Heart of the Storm by Nicole Stiling is a suspense, mystery romance that focuses on the dynamic of the blended family and how those binds are tested when love blossoms between the two unlikeliest people.
Juliet Mitchell’s life is good. She enjoys her job with the Shell Creek Police Department, and her son, Declan, is amazing, even though he’s a moody teenager most of the time. She gets along well with his father, Will, and she’s started a friendship with his wife, Sienna. Overall, life is pretty sweet, even if it’s quiet and unremarkable.
Sienna Bennett is feeling overwhelmed. She’s tired from being a victim’s advocate in the big city of Boston. In addition, she’s in the process of ending her marriage to Will, who is living in their pool house, and her stepson, Declan blames her for the split. She needs something else to focus on, and a budding friendship with Juliet feels like a step in the right direction.
When a murder happens outside the Shell Creek Library, Juliet must rely on her instincts and Sienna to solve the crime. Luckily, their budding friendship allows them to work together easily. However, their friendship soon shows signs of becoming more passionate. Neither anticipates a forbidden attraction, but as their desire grows, the impending danger of upending their entire worlds becomes more tangible.
Will Juliet and Sienna upend their carefully balanced family? Or will they let the chance of a once-in-a-lifetime love slip through their hands once the case is solved?
The Characters
What intrigues me about Sienna and Juliet is they’re beautiful in their simplicity.
Juliet works for the Police Department but she’s not a hard-nosed cope. She’s compassionate, funny, and a great mom to her son, Declan. The only thing truly missing is someone to share her simple, yet fulfilling, life with. She’s had her fair share of lovers over the years, but she’s not looking for a lover. She wants a partner, and she’s about to discover the one person who can fill that role has been in her line of sight all this time.
Sienna is a woman who loves to please. I believe it’s the main reason she hasn’t left her husband, Will, sooner. Her fear to upset the status quo, and worry over what it’ll do to Declan, shows she’s a loving and caring step-mother. But Sienna wants to feel like a woman again, and she realizes that is not going to happen with Will. Of course, she doesn’t expect that feeling to happen as quickly as it does, nor with the one person who is off limits.
Both women see possibilities in each other that, until recently, felt like an impossible dream. Now with the opportunity to have love within reach, they will need to take the biggest risk of their lives.
The Writing Style
The common thread through this story is the focus on the blended family dynamic. Sienna and Juliet have been in each other’s orbit for ten years due to Sienna’s marriage to Will. They have this careful dynamic between being acquaintances who are tolerant of each other and co-parents who make decisions on Declan’s well-being. It’s not until the dynamic is shaken up with Sienna’s impending separation that friendships are formed, lines become blurred, and feelings that were once dormant are ignited.
The forbidden relationship between Sienna and Juliet entices the reader, but the competing desire for each other juxtaposed against the desire to keep their family intact allows contemplation on what is right, what is wrong, and what is worth fighting for to achieve true happiness.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I really liked how Stiling strung the blended family thread through the murder mystery. In doing so, she draws interesting parallels between the victim’s family and Sienna and Juliet’s family. It also is a great way for the investigation to feel interweaved into the romantic portion of the story instead of a complete separate entity.
Cons And Heads Up
While it is established that Sienna is in the process of divorcing her husband, some people may still find issue with her starting an intimate relationship with Juliet before the papers are signed, sealed, and delivered.
The Conclusion
This is Stiling’s third book, and I become a bigger fan with each one. Not only does she continuously improve as a writer, she shows her ability to grow by interweaving complex, contemporary themes along with her characters. Sienna and Juliet are wonderful to get to know as women, but even more so in a dynamic that is messy, chaotic, and loving all at once. If you’re looking for a fun, mysterious, and passionate story with a blended family, definitely pick this one up today.
TLDR (too long didn’t read)
Family dynamics can be messy when you fall for the one person whose off limits. Throw in a murder investigation, and all bets are off.
Excerpt from Heart of the Storm by Nicole Stiling
Sienna handed her the container of chicken fingers when Juliet sat in the creaky seat across from her.
“How was your conversation with Gretchen this morning?” Juliet took a long swallow of her water.
Sienna tilted her head and sighed. “As well as could be expected. She’s so consumed by grief right now that she isn’t thinking clearly. Obviously. She had her sister come up and her knitting group is coming and going, so at least she isn’t alone.”
Juliet looked down at her plate, her appetite gone for the moment…
“She also said that there was no way Richard would have done anything to hurt himself. She was really adamant about that and wanted me to assure her that his death wouldn’t be written off as a suicide. She wanted to make sure that the police were taking this seriously. I told her you were.” Sienna met Juliet’s eyes and nodded slightly.
“Thank you. Ugh, the whole thing is just heart wrenching,” Juliet said, shuddering for effect. “How are things with you otherwise?” She needed a subject change, at least for the time being.
“Fine. Just dealing with everything day by day. You know.” Sienna shrugged. “Does Declan ever talk about it? With you?”
Juliet shook her head. “No, he hasn’t said much. But that’s not out of the ordinary. He doesn’t say much about much. Typical teenage boy. It’s like pulling teeth to get him to tell me how his day was, never mind talking about his feelings.”
Sienna chuckled. “He’s that way at our house too.”
“I think he’ll be fine though, honestly. He loves you, so I’m sure he’s not thrilled with the idea of you two splitting up, but just because you and Will might not be together anymore doesn’t mean he’ll never see you again.”
“No, of course not. And that’s what I tried to tell him. I wouldn’t be leaving him.” Sienna paused. “It shouldn’t mean that everyone in Will’s life will need to be cut off completely.”
“Right, exactly,” Juliet said, a little too quickly.
“What about you, are you in a relationship?” Sienna asked.
“Me? No. It’s been a while since I’ve had a full-blown relationship. I’m old and set in my ways.”
“Oh, come on. You can’t be more than what, thirty-seven?”
“Thirty-eight to be exact.”
“Still a baby,” Sienna said, rolling her eyes with a smile.
“Please. How old are you? Thirty-five?”
Sienna laughed. “If only. Just turned forty-four last month.”
“You did not!”
“Really. Though I appreciate the compliment.”
“I mean, not that forty-four is old by any stretch, but you really don’t look it. I would have thought thirty-five at the most. You look amazing. Wow.” Juliet took another sip of her water so she would stop gushing. It was about to get weird.
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9781635557893
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
If you enjoyed Heart of the Storm by Nicole Stiling then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Heart of the Storm by Nicole Stiling. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
