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

• Title: Faking It (Losing It)
• Classification: New Adult Fiction
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• Format: Paperback; 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 4, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 0062273264
• ISBN-13: 978-0062273260

Author's Website: http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/
Notes: Picked up a signed copy at BEA and let me just say, there was a reason why the line was so long. :)

Sometimes the hardest thing in life is letting go...

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has never liked seeing disappoint in her parents' eyes. She hasn't yet figured out how to introduce them to the "real" Max who sports tattoos and colored hair. She's a musician in a band and she's determined to make a career out of  her love for music. They've been helping to support her financially over the last couple of years as she attempts to make a go of her musical career. She's afraid they might cut her off if they got a look at the real her. She knows her parents will never understand as they are ultra conservative and would be horrified that she, in their eyes, branded herself. So when they unexpectedly tell her they're in town and are coming to see her, she ducks for cover, and the nearest cover is that of guy sitting at another table. He's got that "your parents are gonna love me" look to him and that's exactly what she needs. Armed with a killer smile, she locks on to her target and makes her move.

"I'm going to ask you something and its going to seem crazy. (...) My parents showed up in town uninvited, and they want to meed my boyfriend. (...) I know this is crazy, but I would really appreciate  it if you would pretend to be my boyfriend until I manage to get rid of them." 

Cade Winston has just lost his best friend to another man. He'd revealed his true feelings for her a little too late. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else, she'd secretly been dating their teacher and had fallen in love. Now things between them are awkward and seeing her with another guy is painful. When Max approaches him and makes her request, he's both amused and surprisingly attracted to the young woman who isn't anything like Bliss or his usual type. Weighing the pros and cons of spending of Thanksgiving alone or pretending to be Max's boyfriend, he decides it might be fun to masquerade as her boyfriend. After all he is an actor. He just has one simple request in return...

"I'll do it. In exchange for a date."

Sometimes letting go of our past, of our fears, and of our guilt are the hardest things to do, but it's also a part of growing up. Sometimes all you need to get through the rough times is the right person to give you a little push and hold your hand. While they don't know it yet, Max and Cade actually have more in common than they know. The two will end up understanding each other like no on else could.

They say some of the best things in life are those that are unexpected and in this case it couldn't be more true.

  

'Faking It' is the second book of the Losing It series. It begins during the epilogue of 'Losing It'. Cade, Bliss Edward's best friend, had just done the one the that could ruin their friendship. He confessed he had feelings for her other than friendship. The sweet guy who'd written her a song and had sung it for her had been rejected in favor of another. So when I found out that 'Faking It' would contain Cade's story, I couldn't help but squee a little.

One of the hardest things to do in life is to separate ourselves from our parents. To realize we can't please them all the time. To realize at some point we need to be true to ourselves even if it will dash all their wishes for us. We need to let them know who we are and that can be difficult if it's the opposite of what they want. Max has been hiding her true self from her parents for years. In high school, Max tried to be the perfect daughter, but that was never her at all. When she went off to college she finally found herself, but she 'faked' being her parents' ideal image of a daughter when they came around. So in a way Max will blindside her parents if she ever gains the courage to show them her true self. Of course we all know that sometimes you need to just rip the band aid off and let the air circulate to clear things up.

Max is a free spirit and a touch wild. She's a strong individual who tends to become quite the opposite when her parents are around. Because Max doesn't really see Cade as boyfriend material or herself, he gets to see a rare side of Max. One she tends to hide from the world. He sees her vulnerable side and in that revealing glimpse he sees a kindred spirit. He understands what makes her tick. He just gets her.

Cade doesn't have a close knit family and was raised by his grandmother. In many ways he's the polar opposite of Max. He's tried to mold himself into his own ideal image and it shows. Through Max, he'll learn a lot about himself. She'll help him realize he needs to just be himself, and she'll help him question what he really wants instead of what he thinks he should. They say opposites attract and with good reason. Sometimes what we need the most in a partner is the exact opposite of what we are because they're the ones who will challenge us and help us see things in a new way.

Overall, I gave this one 5 for 5 roses. I love Cora Carmack's writing style and adore the way she breathes life into the characters who live within the pages of her books. They give voice to the emotions just about everyone has experienced at one time or another in their life making them easy to relate to. Cora is definitely an author to watch. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series: