ABOUT THE BOOK

Compelled to silence, Brianna is like a cello without strings and must fight to reclaim her voice through the instruments she creates.

Brianna Jones is a nerdy, biracial teen who dreams of bringing music to the world via orchestral instruments fashioned out of recycled materials. But she must keep her project secret from her half sister, whose mission in life is to destroy everything Brianna holds dear.

Marek Lakewood is one of the few guys who sees Brianna for whom she really is and has admired her from afar for years, but he’s never been a risk-taker, not since his father was killed on a black diamond ski slope.

When a physics project lands Marek in Brianna’s sphere, he finds himself taking bigger and bigger risks, and discovers Brianna’s life and aspirations are far more complicated than he ever imagined.

Steel Strings is a contemporary romance and companion novel to the Chameleon Effect Series.

MY REVIEW

This is my third novel by Alex Hayes and it is a companion novel to the Chameleon Effect Series. Book 1 and 2 have a paranormal romance feel to then compared to Steel Strings which is more of a young adult romance and can be read as a standalone.

When a beautiful young musical genius decides to make some changes in her life like a new boyfriend and to stand up to her psycho sister, all hell breaks loose.

A smile lifts one side of my mouth because I need a physics partner for next semester. And Marek fits the bill. The slow beat of his drumstick against a cymbal stops at the exact moment my eyes meet his. I blink once, offer a glowing smile and glance away. Jeez. That was beyond totally embarrassing, Brianna.

Brianna is the beautiful homecoming queen of her school and she dates the gorgeous quarterback, but she has agreed to stay with him despite the fact she has no romantic feelings toward him. In the meantime, she needs a brainiac partner for her physics project and Marek is on her list as one of the smartest kids in school, not to mention tall and sexy. 

During Christmas break when her psycho and bitchy sister, Deya, comes home from college, she terrorizes Brianna at every turn to her mother’s cold indifference, and her father’s clueless irresponsibility. When an unforgiveable incident happens resulting in Brianna being rushed to the hospital, the truth starts to unravel.

Brianna and Marek’s growing attraction is a nice start to this interesting story which turns dark pretty fast containing abuse and attempts to hide it. The idea of Brianna making instruments from recycled materials is fascinating and I give kudos to Ms. Hayes for that interesting part of Brianna’s character. I also love Marek and how he stands up for Brianna when her own family won’t.

Though this is a standalone book, Ms. Hayes has done a fine job of giving more background on Marek and Idris who appear in her first book, Silken Scales, from the Chameleon Effects Series. If you enjoy fast-paced young adult romances with strong characters and strong subject matter, give this one a try.  Recommend highly!

Thank you to Ms. Hayes for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Hayes wrote her first fiction story when she was twelve. Inspired by her mother’s storytelling, she began work on her first novel, Ice Cracks, at eighteen.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. In her twenties, she moved from Marin County, California to Boston, Massachusetts, where she built a career as an IT professional in database engineering. In 2004, she self-published Ice Cracks, which became a semi-finalist in the 2005 IPPY Awards.

Alex splits her time between Grand Junction, Colorado and Guanajuato, Mexico. When she isn’t writing, she’s helping her partner, Lee, renovate a 450 year old hacienda. She is mother to one beautiful daughter and many wonderful cats.

Follow her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.