For What It's Worth


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Review: Faking It (Losing It #2) by Cora Carmack


16172634Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel. ~ Goodreads

Source: ARC/review copy received at BEA via the publisher – William Morrow & Company

Review:
Faking It is the companion novel to Carmack's Losing It, Book #1, in the Losing It series. In Losing It, Bliss and Garrick were the main love interests. Cade was Bliss's BFF and had finally confessed his love to her only to be turned down as she chose Garrick.

I barely remembered Cade from that book and what little I did didn't leave a huge impression on me. I guess he seemed dorky, maybe a little cute but HOLY MOTHER OF BOOK GUYS! Cade in THIS book is HOT. He’s still super sweet but way more confident than I was expecting. Bliss honey….you missed out and good for Mac for seeing just what an incredible catch he is and not letting him get away!

As you may have guessed Faking It starts out with the familiar fake relationship trope. Sometimes it works and sometimes it stretches plausibility. Here it works. Mainly because once they pass the initial fake relationship to meet the parents part the facade is over and they embark on something more serious. There’s an attraction but they are so different…Mac calls Cade Golden Boy because of his all American good looks and ability to perfect almost anything he tries, while Cade is envious of Mac's ability to take on the world without caring what anyone thinks. But at the core they are the same, protecting themselves from the inevitable loss of those they love.

What's nice about Faking it is that, yes, there's the requisite angst because Cade and Mac scare the shit out of each other but they also push back against their fear because they know they make each other better so it's worth taking the jump.

I enjoyed Losing It. It was laugh out loud funny but I felt it got a little convoluted near the end. I LOVED Faking It. This was a tighter story. A tad darker than Losing It but balanced with a perfect touch of humor.

I had a few minor quibbles. Mac sees Cade as perfect and doesn't think she deserves him and Cade sees Mac as this wild, untamable free spirit to help him take chances. I really enjoyed the opposites attract angle but it almost felt like they liked the "idea" of each other rather than the reality. Like this was more of a fantasy encounter. I say this is minor because once you get to the heart of their story they could not be more perfect for each other.

Also, I had hoped Cade would stand up to Mac's crazy, interfering parents in her defense more. But again, I was won over in the end. I think it's better and more believable when a character (especially a female) can do that for themselves and the whole thing played out very nicely.

One more point and I'm done! lol Bliss and Garrick make an appearance (yay!) and I thought it was great that Carmack didn't just write Bliss out of the picture in Cade's mind once Mac showed up. It's handled so well and realistically.

Final thoughts: I adored this book as well as Mac and Cade. Faking It is SO filled with sexual tension, without being overly graphic, heartfelt moments and humor scattered throughout. Mac is vulnerable yet strong and Cade….oh my…Cade! What a pleasant surprise. I'm so glad Cora Carmack saw more to you than I did and gave you your own book!

Author: website | Twitter
Buy the book! Amazon

19 comments:

  1. i have both books, i may start with this one though. will i be lost?

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    1. You won't be lost but I still would read Losing It first if you can. They have very different tones though. LI is lighter/funnier and FI is darker but still with a little humor.

      If you read FI first and get confused DM me and I'll get you up to speed lol

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    2. Thank you!! Maybe I'll try both, idk :) i'm not very good at reading two books from a series back to back. it makes it seem like one looooooong book. i need to space them out.

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    3. I know what you mean lol I don't think you would have that problem with these books because they're so different but if you dive into Faking It let me know and I'll give you a quick summary of what happened to Cade in Losing It first.

      She does a good job of writing it so they stand alone.

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  2. I have not been drawn to these books because of the NA angle, but the reviews are another matter! Ugh! I know I will succumb to all these good reviews and read both books. You make this one sound SO GOOD! I love the sound of the humor and hey, the hot guy also helps. LOL Yep, I know I'll be reading it.

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    1. I have NA burnout right now. But I think Carmack's writing is different enough that I would just say these are good stories without classifying them as anything.

      They are sexy and Faking It more angsty than Losing It but they aren't over the top with that or the sex which I really liked.

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  3. I am just NA, no way, it's silly. There is no NA. That would make the book I just read NA just cos the heroine is that age

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    1. I agree with you. A good story is a good story no matter the age. Despite the age of the characters in this series it doesn't have a NA feel.

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  4. As always, awesome review! I just received this book today. I loved, loved, LOVED Losing It. Cade was a sweet heart and I can't wait to read more on him in Faking It. Such a great premise!! <<33

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    1. He was sweet in that book but he totally took me by surprise with his confidence and hotness in this book lol

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  5. I got a surprise copy from the publisher and cannot wait to read Faking It. I adored Cade in Losing It, and am do happy he got his own story. Great review, Karen!

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    1. When I first started it I was like Cade?? Really?? He was nice and all but Cade?? lol I was SO SO SO wrong.

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  6. Glad to hear about Cade and how how he's gotten. Sounds like I need to start this one soon

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    1. Yeah. He's still that nice guy from Losing It but way more confident than I remembered and I really liked Mac too.

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  7. I wasn't in LOVE with Losing It but Faking It sounds really interesting! I'm a fan of the fake relationship trope so I'm glad it works here. I think you made a really good point with the "idea" of each other rather than reality because I feel like that a lot in books but it sounds like for the most part, it worked. Great review!

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    1. Same here with Losing It. I enjoyed it but the second half got to convoluted for me.

      At first I was thinking that this wasn't the basis for a real, long lasting relationship but I was totally convinced by Carmack's writing. They are drawn to the other's personality traits because they are lacking in themselves but by being together they make each other better so I was won over completely.

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  8. Yes, the Fake Boyfriend trope is a little cheesy, but I don't care. I love it!!!
    Looking forward to reading both this and Losing it…
    Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics

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  9. I am not very fond of the fake relationship trope but I admit it can be very entertaining sometimes. I'm glad it worked here.
    Everyone seems to be enjoying these books. It's probably time I gave them a chance.
    Thanks for the lovely review, Karen!

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  10. I loved Faking It! Cade definitely trumps Garrick in my books...then again I do usually root for the underdogs :)

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