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Rescue River #3
Small-Town Nanny
Falling for His Nanny
Susan Hayashi is everything Sam Hinton is not looking for. She's energetic, outspoken and spontaneous—the exact opposite of what he would want in a wife. Yet the wealthy widower can't deny that the young teacher is great with his daughter, Mindy. In desperate need of a summer nanny, the small-town CEO hires Susan. After all, it's only temporary. But Susan and her unconventional approach soon work their way into his and Mindy's lives. His head says she's all wrong for them, but a part of him believes that this unexpected nanny might really be his Mrs. Absolutely Right…
Susan Hayashi is everything Sam Hinton is not looking for. She's energetic, outspoken and spontaneous—the exact opposite of what he would want in a wife. Yet the wealthy widower can't deny that the young teacher is great with his daughter, Mindy. In desperate need of a summer nanny, the small-town CEO hires Susan. After all, it's only temporary. But Susan and her unconventional approach soon work their way into his and Mindy's lives. His head says she's all wrong for them, but a part of him believes that this unexpected nanny might really be his Mrs. Absolutely Right…
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 24, 2016
80 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Lee Tobin McClain
173 books526 followersNew York Times bestselling author of emotional, heartwarming romances. Visit http://www.leetobinmcclain.com to join newsletter, get book release details, and find out more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 5, 2025
Pretty good read.
March 7, 2017
Another great book
Mindy, Susan, and Sam are my favorite characters so far. The author writes such real life stories that I feel like I know each character personally.
Mindy, Susan, and Sam are my favorite characters so far. The author writes such real life stories that I feel like I know each character personally.
August 1, 2025
4.5 stars
Quotes to be added later.
Hope to read more books by this author.
[This is story #2 of a combo book .. story 1 was a DNF for me.]
Got this book from library sale. 2025 reread. p104.
Quotes to be added later.
Hope to read more books by this author.
[This is story #2 of a combo book .. story 1 was a DNF for me.]
Got this book from library sale. 2025 reread. p104.
February 5, 2019
A good read.
January 26, 2022
Sweet feel good story
August 8, 2020
From the moment spunky, outspoken Susan meets wealthy widower Sam, the sparks fly, and you know you’re in for a fun journey. When Sam desperately needs a nanny, he is more than reluctant to hire Susan, but hey, it’s temporary, right?
But soon, Sam realizes she’s good for Mindy, his also grieving, special needs daughter – and maybe good for him.
As you can imagine, all does not go smoothly for them. But as they learn more about each other, things change. But can they find the way to love amidst all their differences?
Read this fun and inspirational story by beloved author, Lee Tobin McClain, and follow along as they make their best attempt.
Great characters, wonderful small-town feel, wrapped in a delightful story that will grab you from the get go, I’m sure.
But soon, Sam realizes she’s good for Mindy, his also grieving, special needs daughter – and maybe good for him.
As you can imagine, all does not go smoothly for them. But as they learn more about each other, things change. But can they find the way to love amidst all their differences?
Read this fun and inspirational story by beloved author, Lee Tobin McClain, and follow along as they make their best attempt.
Great characters, wonderful small-town feel, wrapped in a delightful story that will grab you from the get go, I’m sure.
June 2, 2018
A friend gave me this book after she'd read it. Another friend or relative had labeled it one of the "better" romances of this type. There were things about it that I liked and things about it that I didn't like, and also things that I think the author chose to do to advance the story and/or keep it within the page limit.
Mindy was an interesting character. I'm still not sure if some of her behavior was due to her age, due to her upbringing, due to the loss of her mother/compensation by her father, or due to an as yet undiagnosed special need. Some of her behavior seems normal to me: wanting a puppy, enjoying parties etc. But she also has major meltdowns that I'm not sure from where they stem.
Sam: well, he does dismiss a client for sexually harassing a teen waitress and he stands up for Susan to the manager, but he doesn't discipline the manager (or report it to the other owners) when he fires Susan. (This is one of the instances where I'm not sure the author didn't take liberties with the plot for her own reasons.) He puts up with his former in-laws insulting behaviors toward others. He prefers things not change--but life throws curveballs at us all. He promised either his wife or his in-laws (or both) that he'd find someone like Marie (the dead wife) to raise Mindy. At long last, he realizes that much of Marie's behaviors stemmed from insecurity and how that insecurity affected how they raised Mindy.
At least he's not the stereotypical perfect hero boyfriend.
Susan: She claims to be a confirmed bachelorette, but I think she wants a relationship even though she doesn't admit it to herself. Fear of a marriage like the ones her parents had seems to haunt her. She does seem to have a good way with children--being able to distract them when necessary (when tantrums threaten etc.), being able to calm them, being able to relate to them. She's not afraid to speak her mind, but she also often blurts out whatever she's thinking without any filter.
I'm just not sure in reality that the relationship between the two would work if this was real life. But then again, opposites do attract, so what do I know.
Mindy was an interesting character. I'm still not sure if some of her behavior was due to her age, due to her upbringing, due to the loss of her mother/compensation by her father, or due to an as yet undiagnosed special need. Some of her behavior seems normal to me: wanting a puppy, enjoying parties etc. But she also has major meltdowns that I'm not sure from where they stem.
Sam: well, he does dismiss a client for sexually harassing a teen waitress and he stands up for Susan to the manager, but he doesn't discipline the manager (or report it to the other owners) when he fires Susan. (This is one of the instances where I'm not sure the author didn't take liberties with the plot for her own reasons.) He puts up with his former in-laws insulting behaviors toward others. He prefers things not change--but life throws curveballs at us all. He promised either his wife or his in-laws (or both) that he'd find someone like Marie (the dead wife) to raise Mindy. At long last, he realizes that much of Marie's behaviors stemmed from insecurity and how that insecurity affected how they raised Mindy.
At least he's not the stereotypical perfect hero boyfriend.
Susan: She claims to be a confirmed bachelorette, but I think she wants a relationship even though she doesn't admit it to herself. Fear of a marriage like the ones her parents had seems to haunt her. She does seem to have a good way with children--being able to distract them when necessary (when tantrums threaten etc.), being able to calm them, being able to relate to them. She's not afraid to speak her mind, but she also often blurts out whatever she's thinking without any filter.
I'm just not sure in reality that the relationship between the two would work if this was real life. But then again, opposites do attract, so what do I know.
dnf
April 18, 2023Read this because I was extremely disappointed with The Cowboy's Lady that preceded this in the paperback copy I have. view review here
My only thoughts from what I've read so far is : ew. Just ew. This man is out here looking for a replacement mommy who is exactly like his dead wife. Obviously he'll find love in the opposite of this wife in Susan (our main lady who is an amazing person and deserves better). I was actually pretty excited to have an Asian main character in a small town novel. Too bad Sam was in this.
My only thoughts from what I've read so far is : ew. Just ew. This man is out here looking for a replacement mommy who is exactly like his dead wife. Obviously he'll find love in the opposite of this wife in Susan (our main lady who is an amazing person and deserves better). I was actually pretty excited to have an Asian main character in a small town novel. Too bad Sam was in this.
October 15, 2024
My first book by Lee Tobin McClain. It was a sweet quick read, the characters were very easy to like and follow as their emotions revealed the effects of how life’s betrayals had on each of them. The author did a nice job of conveying the deep emotions of losing a wife and mother at such a young age in life. The effects on the young Nanny growing up in a dysfunctional home seemed to be right on as well. The author, I thought, did a splendid job in revealing the love of God and His power in each of the character’s lives to make all things new in His timing.
January 14, 2022
I finished this book early this morning. I liked reading it as it was not what I expected it to be. It was very different from the books I have been reading it was a Christian romance, that had a single Father with a daughter that was born with a limb deformity and how over protective he was and the fact that He needed/wanted a Nanny for the summer months and with God's help the nanny and him fell love with each other.
May 30, 2017
4.5 .... review to follow.
February 20, 2019
Another great book with real-life lessons to learn! Sweet, sweet story!
May 24, 2019
This was such a lovely story...enjoyable, inspirational and very sweet...of combining families together...no matter how different they are....highly recommend!
October 16, 2020
The way race was addressed in this book, and the way Dion speaks, was all pretty icky. A for effort, it’s nice there was an Asian protagonist for once in a romance novel, but it’s a no from me.
October 31, 2021
A nice read.
June 15, 2022
I liked this book it was my first time reading a book by her and I will be doing it again
July 6, 2022
Easy read. Pleasant characters with a predictable ending. Glad to see it’s a series.
Read
August 11, 2022Not a bad book. A shirt and simple romance novel. Very cliché but not in a bad way more like in a simple way. Can honestly finish it in a day but was distracted while reading it
July 1, 2023
This was a great short read! I read it in 3 hours. It was such a sweet story, but a little predictable. It was a nice summer read though and was very heartfelt.
January 8, 2024
Good read!
April 1, 2024
TERRIBLE, Gosh it was so hard to finish the book i just skipped to the end.
August 24, 2024
A great summer read!
February 10, 2025
Why
I started
series with the book before. It is a clean Christian romance which I always like with a happy endings. I have all but one in the series.
I started
series with the book before. It is a clean Christian romance which I always like with a happy endings. I have all but one in the series.
April 28, 2025
Great book
I really enjoyed this book. I am very familiar with several of the themes presented in it. This book is well written and quite enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this book. I am very familiar with several of the themes presented in it. This book is well written and quite enjoyable.
September 9, 2018
I was skimming through other people's reviews of this book, after I wrote mine, to see if there were other issues I'd missed or would like to comment on. I discovered, though, that there were at least 3 different books being reviewed under this title. One of the other reviewers said that it was because this is what showed up when she scanned the bar code, and so she left her review under that name, even though it was different than the title on her book, because the bar code said so. So, I think the wrong bar code was put on a lot of books. But this title, "Small-Town Nanny" by Lee Tobin McClain actually IS the title of what I read. I didn't scan the bar code, just typed in the title in the search engine. I think that although that's the title, it's actually #3 in the "Rescue River" series, and for some reason, it shows #1 as I'm looking through the reviews.
I don't remember which person labeled this with the "better" romances in a box of books I received from a friend - whether my friend did, or my mom, who's also been going through them.
I have to disagree this time, though. The book annoyed me all the way through.
Sam, the man in this romance, annoyed me almost from the first page. He and Susan witnessed the sexual harassment of an employee, and Susan lost her job for firmly but politely standing up for the victim. As a part owner of the business, Sam could and should have fired the manager for 1) refusing to investigate this allegation or take it seriously - even though his boss, Sam himself, was a witness and 2) the manager firing Susan to cover it up for a customer. Instead, wealthy-Sam just offered Susan another job elsewhere, rather than trying to understand and better the safety and the work environment for all involved at the restaurant.
Somehow, Sam's non-involvement and inactivity didn't seem to bother Susan. Really? I would've been done with him. Gag.
Also, even before the "Me, Too" flood of allegations, that story did not ring true for how such sexual harassment cases went.
Sam is not "marriage-material." He's conceited, self-centered, oblivious to the needs of others, demanding. Yuck. Lots of other red flags. He was so used to his wealth and privilege that he didn't even notice when he was dominating other people or undermining them.
Susan should've refused to cook dinner on the spur of the moment for Sam's client, and suggested they go out to eat instead, particularly as Sam has so much money, and it's his suddenness that's causing the issue.
They constantly argued throughout the book, and it wasn't even interesting. I agree with Susan about the beauty pageant.
Yes, six years old is a bit young for an overnight camp.
Pieces of "The Sound of Music" and "Jane Eyre" (without the gothic mystery). Not nearly as well done as either one of those.
Favorite line:
"Sam, I'm not going to fall into your arms just because you've figured a few things out." Susan just should've left it at that.
I don't remember which person labeled this with the "better" romances in a box of books I received from a friend - whether my friend did, or my mom, who's also been going through them.
I have to disagree this time, though. The book annoyed me all the way through.
Sam, the man in this romance, annoyed me almost from the first page. He and Susan witnessed the sexual harassment of an employee, and Susan lost her job for firmly but politely standing up for the victim. As a part owner of the business, Sam could and should have fired the manager for 1) refusing to investigate this allegation or take it seriously - even though his boss, Sam himself, was a witness and 2) the manager firing Susan to cover it up for a customer. Instead, wealthy-Sam just offered Susan another job elsewhere, rather than trying to understand and better the safety and the work environment for all involved at the restaurant.
Somehow, Sam's non-involvement and inactivity didn't seem to bother Susan. Really? I would've been done with him. Gag.
Also, even before the "Me, Too" flood of allegations, that story did not ring true for how such sexual harassment cases went.
Sam is not "marriage-material." He's conceited, self-centered, oblivious to the needs of others, demanding. Yuck. Lots of other red flags. He was so used to his wealth and privilege that he didn't even notice when he was dominating other people or undermining them.
Susan should've refused to cook dinner on the spur of the moment for Sam's client, and suggested they go out to eat instead, particularly as Sam has so much money, and it's his suddenness that's causing the issue.
They constantly argued throughout the book, and it wasn't even interesting. I agree with Susan about the beauty pageant.
Yes, six years old is a bit young for an overnight camp.
Pieces of "The Sound of Music" and "Jane Eyre" (without the gothic mystery). Not nearly as well done as either one of those.
Favorite line:
"Sam, I'm not going to fall into your arms just because you've figured a few things out." Susan just should've left it at that.
February 20, 2017
I just love second chance story!. And this one it's a wonderful choice. Lovely :)
July 5, 2016
This is the 3rd book in the Rescue River series. While I have not read the first two books I felt fine just jumping in and getting to know the people in this small town in Ohio.
Sam Hinton is a local millionaire who runs his family business. He is dealing with the loss of his wife Marie and needs a nanny for the summer for his sweet daughter Mindy who is 5. Mindy was born with limb difference and is missing her one hand. I do think the author did a great job of having readers see that Mindy could do things just like others and she also found her own voice when dealing with bullies.
Susan Hayashi is a local teacher. She is outspoken and has a soft spot in her heart for children. When her summer waitressing job dos not work out, she finds herself hired by Sam to be Mindy's summer nanny.
I liked reading how the relationship developed between Sam and Susan. They both had pasts that they needed to get over and learn to love and trust again. It was bittersweet when you read about how Marie's parents at first had a hard time accepting the girl who would be taking their deceased daughters place but it all worked out.
There were some secondary characters that were really a hoot, Miss Minnie and Gramps Camden. They lived in the local senior citizens building.
This was a sweet and heartwarming romance, perfect for anytime but I enjoyed adding it to my summer reading.
Sam Hinton is a local millionaire who runs his family business. He is dealing with the loss of his wife Marie and needs a nanny for the summer for his sweet daughter Mindy who is 5. Mindy was born with limb difference and is missing her one hand. I do think the author did a great job of having readers see that Mindy could do things just like others and she also found her own voice when dealing with bullies.
Susan Hayashi is a local teacher. She is outspoken and has a soft spot in her heart for children. When her summer waitressing job dos not work out, she finds herself hired by Sam to be Mindy's summer nanny.
I liked reading how the relationship developed between Sam and Susan. They both had pasts that they needed to get over and learn to love and trust again. It was bittersweet when you read about how Marie's parents at first had a hard time accepting the girl who would be taking their deceased daughters place but it all worked out.
There were some secondary characters that were really a hoot, Miss Minnie and Gramps Camden. They lived in the local senior citizens building.
This was a sweet and heartwarming romance, perfect for anytime but I enjoyed adding it to my summer reading.
June 6, 2016
I love this author's books, and I got this one as soon as it was available. I certainly wasn't disappointed. It is a wonderful romance with characters that pulled me in from the first pages and a story line that made it impossible to put the book down. Sam and Susan's story is a beautiful story of their struggles in letting go of the past and what others think so that they could find the future God has planned for them and Sam's adorable daughter Mindy. This is another one from this author that I certainly can recommend to the reader that enjoys the best in Christian romance.
July 7, 2016
Susan a young teacher accepts a summer nanny job for Sam, a small town CEO.
Susan gets along well with Mindy his daughter but Sam doesn't know how to take this energetic, spontaneous woman.
This is a journey of discovery for these two in the town of Rescue River.
And a beautiful romance
I loved the characters, the storyline and the setting.
I look forward to more by this author
Susan gets along well with Mindy his daughter but Sam doesn't know how to take this energetic, spontaneous woman.
This is a journey of discovery for these two in the town of Rescue River.
And a beautiful romance
I loved the characters, the storyline and the setting.
I look forward to more by this author
Read
June 13, 2016"There are some familiar characters, and the secondary storyline is solid in this Rescue River book. Mindy is a character the reader cannot help but adore" (4 stars @ RT Book Reviews).
Miniseries: Rescue River
Miniseries: Rescue River
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews