Griffin, Riley, Knox, Josh and Logan are a close knit group of friends that have been inseparable most of their lives. When a traumatic event almost succeeding in permanently separating this band of brothers, each vowed to make changes and live life to the fullest. Wanting It All is Knox's journey. Knox as a youngster, was the odd man out. The skinny guy with the awkward personality and a thirst for knowledge was a prime target for bullies. Loyal friends and his brain are what got him though some of the toughest times in his life. Now, as an adult, he has money, success and an active libido that rivals are his former haters. Still, he isn't satisfied.

Madison is a country girl , searching for answers in the big city. She craves for a connection to a family she's never known. She also hopes to find a place she belongs. A chance meeting sets in motion an attraction she can't escape and revelations that could implode all her wishes and happiness. I received an ARC of Wanting It All by Christi Barth in exchange for an honest review. One event changed many lives, some positively, others negatively but it had an effect that was attention grabbing for a group of friends. Ms. Barth, handles the turmoil with gentleness and finesse. She has added another wonderful story to a great series. Facing fear isn't weak, it makes a person stronger for having tackled it head on.
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Knox Davis was a very lucky man! Oh, his life did not start that way; he was the son of a 17 year old single Mom, who gave him everything she could. But it was his genesis level IQ that got him the full scholarship to Roosevelt Prep, and despite a serious bus accident that nearly cost him and his friends life, it also gave him a family…the ACSs. In the years since the crash, Knox has become uber-wealthy and quite a bit of a playboy…with his own sex map!!

Alaska native Madison Abbott has a heart of gold and an extremely honest nature and about to start a brand new job at the Library of Congress! Madison is not only excited to be starting a dream job, but she is also excited to get started on her Grand Plan, of a home, husband, kids…everything she never had as a child. As the daughter of a single Mom who is also a bush doctor, nothing in Madison's life has ever been stable. But her adventure in D.C is not all about her job and fulfilling her grand plan, but it's also about finding a brother, that she never knew she had.

When Knox and Madison collided on the streets of D.C. neither of them knew what had hit them; Knox the ultimate playboy struggled to get Madison out of his head, and Madison wanted Knox to be more than just a fling. So Madison and Know enter this bumpy realm of dating, which freaks Knox out…but not as much as finding out that his girlfriend, is one of his best friends sister!!

Okay, I'm going to leave it there as I don't want to spoil this book for you…but I will say OMG its AWESOME!!! I could not put this book down! Which drove the hubby crazy, as we were late to my in-laws (oh well). I simply had to know the ending of this book!! Does Knox take Josh and Riley's (somewhat stupid) advice? What does Logan say when he finds out he has a sister? And where the heck is Logan anyway! These are important questions people!! I needed the answers and thankfully the author delivered in an amazing way and I was left cheering!

The book was superbly written, and if you couldn't tell through my ramblings above the plot was freaking awesome and I was addicted! I will say that I wish I had read the first book in the series, NOT because you need to, as Wanting It All can defiantly be read as a stand-alone, but because I need to read more! I loved all of the characters, especially Knox and Madison, although I'm on the fence about Logan. By the end of this book I was hooked, and the whole series was quickly added to my "must buy in paperback" list!

I give Wanting It All 5 stars! ( )

Wanting It All by Christie Barth
Book #2: Naked Men Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Of all the Naked Men (aka the ACSs), Knox is likely the most insecure, which is ironic given he’s literally the smartest and wealthiest of the group. When Knox first met the other Naked Men, he was a scrawny scholarship kid at a swanky prep school. If it weren’t for Griffin, Josh, Riley, and Logan, Knox never would have survived high school let alone the Alpine tragedy.

Fast forward a lot of years . . . .

In the years since high school, Knox has used his brains, charisma, and stellar business sense to not only make millions of dollars, but to support his friends and family in the present and the future. A lot of futures, actually. There is no doubt, Knox is brilliant and generous, sexy beyond reason, but he has no interest in applying those qualities to a long-term relationship. In fact, of all the Naked Men, Knox has the most widespread man whore reputation. Make no mistake, he is a kind and generous lover (he gives Louboutin’s as a parting gift!) but he is always up front about his time with every woman being short-term. Until the day Madison Abbott walks into his life.

Madison Abbott is very new to DC. In fact, it is on her very first day in the city that she runs into (literally!) Knox and everything in both their worlds turn upside down. Madison’s move to DC isn’t spontaneous, but is, in fact, a well-thought out and planned move. Madison has three goals: 1) find and connect with her half-brother; 2) make friends with a group that will become as close as family and; 3) find a husband. Running into Knox puts husband on the radar and Knox brings with him a whole host of new friends. WOW!! First day in DC and Madison is already well into marking two of the three items off her list.

From the moment she meets Knox, Madison is smitten with him, but as her insta-circle of friends like to remind her, he isn’t husband material. Madison’s sunny disposition, her incredible level of confidence in her plan, and her experiences with Knox tell a very different story. To be sure, Knox has his flaws, but Madison has a can-do attitude and is a bot overwhelming, even for the formidable Knox. Madison makes him question everything he has valued for years and before long even Knox is considering making some serious changes in life. Wait? What? The only changes Knox makes is to his financial portfolio when he sells off another company. How the hell did this happen and will it all come to a crashing halt when Madison finally meets her half-brother?? There’s a code among men and chief among the rules is not banging your best-friend’s sister.

The Bottom Line: Wanting It All is a deepening of the Naked Men series and I liked it even more than the first book, Risking It All. Knox and Madison are both incredibly delightful and all the button pushing the two do to one another provides some really funny discussions/conversations/arguments. It also provides some super-sexy naughty bits  Like the first book, Wanting It All, is full of all the feels including happy, sad, frustrating, sexy, and funny. Unlike the first book, the relationship between Madison and Knox is just as prominent as the relationship between Knox and the other ACSs. This may have to do with the addition of the women to the circle which is softening the men, but in no way detracting from the bond with one another. With the addition of Wanting It All, the Naked Men series is getting stronger and I don’t anticipate that strength fading anytime soon. ( )

Knox Davis was a very lucky man! Oh, his life did not start that way; he was the son of a 17 year old single Mom, who gave him everything she could. But it was his genesis level IQ that got him the full scholarship to Roosevelt Prep, and despite a serious bus accident that nearly cost him and his friends life, it also gave him a family…the ACSs. In the years since the crash, Knox has become uber-wealthy and quite a bit of a playboy…with his own sex map!!

Alaska native Madison Abbott has a heart of gold and an extremely honest nature and about to start a brand new job at the Library of Congress! Madison is not only excited to be starting a dream job, but she is also excited to get started on her Grand Plan, of a home, husband, kids…everything she never had as a child. As the daughter of a single Mom who is also a bush doctor, nothing in Madison's life has ever been stable. But her adventure in D.C is not all about her job and fulfilling her grand plan, but it's also about finding a brother, that she never knew she had.

When Knox and Madison collided on the streets of D.C. neither of them knew what had hit them; Knox the ultimate playboy struggled to get Madison out of his head, and Madison wanted Knox to be more than just a fling. So Madison and Know enter this bumpy realm of dating, which freaks Knox out…but not as much as finding out that his girlfriend, is one of his best friends sister!!

Okay, I'm going to leave it there as I don't want to spoil this book for you…but I will say OMG its AWESOME!!! I could not put this book down! Which drove the hubby crazy, as we were late to my in-laws (oh well). I simply had to know the ending of this book!! Does Knox take Josh and Riley's (somewhat stupid) advice? What does Logan say when he finds out he has a sister? And where the heck is Logan anyway! These are important questions people!! I needed the answers and thankfully the author delivered in an amazing way and I was left cheering!

The book was superbly written, and if you couldn't tell through my ramblings above the plot was freaking awesome and I was addicted! I will say that I wish I had read the first book in the series, NOT because you need to, as Wanting It All can defiantly be read as a stand-alone, but because I need to read more! I loved all of the characters, especially Knox and Madison, although I'm on the fence about Logan. By the end of this book I was hooked, and the whole series was quickly added to my "must buy in paperback" list!

I give Wanting It All 5 stars! ( )