Review: "Low Country Hero" by Lee Tobin McClain

While I have a couple of Lee Tobin McClain's books on my Kindle (thank you, Kindle freebies!), I hadn't read any of her books before picking up Low Country Hero. Now I'm ready to read more!

---

Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.

---

Low Country Hero, the first book in Lee Tobin McClain's Safe Haven series, introduces readers to the O'Dwyer brothers, three siblings who found a home in Safe Haven, South Carolina, after their mother disappeared.

This first installment is oldest brother Sean's story. Newly returned to Safe Haven following a divorce, he discovers a woman and her young daughters squatting on the property he's renovating. He soon learns that the woman, Anna, is a victim of domestic abuse, and he can't help but be drawn to her.

I really enjoyed this first look at Safe Haven! The main story of Anna and Sean is all contained in this novel, but many other plot threads are left hanging, which definitely makes me want to come back for book two! I enjoyed watching Anna and Sean fall for each other, and I thought his relationship with Anna's daughters was really sweet. While I didn't particularly care for the romance involving Rita, a mysterious woman who shows up in town, simply because it seemed to be based purely on physical attraction, I did like Rita very much, and I look forward to continuing her story in future novels. Really, all of the minor characters are charming (well, except for the ones who aren't supposed to be), and Low Country Hero sets up what's sure to be a great small town series.

I could see this book series turning into a Hallmark Channel series in the vein of Chesapeake Shores or Cedar Cove, and I would be all for it! (Are you listening, Hallmark?) 4 stars.

Content note: This novel deals with domestic violence, which may be a trigger for some readers. It's a mainstream Harlequin HQN novel, but it's definitely a clean read—no swearing or sex, even behind closed doors.

Follow the tour.
Buy the book: Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

---

Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. The PW bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired and twenty independently-published novels and novellas, she recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, coming in 2019. When she's not writing, she's probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, mediating battles between her goofy goldendoodle puppy and her rescue cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University's MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

Connect with Lee: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."