Juliet Mitchell is part of the Shell Creek Police Department and Declan's mother. Sienna Bennett is a victim advocate and Declan's step-mother who is divorcing her husband and has never really spend much time with Juliet. That is until a homicide shakes the little town of Shell Creek and Juliet and Sienna start working together. What starts as a friendship slowly develops into and attraction none of them cant fight. But is it worth hurting the people they love the most?

This book had a great premise and it delivered! It was a very well written story where we see the two main characters slowly falling in love while trying not to hurt their beloved son and solving a murder. I was capture by the story from the first page. Both, Juliet and Sienna, are very likeable and well developed characters. The author did an amazing job at making the romance pure and raw while not making it weird, being that they had share a son /stepson.

It was a really great book, another one for this great writer! Cant wait for the next one.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

Juliet and Sienna might share a history with Declan’s dad, but they’re nothing more than friendly acquaintances. When they’re thrown together in the midst of the biggest investigation Shell Creek has ever seen, neither anticipates a forbidden attraction. It definitely isn’t worth upending the life they’ve worked so hard for. Is it?

This was engaging read and I'm glad that the romance took the forefront over the mystery as I do love those reads. I've read other books by this author and will definitely continue reading them

Juliet Mitchell, police lieutenant, has been called to investigate the murder of the local librarian. Juliet has to drive her son, Declan, several hours to a baseball camp, as she picks up Declan at his father's, Will and step mother's Sienna's place, Sienna, a victim's advocate, who is pushing for a separation from Will is coerced into traveling with Juliet and Declan. Juliet and Sienna have never spent any time together over the years but suddenly find themselves finding a spark. As they are forced to spend more and more time together in their personal and professional life, their attraction in this awkward situation grows.
This was a book that had both romance and mystery and both genres were equally as good to the point I couldn't put it down. Juliet and Sienna's relationship had so much simmering chemistry, it sizzled and the mystery had twists and turns to keep you guessing.  I also thought the dialogue was intelligent and respectful and didn't make me cringe which some of these romance books tend to do. The storyline was different and i really enjoyed all the interesting family dynamics and connections. I loved it. 5 stars.

Heart of the Storm was a good book. It wasn't great, in that I ended the book like wow. But I did enjoy the pacing and style of the story.

The characters were good and showed growth through the story, although I did not find myself particularly drawn to either of them. And I think the relationship progressed at reasonable pace. I did not feel too slow or rushed. I guess, in a general sense, it could be considered a forbidden relationship, but I think it just illustrates that sometimes a connection can be made in a surprising place.

The mystery/intrigue part of it was interesting, but almost felt too much to add in with the romance portion. I think focusing more on one or the other would have elevated the book even further. But the mystery plot did help advance the romance, so it served its purpose.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for this review.

Heart of the Storm was wonderful. I was very interested In the romance story line, because I don’t recall ever seeing that particular situation before. I particularly enjoyed how there was no misunderstanding or issue that could be cleared up with a five minute convo. There was a real obstacle that they had to overcome or just not be together. That was it. Sienna and Juliet had great chemistry and I was on pins and needles waiting for them to get together. The mystery aspect was also well done. I liked how there were real emotions involved and there wasn’t a clear cut villain. I plowed through it quickly and was left satisfied. Great read.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The Heart of the Storm is a small town lesbian romance with a murder mystery ongoing. The murder mystery was definitely more of a side plot than the major storyline but was enjoyable, with some twists and turns at the end of the book. I liked the romance, except for the forbidden aspect of it, which just stressed me out. I thought that Sienna and Juliet had good chemistry and I liked both of them. A fun and quick read.

3.5 stars. Juliet Mitchel is busy raising her kid, Declan, and being a police officer, she has not had time for romance. Sienna Bennett is married to Will, Declan's father and is a social worker working in Boston. When Sienna and Juliet drive Declan to camp, they realize they have a lot in common. There is a murder in their town, and they both are involved. Juliet is the Lieutenant investigating the murder and Sienna helps people through trauma and makes sure they are okay, she is helping the victim's wife. Juliet and Sienna start to spend more and more time together and their feelings start to develop. They have a forbidden interest in each other, as they are both connected to Will.

I thought this concept seemed a little strange but I read it anyway. I really enjoyed their dynamic and how they relationship evolved. Their relationship seemed a little quick, but I enjoyed it anyway. I thought it was interesting how they have never spend time together really in the long time they have known each other. Sienna was married to Will for almost 10 years. Sienna is now divorcing Will and starts to realize she could have feelings for Juliet. It seems more like she was open to be with someone after realizing her marriage was over. It was also a little weird since Sienna was married to Juliet's son's father and that made it a little complicated. I did enjoy this novel and would recommend it. I liked the written and the tension throughout the novel.

A murder mystery with a F/F romance, this is an enjoyable read. Juliet is a cop at an ocean side small town. She's sharing custody of her son, Declan, with Will, who is married but estranged from Sienna, a victim's advocate. Anyways, the small town they lived in just had a homicide. The head librarian has been found dead and police is suspecting poison. Juliet has to find the killer, even though she had never worked a murder before. Problem is, the librarian did not seem to have any enemies. I like the police procedural aspect of the plot. It's also nice to see Sienna at work, since it's not often we see victim's advocate in books. When Juliet and Sienna find themselves falling for each other, the romance is complex and convoluted, as can be expected. It does not help that Will is hoping that his marriage with Sienna might be fixed. Declan also does not want his family unit to be changed. Add to all that a powerful tornado wreaking havoc through town, it's all Juliet and Sienna can do to resist their mutual lust and attraction. Overall, this book has a unique plot with likable characters. Definitely enjoyable and very readable.
**Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

“Heart of the Storm” by Nicole Stling is a forbidden romance with a side of mystery/intrigue.
I loved this book a lot more than I thought I would after reading the blurb. Juliet, a small-town cop, and Sienna, a victim’s advocate, are connected through Juliet’s son, Declan. Sienna is married to Declan’s dad, Will. Although they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really become friends until they road trip together to drop off Declan at baseball camp. Things get complicated when in the midst of Sienna’s divorce from Will, her friendship with Juliet grows closer. On top of that, their jobs also bring them closer together after a murder occurs in their small town.
This book had everything for me. There’s a sweet undeniable romance, mature women who know how to communicate with each other, a touch of angst, and just enough push and pull surrounding their unique circumstances to make you wonder if their relationship can actually make it. Sienna and Juliet are also working on a murder mystery that has just enough twists and turns to keep you interested.
The romance between Juliet and Sienna was believable and their chemistry was undeniable. It had a forbidden vibe to me that brought some extra built-in angst that I really enjoyed. But what I loved about it was that they both tried to fight it because they didn’t want to upset Will and Declan and cause their family anymore turmoil. They communicated their feelings and talked it out that was so nice and refreshing to read. While it’s not quite a love triangle as Sienna is truly over her marriage and no longer loves Will, I did feel bad for him. He wasn’t a bad guy and their pain over hurting him with their relationship felt natural and really got to me.
The mystery was also fun to read. While I guessed who the murderer was there were some unexpected things that happened that kept it interesting and kept that plot line moving along.
This was my first novel by Stiling but it definitely won’t be my last. “Heart of the Storm” is a well written romance with an original plot and a great cast of characters. I absolutely recommend this.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

I think the blurb of this book does it a bit of a disservice. Yes, it is absolutely about the queer relationship between Declan's mom, Juliet, and his soon-to-be ex-stepmother, Sienna. But I think it is first and foremost a mystery with a great f/f romance subplot. All of the characters--even the ones that are further in the background--are fleshed out and given rational motivations, reasonings, and histories. Juliet and Sienna in particular are given great character development.

The mystery is also nicely done. There are some twists and turns, and there are some things that leave you second guessing until everything is revealed at the end. I'm not a prolific mystery reader so for others it be obvious, but I thought it was successful.

Overall, quite enjoyable. Great addition to both f/f romance and romance mysteries. Great characterizations and dialogue. A solid 4 stars.

I’m a sucker for a good mystery/romance and this book is no exception. It was hard to put down, but at the same time it didn’t ratchet up me the anxiety level like some other novels. The story circles around two women who fall in love under the most awkward of circumstances, while trying to solve a murder. Although I wish it were a little heavier on the romance, the entire cast of characters were really entertaining and, at times, down right funny. The book was just enjoyable from start to finish.

This was a quick, enjoyable read with an original plot. What grabbed me first was how our two main characters were connected. I liked that, despite knowing one another for over 9 years, it wasn't until they took Declan to camp that they became friends. There was definitely chemistry between Juliet and Sienna from the start. They were extremely hesitant to act on their feelings for one another, due to the nature of their relationship. The added mystery of who killed the librarian was good. Overall this was a fun read!

Loved this book! I thoroughly enjoyed the tension between the two women and the back and forth banter. It’s an unusual love triangle that I haven’t come across before. Usually I can figure out the guilty party but this book kept me guessing until the end. I am not looking for heavy sex scenes but a great story line and that’s what “Heart of the Storm” has. I also hate books that take too long to get to the “good stuff” and are way to descriptive; this one isn’t. I love dialogue too so this book was perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read that you can finish in a night or two.

For me, the blurb really doesn't do this book any favours. This book is so much more than the blurb makes you believe.

Sienna is divorcing her husband Will of 9 years, she has postponed it long enough. Mostly for the sake of her stepson Declan, she doesn't want to lose him. Sienna just can't be with her husband any longer, the love/ spark has been gone for many years and nothing changes. Her job as a victim advocate is fulfilling, but she just can't seem to give it her all. Sienna just feels lackluster, in both her private and work life. Juliet works for the Shell Creek PD, she is Declan's mother. Will and Juliet co-parent Declan, and Will has always remained a good friend to Juliet. When Juliet and Sienna take Declan to a baseball camp some three hours away it's the first time they actually have a real conversation in all those years. The women click, they decide to try and become friends. With a dead body showing up outside the Chell Creek Library Sienna and Juliet are also forced to work together. With Sienna splitting from Will and Juliet and Sienna becoming interisted in being more than just friends it is a weird "love triangle" and a difficult one in their family unit. Will

The characters are really well done. And extremely surprising in a wlw-book they communicate. They know words and how to use them, who to say words to, it's amazing. Ok, so maybe that's a little over the top, but honestly, it is refreshing to have main characters actually communicate with each other. They talk about their feelings honestly and they act their age, not like some hormonal teenager (ok maybe they do a little sometimes, but they talk first). The secondary characters are pretty great as well. Will is a nice, albeit a little boring man, luckily the book doesn't paint him like a bad guy, because he truly isn't. He is a very realistic secondary character. Declan is a moody teenager, also a perfect character in the mix.
The mystery is a tad boring in this book, but that's ok. You see it from a mile away who is the killer, you do "hope" it turns out to be someone else, just so it is more of a surprise, the set up for that is certainly there.
The story of family, love, and communication is what stands out to me.
4.5 stars not rounded up because of the mystery storyline.

I have read all three of Nicole Stiling's books and I think this one might be my favorite. The mystery was intriguing and the romance hit all the right notes.

Sienna and Juliet are friendly acquaintances but not much more than that. When a drive up to camp keeps them in close quarters for a little while, they get to know each other and find that they have a good amount in common. The only problem: Sienna is married (divorcing) Will and Will and Juliet share a son. If it sounds complicated, it is, but in the best way possible. They were mature and tried to be smart about things, but the book maintained the excitement of falling in love.

I had an idea about who killed Richard, but I wasn't exactly right. That was a nice little twist.

Really really enjoyed this one and I would certainly recommend it.

Thanks to BSB and Netgalley for the ARC.

This story involved a complicated murder with a few twists and turns and an even more complicated romance.

Sienna, a forty four year old victim advocate, was not happy for many years during her nine year marriage to Will. She finally had enough and wanted a divorce. But Will, always self centered didn’t actually listen to Sienna’s words and thought they would separate and then get back together. Declan, Sienna’s fifteen year old stepson, just wanted his dad and stepmom to stay together. He was already involved in different housing arrangements between his dad and his police office mom, Juliet.
Even though Sienna and Juliet, 38, had known each other for almost ten years, they were friendly toward each other but not really friends. This status changed when Sienna accompanied Juliet on a several hour trip to drop off Declan at a one week baseball camp. The women found they had a lot more in common, besides Will and Declan, then they originally thought. They started hanging out and soon became attracted to each other. That was when the problems started and continued throughout the story.

The characters were likable and each had their own set of problems to worry about, beside the one major problem they had in common. Juliet was also stressed about a murder committed in their small town. The possible suspect list was easy to narrow down, but not the motives. I enjoyed this storyline.

The romance part was sweet, but the characters went back and forth a lot throughout the story. This was a bit annoying, but it was somewhat understandable. They were afraid of the reactions of Declan and Will. Sienna’s divorce was not yet finalized even though the marriage itself was over years ago. They both loved Declan and wanted to do the right thing for him, more so than themselves. I liked their heartfelt conversations and reasoning behind this indecisiveness.

Overall, I think the author did a good job with this mystery romance combination. There was always something going on, and a bit of humor was also added to the mix to offset other serious issues.

An ARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars. I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book and it did not disappoint. There is an interesting mystery in the book, but the romance was the best part for me. The mains are in a delicate situation that easily could have led to a high amount of drama or angst. Luckily, this was not the case, it was handled very well, mature and balanced (as far as possible in this kind of situation), which was refreshing.

Sienna is about to divorce Will after 9 years of marriage. They have grown apart and there’s nothing left anymore in their marriage. One of the things she worries about most is what will happen with her relationship with Declan, her 15-year old stepson who she loves as her own son. Add Juliet to the mix. Juliet is Declan’s mother and while she never lived together with Will, they are best friends and co-parent Declan.
Juliet and Sienna were always friendly, but barely knew each other until now, and it turns out that they actually like each other…..a lot! A recipe for disaster.

Juliet and Sienna have feelings for each other, they admit pretty easily to that, but they do not want to give into them. Sienna is not even officially divorced and Will and Declan are still hoping that the marriage can be saved. Juliet is aware of Will’s feelings for Sienna and knows a relationship between her and Sienna will break his heart (and their friendship). So, there is a lot of push and pull and doubt, which all felt so natural because there is so much more at stake here than their relationship and their feelings only. I liked how they talked things out and tried to make sense of it and do the right thing, but obviously the heart wants what the heart wants. Another thing I liked is that Will is not the bad guy in this story, he is actually a nice guy and I felt sorry for him, but at the same time I wanted Sienna and Juliet to be together.

Juliet and Sienna also work together on a professional level in a murder case. Juliet is the investigating cop and Sienna is a victim’s advocate. The murder mystery was nice, it didn’t knock my socks off, but it kept me interested throughout the book. I guessed who was involved pretty quickly, but I kept wanting to know the details and there was a nice twist near the end.

This was the first book by Stiling I read and I will read more in the future. An interesting mystery and a good romance that handles a complex situation without going over the top.

Even though there is a crime / mystery development, there is one thing that pops out about this book: The maturity of the main characters! And that got me for good! I don't think I've recently encountered the characters this mature; it's amazing how both Sienna and Juliet dealt with the situation that's not easy at all - Sienna being soon to be ex-wife of Will, and Juliet being Will's college fling, now a great friend, whom he shares a son with.
I loved how the writer presented their talks, their dilemmas, on top of how skillfully she wrote about the crime that happened and investigation about it.
5 stars from me.

Juliet is happy with her life she has a great son Declan even when he being a moody teenager. She loves her job and has great friends.

Sienna is married or soon to be ex married to Declan father Will she hasn’t been happy in a long time she loves Will but not in love with him and thinks there more to life and doesn’t want wake up with regrets the only problems is Will doesn’t want to let her go even though he knows if he look over the years they haven’t been happy for a longtime.

Juliet and Sienna never really spent time together despite sharing Declan when a chance to know each other is presented they are both caught off guard by the attraction they feel for each other. As they tried to navigate this attraction a murder happen in their town and Juliet and her colleagues are baffled that someone will murder the town librarian Richard as they tried to pieces things together they are stumped with Sienna helping with Richard widow Gretchen they may finally have a lead.

Juliet and Sienna had great chemistry and dialogue was good as they tried to not give into their feelings because they didn’t want to hurt their family.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

“Yeah,” Juliet said, also nearly a whisper. “I like you too.”
“I wish you weren’t who you are.”

The synopsis of the book was an eye catcher. The main characters, Juliet and Sienna are connected through Will, the father of Juliet’s son, and Sienna, the soon to be ex-wife of Will’s. Apart from sharing their responsibilities as mothers to Declan, both women have been acquaintances until circumstances put them straight onto each other’s path.

When a murder was committed in Shell Creeks, Lieutenant Juliet Mitchell was cast into disarray with the investigations and her feelings towards Sienna that had no signs of abating. While the attraction was mutual, both parties found any progress in their relationship too complex and a big taboo.

Tossed together in the investigations, Sienna, a victim advocate, was a feeder of information to the police and fighting her affections for Juliet, the pair threaded on thin lines where they had to deal with guilt and repercussions of getting together.

I have read two other books from the author and find myself liking this as well. The storyline was refreshing and the limitations of the relationship were realistically portrayed, the criminal aspects of the book had twists and turns to leave readers guessing who was the murderer and overall I liked how it all ended.

I just reviewed Heart of the Storm by Nicole Stiling. #NetGalley