Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Book Review: Heart of Steele by Randi Alexander


Heart of Steele
By Randi Alexander
Heart Country Series Book 2
Published February 27th, 2014
Pages 276
Reviewer: Sandra Long




Randi Alexander has written a follow-up to her novel Chase and Seduction and allows us to learn what happened to 2 of our favorite characters from the first novel. But this book can stand alone as an interesting love story even if the reader has not read the first book in the series. In fact, I read this one before reading Chase and Seduction and was able to pick up what I needed to know from the previous book by the end of the first chapter.



Tracy Hartman is a want-to-be actress and best friends with the heroine from the first book, a beautiful girl named Reno, who just happened to dating and in love with Chase, an up and coming country music star who is best friends with Steele McLairn, another popular country music. 



The first book follows their romance, which is definitely worth reading, especially if you like this book. All through book one it is obvious that Tracy and Steele have a strong attraction for each other but nothing ever develops between them. As we pick up in book two we find that Steele is shooting a video to go with his latest music and unknown to Tracy, he asks for her to be hired to act in the video. She thinks she was randomly chosen and is just thankful for the work and the income it will provide for her. When she learns she will be working with Steele, she thinks that is just icing on the cake until she overhears him on his cell phone talking in a very negative tone of voice, using foul language and talking about a bastard, she knows Reno and Chase have just gotten back together and are with their infant daughter and she assumes Steele is talking to Chase and trying to talk him into dumping Reno and wondering if he is actually the father. Steele was actually talking about an entirely different set of circumstances to his father, but Tracy didn’t wait to find out. She immediately reacted on her assumption that he was talking to Chase and against her friend Reno, so she just walks over to him, starts yelling at him and punches him in the face hard enough that she split his lip open and send his cell phone flying.



She runs to hide out in her dressing room and Steele follows her to find out what was going on. They soon discover the mistake and she apologizes but he has a swollen, bleeding mouth and someone has the entire episode on video that was still running during their altercation. 



In a very short time the video is sold and immediately goes viral, before the participants can even get out of their make -up and costumes. Instant panic for their agents---any publicity is good publicity but for now the powers that controlled their careers decide it is best for them to disappear until some reasonable story can be made up to explain the video. 



Lucky for them Steele is a very wealthy man who owns a lot of property and the studio security manage to sneak the two of them out without being seen and they change cars, take weird routes and eventually get to one of his isolated lodges but with only the clothes on their backs. 



They can’t stay there for long because the media will surely be on their trail and locate them quickly. So, they change vehicles again and take off for his most remote, secluded hide-away in the mountains. His staff has called ahead and had the caretakers stock the cabin with food, firewood, all the necessities, so these two find themselves pretty much trapped together for an undetermined amount of time. The attraction they once felt for each other lights up like a Christmas tree. But, each is reluctant to completely open up to the other because they both have trust issues and old hurts they are still trying to deal with, family secrets they were not comfortable sharing. The author gives us very vivid 

descriptions of their fiery sexual encounters so this is definitely a book for the mature reader.


Tracy tells Steele she wants to cool the relationship for the sake of their careers but it is really because she is afraid of being hurt. He is hurt by her seemingly uncaring attitude but tries to play the part of the tough guy. Both families secrets start blowing up in their faces, have to be dealt with and the secrets start coming out in the open. Will their relationship survive all this drama or will they part ways and both lose out on the only true love the have ever known ? This author keeps you glued to every page trying to find the answers. 




Great read for the mature reader who enjoys romance mixed with drama and some dysfunctional family issues thrown in along the way. Thumbs up for another winner 


Actress Tracy Hartman can't believe she just punched country music superstar Steele McLairn in the mouth. And of course, somebody recorded it! Now, the thing has gone viral and to avoid their being harassed by the tabloids, Steele convinces Tracy to head out of LA with him. In a cozy, remote spot, they find the desire they've been feeling for each other has grown into full-blown lust. Steele can't believe his luck. Alone with Tracy, and all it took was taking a punch to the mouth. She's funny, sweet, sexy, and ready to experience every wild thing Steele hungers to do with her. But their time together is cut short, and hidden family issues threaten the trust they've built. Can they find the courage to confide in each other, or will their secrets force them apart?




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