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February 03, 2016

Review: All Lined Up by Cora Cormack


Title: More Than This
Author: Cora Cormack
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Genre(s): New Adult, Sports
Source: Library
Pages: 320
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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.



I enjoyed this book. It isn’t an all time favourite, but there’s banter, and some solid romance and friendship. Cormack basically took almost every NA trope, crumpled it up, and chucked it out the window.

Dallas' relationship with the secondary characters, namely her father and best friend, Stella, sold this book for me. I adored the portrayal of Dallas' relationship with her father. It was imperfect, flawed, complicated, and strained, but it was gold. I'm so glad it didn't venture off into cliché territory. I hate it when novels either completely idolize or completely trash parents. Dallas' relation with her dad is a little devoid of any real connection, partly because of their own innate personalities, and partly because her father happens to be the coach's daughter. But despite this, it shows that Dallas and her dad really do love each other, but are just a little clueless as how to deal with it. I loved seeing them navigate the circumstances and bumps in their life, clumsily, but honestly. At the end of the day, Dallas loved her dad, and her dad loved her and that's what mattered.

This book passed the Bedchel test, hands down. I loved how Stella and Dallas were polar in their personalities, but had found this common ground that get could stand on. Stellar as everything Dallas needed her to be. She was the one who pushed Dallas, gave her endless stamps of approval, supported her, but also gave her a shaking down when she needed it.

And then there's Carson QB of my dreams. Cormack knows her shit when it comes to romance, I will say this. I devoured every scene with Carson and Dallas in it. Their relationship was a delicious combination of banter, banter, banter, honesty, trust and support. They perfectly complemented each other, and most of all they helped each other grow throughout the book. The drama didn't veer into Crazyland, there weren't any pointless love triangles, and they each led a very full life that didn't involve each other.

They were very upfront with each other, which was a relief. I have a most burning hate for the Boy keeping things from the Girl for REASONS, or the Girl throwing everything out the windows because she heard something, or freaking out because the Boy didn't reply to her texts. Vice versa, obviously. Oh, and I mentioned there's banter, banter, banter right? Their text messages were to die for.

This was a very light, fun, funny read. I’ve read all the books published so far in the series and I highly recommend (most of) them for some A+ New Adult stuff.




1 comment:

  1. I adored this book. I honestly couldn't put it down and I was a little sad when it was over. I loved the pacing and felt like it flowed really well. The characters were well developed and the plot was interesting and captivating.

    Mariz
    Click Here Western Apparel

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