Scarred Hero

Heroes with Heart #1

by Hope Ford

He doesn’t deserve love. She disagrees.

I spent the last year of my life trying to get over my injuries and losing my friend.
I knew I was destined to be alone and never even considered that I could have love in my future.

And then I met Hope.

She’s everything I’m not. She’s happy and sees the good everywhere.
While I have seen the very worst in people and know what this world is capable of.

I know she deserves more than me, a man scarred on the inside and out.
But no matter how much I think I don’t deserve her,
One kiss, one night has me wishing for more.

The only question is can she look past my scars and see the man I am… the man I want to be?

And will it be for one night… or forever?

Genres: Romance, Military Fiction, Novella, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Spicy, Short Stories

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2020

About the author

Bestselling short romance author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances.  She loves writing about ALPHA MEN that fall in love with CURVY WOMEN.  She has over 70 books and they are all available on Amazon.

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www.authorhopeford.com
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Reviews

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 short and sweet stars story.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Scarred Hero” is the story of Hope and Cole.

A heartwarming romance with a hero recovering from injuries after being a soldier and the heroine who falls in love with him. I enjoyed the story as both characters were likable and the heroine was strong.

Safe 3/5

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 4
Length: Lunch Break Read
POV: Dual
Series: Heroes with Heart Book 1 (Stand Alone)
Ending: HEA
Re-read? No

"I stare back at her and wait for it – the look of repulsion, pity, and sometimes even fear. But she just keeps smiling, and it takes me by surprise."

In this book, Hope Ford deals with some heavy themes. The wounded soldier is already a tough read but isn't all that uncommon in romance novels. However, the strain being wounded puts on a marriage (not the main characters) is not something I think I've seen before. It was really well done and interesting. I liked seeing Cole really put his own problems aside and help his friends. If I was Hope I definitely would have fallen for him.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet, sexy story, and I'm a sucker for the Beauty & Beast trope. With that, 'Scarred Hero' would have been better if it was written as a novelette or novella, and not a short story. (Plus - epilogues tacked on to short stories are just plain weird. lol) What little characterization/info I got of Cole and Hope, I liked. Too bad there wasn't more. Like... instead of the HEA with the prerequisite baby, more could have been written within the story about Hope's nursing career, with more on Cole's life and aspirations as well.

[lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short intense and romantic read I wish it was longer ❤ loved it

[25 Readings Or More · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Cute little thing

[atomickitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars

A very good, quick read.

We have a lot of Beauty and the Beast vibes here so I was sold from the get-go. It's more cute than steamy, but we do have some sexy times as well.
We have a scarred military veteran for a hero and a sweet girl for a heroine. There's insta connection and an actual background story and I really loved everything here.
I really recommend it. :)

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5 star book for what it is. A 40 page read about a scarred hero and the girl who falls for him. It has what you expect from a scarred hero book… he hides himself because of his scars, she see through the pain, he opens himself up to her, the have amazing vanilla sex and live happily ever after.

(Is it really a spoiler? Does anyone think a 15 minute read about a scarred veteran is going to go any other way? Really?)

No virgins. Guess I was just hoping when I saw the cover. Not much angst. What you like, boiled down to the basics.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/24/2021)! 🎁

[NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wounded war hero, Cole Prince, chooses to hide in the shadows. Coming back wounded with scars both seen and unseen, Cole can’t believe he let his friends talk him into venturing out to a bar for drinks. Keeping his scarred face hidden the best he can, Cole is mesmerized by the bartender and is completely blown away when she looks upon him without flinching…and smiles. In that moment, Cole has hope…hope that maybe he can find some measure of peace and happiness with this beautiful woman that sees the man beyond the pain.

Hope noticed the soldier the moment he entered the bar, but can’t figure out why he keeps hiding his handsome face. Yes, he has the markings of someone that was wounded and lived to tell the tale, but looking into his eyes, Hope knows he’s going to be hers…if she can just get him to give her a chance…

Scarred Hero is one of my top romance reads of the year! I’m so in love with beautifully broken heroes, and the author has given me a perfect one with Cole! What a wonderful world we would live in if we saw each other with our hearts rather than our eyes! We could all use a little hope right now. Highly recommend this quick insta-love story!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarred Hero

Scarred Hero is beautiful. It definitely cracks the top 3 of my favorite Hope Ford books, and that's saying something because I LOVE just about everything that she written!! A very Happily Ever After. The only thing that was missing was an update on his friends Jeremy and Peggy. I wanted to know how they recovered.

Completely safe and free of abuse and cheating, no ow/om drama. No mention of eithers past relationships/partners.

[Donna Repsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally avoid short fiction, but the author had me at "scarred hero," my favorite trope, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this wounded warrior story, although I would have preferred that it be a full-length novel, in fact, I like this title so much, that I immediately downloaded the second book in this series. I have a strong feeling that I'll be reading a lot more from this author in the future.

[Renee Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was shockingly good for being such a short story. Both steamy and touching. I'll definitely read more by this author.

[jords:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. This is a very fast paced quick read - would be good to get out of a reading slump.

[Mobibooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its really short
Scared hero are all my type of hero🥹
I liked it . Recommendation for when you are not in the mood for a long story☺️

[Kelly_Reads_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing and emotional story that looks at relationships being more than face value, that what is inside that matters most, and looking beyond the physical.
This story was too short, I would have loved more. But for such a short story it had impact and was profound in the message it offered. The characters were realistic and loveable.

[Speed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet

This is Hope and Cole"s story sweet wounded scarred hero meets bartending waitress and they fall in love and live happily ever after... sweet epilogue

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

FREE today (May 24, 2021) on Amazon.

[Chalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The couple: Cole and Hope

Romance genre: insta-love
Series: Heros with Heart
Length: 49 pages

Plot: Cole, a scarred, injured war vet, lets his friends talk him into going out to a bar one night. He's pretty much kept to himself before that, but Hope sees him and can't stay away. She's drawn to this man with a damaged soul and is determined to make him see that he deserves love.

Commentary: Cute Beauty and the Beast-esque story. Hope is the sunshine in Cole's dark life. I have to wonder if the aftermath of war wasn't a more powerful kind of damage than the physical scars. When they said "war is hell," nothing more was ever true.

Next book in the series: Wounded Hero

[Anna Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's something like 49 pages long. It's about a guy who knows one word, and I'll give you a hint: it starts with 'F', ends with 'uck' and isn't firetruck. She craps on her boss, he threatens the boss, she walks out on the boss, they screw, he's a hero for not using a condom, and... that's it? Pretty much?

The lack of description drives me crazy. Halfway thru, the author says the chick has stretch marks. Whu? Did she have a kid we weren't told about? Was she heavy and lost weight and somehow we fell into this knowledge? And what the heck up with 'SCARRED' hero, and we have NO idea what scars this dude even have?

If you need something to read in ten minutes, like in a doctor office waiting room? And you don't mind unprotected firetrucks, this is the not-even-long-enough-to-be-a-mini-book for you.

[SassafrasfromAmazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0🌟

There isn’t a hell of a lot that can be packed in 49 pages. There was a great deal of Cole’s background and sufficient information to determine his character. I liked him—a lot. On the contrary, what do we know about Hope? She has great intuition and seems fairly intelligent. She lives in an upscale area and lives with her stepmother and father while she attends nursing school. That’s about it, but I loved her too.

It really is much too short and could have been expanded to include further character development. I am very dissatisfied with the glaring editing problems for so few pages. Anyway, it was sweet and intense at times. It was enjoyable because this is one of my favorite themes. That’s why my rating is a 3.

[Alayna Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This did not feel like a novella. 😊😊 It slowly built up their relationship and explains the problems he has with his appearance and mental health perfectly. It was perfect. 😌😌

[Shell_Belles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars. The only reason its not 4 is because there were some mild inconsistencies, especially right at the beginning of the book (main one being right off the bat he says the waitress is a girl he would have gone for and his exactly his type, but a few paragraphs down says she's not his usual type).

This had an interesting premise, and I really liked aspects of it. Hope and Cole both had great foundation work for their characters, as did Cole's friends. I will say this is one short story/novella that I think would have benefitted from a higher page count- and if I'm being honest, I would have loved to see this as a full length novel. It really does have a great base, but there were questions I wanted answered, like "what is her dad not going to like" (like sure, we can guess its that he has scars or not rich or whatever, but I would love to see that fleshed out, as well as how their relationship progressed through the early stages.

I will say that it tackles the heavy themes seen in the book pretty well, and I loved that it brought awareness to the struggles a wounded soldier might experience coming home to a family. I also really liked that Cole was willing to drop everything to check on his recovering friend, it gave a very clear example of the phrase "I've got your 6" that military members use to say we have your back and are always going to give you that support. As a prior service member I really appreciated that.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first; I really like the cover of this book!
This story is short, fast paced and an enjoyable read. I read this book in one sitting and was satisfied throughout. I found the writing style easy to follow, the characters likeable and the storyline enjoyable. Cole is a scarred retired soldier. He locks himself away and feels like he doesn’t deserve love. When his friends drag him out to a bar, he meets Hope. Hope is attracted to Cole as soon as she meets him.
The chemistry between Hope and Cole is clear to see and I liked them together. I thought they were perfect for one another. I liked that Cole finally got the love he deserved. I loved that Hope saw beyond Cole’s scars.
I really liked the ending and the epilogue for this story.
The storyline for this book is easy to follow and it is an enjoyable read.

[Geeky Girl Review Cafe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Hope really went deep and tackled so heavy subjects in this story and I am SO impressed.

Cole is a Army veteran with physical and emotional scar from a bombing he survived in the service. Hope happens to be the first bright light in his year long recovery. She sees beyond the superficial and sees the amazing man beneath.

But beyond their romance this book also tackles Cole's Army buddy and fellow bombing surivior and his wife's strained marriage. I'm telling you Hope really impressed me with how well she handled all of these sensitive topics.

Very much a one-click, need to own book in my opinion.

[Turtlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly hero thinks is scars are a turn off- when really it’s the opposite

This guy. What a silly lug. He thinks he’s not pretty anymore. He’s he’s smart, kind, buff- he’s not seeing the whole picture. Some catty women actually do make some unkind remarks at a bar, his lady steps in and gives them a show.
There was a really poignant scene where they go to visit his army buddy who last his legs and wants to give up on his marriage, thinking his wife can do better. In this case, I’m giving the h credit for being a true alpha female. Some people get it, they know what’s really important in life. She impressed me.

[Cynthia Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET, EMOTIONAL, BEAUTIFUL

Cole scarred after being in the war, never goes anywhere when his friends come on leave they take him out to a bar where sees Hope. Hope Bright, sweet, and has an infections smile. When she starts to talk him his world seems a little less dark, but he has doubts that they can be together and she hopes for more? Will they see what they can be if they try or will his doubts make him take a step back? This book m is packed full of everything romance, emotions, sweetness, and so much more. I laugh little, cried some, and wanted so much more. So can't wait to read the next in this series. Absolutely amazing read.

[Mandi Garivn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

This is a sweet romance where two people who both want to be loved can show love to each other but only one is truly ready and the other has a mask of what he used to be waiting to break free from the prison he has put himself in. This story made me smile and at the same time a little sad. Prince while alpha at the core has to remember what he is fighting for and Holly is just the burst of sunshine to help him remember what he is missing if he doesn’t let go.

[Tina Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Queen of the Short Story Insta-Love has upped her game. There’s an added layer in Scarred Hero with the depth of character she presents with Cole, a scarred military veteran. The instant attraction between Cole and Hope is palpable but his belief he’s unlovable due to his scars is heart wrenching. Their teamwork in helping his friends begin to address their issue brought tears to my eyes. Fans of Hope Ford will be amazed by this book and if you haven’t read anything by her before this is the one you need to read. It’s her best one yet.

[Granger McGringot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story about one (both physically and mentally) scarred veteran accidentally met his One. Together they bot tried to heal each other. It was a sweet and warm story; took us on a glimpse of PTSD and how it affected people differently, both the victim and their family. Despite how short the book was, the story was heavy on feelings with gloominess in the beginning; it ended with HEA tho.

No virgin
No condoms
One scarred veteran H and sweet waitress h
No drama/angst
HEA, epilogue 1 yr later
Overall score: 4 baggage romance stars