Cora Carmack

In the third book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack’s Rusk University series, a good girl is about to find out what happens when she creates the ultimate college bucket list and she sets her sights on a jock. First person in her family to go to college? CHECK. Straight A’s? CHECK. On track to graduate early? CHECK. Social life? …..yeah, about that…. With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay... Scratch that. She knows she hasn't had the full college experience). So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a "to do" list of normal college activities. Item #1? Hook up with a jock. Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it's impossible to get hurt... again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it. Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she's never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he's willing to take the chance when it's more than just a game. Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

A Rusk University Novel

All Played Out

Lover of Romance 

The third and simply incredible story that brings together the shy and sweet dancer with the all clothes off energetic football player deliver enticement and sweet sexiness you delight in.

All Played Out is a story of journey and growth and love and I simply adored the way that Cora Carmack wrote this book. I definitely think that this book is probably my favorite of this series so far because well the hero is hilarious and fun and I just wanted him to find his story and to find more depth to this character. In the first two books we just see him as the “goofball” of the team. And whenever he gets drinking, the clothes start to come off and its pretty fun. But in All Played Out we see how he strives to be more and to get people to see him more than his goofy personality, to actually take him seriously and then he meets the girl that changes him.

The key players of All Played Out :

 Antonella DeLuca, our heroine, is the brains, she focuses on her schoolwork and does great at it, but in her last year she wants to experience some fun with her LIST. She is innocent and sweet.
 Mateo Torres, the entertaining hero, is all about fun and parties and girls and loves his beer. He is rowdy and fun and has no shy bone in his body.

All Played Out begins when our heroine wants to do more than just study. She is starting to realize that she has really missed out on the full “college experience” and wants to actually experience it in the way that many around her do. When her roommate drags her to a ultimate frisbee game with her boyfriend and his football buds she is nervous since she doesn’t hang out with that crowd. But then she meets Mateo who has set his eyes on her and doesn’t want anyone else. When she shares her desire to cross off certain items off of her list, he is more than willing to be her partner. As she explores in her new adventures of college life, she discovers a love she didn’t plan on but wants to fight for.

"Because Mateo Torres is loud, and I’m quiet. Because he’s reckless, and I’m cautious. Because he belongs everywhere, and I don’t."

Oh how much love did I have for this story and man Mateo is one sexy hero and I just fell so hard for this playboy He just has this charismatic and sexy side to him that is so appealing and works so well for a hero that plays ball. And he really lightens up our heroine Nell. She is a bit too serious (which I can totally relate to) so Mateo is the type of man she really needs to make her laugh and see the fun side of life. Our heroine is a lady many readers can relate with and will enjoy reading. So she sweet and shy and awkward and really smart. She is very innocent so she just doesn’t understand the college party culture and I liked seeing how she handled putting her feet in the water and seeing the way that she wants to be more and just LIVE life. We see how our super intelligent heroine learns that living in the moment can do more than getting the best grades. Nell is very driven of course but we also see another part of her become more energetic.
"What I’m realizing is that living isn’t about what you achieve, but how you achieve it."

The romance that builds between them is so sexy and charming and I just wanted their story to be real. I adored the way that this book was written and seeing them explore new experiences together. A story that will revitalize and renew the reader with a new experience of reading and will make you feel young again!!

Sven Test

This 4.5 coffee mugs review was first published on Latte Nights Reviews.

Cora Carmack is FANTASTIC! She always delivers a fun and thrilling story and they always keep getting better! The Rusk University series is my favorite New Adult Contemporary Romance series! There's no doubt in that. I'm always recommending it because it is awesome! Cora has a way of bringing all of her characters to life. Everyone is able to relate to them one way or another.

I still have the Silas Virus but Mateo is so...ahhh! He's hot and so sexual and so much fun! Mateo is the kind of guy that is the life of the party. He is shameless so you will most definitely find him without clothes at a party because that's just what he does and he doesn't care. He also doesn't have filter so he will be direct and say what he is thinking like, "I think about football. And food. But the rest of the time, I'm definitely thinking about your boobs." He just wants to have fun and spend a great time with friends. His focus has been football—he wants to go pro one day. Before football, Mateo was no one, according to him. After football, he feels like he finally has a purpose. But something happened a while ago that made Mateo into the clown of the group and Nell is going to find out.

Nell is the kind of girl who is bookworm and a nerd. At 20-years-old, she will graduate college with a major bio-medical engineering. Her focus in college has always been study, study, study. There haven't been time to make friends or go to a party. One talk with her roommate Dylan, who we met in All Broke Down, has her thinking that she hasn't been living her college life how she is supposed to and so Nell beings her Normal College Things list that she needs to do before graduating. I saw a lot of myself in her when I was in high school. Not because I was a nerd but because I didn't have a social life, per se. I did have friends but I tended to stay by myself. I had never gone to parties, drink, and a bunch of other stuff in Nell's list. Nell is shy and so not experienced, which Torres is gladly to step up and help her with.

When these two very different characters meet, it's an explosion waiting to happen. They have so much chemistry between them. Their romance is sexy and beautiful. Nell never thought that a guy like Mateo could understand her but he does and he even wants to help her with her list so she can achieve every single one of them. This third installment has been the most fun out of the Rusk University series. You will laugh and smile like a dork but that's okay because you will definitely be enjoying yourself. That is guaranteed. It is filled with humor, sexiness, romance, some awkward characters like some of us are in real life and let's face it. This wouldn't be a Cora Carmack book if the story didn't have those aspects.

Kelly Casey

I cannot tell you how much I love books with the trope of the outgoing guy helping the shy girl experience new things like partying or sex. It was so good. Nell has this list of Normal College Things to do before she graduates, and Mateo Torres helps her accomplish them and even adds to the list. It was steamy in the best ways possible. I really love this series, and can't wait for the next one.

b.andherbooks

Ness is super driven, hyper focused, and on the verge of completing her Bio-Medical degree after just 2 1/2 years. She also hasn't done anything else but study, and she is starting to regret not experiencing some classic College "firsts." Matteo Torres is the football team's jokester. Always the center of attention, cracking wise, never serious. When these two meet, opposites attract in the best way as Matteo decides he will help Ness complete her College Experiences Checklist. Luckily hooking up with an athlete is at the top of list...

I wasn't quite sure of the premise, but this is Carmack at her best since Faking It. The chemistry between the two main characters is sizzling, the dialog is sweet and funny, and I never felt like the drama was completely too ridiculous. The relationship isn't threatened by lies (I loved how Matteo immediately told Ness about his concussion and that they fought not because he hid it, but because he kept insisting he play in the next football game). Super fun, and really steamy.

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  kimberlyfaye reads
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If you follow my blog at all, you know how much I loved the first book in Cora Carmack's Rusk University series. All Lined Up was everything I could possibly ever want in a new adult sports romance. This is exactly why I hated admitting I was disappointed in the second book in the series, All Broke Down. Now, don't get me wrong, Silas was all kinds of hot and amazing and, even if I didn't feel like I ever really connected with Dylan, I loved the two of them together. It was the thing that happens near the end of the book that threatened to ruin it for me. I love Cora's books, but I was a little afraid that it might've ruined the entire series for me. I can unequivocally say now, after finishing All Played Out and seeing what Cora intends to do with All Closed Off, I'm ready to once again Bleed Rusk Red. 

In reading the first two books in the series, I can honestly say I never had a deep love for Mateo Torres. I mean sure, he came off as smoking hot and I imagined I would enjoy watching him on a football field, but he didn't strike me as the kind of guy I'd ever call one of my top book boyfriends. Oh, how very silly I was. About halfway through All Played Out, I realized he was a strong contender for Top Cora Carmack Book Boyfriend, a spot Cade has held onto since Faking It. There was definitely more than meets the eye to this cocky jock who spends his time bouncing from woman to woman. 

Nell was a heroine after my own heart. In fact, I saw a lot of my high school self in her. My friends and I were all total goody goody types who got excellent grades and were friends with the teachers. I mean, to this day I'm Facebook friends with several of my teachers and at least every few months, my mom runs into one of my old teachers and they talk about how much they adored me. (And I've been out of high school a LONG TIME now.) But, I digress. Nell. I liked her. She was a little shy and a lot unexperienced, but I loved how she came out of her shell and started to experience life during this book. It made me reminisce about doing the same when I was a freshman in college. 

I loved Mateo and Nell together. Despite how different they were, they made a fantastic pair. I never would've pictured him with a girl like her, but damned if I didn't really enjoy reading about it as it happened. I really liked how they got to know each other and grew together, learning about each other as they learned about themselves as well. The romance was sweet and sexy as could be. I do love a good reformed bad boy. 

One of my very favorite things about this book was the friendship that developed between Nell and Stella. If you read my review of All Broke Down, you know how torn up I was about what happened to Stella in that book. I can't say I'm over what happened, but I feel better after getting some serious Stella time in this book. She has a long way to go, but she's finding herself again. And, most importantly, she has people who really care about her and are there to help her. I hope Nell will play an important part in Stella's story in All Closed Off. 

I loved this book. It had all the humor, heart, sexiness and awkwardness I have come to expect from Cora's books. I think her fans, as well as fans of the series and new adult in general will really enjoy this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Chantale

I had never read the previous 2 books in this series (Rusk University) and I had never read any other books by Cora Carmack but I had been wanting to for a while because I keep hearing fantastic things about her books so when I received a copy of All Played Out I just couldn't wait to read it.

I read this book on Friday and it didn't take me long to read this since it is a quick, fun and easy read. It is very well written and it did get me hooked right away.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

“Making a stupid decision doesn’t make you stupid. Just as making a smart decision doesn’t necessarily make someone smart.”

Oh, man… I’m so torn on this. I feel pretty let down with this one, honestly. After loving All Broke Down so much, I was sure I was going to love this one too. I know a lot of that is “It’s not you, it’s me.” syndrome since so many others loved this one, but I just… didn’t. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. It was just okay for me. I guess this is similar to how I felt about All Lined Up.

Nell has spent her college career focusing on studying and getting good grades to make her family proud. Now that she’s nearing the end of her college days, she’s worried that she let her college years go by with nothing to show for them. She makes up a bucket list of things she wants to do before graduating, things all college students have done, and she sets off to accomplish as much as possible from this list.

What I like most about this series, specifically this book, is that it’s not all filled with drama like we normally see in NA books. It’s more fun and sweet, less angst and craziness. Cora’s books always have a strong, empowering message that I’ve really grown to love and appreciate. And this book was no different.

“And when that day comes, it won’t matter so much whether every step was in the right direction because life is not a straight line. It will only matter that you took them. That you never let yourself stand still.”

I adored Mateo. If it wasn’t for him and his utter awesomeness, I would probably have given this a lower rating. I just couldn’t connect with Nell at all and did not care for her one bit. But my love for Mateo made this story a lot more enjoyable for me. I didn’t think I could love another Rusk football player as much as Silas, but I’m definitely now a Mateo fan as well. I’m just loving on these Rusk guys! <3

I would say this book is definitely going to be loved by a lot of people. There was a lot of fun in this story, a lot of Mateo's protectiveness over Nell that came off as pretty darn romantic and made me grin. I think this is a good addition to this series. Though it wasn't my favorite in the series, it was still enjoyable and I look forward to more of this Rusk University crew.

Audiobook Impressions:
Yay for two narrators!! I really enjoyed Bernardo De Paula as Mateo. He had a very sexy voice and definitely made Mateo’s hotness come to life. Alexandra Marcuse was a bit too monotone for me. I probably would have given up on this audiobook and chose to read it instead, if it hadn’t been for Bernardo. His voice was too good to pass up on. I can’t help but think that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had read it, versus listening to the audio. It was impossible for me to connect with Nell, and I think a lot of that had to do with Alexandra’s performance. I can’t say she was bad… she just didn’t add anything to the story, or to Nell’s character. Her voice was rather boring and way too monotone for my liking. I’d recommend reading this one over the audio, for sure.

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

All Played Out A Rusk University Novel

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