Unsung Hero is a good fit for readers who enjoy stories about second chances, forgiveness, and the power of love to overcome past mistakes.

Second changes give this seal and a former love to rekindle their feelings to find a future. Thanks to netgalley and publisher for ebook.

Another great read by a talented author I really enjoyed reading it and will definitely read more and recommend reading it

A second chance romance between Nio and Becca. A sweet, romantic read. Loved the book
Eagerly awaiting the other books in the series. Would love to read the stories of Try and all the other SEAL brothers

The story is written as a narrative with third person omnscient point of view. The characters are describe in a indirect method, as the conflict is a battle between self, society and other characters. The theme of course includes some of the most popular including love, death, survival, coming of age and war, but has its own unique twist of what is war and survival.

The main character is Nio Reyes has returned to Laguna beach after being away for so long. He is the proantagoinst and is a round character who has suffered through a lot before the story has even come to the start. He battles many things throughout the story but always looks for the good or positive in each. His main confindant his little brother Trey. Becca Howard, our antagonist has family battles of her own and now a former fiance who wants to make a show of it for a mutual friends’ wedding. Becca is a round character who goes many dynamic changes as she has to deal with family secrets, her main confidant is good friend Lana. The two had a young love relationship that ended when Nio disappeared ten years earlier with no explaination. The exposition brings us up to the present moment as Nio and Trey catch a few waves as they’ve returned and Becca is on the beach taking photographs. The rising action brings up to Nio and Becca’s first confrontation and adds in a bit of drama as Steven, Becca’s ex but to everyone current fiance, buts in and has to put his two cents. The climax brings forth reasons and secrets but doesn’t make it any easier for either to understand. The falling action brings calmness and joy to a father’s heart but also sadness for all his boys don’t have. The resolution shows off how far the characters have come and how far they can go.

The author’s writing style is unique but also doesn’t bring much to the table. I found the ideas were scattered and no real organization or flow to the story or the characters development. Also characters didn’t majorly develop as they were already mostly developed before the story began. No, I would not recommend this book. This book would be good for those who enjoy really quick reads, little details and interested in social dynamics. This book would not be good for those who enjoy longer reads, more character development, more storyline development or more details in general.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

I was surprised to learn this is the first book in a series. There were so many side stories and references to things that happened with the side characters that I assumed this was a book in a well established series. But it's not.

I wish the author developed the book more. I didn't really get a sense of who Nio and Becca were when they were together years before. I would have appreciated flash backs, memories or even a prologue where we get a picture of who they were as a couple. We're led to believe they were in love with each other but there's little to support that in the story.

Nio seems to have done some interesting work with vets. Why wasn't this talked more about? Maybe a chapter or two of what that part of his life was about? Again, it was glossed over.

This story had so much potential, but unfortunately it fell incredibly short for me.

I’m relatively new to Barbara Ankrum’s work but recently found her Canaday’s of Montana series. This book is loosely linked but is the first in the new ‘Band of Brothers’ series and I’m happy to say that I’ll be following these books just as avidly. As it’s the first book there’s a fair bit of setting the scene and dropping hints of the back story to all the other brothers but that’s what I especially enjoy about series romance. If you’re looking for a new romance author or series to follow then look no further- you won’t be disappointed!

There is heartbreak on the pages of Unsung Hero. Teenage love was split apart by a judgmental, unscrupulous father. Becca Howard had no idea what her father did or that the deed was the reason for Nio Reyes walking out of her life. He is back and determined to win her back but knows that one day he will have to tell her what transpired with her father and how it led him to leave her and their love.

Nio broke Becca's heart 10 years ago when they were barely eighteen. He disappeared without as much as a good bye. Now her engagement is off due to another betrayal from a man she thought she loved. She is taking a break from the opposite sex. When Nico is in town for the wedding of a mutual friend all bets are off. She sees him and he is the same and yet he has become a beautiful man. She realizes she never stopped loving him despite her broken heart. When he tells her that he wants a second chance she is torn. She can't get over him and she can't forgive him. When all the secrets of their past comes out can their renewed love survive? Great read.

Becca is less than thrilled to see the man who broke her heart 10 years ago when he disappeared without a word. She doesn't want to deal with him, but she does want answers. Will the explanation Nio gives her heal her still broken heart or break it even further?

I struggled with how to rate Unsung Hero. It's not horrible or horribly written. It's not even bad. It's just...a bit bland and predictable. I didn't feel the connection between the two characters and as a reader I didn't feel connected to Nio or Becca either. It's all just a little too wrapped up. Also, the heat level is fairly low, which isn't the problem per se, but it doesn't help matters. But I guess the main reason this story didn't work for me is because it's too short to give the characters or the relationship any significant growth. What little I did get to know Nio and Becca, I thought they were decent characters, especially Nio, but because it was so short, I didn't get the chance to know them well enough to become invested in them or their story.

Enjoyed it

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Second chances
Part of a series: Band of Brothers
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

This is the third book I have read in this series and I look forward to reading the other "brothers'" stories.

Barbara Ankrum writes sexy, swoon worthy romance with alpha hero’s you can’t help falling in love with and this story is a prime example of this. Prepare to be swept away with these characters as they take big steps to get their HEA and what a journey that is. Perfect blend of romance and action to keep you swiping the pages and wanting more. Would recommend

This is a second chance book.

Nio left behind Becca many years ago, There is a reason for this which is a betrayal to Becca, however now he is back . The story is in the present bringing them in the same social circle. They still have feelings for each other but forgiveness does not come easy.


For the most part this was a good book it had some lagging. I also felt that Becca was naive which bothered me.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

“Unsung Hero” is an emotional, second chance at love romance that will tug at your heartstrings, get you angry at times, misty-eyed at others but it will definitely pack an emotional punch.

At one time, Becca and Nio meant everything to each other. Young love didn’t care that they came from vastly different financial, social backgrounds. All that mattered was that they were in love… forever. Until Becca’s father stepped in, made some serious threats and for the good of the woman he loved Nio left town without a word. He vowed to return one day… but that important little tidbit of information was never told to Becca for her own good. It would only do harm for her to know what a nasty jerk her father truly was, so Nio made a choice to protect his woman in the only way he could – by leaving.

Now, a decade later, life has changed greatly for Becca and Nio. Oddly, their positions in life have reversed. Nio has returned to claim the woman he’s always loved, now that her father can no longer follow through on his threats… but it just may be too late, for now, Becca trusts no one, least of all Nio.

If you love a second chance romance with a couple who truly deserves to find happiness after all this time, then you’d enjoy “Unsung Hero”.

For me, “Unsung Hero” is the third story in the Band of Brothers series, so seeing it listed as the beginning story caused some confusion until I did a bit of research. You see, I’ve already read Holly and Trey’s romance in “A Little Christmas Magic” now titled “Once A Hero”. And I’ve enjoyed Gemma and Noah’s rocky road to happiness in “Road to You” now titled “Unexpected Hero”. While switching around the order of the stories in this series makes perfect sense… now. It doesn’t change the fact that I cannot unread those other books and put them into another order in my head. So some things that happen in “Unsung Hero” or people mentioned gave me a sense of déjà vu at unexpected places in this story. If “Unsung Hero” is where YOU are starting the Band of Brothers series then I’d encourage you to go pick up the other titles in this series, they are already available and you won’t have to wait for publication days. *binge read to your complete enjoyment*

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Unsung Hero is part of the Band of Brothers series by Barbara Ankrum. It is a self-contained story even with the references to others in the unit or their families. For Nio and Becca, it is a second chance that they do not ignore. The reunion happens fast while the cause for the breakup ten year earlier is not revealed until much later.

The poor boy/ rich girl trope is a big element of this story. Nio and Becca have moved on with their lives but seem to always be thinking of what might have been. Usually, I find that the time apart is necessary for the maturity of the characters. The same can be said for Nio and Becca. They are now ready for the relationship. The author does a tremendous job of conveying the emotions, the passions and the sense of loss that they felt. I would have liked to see Nio having to work harder to get back in Becca’s good graces. That happened very quickly.

Nio is a good man. He has pulled himself out of poverty and made a name for himself in the tech business world. He is all about family and taking care of his brother, father and others he cares about.

Nio Reyes left the woman he loved behind without a goodbye or an explanation ten years earlier. He had a good reason, but one he could not explain to her at the time. He is determined to win her back and help her understand why he left and that he never stopped loving her but is it possible, after so much time, for her to understand his reasons?

Becca Howard’s family has been rocked by the scandal and suicide of her father, the honorable Judge Howard. She has given up on love and men and trust. Her life has been in a downward spiral ever since the only man she really loved, Nio Reyes, left her ten years ago with no goodbye. Her fiance’ confessed to cheating on her and has now broken their engagement and she has to spend the weekend at a mutual friend’s wedding as if nothing has changed between them, even though nothing is the same. Not only does this weekend look like it can’t get any worse, she comes face to face with her former love, Nio Reyes, after ten long years. Can her heart take any more heartbreak? Is forgiveness even an option after he destroyed her heart? Can that kind of hurt ever be mended?

There is a fairly descriptive sex scene in this book and a smattering of some foul language. The story is well written and the characters are easy to identify with, and in the case of one, actually loathe.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my review.

Unsung Hero by Barbara Ankrum
Second chances are Nio Reyes’ specialty. He pulled himself out of childhood poverty to wealth and helped his Navy SEAL brother’s team recover after a mission went south. When he returns to his Laguna Beach hometown for a friend’s wedding, Nio will need all of his redemption skills to win back the woman he was forced to leave behind without an explanation ten years ago.
Becca Howard has quit believing in happily-ever-after’s. Scandal has ruined her once wealthy family, and betrayal has ended her engagement. She’s done with men or so she thinks. When Nio rises out of the ocean like a Greek god and announces he wants her back, she wants to run almost as much as she wants to stay.
Forgiving him is not an option. Getting over him is impossible. With secrets and family lies still standing in their way, can one long overdue weekend together in Laguna change everything?
This is Nio Reyes and Becca Howard 's story.
His return had been a decade in the making. He’d planned, prepared and rebuilt his life from the ground up to make it happen. Now, one long weekend would tell if everything he’d done and sacrificed for had been worth it. At last he’d come home.
For her.
Nio Reyes slid his board onto the waves at Brooks Street Beach, his favorite old Laguna haunt, as the sun pulled itself above the cliffs behind him. With the leftovers from a storm coming up out of Mexico, the usually glassy morning water was rough and had real potential for a good ride. A quick look at the lightening horizon had him paddling west with a stir of anticipation. He’d surfed other beaches over the years, other oceans, even, but none came close to this one.
Already the surf was dotted with a dozen locals hoping for a good morning ride. They were all kids, of course, with their skinny teenaged physiques and their suspicious, territorial looks, which he chose to ignore. Now he was the old man. The interloper past his prime.
He could remember thinking the same at their age. That life would likely be over by the time he hit thirty. Back then, he couldn’t imagine the turns his life would take. That his life was not, in fact, the fulcrum of everything, with the world pivoting around him, but instead a satellite that circled the things and people that had come to matter to him. At least those things he’d managed to hang onto.
Beside her, Milo, her half-spaniel, half-Maltese rescue, barked at the incoming waves with a joyous abandon, hopping across the nearby sand with his unique, rabbit-like bounce. That forced the first real smile of the day from her. Milo loved everyone and everything about his new life with her, all well documented by her camera. At this hour, most of the Laguna beaches were dog friendly, as long as the dogs were on a leash. So, a few shots and they would take a walk up the coastline for a bit before the day began.
With quick snaps of the shutter, she captured a series of photos of his antics that coaxed another smile from her before she turned her focus on the water. This time of the morning had always been her favorite. Off the beaten touristy path, this beach was a prime locals’ spot with breaks too close for boogie boarding and swimming, but perfect for surfers. She’d been coming here since she was thirteen, sliding down the crests alongside her friends, some of whom she spotted out there even today. Sometimes she still missed racing those waves, though she had quit surfing two years ago, but she contented herself with capturing them through the lens of her camera now. If she played her cards right, maybe someday she’d even work up the nerve to try again for a show at the local museum or one of the many art galleries that dotted Forest Avenue. Then, that otherwise worthless fine arts degree she’d gotten from Pasadena’s Art Center might actually pay off.
For the last few years Laguna, in all its particular beauty, had been the focus of her photography. A few months ago, she’d been obsessed with seabirds. Lately it had been the ocean. She’d reacquainted herself with the surfer boys here at Brooks and met the new ones. Even as she set up her camera’s tripod, a cocky pair of teenagers stopped to flex for her in greeting.
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."
I highly recommend reading.
Unsung Hero by Barbara Ankrum is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Barbara Ankrum.
A Cowboy to Remember
Big Marietta Fair
The Canadays of Montana
Choose Me, Cowboy
The 77th Copper Mountain Rodeo
The Canadays of Montana
The Christmas Wish
The Canadays of Montana
A Cowboy to Keep
The Canadays of Montana
Once a Hero
Band of Brothers
Unexpected Hero
Band of Brothers
Unsung Hero
Band of Brothers

Unsung Hero by Barbara Ankrum
Band of Brothers #1

This second chance at love romance tells the story of Antonio “Nio” Reyes and Becca Howard. It is also a rags to riches feel good story with one toppling from the heights and the other working his way up to the wealthy lifestyle he aspired to. The story was perhaps predictable but definitely left me feeling good about the two managing to finally achieve their HEA together, NOTE: I had the feeling more than once that there might be a prequel to this book as the “brothers” that Nio helped out (Navy SEALs in his brother’s SEAL team) are all mentioned and there is a back story for them that is not detailed OR there is another series this spins off from OR...something.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Adored this story! Nio and Becca are wonderful characters with a rocky past. They are great together though and you can't help but cheer for them. Learning to trust each other again won't come easy but with hard work and determination Nio convinces Becca to give him another chance. Their story is a heartwarming tale of forgiveness, understanding and hope for the future. It's beautifully written and I think everyone will love these characters as much as I do. Definitely a book I recommend.