Second Chance is just waiting for Anna and Sean in Safe Haven. Low Country Hero is a wonderful story of single mother Anna who meets military man Sean O’Dwyer. When they meet Sparks fly.

I Would like to rate it Five STARS and cannot wait to read next books in this series.

One childhood summer years ago, Anna George and her parents spent an idyllic vacation in Safe Haven, South Carolina. Now, Anna and her five-year-old twins, Hope & Hailey, need a safe haven far from her abusive ex, so she takes them from their Montana home to the one place she felt safe and cared for. Arriving at the quaint cabins they stayed in, she finds them closed for renovations. Undeterred, she finds a way in and sets up housekeeping in the most secluded cabin she can find. She barely has the girls settled for the night when a knock at the door tells her they've already been discovered.

Sean O'Dwyer knows how it feels to be abandoned. At 13, he watched as his violent father abducted his mother from the streets of Safe Haven leaving him to keep his two younger brothers safe. Raised in foster care, Sean truly trusts few people, so he is extra suspicious when he discovers a squatter in one of the cabins he is renovating. Finding that she has twin daughters throws a wrench in his plans to boot her out of the cabin. When he sees the bruises she hides, the protector in him comes out in full force. Can Sean gain Anna's trust enough to learn what or who she is hiding from?

This was a fantastic beginning to Lee Tobin McClain's Low Country series. I listened to the audio version of this book from my local library, and Tanya Eby does a great job with the narration! There are actually a couple of stories wrapped into one book that will make readers want to pick up the rest of the series. I look forward to reading Low Country Dreams.

read the third book in this series last Christmas and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to go back and read the first two. This series features the O'Dwyer brothers, three boys who were left behind when their mother disappeared while trying to escape her abusive husband. The boys were raised by different families, but still love one another and know they are family. This story is about Sean, the oldest of the brothers. He is refurbishing several beachfront cabins to open them once again. He stumbles upon a woman and her twin daughters squatting in one of the cabins. He immediately recognizes that she is a victim of abuse and tries his best to help her out. What he doesn't want to happen is to get attached to her and her children, but that is not as easy as it sounds.

Low Country Hero is a heartwarming, emotional story set in Safe Haven, South Carolina. Both Anna and Sean have scars and baggage that they need to get beyond if they want to have a happy, family life. This is a well-written story with characters that are smart and caring but wary. I loved the girls. They were so sweet, but also had a lot of fears that you would expect from children that had observed domestic abuse. There is some action and suspense in the story that had me on the edge of my seat, but fortunately, this is an uplifting, feel-good story. This story has themes of friendship, community, family, support and love mixed with the effects of domestic abuse, and preconceived notions of children with special needs. I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading or listening to Liam's story.

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.
This was a decent read. I read through it pretty quickly. It was fairly light and sweet. I liked both main characters. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Anna is fleeing form a life no one wants to have, two young children, no income, fearing for their safety. A strong, brave, and protective Anna pulls everything she has together to start a new life for her and the her two daughters. Breaking and entering was never something she thought she would do, striving to do what best, life becoming interesting quickly when Sean involves himself in the mix. Beaten down and broken, Anna slowly pieces her life back together while living in the shadows.

Sean is struggling to stay focused and find his path in life, he is a man that possess many skills yet unable to find peace in his life. Plagued by memories of an abusive father, Sean tries to change his life so he may never become like his father. Volunteering his time to shelters and Friday night dinners with his foster mom, led Sean to helping Anna more than he hoped.

So many characters and different plot lines running through Low Country Hero, it pulls a reader in and invests them in the town of Safe Haven. The characters were very well developed, all of them seemed relatable, easy to picture and could possibly be your neighbor. The chemistry between Sean and Anna was there from the first moment they met, the tension ran thick throughout the remainder of the novel. Seeing the emotional depth between the two made the hope for a happily-ever-after so much stronger. The happily-ever-after does happen for Anna and Sean but the big plot twist is still hanging on for another installment in the Safe Haven series. Ms. McClain has found a new follower eagerly awaiting for the next book!

Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain is a sweet heartwarming read that is set in South Carolina. Anna and Sean both have a past that makes you want to see them find happiness. This story is touching and heart felt. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

This is the first book in a new series, Safe Haven. It deals with the unpleasant topic of spousal abuse and domestic violence. We learn how Sean is so aware of this subject from when he was a young boy. Anna has sought refuge in Safe Haven with her twin daughters to get away from the man she thought she was married to but finds out he was already married. Some violence but a well written story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I picked Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain because of the coastal South Carolina setting and the RaeAnne Thayne quote on the cover!

Low Country Hero takes place in the small, close-knit community of Safe Haven, SC where the neighbors always seem willing to pitch in and lend a hand to help one another. They also know a lot about each other, but that’s almost always the case in small towns, and it actually helps this story flow along as at least one of these characters is looking to find out more about his/her past but is unable to remember. And there is one place in the story where a character makes a comment, something about how people seem to gravitate to Safe Haven because it is a great place to start their lives over–that is essentially where we find Anna.

Anna George is new to town with her two young twins after fleeing her abusive husband in Montana. She has happened upon a cabin in a secluded neighborhood near the coast, and since she doesn’t have many resources, she decides to camp out in the cabin for a while and try to save money to start over with her girls. Sean O’Dwyer is nearby and finds her sneakily staying in one of the cabins in the neighborhood he is renovating. Sean has compassion for her and the children and works it out with the owner so she can stay in exchange for her help with the renovations. Over the course of the story, Anna and Sean grow closer, and Sean grows closer to the young girls. This is the romance aspect of the story.

There is another large part of the story that is Sean’s backstory, which includes foster families, a troubled past, the traumatic loss of his mother at a young age, and overcoming the odds to own his own business. Sean recognizes something in Anna that pulls at him from some dark places in his past. There is something about her desperation to flee her abusive husband and protect her girls at all costs that reminds him of his mother, way in the back of his memory. He really wants to help Anna.

I was pulled into this story not only because I liked Anna and Sean, but because there is a suspenseful element to it. Between not knowing what Anna’s ex-husband is up to and if he’ll find her to some of the secondary storylines to the more intense ending-these pages turned pretty fast for me. I also love the small-town aspect so much. Speaking of the secondary characters, there are a couple of smaller storylines involving one or two other characters that may end up being featured more heavily later in this series, and I’m excited to see where these characters’ lives will take them. In the meantime, I love Sean’s family and friends and the good community of Safe Haven, and I’m excited to learn more about all of them.

A sidenote: at first, I was surprised at how much page space the abuse and trauma-talk took up. It felt like it was so much, especially for a romance story. But as I read, I realized how central those themes were to this particular story and how essential they would be to understanding where these characters came from so I could fully appreciate where they would eventually end up.

I’m super glad that I decided to read this one. The end was more thrilling than I anticipated. The story probably wrapped up more neatly than real life would be, but that’s okay and I’m excited for the next installment. I hope I can read it soon.

Honestly, I’m torn on my thoughts for this book. Low Country Hero is the first book in Lee Tobin McClain’s Safe Haven series. I’m always up for a new second chances novel.

Right out the gate, the book had me hooked at the Prologue. It really intrigued me and I wanted to know what happened to this woman and her children. Here comes my conflicted thoughts. I’m not sure if this was to set up the foundation of the series for their story to unravel over time. If that is why, than I’ll accept it but I did feel cheated because it sort of was a let down because I really wanted to know. Even though we get little bits of information there were moments of the book that it could’ve been explored and revealed but it didn’t. So, I guess I’ll just have to stick around and see how it all plays out. By the way, this was my only issue, everything else was good.

The book touched upon domestic violence bringing different perspectives in the storylines. Safe Haven, such the fitting name for a town that took care of each other. I loved the role Yasmin and Ma Dixie had in the book. They gave a safe haven to the women and children who needed support in their lives. It would be nice to see in the other books more about them and their lives.

It was refreshing reading about Anna’s journey. Seeing a character such as her is inspiring for women who didn’t have the courage to leave their situation. She risked everything to leave her abusive husband . Trying to stay strong for girls and rebuild their life was a wonderful thing. Also seeing the evolution of her children puts things in perspective.

Seeing the effects of abuse from the perspective of the children as adults. Sean, who befriended Anna, he and his brothers Liam and Cash with the guidance of Ma Dixie and Safe Haven grew up to make good lives for themselves in spite of the psychological abuses as children. It was interesting seeing their perspective and how it affected their lives and relationships. The was more evident in the relationship with Anna and Sean. It was thought provoking seeing two abused people struggle and break through the boundaries to moved from their abused pasts to where they are now.

Overall, the book had a really nice story mixed with some important themes that blended well into it. There is many perspectives with a great takeaway. The other characters in the book brought some warmth and charm. I’m looking forward to seeing how the other characters are explored in the upcoming books, especially getting my questions answered. This looks like it’s going to be a nice series. I’d recommend checking it out.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a place named Safe Haven really existed? A place literally designed to shelter s from our particular burdens and filled with mostly kind hearted people with good intentions. Somewhere that refuge is offered to those in need of a clean slate to start over.

Safe Haven, both the book and the town, seemed to me to be a metaphor for our relationship with God. God is there to take us in, protect us, and help us, if only we accept His guidance and place our trust in Him. But just like Anna, we can’t understand that sort of unconditional love, so we doubt Him and reject Him. We try to take on the world by ourselves, only to realize, over and over again, that we can’t. Like Anna resists and becomes skeptical of the help offered by those in Safe Haven, we are distrust God.

I’m purposefully drawing my metaphor from the idea of the town itself, and not from the people within. The people of Safe Haven disrupt its purpose much like man did on earth, following their own fears and selfish desires, creating imperfections in God’s sanctuary. However, the real beauty of this story are the flaws. The people are wonderful, but also imperfect. There are no one dimensional characters here.

The suspense in this novel is real and the mysteries abound. Paced very well and sometimes shocking, Lee Tobin McClain doesn’t pull any emotional punches. Safe Haven is part one of a series, and given the ending of this installment, I am impatient to read #2.


* Special thanks to Lee Tobin McClain, HQN, and TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of Low Country Hero in exchange for an honest review.

Low Country Hero was my first time reading Lee Tobin McClain's work and I wasn't disappointed. The first title in the Safe Haven series is an emotional, heartfelt and inspiring story with a touch of intrigue and suspense. Anna and Sean's story is one of family, friendship and community told in multiple points of view.

The hero and heroine are both strong, courageous, and damaged characters.

Anna George has been dealt a bad hand in life. She's a survivor, and has dealt with her fair share of loss, heartache and abuse and is determined for her young daughters to find safety, happiness and community.

Sean O'Dwyer a former foster child, and military man is kind, caring and compassionate man who has his own suitcase full of baggage.

This title is a slow burn romance, that doesn't have the heat and steam that other romances have, but it certainly doesn't lack emotion.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters and cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

I've been a fan of Lee Tobin McClain's books for a few years, so I was excited to hear she was launching a new series featuring three brothers. The low country of South Carolina is always an appealing setting in my opinion, and the author did a wonderful job creating the small town of Safe Haven that readers could fall in love with. Low Country Hero is a sweet blend of wholesome romance with deeper layers, including a suspenseful subplot. I enjoyed the unique, diverse cast of characters as well as the poignant themes of finding hope and love and learning to trust again after enduring the pain and trauma of domestic violence. I can't wait to see what happens next between Rita and Jimmy, and I'm looking forward to learning more about Liam and Cash too.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions shared here are my own.

Low Country Hero is the first in a new series about a small town called Safe Haven. It's a town known for being a safe place to recover and find new life. This is Anna and Sean's story. The prologue was pretty in your face brutal and sad. But, it sets up the reason for Sean and his brothers to be raised in Safe Haven.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I thought it did a nice job of dealing with the reality of domestic abuse. However, I thought the romance between Anna and Sean was way too fast. I would have loved to see Anna stand on her own two feet and be financially secure before agreeing to have a HEA with another man. I just felt like the trust and love came too soon. But that is on me. It was still an enjoyable read. I loved the twins! They were the best part of the book. I will probably check out the next one to see Liam's story.

With every romance I read, I look for that one story that will leave its indelible mark. The one that will uplift and inspire. The one that will shine a light in the darkness, remind me of the good still out there in our world and restore my faith in humanity. The one that will encourage me to be a better version of myself and leave me better for having read it. Low Country Hero is that story.

Sean O'Dwyer was raised in the small, seaside town of Safe Haven, SC, and doesn’t remember much of his life before his arrival there at age thirteen. The memory of his abusive father haunts him into adulthood, however, and his last memory of his mother was watching his father forcefully drag her to his truck and drive away, leaving Sean and his two younger brothers alone and abandoned. Anna George has her own issues, having escaped her abusive, common-law husband and fled to Safe Haven with her young twin daughters. Hayley and Hope bear the weight of witnessing their mother's abuse, manifested in selective mutism and distrust of strangers.

I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around the thirteen-year-old Sean and take away all of his pain. Although he had wonderful, loving role models and a benevolent community who helped him grow into a strong, caring man, the evil of his abusive father and the fracture of losing his mother run so deep that healing the hurt is nearly impossible. But fight it as he may, Anna, with all too familiar fading bruises, and her adorable twin daughters somehow manage to work their way through the crack in Sean's heart and, bit by bit, slowly knit the pieces back together.

Trust isn’t something that comes easily to Anna, understandably, especially when it comes to men, where she always assumes the worst. But in the same way she and her daughter’s play a role in Sean's healing, the wonderful people of Safe Haven manage over time to work similar miracles in Anna's heart and psyche, enfolding her into their community and lives, giving her the unconditional love and acceptance she's never before experienced. When danger catches up with her, it’s no longer Anna fighting alone, but the whole town fighting for her and her daughters.

Honestly, I’m at a loss to explain how truly amazing this book is. These two strong, courageous characters, devastatingly damaged by similar circumstances yet affected in very different ways, instantly won my heart. If that’s not enough, the adorable, precious twins absconded with that very same heart. The vivid descriptions of my beloved low country felt like coming home, and I fell in love a third time with the colorful, charming secondary characters.

Then there is the story itself. While it lacks the sensuality some readers prefer, it more than makes up for it with palpable chemistry, many faces of love and deep, heartfelt emotions. It reaches to the reader’s soul with subtle complexities, hidden depths, understated analogies and inspiring messages. This beautiful, evocative, heartwarming book is one that will stay with me for a lifetime and I can’t wait to return to Safe Haven for the next brother, Liam's, story. Low Country Hero is easily in my top five inspiring reads for the year, and you won’t want to miss this phenomenal book!

*I reviewed an advance copy of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. But unfortunately it had some glaring red flags that turned me off from the beginning. First, The prologue had me hooked. It was sad and desperate and draws you right in. But after that things immediately took a bad turn... within minutes of meeting a domestic violence counselor the COUNSELOR starts talking crap about another woman and gossiping about if anyone believes her claims. The whole thing with Tony’s wife and the “she’s a liar and made it up” while portraying the heroine as a believable victim.. ugh. It just bothered me to no end. It felt cheap and unnecessary for such a serious issue. After that I found myself checked out... I couldn’t relate to the characters and instead of feeling for Anne I was more annoyed by the whole story. Unfortunately because of the way the author handled the domestic violence issue it just wasn’t the book for me.

** arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **

This book was my first from this author and won't be my last especially as Low Country Hero is the first of a new series. With an interesting and enthralling setting that plays a major part in the story, Lee Tobin McClain introduces us to two main characters who have very delicate and painful histories. McClain, from the third person POV, gives us a slow burning romance with a skittish heroine running from her past and a tortured hero slamming right back into his own. They meet somewhere in the middle and the protection he provides coupled with the safety she feels intertwines into a complicated story of letting go and letting in.

The colorful cast of characters in this story kept me engaged the entire time. It's not just the hero and heroine's story as McClain makes it plain through her subplot and her detailed points of the setting that a lot more is happening in Safe Haven. She prepares us through these two characters for more to come while giving us a lovely story of redemption and kinship through these two. All the characters provide rich details of the past and illuminating thoughts on the future. Some of the inner dialogue and conflict became cumbersome and boring to me as I thought it drug a bit in spots and really kept me from falling in love with the story. But overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.

3.5 Stars

This is my first read of this author. I didn't realize this was the start of a series. Having finished it, I now think I could go into it more objectively. It reads like the start of a series. We get the make up of the small town. We meet lots of secondary characters. There are a couple of other story lines going on besides the one with Anna and Sean. So, fair warning, this appears to be a family saga and although there is somewhat of a resolve to this story, there are many questions left at the end.

I love a tortured hero story and Sean meets this challenge. Ex-military and ex-foster care, oldest brother tasked with protecting his younger brothers. It all adds up to someone who deserves love. I am not sure Anna is his perfect match but his need to protect draws him to her. This a slow burn building friendship and trust between them.

Loved the twins and Ma Dixie. I loved the small town gossipy,quirkiness of Safe Haven. I assume the other brothers will each get books?? I would read them if for nothing else than to get the resolve of the set ups presented in this book.

Worth another look.

This book was another success by McClain. There were some very difficult topics dealt with in this story and this author did a great job of making these situations real and believable. The characters were very well rounded and I enjoyed seeing how they changed throughout the story. I loved that not all my questions were answered, but enough was described that had me wanting more with each chapter that I read. I hope more questions are answered in the next book. Overall this story was well written and the author made me feel like I was part of this story. I look forward to more books in this series.

Sean and Anna both experiences abusive relationships- Sean with his father and Anna with her ex husband. When they are both living in the same safe place, a relationship starts to form. But, Anna’s not safe. Her ex is hunting for her.

I found the story to be as good as usual for McClain, although a bit choppy at times. The characters were well-developed and the book was good. I give this 4 stars.

This is a can't miss book. It is so good I stayed up all night reading it. I can't wait for the next one. I cannot gush enough good things about this book.
Sean's father was abusive and is the reason his mother disappeared. Sean and his brothers figure that she is dead, or is she, Anna and her twins are running from an abusive husband. An they make a relationship work? Who is Rita could she possibly be Sean's long lost mother?

Thank you netgalley and harlequin for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.