Starred review from July 4, 2022
Bestseller McClain (the Safe Haven series) launches her Hometown Brothers series with a magnetic second-chance romance. Marine biologist Ryan Hastings returns to the Chesapeake Bay’s Teaberry Island to stay with his foster mother, Betty Raines, as she mourns the death of her husband, Wayne. He’s nervous to see Mellie, his high school girlfriend and Betty’s neighbor, for the first time since he moved away for college and broke her heart—and he’s certainly not expecting Mellie to have a precocious 10-year-old son, Alfie, who’s eager to help Ryan in his bay-related research. Ryan’s instantly drawn to their small family, but he worries that the abuse he suffered before moving in with Betty and Wayne left him unfit to be anyone’s partner, let alone a surrogate father. Meanwhile, Mellie fears the consequences if Ryan learns the truth of Alfie’s parentage. As they forge a tentative friendship that slowly blossoms into love, Mellie and Ryan must let go of secrets and learn to forgive. McClain pits her charming, authentic characters against the realistic problems of everyday life, making for a story that is deeply emotional but never soapy. The welcoming community and beautifully described scenery of Teaberry Island only enhance this cozy romance. Readers won’t want to put this down. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Assoc.
August 1, 2022
The first in McClain's romance trilogy about three foster brothers finding their true loves will have readers eagerly awaiting the next installments. Ryan, Cody, and Luis, all very different from each other, met as children when Betty and Wayne Raines took them into their home on Teaberry Island in the Chesapeake. Ryan, a brilliant ecology scientist who had been brutally abused as a child, returns to the island after learning that Betty needs help following Wayne's death. Ryan is also writing a grant proposal for a study to improve the ecology of the island, from microscopic organisms to the people who live there. In high school, Ryan and Mellie had one sexual encounter, after which Ryan left the island. He doesn't know that he's the father of her 10-year-old son, Alfie, although others in the family were fully aware. As Mellie steps in to help Betty, and Alfie, a brilliant child targeted for bullying, befriends Ryan, love begins to grow. This sweet romance with its environmental theme and small-town relationships will appeal to readers at many stages in life.
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