NOW A NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER! From #1 New York Times Bestseller Vi Keeland, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.It was just a typical Monday.Until the big boss asked me to make the pitch for a prospective new client.After two years on shaky ground at work because of my screw up, an opportunity to impress the senior partners was just what I needed.Or so I … shaky ground at work because of my screw up, an opportunity to impress the senior partners was just what I needed.
Or so I thought…
Until I walked into the conference room and collided with the man I was supposed to pitch.
My coffee spilled, my files tumbled to the ground, and I almost lost my balance.
And that was the good part of my day.
Because the gorgeous man crouched down and looking at me like he wanted to eat me alive, was none other than my ex, Gray Westbrook.
A man who I’d only just begun to move on from.
A man who my heart despised–yet my body obviously still had other ideas about.
A man who was as charismatic and confident as he was sexy.
Somehow, I managed to make it through my presentation ignoring his intense stare.
Although it was impossible to ignore all the dirty things he whispered into my ear right after I was done.
But there was no way I was giving him another chance, especially now that he was a client
…was there?more
Great book from a great and inspirational author. I just finished and I can’t wait to buy her next one!.
I love this book!
I listened to this on audio. Love the two narrators and they made it easy to fall in love with the characters. If you haven’t read or listened to any of Vi Keeland or Penelope Ward books, you are truly missing out.
I really enjoyed this well written story and characters!! I loved that it wasn’t just about sex, the conflict s could be genuine!! Look forward to more from this author!
Vi Keeland is consistently one of my top 10 favorite authors. If she writes it, I’ll read it. If she writes it with a partner, I will read that too. In fact, I gobble her books up like manna from heaven. Like manna, it nourishes my romance-loving soul, and I cannot get enough.
I had The Naked Truth sitting in my Kindle library. It kept calling to me, but I was wrapped up in reading ARCs for other books with review deadlines, that I had to wait until yesterday to start it. And like the other books I’ve read by her, this one did not disappoint.
“I remembered, ‘I said you were the rainbow of my life. You cleared the way for the rain to stop.'”
The Naked Truth is the story of Gray and Layla. Gray and Layla meet in prison, when Gray, serving a brief sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, and Layla, a lawyer completing a community service requirement, work together in a prison class. They spend Saturdays talking about their lives and falling gradually for each other. Eventually, Layla accidentally finds out that Gray is married, and she cuts ties with him. Fast forward one year, and Gray is the new client with Layla’s firm. Working together forces them to engage in the truth of their relationship, and they begin to fall in love again when suddenly another life situation strikes, threatening their relationship. Will they survive this new challenge?
Characters:
One of the things that Keeland does so well is writing characters. She does an exceptional job of writing male heroes who are seemingly a%$holes at the outset of the story, but their true character becomes apparent fairly quickly in the story. They border alpha types, but they usually do not overpower their female counterpart because Keeland writes strong women to balance the power dynamic.
This is definitely the case in The Naked Truth. At the beginning of the story, I wasn’t sure if I would like the character of Gray. He seemed like a domineering playboy. Again, that was my assumption. Fairly quickly, we find that Gray is multi-layered. He’s intelligent, compassionate, and sacrifices his own happiness for those around him. He’s noble in his pursuits. As his feminine foil, Layla is strong, albeit flawed. No, we shouldn’t blame her for not allowing Gray to explain his story, but she makes assumptions about him without allowing him to offer his truth. This occurs throughout the story setting up the conflicts in the story. The “push-pull” of their relationship makes the story for the reader.
Story:
As is the case with most of Keeland’s stories, the male and female characters meet, struggle against each other, fall for each other, encounter a difficult situation, split for some time, and finally find each other again. The moments when the man and woman are separated are felt strongly, and the reader worries for a “happily-ever-after.” However, Keeland never betrays the trust of her readers, and her male and female protagonists find each other in the end. In this book, the story follows her standard narrative, but the scenarios that separate Gray and Layla are significant, and it’s understandable why they keep them apart. But in the end, the two of them find each other again because as Gray tells Layla, “I love you. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I fucking love you, Layla. We are meant to be together. We both knew it from the very first day. Loving you is like breathing; I can’t stop.”
Sexiness Quotient:
When I measure the sexiness quotient of a book, I am measuring it by the levels of sex and sexual acts found in the story. There is clear sexual chemistry between Gray and Layla, and the promises of sex are pretty dirty (in a good way). However, the actual sexual acts offered to the reader are pretty tame for some of the sexual acts found in other books. Again, it’s still a sexy book, but it is fairly typical of a contemporary romance.
Style:
I believe I’ve decided that a writer’s style should allow for the movement of the story without an overabundance of words to say something simply. The style isn’t stilted; it flows for the reader. This is always the case with Keeland’s writing. Once I begin one of her books, I’m captured in her prose and sent along the way of the story with the ease of her words. She does this well in The Naked Truth. There are moments of interesting strings of words: “But when our eyes locked, we began to make love. Real, true, raw, painfully beautiful love. Like nothing I’d ever experienced.” The words grab you and throw you through the turmoil, the sexy, and the best moments of the story.
Overall:
It’s impossible to decide my favorite Vi Keeland book. The Naked Truth comes close to being my favorite because Gray as a male character holds the characteristics I love in a man: nobility, compassion, and loyalty. Even though we perceive him at the outset of the story as a fleeting playboy, his love for Layla is clear and breaks down her barriers heroically. Any woman would feel blessed to have a Gray in their life who isn’t willing to let her go when times become difficult. To me, their relationship is the beauty of this book: “Before I met Layla, I hadn’t even realized something was missing. Yet now, without her, I felt totally incomplete.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This author never disappoints. Layla and Gray met during a time when they were both in less than your usual situation. But, one misguided assumption on Layla’s part, led to them having not seen each other in over a year, until Gray turns up where she works, needing a lawyer to assist with a new business venture. It becomes the push and pull. Her trying to fight off any feelings for him. Angry with him, and terrified of being potentially hurt by him again. But Gray won’t give up. She’s been that shining beacon in his life for so long. The thing that kept him going. When he finally wins her over, and it looks like smooth sailing for them, something neither of them could have seen coming, nearly tears them apart. Loved this. I couldn’t put it down.
Pardon my language. Holy shit that was fantastic! I’m gonna tell you what. This story is one of the best I’ve read recently. The hype was for good reason. Wow Layla and Grayson’s story is very unconventional. From how they met to their reconnect to the drama that ensues there is never a dull moment with these two. Grayson was such a force. He’s loved Layla for a long time and I loved watching him get her back. Honestly I fell hard for Gray. Although Kayla had her reasons to be concerned he was hard not to love. The twist in this story floored me and I gained some respect for the third party involved considering they didn’t really deserve much. This is fast paced. Hard to put down and worth anytime spent reading it for sure!
I love her writing style & books. This is a beautiful, sweet & sexy second chance love story. Read it! <3
*4,5 stars*
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book by this author but I always look forward to reading her stories ‘cuz she always seems to amaze me and with this one, she did yet again. I really enjoyed the story of Layla and Gray and there were some surprises in the book that really touched me.
Layla has been trying to put the past behind her and work herself up at the lawyer’s office she’s working at. She has a new perspective and also a new relationship she’s comfortable in. But when her boss assigns her to a new job, she again stands face to face with someone she never thought she would see again. Now she’ll have to find a way to work alongside him and try to not let the past in between the one thing she wants most, to be respected more at the firm. But Grayson has other ideas and will do anything to win her back; to win her heart back and get a second chance.
Will he succeed?… Will they finally get their happy ending?…
Once again Vi Keeland wove a wickedly awesome story with amazing real characters. Gray and Layla are so special that you’ll love them from your introduction to them. You feel like that they are a part of your life as the story takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. You will laugh, love, cry, scream, and feel their story. This book I’ll read again and again. Vi has out done herself and I hope she continues to share her talent with all of us.
I have really gotten into Vi Keeland’s books over the last year. I look forward to her sassy heroines and sexy heroes. I very much enjoyed The Naked Truth!
Gray and Layla met under very unusual circumstances. They enjoyed spending time together and were attracted to each other from the beginning, despite not being able to act on it. A year or so later, Layla finds herself having to pitch a presentation to Gray, and this restarts their relationship, despite the fact that Layla wants nothing to do with Gray.
I loved Gray. I mean, I really loved Gray! I loved that he always tried to find the positive in a situation. And Layla was a great surprise, as well. Their chemistry was off the charts! Vi Keeland did a wonderful job with these characters. I did feel that the first half of the book was a little slow, but the second half certainly made up for that!
This will be a reread for sure!
I usually love Vi’s covers, but this wasn’t the best in my opinion, but once again I was hooked with the story since the beginning.
Vi knows exactly how to write to make you feel all kinds of different emotions, you can relate to her characters, their chemistry, this was not the exception.
I loved Gray’s cockiness and confidence, but despite that, he had a soft side that could melt any heart. Layla, she was awesome, I wanted to be her friend. Together, they were such a great combination.
The book lost me in the last part, it was still good but I didn’t feel connected to it that much, but that epilogue was the best! Love it!
4.5 Stars
Layla is finally back in the firm, as an associate again, but at least she’s on probation and done with her volunteer hours. An opportunity to present to a very important client could put her back in good graces, but nothing prepares her for Gray Westbrook to be there. Her heart has just moved on from him, barely, and seeing him, remembering the way he used to make her feel, throws her right back into the moment. He’s after her, he’s free now and wants her to be his, but things can never be easy, especially between attorney and client.
This book was such a nice surprise, I really enjoyed the unique storyline and how Vi Keeland managed to throw a lot into a book without it becoming too overwhelming. It’s more than romance, we get a lot of individual character development and there’s a secondary storyline that will tug at your heartstrings. Layla and Gray are obviously a chemistry driven couple, but right away I could tell their history was more than lust. We’re treated to some really hot smut, but also moments of just dialogue where it is revealed that the two find one another to be smart, compassionate, and trustworthy.
Gray is such a dynamic character, he goes through the most changes and I appreciated that he was so welcoming of those changes. He takes things in stride, shows more emotion than not, and comes across as truly human. My feelings towards him are opposite of how I usually feel about wealthy businessmen in novels. Lalya is sweet, a romantic despite denying it, and sometimes a little difficult. It was very apparent she was a few years younger than Gray, how she reacted to things could be frustrating, but I like how the trials they go through help her grow.
The Naked Truth is a mix of romance tropes combined and it was highly entertaining. Vi Keeland has created what I would call the perfect book boyfriend, Gray is swoonworthy. He’s the driving force of the relationships in the novel, so if you’re looking for an alpha man with a soft side, this is it for you.
*Audiobook Review*
I really enjoyed this audiobook on Audible, it was a little over 8 hours and was great for several days of driving to and from work. The chapters are distinguished with “Chapter #” announcements and the unique voices were awesome, I love having a female speak the female perspective chapters and a male speak the male perspective chapters. Andi Arndt’s voice was perfect for Layla, but I wasn’t so big of a fan of Sebastian York. I know many people swoon for him and the mystery he presents as being an unknown face in the game, but his voice just wasn’t Gray’s for me.
Love second chance love stories!! who doesn’t? Vi did not disappoint with this one, I really enjoyed Layla’s and Grays relationship and banter.
Vi has you smiling and laughing throughout book and really feeling a connection with her characters.
I highly recommend this book!!
I would recommend this book
Whoa. Every time Vi announces she has a book coming out I get excited. It’s hard to wait to see what magic she’s created. I must say as someone who is more attracted to a blurb, I thought she nailed it! It was funny, sassy, intriguing, and I wanted to read it right away! I can safely say the book delivered what the blurb promised but in ways I never anticipated!
I was prepared to swoon over Gray Westbrook, but I never anticipated falling for him this hard! I could totally see why Layla Hutton had a hard time not only seeing him again, but how she so easily fell in love with him in the first place! I mean Gray and Layla set the pages on fire. I really enjoyed the push and pull between them.
Their story is certainly unique. Vi not only brings them to life, but she made me feel like I was a part of their story. And the twists! It’s just best to go into this book blind. The passion is intense, but so are the feelings this book gave me! I teared up multiple times and there may have even been some tears that got loose, but that wasn’t because this book is a tear-jerker or sob-fest, but because I was so immersed in the story, my emotions were hard to control. I didn’t even realize I was crying until the tear dropped onto my kindle!
The Naked Truth is a gorgeous story and you don’t want to miss it!
Layla, oh Layla finds herself in one hell of a mess. She is a young lawyer that almost found herself disbarred after violating attorney/client privileges. She had to complete community service at a minimum security prison, which is where she meets Gray Westbrook. Layla finds herself falling for the hot inmate, but finds outs that Gray doesn’t exactly tell her his full truth. Layla cuts ties with Gray after completing her community service and decides she is done, wants nothing else to do with him…until now. Layla, walks into a meeting with a high profile prospective client, a client that nearly knocks her on her ass…Gray Westbrook.
Gray has his eye on one woman, Layla. He knows as much as she fights him, she wants him too. With him hiring her as his lawyer for his new business adventure there is no way she can escape the devilishly handsome man. He is for sure a man with a wicked tongue, and no bull attitude. Everything about the man is sexy and screams sex, so how is Layla going to stick to her guns and keep everything work related?!
The Naked Truth brought everything that I love in Keeland’s books! I always get drawn into Vi’s books from the beginning and stay sucked into the characters and the story they tell until the very end. Layla and Gray had a unique story to be told and I loved every second of it. Such a great summer read for me, and I’m sure it will be for you too.
4.5 stars
I have to say I really enjoy a book that has just that little bit something different in it.
I really loved Layla, her passion, her feelings, her way with people around her and the way she became with Gray.
Having been convicted of insider trading, Gray is a man unto himself, trying to acclimate back into society. Layla was seeing him at the jail every Saturday for a while. They developed a friendship and once Gray was released he looked her up.
Needless to say this book will definitely make you feel empathy and may cause you to shed a tear too. I know I certainly did.
I really loved Etta, Grays kinda surrogate Mum. She was something else.
What I loved about this story was the real sense of family and how when things go down you really come to learn who is most important in your life.
A beautiful second chance read!!
I think this may have just become my favorite book from. Vi Keeland. Gray and Layla were absolutely entertaining and sexy as hell. I couldn’t help but smirk and grin at Gray, his antics and his sexy & dirty mouth.
You could tell right away that Layla had unresolved feelings where Gray was concerned. The lady doth protest too much. I mean how could anyone resist a man like Gray. He was determined to win Layla’s heart back and her trust and would go to any length to get there.
Their journey is definitely not the norm and is met with several unexpected twists which only add the the depth of the story and make you route for Layla and Gray that much more.
Go #1ick and see what everyone is talking about
You can never go wrong with a Vi Keeland book and man this one saved the day for me while I was serving jury duty.
Gray, despite his name is quite colorful.
“I said you were the rainbow of my life. You cleared the way for the rain to stop.”
I think one of the things I truly enjoy about Vi’s books is she matches up the lead characters very well. They are not paired as the damsel in distress and the alpha who saves her, they are however personalities that give you the entertaining push and pull oozing in sexual chemistry.