#QueerLitLoft

Ally McGuire ain’t no dark horse. Heart of the Storm is another surefire winner; a galloping front-runner from the first page, this story absolutely goes the distance.

This is one of the strongest opposites attract romance stories I’ve come across. The main characters, their backgrounds, and their day-to-day lives could not be more different. So much so that at some points it’s hard to foresee them being a good fit, and yet like bacon and maple syrup they somehow wind up working in all the right ways!

Amber Archer is a high-flying New Yorker whose life has descended into chaos and misery. With little hope of things improving, she sees no choice but to escape to Kentucky, where an inheritance she knew nothing about (and a ruggedly handsome cowboy) awaits her. Rowan Payton is the owner of The Willows, a leading racing stables and her pride and joy. Order and control are the staples of Rowan’s day-to-day existence, neither of which allow much room for the whirling storm that is Amber Archer’s arrival in town.

I do relish a great Ice Queen trope, and Amber’s character doesn’t disappoint. Outwardly aloof, with an ‘I don’t give a crap attitude’, yet inwardly collapsing under the weight of her own and other’s expectations and demands, she is the epitome of fake it until you make it. Her unsure footing with purported friend Craig Caswell candidly highlights the extent of her self-doubt and insecurities.

The combination of city dweller vs small-town cowboy is diametric. Rowan and Amber might be poles apart in many things, including their upbringings and world view, but hell, if there isn’t a line of pent-up lust ping-ponging back and forth between them. This is a slow burn which will freakin’ kill you! Sexual tension abounds!

‘Rowan leaned against the doorframe, her knees weak. How could a woman possibly be that beautiful?
“You look like a lovestruck skunk about to go chasing tail,” Pam whispered in her ear, and then took a big bite of cream cheese-smeared bagel.’

Ally McGuire, Heart of the Storm

The writing is superb, it flows well with plenty of loveable, and a few love-to-hate secondary characters that really do add value to the story. Rowan’s buddy Pam is an awesome sounding board for Rowan and the rapport they have together is caringly humorous. Together all the characters cement the underlying theme of chosen and found family; something I have a deep affection for in books.

I adore McGuire’s writing voice, but I honestly wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy her latest release as I’m not a huge romance or horse lover. What sold this book for me is that you are drawn into discovering more about Rowan and Amber as individual people. I wanted to know what made them tick, what they struggled with, could they move past the past? And this is where Ally McGuire always excels no matter the genre or content. She unequivocally knows how to rake every last morsel of investment from readers, ensuring they get the utmost joy as they channel it into the characters of Heart of the Storm. Characters which are layered, complex, and with a depth that is becoming a hallmark of any story that McGuire pens.

As expected for a Sapphic romance there’s a HEA for Rowan and Amber, but I also felt there’s an individual HFN for each of them when it comes to their personal and emotional baggage. An acknowledgement that yes, they’re in love, they’re happy, but they also have their own stuff to continue working on that doesn’t just evaporate at the sight of hot sex, lust, or love. I’d gladly follow Rowan and Amber’s story further for this reason.

You can’t help but want more stories from Ally McGuire. And this is how every exceptional book should leave a reader feeling. Bravo! Encore! Please!

I received an ARC of this book from Butterworth Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited or purchase from: