Heart of the Storm

By: Nicole Stiling

Narrated by: Hollis Elizabeth

Juliet Mitchell is doing just fine. Her career with the Shell Creek Police Department is on track, her son, Declan, is amazing, and for the first time in a long time, life is simple, if unremarkable. Until a dead body is found outside the Shell Creek Library.

Sienna Bennett doesn’t know how she ended up here. She’s overwhelmed as a big city victim advocate, her soon-to-be-ex-husband is living in their pool house, and she feels like her stepson, Declan, blames her for the state of their family. She needs something else to focus on.

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?

©2020 Nicole Stiling (P)2021 Bold Strokes Books Inc

This was a good book

The story was as complicated as can be. The MC were likeable, and well written.
Narration was excellent as usual.

Engaging Story

I usually avoid books narrated by Hollis Elizabeth, but The sample was good, so I went with it. Ms. Elizabeth did a great job, and really did the characters justice. The story in a picturesque beach community was the backdrop for a murder investigation, and a unique unfolding love story. Definitely worth the credit!

Story imitates realism

I didn’t know how I felt about the story in the beginning. But it started to unfold, I thought about my new Journey I’m taking in my life. Living a life trying to make everyone happy, and telling yourself now is not a good time to change it so you don’t hurt or upset anyone. This is what everyone is use to and why change what is comfortable for everyone while forgetting that haven’t been comfortable or happy the past 35 yrs. I can tell you, it’ll never be a good time to change. So Go out and be happy, life is too short.
Good narration and story was complicated but at the end things do end up working out, they’re just different. And we don’t see it in the midst of the chaos, but the afterwards makes the Journey worth it, if you’re a good person and just want to be happy! Definitely looking up this writer again!!

Frustrating realism

this story was well written, the characters well developed, the plot engaging. I spent a good deal of time annoyed with the main duo for making poor decisions around communication. I also didn't personally identify with the way the main characters would decide one thing, then do another. I've actually been in a situation similar to theirs, and I managed to keep it in my damn pants even though it sucked...then when the timing was more appropriate made my move. They could have chosen to do that. But, maybe I just haven't been hit with love that made me lose control. I mean, nobody can control their emotions, but in my experience my actions are all under my own command.
I genuinely thought the main characters had very little respect for the kid in the situation, and I also hated how they left it up to the dad, who had a track record of denial, sugar coating, and poor communication to explain things to the kid. the step mom had been around for a decade, two thirds of the kids life, he barely remembers a time without her, she is his parent, therefore, she had the right to set him straight on what the dad lied about/was in denial about. The mom could have had that conversation with him too.
People are flawed, and these things actually made the book more realistic, because those are the kinds of mistakes real people might make. I still felt frustrated by it though.