Risking It All: A Naked Men Novel

Christi Barth

Mar 2016 · Naked Men Book 1 · Sold by Loveswept

About this ebook

Who doesn’t love Naked Men? In Christi Barth’s irresistible series, a group of close-knit friends talk out their problems with naked honesty on a popular blog. Bonded by a high-school tragedy, they’re moving on from the past—and fighting for the future with strong and sassy women.
 
Griffin Montgomery helps people. As a teenager, he kept his best friends alive after their soccer team’s bus crashed in the Alps. Now, as a Coast Guard search and rescue pilot, he saves lives with reckless abandon—until he goes too far and earns a lengthy suspension. Working on the Naked Men projects keeps his mind busy, but Griff’s itching to get back in the action. That’s when he finds his latest rescue mission: a pretty wallflower who’s stuck in her comfort zone.
 
Chloe Widmore doesn’t take risks. As a professional letter writer, she gets enough excitement out of expressing other people’s emotions. So when the hottest man she’s ever seen invades her coffee shop, Chloe surprises herself with how much she wants to be with him. Routines make her feel safe. Griff makes her deliciously unsafe, in so many ways. But falling for him is one risk she might just have to take . . . whether she’s ready or not.

Catch all of USA Today bestselling author Christi Barth’s charming Naked Men novels:
RISKING IT ALL | WANTING IT ALL | GIVING IT ALL | TRYING IT ALL

Praise for Risking It All
 
“The perfect escapist read—sweet and sexy, with an ending that will remind you of all the reasons you love romance.”—USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne
 
“Smart, sexy, and flat-out fun, Risking It All is one story readers will have a hard time putting down. Christi Barth’s heroes will make you laugh, sigh, and swoon—what could be better?”—USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Kincaid

“Barth writes the perfect blend of humor, pathos, and romance.”—Library Journal

“Risking It All delivers sexy romance, laugh-out-loud humor, unexpected surprises, and an unbreakable bond between friends. Christi Barth has written a winner!”—Tracy March, award-winning author of Should’ve Said No

“Something special happens when Chloe and Griffin meet. Christi Barth takes you on a journey of discovery you won’t want to put down.”—Vonnie Davis, author of the Highlander’s Beloved series

“I enjoyed [Barth’s] humor and clever use of metaphor [with] this group of successful, varied, intelligent, and witty characters.”—Books and Bindings
 
“I can’t wait for the rest of this series.”—Obsessive Book Nerd
 
“An entertaining read about ordinary people who’ve fallen in love . . . It’s a great start to what should be a good series—it’s not much to risk!”—Once Upon an Alpha
 
“Barth does an excellent job of giving readers just enough information about Griff’s teammates to whet our appetites. I definitely want to read their stories but this one stands alone with no problem.”—Xtreme Delusions
 
“The banter is one of the many highlights within Risking It All.”—Book Angel Booktopia

Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more stories involving the Naked Men!! I enjoyed both the H/h and the only reason it wasn't a five star read for me was I found the h a little meek. Griffin had a moment of real jerkiness which made my lip curl but I'm glad I kept reading and found that he realized what a jerk he was and made up for it! After that I thought he was adorable. Chloe lives a very safe life and doesn't like taking any kind of risk. Since Griffin's very core is a risk taker this makes for a very interesting couple. This relationship was a slow build and one I enjoyed very much. This is definitely a book I highly recommend.

This is the first book I’ve read by Christi Barth. I love the premise for her Naked Men series: High school soccer teammates who faced tragedy together forge an even stronger bond with each other. They create a blog, Naked Men, and decide to talk out their problems online and share them with other men. This book is about Griffin Montgomery and Chloe Widmore The book starts with a Prologue, 10 years in the past, which tells you about the tragedy that Griff and his teammates experienced. Chloe and Griff meet at a coffee shop that she uses as an office where she writes letters – for other people; she is a professional letter writer. He’s the hottest guy she’s ever seen and is surprised when he comes over to talk to her. Griff is a reluctant hero. He recently made a successful, daring rescue just doing his job as a Coast Guard helicopter pilot. When everyone in the coffee shop but Chloe applauds him, his is intrigued and goes over to talk to her. Thus begins their relationship. I enjoyed this book very much. The dialogue is witty and flows well. I want to meet Chloe and Griff – especially Griff. OMG – the letter that Griff writes to Chloe late in the book! I can’t quote it because I read an unproofed, advanced copy, but take my word for it Griff is the kind of guy most any woman would love to meet and fall for. Both Griff and Chloe have things to overcome before they get their HEA but every word made this an enjoyable journey for me to take with them. Ms. Barth does an excellent job of giving readers just enough information about Griff’s teammates to whet our appetites. I definitely want to read their stories but this one stands alone with no problem. *****Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions***** I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The series follows a group of guys who have been friends since childhood. Having survived a tragedy, they have a strong bond. Together they run a blog, appropriately titled “Naked Men”. They explore the male perspective on topics. It focuses on men’s issues which is a little different premise than most. This is the story of Griffin and Chloe. As a Coast Guard pilot, Griffin finds him in situations where he has to take risks. However this does not always fly with his supervisor, because not only does he put himself at risk but also his co-workers. Therefore, he often finds himself in trouble. After one such heroic incident, he is grounded (no flying) by his supervisor. Chloe is your typical good girl. She is the opposite of Griff. She likes order and routine. She has a very unusual job as a professional letter writer so is quite literal with her comments. For example she is told Griff “battled the storm”. She finds this ridiculous because “Technically you can’t battle a storm. It’s not like he pulled out an assault rifle and ordered the clouds to quit it or he’d shoot”. When they first met, Chloe was not too impressed with Griff. She thinks he has an “egotistical God complex that is either chasing something or running from it.” Things start off well between them but when Griff finds out Chloe is a virgin, he is angry. He handled it very poorly. He treated her like she had the plague or something. How could she do this to him? I don’t like the fact he told all his friends and decided to talk about it on their radio show. While I liked the banter back and forth between the characters, Griff was a little arrogant and obnoxious at times. Their relationship seemed a little bit forced to me. Overall this was an ok book. It wasn’t something I hated but it wasn’t something I loved either. But I enjoyed it enough that I would like to see how the other men make out. I would have liked to see a better epilogue. The ending seemed rushed. I would have liked to see how their relationship was more in the future. Perhaps with additional stories about the other characters, we will be able to see where Griff and Chloe have made out.

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Christi Barth earned a master’s 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 contemporary romance. Barth lives in Maryland with her husband.