All Lined Up (Rusk University, #1)

by Cora Carmack

[Leah]

Cora Carmack has quickly become one of my favourite New Adult authors! She writes and releases books so quickly, that it’s such a treat to be able to read multiple Cora Carmack books a year! Her Losing It series was fantastic, so as soon as it was announced she was writing a new book series, set in Texas, and all about football I was quite excited. I nearly died when I saw it up for review on Edelweiss, and I, of course, downloaded it immediately! I was quite excited to get stuck in, to read more of Carmack’s amazing writing, and to meet her new cast of characters! I was quite excited to dive headfirst into All Lined Up and it’s a really good start to her new book series!

I have to be honest, I’m British therefore American football is not my forte. Not my cup of tea. It makes ZERO sense to me. I much prefer British football (to the American readers that’s soccer). So, I was a bit concerned to begin a new series set in a state where it’s said, “In Texas, two things are cherished above all else – football and gossip.” So that very much sets the tone for the novel and there is a lot of football tales and stuff, and because I didn’t understand it, most of it went over my head, although I liked the enthusiasm of the football games, the love for the game was apparent, it’s just something I know nothing about. I’ve tried watching a Super Bowl or two, and I just don’t get the appeal. It just seems overly complicated, with plays and downs and stuff, but I enjoyed learning a bit more about something I’m mostly ignorant to and perhaps if I was American and had been born on the other side of the Atlantic I might understand all the love!

The good news is, is the novel isn’t all about football, and it is, in fact, about Dallas and Carson, who meet in the best way possible: When Dallas screams at a party, on a balcony. AMAZING. I admire anyone who can make their feelings known like that in a public setting. I’m way too self-conscious to scream like that in public and I loved Dallas immediately for doing that. It was like insta-love. I then LOVED that Dallas threw herself off the balcony (it was one floor, not dramatic) and pretty much landed on top of Carson. They had like the best meeting, ever. They sort of instantly click with each other, and it was very quick, but it didn’t at all seem forced; in fact, it seemed perfect. I wasn’t entirely sure where the angst was going to come from – because they just seemed like the perfect match with each other, but as the novel wore on and as their respective issues came out I began to see that it wouldn’t always be plain sailing from these two. Right after their first meeting, which was explosive, there were issues. I enjoyed seeing Carson’s life as a footballer, or a wannabe footballer, and I was rooting for him all the way to get that starting QB position. What I loved best about Dallas was whenever she was dancing, or thinking about dance. It was very much her saving grace, and I’m always envious of people who can dance, it’s one talent I would love to be able to do.

Dallas was very much a character I loved and envied, and I immediately adored Carson (can I have one of my own? Where in the world does Cora Carmack get the inspiration for her boy characters? Maaaan.), I just felt in the middle of the novel, just when it was all going great between Dallas and Carson, there was a bit of a non-issue that rocked their boat, their happy boat. It was hard to go from their cuteness hanging out at Carson’s house to what came at the party a little bit later. I still didn’t entirely get that bit. I wanted Dallas and Carson to always be happy, to spend their days whiling away in Carson’s apartment because I felt that they were happiest then, just chilling, watching movies, getting to know each other. I very much enjoyed getting to know Dallas and Carson and Cormack’s writing is as solid as ever. All Lined Up is a fantastic opening to a new series, and I can’t wait for the next book!