Friday, May 31, 2013

[Review: Faking It by Cora Carmack]

"Faking It"
Author: Cora Carmack
Pages: 304
Genre: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Date Published: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: William Marrow and Company
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

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.
-Goodreads 
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My Thoughts:

I fell in love with Cora Carmack's writing style and characters in her first novel Losing It.  I found her characters and the little stories that made up the whole of the novel to resonate with me on so many levels.  That's why I was so excited when I got the chance to review an eARC of her new novel!  I jumped on that thing faster than a chicken on a june bug (goes in search of a picture of a june bug).

Faking It has all of the Carmack stables that we have come to look for.  Her writing is on par once again and the premise of the book is simply that a girl asks a guy to pretend to be her boyfriend for a few days.  As funny as it all sounds, this book is much darker than it's predecessor.  Yes, it still has those laugh out loud moments that we've come to expect, but Faking It also tackles some pretty heavy issues.  Carmack brilliantly adds moments of laughter to make sure that we, as readers, don't drown in some of the heavier subject matter.  She straddles the line perfectly and blends her humor and wit into the story in a way that doesn't make the touching moments any less touching.

Ladies, Cade is back!  I loved his character in Losing It and a part of me wanted things to end up going his way.  But as we all know Bliss picked her English drama professor.  We get to observe Cade going from a sad puppy dog of a boy into a heartthrob of a man.  Sure he's not super stoked on the fact that things didn't go well with Bliss and we get to see his background which hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies, but it's what he ends up deciding to do about his life in Faking It that is so much fun to watch.  Even if the options drop in his lap, he still has to make choices.

And Max, Max is one heck of a girl.  It was refreshing to see a rebellious character actually have a background and a reason for their rebellion.  Carmack gives Max these things.  She's emotionlessly emotional.  It's almost as if Max knows that if she lets her tough exterior slide that everything in her life will fall away with it.  She's a well rounded character and I never found myself getting tired of her.  Plus she had some wonderful one liners, brought out even more so by her sister in law.

Speaking of the supporting cast.  They were awesome and we even got a few Bliss and Garrik cameos.  Which was great, as it showed us were they were ending up as well.

My favorite thing about this book was the relationship between Cade and Max.  The romance didn't swallow them and their stories.  I didn't find myself rolling my eyes every 30 seconds and I'm grateful for that.  They were both such strong characters that they didn't "need" each other, but when they found each other they needed the things that they could give each other.  The romance was more about growing as a person and how someone else can help you find your way.

If you're a fan of New Adult books with a lot of heart and equal amounts of wit, get your hands on this one!
        
Rating:
 4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

2 comments:

@MelissaJoLynn_ said...

I want to read this RIGHT NOW!!! It sounds awesome. I loved Losing It. And like you I liked Cade and felt bad for him so I'm glad he got his own story. I'm excited to see where Bliss and Garrik are at too. Can't wait! Great review!

Shane @ItchingforBooks said...

Nice review. I hear this author's books are great.