Sunday 15 January 2017

Review: Giving It All by Christi Barth

Christi Barth’s smoking-hot contemporary romance series continues as the five best friends who survived a tragedy as teenagers take to their Naked Men podcast to open up about women. In Giving It All, the group’s globe-trotting hunk discovers that you need to go home to find love.
 
Logan Marsh never stays in one place for long. Through his family’s foundation, Logan spends his days traveling to the world’s most dangerous places to deliver disaster relief, which really puts a damper on his sex life—until he reconnects with his high-school crush. Stranded together in the Caribbean, they enjoy a steamy fling that awakens feelings Logan has ignored for too long. But family drama calls him away from her sweet embrace . . . or so he thinks.

Brooke Gallagher loved being a home economics teacher and cheerleading coach. Then an unexpected tragedy forced her to take some time off. Now she’s back in D.C. and despite the intensity of her tropical encounter with Logan, she’s shocked to bump into him again. Logan’s dealing with his own issues (including a newly discovered half-sister) and he’s itching to get back on the road. More than anything, Brooke wants to be there for him. But first, he has to decide if love is enough to keep him in one place.


Kindle Edition, 224 pages
Expected publication: January 17th 2017 by Loveswept 
Series: Naked Men #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

Giving it All is the third book in the Naked Men series but it can be read as a stand alone. Each book tells the story of a different "naked man." I have read all three books.

For readers who haven't had the chance to read the first two books I'll give a little bit of background. The "Naked Men" are a group of five men who experienced a life altering experience as teenagers while on a soccer trip to Italy. This experience bonded them and solidified a tight and unwavering friendship. As the years went on they started blogging as a way to stay connected and talk about things happening in their lives from girls to sex, nothing was off the table. The blog became so popular that they turned it into a pod cast.

So in Giving It All we were introduced to Logan who was mentioned by name in the previous books but otherwise absent and unaccounted for. He was always off saving the world in remote, hard to reach places. The book began as he was desperately trying to make it home to meet his baby sister that he didn't know he had. Unfortunately because of timing and hurricane season, he ended up stranded on the little island of Dominica. What was shaping up to be an annoying delay quickly changed when he ran into Brooke, his high school friend and secret crush, while leaving the airport. Brooke was fighting her own demons but together the two of them fell into old habits plus more with a no strings and mutual fling. He would be leaving on his next mission and any given time and she was moving out of State.

A good romance would be nothing without complications, misunderstandings, changes of plans and all kinds of angst. Giving it All is no exception. When Logan and Brooke both found themselves back in DC indefinitely and spending a lot of time together, things definitely became complicated. What they both knew would inevitably end became more difficult when feelings started getting in the way.

I thought this book started off super cute. The fact that Brooke and Logan were stranded in Dominica was part of the reason why. I was there a couple years ago and I am heading there again in a couple of weeks. It is one of the most beautiful, lush and under appreciated islands in the Caribbean in my opinion. Don't let anyone tell you any different! It was the perfect backdrop for a romantic beginning.

I've said it in both of my reviews of the previous books but the "Naked Men" are not my favourite people when I first start reading their stories. They come across a little slimy and disrespectful to women. Kind of like they never outgrew their teenage hormones. They eventually win me over (when the love interest changes their ways) but it takes time. Logan was not quite as bad a womaniser and I was thankful for that. It made it easier for me to like him a little quicker. I did however find him to be a little immature at times and a little unappreciative of the things he had. Brooke on the other hand was a doll. I adored the two of them together.

Giving it All was a cute and easy to read romance that I enjoyed curling up with for a few hours. It was nice to visit with the "naked men" again and get to know yet another one of them. Logan was one of the characters that intrigued me early on and I'm curious to see who is up next. Josh is still on my Radar!

Check out my thoughts on Risking It All (Naked Men #1) here.
Check out my thoughts on Wanting It All (Naked Men #2) here.





About the Author
CHRISTI BARTH earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series.

Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.
Connect with Christi
 

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