There&#x27;s lots of words that mean straightforward (to be frank &#x2F; blunt &#x2F; candid &#x2F; brutal &#x2F; clear &#x2F; straightforward &#x2F; abrupt &#x2F; etc) but honesty is something else entirely.<p>The comparable phrase &#x27;To tell the truth, ...&#x27; is even less ambiguous (yes, it&#x27;s idiomatic, but that shouldn&#x27;t let you ignore semantics).<p>As for amazon reviews I rarely expect people to be especially honest -- if they self-assess as being extra honest despite swag, that&#x27;s less compelling.