All Stripped Down

Sinfully Unrequited #5

by Alexia Chase

Hazel

One day, he changed. Wylder went from being my best guy friend and secret crush, to avoiding me, and then came flat-out rejection. With a broken heart, I left town.

I’m back now, and those high school days are long gone. And this time, I’m tired of going unnoticed.

Only, he’s not budging. So, what’s a girl to do? I make a pact with my girlfriends to get over my unrequited love. If he doesn’t help me use the fantasy kit, someone else will.

Of course, that’s when he notices me. But not for the reason I want. He’s only trying to save me from doing something he thinks is stupid.

Too bad the real stupid thing is opening my heart up for another rejection.

All Stripped Down is a standalone smoldering ex-friends-to-lovers, second chance contemporary romance set in Alexia Chase’s Sinfully Addictive World.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

ebook

Published August 18, 2021

About the author

My name is Alexia Chase.

Want a free book? Grab it today!

http://alexiachaseromance.com/claimin...

I specialize in quick, dirty, and sweet short stories and novellas with some novels for your reading pleasure.

I write for busy working mothers who admire and acquire books that provide the full escape of a novel but don’t have a lot of time.

More importantly, I offer insta-love, smutty sex, and swoon-worthy moments that will leave you with a flushed face and a giddy smile. Quick – pray no one is watching and wondering what in the hell is wrong with you because no one else looks that happy.

People who have read my books have the following to say:
“This insta-love story is extremely funny, a quick read and just filled with so much good and filthy stuff. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone that likes Alexia Chase or is just thinking about picking one of her books up for the first time. Just make sure you are reading this where you can laugh out loud and get a crimson face when you read the erotic sex scenes.” LF Books
&
“I’ve read a lot of books written by Alexia Chase; she has done a great job at writing another good short story; she is one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.” Jeanne Richardson

My writing gives busy women that thirty-minute escape they need when they can’t afford a trip to the Caribbean with their secret lover, Dimitri.

My Soul Sisters don’t even have time to get away from the kids to take a shower.

Quick. Dirty. Sweet.

Alexia Chase

alexiachaseromance@gmail.com
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Reviews

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's Inside Box Number 3? 

This one is a bit of a rip-your-heart-out story about (former?) friends turned more.  Hazel has only ever wanted one man, her high school best male friend.  Wylder started pulling away before graduation so his skittish act years later, while annoying, isn't unexpected.  This is a quick and dirty read. 

Wylder did drive me a bit crazy but I still liked the book.  I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/1/2022)! 🎁

[Sue Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phew .. another of the ‘Boyfriend boxes’ makes an appearance! Hazel & Wylder have known each other sin they were kids and she has harboured feelings for him forever. After he turns her down as a teenager, she leaves to pursue her dreams. Now she’s back and her feelings haven’t changed. The burning question is what is she going to do about it? Give up? Move on? Especially as she needs a willing man to explore her box of tricks with. I loved this, the 3rd short story about the group of friends who are fed up with their unrequited love and order the ‘boxes’ for each other as a challenge. Great HEA, and people you’d like to be friends with!

[Brandy Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and Steamy

This is a quick steamy read with great characters. Hazel and Wylder's journey is heartbreaking, sweet, fun and entertaining. They fight their way through a lot of misunderstandings to finally find their HEA. I really enjoyed this read and can't wait to read Wylder's POV.

[Aliama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel and Wylder were best friends forever. During their last year of high school things changed and they grew apart. Secrets were kept and hearts were broken. Now Hazel is back in town and she and her four friends have agreed to each try to get over their unrequited loves. When Wylder sees Hazel out socializing he finally makes a stand and lets Hazel knows what’s going to happen. An entertaining story with humour and heartbreak. These characters were meant to be and they finally make their way back to each other. I received an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hallmark Christmas movie with a twist of porn
All Stripped Down is book three in this series (from the girls’ POV), and I can’t get enough of them! This one is about Hazel and Wylder. In the prologue we have Hazel and her four best girlfriends spending their last summer together before heading off to college. The one person missing from the graduation party they’re at is Wylder. Hazel and Wylder had been best buds since she saved him from drowning when they were eight years old. But in the last year, they’d drifted apart – she’d unfurled her wings and he’d grown more quiet and distant.
Wylder does eventually turn up at the party, but chastises Hazel and her friends for their under-age drinking, and offers to take Hazel home. She bravely decides to just go for it once they arrive in front of her house, and she kisses him. He’s responsive at first but then pushes her away and tells her to forget it ever happened. She’d wished they would grow together instead of apart. But she was worried that their 10 years of friendship may have come to an end. But her big-picture plan was to get a degree, move back, start writing, and somehow convince Wylder to marry her.

The story continues five years later at Callahan’s Bar of course, where Wylder happens to work. She’s there to meet Everleigh for their weekly catch-up. Nothing had changed since she moved back – still stupidly in love with Wylder and he was still pretending graduation night never occurred. Maybe it didn’t, maybe she had drank more than she thought, and it was just a hallucination. .
When Chad, a former classmate and womaniser, hassles the girls, Wylder steps in, telling him to leave the girls alone. She takes him outside to confront him and have him cool down. He claims he wants to protect and cares about her, which confuses her after years of radio silence. When he admits he’d like for them to hang out like they used to as friends, she’s totally taken aback but allows him to input his contact details into her phone anyway. Even MY head was spinning in confusion! And that quick visit ended up being a seemingly big waste of time too!
Hazel is then back at the bar with Willow, Sage, Everleigh and Vivian, and it feels a little bit like groundhog day as they all express their sorrow at their non-existent love lives. After reading the other books, I know most of it off be heart – which I really don’t mind one bit! As usual, they order their Ultimate Boyfriend Boxes order online, awaiting to be used by Christmas.
With the ominous deadline just eight days away, Hazel is desperate to find some random guy to use her stripper and client fantasy box with. She’s in Callahan’s Bar and spots Chad and figures he’d be an easy yes (but urgh, gross). Again, Wylder pulls him away from Hazel when they’re on the dance floor together. She’s both furious and turned on – a lethal combination. Hazel explains what she was going to use Chad for, and tells Wylder he owes her an 0rg@sm for what she lost, and asks whether he’s going to pay up or chicken out. She’s beyond rational thinking and gets quite aggressive in her manner but eventually gets him to relent.
They’re hot and heavy and Wylder explains why he couldn’t hold her back. He told her that she needed to chase her dreams, and he never wanted to clip her wings. She was like a butterfly that needed to dance in the sunshine. It was so honest and totally swoon-worthy. Hazel was really touched. But right then, he couldn’t ignore their connection any more, and they merged together like they have always been destined to be together.
And after a night filled with passion and amazing $ex, he says one thing in the morning and screws it all up. I’m not sure if it’s what he did, or didn’t say, or her reaction or over-reaction… oh boy… my head was spinning, again! She needs to sort herself out, and maybe try to forget about Wylder, before she loses her mind, and gets that herd of milking cats!
A month later, her friends are banging on her door because she hasn’t wanted to see anyone, even them! They try to convince her to go out with them, but she’s been avoiding everybody. They do however manage to convince her to go to the bar, where Hazel shares a surprise with Wylder, after he admits a family secret, and just how long he’s been in love with her for.
There were so many ups and downs, and they had my head and heart sitting on a roller coaster ride. This was the most emotional and uncertain story of our fab five so far. There was a good balance of angst and humour as well. The epilogue was fun too – looking forward to some other ‘scenes’ from that. I’m now looking forward to the flip-side of this book, to find out what on earth was going on in Wylder’s head and heart! I give this book four and a half stimulating stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The addition starts with the book cover….yeah…yeah…yeah don’t judge a book by its cover they say ….well we all do it and this one here it is the scratch to your itch or better yet the filling to your oreos! Speaking of filling…..wait, that’s for later. Within the first chapters you get the panoramic view of whom you’re dealing with! This is book is part of the A Sinfully Unrequited series why just read one when you can start at the beginning and keep reading through the series it won’t be a waste of time. Hazel and Wylder have been friends since childhood and have secretly crushed on each other until one day it all changed Wylder became withdrawn treating her with long arms so to speak. So, she left for college to help get over the pain of being dismissed by Wylder. Fast forward five years later and Hazel is headed home thinking she is over him to come and realize she is still just in love with him time didn’t heal any wounds. Hazel has really cool friends she is meeting them at the bar of course it is the bar Wylder works, and he suggest they get together to talk like old friends which upsets her because she wants more than just friendship. Hazel got her fantasy box deciding to try forgetting Wylder by hooking up with Chad and of course it gets to Wylder he isn’t having that she is his and proceed to show her that night, but it was just one night (or was it really). Will Wylder pull his head out of the dark and see what’s right in front of him, or will he continue being a bonehead, will she forgive him once he gets his self together and can they finely have happiness?

[Anna M_82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t checked out the entire “Sinfully Unrequited” series up to this point, then you are seriously missing out!!! I’ve read every book so far and they just keep getting better and better. The only thing better then this series is the “Flip Side” series of the same books but telling the story from the man’s perspective.

“All Stripped Down” is about Hazel and her unrequited love for childhood best friend Wylder. They were best friends forever until their senior year. When Hazel moved away for college, they lost touch and now that she’s back home they still haven’t reconnected. Unfortunately Hazel has been in love with Wylder for years!

The premise of this series is a group of friends who all decide to try to move on from their unrequited love by ordering each other “themed toy boxes” and using them for a hookup. Hazel receives a stripper themed box and heads to the bar to find someone. Wylder works at the bar and is never going to allow someone else to be with her. So she challenges him to give her the hookup she’s looking for.

These two together are steaming hot!! You will LOVE their story and what happens post-hookup. I can’t wait to read Wylder’s flip side book. He’s adorable, responsible, a little nerdy, and totally worth drooling over! Looking forward to what his book brings to their awesome story!

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'All Stripped Down' by Alexia Chase is the fifth book in her Sinfully Unrequited series and tells the story of Hazel and Wylder. Hazel and Wylder have been best friends since they were eight years old and Hazel has had a secret crush on Wylder since high school. Unbeknownst to her Wylder has feelings as well. But Hazel goes away to college while Wylder stayed in town. Hazel's back now and things are about to get interesting.

Ms. Chase has written a stellar addition to her series. The chemistry between Hazel and Wylder jumps off the pages. This story has all the feels, drama, misunderstandings, and plenty of steamy passion. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a quick and very satisfying read with their glass of wine.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, I absolutely loved reading the story about Hazel and Wylder and how they were started off as best friends when they were young until they were seventeen where once they graduated from high school, they went their separate ways. Hazel went off to university to get her degree and finally came back home again. Her love for Wylder hasn’t changed but he doesn’t seem to return her feelings. But now she’s been challenged with a box of goodies and to find someone to use it with before Christmas. Wylder finally breaks down and decides to show Hazel how he feels. I laughed and I cried reading this story and then laughed some more. You will fall in love with these two and rejoice with them when there is a happily ever after for both of them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Stripped Down is another great addition to the A Sinfully Unrequited Series by Alexia Chase. Hazel's best friend, Wylder (and her massive crush) all through school abruptly turns his back on her and treats her as though she is invisible. Now she's back and she is determined to move on from her crush. So she joins her girlfriends in the fantasy box exchange. When Wylder learns of her plans, will he stand by while she hooks up with another man or will he make a play for his former best friend?

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the writing style in this book. I love the way it flows and the turns it takes. I love Hazel. She is down to earth and hard working. I love Wylder. His sacrifice was so not necessary, but we would have this great story if he had not made it. Ilove his twist. I love that we see Vivian in this book and Sage and Willow and Everleigh. I need to find all the books, except Vivian, I've devoured her story already. Truly inspired.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KristieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to this this series. This is Hazel’s side of her and Wylder’s story. They are friends from childhood and have secretly had a crush on each other. They haven’t made their feelings know until now. The “fantasy box” is what brings them together…hurt words and misunderstandings push them apart. However, they do find a resolution ton their misunderstanding along with some other surprises that will keep you entertained.

This is a fun, hot, sweet and enjoyable read.

I requested an arc and I am providing my honest review.

[Mulan Book Princess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel has been in love with her best friend Wylder forever. However, he seems to be firmly on the friend wagon . . . until he finds out that she has received a fantasy box with a stripper role play theme and is trying to pick up someone to use it with. Things get hot and heavy between the two of them but are they still just friends or not? I thought this story was sweet but really want to know what Wylder is thinking and feeling. I can't wait to read the flip side of this romance!

I received a free advanced review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest opinion.

[Tracy Mclean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, really enjoyed the story and the characters. Alexia never disappoints. A quick read about unrequited the love of Hazel & wylder

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Hazel, the female lead, has loved the male lead, Wylder, since she was in her teens and they’ve been friends since childhood. When she has made a move on him, he’s rejected her so now she’s trying to move on. But now he seems more actively interested.

The short story is female lead POV, well written but I often felt confused about the male lead’s responses. I’m looking forward to the companion story to get more perspective on his actions.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Trixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many instances I’d like to smack Wylder. He is a good guy, a real best friend. He let his love go do that she can fly but when she got back, he could have made his declaration. Hazel is still in love with him and he hers. But what did he do, argh, he retreated. I’m just thankful they got their own hea.

Their scenes sure is hot, there is that chemistry because they have been bffs before. It was a surprise that they have the same passion/profession.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Hazel and Wylder. They were best of friends growing up but grew apart their senior year. Years later they find each other and go from there. This book was so fun to read. Can't wait until the next book.

[linda wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an awesome friends to lovers romance and book three in this great series and centres around Hazel and Wylder , they have been friends for years and she's always wanted more , one night after she moves back home from college her dreams come true , a quickie satisfying read from Alexia , read this in no time , one to read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary Sopsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so hot and exciting. The characters are fantastic and have been friends forever. Definitely keeps you on your toes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends to estranged friends to lovers to not friends to lovers.

This is Hazels side of the story. She has been in love with her best friend for all of her life, leaving home and going to college did not quell that love. What will it take to make him see he is the only thing she wants?

[Sarah Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an arc for my honest review

Alexia Chase has done it again, she has simply knocked it out of the park with this one. I loved how even though this was a short story it felt full and complete. We got backstory, wonderfully steamy bits and a beautiful love story. I loved, loved, loved it.

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel and Wylder get a second chance at love after some harsh miscommunication. It was touch and go there but even at his lowest, I loved Wylder’s possessiveness. The box doesn't make such a big impact in this story but I loved it. We have sweetness, humor, and steam.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 friends - 5 ultimate fantasy boxes

Hazel and Wylder have been best friends and her secret crush forever and then one day it changed. She moved away for college hoping it would help ease the pain but 5 years later is back home. She’s meeting her girlfriends at Callahan’s Bar and guess who’s working there, Wylder. Nothing has changed, she’s still in love with him. He suggests they get together to talk like old friends and that doesn’t go over very well.
A couple weeks later she goes to the bar looking to hook up with someone since she got one of the fantasy boxes. Wylder doesn’t like the idea of her with Chad and so he goes with Hazel and they have a great night together but when she wants him to go with her to meet up with her sister he doesn’t want to and so it’s back to not being friends.
Can they find their way back to each other?

4 stars

[Magali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, a little predictable, but addicting
4.5
I found it to be a nice second chance, a little predictable about the reasons for the first failure, but still enjoyable to read, moving and torrid between Hazel and Wylder who are best friends during childhood and the crush's Hazel's since then.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Celicia Fowlkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly their friendship was going to lead to more. The timing was just wrong at the time. Her being away was probably the best push he needed to figure out what and who he wanted. He had his reasons for not making a move on her. Time was good to them because everything was just right this time.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are taken into this captivating tale of Hazel and Wilder journey. You’ll live through their incredible story from childhood to adulthood through misunderstandings and everything that life trow at them. It made daydream and you won’t be able to put it down until you know what happened in the end even past my bedtime.
Thanks The author for providing my review copy.

[Tiffany Hannick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a quick steamy friends to lovers romance. Hazel is one of five friends who pick names and give another if she five an ultimate boyfriend box. Hazel has been in love with Wylder since the time they had been kids. Their story is full of hidden truths and deep love. They have. Ton of chemistry and burn up the pages.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot as fire, loving,

Hazel and Wylder I believe to be the best couple so far out if series. This is Hazels POV. Both are winners in their own right. Together this couple of hot as fire. The sex scenes are incredible.

[Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel and Wylder became friends when they were eight years old when she saved his life, it was from then that they became best friends and were pretty much inseparable. Over the years her love grew from friendship to a real and true love but she never had the guts to do anything about it that is until their senior year of high school when things changed between them in a way that she had never thought would. No longer did she have her best friend with her for adventures if anything they were becoming strangers, it was the night of graduation when things changed forever, celebrating with her other friends at the bonfire she is happy to see Wylder and he offers to taker her home and she takes her chance. Kissing him how she has been dreaming of for so long only he rejects her. It’s been five years since that night and the memory still stings even more so now she sees the man that he has become, she has tried to forget him and move on but somehow he is still the only man she wants. So when her and the girls come up with a plan to get over the men they want to get under she agrees. Finding some random man to help with her task but when Wylder steps into her night could this be the night that everything she has ever wanted finally comes true or the night that she loses him forever?


I simply adore this authors books I honestly look forward to them they are some great stories to escape into and the stories always feel so real. Highly recommended 4.5* read.