Olivia hasn't had the best luck with men. Her ex-fiance Patrick came out weeks before they were to wed. And she is now lusting after Alex Kennedy, a guy who's clearly into guys. She's seen the proof with her own two eyes. So what was she thinking when she offers to rent the downstairs apartment in her building to Alex? Alex and Olivia's relationship starts off innocent enough. Even though Olivia is attracted to Alex, she feels that she could be friends with him. As neighbors, they start hanging out, watching movies together. But during what started out as an innocent impromptu photoshoot ends up with Alex and Olivia giving in to their mutual attraction to each other.While I was reading Naked, I kept wondering what was Olivia's motivation in starting a relationship with Alex? She saw first hand that he's into guys. And her ex-fiance, now BFF Patrick, constantly warned her against getting involved with Alex. Patrick's motives aside for wanting Olivia to stay away from Alex, the proof was in the pudding regarding Alex's sexuality. Or at least part of it. I wondered if Olivia purposely chose men that were unattainable. In regards to her relationship with Patrick, she claims to not know that he was gay and yet they didn't have an intimate relationship during the entire time they were dating and engaged. That wasn't a red flag? Or maybe she didn't want to see the warning signs.I was shocked by Olivia's decision to have a sexual relationship with Alex without asking him about his sexual past. I think the reason why she never asked him about it is because she was afraid of his answer. Because I didn't agree with what Olivia was doing, it was hard for me to really get into the erotica part of the book. I didn't mind that she was having sex with a bi-sexual guy; it was the fact that she never asked for full disclosure about his sexual past. There's a scene where Alex and Olivia are having the boyfriend/girlfriend conversation. Alex asks Olivia if she currently has a boyfriend. She answers no. And I waited, hoping that she would ask Alex if he currently had a boyfriend. The question never came. I was so frustrated!I enjoyed Naked even though Olivia's decision making made me want to scream in frustration. Naked's not only erotica. It has a nice story with great side characters thrown into the mix. Throughout Naked, we witness Olivia's journey of finding her true self. She doesn't have a true sense of identity which I think fuels her interest in Alex. Folks say that people are bi-sexual because they are too afraid to be gay or straight. Is that the case with Alex? I don't know. His interest in Olivia is true and honest. What makes Olivia different where Alex wants to have a relationship with her? Going by his past relationships and his own words, he hadn't been with a woman in years. Maybe by being together, Alex and Olivia will be able to discover and come to terms with who they really are.
