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The Flanagans #4
Her Only Hero
Penniless widow Laura McKay was determined to succeed on her own, but when an arsonist threatened her deaf daughter's safety, she was compelled to rely on firefighter Ryan Flanagan, the high school football hero who'd never noticed her as a shy underclassman.
Physically fearless and an expert at avoiding romantic commitment, Ryan had nearly become his own worst enemy. But in the flames there's only one enemy: time, which just might be running out for Laura, unless Ryan's courage...and love...can withstand the test of fire.
Physically fearless and an expert at avoiding romantic commitment, Ryan had nearly become his own worst enemy. But in the flames there's only one enemy: time, which just might be running out for Laura, unless Ryan's courage...and love...can withstand the test of fire.
241 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Marta Perry
201 books771 followersMarta Perry is a Pennsylvania-based author of over 35 novels, many of them inspirational romances. She uses her rural Pennsylvania life and her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage in writing her books, especially in her Pleasant Valley Amish series for Berkley Books and her new Amish-set suspense series for HQN Books.
Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.
Marta and her husband live in a centuries-old farmhouse in a quiet central Pennsylvania valley. They have three grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, and when she's not busy writing her next book, she's usually trying to keep up with her gardening, baking for church events, or visiting those beautiful grandkids.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 8, 2020
More like 3.5/5 stars. This was a high school favorite of mine and it still hit me in the feels. Now, I don't know if it was the nostalgia hitting me in the feels, so keep that in mind.
The writing is okay. Very generic Christian romance. No fluff, straight forward and more emotion and action driven. The author did this weird thing where she would split an individual's dialogue up. Example:
"Blah blah blah" X said as they blahed.
[New paragraph, but same person talking and the topic didn't change]"Blah blah blah."
That formatting was weird, but I was still able to understand okay.
Also, there is something extra beautiful about a blended family coming together so beautifully. Gets me right in the feels.
The writing is okay. Very generic Christian romance. No fluff, straight forward and more emotion and action driven. The author did this weird thing where she would split an individual's dialogue up. Example:
"Blah blah blah" X said as they blahed.
[New paragraph, but same person talking and the topic didn't change]"Blah blah blah."
That formatting was weird, but I was still able to understand okay.
Also, there is something extra beautiful about a blended family coming together so beautifully. Gets me right in the feels.
November 13, 2020
Wasn’t anything spectacular but I enjoyed the plot. Recommend if you are in the mood for a cute (albeit, at times, somewhat cheesy) little love story.
July 4, 2023
This was the first romance novel I ever read. I loved it when I was younger, since I had no idea that there was such a thing as cheesy. But now I know.
I honestly almost gave this book one star. Almost. It was just so cheesy in some areas. It really drives me crazy that these romance novels always feature two people who are very attracted to one another and can't seem to get that out of their minds. And the guys always have to be these broad-shouldered, talk, dark, and handsome men. It's so annoying that they always have to fall in love involuntarily. And then when they have fallen in love, it's so quick and dramatic.
Laura was an interesting woman. She was way too independent and stubborn, but I did enjoy her daughter. Mandy was very sweet. Ryan was such a stereotypical romance novel man. He was afraid of commitment, but yet really bold physically, and all that jazz. Their romance was rather frustrating.
I should give this book a 1.5, but because of my sentimental feelings I'll stick with 2. In no way does it deserve more than that.
I honestly almost gave this book one star. Almost. It was just so cheesy in some areas. It really drives me crazy that these romance novels always feature two people who are very attracted to one another and can't seem to get that out of their minds. And the guys always have to be these broad-shouldered, talk, dark, and handsome men. It's so annoying that they always have to fall in love involuntarily. And then when they have fallen in love, it's so quick and dramatic.
Laura was an interesting woman. She was way too independent and stubborn, but I did enjoy her daughter. Mandy was very sweet. Ryan was such a stereotypical romance novel man. He was afraid of commitment, but yet really bold physically, and all that jazz. Their romance was rather frustrating.
I should give this book a 1.5, but because of my sentimental feelings I'll stick with 2. In no way does it deserve more than that.
October 7, 2023
This was a very easy read, I blew through it in a couple of hours. I loved Ryan and Laura's chemistry, but this book wasn't one of my favorites. Mandy was probably my favorite character. I feel like I've read them in other stories, Ryan is a man's man and Laura is a single parent. There's a fire and nothing much more than that.
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May 19, 2022Great book. Well written.
December 15, 2025
A nice little romance story, with a little mystery thrown in.
December 26, 2018
Her Only Hero by Marta Perry is a wonderful Christian romance story about connections, connections between people and places.
One of the protagonists Laura McKay is a fiercely independent woman who returns to where she grew up. What’s great about Perry’s stories is that she fills in the why through backstory. Perry explains through action and intense inner thought and strife why her characters act the way they do. In Her Only Hero, it’s not until Laura learns to accept the help of others that she grows and changes. And the lion’s share of that help comes from Ryan Flanagan and his family.
Ryan has his difficulties, too. The smooth talker appears to be resistant to deep emotional relationships. But because he is that smooth talker, Laura’s little girl bonds with him. Perry uses the element of time to add tension as story problems increase. And it’s not until Ryan realizes that commitment is not the end of life, but merely the beginning of happiness that both characters accept each other.
If you’re studying how to increase tension in story, Her Only Hero by Marta Perry is a good story to read.
One of the protagonists Laura McKay is a fiercely independent woman who returns to where she grew up. What’s great about Perry’s stories is that she fills in the why through backstory. Perry explains through action and intense inner thought and strife why her characters act the way they do. In Her Only Hero, it’s not until Laura learns to accept the help of others that she grows and changes. And the lion’s share of that help comes from Ryan Flanagan and his family.
Ryan has his difficulties, too. The smooth talker appears to be resistant to deep emotional relationships. But because he is that smooth talker, Laura’s little girl bonds with him. Perry uses the element of time to add tension as story problems increase. And it’s not until Ryan realizes that commitment is not the end of life, but merely the beginning of happiness that both characters accept each other.
If you’re studying how to increase tension in story, Her Only Hero by Marta Perry is a good story to read.
March 20, 2017
Interesting story that includes problems of having a deaf child.
January 20, 2012
Laura McKay is struggling to provide the funds to give her deaf daughter a cochlear implant. When an arsonist attacks the house she is renovating, she comes face to face with her highschool crush, firefighter Ryan Flanagan. Emotions fly as they attmept to work together taking care of Laura's daughter Mandy, and as they wonder when the arsonist will strike again.
The antagonists in this novel seem to be the characters' own emotional hangups, and the journey is a spiritual one as they seek to become right with God and with each other.
I did enjoy it for simple entertainment purposes only, but thought the plot was a little weak (as it usually is in these love-inspired novels). It's emphasis on God was admirable, but even so, I wouldn't recommend it to very many people.
The antagonists in this novel seem to be the characters' own emotional hangups, and the journey is a spiritual one as they seek to become right with God and with each other.
I did enjoy it for simple entertainment purposes only, but thought the plot was a little weak (as it usually is in these love-inspired novels). It's emphasis on God was admirable, but even so, I wouldn't recommend it to very many people.
January 16, 2012
Laura McKay was a widow with a deaf daughter, trying to make their way in a world that seems big, cold and expensive! Ryan Flanagan was a firefighter, trying to find his own way in a family of firefighters, afraid to make a mistake that could hurt someone. Both had turned away from God in their own way. Laura struggled to turn the old building into a saleable apartment and shop so that she could pay for Mandy's cochlear implant surgery. There's an arsonist afoot, can Ryan find out who it is and stop them before his new boss arrests Laura?
I found this book interesting, having both being widowed when my daughter was 2 and having friends on both sides of the cochlear implant debate.
I found this book interesting, having both being widowed when my daughter was 2 and having friends on both sides of the cochlear implant debate.
June 4, 2008
It's hard to rate this book.. if I rate it against OTHER books I've read it's really only a 2 or 3 because it's not the most amazing plot... it doesn't have great writing technique or description... it's not intense... doesn't give me that "wow" factor... BUT.. I give it 4 stars because for SOME reason.. you can't help but love this story.. it just pulls at your heart strings.. :)
January 5, 2008
This is a Love Inspired book - the Flanagans series. It is a heartwarming story. A feel good book. Everyone needs to read that type of book every now and then.
October 20, 2012
I love myself a good firefighter story. I would have liked to see more romantic encounters than this story really offered, but as always, it ended the way you wanted, so it was pleasing.
September 6, 2014
I was surprised by this book. I've read these types of books before and I didn't really like them, but this one I really liked. It's a good book for anyone who likes romances.
May 15, 2014
good book
September 11, 2014
LI--ok, woman with deaf daughter falls for firefighter.
February 4, 2015
Always been a favorite :) great way to start my reading challenge.
April 1, 2016
Good, except for the emphasis on deafness being a defect. I wish Mandy had been accepted as Deaf.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews