Lovin' los libros

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

Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by Edelweiss & publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 304 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

                                                                   -goodreads.com description

Well, folks. Cora Carmack has done it again! And if I'm honest- even better than before! Don't get me wrong- I really enjoyed Losing It. I loved Bliss and Garrick's story- it was light, fun, and cute. But when I heard she was going to write Cade's story- I couldn't wait! Who doesn't remember the sweet best friend who got his heart broken?!

And... we have dual POV's! We get to see both Max and Cade's thoughts and feelings, and for those of you who follow my reviews- you know how much I love that!

I think one of the reasons I liked this book a tiny bit more was because of the depth attached to it. Cade is hurting over the rejection of his best friend and is trying to move on. (Something that's hard to do, when your best friend and the love of her life live in the same city as you do.) He has a habit of letting people go and doesn't fight for what he wants. Which brings us to Max. Max carries significantly more baggage than Cade does. She is dealing with a lot when it comes to her family. Her parents basically expect perfection from her, when she is anything but. Max has a feisty personality and a lot of spunk. She likes her hair dyed bright colors, her plethora of tattoos and piercings, and her sexy outfits. She is a rocker chick in every sense of the word. Music is the one thing that makes sense to Max. And that's the one thing her parents don't take seriously. She is also still dealing with the loss of someone important to her from the past and doesn't really confront it until the end of the book.

However, her parents don't know about the crazy clothes, the dyed hair, or the tattoos and piercings. Which leaves Max in quite a bind when her parents randomly show up to see her, wanting to meet her boyfriend. Max knows she could never introduce her parents to the real guy she's been seeing so, in a spur of the moment decision, she finds a nice looking guy at the coffee shop she's at.

Watching Cade and Max interact is so much fun. I loved watching them banter back and forth and watching Cade play the part of Max's boyfriend with her parents is hilarious. Max's parents adore Cade and end up inviting him to Thanksgiving, thus prolonging the charade.

"I'd never dated a girl like her, and she'd probably never dated a guy like me. But sometimes you don't know what you're looking for until it's already knocked you flat on your back. And what was the point in living if I was only going to travel the same roads again and again?"

For having just met, these two certainly do hit it off. They aggravate the hell out of each other at times, but both are intrigued by the other. Not to mention- the attraction! Max doesn't get what someone like Cade could possibly see in her- in fact, her nickname for him is Golden Boy, because he's your quintessential golden boy. He walks the straight and narrow, has a plan for his life, and is an all around good guy. Thus, she spends the majority of her time trying to push him away because she's so afraid that he can see right through her 'Angry Girl' façade  and see what lies beneath: a hurt, broken girl who is too afraid to show her true colors to her family and expose her heart to a good guy who might break it. She also spends a lot of her time pushing him away for fear of hurting him. She's never done well with relationships and is afraid she will get tired of him and end up making a mess of things.

The moments Max does let her guard down with Cade are so precious. Underneath the hard, tough exterior lies a vulnerability so great it really makes you empathize with Max's character and all of the things she's had to go through. Cade is willing to be there for her, but won't let himself be pushed around by her. He wants her to want him as much as he does her. And if that means stepping aside until she comes to her senses, then so be it.

There is a constant push and pull between Max and Cade and I will say this: Cora Carmack knows how to write steamy scenes with enough sexual tension to drive us readers CRAZY!

You do not need to read the first book Losing It before jumping into this one, though it always helps to have a little backstory first so you can truly appreciate the angst that Cade has over his best friend Bliss. This was a fun book about letting go of your past and becoming the person you want to be for the future and I definitely recommend you get it on release day!