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heyjudy's review against another edition
4.0
~4/5
I honestly don’t know why I haven't read all of Carmack’s books at this point. I’ve enjoyed the two books I’ve read, and all of her books sound like my kind of thing. College, with some sex, a lot of romance, at least some finding yourself. Sounds just right for me.
This is about Nell. She’s very smart, focuses only on her studies, and she doesn’t really understand people. So she makes a list of normal college things to do. She meets Torres, and despite their wants, they immediately hit it off. Torres jokes around constantly, but Nell sees more to him, and she doesn’t let him get away with it.
I understood Nell. I get her social awkwardness, at least on some level. And I liked that she went out of her comfort zone. She was fun, and I enjoyed her a lot. I thought her and Torres were a really good fit. He’s the joker, the fun guy, who fools around, and Nell balances him. She sees him and she understands him, and I liked that. He balances Nell equally as well, pushing her, helping her.
I do think I would have liked more focus on family; we have a few mentions of Nell's, but we don't really get a big sense or interaction with them.
This went by super fast and it was so fun. I loved the characters, and it’s made me look forward to reading the others in the series. I loved the attraction, and I loved the growth that they both went through.
I will definitely be picking up her other books soon.
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
I honestly don’t know why I haven't read all of Carmack’s books at this point. I’ve enjoyed the two books I’ve read, and all of her books sound like my kind of thing. College, with some sex, a lot of romance, at least some finding yourself. Sounds just right for me.
This is about Nell. She’s very smart, focuses only on her studies, and she doesn’t really understand people. So she makes a list of normal college things to do. She meets Torres, and despite their wants, they immediately hit it off. Torres jokes around constantly, but Nell sees more to him, and she doesn’t let him get away with it.
I understood Nell. I get her social awkwardness, at least on some level. And I liked that she went out of her comfort zone. She was fun, and I enjoyed her a lot. I thought her and Torres were a really good fit. He’s the joker, the fun guy, who fools around, and Nell balances him. She sees him and she understands him, and I liked that. He balances Nell equally as well, pushing her, helping her.
I do think I would have liked more focus on family; we have a few mentions of Nell's, but we don't really get a big sense or interaction with them.
This went by super fast and it was so fun. I loved the characters, and it’s made me look forward to reading the others in the series. I loved the attraction, and I loved the growth that they both went through.
I will definitely be picking up her other books soon.
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
kungelbach's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the story and the male narrator but the female narrator was very stilted and I would have been happier with a different female narrator.
charlottenw1's review against another edition
5.0
Hands down my favourite in the series!!!! I can definitely relate to Nell which made the story that much more fascinating. I just loved the idea of a list because it made the story more exciting and I absolutely love making lists so im probably bias. I still want Stella to have a story, especially after this book. I'm craving it on a massive level.
I like how we get to know more about the other characters such as Brookes in this book and again I feel that he should maybe get his own novella. I just think there is still so much potential for the rest of the characters and I feel that this book doesnt bring the series to an official close. so fingers crossed.
I like how we get to know more about the other characters such as Brookes in this book and again I feel that he should maybe get his own novella. I just think there is still so much potential for the rest of the characters and I feel that this book doesnt bring the series to an official close. so fingers crossed.
jen286's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
4.5 stars
I don't know what it is about Cora Carmack's Rusk University series that I love quite so much. Well, wait, that is not quite true. It is that they are well written stories with amazing characters that I can't help but fall in love with. All Played Out might just be my favorite thus far. I loved Nell so much, and Torres, Mateo...he is just so amazing! Loved them both so much throughout this story and loved watching them come together and figure everything out.
Nell is the kind of female character that I just love. She is quirky and super smart and a little socially awkward and I just loved her. She has always turned to her studies as she has never really fit in. She thinks she is happy alone with her school work and will be with her career. She doesn't think she feels things the way others do. She just doesn't think she is meant to be with someone like other people are. Then when her roommate says something about her not actually having the college experience, how she has just studied or worked all the time to graduate early. This sticks with Nell so she decides to do an experiment. She makes a list of normal collage activities to try and once she is done well then she will know that she is just not like everyone. Then there will be no second guessing herself. She will just be happy. Only she doesn't factor meeting Torres into her plan. Torres who changes everything.
Mateo is so sweet and kind and fun and I just loved him so much! He is so perfect for Nell. Sure she reminds him of some things from his past in the beginning, but it is obvious how much he cares about Nell herself even if he doesn't want to admit it right away. He just gets her and wants to help her with her list and get her to really experience life. He loves how smart and strong she is. I loved how he is just so perfect for her! There is just something there between them and it was so much fun watching them figure everything out.
Nell and Mateo might not seem like they go together at first, but they just fit together perfectly. They both help each other be better, be happier. Mateo turned into this light hearted joking all the time guy due to some things that happened in his past. He likes being that person, but you can also see the amazing guy underneath. Oh he was great. I loved seeing him grow and change and be just oh so amazing. Watching him be so incredibly sweet with Nell...just loved it. Watching him help her grow and be more outgoing, more comfortable with other people? So much fun. And hot. And just amazing. Really a great read and a great addition to this series.
4.5 stars
I don't know what it is about Cora Carmack's Rusk University series that I love quite so much. Well, wait, that is not quite true. It is that they are well written stories with amazing characters that I can't help but fall in love with. All Played Out might just be my favorite thus far. I loved Nell so much, and Torres, Mateo...he is just so amazing! Loved them both so much throughout this story and loved watching them come together and figure everything out.
Nell is the kind of female character that I just love. She is quirky and super smart and a little socially awkward and I just loved her. She has always turned to her studies as she has never really fit in. She thinks she is happy alone with her school work and will be with her career. She doesn't think she feels things the way others do. She just doesn't think she is meant to be with someone like other people are. Then when her roommate says something about her not actually having the college experience, how she has just studied or worked all the time to graduate early. This sticks with Nell so she decides to do an experiment. She makes a list of normal collage activities to try and once she is done well then she will know that she is just not like everyone. Then there will be no second guessing herself. She will just be happy. Only she doesn't factor meeting Torres into her plan. Torres who changes everything.
Mateo is so sweet and kind and fun and I just loved him so much! He is so perfect for Nell. Sure she reminds him of some things from his past in the beginning, but it is obvious how much he cares about Nell herself even if he doesn't want to admit it right away. He just gets her and wants to help her with her list and get her to really experience life. He loves how smart and strong she is. I loved how he is just so perfect for her! There is just something there between them and it was so much fun watching them figure everything out.
Nell and Mateo might not seem like they go together at first, but they just fit together perfectly. They both help each other be better, be happier. Mateo turned into this light hearted joking all the time guy due to some things that happened in his past. He likes being that person, but you can also see the amazing guy underneath. Oh he was great. I loved seeing him grow and change and be just oh so amazing. Watching him be so incredibly sweet with Nell...just loved it. Watching him help her grow and be more outgoing, more comfortable with other people? So much fun. And hot. And just amazing. Really a great read and a great addition to this series.
merkyr's review against another edition
5.0
Finished this at the gym because I literally could not put it down (or get off the treadmill) till I was done. I love this series!
allibruns's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series. I love how every story is different so I don't feel as though I'm reading a variation on what I've already read. This is a fun, sexy read with a couple you will root for.
jeannethinks's review against another edition
4.0
Love the to-list, this just seems like something Cora would do.
colecordium's review against another edition
5.0
OH MY GOODNESS, I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!!!!!! Review to come.
lcmarie19's review
3.0
RATING: 3.5 STARS
*This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review**
Another solid effort by Carmack. I had a good experience with this third installment of the Rusk University series. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one as much as I loved the first two, but I am still a big fan of the series.
ALL PLAYED OUT follows Antonella "Nell" DeLuca and her recently developed fixation on obtaining the full college experience. Nell is a very straight laced girl, who's always done what was expected of her. She's extremely smart and has a very simple social life of...nothing. So, throughout this book, she is seeking to change that.
In her journey to obtain a decent social life, she encounters some familiar characters that readers know and love (from the previous books), but the one that catches her eye -- to her surprise and constant resistance -- is Mateo Torres, the wide receive for the RU football team. Torres, being the wild party guy, finds Nell to be someone he hasn't experienced before. But together they learn that opposites really can attract.
This was classic romantic comedy in book form -- Girl meets boy, girl resists boy, boy teases and chases girl, girl gives into boy, boy hurts girl, girl forgives boy, and they live happily ever after. One thing that I can always count on when it comes to Cora's books is that they read like a film in my head. That's one of things that I enjoy about her books. I can easily picture what's going on with each character. That fact remains true with this book.
The book progresses quickly and smoothly. There's tons of character interaction. I'm reunited with characters that I fell in love with in previous books. Dylan and Silas. Stella reappears and even Dallas and Carson get a few mentions. It was all very fun to see those character names again. While I had my good times with Nell and Torres, I kept finding myself wondering what was going on with Silas and Dylan or Stella or even Dallas and Carson. I was never fully invested in Nell and Torres, to my unfortunate surprise.
While I can appreciate what Cora was trying to do in giving us characters like Nell, I just didn't connect with her like I did Dallas. Or like with Dylan. Nell's character wasn't as tangible to me. Torres, though a fun guy, was a bit one dimensional for a lot of the book. I didn't feel the development of his character was as solid as Carson's was. Or even Silas'. Thus making it difficult for me to see how he and Nell worked together. I just wasn't able to get on board with these two as quickly as I usually am with that other characters.
Every now and then, I would find a scene in the book that I connected with, like when Torres and Nell got to finally sit down together and just get to know one another. THOSE were my favorite scenes. I needed more of that in this book. I feel that given how extreme both Nell and Torres were, with Nell being the classic "girl genius with no social life" and Torres being the "wild party guy", they needed more one on one personal bonding in order for me to believe that their relationship was as solid as it was by the end of the book. There was more sex and less intimacy, in my opinion. And I think that's what I was missing in this installment.
BUT with that being said, I loved being in the RU world again. It was familiar but different. Cora was a little more bold and descriptive in her writing. Especially when it came to the sexy times between our two main characters. Not that I minded. I got hit of my favorite Cora writing in this one, but I was missing the overall essence of books one and two.
I don't want to sound like I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. I just know that book one touched me deeply, book two shared that same essence, but book three just kind of screamed fluffy fun. The amount of depth that could have been in this book, just wasn't there this time. In my opinion. And that's okay. It happens. Still love this series! I can't wait for book four!
*This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review**
Another solid effort by Carmack. I had a good experience with this third installment of the Rusk University series. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one as much as I loved the first two, but I am still a big fan of the series.
ALL PLAYED OUT follows Antonella "Nell" DeLuca and her recently developed fixation on obtaining the full college experience. Nell is a very straight laced girl, who's always done what was expected of her. She's extremely smart and has a very simple social life of...nothing. So, throughout this book, she is seeking to change that.
In her journey to obtain a decent social life, she encounters some familiar characters that readers know and love (from the previous books), but the one that catches her eye -- to her surprise and constant resistance -- is Mateo Torres, the wide receive for the RU football team. Torres, being the wild party guy, finds Nell to be someone he hasn't experienced before. But together they learn that opposites really can attract.
This was classic romantic comedy in book form -- Girl meets boy, girl resists boy, boy teases and chases girl, girl gives into boy, boy hurts girl, girl forgives boy, and they live happily ever after. One thing that I can always count on when it comes to Cora's books is that they read like a film in my head. That's one of things that I enjoy about her books. I can easily picture what's going on with each character. That fact remains true with this book.
The book progresses quickly and smoothly. There's tons of character interaction. I'm reunited with characters that I fell in love with in previous books. Dylan and Silas. Stella reappears and even Dallas and Carson get a few mentions. It was all very fun to see those character names again. While I had my good times with Nell and Torres, I kept finding myself wondering what was going on with Silas and Dylan or Stella or even Dallas and Carson. I was never fully invested in Nell and Torres, to my unfortunate surprise.
While I can appreciate what Cora was trying to do in giving us characters like Nell, I just didn't connect with her like I did Dallas. Or like with Dylan. Nell's character wasn't as tangible to me. Torres, though a fun guy, was a bit one dimensional for a lot of the book. I didn't feel the development of his character was as solid as Carson's was. Or even Silas'. Thus making it difficult for me to see how he and Nell worked together. I just wasn't able to get on board with these two as quickly as I usually am with that other characters.
Every now and then, I would find a scene in the book that I connected with, like when Torres and Nell got to finally sit down together and just get to know one another. THOSE were my favorite scenes. I needed more of that in this book. I feel that given how extreme both Nell and Torres were, with Nell being the classic "girl genius with no social life" and Torres being the "wild party guy", they needed more one on one personal bonding in order for me to believe that their relationship was as solid as it was by the end of the book. There was more sex and less intimacy, in my opinion. And I think that's what I was missing in this installment.
BUT with that being said, I loved being in the RU world again. It was familiar but different. Cora was a little more bold and descriptive in her writing. Especially when it came to the sexy times between our two main characters. Not that I minded. I got hit of my favorite Cora writing in this one, but I was missing the overall essence of books one and two.
I don't want to sound like I didn't enjoy the book, because I did. I just know that book one touched me deeply, book two shared that same essence, but book three just kind of screamed fluffy fun. The amount of depth that could have been in this book, just wasn't there this time. In my opinion. And that's okay. It happens. Still love this series! I can't wait for book four!