The Unintended Hero
by Rita M. Reali
What starts out as an average day ends up being anything but.
When Marc Lindemeyr wakes up the first Tuesday in July, his plans include lunch with his fiancée, Marie, then driving her to JFK International Airport to catch a flight to a medical conference. He fully expects to be back in time for work. But he doesn’t know the half of it.
Before long, Marc finds himself at the center of an international incident – suddenly recognizable and instantly beloved. And that’s just what the shy nighttime radio announcer doesn’t want.
Through it all, Marc learns how – and how not – to navigate life in the spotlight, how to accept comfort when it’s offered… and what being a real hero is all about.
This is the author's favorite book in the series.
What readers are saying
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rita has taken the Sheldon family to an all new level bringing married life and family values to a brilliant light. The characters are confident yet vulnerable, filled with love and loyalty. This new novel screams, "Welcome to the Family" to this reader!”
— Amazon reader
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reading Rita Reali’s newest novel, The Unintended Hero, was like catching up with old friends for me. This is the third book in her Sheldon Family Saga. The novel works well as a stand-alone, but you will get even more from it if you first read Diagnosis: Love and A Glimpse of Emerald. Reali is a master at character development. I’ve come to care greatly for Marc and Marie, the two main characters in The Unintended Hero. There’s a lot going on for them here, and I was rooting for them through every chapter. Romance fans will love this book, but there’s much more to it, including family relationships, a bit of international intrigue, and the true meaning of heroism. Do yourself a favor. Sit down and read all three of Rita Reali’s novels, and get lost in the world of The Sheldon Family!”
— Kimberly D.
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I always picture the story in my mind as I'm reading. Such detail in describing the passion, the beauty of Portugal and how horrific the flight situation was. Now that I've seen the preview of book 4 I can't wait to read it!”
— Patti Pensanti
More books by Rita M. Reali
Glimpse of Emerald
Book One in the Sheldon Family Saga. All books in the Sheldon Family Saga are standalone works.
Abandonment. Abuse. Betrayal. Rejection. By the age of 18, Gary Sheldon has endured all of these things. The one constant is the unwavering love and faith-driven support of Edward, his beloved grandfather. All too soon, the old man dies and all Gary has left is memories – and his granddad’s treasured rosary beads.
When Gary meets Michaela, her spitfire assertiveness shines through her somber façade and they forge an unlikely friendship… which deepens into love. But will the terrible secret Michaela acquires during their courtship derail their relationship?
Over time, a series of harsh revelations makes Gary re-evaluate everything he was certain of. Can he salvage the tattered shreds of his marriage? Will Michaela’s awful secret drive a deeper wedge between her and Gary? Or will their faith enable them to pick up the pieces and heal together?
Diagnosis: Love
Book two in the Sheldon Family Saga. All books in the Sheldon Family Saga are standalone works.
Nighttime radio announcer Marc Lindemeyr always blamed himself for his best friend’s suicide during senior year of high school. Haunted by a prickly incident with Patrick six weeks earlier, Marc’s life spirals into despair while his aspirations of studying architecture at Yale wither and fade.
Dr. Marie Sheldon has never liked her brother Gary’s radio-station coworker and close friend. She acts overtly hostile and disdainful toward Marc whenever their paths cross.
Can Marc make peace with his past and forge a dynamic future with the woman he loves? And can Marie curb her hostility long enough to recognize how deeply she loves Marc before it’s too late?
Second Chances
Book Four in the Sheldon Family Saga. All books in the Sheldon Family Saga are standalone works.
A reader favorite!
Gary Sheldon is about to meet the child he never knew he had. Within months, the popular afternoon-drive radio announcer and music director at Connecticut's Z97-3 initiates a lawsuit seeking full custody of his nine-year-old daughter.
Some years later, after enduring an acrimonious custody battle for the little girl, Gary finds himself embroiled in a shocking legal drama involving a teenage intern at the radio station. The bitter conflict threatens his career, his reputation and his faith.
Amid mounting trauma, Gary faces his steepest challenge yet: to extend forgiveness and second chances (and learn to accept them himself when they're offered). In doing so, he embraces the faith that sustained him when he feared all was lost.
Tender Mercies
Book Five in the Sheldon Family Saga. All books in the Sheldon Family Saga are standalone works.
Pregnant and ostracized, 16-year-old Dani seeks out her long-ago religion teacher for help. She never expected his reaction.
Gary Sheldon’s former students could always turn to him with any problem. His wife, Michaela, has been supportive of his involvement in their lives thus far; but when two teens divulge simultaneous life-changing situations, Gary must put their concerns into perspective with his own family’s needs.
In Tender Mercies, Gary and Michaela demonstrate Christ’s love in action as they open their home to a teenage girl with dark secrets. Gradually, horrific surprises emerge as she reveals deeply harbored dysfunction and violence. A compelling tale of hope triumphing over evil.
Brothers By Betrayal
Book six in the Sheldon Family Saga. All books in the Sheldon Family Saga are standalone works.
The last thing Gary Sheldon ever expected was to come face to face with his double. But today was the day his sister always dreaded, and their mother knew might eventually come. The sudden arrival of James Griffin sets in motion a series of relational upheavals for the Sheldon family – coinciding with a chain reaction of tumultuous events for Gary’s teenage daughter, Erin.