The Brutal Truth by Lee Winter

17 reviews for The Brutal Truth by Lee Winter

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   orlafsmith – November 2, 2017:

   Everything about this novel is crafted to perfection; from the cover showing a quarter of an elegant face smirking at the reader to a very prescient and timely plot line around powerful men in the entertainment industry using their positions to get away with sexually assaulting vulnerable young women.

   Our protagonist, Maddie, is a young Australian women living the dream as a journalist in New York, except for her it has turned into a nightmare. She is stubbornly plodding on as she refuses to admit to her family back home that her great adventure has been a failure; unable to connect to anyone except through her blog ‘Aliens of New York’ a layer of anonymity, which allows her to be brutally honest about her feelings and to write beautifully. Beauty in all its forms is what Elena Bartell prizes above else and the blog speaks to her loneliness but to her, Maddie is just the scruffy ‘dead-people writer’ who sits outside her office.

   As the name suggests the idea of truth runs right through the novel, specifically how we use masks to hide ourselves and focus on living up to other people’s expectations lest the terrifying truth about ourselves being let into the light. What happens, however, when we reveal the the parts of ourselves that we usually keep hidden from everyone else and most definitely from ourselves?

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Karola – November 3, 2017:

   ***free ARC
   What a great book. From the beginning to the end I couldn’t find one time where one of the mentioned person was out of their character. Elena the straight, forceful, don’t-mess-with-me tigershark mogul in media business, but inside a sad and lonely woman; Felicity her chef of staff and sometimes PA with a cold and obnoxious personality. And Maddie, the junior journalist with a deep believe in herself, that she can do this although the luck is not always on her side.
   Always saying the truth, being brutally honest, isn’t easy. Not only to say it but also to hear it. So the truth about yourself is sometimes shocking and you have to learn alot about yourself. And sometimes it leads to a new insight of yourself, what can turn your life around.
   The story of Maddie and Elena, two people so completely different, is a journey written in a sometimes dry humour, with an insight to the fashion world, the power of some higher ups in the food chain and finding the real yourself.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jem – November 5, 2017:

   This book is an unabashed homage to that most intriguing of character tropes–the uber-successful, all-powerful, untouchable “ice queen”. No doubt inspired by the two most famous ice queens in lesfic fandom: Miranda and Regina. And of course, where’s the fun in thawing ice queens if the thawer isn’t one of the lowliest and least powerful underlings around?

   I’ve noticed that the author loves to explore these kinds of relationship dynamics featuring such extreme power imbalances. Newbie vs Pro (The Red Files), Prey vs Predator (Requiem for Immortals) and now PA vs CEO. I’ve also realized how much I love such stories (no wonder all the books got 5 stars from me 🙂 and never get tired of it.). I don’t know….there’s just something so incredibly compelling and satisfying about the whole idea of having an ordinary nobody finding the key to catching/touching/turning these cold, emotionally unavailable superstars into the, well, less cold and more human versions of themselves. The sheer impossibility of the task, the obstacles, the little triumphs, the setbacks, even more struggles and then the final victory — the whole journey, is an adventure no less exciting than if they’d gone on a pirate treasure hunt. Yeah, I love these stories, and…I’m rambling. 🙂

   Let’s just say if you’re a fan of ice queens, or of any powerful women in general, the synopsis alone will prove irresistible.

   Elena Bartell is a self-made, billionaire publishing mogul. And she didn’t get there by being nice. After being pushed out of a job that was rightfully hers by merit, she knows not to play fair. Keen business sense and a touch of ruthlessness has seen her sweep up failing publications and turn them into either thriving media or cold edifices…employees be damned. To them she is a soulless tiger shark, but the stockholders love her, and that’s all that matters… at least to her. (Actually, that’s pretty much the norm in many corporations where CEOs are paid to the high heavens for increasing shareholder value, so if she were a man, she’d probably be celebrated and admired instead of being stuck with a nickname.) Anyways…

   Maddie, a recent NY transplant originally from Sydney, finds herself working the graveyard shift crime beat pulling double duty doing obits for a metro paper. When Bartell Corp buys the paper, everyone is put on notice to shape up or ship out. Ice queen Elena sets up office in the building, right next to Maddie’s desk. And the dance and endless battle of wills begin…

   Like Tarantino’s homage films, the author takes a campy, over-the-top approach to drawing her characters, almost all of them familiar stereotypes (either they were inspired by the iconic ‘Devil Wears Prada’ movie or this was a former fanfic, take your pick) and imbues and magnifies them with the kind of larger than life personas that make them so memorable. And so delicious. The book is best enjoyed from this angle, as some situations feel contrived or preposterous. But ice queen fans would fall head over heels in love with the book, and Elena.

   As I mentioned earlier, the main characters are all pretty stereotypical. But the reason why I loved the book is how deeply the author explores their psyches, and the lengths she takes to make her characters’ connection realistic. Imagine that gap–a CEO and a lowly night shift grunt. It’s not gonna happen overnight. Or even over time. It’s going to take a lot of exploration, a ton of character growth and a huge dose of fairy godmother dust to make it happen. And that’s what differentiates an exceptional author from a good one. Lots of lesfic authors can do the first two, but the sprinkling of fairy dust? Only a handful can weave the kind of plot magic that makes the cynical reader go, ‘why didn’t I think of that’ , or ‘hell, yeah’ or ‘awwwww…’ No matter how unrealistic the plot is, the author makes it seem at least plausible. And it’s highly entertaining to boot.

   It goes without saying that one of the things that make the author’s characters feel so authentic is that they never become someone they’re not. There’s change, and it can be huge and life-changing, but you don’t undo 40 years of someone’s personality completely and have it last further than the honeymoon. And yeah, I love that she gets her characters idiosyncrasies, and lets them be. But not after freeing the real woman trapped inside the ice.

   It’s important to note that this isn’t a typical romance where ‘romantic development’ involves sweet, endearing dialogue or PDA displays, or whispered sweet nothings or even, the protagonists showing special care for each other. Every lesfic writer does that already. Don’t look for it here. For a good deal of the book, it was either an awkward dance around each other, tension-filled exchanges and talking in circles. Hence the need for ‘the brutal truth’. In fact, the most romantic parts of the book are when they’re actually thousands of miles apart. How weird is that? More often than I could count, their relationship was moving frustratingly one step forward and two steps back. The chemistry is off the charts, but there is just so much emotional and balance-of-power distance between them, not to mention the multiple layers of masks the ice queen wears. I figured it was going to take Maddie a lot to uncover those firmly welded-on protective masks. I didn’t figure it would take almost the entire book. Well most of it anyway. As the masks had to be lifted off layer by layer. Well, I guess that’s ice queen for you. They’ll never admit to emotion willingly. Least of all that most unspeakable emotion of all–love. That one word signals the ultimate ‘melt’, and no ice queen worth their salt will ever utter it if they want their reputation intact. Towards the end, when Maddie was trying to wrangle that declaration, I kept wishing her a mental ‘hah, good luck with that!’. 🙂

   In terms of how much I enjoyed the book, I should give this book a solid 5 stars, especially for putting my faith back in lesfic’s ability to ‘make my day’. But then there’s The Red Files, and then there’s Requiem. Ranged against such formidable opponents, a 4.95 will have to do.

   But still, Elena Bartell earns a permanent place in my pantheon of earthly goddesses, joining the likes of Jessica Maddox, Mallory Spencer, Victoria Willoughby, Genevieve Fornier, Jennifer Lamont, Catherine Ayers and a few others whose names escape me for the moment but who live beyond the books they inhabit and whose exploits and personalities still manage to fill my thoughts…Women who focused on themselves and their dreams rather than love, who had to suppress a good part of their inner selves and acquired a discipline, a coolness and even a bit of ruthlessness, sometimes even losing a part of their humanity in the process, all in the name of success, and doing it on their own terms. It was such a joy to see them come in from the cold, their long suppressed selves unlocked… and how love is the secret key to it. It’s just…magical.

   4.95 stars

   ARC from Ylva

   PS. Is it sheer coincidence that a crucial part of the plot involves a sexual harassment case very similar to whats happening in the news, including even the fallout from it. This is one subplot that felt incredibly realistic and totally grounds the whole book.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jane Shambler – November 6, 2017:

   To say I liked this book is an understatement. This book spoke volumes to me even the parts left unsaid. It was thought provoking, scary and invigorating. It is so easy to forget what women must endure to be successful. But do some take the need to endure too far? Maybe? Does Elena like to be aggressive and brutal? Or is it she hasn’t found the one who sees her for who she really is? In walks Maddie a down to earth slightly pessimistic crime journalist who is seriously home sick. She’s lonely and missing her native Australia. She came to New York to become a crime journalist and got stuck with the graveyard shift at Hudson news and is now being taken over by Elena a shark in business.

   But, Maddie is also a very personable person who loves to connect with people. Even with those she considers out of her league. Elena finally meets someone who doesn’t shiver and shake in her presence. They seem to be drawn to one another. For totally different reasons. Maddie just wants to know the ” real ” Elena. But Maddie has this habit that she says what she is thinking totally uncensored. Which makes for some interesting and funny exchanges with Elena and Felicity. Felicity is Elena’s long suffering chief of staff.

   Maddie has a way about her that makes her strive in to the unknown and yes she has her eyes open. There is more to this story than meets the eye. Yes it deals with some controversial issues like sexual harassment in the work place. But Maddie seems to be able to over come issues. She and Elena embark on a journey of self discovery and discovery of one another. Elena is learning to be loved for who she is and not what she can do. And Maddie? Well Maddie is a long for the ride of a life time. Enjoy!

   *ARC provided by publisher via Ylva Publishing*

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Sandra Meier – November 13, 2017:

   This is my first book from this author, but definitely not the last one. This story has so much I really love in a book. Funny dialogues, loveable main characters, good secondary characters, some seriousness and some ferocity.

   There’s Maddie Grey with the big dream of being a good journalist who works as a junior crime reporter for a small newspaper in New York City. She can’t find her way in New York and she suffers from homesickness big time. And sometimes it’s risky to tell what you’re thinking.

   And there’s the Ice Queen, Elena Bartell, who owns one of the biggest publisher companies of the world. Her nickname fits, Tiger Shark. She has a reputation to uphold and acts accordingly.

   When these two women work in offices ajar, there are flying sparks, but not always the good ones. Sometimes Maddie catches some glimpse of Elena behind the Tiger Shark mask? Will she likes what she sees there?

   Elena is a power driven women in a hard-hitting business world. In this world feelings and caring for employees is not possible. But there is this intriguing junior crime reporter with big journalist dreams. What does this women has that got her under her skin?

   The romance between this extremely different women is very slow burning. But it’s really intriguing how Lee Winter is able to bring all the thoughts and feelings between the pages. The women change their perspectives and sometimes they had to be brutally honest. And develop strong feelings for another. You have to be patient in romance department, but in the end you will rewarded with a beautiful and steamy love scene. I would like to know more about how they will shape their lives together.

   I recommend this book to all romance and Ice Queen lovers. And I’m looking forward to another one from Lee Winter

   My rating 4,5 stars.
   Thanks to Ylva for receiving an ARC for a honest review.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Ana Leamaro – November 14, 2017:

   Free ARC Copy
   Another great book from this author. I have read them all. Great characters, intense and funny dialogs. As usual the build up romance is slow burning but the well written plot and interesting secondary characters turns this into a page turner. I loved it. 5* reading without any doubt.

7. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Michelle (verified owner) – November 19, 2017:

   I waited impatiently for this book and was not disappointed when it finally arrived. In fact it kept me awake most of the night as I did not want to stop reading it. The above reviews provide sufficient commentary on the book so I won’t repeat it here, other than to say Lee Winters has a way of making a story speak to you. Her words encourage the pages to come alive in your mind and you become the invisible third person, walking the scenes with the characters and enjoying every moment of the intersection in their lives that they allow you to inhabit. I thoroughly recommend this book.

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Ade – November 19, 2017:

   Lee Winters has done it again…with her latest, “The Brutal Truth.” I must say, it was a thrill to read! After reading its synopsis and later an excerpt of it, my interest was definitely piqued. Who wouldn’t want to find out who’d win the bet, eh? 😉 And after experiencing the brilliantly written “Requiem,” (one of my favourite books that I’ve re-read a few times, with ever-memorable characters created & written!) I was truly looking forward to reading more of Winter’s intrinsically captivating writing & storytelling. Blimey! What a whirlwind of a page-turner this one was, indeed! I was gravitating to every word of it!

   The story obviously isn’t a thriller or anything, but I have to say that it is a “thriller” of sorts, what with all the business of acquisitions, hiring and firing, personnel issues/scandals, market shares, in the world of cutthroat media industry (e.g. fashion & style publications, anyone?), there’s always bouts of thrills all around! Furthermore, WInter’s way of structuring and manoeuvring the development of her main characters and their respective journeys, fueled by some fascinating secondary characters (psst! Can we say “Vive la France!”? Genius move, Winter! And mini-Elena, too. Hilarious! :D) that enrich the already endearing, riveting story of Elena & Maddie, inevitably makes the whole “onion-peeling” (of their layered characters) affair read like an edge-of-your-seat (at least for me) thriller. I couldn’t scroll the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen with them next…and next….and next!!! At one point, I realised I was literally holding my breath, anticipating what the next move was, and the sigh of relief that came after! Phew. What an exhilarating end to a fantastic ride!

   Apart from the thrills, the book is funny, riveting, seductive & heartfelt. You’ll come to be invested in what happens, to Elena and to Maddie right from the start. All the ups and downs, the surprises, the twists, the push-pulls, their respective POVs, internal struggles (personal & professional), their psyche, that Winter so aptly pulled together in her story structure and writing make this book a mad-dash of a gem, really.

   And the SLOW-BURN. Awwww…EXQUISITE. Winter hits it out of the park again…with aplomb. Stays with ya even after the story ends. Exhilarating. Very much like Requiem’s Natalya & Alison’s…in a non-killing kinda way. 😉

   Winter gave us the divinely sublime Natalya/Alison story in “Requiem,” which I have to say…C’est Magnifique! Now, she’s graced us with this deliciously spellbinding Elena/Maddie story! Aaawwww….Bless! Their story, like Natalya/Alison’s, will be one of the very, very few stories that I’ll be re-reading often! 🙂

   Lee, much obliged, mate! 😀

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   qhabib (verified owner) – November 23, 2017:

   What does one say that has already been said in great detail and rather effectively by the other reviewers? This will end up on your re-read list and definitely worth the purchase.

   Lee Winters knows how to write her characters well, create a beautiful story with heart, intelligence and plot that is realistic. I expecially loved how Elena and Maddies story was told over a year and wouldnt mind a followup novella sometime in the near future to give us the inside scoop on how my favourite couple (for now) is doing. I’m off to read some of her other books now 🙂

   Thank you Lee

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Rocío Toboso – November 23, 2017:

    Maddie Grey is an Aussie crime reporter living in New York, well, just existing in New York. She spends lonely nights writing obituaries. In her spare time she writes a blog where she expresses what she really feels about living in the big city.
    Elena Bartell is a heartless world-famous media mogul who shows up in Maddie’s newspaper ready to tear everything apart although her true love is fashion.
    Their beginning was a mess and their both characters make them collide constantly. Maddie is not afraid of telling her boss what she thinks and Elena is not used to people talking to her like that. Their love and relationship is impossible, or so it seems, since Elena is married and straight.
    And then everything changes when they decide to make a bet: not to lie, to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
    Both women have strong characters. Maddie is good with people, fight for what she thinks is fair and Elena wants to success in the fashion world no matter what. But underneath that mask she is sensitive and thoughtful.
    The characters are beautifully described. They are sweet in their own way, endearing, lovable and likable. There are really funny moments, especially where the Duchamps are involved.
    I have experienced something with this book that I hadn’t experienced in a long time, I didn’t want it to finish. I am usually a quick reader but I took my time with this one. And I felt sad when it ended.
    I wanted to know what would happen but, at the same time, I didn’t. I have enjoyed this so very much.
    I wish my English were better for I can’t find the words to express better how I feel about this book, the story itself and the characters. But what I do know how to say is that I highly, highly recommend this book.
    I received an ARC from the publisher for a honest review.

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    blondi987 – November 26, 2017:

    I acquired this book as an ARC
    This was an excellent book, I really enjoyed it. The characters were very well developed. This author has the “ice queen” character down to an art. The plot had me hooked from the start, with a lot of twists and turns within the conflict. Part of the conflict was very timely, considering what’s happening all across the entertainment industry right now. This was the first book for me from this author, and I’ll definitely be looking for more by her. I highly recommend this book!

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Kitty Kat – November 27, 2017:

    A wonderful story that captured my heart! Australian journalist Maddie is sad and lonely in New York but her life becomes a lot more interesting when Elena, business mogul with a fearsome reputation, enters it. While she decides whether to shut down the newspaper Maddie works for she installs herself in an office within sight of the young woman. Their interactions are full of banter and give an insight into a side of Elena she hides from the world. Maddie is open and friendly and seeing Elena respond to her is wonderful. Lee Winter has written the perfect ice queen in Elena and let’s us see the tiniest chink in her armour. We begin to see the woman that Maddie sees and we fall in love with her too. Maddie has a way with people that leads to them opening up to her. Changes in her professional life come about because of this skill.
    The story is beautifully paced with tear-jerking romance and exceptionally well written love scenes that leave the reader feeling joyful and thoroughly satisfied.
    An adorable book.

    I was given this ARC by Ylva Publishing in return for an honest review.

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    pharridge – December 2, 2017:

    What do you get when you mix an ‘untested’ crime reporter and a media mogul ‘take no prisoners’ boss? You get a great story with strong interesting characters that make you want to keep turning the page!
    I liked the mix in settings between New York City and Australia. The chemistry between Maddie and Elena is undeniable but to them. Who knows what can result when they are forced (by bet) to tell the complete truth to each other.
    I was emersed in the story from the get go. Once I finished, I would have been happy to go back to page one and read it all over again! Lee Winter does not dissappoint. I enjoyed this story a lot and would recommend it to all those that love reading about capable strong women.
    I received an arc in return for an honest review.

14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    cheekybugger13 – May 9, 2018:

    The Master of ice-queen character development & storyteller, Lee Winter, is at it again with this MUST-READ gem, “The Brutal Truth.” It is one of me favourite lesfic! 

    Elena Bartell is quite possibly my all-time favourite ice-queen! She’s cold, she’s abrasive with an acerbic, razor-sharp tongue that spews and spits out sarcastic vitriol that could literally render a person immobile, if any ill-advised person crosses her! But she’s so extremely intelligent, so bloody indignant, stubborn, so smart, so incredibly facetious and funny, she’s highly passionate, not to mention, she’s bloody COOL! As you find out more about her gradually, as she thaws, she’s really this irresistibly adorable puppy who needs to be hugged, loved and cared for, who’s just trying to protect herself from getting hurt. It’s all her defence mechanism. She can’t help it because she had to fend for herself ever since she was a kid! So, I totally get her and understand where she’s coming from. And who better to be the one to love and comfort her than her young employee, Maddie, who’s been lurking by trying very hard to grab Elena’s attention and affection? Maddie, whom she’s been trying to push away with her endlessly scathing remarks and scornful behaviour, but somehow her heart refuses to do so, when she finds herself inextricably falling for her! Aaarghhh……the tension, the intensity, the undeniable chemistry!!!! 
    Lee Winter, you have outdone yourself this time! Your incredibly astute knowledge in the human psychology, the emotions that it invokes, the behaviour, all the complexities and nuances, be it verbal or non-verbal, you managed to decipher each intricacy with such richly explicating language, it was truly illuminating to read, so deeply felt. I was emotionally connected with and invested in Elena and Maddie’s journey as they slowly peeled off their own walls layer by layer before finally revealing their true feelings for each other, ultimately marrying their hearts and souls together.

    Ohhhh….their breathtaking slow-burn romance is simply….TO. DIE. FOR. 

    I understand that Winter paid homage to the hugely popular Miranda/Andy pairing in “The Devil Wears Prada” that spanned a thousand ships and countless fanfics. But for me, I’ll take Elena/Maddie any day – FAR, FAR better and much more satisfying…for me!!  Their love, their devotion, their undeniable, oh-so irresistible chemistry….I can’t even!!  They’re indeed one of me all-time favourite couples – immersed in such a terrific, outstanding, intensely emotional and thrilling story written with such incredible flair that I have re-read a few times already and every single time, I got the same emotional effect out of it like the 1st time! Thoroughly sated. Period.

    All I can say is, bloody well done, Ms. Winter!  I bow to you in utter gratitude for giving us this gift of Elena & Maddie and their unrivaled love story in their complex journey.  
    An enthusiastic MUST-READ!!!

    https://bugsownwords.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/the-brutal-truth/

15. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    stephasselin – September 25, 2018:

    We all at one point or another in our lives felt like we didn’t totally belong where we were living or in the life we were living. This is how Maddie Grey feels having a life many people dream of. She spends her days in the Big Apple, emptiness filling her and the pages of her BlogSpot: Maddie as hell.  If at least she could pretend her career was going the way she always planned it would; maybe it could help her feel a little more at her place, instead of wishing she was back in Australia.

    To make matters worse, her new boss, Elena Bartell is a strong, powerful, driven and quite a scary leader. While many find themselves scared by Elena’s personality, it has a different effect on Maddie, pushing her curiosity to the maximum, creating a various range of weird, funny and different situations they both find themselves in.

    I had a pleasant time reading The Brutal Truth by Lee Winter. Being familiar with a few of her previous writings, I can only be happy that her amazing writing style is still present in this book. The ease with which the author portrays the life of a magazine or a newspaper environment and its surroundings always make me feel as if I am standing next to them in the room.

    Lee Winters is one of the few writers I look forward to reading because her books usually contain strong leading woman and their hard to please personalities, making them almost unapproachable and challenging me as a reader to see past the hard exterior we are allowed to see at first. The more I read books with this trope, the more I notice Winter’s talent in writing in this universe.

    The characters are all working well together into making this story as good as it is. There isn’t much more to say about the writing because as usual, the story flows perfectly and it’s keeping the readers captivated all book long.

    I was waiting for the right moment to read this book and I am happy I finally got the chance to read and review it. I recommend this book to everyone, it is a crowd pleaser and it won’t deceive.

    I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

    @RainbowMReviews

    *I Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Kiwigirl55104 – November 1, 2019:

    Sheer Perfection
    Lee Winter NEVER leaves me feeling less than awestruck! I first read this story over a month ago and it stayed with me even this long after. I had to re-read it because it is just that great. I loved the way Ms Winter told this story. The settings, the plot and characters, both primary and secondary…I loved Maddie’s insight into the real Elaina, Elaina’s struggle to find herself, Natalii and her mother are amazing as well and truly all of this is a beautiful and classy balance of sheer perfection!!! This drama moved me, made me laugh and cry, I was angry and oh so in love with both of these incredible ladies. This is for sure one of my all-time favourite books ever!!!

17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Word Saviour (verified owner) – March 23, 2020:

    words…I need more words…I need new words…somebody please gift me the skilfulness to describe the pure joy it has been for me reading this book.
    But of course I’m not the writer in this scenario, I’m the reader, and at THAT I excel [oh, okay, I’m not going to write a review about me ;)]
    If you really like yourself and you want to do you a favor – go.read.this.book!
    We’re done here.