. Happy reading!

[Paula-O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Texas Grooms, book #6 "Second Chance Hero" by Winnie Griggs

I like to read books by this author and the title made me pick up this one as second chances are always great to read. Nick has a sense of duty and honor instilled within him that makes him feel "so guilty" of something in his past and he jumps at chance to start anew in a new town when a friend recomends a move for him. He has no plans of a relationship only to start a business and live a good life in Turnabout, Texas.
Verity Leggett is a single mom and wants a safe haven for her daughter and Turnabout is a great small town to raise her, she moves back to town where she had grown up with an aunt and uncle after her parents died. She plans to live with them till she can get a home and able to support them both. She has no plans to have another relationship after her husband died.
Can two only wanting to have second chance at life meet and let down their gaurd long enough to find two are better then one as the Bible tells us?
This story has faith,forgiveness and love wrote all through the pages and you will enjoy the story Winnie has written for us.

[Daniellehullreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of the Love Inspired books because they’re fairly predictable, but something about Second Chance Hero caught my eye, so I signed up for a few contests and won a copy from Soul Inspirationz.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book and getting to know their thoughts and feelings as their relationship progressed. The story had characters dealing with their past, being honest with themselves, love and forgiveness.

There were obstacles that had to be crossed to reach the conclusion, and I appreciated the anticipation of getting them out of the way.

Even though everything wasn’t believable, this is fiction, and I got teary-eyed twice in this story. I loved these characters and was feeling their emotions right along with them.

And the ending was just as I hoped!

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Texas Grooms (Love Inspired Historical)

[Harlequin Historical]

Miniseries: Texas Grooms

[Trudy Cordle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Verity and Nate's story!! Verity and Nate meet when Nate moves to Turnabout, TX. Nate has no family left, and wants to start over where no one knows he spent time in prison. He feels he's not worthy of having family, though he knows God loves him and forgave him. Verity, with her little girl, moved back to Turnabout when her husband passed away. She and her daughter, Joy, live with her uncle and aunt, who raised Verity after her parents died in an accident. Nate and Verity were not looking for love, but found it as they worked together with a children's choir. When tragedy almost strikes Joy for a second time, Verity uses that as yet another excuse to push Nate away. Will Verity realize that she loves Nate before it's too late?? LOVE how everything transpires to make Verity realize that she's spent most of her life living in fear.

[Judine Brey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Nate Cooper to be an engaging, complex character, and I liked how confident he was, without making his guilt over his incarcerated past feel awkward. Verity was not my favorite heroine. While I appreciate how she wants to take care of and protect her daughter, she was just too back-and-forth with how she felt about Nate, which made the final resolution feel too abrupt.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't really care much for Verity, but Nate is the perfect hero!

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite in the series so far. Unlike the previous books, the main characters in this one were not that interesting to me.

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of redemption and healing!

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate Cooper was only trying to help his dying sister when he broke the law. Something he deeply regrets and spent time in prison for. While in prison, he learned about working with leather and making saddles. Now he's out of prison and looking to start over again where no one knows his history. A good friend encourages him to move to Turnabout, Texas. Verity Leggett is someone who likes things safe. She's a widow raising her daughter alone and dreams of opening a millinery shop one day. In the meantime, she works as a nurse in her uncle’s clinic. Nate and Verity get better acquainted when Verity's daughter, Joy, chases after a cat and runs in front of a stage coach. Nate saves Joy but sustains injuries of his own. As Verity cares for Nate, they find themselves drawn to each other. But what will happen when play-it-safe Verity finds out about Nate's past?

I will start off by saying that the cover is what drew me to read this book. It intrigued me and I wanted to find out more about the man on the cover. This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I found her writing style easy to read. The characters were flesh and blood type characters. I really liked Nate. His strength and character came shining through. I loved how he dealt with Verity and Joy and even his dog, Beans. Verity had a bubbly personality but I had a hard time connecting with her. Sometimes she was so unfair in the way she acted, but I know we can be that way too. The story moved at a steady pace with no major conflicts or catastrophes, which is nice. I did feel like things were wrapped up a bit to quickly at the end. It didn't really feel natural to me. The verse listed at the beginning of the story was "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7. I thought it went well with what Verity and Nate each dealt with. This is part of a series but I read it as a stand alone and didn't feel lost. If you enjoy an easy-to-read historical, you might want to check it out and see if Nate is a Second Chance Hero.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more information about this book or other books by Winnie Griggs, I recommend you visit her website at www.winniegriggs.com/

[Lis K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Texas Grooms series, set in the small town of Turnabout, Texas. It can be read as a stand-alone book although the hero from book 1, Adam from Handpicked Husband, is a minor character in this story. After spending nine years in prison for a bank robbery, Nate decides to start a new life in Turnabout. He tries to keep his distance from everyone but he keeps coming into contact with widow, Verity. Just when it seems like a romance could blossom, Nate learns that Verity’s husband was killed---during a bank robbery. I liked the relationship development between Nate and Verity. They became friends first and learned to work together while directing a children’s choir. Nate is really a wonderful hero. He has a lot of regrets but cares for people and really tries to be honorable around Verity. Verity, on the other hand, was a little harder to like especially towards the end. She was an organized, conscientious, compassionate person and a good mother. However, she was almost too cautious and she was really hard on Nate over his past and an incident concerning her daughter. I think I would have liked to see her grovel a bit more for his forgiveness. The spiritual content was not too heavy and was present throughout the book. This was a good read and it was nice to visit this small town of Turnabout.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I like this series. Second Chance Hero is a well told story that draws you right into it. This is the sixth book in the Texas Grooms series. I really liked Nate and Joy's characters especially.

Nate Cooper is new to Turnabout Texas. He has a past he is ashamed of. Nate has opened his own store making saddles, bridles and other leather goods. He has a dog named beans. He would be more honest about his past but does not want others to figure out that his where he met his friend.

Verity Leggett is a widow raising Joy a cute little girl. Verity makes hats and helps her Uncle out. Verity is such a mix of capable assistant to her Uncle, mother or in the choir but then in other ways she is afraid to take risks.

Joy is cute. She loves animals and carries her doll every where with her. She is five years old.

Nate gets hurt saving Joy from being run over by a wagon. He does not want to stay at the Doctor's clinic over night. He keeps telling Verity that he is no hero.

The setting is Turnabout, Texas April 1897

There is plenty of drama, interesting characters, lots of relationships and a clean read. It makes you want to come and read some more about Turnabout and see what they are up to now.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Harlequin. In return I agreed to give a honest review of Second Chance Hero.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another in the sweet historical romance series, Texas Grooms. Each book set in the same town is a standalone so it is easy to get into them. We see what life was like at this time and how women picked dewberries, socialised and raised children without today's conveniences.

The heroine has a young daughter and is a widow living respectably. When a new shop owner, a saddler, saves her child from a fast-moving wagon, she starts getting to know him. But men come to Texas to escape their pasts, and this man is starting over again. He was jailed for his part in a bank robbery. He doesn't want anyone to know, especially as bank loans form the only way people here can start businesses to make the town prosper. Trouble is, when the heroine does find out, she's going to be devastated. Her husband was killed by an armed robber. Can there be a future for the two of them?

This is a slowly developing romance with the emphasis on the times and getting to know each other. As it's an inspirational story the tale is suitable for young adults, but they may find the lack of action slow. I also find the town quite homogenous and I expect there would have been a wider variety of people floating around Texas at the time. As a historical romance it is nicely done.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chance Hero by Winnie Griggs was a very good book. After nine and a half years in prison, Nate Cooper moves to a small town when another prisoner is living. He told Nate it was a friendly small town. In prison Nate took up leather work and made things like saddles and bridles and etc. He opens a little store in town. He stays to himself. When Verity Leggett daughter, Joy, runs into the street after a cat, Nate sees it and goes after Joy. He saved her live. In the process Nate gets a sprained ankle and lots of bruises. Verity and her doctor uncle take care of Nate. No one in town knows Nate was in prison. A lot goes on in this book. The on again and off again relationship between Nate and Verity. A good read.

[Dixie-Lee Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this HQ LoveInspired Historical romance book. First time I have read Winnie Griggs and enjoyed the storyline and the characters of this book very much. I found the reflection of the period of time intriguing and wonder throughout the story if I could actually cope with living then when I think about today's time. Reflecting on the way of the past may seem more simple than today, but giving it a second thought... well I in disagreement with myself on those both views. I did find myself yearning a bit wish I was actually their in reality... but the way it was written, I indeed seemed to be there standing, sitting and participating town events. Looking forward to catching up with earlier books in the series and the future books in the series. (less)

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winnie wrote another great story. She will not disappoint.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I thought that some of the others in this series were better.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to be posted in June

[Susan Illo-Adamou]

This book was great to read.

[Bethany Swafford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't really get behind the romance. It seemed forced.