Title: The Naked Truth
Author: Vi Keeland
Publisher: Vi Keeland
Release Date: July 23, 2018
Series Details: Standalone
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 300
Blurb from Goodreads:
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 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?
This! This is how I like my adult romance novels—flirty, scorching hot, off the charts chemistry, ever present sexual tension, with just the right amount of steamy scenes placed in all the right places. It was full of lust and passion but it doesn’t overload us with the sex scenes. I like that the story revolves not just on sex like many other books in this genre. There were truths, lies, and surprises. There were big decisions for the main characters to make, and there’s enough drama to stir things up.
Gray and Layla are generic characters, to be honest. He is the alpha male type, possessive, dominant, intimidating, and rich. She is workaholic, independent, and she knows how to look out for herself. Even the storyline wasn’t very unique to me. I’m sure I’ve had this kind of story a few times before. But Vi Keeland handled these clichés nicely. The story was delivered in a way that wasn’t dull and boring. And I like how it gets more and more complicated, pushing both Layla and Gray to a spot where they were forced to make hard decisions that affects their relationship.
“Life threw him a curveball. I get it. But you don’t stop swinging. You firm up your grip and smack it out of the park.”
The circumstances wherein Gray and Layla first meet is unique. They met in prison. Gray, convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. And Layla, a lawyer who got community service as punishment for violating attorney-client privilege. The chemistry between them was insane the moment they first met. And the tension has been building up steadily since then until Gray screwed up. I kind of love their game of push and pull—with Gray being totally bold, vocal, and confident about getting Layla back. And Layla trying her best to ignore her heart and listen to what her brain is saying this time. Some of the dirty talks kind of made me cringe a little bit, but I’ve read others that are dirtier so it wasn’t really a deal breaker.
“Once you’ve had true love, anything else feels like settling, and no one should ever settle when it comes to love.”
The big twists weren’t very surprising but it sure has a way of pulling you in and making you want to know what happens next. It’s nice looking at how Layla and Gray handle the challenges that comes their way—like an adult. They don’t just go and decide to break up the moment some huge issue comes up. I really love how they try to understand the other instead, how they tried to make things work, and fix things slowly but sincerely. That was really a big plus for me since the last adult romance book I’ve read had two professionals for main characters who fights and breaks up over trivial things. That’s you, The Wedding Date.
Overall, this has been a fun and sexy read. It might have leaned just a little to the cliché side, but it did manage to keep me up at night, reading. This is the first time I’m reading a Vi Keeland book and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I liked the writing style. I like how the author gives attention to every character—from main down to the most minor ones like Rip and Etta. I liked how she ties and connects everything up just before ending the book. And the guy in the cover is smoking hot, so there’s that. Now, I’m gonna go and get more of Vi’s works to go with my hot chocolate drink.
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