Trying It All

In Barth’s fourth Naked Men contemporary (after Giving It All), a woman who doesn’t believe in commitment meets a man who has backup plans for his backup plans. Buttoned-up National Transportation Safety Board agent Riley Ness is one of five men who have formed a solid brotherhood born out of past tragedy. That tragedy shaped Riley into the controlling man he is today. His careful attention to detail is what keeps him anchored in reality. It’s no wonder that seemingly flighty clothing store owner Summer Sheridan, the best friend of his buddy’s girlfriend, drives him crazy: her zest for life comes with a devil-may-care attitude. Yet Summer’s larger-than-life personality developed out of her own trauma after a mass shooting during college. Neither can deny their combustible attraction, and when they look beneath each other’s surfaces, they both begin to understand themselves. The novel is filled with moments of humor (much based on previously established events) and searing sexual tension, and its lighthearted approach to life-altering events adds depth and breadth to the passion. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds. (May)