Stripped was such a fun read! Robyn was a fifth grade teacher who was trying to live life the "right" way. Everything went from falling perfectly in place for her to nothing going well. Then Robyn meets her new neighbor, Fallon. There's an attraction and instant connection between them that feels more right than anything else going on in Robyn's life. All of that is threatened when Robyn discovers Fallon is a male stripper.

I really liked this book. It made me think about how people judge those who work as strippers. To go even further, it made me think about how we judge people who "have it all". I try not to judge people, but this book made me think hard about it. People have different reasons for their lives and career choices, and I thought this book did a great job spotlighting it. It was also a very sweet love story with some great humor thrown in at the right times. Definitely worth reading!

Sure, this is a little lighter reading than I anticipated but this is the first I’ve read from her. Don't want to spoil the story but I’d have to say that was awesome! These two have a bit of a love-hate thing going on. up to do

I loved Robyn’s inner voice she cracked me. The banter between the two made the book. Some angst, lots of emotion and humor and of course heat.

Id read from this author again. I received this ARC for a honest review.

Honestly, this book made me want to watch Magic Mike XXL.

STRIPPED is a flirty and light adult contemporary romance that may be unrealistic at times, but a fun read overall. I really liked Fallon, the hero who is a stripper and enjoys his job, but I was disappointed with the heroine Robyn. They’re both flawed characters and make mistakes, but their character growth stays true as they learn from those mistakes. There are really fun side characters that I can’t wait to read more about, and really cute/funny antics going on. But throughout it all, I could never get past the initial iffy feelings I had.

So I guess I should start with Robyn. She used to be the high-achieving student, but kind of finds herself lost in life at this point. She’s an elementary school teacher, but clearly she has no passion for it due to how late she is for class. She’s just… stuck. And this happens to so many people, which I appreciate the book delving into. But quite honestly, I think she was too much at times. I’m the type of person who advocates for being selfish from time to time, and realizing that self love it the best kind of love there is, but Robyn’s actions bordered on irresponsible and rude. The way she treated her friend who was getting married was honestly super mean, and the resolution to that conflict in my opinion was too easy on her part. I value friendships a LOT (even more than romantic relationships for the most part), so seeing her behavior towards Lily was quite heartbreaking for me. The fact that she’s late at work at an elementary school also made me disgruntled. There are children waiting for you to teach, and you make them WAIT? That’s so… that’s so irresponsible. She gets away scotch free for this behavior.

Fallon was easier to like, as he has a pretty full and open heart. He had a sad and neglectful childhood, but he sets out to take his own course in life despite those hardships. Fallon’s a hard worker and really has a passion for stripping and making women happy in general. I think he and Robyn made a sweet and complementary couple. There’s insta-attraction on both side (Robyn’s side was a bit more obnoxious as she would think about him while ignoring her girl friend), and they both give into those attractions. From there a relationship starts despite the stigma against Fallon’s line of work. There’s pretty low angst and drama going on, putting more emphasis on character antics and relationships being created and broken. In general, STRIPPED is a fun contemporary romance that I would still recommend fans of the genre to give a try. Bear with Robyn for the first half of the book, and I promise her actions DO get better as she starts thinking more before doing. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in this series!

“Robyn Flores, when we met, we were both a little bit broken. I think something in the universe was driving us together. Working to get us to that moment.”

Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for the review copy!

Trigger/Content Warnings: thoughts of death, depression

Funny and steamy romance. I actually had a hard time liking the heroine - Robyn - at first, while Zac was likeable straight away. This did change more to the end of the book as she changed her view on things. Of course Zac (or Fallon) has a job that is frowned upon by certain people, but he was proud of his job, just like his friends. Good for him!

I normally would not read books about strippers and such, but lately I have changed my mind and I really enjoyed this story. There were a couple of secondary characters just waiting for their own book.

This was cute and fun. Hello all you sexy male strippers. I really liked Zac. It was so cute that he was nervous to ask out Robyn and you could tell that he was excited to be around her. Robyn has had a rough couple of months on the hot mess express and Zac is just the guy to help her out. There were a couple of parts that had me chuckling. It’s an enjoyed afternoon story while humming It’s Raining Men.

Stripped was a fun and sexy story that draws you in from the beginning. I absolutely loved Robyn and Zac together. What a wonderful book.

I am so glad I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley! What a fun, sweet and sexy read that moves at a good pace and has all the elements of a contemporary romantic comedy one could want -- a sexy male stripper who falls for an elementary teacher--great secondary characters; just enough angst to make it interesting and an excellent slow burn romance between a couple that are very likeable, charming & self-deprecating, if not maybe just a little bit broken. "Zac" Fallon is swoony, sweet and sexy and together with Robyn they make the perfect match. I can't wait to see who will be featured in the next book in this series!

Robyn a primary school teacher has lost her sense of direction through feeling depressed, being late for work, apathetic and not even wanting to date. She's maid of honour for her best friends wedding but is well behind on all the planning involved.
When she goes through her delivered laundry she realises there must have been a mix up when she finds a star spangled sequinned thong, the owner Zac, of said thong realises the mix up and comes to claim his laundry. They next meet at a hen party where Zac is performing as a stripper with his male troupe, although smitten Zac thinks Robyn will never go for him due to his job and Robyn thinks a man so hot wouldn't look twice at her.
So starts a lovely romance, a good storyline with some funny moments, hot encounters and a good cast of characters. An entertaining and enjoyable read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between

The Good
-Latinx author and heroine. Zoey Castile was born in Ecuador, raised in Queens, and I adore that she’s worked her corner of New York into her story. Robyn is Latinx, and it’s woven seamlessly into her character’s history without big neon . Yes, I love the diverse cast of characters, that NYC vibe and how it all works to make a very interesting backdrop to this romance.
-Magic Mike meets Bridesmaids? I’m in. Robyn’s struggles, in particular her depression, has led to an estrangement from her best friend Lily and it was giving me strong, strong Kristen Wiig/Maya Rudolph’s friendship from Bridesmaids vibes. While I would have loved to see more of them together (more on that later), their friendship felt genuine and I especially liked that they still had each other’s backs when it really mattered.
- Fallon’s a sweet hero. I have pretty straightforward tastes. If you give me great Firsts and a hero who is ALL IN for his heroine, I’m usually a very happy romance reader. He’s adorable, ripped for days and hot for his woman. Yeah, I loved him.

The Bad(ish)
-Pacing. I would have loved to have seen more time spent building up their relationship, especially in the beginning. Their meet-cute really did set up a good foundation, and I loved that time was spent by both characters in scenes outside the relationship. However, the way their relationship developed stutter-stopped, with the transition between every step just a bit off. The subplots involving his job and hers were appreciated, though they weren’t developed beyond the necessary and the ending was rushed.

Everything in Between
-Bonus points for the chapter title names. Made me want to go out and listen to them all on a playlist.
-I want more. I liked the supporting characters, or at least what I saw of them. Aiden is a standout and I completely understand why he’s getting his own HEA and I’m ready and waiting, because he is tasty.


The Bottom Line
I really liked Robyn and Fallon’s romance. The Bridesmaids meets Magic Mike with vibe was entertaining and made me close my kindle with a smile. That’s all I can ask for. I’d recommend for rom com fans, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

I loved the dichotomy between the two MCs, and I adored their characters. Robyn's problems felt so real to me, probably because I went through something similar (although a bit less dramatic) when my best friend got married. This was a perfect quick read with the right amount of smut, fluff, and angst.

Stripped is fun, hot, and romantic. Zoey Castile is a new romance author who I am now totally obsessed with and will read anything she publishes. I'm very excited for the next book in her Happy Endings series. I'd definitely recommend this for fans of Magic Mike. The cast of characters is dynamic and lovable and you do not want to miss this.

Who thought I would ever read a book about a male stripper hero? Certainly not me! Stripped was at the top of my most anticipated romance reads of the year and Zoey Castille's romance debut totally swept me off my feet. It was funny, charming and oh so sexy!

I'm going to start this review by raving about Fallon, the said stripper. I have to say, he was top book boyfriend material for me. He was someone who rose up from a rather sad childhood to become someone successful and comfortable. The guy had the kindest heart ever and I loved how pure and precious he was. He knew that being a stripper wasn't a job that brought him glory or earned him the respect of people around him, but Fallon was entirely satisfied with his job that not only paid him well but also allowed him to travel the world. I loved that he wasn't ashamed of his profession and instead, completely embraced it. The guy totally had the moves outside of the performing stage too, and ugh I was so in love with him. Actually, if I'm being honest, I fell in love with him the minute I found out he had a husky puppy which was very early on in the book. I have no shame ...

Robyn, his neighbor and love interest, was more of a hot mess. Growing up, she had a vision and clear plan of what her life would look like. Unfortunately, she was at a place in her life that she was not satisfied with. She was repeatedly late to her job as an elementary school teacher and was sometimes at odds with her best friend, who seemed to have turned her life around in the best way. I'll admit that there were times that I found Robyn's behavior a little careless, especially when it came to being late to school. I did understand where she was coming from, but I wish she had made the decision to go after her dreams without burdening the kids and their education. Despite that, I did end up liking Robyn because she was humorous and witty. She also slowly began to figure out what she truly wanted to do with her life as well as tried to make amends with her friend.

Fallon and Robyn's romance was my favorite part of Stripped. There were elements that made it almost close to insta-romance, but I found it to be believable in this case. The chemistry between the two was on fire and their banter truly entertaining. It was just a delight for me to read their interactions, which was probably why I sped through this book in a matter of hours. The drama/conflict in the book was also rather low-key, which I appreciated. Stripped was also steamy as hell, but more than the bedroom scenes, I found Fallon's performances to be sexier. Zoey Castille does an amazing job at describing those scenes and you should read the book just for them. The secondary cast here was also a lot of fun. I liked meeting Fallon's coworkers and getting acquainted with their different personalities. I can't wait to read their books.

Stripped was a great start to the Happy Endings series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Zoey Castille has up her sleeves with the future books. If you like Magic Mike and romantic comedies, you've got to read this book.

Stripped is a fun and sexy contemporary romance about male stripper, Zach, and elementary school teacher, Robyn. I very much enjoy bad boy/good girl trope so this book appealed to me. Stripped was a quick read and a mostly enjoyable but rather generic romance. I liked the chemistry and banter between Zach and Robyn and loved their meet-cute, but overall didn't find their story very compelling or memorable. I am not sure that I will remember this book in a few weeks time.

"Fallon is the perfect mix of sweet and sexy, the kind that is so rare to find, he might as well be a fucking unicorn."

Where the hell has Zoey Castile been all my life? Yeah, you guessed it. The cover and title caught my attention and the synopsis closed the deal. I tried a new author and now she'll have a new stalker...I mean reader. I absolutely adore this story and the support characters are so incredible that I'm already jonesing for what they have in store for me next. The line forms here...

My attention was caught from the very first chapter. It was so unique and hilarious that I'll be remembering it for a long time to come. What an introduction to Fallon and Robyn it was, and it just got better and better from there. The author's writing style is so smooth I just fell into the world of Stripped and before I realized it I was on the last page. Am I the only one who does this when they can't accept that it's over? I just kept tapping my Kindle, hoping that if I wished hard enough the next tap would produce an extra chapter...sigh. I guess I'll just have to be content with delicious anticipation as I wait for my next #HappyEnding.

**I received a copy of Stripped from Kensington Book and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review**

Stripped by Zoey Castile is the first book in the authors Happy Endings series. Ms. Castile is a new author to me and I'm hoping we'll find out how Lily and her soon to be husband. This was a cute, sexy read and who wouldn't like a book with a male stripper who has a husky puppy named Yaz and a 5th grade teacher?

Robyn Flores is having one of those weeks where nothing goes right and she's constantly late for students. Plus she's having trouble adjusting to her BFF getting married after all shouldn't she be happy that she's the maid of honor? But when her laundry gets mixed up with her neighbor in 6-A the entire day just goes to south quickly. Now if she can get to school without Principal "Platypus" finding out she's late again. When Zac asks her out on a date she decides that there may be a spark there even though he's only going to be there for 4 more weeks.

Zac Fallon is happy with his job as a stripper plus the money is dang good but when they begin to date it will take all of his moves to convince Robyn that he's her soul mate. But when her best friend's bachelorette party is at his club will he be able to dance in front of her friends? He'll have to find a thief among the club staff, convince Robyn's principal that his advances toward her aren't welcome and also come to grips with his family when his sister suddenly show up.

Loved the book and all of the drama plus I can't wait to read the next one. I give Stripped 4.8 stars and recommend reading it.

Stripped,  Zoey Castile

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance

Its one of those conundrums isn't it? That ladies and gents love to go to stripper shows, love to look ( and touch!) and yet date one of those strippers? Reminds me of the old Fools and horses episode where Del finds out Raquel is a stripper....but its a job, they are people just like us.

Anyway poor Robyn gets a shock at her friends party when her new hot neighbour, who she's just shared a meal with and hopes for more, is one of the stars in front of her. She doesn't react well. Still, there's something between them neither can deny.
Its a sensual read, some real steam between the two, problems to the romance, sub plots involving others, and side issues that rounded the story and made it more than just a boy meets girl standard tale. I like that, when stories have an extra interest to them. Life is like that, full of tangled threads that connect and knot us up.
I loved Zac, wasn't so sure about Robyn at first, but as the story unfolded I got to really like her and understand her more. Its a fun read, some real humour, some genuine issues we all face, and a couple of characters I just knew were more than they seemed ;-) The secondary characters were interesting too, and added a lot to the story. The only thing I didn't like was the short time span of the events, its barely a month from when they first meet to the Big Decisions at the end. I struggle a bit with characters that can make such huge changes when they barely know people. Had it been six months or so I'd have been more convinced.

Stars: Four, a fun story, some spicy steam and an unusual slant with the male stripper theme, which brought up some thoughts for me about how hypocritical we can be over jobs like that.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers.

Whilst the book was well written and the characters sexy there was just something missing for me. I’m really not sure what it was. Maybe there wasn’t enough angst, no real major hurdle to their relationship, everything was just nice. All in all though it was an enjoyable read.

Absolutely loved this one.....great bunch of characters, but what’s not to love about a bunch of sexy male strippers? Robyn and Fallon aka Zac........you’ll just fall in love with......they meet when their laundry gets mixed up and she gets his and he gets hers........definitely worth the read.....it’s a fun read

Stripped was exactly what I was looking for. A Magic Mix remix of the best kind, it was light and funny, the perfect summer read. On one hand I wish the author had done more with Robyn's obvious struggles, but that would have made the book heavier and I needed light so it worked for me. Fallon was a ton of fun!

Loved it! This is Fallon and Robyn book, Fallon is a male dancer or stripper lol Robyn is a elementary school teacher they meet up at a bachelorette party of Robyn best friend who s getting married, Robyns life is just kinda all screwed up lately and she doesn't really know what wrong?! I really liked how this story wasn't all just strippers but there's definitely enough of all the guys! I really hope she's going to go on with more books on the other guys!! My votes for the twins!! Lol I really liked how all these guys where a family! She really brought that home where most books cast a bad light on stripping this showed how tight these guys are! I highly recommend this book!! Thank you NetGalley and Kensington publishing for sharing this book with me! Can't wait for more!