Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It by Cora Carmack
Series: Losing It, #1 (<--I do not comprehend)
Published: October 15, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 204

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 theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

First, let me say that I picked this book up after a day of reading Beowulf and The Confessions. Both two good books, but so heavy, So, I wanted something light. And I’d read the first chapter of this book online, and thought, hey, this looks cute. And in case it’s still not clear, I went into this book with very low expectations—or just the expectation to be mildly entertained. The premise looked interesting (it is), but the rest was "meh."

I think I might be in love with Cora’s use of awkward situations. Sleeping with a guy you met at a bar in an attempt to lose your virginity, then chickening out when he’s naked in your bed. Then attending the first class of your last semester of college and discovering said guy is the new teacher. Yeah, awkward. I honestly wished that more writers wrote about them because they, honest to God, do exist. Life, real life, isn’t a smooth sailing of perfection. There are a lot of awkward situations that, I at least, would like to forget. And I think a large part of that is due to the fact the media, of any form, rarely portrays them; which has the effect of making us feel ashamed whenever we do something awkward. And that should not happen. Our awkward moments are apart of personality, and I love how this book embraces that, and Bliss comes to accept it.

Now, the love interest: he’s British. Need I say more? He’s sweet, but knows what he wants. There’s a quote that I love in which Garrick makes a swoon worthy comment to Bliss: “Just because I can’t have you now, doesn’t mean I’m okay with him having you.” “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just refer to me like property to be owned.” “Can’t we own each other?” (Kindle location 1707). Yet, at the same time, he too has his awkward moments. When Garrick and Bliss first meet, he’s reading Shakespeare in a bar, waiting for a locksmith to open his apartment. He wasn’t trying to pick up girls (as Bliss initially thought), but legitimately reading Shakespeare in a place where he could get a drink. Before he came to Texas, he was in a very awkward situation. He’s human. I liked how I could not only relate to Bliss, but her love interest.

Then they're the things I didn't like. For one, Bliss’ parents seemed to want her to pick up a guy and marry him, so that they knew someone would be taking care of her. Now, maybe I’m ahead of my time, but I feel as if very few parents these days actively encourage their children to hook up with a guy so that they can stop worrying about their child. I mean, it’s the parent’s job to worry! Perhaps I misread that, but that was how I perceived it. EDIT: I have discovered that these people do exist. And I am not entirely confounded because it does make sense in the right context, and I feel like Carmack could've done a better job explaining that context.

Also, I wish that Bliss and Kelsey had the real sex talk. Bliss, at first, lied and said she did the deed, and I kept waiting for the moment when Kelsey would find out it was true and they’d have a heart-to-heart conversation. Unfortunately, that never happened, and their biggest argument was about Bliss running out on her at a club. That's just not cool. Friends, real, true friends, get up each other's asses all the time for mistakes they make. That's why they're so tight. Neither Bliss nor Kelsey ever held the other accountable for something (other than still having their virginity...and I mean, really? That's what you chose to nag your best friend about?).

Then there's my biggest bone to pick. That the tone was too light. It's my biggest problem with this new genre. There's a superficial feel, and I can't scratch the itch. Which is sad because I'd genuinely be interested in a book that dives into the real issues of this age, that aks deeper questions, and is thought provoking. Sometimes I feel like this genre can be very crass because it's trying to appeal to people's baser desires, and it doesn't have to be like that!

If you want something light, though, this is a fairly good quality light book. Ignore how crazy that sounds.