New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.
In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.
Dallas Cole loathes football. That’s what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.
But life doesn’t always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.
Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It’s obliterated.
Dallas doesn’t know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn’t know that Dallas is his new coach’s daughter.
And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.
ABOUT CORA
Jaime’s Thoughts
All Lined Up by Cora Carmack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m a fan of Cora Carmack – I love her writing style and I love that I can pick up her books and get just the amount of steam I’m looking for and a realistic plot that isn’t overly dramatic… and she does exactly that again with her new book – All Lined Up – book 1 in her Rusk University Series.
All Lined Up is set in Texas… where football is life, but Dallas Cole isn’t a fan. She’s spent her life growing up with her single father who is also a big time coach. Dallas is set to make her escape and be out on her own in college, but when she finds out that her father has taken the New Head Coaching job at Rusk University… where she’s set to attend, she’s less than thrilled. Did I mention her ex-boyfriend is also the quarterback at the same college? Dallas once again finds herself pushed to the background where her father focuses more on football and his players than her.
Carson McClain wants… no needs to make the starting line-up at Rusk. In none other than the coveted quarterback position. He and his family have stretched themselves thin to make this happen for him and he needs both the scholarship and the future that playing could provide. He never expects a certain redhead to fall into his lap… literally and he knows he shouldn’t have his focus on anything but the game and achieving his goals.
Neither of them know exactly who the other is… Dallas doesn’t date football players and Carson should not be dating the coaches daughter… but they can’t seem to walk away from each other.
First of all… let me just say that I’m not in love with that cover. To be perfectly honest, if it wasn’t Cora Carmack, I wouldn’t have picked this book up because it just doesn’t work that well for me *wipes brow* There … I said it.
Aside from that… I have to say that I loved every bit of this story!!
The characters make or break stories for me and I can already tell that this series is going to have some amazing ones. Dallas – I love her! She’s a bit sassy and she’s smart and she knows what she wants, but she isn’t sure how she’s going to get it. She’s lived with a father who pays more attention to football and the boys he coaches than to her and she’s had to deal with gossip way too often. Most of her experience growing up was filled with boys who wanted only to get the attention of her coach father or were too afraid to make any showing of interest because of who he is. But when she meets Carson, sparks fly!
“I don’t know anything about this guy except that his eyes make my mind fuzzy and his muscled arms make my mouth water, and the things he keeps saying… they burn – beginning in my flushed cheeks, blazing through my blood, and curling between my legs until I feel like I have to squeeze them together just to keep from combusting on the spot.”
Carson – Seriously you guys… this boy is swoony. He hasn’t had it easy… his family is stretched thin and you can see how that’s affected him and the drive it’s given him to succeed. His dedication to becoming the best is both heartbreaking and heartwarming if that makes sense. I just mean that it’s amazing to see that dedication, but it breaks your heart to see the things he has to push to the side in order to get it. And Dallas is certainly something that should be pushed to the side in his opinion.
Carmack does an amazing job with the relationship between these two and I loved watching them get to know each other little bit by little bit. I thought the chemistry between these two was so wonderfully done as well – watching them try to deny what was going on was even better and once they finally do connect – holy crap and did I mention there is a ton of swoon?
“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. But, if you don’t tell me what that is, my mind is going to keep thinking of all the things I want to do to you, and the list is already very, very long.”
If you’re looking for a fun, well written new adult then definitely add this one to your ‘to be read’ pile and bump it up – it’ s got the perfect amount of drama and tension, heart flutters and swoons and sexy football players to boot. If you don’t want to wait for this one, go check out her Losing It series too because I count those among my favorites in the new adult genre as well.
Thank you to Harpercollins for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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