Author: Cora Carmack

Lightning Review: Faking It by Cora Carmack

Posted February 3, 2015 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments

Lightning Review: Faking It by Cora CarmackReviewer: Holly
Faking It by Cora Carmack
Series: Losing It #2
Also in this series: Finding It
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: June 4th 2013
Genres: Fiction, New Adult
Pages: 352
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Mackenzie "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.
The hot new, New Adult title from New York Times bestselling author of Losing It, Cora Carmack.

This was a stellar read. I was more invested in the characters than I expected to be. Max was everything I love in a heroine; strong, outspoken and in tune with herself yet also vulnerable.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of Cade after seeing him in the last book. He ended up being the perfect mix of Golden Boy and Bad Boy. He was the perfect match for Max, though it didn’t seem like it at first glance.

I was a little disappointed in the end. I kind of wish there had been further resolution with her family. Or maybe a smackdown with her sister-in-law.

Aside from that, this is an excellent read.

4.25 out of 5

Reading Order:

four-half-stars


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Review: Finding It by Cora Carmack

Posted June 19, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: Finding It by Cora CarmackFinding It by Cora Carmack
Series: Losing It #3
Also in this series: Faking It
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: October 15th 2013
Genres: Fiction, New Adult
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong . . .
Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life . . . or that's what she keeps telling herself.
It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

Kelsey is a spoiled rich girl who is traveling Europe to “find herself” (read: party and try to forget her problems) before looking for a year after college, on her parents dime. She figures if she drinks enough she can drown out her problems, most especially her apathy toward becoming and adult and her sadness at how little her parents actually care for her.

She meets Jackson Hunt at a club and can’t stop thinking about him, but she doesn’t want to get tangled up with someone. Until she runs into  him again in another city. Then it seems like fate wants them together. And who is she to fight fate?

As she wrestles with her demons, she struggles to keep Jackson out. As fun as it is to have a fling, letting someone see inside her isn’t in the cards. Until it’s too late and Jackson has seen the worst of her…and accepted what he saw. Turns out Jackson is damaged, too. Maybe they can help put each other back together. Until the truth about Jackson comes out. Then Kelsey realizes she knows almost nothing about him..and what she does know is just enough to break her heart.

Kelsey showed quite a bit of growth through the book. That aspect of the book worked quite well. She was shallow and focused on her own problems in the beginning. As the novel progressed she started exercising her demons and finding herself. Though her journey wasn’t completed, she was well on her way to living her life for herself, not for her parents. While I enjoyed her personal journey, there were many times I had to suspend disbelief to accept her actions and various plot points.

The end was too abrupt for the angst leading up to it. An epilogue wouldn’t have been remiss. With the addition of an epilogue or a continuation of the story, this had great potential. As it stands, it was an okay read but not a great one.

3 out of 5

This book is available from HarperCollins. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

three-stars


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