Faking It
(Losing It, #2)
Author: Cora Carmack
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013
Genre: NA Romance
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
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.
Unlike Losing It, Faking It told the story from both characters’ perspectives. Where I liked Bliss only in the last book, I was very glad the author chose to alternate point of views for the sequel. It brings an extra depth to the story that works really well.
At the end of Losing It, Bliss and Garrick move to PA. Cade does as well because of the potential opportunities for his career, but so far he hasn’t had any opportunities, and all he’s managed to do is miss Bliss like crazy. He’d been a little crazy for her in Losing It, and it shows in Faking It.
Enter Max—she’s the complete opposite of Bliss, and Cade is instantly drawn to her. She’s not so instantly drawn to him, which makes for wonderful tension. Unfortunately for her, though, her parents love him, which makes for even more awesome tension. It’s the kind of awkward situation no one ever wants to be in, and it’s laugh out loud funny to watch.
So Cade and Max keep going their separate ways only to meet up again. Some of those meetings feel a little forced, but most are natural and believable. The more time Max spends around Cade, the more she likes him, and the more time Cade spends with Max, the more he forgets about his feelings for Bliss, which is good. He doesn’t give up his feelings too fast, though, and that was definitely relatable. Crushes can take forever to pass.
What really got me about this book was just how much of a gentleman Cade is. Even after Max hurts him beyond pain, he still agrees to spend Thanksgiving with her family. I almost couldn’t believe it, but I was glad it happened that way. That push was just the thing Max needed to deal with her past and her parents, and it was the final hurdle for Cade. By the end, it’s clear he loves Max, though I wasn’t a fan of how things were left between him and Bliss.
The book is a solid 4 stars, though. There’s just the right mix of fun and seriousness.
Favorite Quotes:
If I were a superstitious man, I would think I'd angered Milo's alcohol gods because I was having a very inconvenient reaction to our closeness.
I moved my hand, and was ready to make a quick getaway, but she sat up and said, "Wait, let me do you."
I tried to keep a straight face, I really did. But no male in my condition, whether he's fifteen or fifty, could hear those words and not react.
She rolled her eyes and said, "Your head, Golden boy. The one that's supposed to do your thinking."
God, she was so different from Bliss. I could envision completely how this scenario would have happened with her. It would have started with a lot of blushing and mumbling and probably would have ended with something broken or on fire.
