Review: Trusting the Hero - Heroes of Freedom Ridge #8

Trusting the Hero book cover on blue background

I'm sneaking one more Heroes of Freedom Ridge book in before the end of the year, which means that I'm almost halfway through the series! Trusting the Hero is the eighth book in this series, and is the second book by Hannah Jo Abbott.

Book Synopsis

He wants to protect her, but she’s desperate to keep her secret.

When Addison Monroe moved to Freedom and landed a job at the resort, she knew this was the community she had always wanted. But her hidden past comes calling, and Addison is forced to call the police for help. Despite the danger, she needs to keep her secrets safe - even from the handsome officer assigned to her case.

Ty Riggs came to Freedom in search of a fresh start and a new challenge - which he finds as a police officer in the small town. But the hurt from his past makes it hard for him to feel a part of the close-knit community. When He takes on Addison’s case, he can’t help but be drawn to her, but she has thick walls and won’t let him through.

Addison wants to let Ty in, but she’s afraid telling him everything will cost her the life she’s come to love. When they’re both put in danger, will they be able to trust each other with the truth?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

You really can't go wrong with the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series. Even though I haven't finished it, after getting a taste of most of the authors who have written for this series so far, it's been wonderful to not only discover new authors, but to also enjoy the continuing storylines when earlier authors are back! In this book, it makes so much sense that Carson and Nicole have returned from Stranded with the Hero and that they are friends with Ty and Addison. It's lovely getting to see how a couple has progressed while at the same time, seeing a new relationship start budding. In this case, reading about the two couples together has been double the fun!

I love that although Ty and Addison both come from different and difficult circumstances, they are open to seeing how God will work in their lives. I also love that Carson and Nicole are persistent with their friends, but gentle and loving, especially as it comes to church. The element of suspense in the book ramps up the need for protective services, which gives the characters more opportunities to interact with each other. Since I don't want to give away any spoilers, let's just say that Hannah Jo Abbott is excellent at building up a mystery and keeping readers engaged and on their toes. Trusting the Hero is about so much more than Ty and Addison trusting each other; ultimately, the book is about their journey in fully trusting God and His ways.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Reader Identity

The more I share my book thoughts and reviews, the more amazed I am at how many readers there are out there and just how many people enjoy talking about the books they're reading. Quite frankly, I'm blown away by the notion that there are people actively wanting to adopt the persona of being a reader, whereas I remember growing up, it was stigmatized as either boring or 'nerdy'. I used to cringe when I was in a position where I was asked to share about my hobbies as reading seemed to generate a sort of response where others would murmur about how they didn't know that people did that for fun. To be fair, this might have been some of the social circles or settings I've been a part of over the years, but I think reading has generally become more mainstream now. Thankfully, I can let people know that I spend almost all of my free time reading (amongst other things), and others don't seem to bat an eye anymore. While I have seen some content that discourages peo...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available to you or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: September 23, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: U.S., Canadian, and U.K. residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availabi...

The Rise and Fall

I've shared before that being on Threads has been an interesting experience. It's certainly helpful in better understanding book trends as a whole, but a lot of the controversies I read about about are—in a word—awful. Awful for readers and authors alike, which is somehow a unique shared experience. I suppose that with symbiosis, when one falters, it affects the other. I'm likely not alone in my observation that there appears to be a lot more authors who are caught in the crosshairs of being popular one day and then being cancelled the next day. It's an interesting phenomenon where, with shared accountability, there is an increased demand that authors get things right, which I can't fault or disagree with. However, the speed at which the tides turn amazes me where people will spend a lot of time and resources on a particular author, only to "dump" them as soon as there is a hint (or more, way more) of controversy. I'm not questioning whether it's l...