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Losing It
Losing It
Losing It
Audiobook6 hours

Losing It

Written by Cora Carmack

Narrated by Phoebe Strole

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible—a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half a brain would ever believe.

And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor.

She'd left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier. . . .

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateApr 30, 2013
ISBN9780062288608
Author

Cora Carmack

Cora Carmack is a twentysomething New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twentysomething characters. Raised in a small Texas town, she now lives in New York City and spends her time writing, traveling, and marathoning various television shows on Netflix.

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Reviews for Losing It

Rating: 3.775092987360595 out of 5 stars
4/5

269 ratings25 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was a cute story with a hea ending, which I leave. I am just not a fan of high school/ college romance. I get irritated with the miscommunication/lack of communication and the heroine’s nonstop lying throughout the book
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This is 2021. So many novels about virgins . Come on. Give me a break.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I’ve been trying to get into romance/erotic novels recently. So I decided to check out “Losing It” based on its intriguing premise and the brief snippet of the audiobook I heard. Let me start by praising the audiobook because Phoebe Strole’s narration I think embodies the main character, Bliss. Her voice perfectly captures the character’s awkward and self-deprecating nature as well as her growing attraction and lustful desires for her love interest, Garrick. Her British accent used when portraying Bliss’s expatriate lover was also fun and cute to listen to. The only issue I have specific to the audiobook is the brief moment (no spoilers!) where the book switches to Garrick’s perspective and thus, a new uncredited narrator portrays Garrick’s POV. I found the sudden shift jarring at first, having been used to Strole’s take on the character. But eventually, I came around to the new narrator for the brief section he was in.

    The short synopsis is Bliss wants to lose her virginity before graduating college. So the usually hesitant and reserved theatre geek decides to throw caution to the wind and have a quick one-night stand with a sexy guy she meets at a bar who reads Shakespeare. She chickens out at the last second, leaving a naked man in her bedroom. After the awkward situation, she discovers that the man she almost slept with is her new college professor. Awkward hijinks ensue.

    I’ll admit I’m not usually a fan of the teacher/student romance. I can understand the appeal and how the taboo aspect of it can be alluring. But it’s not a genre I’m particularly drawn to. However, I think they handled the teacher/student aspect of it well without it feeling too icky. Obviously, both characters are over the age of consent which greatly helps. But besides that, the age gap is not that significant (Garrick is more a student-teacher than a teacher-teacher). Plus, they were attracted to each other BEFORE finding out they were teacher and student instead of AFTER. So this story has all the tropes of a teacher/student romance (this forbidden, secret romance they must hide from the public) without it feeling like a relationship based on gross power dynamics.

    I do gotta give praise to the main relationship in this book. I find Bliss and Garrick an engaging couple to read a book about, particularly Bliss. She’s the awkward, neurotic girl who will grow past her self-doubt and hesitant nature with the help of her handsome British love interest. The book is presented through her quirky POV so we really get into her head and it can be funny sometimes. I laughed a lot whilst reading this book (although, not always WITH the book's humor as I’ll get into later). And Bliss is responsible for much of the book’s humor. Garrick, by comparison, is a less dynamic character but I still found him a compelling romantic lead. I felt like he was more than just a hot guy with a British accent. And I felt the chemistry between the two was super effective.

    Unfortunately, the same praise can’t be given to the supporting characters. I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters that weren’t named Bliss or Garrick. Some of them felt superfluous to the story (like the bartender and some members of Bliss’s friend group). Most of that had to do with them being “theatre kids” in every sense of the word. I admit this critique comes down to personal taste but I find these theatre kids to be very annoying. And they were responsible for the parts where I cringed while reading it (the other times I laughed while reading). This is especially true for Bliss’s main friends, Kelsey and Cade. Kelsey is just the stereotypical hot-chick best friend. And besides her lack of depth, my main issue with Kelsey was I had trouble believing in their friendship: that someone like Kelsey would help out someone as introverted as Bliss. Meanwhile, Cade started off as Bliss’s weirdly close best friend (like “they casually kiss each other” close). Then, it’s revealed Cade has a crush on Bliss which gives us an annoying love triangle subplot, even though it’s obvious who Bliss is going to end up with. Once Bliss politely rejects him, Cade briefly becomes an entitled “nice guy” character with whom the story seems to side with. At the very least, Bliss feels guilty for not reciprocating his feelings and the story doesn’t say she’s wrong for thinking that. They do patch things up but I wasn’t that compelled by their friendship to really care.

    Besides Cade, there are other aspects of the book that haven’t aged well. Particularly, a portion of the story where a moment of sexual assault is casually brushed off. The guy committing the act is an obvious unsympathetic douchebag character. But while the character is called out for it, there aren’t any serious consequences for the act and said douchebag is quickly forgotten by the story. Which makes it a very weird scene to have in this otherwise light and quirky erotic romance.

    Even with all my critiques, I still very much enjoyed reading this. There was more I liked than disliked in this book. And overall, I thought the main romance was super effective. But I can’t fully ignore the book’s flaws or all the times I cringed. So I would recommend this book for people who are looking for a fluffy romance/erotica and find the premise intriguing. I’m still interested in checking out the other books in the series, even though they focus on Cade and Kelsey, but I’m willing to see if Carmack can make me change my mind on these characters.

    tl;dr: The romance is very good. The teacher/student romance is handled tastefully. Bliss is a fun, quirky protagonist and Garrick is a sexy, British love interest. The other characters are annoying and some aspects of the book are very dated. Still recommended for romance/erotica fans.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this hilarious. Bliss was so easy to identify with and the scenarios were so realistic. Great reading for something funny and flirty!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Enjoyed more than I thought I would! Who is the male narrator in the end?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Losing It

    The Characters

    I love Bliss Edwards. She is so much like me, despite our ten year age difference.

    Garrick Taylor is a wonderful, loveable guy.

    Beyond Bliss and Garrick we have a large cast of characters and she did a great job of not overwhelming the reader with them.

    The Story

    A very sweet and entertaining story. I like Ms Carmack’s style. It’s humorous, which I love. The characters are so enjoyable and I really felt a connection with them.

    The Random Thoughts

    The only thing I didn’t care for it is the narrator. Not that she didn’t do an excellent job bringing the characters to life but her voice was a bit “young” for the character. Bliss sounded like a 16 year old ready to get her license not a twenty two year old living college life.

    4 Stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book more than I anticipated. It gives strong "After" series vibes with the Shakespeare/theater influence but it's a fraction of the length. The thing I don't like is the stereotypical situation of meeting the guy in the first 10 minutes of the book - it's so predictable. But all in all it was a good, quick read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Alright, I'm just going to dive straight into and say what I don't like about it. First, this is a New Adult book which I expected it to be... I don't know...more adult? For me, as I read the book it was the characters that bothered me the most. Instead of acting like adult, they played the teenage role of "I want you but I don't want you" and that got annoying pretty fast. For adults, I expected them to stop playing games with their feelings and start being real. Instead, they hid stuff and well acted like teens unsure how to even move on in the situation that they were in.The plot of the story is what kept me going. I like the plot twist with the teacher and how the romance got started in the first place. There are a few minor characters that I felt help supported the plot really well. There are several plot twist in the book that I liked and helped me steer away from the annoying-ness of the characters whip-lash of emotions.The ending was nice. Once they decided on their emotions and started acting like adult, I love that the ending made me happy. I felt satisfied and the disappointment I felt early on in the book disappeared.Overall, this is a good book. Losing It entails an encounter that changes everything. The excess of amount of emotions (especially the ones of immaturity) I could do without.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love it! Can't put it down right from the beginning.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I very much enjoyed the writing in this book which isn't something I find often. The style was great and never boring but not obnoxious in any manner. Great book. Definitely would recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely love this book! I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud with this one!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    New adult contemporary romance in which Bliss, a college senior, gets roped into a night out at a bar by her best friend in an attempt to wrangle Bliss a one night stand during which she can lose her virginity. At the bar, Bliss meets Garrick, who she has an immediate connection with, leaves with him, but finds that while she wants to have sex with him, she doesn't want to have sex yet. She runs out on him, embarrassed but sure she'll never see him again. The next day it turns outs Garrick is a last-minute semester-long substitute for one of her professors. And then things ensue. Entertaining with fun characters. Reminded me in tone a bit of a really nice romantic comedy. While Bliss has a nice revelation about sex and what it means for her, I would have liked a little more interrogation of why/if virginity matters and what that word even means. (Without going into graphic and spoilery detail, there was one moment in particular in the beginning that really made me say, "Ein Minuten bitte, she's going to do X with a dude but still consider herself a virgin, full stop, with no further consideration of the concept and/or why it matters to her?") Recommended for a fun read if you like this kind of thing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    2.8 The story of a college student, virginal and completely self absorbed, filled with personal doubts, just isn't for me. It started out really cheesy just above high school drama, blech. I was ready to drop the book till a friend encouraged me to continue. Oh, very well, I finished. It did develop a more mature and fun story but it's still not something I enjoyed getting my reading feelings involved in. No more NA for me if I can avoid it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    After all the dark, angsty New Adult romances I've read in the last year or so, I needed a break. I needed something different, something new. And I found that in Losing It! From the beginning, I was hooked. Cora Carmack has a wonderful writing voice, very easy to follow and get lost in, with just enough silly and funny things thrown in to make me smile. I found the heroine, Bliss Edwards, to be cute. She doesn't always know how to act around guys, especially when she meets Garrick Taylor. She thinks he will be the perfect guy to take care of her pesky virginity issue. The fact that it didn't go smoothly, and she wasn't as ready as she thought, only made me like her even more. And Garrick . . . really, what can I say? English accent? Check! Motorcycle? Check! Both drop-dead sexy and yet so very sweet? CHEEEEECK! I loved him, and I'd steal him from Bliss in a heartbeat, if I thought I had a chance! :D I have to admit, when I originally heard about this book, back when it was released in 2013, I was a bit unsure if I would like it. He's her professor! But it's not exactly like it seems. First of all, the night they originally meet in the bar, she has no clue he's going to be one of her professors for the upcoming semester, and he doesn't realize she's a senior in college. He's also not that much older than her; I don't believe an exact age is ever said, but he can't be more than maybe 25-29 to her 22. And of course they try to stay away from each other once they find out; they know that being together would be wrong, that it could easily backfire and leave them both in trouble and him without a job. But they work it out, slowly, over the course of the book, and they don't get together (in bed) until right before her graduation, and they hold off on officially become a couple until after the term is over. There were many scenes that I loved in this book, for various reasons. The chemistry between Bliss and Garrick was terrific, and that's putting it mildly. The interactions with her fellow drama friends were great, and I liked getting to know some of them, they seem like a fun crowd. And the ending was so just so sweet! * sigh * I don't want to ruin anything, so I won't spill any more details than that! I do wish Garrick's POV could have shown up in the book during more than just the epilogue, but really, I don't think it was necessary, as Carmack did a wonderful job telling the story through Bliss.Losing It was the perfect combination of sweet, charming, and funny, not to mention sexy enough to bring a flush or two to my face. What can I say? I loved this book, and I am glad that I decided to give this new author a chance. I have books 2 and 3 already sitting on my NOOK, and right now I'm trying to control myself, otherwise I'd have both read within the next week! If you are looking for something different in the New Adult genre, like I was, be sure to pick up this series; you will not be disappointed! 4 ½ STARS! ~ * ~ * ~For other reviews, including favorite book quotes, please visit my blog, TBQ's Book Palace I purchased this book and decided to share my honest opinion.TheBookQueen
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Determined to hurdle herself over the virginity milestone, Bliss along with her carefree friend who is no stranger to one night stands, dress up in revealing clothes and go out clubbing in search of the guy who will finally free Bliss of her so called tragedy. Sounds like a great plan (not) but fate proves that Bliss can't get into it, her brain wont turn off the pros and cons of taking such a huge step and shes uncomfortable in the bar and in the clothes. Eager to get it over with but scared and annoyed all the same shes ready to give up and go home, that is until she meets Garrick, a British heartthrob sitting alone in the bar reading Shakespeare. Could a guy really be reading in a bar and is that really a sexy accent to boot? Bliss is dumbfounded and mesmerized by his eyes and his voice, she cant believe her luck and it doesn't take long for her misconceptions to get thrown out the window as the two move faster than the speed of light into a sexual encounter. Its sparks and instant chemistry, something she's never felt before, and so Bliss takes him home, but terrified of the process (hmmm, bringing home a guy you've known for 10 minutes might be hard to get naked with when your insecure about sex in the first place) and the fear of facing rejection leads to a disastrous but hysterical end to the night. Humiliated is putting it lightly, but mortification describes the next morning when she walks into her theater class and sees the new teacher, you guessed it...........the naked dude who was in her bed, none other than that sexy British guy Garrick!Talk about awkward! At first due to the circumstances, Bliss and Garrick try and avoid each other but finally confront the situation and attempt to keep things as a teacher/student relationship. However undeniable chemistry, unfinished business and the fact that they live in same building gives them constant opportunities to run in the same circles. Both of our characters are falling in love and Garrick is finding it harder and harder to resist the beautiful girl that taunts his dreams. Seeing her out and thinking of her with another guy drives him crazy and knowing he cant do anything about it makes it worse, because if he pursues something more it could possibly bring consequences, like rumors and even job loss. But painful days of not being together and a spark that wont fade bring them closer to making that choice that could undo them.For me virginity and sexual relationships are anything but pesky issues or what do people like to say..."just a right of passage"....I think sex is something to be valued and a very important choice, one that many young adults make with no common sense, for the couple in this story the age made a huge difference and even with its sexy appeal, I liked how Carmack made the issue important to her main character and really did make her choice of taking that step meaningful. Instead of a sleazy and forgotten one night stand, there was true romance built upon. For that aspect Losing It was easy to like in terms of readability. What keeps me from a higher star though, is how similar I found it to Slammed by Colleen Hoover....( the tragic sweet romance of Will and Layken, only this would be the R rated version and we just trade poetry for theater)....and being that Slammed is one of my favorite books from 2012, it was hard not to compare the two. I was constantly sizing up Garrick to Will, who were pretty much the same character only Will would come out as the more gentlemanly persona and not the guy who tried to bag the chick on the first night......I was also comparing the overall progression of the couples relationship which had a lot of the same central issues that at times seemed so similar I was scratching my head a bit.Of course there were differences and I was able to see them in the development of Bliss and her dynamic of friends, the independent living and college aspect surrounding her and not to mention the whole virginity thing. I saw in this story a beautiful potential for a long lasting relationship and while I had some issues with the "dramatic plot fillers" and predictability to the tee, overall I really enjoyed the writing style and felt like dancing Bliss style when I read the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story was right up my street. It had everything I look for in a book; humour, sexiness and a good plotline. So in my opinion Cora Carmack is a genius!

    If you ask me, Garrick quite possibly pulled every single female reader within those first two chapters. Girls, he’s hot! In fact, Garrick seems pretty fecking perfect and I have to say I’m slightly jealous of Bliss. The rest of the characters are a fun bunch and when they do the whole getting drunk thing together I was laughing.

    If you’re looking for a fun, sexy read then I recommend this book. It’s amazing!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I had been wanting to read this forever and just hadn't got the time to get to it, despite all the wonderful reviews and the super hot cover. In all honesty, I was sold by that hot cover. When I started reading Losing It, immediately I was hooked. It starts out hilariously and the humor continues throughout the book. Cora Carmack had me dying laughing when I found out what a hoo hoo was, and just kept me smiling throughout the book with her witting sense of humor. That is not to say that Losing It didn't have it serious moments, it definitely did, and it had its steamy moments also. I love Bliss' character. She is a virgin and consider herself an anomaly because of that fact. She wants to have sex, but she doesn't want to have sex, and has this internal dialogue going on with herself regarding the pros, cons, and everything in between that is comical and very entertaining. When she meets the uber British hottie Garrick in a bar and decides he is definitely the one, she wind up going home with him, getting him naked, then running out on him leaving him in her bed, and when you read what she is thinking during this process you will be laughing all over again. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse, she walks into class and said ditched uber British hottie is her professor in her theatre class. As you can imagine things get even more complicated from this point on out. To say these two had obstacles to overcome would be putting in lightly. The first and most obvious problem being that the students can't hookup with the teachers, big no no. Then there is Bliss' erratic behavior and the bizarre and humorous lies she tells and then convinces herself of in the process. You will understand this when you meet Hamlet. Her relationship with her best friend Cade takes a turn in a different direction after a drunken party, which throws another wrench in the works. Then you have her best friend Kelsey who I loved and is a hoot herself and loves to get into the middle of things. All these challenges mixed with the drama in the drama they are putting on, the sparks that fly every time Bliss and Garrick get close to each other, her BFF Cade who would rather be her BF, and the feelings that neither Garrick nor Bliss can deny leave Bliss' head swimming, causing her to feel like a martini that has not only be shaken, not stirred, but also put in the blender with the lid off for while. That said, Losing It is and enjoyable and entertaining story, and I just loved it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Losing It is my first true read within the ‘New Adult’ category. While I’ve read many similar romances back when I still roamed around Fiction Press (don’t be fooled by the idea of self-publishing. There are a lot of brilliant stories on here eg. Sarah J. Maas started her publishing journey on this site), this novel is one that I really liked because of its characters. I think one of the hardest parts in writing for a NA audience is the fact that most of your readers are old and smart enough to discern the good from the bad. The author is attempting to sell a story with an idea and plot that must resonate with readers that are perhaps experiencing the exact same things as the main protagonist. Because of this, it becomes so much harder to fool the audience into believing that yes, this is what happens within the 18-25 bracket. So the story must first off be believable and true.I believe Carmack did a great job in this sense by giving her readers a protagonist that many women can relate to. Whether your age is still within the NA age bracket, or younger/older, losing your virginity can be both a frightening and exciting topic. I don’t know when the whole ‘you must lose your v-card asap or be considered a prude’ idea started, but it’s overshadowed the whole act. Modern society these days are depicting sex as no big deal, but Losing It spits on that idea and I applaud the book for it. Sex is dependent on the person and whether you’re comfortable enough with your partner. Sure, we have Kelsey, Bliss’ best friend who doesn’t understand why Bliss can’t just lose it, but throughout the novel, we have been shown that Kelsey is completely comfortable within her own skin in contrast to Bliss.This novel is essentially a story about Bliss feeling comfortable enough with Garrick, a hot English man who she left naked in her bed after changing her mind about a one-night stand, before they make love. While there are of course obstacles standing between them – him being her professor for a semester and all – we follow Bliss as she falls in love and makes the rational decision of when she is ready. Losing It is a very character driven novel, but its side plots are interesting as well. I picked up this book and managed to finish it in a matter of hours because I was hooked from the start. And let me tell you, some of the scenes were steamy.This book is great because Carmack has created such believable and well-rounded characters that fit the age bracket they’re in. It was a fast but good read, recommended to all lovers of contemporary romance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Of all of the New Adult-labeled books I've read, Losing It is the one that comes closest to being what I ideally want. Though the focus remains on romance, Losing It does actually deal with normal, everyday college stresses. Bliss goes to class and thinks about her future. She has fights with friends and doesn't go through anything incredibly melodramatic. Only the relationship with her professor isn't something an average college student might experience, but even that does happen. Losing It is humorous, romantic, and largely realistic.The term slut-shaming gets tossed around a lot in book reviews, and it's certainly a big problem in fiction, which tends to really uphold virgins as the ideal. For those who object to the word 'slut,' I'm warning you that you will likely be offended by a handful of moments in Losing It. However, something that I've not really seen in fiction before and that Carmack handled perfectly is virgin-shaming, which is just as real.Bliss Edwards is in her senior year of college, age 22, and a virgin. The book opens with Bliss' confession to her best female friend, Kelsey, that she's never had sex. Bliss feels embarrassed and stunted for not having had this experience that most people her age have had. Now, as much as slut-shaming is a serious issue in our culture, Americans are just as uncomfortable with virgins. At a certain point, admitting you've not had sex marks you out as a freak. Around the end of college, somewhere from 20-22, being a virgin begins to feel like an onus one bears. People start making assumptions that you've incorrectly identified your sexuality (perhaps you're gay and afraid to admit it or asexual) or that you must have something terribly wrong with you. I know I feel this stigma in my own life.Carmack completely captures the feeling of being behind the curve on this, and how an attractive, social girl with a sex drive could put sex off. The way Bliss thinks about things and explains her lack of sex life are completely accurate to my own experience. In theory, sex is great, but the idea of actually having to have it is terrifying, because she likes to be in control of everything she does. She worries, too, about her lack of experience compared to others her age. Surely if she has sex now she'll be terrible at it, a thought horrible to contemplate. She also references being able to shut down her analytical, judgmental brain, which has always thrown her out of the mood. All of this is exactly how my own brain works, and I've spoken with friends who think the exact same way.At the beginning of Losing It, Bliss has decided she's sick of feeling a freak for being a virgin and that she just wants to get rid of her virginity. This impulse, as well, is one that I completely understand. Sometimes it feels like life would be much easier if you could just get that over with, like it's an ordeal to be got through, which really doesn't seem like the ideal motivation for having sex. Still, that's a realistic thought for Bliss to have.When you're a virgin over twenty for reasons that don't involve waiting for marriage, people like to tell you that "it will happen for you when you meet the right guy." Find him and your brain will shut up, and you'll be motivated enough to work through your issues and eventually have sex. This is the basic premise that Losing It is working from. I do take some issue with the fact that she goes out to a bar once and immediately picks up a hot, British guy, because life is never that easy, at least mine isn't, in which case I would like to upgrade my life now please. However, this is fiction, and such conveniences are what move a plot forward, so I'll accept it.What I'm so, so grateful for is that, even though Bliss has found the perfect guy who makes her brain shut off, that doesn't immediately make her ready. Garrick may be more than she ever dreamed of, and she feels more comfortable with him than with anyone who has come before, but she still freezes at the prospect of sex. Her issues don't just magically dissipate, like generally happens in fiction. Though she had every intention of having a one-night stand, her brain really isn't wired that way to let her do that, thus why she was still a virgin in the first place.Of course, for drama's sake, Garrick turns out to be a temporary professor for one of her theater classes. This serves to raise the stakes and create many awkward moments. For a teacher/student relationship, Carmack's done a good job, and I was still able to root for them, since they established a relationship of sorts before he started teaching, but I still would have preferred they wait to really get together until after the semester was over. Teacher/student romances are not my favorite, because the teacher has power over the student and favoritism comes into question. Carmack avoids the grading favoritism question, but Garrick does seem to be largely fair in his treatment of her as a teacher.I liked, too, the short-lived love triangle that emerges when Bliss realizes that one of her best friends has a crush on her. I've been in this situation before too (well, the friend with a crush, not the sexy British part that makes the triangle), and it is seriously awkward. There are so many feelings in the way that it can be hard to tell precisely how you feel about you're friend. You love them already, but is it the right sort of love? And they're so wonderful that you feel bad turning them down. Plus, what will happen to your friendship if you do or don't? Bliss handles this about as well as can be expected, which is to say that it's messy and uncomfortable.Garrick and Bliss do seem to fall for one another a bit too quickly, but that's college as well. Every emotion seems heightened, because you have so much free time to spend with people. Friendships and relationships come on quickly in those circumstances. The novel takes place over the course of a semester, so their relationship does take months to grow, even if it feels shorter because of the novel's brief duration.I do wish, however, that Carmack has skipped the epilogue. Though I was willing to accept the speed and seriousness of their relationship, I feel like the events in the epilogue were over the top. Plus, I'm really unsure as to why it had to be from Garrick's POV. That felt really out of place, and didn't really add anything to the scene.I have to reward Losing It high points for covering subject matter I've rarely seen touched in fiction and for giving me many feels. Carmack's debut is funny, awkward, sexy, and romantic. If you've been disappointed in the New Adult offerings thus far for not having anything actually to do with the experience of being in college, then you really might want to try Losing It.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    LOSING IT was a very entertaining read. I found myself laughing, smiling, and thinking about my own youth. The story was about Bliss and how desperate she was to lose her virginity before she left college. She was very much in control of her life until she met Garrick. That was when her brain turned to mush and letting the control go was even harder. Cade and Kelsey, the secondary characters, were Bliss’ BFFs and true to form, your typical best friends. There when you need them and even when you don’t. The writing wasn’t bad, a little slow at first but once I got into it, it was hard to put down which was refreshing. The story was evenly paced and didn’t drag on like I thought might happen. I am actually looking forward to reading her next book FAKING IT, the story about Cade.Rating: 4Heat Rating: MildReviewed by: KellyR,My Book Addiction Reviews
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is what I needed. It was fun, light and hilarious. I could not stopping laughing I think it was chapater 6. All I am going to say is.... "Stop! Cats! Stop!..." I think I almost peed my pants laughing so hard at this scene! I needed a good laugh and this book delivered.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I first read the synopsis about this book it was on another blogger's site and they were looking for people to sign up for a cover reveal. By the end of the synopsis I knew I had to sign up because I had so many different ideas in my head about what it might look like. When I finally started the book, I had so many of the same thoughts going in my head about how the book itself might be. And it surpassed all those thoughts and was even better than I imagined. The biggest thing I loved about this book was the characters. They were so easy to connect with. Bliss was so awkward it was funny and Garrick was nothing less than amazing. And those were just the main characters. Carmack didn't leave the "supporting roles" (no pun intended) flat, they were full of life as well and gave more meaning to the story. Especially Cade who has earned his own book because he was such a hurt, interesting character. (See more about Cade's story HERE) And then there's Garrick. Don't let me get started on him. I mean, he was blonde, had blue eyes, rode a motorcycle, and had stacks and stacks of books around his apartment. There's no way I COULD ignore him! (Just looking at the cover I knew I couldn't ignore him lol) As for the romance, it blew me away. I'm already drawn to forbidden romance, and with Bliss falling for her teacher, there's nothing that could be more forbidden. But even still, with it being that way, it still seemed effortless. They were very much in love with each other and it showed. Carmack did an amazing job with portraying all the feelings in this story. When they were sick, it really seemed that they were sick. When they were so joyous after Opening Night, I really felt that same joy. I connected with this story like no other. This book had me laughing the entire time. From the awkwardness of Bliss to the sarcastic humor that Garrick had, I fell in love with this book from the beginning. I cannot wait to see what else that Carmack has in store for us. This was a refreshing New Adult that gave me just enough hotness without going overboard and I definitely appreciated that.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This last month I decided I wanted to try New Adult books because, honestly, I love steamy scenes and most of the time in YA there's not too much of that.In this case what hooked me was the cover. I mean, look at it, the guy is so freaking hot/cute/breathtaking! And those lips?! I could stare at them all day long... and then do unspeakable things to- well, you get the picture.As for the girl... the only thing I'm going to say is WOW. She looks like she is enjoying herself way too much. And that is definitely something good ;)Then I read the summary -when I finally could stop staring at the cover- and I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I did! This is a light, fun, easy read which is exactly what I needed.Everything begins with Bliss wanting to lose her virginity -she is twenty something- and asking her best friend, Kelsey, to help her get the courage she needs. She wanted this but was terrified nonetheless, specially because she liked to be in control always and sex, well, sex is all about no thinking and letting yourself go. And she sucked at that so much!So off they went, looking for a guy hot enough to ignite her loins. And, oh boy, did she found him... Sitting in a bar, with a Shakespeare's book in hand, the most gorgeous guy Bliss had ever seen. And when she finally spoke to him she almost combusted right there.You see, Garrick -that's the hot guy's name- was British. And I don't know about you, but for me British accent is insanely hot. And Bliss thought exactly the same thing ;)Finally she found herself taking Garrick to her place to do... well, to do him actually. But this is where everything goes to heck. Bliss begins to over think everything, like what if she sucks at sex, what if she pukes in front of him, or what if she pukes during sex?! Like I said, she lost her mind in a second and then just went bananas.With a very, very, awkward and lame excuse she bolts from her place and leaves him in her bed, naked and ready.But of course, Garrick came back to her life the very next day. As one of her drama teachers. What? Didn't I mention before that Bliss was a theatre student? Yep, she is. And we all know how much they love to overreact and exaggerate.Some people say there's a love triangle here, but it's not true. Although Cade (one of Bliss best friends) likes her she is 100% committed to Garrick so no worries here.The thing is, Cade is such a nice guy that you will actually feel bad for him, because we all know how hard it is to love and not be loved by the one we want.Ultimately, I think he deserves a happy ending too.As a bottom line all I'm going to say is: if you want a funny, crazy, easy and light read that will make you giggle and laugh this is your book. At times you will even find yourself wanting to punch or smack Bliss because she can't stop overthinking everything! But that is part of her personality so chances are you will accept her or hate her.I liked her a lot because is difficult not to like someone who is nice and caring.And Garrick will make you swoon. Over and over again. You will love it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite books in 2012! The only thing I could possible complain about is that this book is a stand alone and not a series. I LOVE Gerrick. He is charming and completely sexy. I laughed out loud reading this on numerous occasions. Cora Carmack completely enthralled me with her characters. I cannot recommend this book enough!