Hero

by Lara Swann

Once, I was an idealistic bastard - a hero, fighting for my country.

But playing hero in Afghanistan didn’t stop the monsters who tore my family apart.

In one moment, my home was taken from me and I learned how the world really works.

Now I know better – the right-hand man for a mafia crime lord, I run this town and I’ll take anything I want.

Anything except the pure, defiant girl who catches my eye.

Lottie.

Beautiful. Delicate softness wrapped around a core of steel. The kept girl of a rival gang leader.

She's forbidden. Off-limits.

If I take her, gang warfare will rip us all apart.

But when I feel her body close to mine, her bright spark of optimism challenging everything I thought I knew...suddenly, I don't give a damn about the rules.

Screwing her risks both our lives.

But it's loving her that will f*cking destroy me.


Hero is a standalone military / mafia bad boy romance with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed happily-ever-after!
As a special thank-you to my readers, this copy of Hero also includes a bonus copy of my debut novel, Hard!

Genres: Military Fiction

558 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2016

About the author

Lara Swann writes hot, sexy romance with a touch of humor and a lot of passion. She has a thing for wounded alpha heroes and the fiery women who steal their hearts.

Her relationships are funny, sexy and spicy, and she gets as many thrills in pitting her characters against each other as she does when they eventually come together in an explosion of heat.

When she isn’t living in one of her many fantasy worlds, she attempts to focus on her respectable day job in a large, too-expensive city and dreams of a lake house in the country.

Sign up to my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/bILWzD or add me on Facebook!
I do giveaways, cover reveals as well as advanced reader copies, and I'd love to hear from you!

Reviews

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lottie and Jason were both involved in opposite sides of Cleveland crime families. Lottie dreams of of making her neighborhood a better place, while Jason is more focused on revenge. The come together in trying to accomplish those goals.

The characters were good, but the story had a tendency to drag on slowly at times. It definitely had a good amount of action though, in bed and out, to help balance out the slow bits. Overall, it was good story with a happily ever after ending.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Georgiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I receive a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 Stars - I like books that involve Mafia and Revenge a little darker but still a good story
Cliffhanger: No

Jason was in the military only a short time. I’m guessing just one enlistment term since he is only 25. During deployment overseas tragedy strike back home. Wanting revenge he finishes out his military contract and starts working for Valentini a mafia boss. During a meeting with “rival” gang the 55th Streeter’s Jason first sees Lottie. They don’t actually meet at this time.

Lottie was born and raised in a community that Jorge and the 55th Streeter Gang control. She’s a nurse and fixes up the members of the Gang. Lottie hates seeing the Gang taking over her community and hopes by working with them she can find a way to stop them. She doesn’t let all the negative around her bring her down, and she continues to believe the world can be changed for the better.

When Jason and Lottie finally meet he offers her Valentini’s protection if she will help them bring down the 55th Streeter Gang, and gives Jason any info on a man named Xero. They agree to secretly meet up once a week and that is when their attraction for each other comes out. Lottie and Jason fall hard for each other.

-- "I need this, Lottie. What we‘re doing it‘s a safe haven in the middle of the darkness I live in. I‘m damned, I know that, but I can‘t let that infect this. You‘re pure and perfect and so good that it hurts me to think about, and I want to come here and pretend the world is better than it is. That maybe it‘s actually the way you see it. A place where my past can‘t get to me."

HERO is about the two of them working together so Jason can get revenge, and Lottie can make the streets in her community safe again.

-- "And in this world we’d built together, out of the ashes and pain of everything around us, there was nothing we needed but each other. Anything else could wait. This was for us."

There is a little bit of steamy sex, drama, fighting, and lots of love. The relationship between Jason and Lottie is endearing!

-- "Mine, Lottie. I mean it. This is mine. Whatever f***ed up s*** we‘re living with now I want you, and I‘m not letting anyone else touch you. Not ever."

This is my first book by Lara Swann and I enjoyed the quick read. There were a couple things I wish had more detail or explained better, but that did not take away from the main story.

**Even though Frankie had a very small part I really loved his character. If he ever gets a story I will defiantly be reading it!!!**

[April Symes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason and Lottie are two people who are on opposite sides when it comes to cleaning up the streets. Lottie is trying to clean up the neighborhood she lives in and Jason works as the right-hand man to a crime boss . When these two meet, its like fireworks going off. .

Lottie is a nurse and she wants to help her community and these gang members are doing damage. In comes Jason- he is ex military-only in for a short time and has a tortured background. He is tangled up in this gang issue that is going on- he is with mob boss Valentini--and he is tangled up in the issues that Ms. Lottie is having--all she wants is the 55th Streeter gone-- they are the bane of her existance and all she wants is them gone-FOREVER.

When Lottie and Jason finally meet, he offers her protection from the 55 gang if she works to get them insider information and bring the gang down. In return , he promises her protection from his boss Valentini. --ohh and he needs any info that she can get on some man named Xero. During this time that she ends up helping Jason, during their secret meets, they end up falling for each other and start this affair. It is hot and heavy. Jason starts to realize maybe he is in too deep and that he is serving the wrong "master". That he needs to start doing good for once and being around Lottie is giving Jason a chance to really start thinking --He decides he is going to help her get her community/town back-which is going against his boss which is going to come back to hurt him/them.

The action is fantastic and the passion is wonderful. At first I didnt think I would like Jason but the more I read, the more I fell in love with his bad boy /hurt man interior. Lottie is one kicka$$ woman who really wants to do good and she isnt afraid to show this. Her feelings for Jason are so conflicted but when it comes down to choosing, she choses her man. It did run slow in a few places and I wish that Jason would have moved a bit quicker when it came to letting Lottie know about his feelings but overall this was one good book. The ending is great and I cannot wait to read more by this author.

My rating: 4.5 stars

**I was given an ARC by Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review***

[Mommaleena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clash in Cleveland
Jason was in the military when something tragic happens and it forces him to work for an Italian mafia family instead, what a different conflicting world. Lottie is working as a nurse for one of the 55th Streeters gang's leader and to try to go back to school, she'd negotiated with the leader to get the experience she needed to apply for school. Her family is worried about her safety, she tells them she can look after herself, and remind them she's not doing anything dodgy, just what she always wanted to do -putting people back together. But they still worry. Lottie is secretly trying to figure out how she can make her neighborhood better, so she's keeping notes of the little bits of information she hears. Jason and Lottie's worlds meet when the gang try's encroaching on the mafia's turf. He notices her but tries to hide it as she does the same. Lottie ends up stitching Jason up one night and he gives her an offer to help get them off her streets which would clean up her neighborhood. But she has to try discreetly to get as much information of their workings as possible. He doesn't know she's already been listening and getting snippets here and there, but if she takes his offer she'd be working for both sides. A nurse for the gang and a spy for the mafia, will she do it? It's a tough decision since she despises both organizations, but if things go wrong with Jason's help she'd have backup if she doesn't she's on her own to go to the police with her information which probably wouldn't help much. What will she choose to do, continue working alone the way she is, or help the mob and have that protection if needed? You'll have to read HERO to find out, but you won't be disappointed. This is the first book by Lara Swann I've read, but it won't be the last! I thoroughly enjoyed how this story progressed. Read it and see what you think, it'll be worth your time and then some! I gave it 5 stars! Due to explicit sexual content and adult language this novel is recommend for readers 18 and older.

[Lexee Toste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It's different than I had been expecting in some ways. Jason and Lottie are good for each other and in a lot of ways are wanting the same thing, they are just going about it in very different ways. Lottie wants the streets cleaned up and to be free of the gangs and for the kids growing up to have a chance of staying out of that way of life. Jason is on a quest for revenge. I don't want to spoil anything so that's all I'll say about that. Lottie wants to be a nurse and in order to help her father, and hopes to have a positive affect on the kids in the gang as well, starts playing nurse/doctor for the gang. They call her in and she patches them up to the best of her ability. It gives her really good experience and she uses the time to try and find a way to clean up her streets. The gang leader has a thing for her but she tries to not encourage him and keep her distance from him as much as she can while still accomplishing her goals. Jason comes into the picture when Lottie's gang starts encroaching on his mob's territory. They get introduced and are drawn to each other. It leads to them working together and having sex, which leads to them getting closer and building a relationship. The sex is hot and explicit and I felt that the relationship evolved realistically and fairly normally, given the circumstances. I loved seeing the effect that they had on each other and how they make each other better. I loved the way that they interacted with each other and that Lottie stands strong on her own and for her beliefs. This was a very good read and I really enjoyed it. There is plenty of action and some twists that will keep you wondering how things will play out and what might happen next. It flows really well and was a good length. It's definitely worth the time and money in my opinion. I will definitely be checking out what Lara Swann writes next.

I did receive an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jaime Fertal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lottie is just a woman who wants to help others when it comes to medical care, yes she is helping those who choose to live in a rough world. But she is hoping along the way that maybe she might be able to help others to decide against the world they are living. Jason is ex-Military who is now working for a Mob Boss, years ago while he was serving the worst thing that could happen happened while he was keeping the Country safe, he wasnt able to keep his family safe.

What I enjoyed most about Hero:A Military Bad Boy Romance is watching Jason go from wanting to avenge what happened to his family, to learning that he has a great thing with Lottie and that he doesnt want to mess that up, that after all this time he has hope. That he starts to change his ways cause he sees the good in Lottie and wants that too.. Lottie helping to help change the way of her town, to make it safe again.

This book is Fantastic, I pretty much read it through because I had to know what was going to happen next, if Lottie and Jason's plans would pan out. This book is based on a Mafia and street gang story-line, Lottie who helps the street gang with medical care, and Jason who is working for the Mafia, who come together to try to turn their city around for the good, and then without them trying a love story happens, giving them both happiness in their lives. If you like stories like this, then Hero is a must!!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow where to start, this is one intense read, but fantastically so. Jason is a troubled man, ex military who ended up joining the mafia to get answers and revenge for the horrendous act that plagued him. It was heartbreaking witnessing his despair at the guilt he carried, throwing himself into violence to cover his emptiness, until he sees Lottie, then his whole world changes. She is a strong character, who is working with a street gang, reluctantly, to work off her fathers debt, but with the underlying need to change things in the neighbourhood. The interaction between Jason and Lottie was great, developing a relationship, while helping each other in turn. I loved the depth of the characters, Jasons' need for control while feeling in a world of his own due to his growing feelings for Lottie. It starts as a simple relationship for information but turns into so much more. This for me was my first book by Lara Swann, but after reading this it certainly won't be my last. Lara to me right from the start managed to grab hold and kept me gripped until the end. If you love a good gritty and emotional story then this is definitely one for you. You won't be disappointed.

I was gifted this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason is a man hell bent on revenge. After something horrific happened to his family while he was on the other side of the world fighting to protect his country, the reality that he couldn't protect his own family crushes him. No longer feeling like any kind of hero, he joins us with the local mafia to get his revenge. In the course of this he meets Lottie.

All she wants is to be a nurse and make her neighborhood safe. Unfortunately the way she's doing that is by patching up gang members while she works off her father's debt to them.

Jason and Lottie join forces in order to rid her neighborhood of the gang, but neither anticipated the lust burning between them igniting into something more. Now they have decisions to make--will Jason's revenge overshadow the developing feelings he had for Lottie, and will her desire for peace push her from the man that stands for everything she is against?

This was a suspenseful read that sucks you in from the get go. I loved the story and watching it unfold to find out what drives each main character. The chemistry between Jason and Lottie is intense and I love how strong of a character she is. Another great read from Lara Swann!

**I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

[K.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I received an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Lottie lives to heal others, and show people that regardless of their upbringing, or the circumstances in which they live their lives, that there are people who truly care.
Jason is determined to avenge the wrongful deaths of his family. His military skills prove to be beneficial, but he cannot succeed in achieving his goals without Lottie.
Lottie's motives might differ from Jason's, but they strive for the same outcome.
Now, there is more to this book than seeking revenge. Lottie and Jason do mix business with pleasure, while falling in love in the process. There are some scenes where the sex is implied, and other scenes where it is more descriptive in nature. In other words, the amount of steamy scenes do not overshadow the entire plot of the book, and I can definitely appreciate that.
I am a big fan of suspenseful love stories, and am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this one.
If you love reading these types of books as much as I do, then I recommend purchasing this book for your enjoyment, as well.

[Lin ( Nerdy Bookworm) · Rating 2 out of 5]

        *** Received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review ***
This is the first time reading a novel by this author but not the last. I thought the book started out very slow and confusing. I stopped and started several times; however after persevere..... it turned out an okay read but still drawn out. This is the story of Jason and Lottie. Jason, the right-hand man to a crime boss (Valentini's) and Lottie, the med-ex for a street gang( 55th Streeters) fighting over turf. It was awkward because I hadn’t connected with the main characters  but they meet and insta-sex.  Overall, it's an OK story with a HEA..

[Felicia Eddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a ARC in exchange for a review.

I first want to say I love a good bad boy book. Some parts of this story did that for me, but there was a lot I just didnt relate to.

Lottie is a good girl who is helping trying to clean up her city. The way she does that is by providing medical aid to gangs. In that process she meets Jason who is an enforcer for a rival mob who offers her protection

I wanted to like Lottie and in some cases I did - I just wasnt sure why she was doing this. I also didnt get a clear picture of Jason and why this is the life he had chosen. I did like the members of Lottie's family and the love story between Jason and Lottie

[Lesley Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I enjoyed it.
What happens when Lotti who works as a nurse to a street gang to pay off her fathers debts but also wants a safer neighbourhood meets Jason who is ex army who is working for mafia who wants revenge. From the begining their connection was instant. Whilst Jason wants lotti in his bed he has the intense need to protect her but he is also fighting his feelings for her. Lotti already knows her feelings although she is good at hiding them. There was everything you wanted in this book, suspense, love, intrigue and romance.
I received this arc from the author for an honest review

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC for an honest review...
The beginning of the book was a bit hard to get into, but stick it out.... An interesting, mafia, BB read, she's aged girl, with a heart of gold, but nobody's pushover. I like a strong female lead. Jason and Lottie build their relationship based on something more than lust, which was a great change. Well paced, well developed, well written, intriguing story. Well done, Lara

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. It has romance and suspense with twists and turns. Jason out for revenge and Lottie trying to make it better place. When Jason and Lottie meet the attraction is strong and sparks fly. Will they be able to get past their differences? First time readying Lara's books. I look forward to reading more of her work. Received copy for honest review

[Amanda Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as an ARC, for an honest review...

This is my first book by Lara Swann, and it didn't disappoint, it had everything I was looking for in a bad boy romance, fast paced action, drama, violence, and let's not forget the off the charts sexual chemistry between our leading characters Jason and Lottie, what more can a girl ask for. Great read

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.amazon.com/review/RGNNDP9...