A Hero Lies Within

Wounded Warriors #1

by Patrice Wilton

A returning war hero and the woman who once loved him are brought together again – but will they be able to heal the wounds of their past?
Kari Winslow is a Palm Beach news reporter, fighting not only to keep her job, but take over the nightly anchor spot. Her boss has axed her special runaway series, and wants “feel good stories” instead. She has only two weeks to come up with something big, or the special series will be taken over by the new anchorman who seems determined to ruin her career.
Jake Harrington has returned from two tours in Iraq, and this wounded warrior is searching for peace – and a family friend who’s gone missing. He turns to his former love Kari for help. Though Jake hurt Kari badly once before, she agrees to help him under one condition: he must provide her with “feel good stories” about the everyday heroes he served with. But his memory is sketchy at best, and the only stories he remembers are the ones she doesn’t want to hear.
Fate, it seems, has brought them back together – but can Kari ever forget Jakes’ bitter betrayal, and will he forgive hers when to save her career she must betray his trust…?
REVIEWS - 5 STARS

A Hero Lies Within- Fantastic February 26, 2013
Wow....what a fantantastic start to a new serial romance. This has started out great.

The reader is drawn in from page 1. The author Patrice Wilton has a natural gift in writing. You are immediately drawn to the characters. The characters are witty and full of personality. You feel like they are people that you really know. The dialogue is great....just the right amount of snark. And of course there is the intrigue of romantic conflict....lost love...the one that got away. This could of been just an ordinary book but the author has a true gift in story telling that goes above and beyond. Oh and I must mention....her story takes place in the Palm Beach area. I am from the area and the author is right on the mark with places and scenery.
I would highly recommend this! Buy this book! ~BY Shellbelle

Wonderful read! May 5, 2013
My first read by Patrice Wilton. The author kept you interested and anticipating what would come next. Great ending. ~by Teresa Youmans

Entertaining April 20, 2013
I am enjoying this book and think most people would like it as well. It is well written.

Hero Lies Within March 23, 2013
Great story broken hearts can heal . Love and War has many endings not all HAPPY but we must fight for what's right! I give it 5 stars! ~by Samantha

A hero Lies within March 14, 2013
Very enjoyable. Nice storyline. Can't wait to get the next book. Would defiantly recommend to anyone. Thanks. ~by Ann Brinson

Terrific Book! February 26, 2013
Patrice Wilton knows her heroes. This is from what I understand, part of the first of a terrific series. I don't know if I can wait to read the rest of it!! Returning veterans face a gambit of issues when they return and this hits home for me... I'm glad there will be more of these hero stories! ~by Mary R.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Adult Fiction, Adult

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2013

About the author

Patrice Wilton knew from the age of twelve that she wanted to write books that would take the reader to faraway places. As a voracious reader, she gobbled up books, and her imagination soared. She was born in Vancouver, Canada, and had a great need to see the world that she had read about.
Patrice became a flight attendant for seventeen years and traveled the world. At the age of forty she sat down to write her first book—in longhand! Her interests include tennis, golf, and writing stories for women of all ages.
She is the proud mother of two, has three lovely grand-daughters, and a wonderful man at her side. They live in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he teaches her golf, and she teaches him patience.

Reviews

[Kiki · Rating 1 out of 5]

He never apologised for or acknowledged the cheating. His thoughts “he can’t even remember which cheerleader Kari saw him with. He dated quite a number of them. The whole thing could have been avoided if Kari called ahead before coming over”.

Any of you see the problem here. He has a girlfriend. He’s admitting he dated cheerleaders while he was still committed to h. YOU. DONT. DATE. WHEN. YOU ARE. IN. A RELATIONSHIP. YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE. And now in his mind he’s playing the victim card suggesting it was h’s fault that he didn’t know she was coming over and caught him with the coed. NOT his fault for being with her. He told the h when the h flatly told him why she broke up with him “I cared for you Kari, but I was also a kid”.

No acknowledgement. No ownership. NO REMORSE. No remorse whatsoever for cheating even at the end. He was upset for her finding it out, but not him doing it. Even at the end of the book when h told him about the miscarriage, his inner thoughts were “all this could have been avoided if Kari called ahead before visiting”. NOT “all this could have been avoided if I didn’t cheat on Kari”.

He also was engaged to another woman who was the love of his life (oh wait wasn’t that the h? Whaddya know? He has more than one love of his life that he’s willing to die for), who died, who was the reason he went to war and wanted to fight till the end! Thus my shelf “married to OW after h” cause I couldn’t be bothered making another shelf.

You are seeing the epic love between the MCs? Cause I fail to see any love or redeemable quality of the H.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exhale, where to begin....

SPOILERS

Jake is a hero at least in war, not so much in his civilian life. Jake left his gf 15 years ago as her sister just went missing, he gave the platitudes of love and then headed off to be a player in every sense. He is somewhat aggravated with the ex gf as she never called him back....what he didn't know is she came to tell him she was pregnant and he was scoring with cheerleader.... several by the sounds of it... he is an ass as a young man and even now seems to justify his behavior as dating... I am thinking pisshead if your involved with a girl back home your not dating in college silly cheerleaders. In the end his childish selfish unfaithful immaturish ass cost himself the girl he loved and both of them a baby and a future together. I prayed she would blow him off... he was NOT a good man for her... he was arrogant and damaged and he was truthful in only one aspect he was NOT WORTHY of her.

She is beyond damaged in the blows she took the loss of her sister, her love, her baby....and he has apparently had a good time until he choice to go to war..as he wanted to be a hero...perhaps he should have been a hero in civilian life first.

Couple of points on what a douche he and his creepy father were.... his step mother apparently some war groupie constantly strutted around in next to nothing making me uncomfortable with her behavior toward her stepsons... while her old husband I think liked it. She paraded one bimbo after another to get her stepson in the sack..also creepy.... and Jakes noticing his stepmothers body more than once....while always acting like his heart was Karis'''while ogling his step mother and the bimbo show presented to him made me want to slap him....and there is only a blip in the story where he "recalls" this fiancé Cathy who was killed by terrorists.... she was the love of his life... WTH... I thought Kari was... seems he moved on quite well without her... wish she had moved on without him...til the very end!

[Veronica WordsAreMyDrinkOfChoice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely horrific! Hero is scum.! He bumps into heroine after 15 years of bot seeing her, is arrogant and ya no respect for her personal space. They were together years before, but her sister went missing so she stayed home whole hero went college, he then cheats on her which she sees! So she doesn’t return his calls, and he never bothered to fight for her or find out why! He is annoyed she ignored him! Even when she reminds him he cheated he is just like, well I was young! He is an ass and this is not love! So bad! He literally has no concern for her, even when she is in Lima no worries about work, he just thinks it is not his concern and shirks off the guilt for snapping at and hurting her yet again. He is self absorbed, and thinks everyone wants to fuck him, people would even apparently beg for a chance with him! Not to mention during all this time he is constantly salivating over a woman called Maria, even after seeing heroine again! I loathed him and felt the heroine deserved a lot better. The author could not be clearer that cheating is ok, even Lisa forgives her husband for an affair and we never get details, but he did tell someone else he loved her! But apparently that is just a mistake! Come on! Not to mention the dad with that bitchy Tiffany. Just insulting, he loved his wife and the hero’s mother, she dies, and he becomes a shallow ass with some model who flirts with his own son! Just a joke, so many issues never resolved!

[Rejane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is horrible. Terrible. Annoying. Irritating. Story execution was poor. This author doesn’t know how to use her words to pull off emotions from the reader, in my opinion. The MCs are like cardboards. There was no romance. Zero. Even when the mcs were together was like 2 frozen objects. Sex scenes were so technical it felt like reading instructions to put furniture together. I found it impossible to connect with the fmc. She was selfish, immature, arrogant and writing these “qualities” I think what she really was, is a disgusting person. She was always mad. Always fighting about something. Always blaming something on someone. Always fighting with the male mc. Like a child who doesn’t get their way. A real bitch.
I hate wasting my time with books that don’t know how to tell a story. This one should not be under the romance genre. The focus was more on journalism,after war experience,the runaway sister, etc etc.
At least I am not alone on the disappointment. This book rate is 3.4 and I think it’s still too much.

[Christine Burke · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - seriously are we supposed to rally around this jackass player of a hero?

This was a train wreck, I couldn’t get passed the sixth chapter. As a romance reader I’ve learned to trudge my way through crappy writing if the storyline itself is at least interesting. Jake and Kari were awful characters whose motivations were bluntly stated in a way that didn’t allow the reader to want to form any kind of connection/admiration for them. For example, when Jake is talking to his brothers and they just casually mention the reason he went to war was because his dead fiancée (who was not the heroine of the story) died in a terrorist attack. What is the timeline here? It sounded like the heroine knew he was going off to war indicating they were still supposedly together yet he talks about the reason he joins being this other fiancée? Not wracking your any points in the sympathy department.

While I have nothing but respect and gratitude for those who serve our country, it doesn’t excuse being a gigantic prick. Cool, you saved a dog from your vapid stepmom but other than that there’s nothing in his civilian life that redeems you for being a cheating dick. The supposed love of your life surprises you with news of your unborn child, and catches you cheating. News flash, as a full grown adult saying that it didn’t mean anything and you were just a kid (legally an adult but I’ll let it slide) is not an actual justification for being a douche canoe. At least take some accountability as a full fledged adult instead of brushing it all off and continuing your egotistical reasoning why Kari was the one who was truly at fault for surprising him. Should she have been the bigger person and confronted him sooner? Probably. But the double standard Jake provides on the inherent lack of communication (it’s a two way street bucko) is maddening. In any other romance Jake would most definitely be the slimy ex trying to get the heroine back only to have his efforts squashed by the true hero. Oh and lusting after your stepmother’s friend is not a good look....

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Just awful.

[Elizabeth]

Lol...that is all

[Mou: Fae of Heartfelt ARC]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay. The two main characters did not have that much chemistry in my opinion and that is always a killer for this type of books. Although the heroine could seem a bit self-centered at times, she was still more likable than the hero, who was definitely very self-centered. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The author also never explained why Jake had cheated on the heroine. He believed to the core that it was just okay because as along as it did not mean anything and he loved her who cared if he made out with someone else. Like, really? I think that's something the author must truly believe because a friend of Kari gets cheated on by her husband at the beginning of the book and she right away says she will forgive him because the marriage is worth saving. I am not saying that this is not true sometimes, but because there is no nuance or development of that dilemma (either for Kira's friend's side story or for Kira and Jake's past relationship), it just felt wrong for me.***END OF SPOILER*** So, yeah, I would actually recommend skipping this one. Wilton's "At First Sigh" was definitely better.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed A Hero Lies Within from the Kindle Unlimited Program and A Hero Lies Within is also part of an anthology called Wounded Warriors Box Set 3 Books.

Jake Harrington is a ex-Marine that is home after two tours in Iraq and dealing with burns and issues from his experiences in war. Kari Winslow is a local TV news personality and they have a history.

When Kari first sees Jake, she is hostile, wants nothing to do with him and he doesn't understand why. He is determined to get to the root of the problem and A Hero Lies Within is a up and down romance as two great characters deal with lots of emotional issues. Add a sister that has been missing for fifteen years, Kari starts with a boyfriend, other war hero friends with issues, the pressure of a job and you have a great romance. I loved how the author was able to recognize so many of the problems that returning vets face and weave it into the storyline.

[Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hero Lies Within by Patrice Wilton is another serial on amazon. This is the first installment. I am so looking forward to reading more and more....

The author writes a very smooth flowing story. The reader is drawn in immediatly and is into the book before the end of chapter one. Her characters are very convincing, easy to relate to, and full of personality. She writes great dialogue with a lot of good snarky conversation. The reader can easily relate.

I highly recommend this serial...it is a good one!

[Martha B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

It wasn’t a book for me. The author tried to tackle some important issues but the way it was executed the story didn’t hold my interest. The MCs seemed wooden to me and I couldn’t connect with them.
The focus was on a military experiences, PTSD, politics, journalism. The romance was overshadowed by it. The way MCs confronted their past issues wasn’t satisfactory and I feel if they did it would make the story more interesting.

[Tanya Vought · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kari is a reporter for a television show and has been notified thru her boss that she needs to come up with a new idea other than her current show on trying to find missing children/people. Her boss doesn’t seem to care how important the show is to her. He isn’t very encouraging/supportive of her despite the number of years that she has worked for the network.

Jake is well, wounded. (Wounded due to the fact that he has scars over his body due to his time in the war and also has some internal wounds that haven’t quite healed)

Little do they know that fate will intervene and bring them together again… yes again. When Kari was 18 they were a couple and then Jake goes off to college and forgets about Kari. Kari goes to see him to tell him something important, but finds him well…occupied and a tragic event happens after that. (Won’t spoil it any further)

Needless to say, Kari is not too happy to see Jake after all these years. Despite it all, they become friends and Jake even comes to her rescue... a hero to her in more ways than one.

I loved what they both became and loved how the events unfolded and am looking forward to the next book in this series! I loved how both completed each other and how the war hero transforms to want to be a better man for his lady, himself and other fellow war Vet’s. (I can’t say more.. because I don’t want to spoil anything)

I loved this book. It took me to a new place and a different perspective of war heroes and what happens to them. I enjoyed how Patrice portrayed the characters and made us feel-really feel for them! You hurt when they hurt! I loved that this book is romantic and very realistic and could actually happen around us today! Made me not think of a romantic fairy-tale, but of a real life romance in the world today... and that I loved!

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilton has written this story to the point it flows and transition with ease.

Kari Winslow is a Palm Beach news reporter with a job to do and she chooses Jake Harrington as a returning soldier of two tours in Iraq and someone from here past. Kari finds more to Jake than she was looking for, which are feel good stories, and this makes for her an excellent story. There are ups and downs for this couple as they both battle whether they should forgive the other for betrayal on both ends.

There journey together makes for an interesting read.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads Giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a story of losing love and than finding it again. It is an amazing story about what love can do and all of the things you can do for love. The characters in a book felt so real and you couldn't help but feel and hurt with them. The plot itself was great, I really liked that the main characters had a past together and it was interesting to unfold their future.

I would definitely recommend this book!

[Linda Brueggeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hero Lies Within

Oh, this is a wonderful story of love, courage, and doing what's right. It's about honoring our members of the military and trying to understand a fraction of what they endure. It's also a beautiful love story about setting priorities and forgiveness and acceptance. It's a very heart warming and touching novel. I loved it.

[Rebel Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf. These characters were constantly going back and forth arguing about everything. In every chapter. They would be going along just fine and then BAM argument. It’s just too much. I stopped reading when the H took off the h’s high heeled shoes (that she hd been wearing for hours) and started sucking on her toes. GROSS.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read a Kindle Serial and wasn't sure how I'd like reading a few chapters then having to wait a couple weeks for more. So far I've read episodes one and two and now I'm anxiously waiting for episode 3. I'm enjoying the story and it's keeping my interest.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the wife of a Vet I appreciated the thoughtfulness that went in to this book. These are issues that are mostly ignored, especially in fiction geared towards women, so this was a very brave subject to weave in to the story. Good Job Patrice!!

[Heather]

Great story

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book!

[Gjbates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good romance with characters I liked. The story of Shane who is the hero in Handle With Care starts in this book. It was good to read about people trying to help returning veterans

[Lorelei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

really enjoying the book. it as a good storyline, great characters. and of course a hea. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously struggled to finish this one. The heroine is hard to like and impossible to relate to. He wasn’t much better.

[Luv_a_good_story · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok. I don't think I would have put up with what he did. And he didn't understand why it bothered her so much - strange!

[Eliana]

Dnf

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hero Lies Within is Book 1 of New York Times Bestselling Author Patrice Wilton’s Wounded Warrior Series.

Palm Beach news anchor Kari Winslow is trying to keep her job after Jeremy, the new anchorman, appears not only driven to gain control of the nightly anchor spot, which Kari has been working for her entire career but determined to discredit her completely to get her out of the way.

When Kari learns that the series that she created in hopes of reuniting with a runaway sister is canceled, she’s determined to come up with the type of feel-good stories that will not only save her career but could possibly prove to her boss that she’s up to doing the anchor job.

Enter her old boyfriend, Jake Harrington, who’s just returned from Iraq and is suffering from PTSD and undecided about his future, although his Dad has big plans. Jake and Kari were young when he walked away from their romance before going off to college and broke Kari’s heart.

But the attraction is still there, and when Kari learns that Jake is searching for a friend who’s gone missing, she offers her help in exchange for his, if Jake can recall some real-life happy ending stories featuring some of his fellow servicemen, she would have her new series which she knows instinctively would be a hit.

But when Kari and Jake’s romance heats back up, can she forgive him for his past betrayal? And will Jake be able to forgive Kari when she betrays his trust because of her obsession with her career?

A Hero Lies Within is a fantastic, page-turning, second chance romance with many twists and turns. Kari has a lot of insecurities as a result of some deep dark secrets from her past, and Jake’s dark side is totally understandable with what he’s seen and done. They feel at peace with each other, and you’ll be rooting for Kari and Jake to get back together from the start.

It’s a great story which I’d highly recommend!!

[Mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kari is a woman who has suffered some serious loss in her life. Her coping mechanism is to convince herself that she doesn't want marriage or children and to engross herself completely in her career as the local news anchor. She convinces herself that she is happy with her life as it is, until Jake comes back to town- more specifically, moves back into her apartment building.
Jake has just returned from his tours of duty in the war and is suffering from PTSD but is enamored by his former girlfriend Kari. They try to resist each other, Jake thinking he doesn't deserve a girl like Kari after what he's done in the war, and Kari thinking she doesn't want the life and future she used to want with him. The resistance between them is almost tangible and makes for a good read as you root for the two broken people to come together and make each other whole again.
All in all, a good read - I was surprised that I didn't find myself too captivated by the love story, I was honestly more interested in the side stories of Kari's sister and Jake's missing veteran friend which I thought were great additions to the plot.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kari is a news anchor, with a different co anchor guy that makes her nervous, and now making mistakes. Called in and they are even going to do away with her special program of finding missing kids. She was hoping that someday she could find her missing sister .Wanting a glass of wine to unwind, she stopped and got them and a few groceries. Elevator was busy with a new person moving. Jake the war hero, blurted out that he was not welcome, this was her home. Even the wine bottles got broken when he bumped into her. There never was good bye between them, and he didn’t want one. Could he break the barrier of what she thought he was. He had years of therapy ahead of him, and wanted her to have her dreams, if it meant commuting between the cities they would do it. He had his work cut out for him, A good plot of second chances, and the love that was still there.

[Tracy Swain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed fluff

I liked the premise of this book but when it came down to it it was so disjointed. The ups and downs of the main characters took too many turns without fully ever developing them, then suddenly the book ends. It took too long to get to the meat of the story and lacked any proper climax or well developed conflict then it totally rushed to the end. There were some conflicts in the plotlines which caused me to go back questioning what I had read but I didn't miss anything it just wasn't there. Save your time and read another book.