Review: Softer Than Steel (Love & Steel, #2) by Jessica Topper (Goodreads Author)

Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Softer than Steel by Jessica Topper begins 4 years after the previous book, Louder than Love ended.

This is such a beautiful and moving love story of a man coming to terms with the loss of the woman he loved and the woman who pulls him back to living again.

A man holding on to his memories
A woman bound by commitments to her family and friends
Two lives that are about to cross...taking them both on a spiritual journey of self-discovery and of each other.

CHARACTERS
I loved how the diversity of the characters and their cultures were interwoven so well in the story. An Indian/Irish yoga teacher meets British/Jewish rockstar.
Written from both POV’s, we are able to see each other’s side of the story.
The characters come to life and become the kind of people you would like to have in your life.

Rick Rottenberg aka Riff Rotten has been persuaded by his fellow band member and friend to getting back together to form a new band, which they named Corroded Corpse (what a fab and original name…loved it!!).

I loved the take on the older and mature rockstar instead of the usual young and angsty musician.
Rick is struggling with a lot of things in his life….making his comeback, touring, his best friend’s upcoming wedding, unable to get his head around writing music for the band’s new album…still mourning, after 14 years, the loss of his wife….his life is pretty messed up at the moment!!

I so connected with this character… having lost the person I loved earlier this year...I could identify with his pain from losing someone he loved… It’s so hard to let go…..every day is a challenge…..the grief, the anxiety, the void in your life...how to deal with moving forward.
His emotional journey was poignant and uplifting and I was glad he was able to find someone who he could feel a connection with. His interaction with Sidra was really touching and sweet and I like that he wasn’t pushy or overbearing with her.

Sidra Sullivan,yoga teacher, family carer, strong, determined and cautious about giving her heart to just anyone after being betrayed by the man she believed had loved her. I found her extremely interesting and so different from most of the heroine character norms. Her deep love and commitment towards her family and friends, her spiritual side, her kindness to her older yoga students……and that she could have fun and enjoy her life even when things got tough.

Secondary CharactersWhat a joy to meet up with Adrian and Kat as they prepare for their wedding….and Kat’s daughter, Abbey, has turned into the most adorable gem!!! I loved the Sullivan clan and all the wheeling and dealings…especially Sidra’s brother, who I fell in love with. There was a really great family feeling in the story which I really liked.

THE ROMANCE
Sidra and Rick’s first meeting was so memorable. Sidra holds an elevator for a flustered looking man and the two spend the next few minutes taking each other in….Sidra has no idea who the man is and Rick can only think about the fantastic smell of bagels coming out of the packet Sidra is holding. The banter between them is hilarious. And when he turns up unexpectedly at her yoga studio…..well….you just have to read the book to find out more.

Okay, their romance starts off very very slowly…the two only really get together half-way through the book but the build-up is moving and really engaging.

Sidra helps Rick to let himself open up to new experiences and feelings……
Sidra plays a huge part in Rick moving forward and we see many of her influences…one of my favorite…..Rick, on stage, singing a song her wrote and dedicated to Sidra.

”He embraced the deepest truth, breathing deep and allowing his mantra to come forth. And into the mic, he murmured, “This one is called Dove.”

Their journey is amazing and incredibly touching, deeply emotional and I felt the need to see the two finding happiness together…

THE SETTINGS

Vivid and vibrant descriptions of the area where Sidra lives, her yoga studio which is behind a record store in a building that has an history that is totally unexpected that also connects Sidra and Rick in some way…..and makes me believe even more in fate…kismet….that these two were meant to find each other.

POIGNANT

Reading the final letter Rick writes to Simone, his deceased wife, I couldn’t stop crying….(view spoiler)[ I'm heading home, my love. And I've been traveling a long time. I've crossed the globe trying to shake you, yet I've been seeking something elusive as well. I'd hoped to feel your presence, and felt guilty when I didn't.
But now I know.
You're not in that cemetery in Brooklyn. You're not at the hospital wing that bears your name. You're not in the childhood mementos or the synagogue I visit once a year. You're no longer in our Hanalei house, and you're not in the songs I write…or in the songs I choose not to sing.
You have a place in my head, and my heart. The memory of you will always live there.
But I've realized for your memory to truly be a blessing, it needs to be just that. Your blessing. For me to move on, to find love, fulfillment, and happiness…with myself. And with someone else, someday.
Maybe I'll place this letter with the others, in the hatbox. And maybe I will plant it under the purple naupaka on the mauka side of the house, because that flower always reminds me of you. But it no longer saddens me.
I love you, Simone. (hide spoiler)]
If you want to read a beautiful and uplifting love story, then please read this book. For me, it’s one of those stories that I will remember for a long time and will reread it again in the future.

I loved this quote

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