Forgiven by the Hero

Heroes of Freedom Ridge #6

by Tara Grace Ericson

They weren’t searching for love, but a snowstorm might help them find it.

Megan Warren is secretly Marcus Warner, best-selling author of adventure thrillers. Hiding away in a remote cabin near Freedom, Colorado is the perfect escape to meet the looming deadline from her publisher. Her peace and quiet keeps getting disrupted by the gruff Search and Rescue Officer using the mountain as training grounds, but she doesn't mind the interruptions.

Derek Held trusts dogs more than people, and his life revolves around training the best Search and Rescue dogs in the country. When he meets a mysterious woman holed up on the mountain, the Christmas season in Freedom suddenly looks a lot cheerier, until her evasive answers send up red flags.

An unexpected snowstorm shuts down the mountain, Megan and Derek are stranded in her tiny cabin, with only her secrets and his suspicions to keep them company. Can he learn to trust and let her rescue his heart?

Genres: Christian Romance, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christmas, Fiction, Contemporary, Clean Romance

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2020

About the author

Tara Grace Ericson

faith, hope, and happily ever after

Tara writes small-town, contemporary Christian romance. She loves stories of modern-day characters struggling to obey God, forgive others, and accept themselves - oh, and finding their happily-ever-after along the way.

She lives in Southwest Missouri with her husband and two sons, writing full-time, in between chasing a two toddlers!

Get a free e-book by signing up for Tara's newsletter at her website!

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Reviews

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a cute read, a little too short for me to be fully invested, but I enjoyed it. Megan is an author and Derek is a dog trainer. I liked the forced proximity and the ending was satisfying. I wanted more of them as a couple though.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Lorana Hoopes
Narration Rating:4 stars
Genre: Christian Romance
Length: 3h 57m

[Heather Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters in this simple story. It's always fun when one of the MCs is an author, and who doesn't love a good stranding story for sparks to fly? This book is a good lesson in giving other people the benefit of the doubt until you know their full story; sometimes there's a reason people act the way they do as they're working to overcome trauma or other experiences from their past. These epilogues always drag out for me as we have to hear about all the characters in every epilogue, but otherwise the story flowed well.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always up for adventure in the mountains! That's what you'll find with Derek who trains dogs for SAR in the mountains of Freedom, CO. It's there that he meets Megan Warren who is renting a cabin for three months to work on her next draft. Her pen name, Marcus Warner, is a rather famous author, but she has no desire to let anyone know.

I liked Derek who has tragedy in his past and his parents divorced because of it. He's a broken guy, but he's trying to do good in the world. He doesn't let himself get tangled up in any relationships. Then he meets the mysterious Megan and tries to help her feel welcome by including her in some of the life of their small town.

Megan also has a past that's caused her to be extremely cautious around men. That also makes her seem aloof and like she's hiding a secret. She tries to keep herself distanced from Derek, but the town folk keep drawing her into their lives.

While they see each other off and on over the months that Megan is holed up in her cabin, they don't really get to know each other, but there's definitely an attraction. With some unexpected time together, they're able to get to know each other better.

I'm not a fan of people snooping, especially when someone hasn't done something outright to seem "dangerous" or possibly a threat to others. Unfortunately, Derek doesn't feel the same way. That's where he and I part ways. Ha! I don't like his attitude and behavior after the time he and Megan are able to spend together and I was so frustrated with him. Gotta love it when characters do that to you. I felt bad for Megan because she doesn't really know this guy and honestly, doesn't owe him anything... yet. He, sadly, doesn't feel the same way.

I think the stars of the show are Liberty and Dobby. hahaha Probably Dobby more so. I love that Derek trains these German Shepherd Dogs to find people or illegal items. You can see how much Liberty likes what she does. Dobby on the other hand...

I'll leave it at that so I don't give too much away.

This was the first book I've read of this series and hadn't even heard of it until the author introduced me to it with her story. I'm looking forward to going back and starting from book 1! Thank you to Tara for sharing her book with me for review!

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

FORGIVEN BY THE HERO
● Megan & Derek
● best selling author pen name Marcus Warren / search and rescue dog trainer
● Megan is staying in a remote cabin for 3-months to work on her adventure thriller novel
● Freedom, Colorado

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Lorana Hoopes
Length: 3h 57m

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiven by the Hero is such a cute story about two untrusting people who have to learn how to open up their hearts again. Megan Warren is secretly Marcus Warren, the best-selling author of adventure thrillers. She’s lived life through her books for most of her life, but when a gruff mountain man interrupts her vacation, she can’t help but be intrigued. Derek Held trusts dogs more than people, and his life revolves on training the best search and rescue dogs in the country. Even though Megan is a virtual stranger, his life seems a little brighter with the addition of this interesting woman. But, Megan’s evasive answers start to send some red flags for Derek. And when they’re stuck in a snowstorm with Megan’s secrets and Derek’s suspicions, it might not be possible for these two lovers to fully trust each other.
Forgiven by the Hero is part of a multi-author series called Heroes of Freedom Ridge. It is the last book in this standalone series, and it is by Tara Grace Erickson. I have never read any books by her, but I loved her sweet, inspirational writing. It was also really fun to have a main character that was a writer. Megan’s writing was such a big part of her, but at the same time, she needed to learn how to have adventures instead of just writing about it. I liked how Derek balanced her hesitancy because he was definitely an impulsive person.
I thought that Derek was such an interesting character. It was a bit funny because even though he was a bit of a loner he also had a huge support group through his friends. There are a lot of cameos from different books, but I have not read the books in this series and I was never confused. Derek also had a lot of trust issues, but it was sweet to watch God work on him through the book.
He had to work on Megan as well because she was not willing to take the next step and trust Derek with her secret. I think that I would have loved if Ms. Erickson would have delved a bit deeper into their reasons why they didn’t want to trust each other. It was mentioned, but there was not a whole lot of backstory. But, I still really enjoyed this romantic, clean Christian fiction. And I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, quick read!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I enjoyed coming back to Freedom ridge. I liked the fact that we got to see a character that trains SAR dogs.
And I especially liked how we got to see an author character!
For me I didn't buy the reason Megan needed to be "Forgiven by the hero ", I actually felt like the conflict in the story was quite petty. However the author did bring the story around and you still get that sweet story that I come to expect from this author. This book just wasn't my favorite from her.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the covers on this series!

I enjoyed reading FORGIVEN BY THE HERO by Tara Grace Ericson. FBTH is a quick reading (couple hours), Clean Inspirational romance novel in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge anthology series. FBTH is bk#6 in the series. I have been reading the books out of order and feel that each can be read as standalone titles (no cliffhangers, each with their own HEA) - although reading them in order probably increases the enjoyment as there are secondary characters from previous books showing up. ;). I am fascinated by SAR novels; in this case both the book blurb and the lovely winter cover art (for the entire series) initially caught my attention. My expectations were not disappointed!

Derek Held/MMC has been raising and training SAR, bomb and drug sniffing dogs since his career in the military ended over 4years ago. His current work with the dogs has earned an excellent reputation and the trained dogs are placed in locations all over the US. Derek’s work is mostly solitary by nature. He has close friends but a tragedy from his past causes him to deeply trust strangers reluctantly. Megan Warren/FMC is a successful author. Due to necessity, she has chosen to write under a pseudonym and keep her secrets close. Can a man reluctant to trust and a woman equally unwilling to share personal information find a common ground? The journey in FORGIVEN BY THE HERO is sweet - although I fell in Megan’s camp as I believed she had excellent reasons for her silence. ;) I liked the ending and the epilogue was a nice touch.

I recommend FORGIVEN BY THE HERO to readers of romance fiction who enjoy: Sweet & Clean romance novels with an inspirational touch, Clean Christmas romance HEAs, novels that feature men and women in the SAR field (this is portion of the story, but not the main focus), or/and books written as part of an anthology series (introducing readers to new-to-them authors). FORGIVEN BY THE HERO was a sweet, HEA pick-me-up novel which recommend to both YA (15 & up) and adult readers.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a happy dance when I opened my email the other day to find an arc of this newest book by Tara Grace Ericson. I put everything aside on this wintry Saturday morning and devoured this story in one sitting. A hero who trains search and rescue dogs, a heroine who is an author with a secret identity who loves coffee and books, and multiple canines that steal your heart....could there be a more perfect plot for me? Not only did I fall in love with the characters (human and canine), but I also fell in love with the quaint town of Freedom Ridge complete with cute shops and friendly faces.

Even though this is the last in the series and the only one I have read at this point, I had no problems following the story. Readers who have enjoyed the other books in the series will appreciate the updates on the couples from the other books.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Samantha Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Taras books are always so... Smooth (?) to read. This one is no exception. While I didn't read the others in the series, I could see where they piece together and was intrigued by a few side storylines that I may now go buy to read!

Derek and Megan's story really wraps you up in a warm embrace (which is handy for Freedom, Colorado) and you really root for them to figure out the pieces that hold them back from finding true happiness.

The story had some suspense and kept everything very interesting while holding true to it's Christian romance/Hallmark style roots.

I only wish there was a little more details into Derek's background. When he gets upset at a discovery he made, I found myself trying to accept his reaction and justifying it but wish I could truly feel what he was going through and not felt like he sort of needed to suck it up.

Overall, I always enjoy Taras stories and I still enjoyed seeing the characters grow throughout the book!

[Kat]

free ebook

he trains rescue dogs after his sister went missing and was never found. his parents divorced, his dad died, his mom on drugs wants nothing to do with him

she is a author of books, but writes under a pen name

he is stranded with her in the cabin with no power and snoops and finds out she is the author.

i have no idea why he is so mad, she didnt lie to him and she had good reason not to trust a stranger with info that could get her hurt as a man was stalking her

she has no reason to apologize to him, he needs to apologize to her

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I fully expected to give this a solid 3-star rating. I loved the cozy setting of an isolated cabin in the woods in fall, the adorable mountain town of Freedom Ridge, and the wonderful people that comprise its community. And the Search and Rescue dogs! Immediate star-uppage. LOL Megan and Derek get off to a rocky start when he is annoyed that her presence interrupts a training session with Dobby, an adorable, free-spirited trainee who is more suited to being loved on than staying on task for a search mission. But after running into each other a few times and then going on a hike together, they seem to be getting closer to an actual relationship, even though Megan is only in town for 3 months to finish her book.

I wished that there was more effort made to build up the process of falling in love because it just fell flat for me. When he put his arm around her and went in for a kiss, I was surprised and taken aback because there was nothing leading up to it, and it felt so out of place.

Now, for the explanation of my low rating.

🚨WARNING! SPOILERS HEAD!🚨

Megan writes under a pseudonymn for her extremely popular novels. A big deal is made about this because she had a stalker in college. I kept thinking that Tristan was going to show up somewhere in the story because of how often he is mentioned, but it seems he is just a vehicle to explain her use of a different name on her books. There are oodles of reasons an author might choose to use a pseudonym, including just wanting privacy - it's not deceitful or something for which one needs to apologize, and it seems excessive to feel the need to use a stalker as an excuse to explain it. However, Derek feels otherwise! This is where the book totally went off the rails for me. The author made sure to tell (not show) the readers that Derek is distrustful and doesn't like being lied to, and that he feels like Megan is "hiding something." So when they are snowed in at her cabin, he snoops through her belongings while she is napping in another room! And then when he realizes she is actually Marcus Warner, his favorite author, he gets unhinged and throws a royal fit, getting extremely angry, yelling and then giving her the silent treatment, and leaving, and then refuses to even answer her calls for several days. 🚩🚩🚩 His reaction is completely out of proportion to the secret. They are not even truly a couple! Unless you count the hike and dinner afterward, they haven't even been on a real date! She has known him for fewer than 3 months, and not all of that time was even spent together. They have not had any conversations about a future together, and she's still planning to leave. He has no right to expect her to share that. She didn't lie to him about it the way it is portrayed. She avoids his few questions about her writing, and he acts as if she made up some story full of lies about it. I was incensed by the fact that he is the one in the wrong, but is blaming her.

I almost didn't finish this book. But I was so close to the end, there are so many 5-star reviews, and I thought maybe there would be a redemptive moment later. Nope. He still thinks he is right, although he does apologize for snooping. But only after she apologizes first and REWRITES HER NOVEL to include a scene where the main character forgives the woman who betrayed him. 🤡

At no point does Derek acknowledge that he is wrong. But the author repeatedly reinforces the belief that Megan is wrong. He expects her to trust him enough to share this, but doesn't trust her enough to wait for her to tell him when she is ready?? What is the point of using a pseudonymn if you tell everyone you meet that it's you? His reaction would have shown me that I was right not to tell him! This book should be retitled Forgiving the Hero. If this is how he reacts to something this petty, how is he going to handle real conflict during marriage?? And he's supposed to be a Christian! I wonder what he'll do when he finds out she hasn't told him she had a stalker. 🙄

I would have much preferred for the author to avoid the stereotypical third-act-breakup and instead choose a different climax for the story. I thought Tristan-the-stalker was going to show up and kidnap her, and somehow Derek would use his dogs to find her and rescue her or something. That would have been a lot more satisfying, if still rather stereotypical. Instead, this book leaves me wanting to have a discussion with my nieces about red flag behavior and how this is not okay. I don't understand how so many people gave this such high ratings.

[Hannah Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect cozy wintery romance read that I was looking for, though I was kind of imagining there was going to be a bit more adventure than there was. But it was still a delightful read even with the slower pace.

I enjoyed Megan and her quieter personality. I tend to be annoyed with overly perfectionist/organized characters because they tend to be self-centered, but I actually really enjoyed her, and she didn't get annoying or selfish. She was pretty steady and her hesitancy and caution from her past totally made sense.

I really liked Derek. He was super sweet most of the way through. And while I refuse to call male characters a "cinnamon roll" I think Derek would come close if I were to use that term, but I'm not going to.

However, he did annoy me after he did some snooping and discovered something he wasn't supposed to know and then I was annoyed with him for blaming Megan and accusing her of lying etc. I think she had every right to withhold the information she did considering the reasons she was doing it (not to mention a pen name is private info for a reason usually, anyway). So, I did think that whole dispute was childish on Derek's part and found Megan unjustly blamed.

Overall, I did enjoy this delightful, sweet story and enjoyed the town of Freedom Ridge.

[Christian Shelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only does this book explore the theme of a secret identity, but the secret identity belongs to an author! What better way to swoon over books than with a character who writes them? In addition to this fun plot, readers have the opportunity to learn more about what goes into training Search and Rescue dogs. This book has an element of adventure from both Megan and Derek's work, making it an engaging read. Beyond the characters' occupations, we catch a glimpse of what drives them in their life based on how they approach work. Derek's cautious nature coupled with Megan's desperate need for privacy clashes, bringing them to question what they know about each other.

Tara carefully balances this conflict with the need for spiritual guidance and prayer, making the characters relatable in their vulnerability. Both Derek and Megan discover the meaning of forgiveness at Christmas and the power of trusting in God. Their story is so well-crafted that it has me wanting to read a Marcus Warner book! With this book being Tara's first in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series, I definitely look forward to the next two that she has written. If you're looking for a cozy read set in a mountain cabin as a writer's retreat, this book is a real treat!

Review link: https://christianshelves.blogspot.com...

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian Romance

Megan has rented a remote cabin for three months to concentrate on writing her next novel. Her identity as a bestselling author of a famous thriller series is a very closely guarded secret due a situation years ago.

She keeps running into Derek, owner of DK9, and his dogs. Derek is attracted to Megan, but he is very suspicious of her over what he considers ‘red flags.’

I enjoyed the slow progression of Megan and Derek’s relationship; however, I think both her secrecy and his sensitivity to Megan keeping her identity behind her famous pen name was over the top and ridiculous. I can accept both had lingering issues from their pasts, but to not trust pretty much anyone seemed to be extremely isolating and unhealthy.

Livery and Dobby were sweet additions to the story. I just love stories with working K9’s because o think the dynamic between the K9 handler or trainer and their dog is a peek into who they are as a character.

This was my first book by the author and it was a very enjoyable experience.

[Shebb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great end to the current series.

This was my first Tara Grace Ericson novel and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to reading some more of her stories (I've heard so many good things about her writing!).

I've been waiting for Derek's story since the beginning of the series with his brief introduction. I was intrigued by his work with the K9 pups and SAR involvement. Now knowing his background, his work and life choices made a lot of sense.

I liked Megan despite her closed-off lifestyle and trust issues. Although her past problems are never resolved, I was left feeling she was still safe in her new life.

A great series. I'm looking forward to the next one coming out later in 2021!

[Trudy Cordle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Megan and Derek's story!!! Megan uses a pen name to write her best selling books. All because of someone she knew in college. When she meets Derek, she doesn't tell him that she's his favorite author, as she doesn't know if she can trust him. Derek gets the feeling Megan has something to hide. When he goes looking, he finds more than he bargained for. When he finally searches for the real reasons he does some of the things he does, he realizes it's because he needs to learn to trust, just like Megan does. When they finally realize what they may be throwing away, watch out!!

[Vicci Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and swoon worthy

Characters you would like to know in real life living in a place you would love to visit, or live, can it get much better?!

I preordered this book in early November and was literally waiting for the download at midnight on 16 December. Armed with fresh coffee Nd a quiet house I stayed up all night reading it. I do wish the ending had been tidier or more concrete, unless there is another book lurking in the depths of the epilogue.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Freedom Ridge and it's community.

A town full of love that support one another. Moving into an isolated cabin to finish her book, our author keeps running into Derek and his SAR dogs. They each have trust issues, causing major issues. Seeing them work through them was a joy, but when she returns to her family when her book is finished, will they see each other again? Lots of laughs with a bit of romance. What's not to like?

[Denyse Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story where Derek and Megan meet when Megan comes to Freedom Falls to have some time alone to finish a story she was writing.
They did not expect to find a romance here.
Derek trains dogs to rescue people in hard places like trees on hills, snow etc and is a well known trainer. One of his dogs really likes Megan.
Lovely to see God coming out when people are in difficulties and knowing He has plans for us all.

[Denice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgiven by the hero

This is a wonderful story, I enjoyed Megan and Derek's sweet love story. Megan is an author that has a pen name that only 3 people know. Derek is a dog trainer and search rescue guide. They get stranded together in a cabin. I loved the sweet romance, the friendships and the wonderful town. I liked reading about other characters we have seen in the previous books in this wonderful series. Fantastic read!

[Medenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Misunderstanding requires forgiveness

I really enjoyed Megan and Derek’s story. Both had trust and forgiveness issues and sometimes the only way to solve the problem is to be thrust into a situation where there is really no other option but to overcome it. I have so enjoyed Freedom Ridge and would live it there, except for the cold. Haha.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story that I enjoyed. Megan has to keep her secret that she's a famous author because she's afraid of stackers. Derek suspects she has a secret & wants to know what it is. He also has a secret about his sister that he doesn't talk about. How they reconcile their differences makes this story good. I love the dogs also. They help "make" the story.

[norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best reads in a while.

I started the series yesterday and finished this book this morning. Yes that is a lot of reading but so worth it. The next book is ready to start as soon as I finish this review. Do you think I can finish the series and start Bloom sisters tomorrow?

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this romance and the search and rescue and writer vocations in it. I liked getting into the characters and seeing more people around the town. One of the scenes had foil packets over a fire - growing up we always called them "hobo dinners." I'm super excited now to make those with my kids this summer.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, quick read

I have enjoyed all the books in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series. Derek and Megan’s story is sweet. I really like the interaction with the dogs and the stranded in the cabin story line. I thought the conflict between the two was a bit over the top, but the reconciliation and end of the book was good.

[Snickerfritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun reading

I love books with real characters who have real issues and are able to grow as they walk through them. This is one of those books. I also liked the incorporation of animals that have issues too. We can’t always fit into the mold someone wants us to be, no matter how diligently we try, but we can be the best we were made to be.

[Erralee Hendrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story. There is an author that has to keep a secret to stay safe and a man who is suspicious of what the author is hiding. Great characters and especially like the Search and Rescue dogs in the story. Loves the writing style of this story with the good pace and the details that allowed me to picture the story.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the fact that a lady is a successful thriller writer though I don't know that she does much research. The mountain cabin serves as a peaceful retreat for writing. When the local dog trainer gets stranded there during a blizzard they get to know each other but I'm pleased that there's no pressure on anyone. Not an original story line but a pleasant read and nice dogs.

[Denise Boldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiven by the Hero is a sweet romantic suspense story that takes place in Freedom Ridge with characters introduced earlier in the series. This series has a consistent thread: as the characters start trusting in the power of their loving God, they experience breakthroughs. Forgiven by the Hero has flawed characters that grow as they face their fears and struggles from the past.

[Angeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about forgiveness and growth. I liked the characters and the progression of the story. Megan was a sweetherat and I really felt for her as she learned to trust God. Derek had to grow on me but I grew to understand him as I read more. I adored the dogs in this book, they were so cute! This was a lovely book sprinkled with faith and romance.