Ames’ review of The Hero by Robyn Carr.
In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can’t be worse than what they’ve left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.
As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he’s not looking for anything else. Instead, he’s thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point’s high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he’s gentle and kind…just the kind of man who could heal Devon’s wounded heart.
Devon thought she wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it…and sometimes, you find a hero.
With The Hero, Robyn Carr introduces two new characters to Thunder Point, Devon McAllister and her three year old daughter, Mercy. She’s picked up by Rawley Goode on the highway after escaping the Fellowship, a quasi-religious cult. Rawley works for Cooper and he’s a quiet, but good man. Devon, after he’s shown her kindness, decides to trust him and stays with him a while to get on her feet. It’s not long before the people of Thunder Point make her feel welcome and she starts a new life there. But her past with the Fellowship haunts her and she doesn’t feel 100% safe.
I have to admit, I didn’t enjoy the Hero as much as the previous two Thunder Point books. Part of it was these characters that I have come to know so well and really enjoy, I thought their problems and stories were put on the backburner. Example: Sarah and her position in the Coast Guard. She really struggled in book 2 over staying in the Coast Guard and getting posted to Florida or remaining in Thunder Point for Landon. She hadn’t reached a decision in book 2 and then really fast in The Hero she’s made her decision and I’m sorry but it doesn’t ring true to her character. And yes it’s a decision I like the end result of, but I wanted her to have her cake and eat it too. However, I did enjoy her and Cooper’s scenes together and I’m glad they’re still part of the story.
The other one I was sad to see only a small mention of was Ashley. She’s Gina’s daughter and there was an interesting development developing in the second book for her. Well again, it’s spoken of like a done deal and I really would have liked to have seen the progression of her relationship with the boy she’s now dating. Over all, I hope we see more of Ashley if there’s more books in this series.
But back to Devon. I liked her story and development as a character. She’s come from a cult where individuality is done away with and the men make all the decisions. She has to learn to stand on her own two feet again and support herself. That was well done. Her romance happened a bit quickly for my taste, considering the man she meets is a recent widower. But I did feel that they fit together. Theirs is an understated story, but it made for a quick enjoyable read.
I have to give The Hero a 3.5 out of 5. I really wanted more of the other characters I have come to enjoy.
This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Thunder Point series order:
The Wanderer
The Newcomer
The Hero
I think at the end of book 2, when Cooper tells her he would take care of Landon if Sarah decided to go was what decided it for her. So I wasn’t really surprised when she resigned, although parts of me would have liked her to have accepted. What didn’t work for me in Cooper and Sarah’s scenes later on was that whole “I want you to have my baby/I want to have your baby” declaration. I felt it was out of characters for both of them. Not that they wouldn’t be great parents, but the declaration itself.
As for Devon and Spencer, I just didn’t feel their chemistry. So yeah, this book wasn’t a winner for me.