Monday, September 15, 2014

Finiding It (Losing It #3) [Kelsey Summers & Jackson Hunt] by Cora Carmack

There was a reluctant side in me when I started reading this novel. When we met Kelsey in "Losing It" I didn't like her, and nothing really changed throughout that book. So even though I WANTED to fall in love with her I was afraid that she would stay the same too care free, too shallow, always drunk and obsessed with sex as she has been. 

Truth be told, when I started this book, I was still annoyed with her, still annoyed with how childish she is, what stupid decisions she makes, the fact that she can't handle life unless she is dead drunk. I remember those years when my friends used to get drunk. I would just ignore them. They can bitch and they can throw up and I really didn't care and wasn't inclined to helping them when they did that to themselves. Since I was the designated driver all I did was say "I'm going home now, if you don't follow me, you're staying here". Never failed to work. I sound like a party pooper, I know, I was just more talented I guess, I could actually "get drunk" without sipping any alcohol (and some people didn't believe me when I said I haven't had any alcoholic drink!). So Kelsey being the stupid drunk did NOTING for me. I was quite disgusted with her... Yeah she could be funny at times but mainly I waited for her to grow up and for Hunt to become a more permanent side to the story so I could enjoy him and not just suffer her...

The story begins with Kelsey backpacking in Europe but as you realized from the paragraph above she just went to bars and clubs, drank, danced and fucked herself to pieces. Then came Hunt, this gorgeous American how "saves" her against her will, and not just once. Feeling not exactly home-sick but as this "vocation" isn't really working she wants to return to the US, but Hunt trades her one kiss (since he wouldn't give her even than and god forbid more..) for a week of an adventure with him. The Adventure also means almost no alcohol which also means we get to see that Kelsey actually HAS a character and drinking, dancing and fucking is her way of hiding her past from herself. 

I enjoyed getting to know Kelsey, enjoyed the journey she went with Hunt, loved seeing how their relationship was building up against his will. Since this book is all from Kelsey's POV we don't get a lot about Hunt and only at the very end he actually tells Kelsey about his past and what he is doing in Europe. I had a feeling I know what his deal is (you might guess it too) but I thought that it was well played. I also really enjoyed the ending and how much the Kelsey we read of in the last few chapters is NOTHING like the stupid girl we met in the beginning of the book or in "Losing It". 

This book was actually quite fun to read, I would love to just roam around Europe for a while, watching the beautiful sites around me, visiting exotic places or more domestic ones that shows the character of the place. I guess it was quite an adventure for me as well through Hunt and Kelsey. 

While this book is the third in the series I should say that since there is just two connections to Bliss in this book, and also that the timing of this one and the previous one overlap that it doesn't matter if you continue after "Losing It" with this one or with "Faking It". 

I'm giving this book 4 stars mostly for dwelling too long in the beginning with the "stupid Kelsey". I guess that we needed to get how stupid and reckless she could be, I was just tired of it.. 
My least favorite of the three, but still an enjoyable read


Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 320 pages, 14-15 September 2014 / On GoodReads
 
 
 ABOUT THIS SERIES
 
Losing It is a Young Adult / New Adult series by Cora Carmack. The series evolve of 3 friends, each novel introduces them to their Happily Ever After. 

In the first one we meet the "gang" while they are in College studying acting (Texas) there the first couple is formed. The next one takes place in Philadelphia to where the (not so new by now) couple move with the main character of the second novel. The third one takes place in Europe where the main character is backpacking and where she meets her HEA.  

In my opinion each book can be read as a stand alone since though we met the 3 characters in the first book, on the next ones they don't play THAT a big role for you to need to know their past relationship and what you need to know is explained. Besides, the timing of the second and the third kind of overlap so it doesn't really matter which you read first.

Most of the series is written by a single POV, meaning the first ("Losing It"), the third book ("Finding It") and the finishing novella ("Seeking Her"), but the second one ("Faking It") as well as the first two novellas ("Keeping Her", "Inking Him") are written with alternating POVs of the MC. I think that in general I rather have alternating POVs to singular one enabling me to get the "whole story" and not only because of that - the second book was my favorite of the bunch. Really loved both the MC and enjoyed getting to hear both their voices throughout the book. 

I find it hard to classify this one, it's somewhere between Young Adult to New Adult. While the first one felt like a true Young Adult novel (which annoyed me a little) where the romance was sweet yet somehow childish in certain aspects and also very "fresh" since the main heroine is a somehow an insecure virgin, the second one felt more mature which I enjoyed much more. The second one also has the "coming of age" concept that we usually find in a NA book. The third one is somewhere in the middle, it has the "coming of age" vibe that feels like a NA novel, yet to get there you have to bear through quite a lot of silly and teenagery behavior before the main heroine decides to put aside the liqueur and have some mature decisions. 

This series is simply a joy to read. You spend half the time Laughing Out Load and the rest just enjoying the easy going writing and the beautiful love story. 
I should add that the novellas in between aren't a must have and in my opinion are not as good as the full novels. So, you can just stick with the 3 main ones.
Recommended!

Books:
1. Losing It [Bliss Edwards & Garrick Taylor] (published 15 October 2012) ★★★★½
1.5 Keeping Her [Bliss Edwards & Garrick Taylor] (published 13 August 2013) ★★★★
1.6 Inking Him [ Bliss & Garrick bonus short story ] (published 23 April 2014) ★★★★
2. Faking It [Mackenzie “Max” Miller & Cade Winston] (published 4 June 2013) ★★★★★
3. Finding It [Kelsey Summers & Jackson Hunt] (published 15 October 2013) ★★★★
3.5 Seeking Her [Kelsey Summers & Jackson Hunt] (published 28 January 2014) ★★★½
 
 

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