First person in her family to go to college? CHECK. Straight A’s? CHECK. On track to graduate early? CHECK. Social life? …..yeah, about that….With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay... Scratch that. She knows she hasn't had the full college experience).So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a "to do" list of normal college activities.Item #1? Hook up with a jock.Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it's impossible to get hurt... again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she's never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he's willing to take the chance when it's more than just a game.Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.Buy All Played Out:
This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cora is one of my favorite NA authors, and I love both of
her series, the Losing It and the Rusk University series. And Nell’s book didn’t
disappoint!
Nell was certainly a wallflower to begin with. She started
out very shy with no social life, and I loved watching her come out of her
shell. I thought it was really brave of her to make a college bucket list,
especially putting some of the things she put on there. I loved seeing her
transition to being social and making friends. And she was hilarious when she
got drunk!
Mateo Torres had such a bubbly personality. He was so funny and
a hugeee flirt, but he saw something in Nell that sparked something in him
right from the beginning. They both had something the other needed and they
were a perfect fit. Mateo was stubborn in some parts, and I was so happy to see
Nell positively influence him.
I am not sure if I’ve read a NA book with a college bucket
list plot, but I have to say that I loved it! It was really refreshing to read
about. Nell and Mateo had so much chemistry! I totally forgot how scorching
Cora’s books were, but she reminded me very early on! Skinny-dipping while
trespassing can lead to some very hot moments!
I was really glad to hear about Stella’s upcoming book. I totally
agree that it needs to be written and I can’t wait for it.
Favorite Swoom-worthy Quote: Then she nods, and I crush my mouth to hers, feeling dizzy with just how much I want her. She opens to me immediately, pushing her tongue against mine in a way that soothes my earlier fear that she hadn't done this before. One of her hands slides from my shoulder to my neck, and it presses her chest flush against mine.
(From an advanced, uncorrected reader copy. Quote may not appear in
final copy.)
Rating: 4.5/5 Tar Heels!
Enter the giveaway here!
About the Author: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.Find Cora at:
