Cora Carmack writes some of my favorite New Adult books, with lots of swoon, wit and emotion. She’s on my short list of auto-buy New Adult authors and her books are like candy. We’ve gotten to know Bliss’ BFF Kelsey in previous books, and now she gets her own story in this international adventure. Kelsey is Bliss’ footloose and fancy-free friend, who’s always looking for the next thrill. But the endless stream of nightclubs, booze and guys is getting old, and isn’t filling the void the way it used to. The mysterious Jackson Hunt provides a new sort of challenge if Kelsey is ready to take the next step.
More about Finding It:
Book: Finding It (companion to Losing It, Faking It, and Keeping Her) by Cora Carmack, William Morrow Paperbacks, October 15, 2013
Book Info: New Adult Contemporary Romance, review copy provided by the publisher, paperback 320 pages.
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong…
Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She’s having the time of her life . . . or that’s what she keeps telling herself.
It’s a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you’re afraid you won’t like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey’s loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey’s mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.
A lot of times the bad boys steal our hearts, and the gender role switch in Finding It is a nice change of pace. Kelsey is a party girl through and through and the difference between her and Bliss is like night and day, so at first it’s a little jarring to be in her head. But the post-college trip to Europe for Kelsey is quite transformative, and I quickly bonded with her. Kelsey has some baggage to deal with, and this international road trip provides the perfect backdrop for self-discovery.
Jackson Hunt doesn’t want to be just another one-night-stand. He is looking for something real, and Kelsey doesn’t know how to feel about that. And he seems to be hiding something, so can she trust him if she puts her heart out there?
Jackson and Kelsey’s romance is satisfyingly slow burn. Jackson is the one to put the brakes on acting on their chemistry while they get to know each other. Kelsey is very physically attracted to this ex-military man and not used to waiting. Their banter and sneaked in touches tease their romance.
Both characters have some skeletons in the closet, and both are not trusting sorts so they have their work cut out for them. Because they are both a little dark and damaged, each step forward is sweetly satisfying.
Finding It has a different feel than Cora Carmack’s other books; it’s more heavy, mature and raw. I liked that the experience felt new and I didn’t know what to expect from these characters. The European setting went well with the story, and it was also cool to get updates on home through calls with Bliss. If you haven’t given New Adult a try yet, I’d recommend starting with Cora Carmack’s books.
Other books in the series:
Losing It * Keeping Her * Faking It
About the Author:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.
Visit Cora on her: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Pre-order Finding It: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
Follow along with the Finding It review tour.
I still haven’t tried NA but want to so I’m making note of the author’s name.
I have to read this one soon. I read Losing It recently and enjoyed it. I don’t know if NA will replace my full adult romance novels but they are certainly a fun and new perspective.
It’s nice that it’s a gender role reversal! And that you liked it!
I really, really need to try the NA genre soon! I just keep reading so many good reviews for books like this. I definitely want to give this author a try but I think that I will begin with Losing It first. What a great review 🙂
Hmm, I’m not sure if I want to read Finding It, although I have heard good things. I did like Losing It, and I do want to try the second book (but I can’t remember the name right now). I guess I’m just nervous about a party girl being the main character. I’m just not sure I will like here. Plus I”m not huge on road trip books.
But I’m thinking I should give it a try.
I definitely want to check this one out, same with the second book… I liked Losing It alright, but then I read the Bliss/Garrett novella and really liked it. So I definitely think I’ll be giving her books more of a chance and picking up the ones I haven’t read. =)
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