Friday 31 October 2014

Review - All Broke Down by Cora Carmack



Title: All Broke Down
Series: Rusk University #2
Author: Cora Carmack
Release Date: October 28, 2014

In this second book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack s New Adult, Texas-set Rusk University series, which began with All Lined Up, a young woman discovers that you can't only fight for what you believe in... sometimes you have to fight for what you love.

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and infuriating, she can't help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it's trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He's met girls like her before fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn't think he's broken, and he definitely doesn't need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about: his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.
 




READ THIS BOOK! Ok, now that I've got that out of the way, let me tell you why…


All Broke Down is the second book in the Rusk University Series. We get the story of Silas, the running back and Dylan, the rich girl.


Silas, Silas, Silas! We were first introduced to Silas in All Lined Up. He was a Levi’s best friend and a jerk! He was the bad boy we loved to hate.  

“As a general rule, I prefer to do my talking with my body whenever possible. Football. Fighting. Fucking.” 

He is the typical jock; playing football, partying and sleeping with girls are the only things on his agenda. In All Broke Down we finally get to see the real Silas and why he is the way he is. We get a glimpse into his past and learn that things are not always what they seem. And believe me, you will no longer love to hate him, but rather just love him!


Dylan is the good girl who always does what is expected of her. She is interested in politics and fighting for what she believes in.  

“I don’t think I can change the world, but I can change one person’s world at a time. And that’s something.” 

She is always looking for the next cause that she can help with or fix. She had a hard childhood and rather than facing her past she finds other things to fix.


Silas and Dylan together are just perfection!!! They have so much in common that neither of them realizes because all they can see are their major differences. But once they form their friendship, they learn a lot from each other. They learn how to be the person they want to be rather than who they should be. And their chemistry is through the roof!!! 

“I’m going to watch you, Dylan. Just like this. I’m going to watch you come apart around my fingers, and it might be the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”
 

I absolutely LOVE Cora’s books! I read them in one sitting because they are just too good to put down. Her characters are so believable! You want to part of their group. All Broke Down is by far one of my favorites of hers! It was sexy, sweet, emotional, and real!
~ Review by Tiffany

I must admit that this is a tough review for me to write. I wanted to love “All Broke Down,” I really did. I am a huge fan of Cora Cormack’s and I love her writing style. “All Lined Up” was an amazing read, and I was so looking forward to “All Broke Down”! But therein lies the problem – it just didn’t live up to the hype in my head. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the read, because I did, or that the writing was bad, because it is amazing, but more that it fell flat. I realize this is a completely personal thing – I am sure many readers already have fallen head over heels for Silas and Dylan – but there was something missing.


So first, let’s look at all the great parts of the book. The plot is unique and unlike other New Adult books currently on the shelves. The intrigue and writing pull you in from the first page, and then Silas and Dylan keep you hooked. Silas and Dylan were wonderful characters – multidimensional, honest and real. They aren’t just pretty faces, but there are so many layers of emotion and personality beneath the facade. Ms. Carmack is gifted with the ability of creating characters that live, breath, and feel oh so real. Neither Silas nor Dylan disappoint in this respect, and their relationship is intense! The chemistry is palpable, the flirting is hot, and they have a wonderful dynamic.


Yes, this is definitely the steamiest book written by Ms. Carmack, but something was still lacking for me. The first half of the book is excellent, but then it seemed to fall apart. The ending felt rushed, too quick and completely unresolved. The story was very true to life in the sense of timing and the natural progression of Silas and Dylan’s relationship, but I felt like the book ended too soon. The real-time feel of the storyline left major plot points open that would necessitate more time for both the characters and readers to fully flesh out and explore. A couple of issues were even left mostly unaddressed, which left me feeling unsatisfied.


Overall, while I enjoyed “All Broke Down” and love Ms. Carmack’s writing, I didn’t love the book like I thought I would. But I do still recommend this read, as I am sure many readers will adore it.

~ Review by Alicia






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.
 



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