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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Book Review: Chase and Seduction by Randi Alexander

Chase and Seduction

Author: Randi Alexander

Pages: 250

Published August 11th, 2013

Reviewer: Sandra Long

Chase is a high school drop out from a backwoods country town who just happens to be extremely talented and handsome.  He makes his mark in the country music world in a big way and has all the money and attention he never had growing up the son of poor parents and an alcoholic father.  He spends his money wisely, investing in a working ranch where he can get away from the limelight and back to his country roots, caring for his horses and spending time outdoors. He seems to have everything a young man could want--fame, fortune, women, almost everything. 

The one thing that Chase does not have is education and his last girlfriend was embarrassed by his poor roots and lack of higher education. She was so embarrassed by it that she made of a point of embarrassing him in front of others, leading to their break-up.  Chase's lack of higher education makes him feel inferior to anyone with more education that what he has.  He does not recognize that he has more common sense and more school of hard knocks knowledge than most of the academics he meets in this story.

When he is asked to star in a movie being made based on a book by an educated woman named Reno, there is an instant attraction between Chase, the high school drop out and Reno, the college professor. By the end of the move they both have to acknowledge the attraction and the sparks fly.  The sex is hot and steamy and constant and almost all their time together is spent engaged in sexual activity. 

Both of them see potential problems in their relationship because of time and distance.  She lives in South Dakota and he lives in Texas.  In addition to writing books, she is also a teacher and therefore until to go on the road touring with his band like he wants.

Problem two is her previous boyfriend who wanted to control her life and shape her into the academic role model he wanted. When he met a woman who was a better fit, he dumped Reno over night but still wanted to control her.  After seeing her picture in a tabloid with Chase, the ex used his connections to get Reno a position to teach at the Sorbonne in France for 4 months--something he knows has been a long time dream of hers.  But his motive is not to make her happy but to destroy her relationship with Chase, whom he believes is too far beneath her to be worthy of her affections. 

After much discussion, Chase and Reno agree that she will take the offer and he accompanies her to Washington D.C. to a black tie affair to honor the recipients of these teaching positions.  Everyone in attendance is highly educated except Chase and he immediately feels very uncomfortable and out of place but feels Reno appears to fit right in. Reno's ex is in attendance and makes a point  of catching Chase alone and telling him how wrong he is for Reno and how a relationship with him will destroy her academic career that she has struggled for so long. He also overhears two other men in a similar conversation and storms out of the building, refusing to even ride in the limo with Reno back to the hotel.  In fact, he never even goes back to the hotel and refuses all her calls, deletes her emails, texts, voice mails, will not open her letters. He eventually does have one of his staff send her a birthday card but does not even sign it.

He has been on a downhill slide ever since their break-up, drinking heavily every night and not being able to compose any new songs. On his birthday he is finishing up his tour when an old friend brings him 2 hookers to his dressing room to try to cheer him up.  Then he gets a call from security that Reno is at the gate and asking for him.  In his still confused mind he thinks the best thing he can do for the woman he loves with all his heart is to turn her against him so she will start a new life without him.  He lets her into the dressing room and tells her this and allows her to see the hookers.  She leaves broken hearted and without telling him that she is pregnant with his child,

This book provides an excellent picture of how messed up we can make our own lives by feelings of insecurity, inferiority and by trying to decide what is best for other people and manipulate their lives by lies and secrets. It is very well written and keeps the reader's interest on every page but the explicit sexual scenes are, at least to me, occurring too often and in too much detail.  Sex is wonderful and erotic love scenes add to the romance story line in any love story but there is a point where enough detail has been given and there is no need to repeat all of it.  I am reminded of the scene in Gone With the Wind when Rhett carries Scarlett to their bed and then in the next scene it is morning and she has a happy smile all over her face--no one has to read a graphic description to know what happened in that bedroom  the previous night.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mature adults who enjoy reading erotica with an important lesson in life interwoven into the story line.

Country music superstar/actor Chase Tanner has yet to be denied anything–and he’s never wanted anything or anyone more than gorgeous screenplay writer Reno Linden. So when the film they are working on is finally finished, Chase decides to turn up the volume on seducing Reno. 

Reno Linden lived a quiet, rural life until she was thrust into the Hollywood scene when her book was adapted to film. Chase Tanner is larger than life, sinfully sexy and hell-bent on getting her into bed. Skittish after a failed wedding engagement, Reno risks the plunge into Chase’s arms, and is surprised that her good girl self can keep up with bad boy Chase. 

Though Chase returns to his cowboy roots often, and Reno cherishes the time spent with him on his ranch, the two find their careers pulling them in different directions. Will their attraction survive the glitz and stress of fame?

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Heart of Steele (Book 2)

Author Randi Alexander

Pages: 276

Published February 27th, 2014

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?