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 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.
( )

This is my first book by this author. Based on book titles, I expected this to be a romance novel and nothing else. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that it was way more than a romance novel - even though there is romance in it. The book is about spousal abuse and how it affects not only the partner being abused but also the children who are aware of the situation.

Anna arrives in Safe Haven, SC, after a long drive from MN with her 5 year old twins. Even though she didn't know anyone in this small town, she had spent time here as a child and had fond memories of it. She also believed that it was somewhere safe for her to hide from her abusive husband. She soon meets Sean, the ex army contractor who is renovating the cabin that she broke into. Because of his childhood, he recognizes that he and Anna are survivors and he offers her a job with the renovations in exchange for a place to live. He also tries to help her twin daughters who are non-verbal around strangers. Can he and Anna find peace and a life together or will their past memories keep them apart?

Overall, I thought that this was a well written story with a lot of interesting characters in this small town. I realized near the end that some of the questions wouldn't be answered in this book and that it was the first book in a new series. I am interested in these characters and look forward to the next book in the Safe Haven series.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Low County Hero is the first book in the Safe Haven series. After reading this, I am happy to know there will be more books following in the series. This was a romantic suspense that focuses on domestic violence. Even though I knew some of the things that would happen I still really enjoyed this.

This follows two different stories, but they are intertwined. I do not want to give too much away, but I loved both stories around Anna and Rita. This opens up with an intense prologue which caught my attention. I never lost interest as the story continued to progress.

There were a few things that I was not a fan of like saying the twins had special needs for having selective mutism. This was most likely from the trauma they witnessed from their parents. However; this was just something that I would have liked described as something different but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story itself.

This also leaves so many unanswered questions around Rita and her story. I need book two now to know what happens!

Overall, I really enjoyed this and hope to continue on with the series in the future. I was sent a copy from the publisher. ( )