Calling This One A Loss

"Sometimes it's the scary things in life that are the most worthwhile."

--Cora Carmack, Losing It

Genre: NA Contemporary

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 288

Publication Date: February 26th, 2013

Source: Bought

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Previous Books in Series: First book in series

Goodreads Description

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.

Mini-Review

So I had high hopes for Losing It. I had heard really good things about it and was looking forward to reading a book about a girl striving to lose her virginity. Bliss is a second semester senior in college who still has her V card and confesses this to her friend one night who immediately sets up a plan to get her to lose it...that night. My problem with the story kind of starts here to be honest. Her friend Kelsey pretty much sounds like the worst friend in the world. Hey, BFF I'm gonna confess this kind of embarrassing secret that I'm a virgin and have obviously waited 22 years to have sex and what's the friend's advice? Let's go out and find you a one-night stand to get it over with. Excuse me? Back up the train because nobody is coming into this station after 22 years of waiting, in my opinion. Bliss tries unenthusiastically to shut her friend down and that's not how she is and her friend doesn't listen. I really could not stand Kelsey for the rest of the book. She is pushy, doesn't listen, and I just think her reaction to Bliss' confession was the worst ever. I mean, if it was Bliss' choice to want to lose her virginity that way, all the power to you but she didn't want it to be that way. She clearly did not want to go to a seedy bar and find a random guy to bone. Her friend should have recognized that and know what kind of personality Bliss has to know that is not her style. To each their own. I actually didn't mean to go off on a tangent about the friend but as I started writing up the summary I was all, hey! This friend sucks! sorry not sorry. Anyways! Moving on...

So Bliss reluctantly goes to a bar to get laid, sorry I couldn't help myself with the crassness, and ends up meeting a cute British boy names Garrick. She tries to do the deed but it ends in complete failure. Bliss is awkward as all hell and can't go through with it. Good for you. She also realizes in the midst of talking to Garrick that she actually really likes talking to him and would like to see something more. I really did like Bliss' character, albeit superficial, because her awkwardness with the opposite sex is super endearing and realistic for most 20-something women if we're being honest. We're all a little awkward so I really like that she was written this way. Garrick is pretty swoony as well. He is British...I mean, that's really all I need to say but I guess I'll go a little further. He's smart, an actor, charming, and very witty. He also continues to push Bliss in a good way in regards to their feelings. She is nervous and weird around him but he sticks around knowing he likes her. I did like this even though with how she acted towards him, 98% of men would have deemed it not worth it because she really does put out signals of being uninterested. Whatever.

My real issue with this book was its superficiality. I read a good amount of New Adult fiction and I was really surprised with how little character development went on in this book. I feel like I know nothing about who Bliss and Garrick really are. We get a little insight into how Bliss' mom is but beyond that...nothing. I have no idea what drives them, what their passions are, what makes them tick, nada, nothing, zilch. When I think of the NA genre with authors like Jay Crownover and Karina Halle and Amy Harmon and Lisa Desrochers, I find this book almost a joke with how little development we get. The deep issues the previous authors tackle and their rich description of their characters makes books like Losing It pale in comparison. I feel like books with this type of writing and non-existent character development is what gives NA a bad rap.

With that said, I know a lot of people who really enjoyed this book. I did think the witty banter and repartee was amusing. It was a quick read but it just didn't do anything for me.

Denied at the Door

If you're looking for a fun and mindless read with no emotional meat to it, this book might be for you.