Trying it All is the fourth book in Ms Barth’s series titled, Naked Men. Though it’s a stand alone, the reader would benefit in reading the previous stories to appreciate the bond of these men who have been “blood brothers” since their teens and whose bond was sealed when they experienced a horrific accident while representing America in Italy,.
In this one, our main characters are Riley, and Summer. Riley isa NTSB agent who is straight laced, by the book, overly prepared individual . Summer is his total opposite , or so we think . But her attitude today also stems from a devastating experience during her college years. Somehow, when they kiss, their opinions of each other changes. More so after an experience they have together.
All that said, as much as I enjoyed the previous three books, I was disappointed in this one. I found myself skipping pages wondering when it would get better. I was more interested in the secondary characters, most of whom we have met in the other books.
I was gifted this copy by Netgalley and Loveswept. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

5 star review of Trying It It All (Naked Men #4) by Christi Barth

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in the series and was excited to read Riley’s story.

The idea of a group of men, who have been friends for many years talking out their problems on a blog as a premise was so intriguing. These men survived a horrific bush crash over 10 years ago, and their bond of friendship which was firmly cemented and has only deepened over the years.

This is the story of Riley Ness and Summer Sheridan. He is the most serious of the group, the most detail oriented and possibly the most uptight; always needing a plan and to be in control. Summer, on the other hand is beautiful, carefree and somewhat flighty. Totally not who Riley expects to be attracted too, but then opposites do attract.

Riley wants Summer to become more serious about life and Summer just wants Riley to enjoy life. Can these two polar opposites fight through their obvious differences, traumatic pasts and find a compromise which opens them both up to love? Or will pride and fear get in their way and lose them both a chance at happiness?

The chemistry between Riley and Summer was real. There was definitely a romantic feel to this book and I really love all the secondary characters. I love the humour and the easy banter between all of the characters, particularly Logan and his friends.

I cannot wait to read more about the Naked Men from Christi Barth.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Riley and Summer and thrown into each other's lives when her best friend, Chloe, and his best friend, Griffin start dating. Summer and Riley do not care for each other. They are polar opposites. He plans every scenario down to the last detail and she flies by the seat of her pants. They both went through traumatic events when they were younger and have adopted coping mechanisms that have both of them on different paths of getting through life. Summer wants nothing to tie her down and gets upset when anyone even suggests she plan for the future. Riley is up tight and rigid in his belief that he needs to be prepared for all possible situations which is perfect for his job with the NTSB.

Riley realizes that they need to call a truce and not keep sniping at each other whenever they are in the same room. It has become apparent that Chloe is going to have Summer with her a lot when visiting with Griff and the other 4 of his roommates. Summer was even more belittling and snotty to Riley and tried to not own up to her part in their bad behavior. She felt she needed to call him out for his preparedness and took it upon herself to call him a stick in the mud whenever she could. It did get old at times and I was glad with Riley and others started calling her out on it. She needed to own her crap instead of pointing out what she felt was wrong with others. Riley admitted to his issues from their near-death experience when he was younger and is trying to avoid any more anxiety attacks. Summer threatens that and doesn't quite understand why he is so upset about it. She wanted him to accept her as she was (flighty, spur of the moment and absolutely resistant to planning for her future) but wanted Riley to change for her and become more spontaneous. Riley nailed it on the head when he said she was using her past to pus people and things away and people were over-indulgent in allowing her to act that way.

When they both give a relationship a shot you just know things are going to be difficult when you put 2 polar opposite people together. The fact that they tried to communicate and get their points across did help at times. At the end of the day, they both had to try and figure out how to meet in the middle and not change the other too drastically. I liked how Riley and Summer both got heart-to-hearts from their friends and told to stop blaming the other one and own their issues. It had a nice ending and was a good, easy read. I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I have loved The Naked Men series! I have recommended this series to all the people in my reading groups and the majority of them have loved them. I think the author has a wonderful way with telling the story and humor that makes you laugh out loud while reading. I look forward to more from her.

Opposites attract

Summer and Riley are always at loggerheads, constant bickering with each other. But a kiss shared during a heated moment changed everything.
They both survived horrific events, dealing with the emotional backlash in complete opposite ways. Riley plans everything and Summer thinks plan is a four letter bad word.
They are so opposite each other, will they be able to find middle ground ?
I love the Naken Men series and this book was just perfect with its equal dosage of spicy, funny, sassy, emotional moments. I loved the chemistry between Summer and Riley, they are so similar yet completely different from each other. I'm so looking forward to Josh's story, though the wait is bittersweet since I know it would possibly be the end of the series and I don't want it to end.

Out of all the men in this series so far, I think Riley has the most baggage that he carries around daily. It is his mission and job to make sure people are safe, which Riley takes it very serious. Then there is Summer, with her live life to the fullest attitude. With their views on life from opposite ends of the spectrum, it’s a wonder they can even be civil to each other. Riley and Summer need to decide if they can put their pasts behind them to move on. Despite their differences these two people really get each other and it was fun watching them. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series I have loved so much.

I have received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Naked Men series. The series is about a group of teenagers that bonded through a tragedy and their lives about 10 years later. They are "brothers", although not by blood.
They now live together in a huge house and lead successful lives.

This is Riley's story. Riley is definitely compulsive. Everything has to be "in order" for him, every possibly action has to be worked out. He always has to have a plan in place.

Summer is the best friend of one of his fellow Naked Mens' fiancé. She and Riley never get along as she is the total opposite of him. She never plans anything, she just flies by the seat of her pants. She does run a fairly successful boutique though.

As the wedding of their friends comes closer, Riley decides that he and Summer need to "have a truce", for their friends sake as they will be spending more time together. He goes to her and she agrees with him.

This is when the changes begin....

Can they keep the truce going? Will they drive each other and all their friends crazy with their extreme ways?

As extreme as both of these characters are, they are very likeable. They are hard working and are true to the people that are important to them. Summer has also had tragedy in her life also but neither is aware of the real stories.

As they spend more time together the attraction grows.. and then a few kisses...I had to laugh because they were basically both telling themselves " I don't even like him/her, why am I attracted to him/her".

What really made this book for me was when they both started to open up about the tragedy in their lives and why it made them the way they were, how that loss of freedom affected their life. It was very intense and wonderfully written! Them opening up to one another was only the beginning, now they need to learn how to work on their excessive-ness in personalities, Riley needing to have order and a plan for everything and Summer never planning.

A challenge is always easier when someone you love is at your side to support you...Riley and Summer have really just started their lives.

Great story!

What a great addition to the Naked Men series! I've been waiting for this book to come out, and I was very excited to finally get to read it. This book started out a bit slow for me, but quickly picked up and lead me into a story the had sass, a lot of humor, definitely hot steamy scenes with Riley and Summer, and the very tender moments that I would expect from this author. The writing was incredible in this story. Kept me engaged throughout the book, a lot of laugh out loud moments, just loved the banter between these two characters. Christi Barth's writing reminds me a lot of another great author I absolutely love, Jamie Farrell. They both have a knack for delivering hysterical banter and sass with their characters, you get sucked into the conversations, wanting to see what the ACS's are going to delve up, or what the girls are going to talk about, just loved every bit of it. Loved the ending of this book, definitely swoon worthy. Can't wait to read Josh's story, I'm thinking Annabel is going to be on the horizon very soon!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

Trying it all was a fantastic read, well written and had me hanging on to every word. Thank you for allowing me the honor of reading an aRC.

This book is another installment to The Naked Men series. After an accident that happened to Riley while in high school he has since tried living his life being prepared for anything and everything that could happen in all situations. What Riley doesn't prepare for is what happens when he meets Summer who is carefree and full of plenty of energy.

This book was a great read and readers will not be disappointed. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Trying It All by Christi Barth is the 4th book in her Naked Men series. I have read most of Christi’s books, but for some reason I had not read this series. But Trying it All read very well as a standalone, and I loved the book; which makes me try to find time to go back and read the first three books. The Naked Men series revolves around a group of friends who have stood together from high school, death defying situations and to their current day successful careers ; the title is from their blog which they display their honest opinions.
It was a great beginning, 10 years before, where their bus crashed over the mountains leaving them with no hope of rescue. Riley Ness is our hero in this book, and he blames himself for the accident. Knowing what happened made it so much easier to understand the men, what they went through, and their loyalty to each other. Since I had not read the first three, it was a godsend. Thank you, Christi.

Now in the present, Riley is a federal agent for the NTSB, who is hell bent to always plan ahead for work and for play. Riley is intense and sometimes annoying with his persistence to make sure everyone is protected and plans for every eventuality in whatever or wherever. Summer Sheridan, our heroine, has also had a terrible tragedy as a teenager, having been shot while In high school, and actually died for over a minute. But Summer is the complete opposite of Riley. She refuses to plan; she wants to live for the moment, even if she is reckless. Of course, Summer and Riley hang around the same friends, but they hate each other, and do everything in their power to avoid one another. Best laid plans do not always work out.

One day, when passing each other and making their normal sarcastic comments, Summer accidently slips off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic. Riley acted quickly and lifted Summer to safety, and in that moment with him holding her so close, the chemistry between them burst into a flame of fire. Riley kisses Summer and nothing will ever be the same for both of them.

What follows is a wonderful, fun and at times exasperating story , as we watched two people who are opposites fall in love. It was such a great romance with hot sexual chemistry, and they were both so good together. The fact that they were likeable made the story fun to read. Yes, sometimes you wanted to smack one of them occasionally, but as their love becomes real, slowly they realize that they also complement each other, helping the other get past their anxiety. Christi Barth does such a fantastic job writing their romance, and blending in the friends surrounding them. This was such an enjoyable read.

Besides Summer and Riley, I loved all the other characters, such as Chloe, Griff, Logan, just to name a few. Just when they begin to know that their love is real, the past has a way of coming back to haunt them. Summer is spontaneous and reckless, and a scared Riley will run; determined to live and not let things go, will keep Summer at a standstill. Will they find a way to compromise and make their relationship work?

Trying it All is another fabulous romance by Christi Barth, who never fails to give us a wonderful story and couple. I loved this book. I suggest you start with the first book in this series, as I will plan to go back to read the earlier books.

I think I say this every time, but I love the Naked Men Series!! This book did not disappoint. It was so good to get to know Riley & Summer better. They're romance is sizzling & fun with some twists along the way. It is also nice to get a glimpse of what is going on with the other guys. I can't wait for the next book of the series. Love, love, love!!

The Naked Men series just keeps getting better. You just can't help but love these blood brothers and the women they love. Thanks Christi for these stories. Can't wait for the next one!

I LOVED this book. The only thing that annoyed me was the way Riley kept going back and forth about his feelings for Summer.

Riley Ness and his 4 best friends were in a life threatening accident when they were only 15 years old. The moment that they were saved, Riley changed the way he lived his life completely; he became a control freak. Never planning on being unprepared for ANY situation ever again, he ALWAYS carries his homemade survival kit, a pocket knife, and raincoat. His world is orderly and safe. He does have fun, he just researches everything first and makes sure that all the equipment is safe to use.

Summer Sheridan was involved in a mass shooting at her university. While hiding in a classroom, the shooter shot her twice before she passed out. After dying on the operating table for 1 min 13 seconds, she decided to forget about rules and to live life to its fullest.

Riley clashes with Summer, every time they try to have a conversation because they end up snapping at each other. As a result, he thinks she's an idiot, but he's also extremely attracted to her, and doesn't want to be.
Summer owns a high end boutique in Georgetown, has a steady stream of business and she knows her stuff. He just formed an opinion by her blonde hair and her hot body. Talking about judging someone by their appearance.

Summer thinks Riley needs to relax, she's NEVER met someone so uptight. He's hot as well and would probably be cool if he could chill out a bit. When they both agree to a truce and stop the fighting for the sake of their friends for the weekend, amazing things come as a result. White hot attraction leads to hot passion and some crazy sex.

When Summer realizes that she is falling in love with him, she starts to freak out because she doesn't commit. Riley doesn't know how to handle her in his life, she's too much chaos. When she's really not. What will happen to these two opposites?

Must read!!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Loveswept for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great Naked Men book by Christi Barth!

This series is probably one of my all time favorites and I love how the guys interact with each other. You can tell how close they are with each other and how they are not afraid to be real with each other. I think that is one of my favorite things about this series is just about how open the guys are with each other and the dialog between them.

Amazing chemistry between Summer and Riley!! They say opposites attract and in this case that is a true statement. Riley wants to plan everything out and then have 3 different back up plans just in case and Summer is pretty much fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl and likes to live in the moment. A combination like this both irritates and draws them together. The banter between the two is fun to experience.

I loved the development of the two characters and how we were able to see why they were the way they were. They both have tragedy affect them and changed their outlook on the future. Where Riley doesn’t ever want to feel unprepared again, Summer wants to live life to the fullest and enjoy just being alive.

Loved it!! I can’t wait to see how Josh’s story unfolds!

Another Naked Men story this time it was Riley and the woman who at times he is loath to admit he has a crush on. Summer, who sometimes seems like a shallow airhead. These two went together like oil and water. But they make that work for them and boy does it ever. These two seemed to be made for each other.

This is the first book in the series that I read and now I regret it because I wish I had read the others before reading Riley & Summer’s story so that I could have had more of their backstory. In any case, this was a fun read. I loved all the bickering, sniping & snarling between the main couple. It made for some real fun times when they began to mellow! The backstory of each is heartbreaking and it was interesting to see how each dealt with it differently.

This is the forth book in the Naked Men series. Honestly, after reading the last three books I have realized there is very much a formula that they all follow and so I got a little bored. It is still a good series, but I wish the author would have changed it up some and not been so predictable. This book follows Riley, who is a control freak and Summer who is a live in the moment kind of girl. It is fun to watch the banter with all the guys of the blog/podcast and see all the girls interact from the previous books. I will still read the next one about Josh.

Bottom Line: If you are invested in this series, this book has its good moments. Just a little predictable at this point.

Rating: 3/5

**I received a copy of Trying It All from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Another great Naked Men read! As always these books can be read as a stand alone but why would you want to miss out on the rest of the books in this series and seeing how everyone else's relationships are progressing?

The book starts as the others with Riley reliving the horrible crash in the Alps that helped form the guys into who they are today. Riley takes being prepared to the maximum, even working at the NTSB to keep people safe on the roads. Summer is Chloe's friend who also served the same horrible shooting at college that Chloe did. Unlike Riley who likes to plan and control everything, Summer is the exact opposite and only lives in the moment.

They have had several clashes in the other books but now it is their turn. Of course things work out but it was sure fun watching them get their HEA! Can't wait to read Josh's story.

I have read all 4 of the books in the “Naked Men” series and Mrs. Barth just keeps getting better. “Trying it All” is about Riley Ness and Summer Sheridan. They are complete opposites in how they live their lives after both having faced near death situations when they were young adults.

Riley shared his experience with his four best friends in high school and they almost died together. After the guys were saved after 3 days they were known as they “ACS”, translated it means the American Soccer Survivor. After the accident Riley became very safe. He felt like because he was talking to the bus driver about a dirty joke that he was the cause of the accident. Since the accident Riley has been very cautious and not a risk taker.

Summers life changing experience was in college with her best friend Chloe. Chloe is engaged to Griffin, who is one ACS. Summer and Chloe were in class when a student open fired at the college. They both lived after the shooting but were hospitalized for a while. Summer decided from that moment on to live life to the fullest.

Riley and Summer have been around each for a while since Chloe and Griffin are practically engaged but they just tolerate each other. Riley knows that Chloe was in an accident in College but didn’t know Summer was with her. The same thing goes with Summer, she knew Griffin was in an accident but didn’t know Riley’s.
Summer and Riley start hanging out and she tries to get Riley to be more adventurous. The more time they spend together feelings develop.

This is a very sweet, believable book. It has dual POV and moves at a very good pace with a few sexy scenes. I loved both Summer and Riley’s characters. Mrs. Barth also had all the ACS’s and their significant others in this book a good bit.

I received a free copy for an honest review.