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Hero
Hendrix lost both his parents in 9/11. His Mom was a receptionist working on the 92nd floor of the North Tower, his Dad was an off duty firefighter who went back to Manhattan to help and find his wife, unfortunately he went in to get her and the pair never came out.
8 year old Hendrix had no choice but to live with his Grandmother in Rhode Island where he grew up feeling lost & angry at the world. He enlisted into the Marines at 18 years old, hoping that fighting for his country would make him feel better. However, Hendrix saw awful things during his time in Afghanistan, one of the worst being from his own friend and colleague, Hendrix snaps, he acts on his anger and gets kicked out of the Marines feeling more angry and messed up than when he first went in.
With his Grandma no longer there, he figures he needs to start a fresh life for himself and heads to a small town near Nashville, Tennessee where his cousin owns a ranch.
Meanwhile, self-conscious Maddison from England has just embarked on a once in a life time road trip around USA with her two best friends. She just got out of a toxic relationship that has also left her feeling lost and uncertain. She needs this trip, she needs to feel like her again. However, by the time the girls reach Nashville a bombshell is dropped so huge that Maddison feels she can no longer carry on the trip with her two best friends, instead she winds up in a bar where she finds comfort from a tattooed, ex-marine named Hendrix…
Have you ever felt like you were in the exact right place at the exact right time?
Well, they do.
8 year old Hendrix had no choice but to live with his Grandmother in Rhode Island where he grew up feeling lost & angry at the world. He enlisted into the Marines at 18 years old, hoping that fighting for his country would make him feel better. However, Hendrix saw awful things during his time in Afghanistan, one of the worst being from his own friend and colleague, Hendrix snaps, he acts on his anger and gets kicked out of the Marines feeling more angry and messed up than when he first went in.
With his Grandma no longer there, he figures he needs to start a fresh life for himself and heads to a small town near Nashville, Tennessee where his cousin owns a ranch.
Meanwhile, self-conscious Maddison from England has just embarked on a once in a life time road trip around USA with her two best friends. She just got out of a toxic relationship that has also left her feeling lost and uncertain. She needs this trip, she needs to feel like her again. However, by the time the girls reach Nashville a bombshell is dropped so huge that Maddison feels she can no longer carry on the trip with her two best friends, instead she winds up in a bar where she finds comfort from a tattooed, ex-marine named Hendrix…
Have you ever felt like you were in the exact right place at the exact right time?
Well, they do.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2023
9 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 3, 2024
3.5 - 4 Hendrix and Maddison Stars
This book could have been a five star read for me , if it hadn't ended so abruptly and if there could have been a bit more of it dedicated to the development of their romance. It was a little too 'insta love' for me but that is just my personal taste. The whole book is 183 pages , so a fairly quick read , but I would have relished more.
The story starts in an incredibly impactful way with a description of the morning of 9/11 and how Hendrix lost his parents in the Twin Towers when he was just 8 years old. This part of the book deserves five stars. I had goosebumps and my heart hurt for Hendrix and his parents. There are parts of the novel that I enjoyed immensely and other parts , I felt , didn't flow very well. It ended so suddenly that I felt a bit bereft - I wanted more , or at least to know how far into the future we moved with the last chapter as there is no epilogue.
Hendrix(30) enlists as a Marine as soon as he turns 18. His Granny that raised him after his parents were murdered by terrorists , dies when he is deployed and he has no siblings. His closest relative is Tucker, his cousin, and Tucker's wife Savannah. He leaves the Marines after twelve years after a significant event happens and his struggle with adjusting to civilian life is well written. I liked him as a character because he isn't perfect and he does mess up at times but I got why.
Maddison (mid twenties) is from England and is on holiday in America with two friends. She has been in an awful and toxic relationship with a guy who definitely wields coercive control amongst other things. Things fall apart with her friends and she ends up alone in a bar and meets Hendrix. And so their story begins. I felt Maddison needed a bit more character development - again , if the novel had been a bit longer then I think that would have naturally happened.
It's a shame that it felt so rushed as it's a really good book that is enjoyable to read and evokes all kinds of emotions.
HEA? More HFN.
Cheating? No. Hendrix has perfunctory sex with a stranger but there is less than zero emotion involved. This happens before he meets Maddison.
Be Aware .
This book could have been a five star read for me , if it hadn't ended so abruptly and if there could have been a bit more of it dedicated to the development of their romance. It was a little too 'insta love' for me but that is just my personal taste. The whole book is 183 pages , so a fairly quick read , but I would have relished more.
The story starts in an incredibly impactful way with a description of the morning of 9/11 and how Hendrix lost his parents in the Twin Towers when he was just 8 years old. This part of the book deserves five stars. I had goosebumps and my heart hurt for Hendrix and his parents. There are parts of the novel that I enjoyed immensely and other parts , I felt , didn't flow very well. It ended so suddenly that I felt a bit bereft - I wanted more , or at least to know how far into the future we moved with the last chapter as there is no epilogue.
Hendrix(30) enlists as a Marine as soon as he turns 18. His Granny that raised him after his parents were murdered by terrorists , dies when he is deployed and he has no siblings. His closest relative is Tucker, his cousin, and Tucker's wife Savannah. He leaves the Marines after twelve years after a significant event happens and his struggle with adjusting to civilian life is well written. I liked him as a character because he isn't perfect and he does mess up at times but I got why.
Maddison (mid twenties) is from England and is on holiday in America with two friends. She has been in an awful and toxic relationship with a guy who definitely wields coercive control amongst other things. Things fall apart with her friends and she ends up alone in a bar and meets Hendrix. And so their story begins. I felt Maddison needed a bit more character development - again , if the novel had been a bit longer then I think that would have naturally happened.
It's a shame that it felt so rushed as it's a really good book that is enjoyable to read and evokes all kinds of emotions.
HEA? More HFN.
Cheating? No. Hendrix has perfunctory sex with a stranger but there is less than zero emotion involved. This happens before he meets Maddison.
Be Aware .
July 26, 2025
Lovely easy read romance
I read the book really quickly, it was lovely escapism. The characters felt like people you could know and be friends with
I read the book really quickly, it was lovely escapism. The characters felt like people you could know and be friends with
December 31, 2024
Hero - Chloe Kent
*potential spoilers*
‘Have you ever felt like you were in the exact right place at the exact right moment?’
I’ve finished this book with so many questions & I am praying there is a Hero 2 coming because this book was so beautifully written, I honestly fell in love with Hendrix & Maddison.
This book had me laughing so much, it also had me crying but it also warmed my heart so much. I wanted to just give Hendrix a big hug the whole way through the book, it was so nice to see him opening up to Maddison, & with Maddison I felt so proud that she done what she wanted instead of being a people pleaser.
I love how this book focused on mental health, I could relate to both characters which was nice in a way because I don’t recall being about to relate to both main characters in a book before.
Hendrix is an American ex-marine & Maddison is a British girl & the humour in the book had me laugh, - ‘British?! Oh my god, I love the British. Does she know Prince Harry?’
It is definitely an easy read, I read this in a day, definitely check for trigger warnings, I would highly recommend this book & there is definitely some ‘who the fuck did this to you?’ In the book too.
Also was not expecting to pick my jaw up off the floor three times during this book 😂 it was so so good!!
What a book to end 2024 🇺🇸🇬🇧🤠 now I want to hop on a plane ✈️ to Tennessee & never come back 🥰
*potential spoilers*
‘Have you ever felt like you were in the exact right place at the exact right moment?’
I’ve finished this book with so many questions & I am praying there is a Hero 2 coming because this book was so beautifully written, I honestly fell in love with Hendrix & Maddison.
This book had me laughing so much, it also had me crying but it also warmed my heart so much. I wanted to just give Hendrix a big hug the whole way through the book, it was so nice to see him opening up to Maddison, & with Maddison I felt so proud that she done what she wanted instead of being a people pleaser.
I love how this book focused on mental health, I could relate to both characters which was nice in a way because I don’t recall being about to relate to both main characters in a book before.
Hendrix is an American ex-marine & Maddison is a British girl & the humour in the book had me laugh, - ‘British?! Oh my god, I love the British. Does she know Prince Harry?’
It is definitely an easy read, I read this in a day, definitely check for trigger warnings, I would highly recommend this book & there is definitely some ‘who the fuck did this to you?’ In the book too.
Also was not expecting to pick my jaw up off the floor three times during this book 😂 it was so so good!!
What a book to end 2024 🇺🇸🇬🇧🤠 now I want to hop on a plane ✈️ to Tennessee & never come back 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ OBSESSED
WOW. I did not see this book coming… like at all. Genuinely. Nothing prepared me for where this story went or how hard it would hit.
Hero has EVERYTHING I love wrapped into one emotional, soul-soothing, heart-squeezing read and the twists? The moments? Completely unexpected in the best way.
Maddison is the kind of FMC you feel. She gives up her dreams for what she thinks is love, only to be betrayed by people she trusted most. Watching her lose everything and then slowly, bravely rebuild her life on her own terms, without waiting to be rescued was powerful and deeply relatable.
And Hendrix… 😮💨
Broody. Broken. Haunted by a dark past that you don’t see coming in the way you expect. The kind of man the world misjudges but beneath it all is a heart of pure gold. Maddison sees him. Really sees him. And the way their lives collide? Pure fate.
What made this love story stand out was the respect. The patience. The space they give each other while still choosing to show up. It’s not loud or rushed it’s safe, steady, healing love. The kind that wraps you up and doesn’t let go.
And the setting just seals it:
Nashville,Ranch life,Trauma & healing,Animals, a literal TORNADO! Plus lots of little mentions of movies and things I’ve loved growing up!
I closed this book feeling a little bit emotional, and completely satisfied but would LOVE more from this world.
Didn’t see it coming. Loved every second.
WOW. I did not see this book coming… like at all. Genuinely. Nothing prepared me for where this story went or how hard it would hit.
Hero has EVERYTHING I love wrapped into one emotional, soul-soothing, heart-squeezing read and the twists? The moments? Completely unexpected in the best way.
Maddison is the kind of FMC you feel. She gives up her dreams for what she thinks is love, only to be betrayed by people she trusted most. Watching her lose everything and then slowly, bravely rebuild her life on her own terms, without waiting to be rescued was powerful and deeply relatable.
And Hendrix… 😮💨
Broody. Broken. Haunted by a dark past that you don’t see coming in the way you expect. The kind of man the world misjudges but beneath it all is a heart of pure gold. Maddison sees him. Really sees him. And the way their lives collide? Pure fate.
What made this love story stand out was the respect. The patience. The space they give each other while still choosing to show up. It’s not loud or rushed it’s safe, steady, healing love. The kind that wraps you up and doesn’t let go.
And the setting just seals it:
Nashville,Ranch life,Trauma & healing,Animals, a literal TORNADO! Plus lots of little mentions of movies and things I’ve loved growing up!
I closed this book feeling a little bit emotional, and completely satisfied but would LOVE more from this world.
Didn’t see it coming. Loved every second.
September 22, 2024
The plot of this book sounded like it would be a emotive read considering it was based around the aftermath of a lad being made parentless by 9/11 . It's what made me pick up the book in a charity shop this week.
Unfortunately this wasn't the case , instead of being an emotional read it was a rather disconnected one. The main character was the most interesting , a messed up young man - angry and lost after 9/11. He joined the marines at 18 , but what he witnessed in Afghanistan on the war front was not the only thing to damage him mentally. He witnessed a friend and colleague commit a horrible act and when he defended the victim and hurt his friend in anger he got kicked out of the marines .
He then moves to Nashville, Tennessee to start a new life . There he meets Maddison who is on holiday from England. They connect over bad events that has happened to them , and it leads to love though not always smoothly.
As a couple i found them to have little chemistry , they needed to be freer to express love and i just didn't see that. Its not the best read though i did like Hendrix however much of a troubled soul he was.
Unfortunately this wasn't the case , instead of being an emotional read it was a rather disconnected one. The main character was the most interesting , a messed up young man - angry and lost after 9/11. He joined the marines at 18 , but what he witnessed in Afghanistan on the war front was not the only thing to damage him mentally. He witnessed a friend and colleague commit a horrible act and when he defended the victim and hurt his friend in anger he got kicked out of the marines .
He then moves to Nashville, Tennessee to start a new life . There he meets Maddison who is on holiday from England. They connect over bad events that has happened to them , and it leads to love though not always smoothly.
As a couple i found them to have little chemistry , they needed to be freer to express love and i just didn't see that. Its not the best read though i did like Hendrix however much of a troubled soul he was.
January 26, 2024
What a book!!!! I read it with in 12 hours! Could not put it down!! It made me laugh and cry!! I hope there will be a 2nd book to see where life take maddie and Hendrix !! Thank you Chloe!! Amazing read!!
April 20, 2025
heartwarming
I absolutely loved this story of how we can interpret so much of life and what we think is right when it can be so wrong , the author is a wonderful story teller and I can’t wait to read more books this was my 3rd x
I absolutely loved this story of how we can interpret so much of life and what we think is right when it can be so wrong , the author is a wonderful story teller and I can’t wait to read more books this was my 3rd x
August 15, 2024
A fairly abrupt ending, I’m not sure the ending can be that easy so I’ve knocked off a star. This was an enjoyable read and the slow burn was wonderful
August 17, 2024
Loved this book! Everything about it was brilliant 👌👌
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews