Lee Tobin McClain

The first installment in the Safe Haven series, Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain is a poignant yet heartwarming romance.

Former soldier Sean O'Dwyer has returned to Safe Haven, SC after several years away. He remains close with his brothers, Liam, who is a police officer in town and Cash, who returns frequently to visit his family. Sean is dedicated to his foster mom, Ma Dixie, and he is trying to help his foster brother, Tony, who is struggling to escape his ex-wife Brandi. Needing some show more peace and quiet, Sean is renovating several beach cabins when he meets Anna George and her five year old twins, Hayley and Hope. Sean is drawn to the small family and despite his reservations, he enjoys spending time with them. However, his unsettled past continues to haunt him which forces Sean to make a difficult decision about his relationship with Ann and the girls.

Anna has finally gotten the courage to leave her abusive ex, Beau, and she is trying to keep a low profile in case he comes looking for her. She does not find it easy to trust anyone and she struggles with letting anyone get close to her and her daughters. In spite of her trepidation, Anna gradually lets Sean, Ma Dixie and a few other townspeople into her life. As she begins to let down her guard just a bit, Anna is stunned when Sean suddenly pulls away from her, Hope and Hayley.

Due to his family history, Sean does not allow himself to consider having children. Neither he nor his brothers have come to terms with what happened to them after they arrived in Safe Haven. Sean completely understands Anna's situation and in spite of his efforts to stay away from her, he cannot resist getting to know her, Hope and Hayley. When he can no longer ignore his fears of becoming too attached, will Sean ruin any chance of a future with Anna? And when Anna's past catches up with her, can Sean protect her from harm?

Low Country Hero is a captivating romance with engaging characters and a realistic storyline. Anna and Sean have yet to make peace with their difficult pasts yet their attraction to one another proves to be impossible to resist. Little Hope and Hayley's reaction to the turmoil in their lives tugs on the heartstrings. Lee Tobin McClain deftly handles the domestic violence portion of the storyline with sensitivity. Readers who enjoy a clean romance with a slight element of suspense will enjoy this first outing in the Safe Haven series. show less

A big coincidence is revealed early on (so it’s not a spoiler) when Carlo comes home to his sister’s place after years away, and discovers that the four year old daughter he’s only just learned about happens to be house-sitting along with her potential adoptive mom.

It’s the kind of too convenient scenario that in many instances likely would have earned an eye-roll from me, and maybe even hindered my ability to get into the story when it starts off on such a manipulative note, but show more the author did such a winning job with the characters and their emotions, that happily I was able to shake off the unlikeliness of the situation almost immediately and just settle in for good storytelling.

I love that the heroine Fern is an introvert and how it’s handled with love and respect throughout the story, at no point is another character expecting her or pushing her to be something other than this person who sometimes needs time apart, needs quiet, instead both the hero, Carlo, and the little girl, Mercy, treat it with great understanding that the world could use more of.

As for Carlo, while I would have liked to learn a bit more about his past in the military and his missionary work (he has a pretty violent response to being startled early on that maybe could have been explored), I get that the book does have a limited word count and needed to prioritize the relationships with Fern and his daughter instead.

Along with a strong sense of community, I think where this one really worked for me was in the conflict, sure it’s a romance so the happily ever after was guaranteed, but with such a high-stakes conflict in the custody of this child (who has a believable emotional arc of her own), the journey to get to the happily ever after remained tense and page-turning throughout. show less

I found the two main characters compelling. It was interesting to see how one of them would act a certain way for a certain reason or belief and then see how that action was perceived differently by the other person. I liked the idea of a Sacred Brotherhood.

I wish the author had come up with a better, more original plot than the two main characters like each other, but each assumes 1. the other doesn't like him/her and 2. their not good enough for the other. It's a plot that's very overdone show more in romance novels.

Even with that, though, I'd read more books in this series. show less

This was a nice second chance romance filled with broken people. Ryan Hastings was a product of child abuse who finally found a home on Teaberry Island with Betty and Wayne. Mellie Anderson was the girl next door who had issues of her own taking care of her father and younger sisters when her mother left. They had a brief romance before fear of relationships sent him running from the island.

Ten years have passed. Betty is now a widow who is suffering from depression after the death of her show more husband. Ryan is a well-known scientist who wants to help out his foster mother and save the Chesapeake Bay. Mellie runs the local grocery store and keeps busy caring for her genius ten-year-old son Alfie who is Ryan's son.

With Ryan back on the island for some time now, Mellie is conflicted. She knows she ought to tell Ryan that she had his baby. But as he was leaving, he told her that he never wanted children and Wayne counseled her that he didn't think Ryan would ever be able to get over his childhood trauma and form a lasting non-abusive relationship.

There was a very emotional story. The characters traveled from fear and anger and had to deal with their own uncertainties about each other and themselves. I liked the relationship that grew between Alfie and Ryan. I also thought the progression of Ryan and Mellie's relationship was very realistic.

Fans of second chance romances will enjoy this sweet romance. show less