Clover Creek (Sweet Southern Nights Book 1) by Heather Michelle {Review}

Clover Creek (Sweet Southern Nights Book 1) by Heather Michelle

ebook

Published March 7th 2019 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given without compensation.

    

When Claire Cunningham was five years old, she was taken.

She's spent the rest of her life running from her past, from her pain... from that day.
 

An unexpected phone call brings Claire back to Clover Creek, Texas to help care for her Gram. The minute she bumps into Jayce Sterling, her high school sweetheart, Claire realizes some old flames don't ever burn out. The man in front of her now is very different from the boy who walked away from her nearly fourteen years ago. 

Being with Jayce would be so easy, so right.

There's just one thing holding her back. Something she's not ready to deal with yet. A secret she'd rather keep hidden from the judgmental eyes of a small town.
 

But soon, she'll find out that she's not the only one with secrets. Jayce has one of his own. And this one could cost him everything.

*A clean, small town romance, Book 1 of 4 in the Sweet Southern Nights Series.*

My Review: 3.5 Stars

Claire has spent her whole life trying to prove something and when she's summoned back home, she realizes that she's been running from her past. Claire is a stubborn woman and she's also frustrating. So many of her issues could have been cleared up with a little communication, especially when some of the lack of talking led to being deceitful, and she fortunately arrives at a place in her life where she realizes this. 

Jayce is a great guy, but again, the lack of communication drove big wedges between him and those he cares most about. Thank goodness for second chances!

I always find it interesting when old flames reconnect after many years, in this case, 14 years, and their feelings are exactly the same. People definitely grow and change, as both of these characters did, but attraction and first love never dies because they are immediately and just as madly in love as they were all those years ago.

I wanted some of the character relationships (with parents, grandparents, friends, and even each other) to be more developed, as their struggles, connections, and issues were just skimmed on the surface. I wanted those bonds to tug me into the story and firmly grasp my heart. But overall, this is a pretty solid first offering from this author and the potential is definitely there.

Content: mild+ romance (kissing, talk of affairs, some innuendo)