Hero by Night (Independence Falls, #3)

by Sara Jane Stone

[Cocktails and Books]

HERO BY NIGHT was one of those books that took me totally by surprise. The storyline was one that grabbed you right away and then there was the hero. Sweet, charming, dirty talking Chad. I 3'd Chad.

Lena Clark was struggling to find her "normal" as she adjusts to civilian life and how to manage her PTSD. After walking away from her old life, she and her trusty service dog, Hero, start building their life Independence Falls. She never expected the town playboy to be the one that helps her put her life back together. But when he offers her a deal she couldn't refuse, she finds there is much more to Chad and herself...all they needed was someone to believe in them.

It was hard not to love both of these characters from the moment you met them. After their somewhat memorable introduction to one another, you couldn't help but like them together. Lena needed someone to see her as normal and know that when she has an attack so doesn't want someone to fuss over her or make her feel like she's broken. Chad does that for her. He shows her that she's a beautiful woman who has a lot to offer, despite having trouble dealing with what she went through during her deployment. It's Chad's faith in her, his understanding of what she needs when she needs it, that helps Lena move forward.

Lena helps Chad too. Without realizing it, she helps him understand that loving someone doesn't make you weak. That you'd do just about anything to make that person happy. Chad was gun shy about love and led a serial playboy lifestyle as he vowed not to be like his father. But all it took was the right woman for Chad to willingly give all that up.

This was my first Sara Jane Stone book and it definitely won't be my last. She had the perfect mix of humor, emotion and smexiness and introduced me to a set of characters I can't wait to read more of.