Buddy Review: All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

Rowena and I just have two more reviews left over from 2014. Here's one of them. :P

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack
published by William Morrow in October 2014

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.

Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Series: Rusk University #2


Rowena: Playing catch up on our buddy reviews has been a lot harder than I thought it'd be, considering how much time I have on my hands these days. Weird. I blame you, Ames. :) Haha.

Anyway, the book we're reviewing for November is All Broke Down by Cora Carmack. It's a book that follows Silas Moore, the bad boy from All Lined Up. The guy that both Ames and I didn't even like since he was kind of a douche. I'll be honest, when I first heard that this book was going to be Silas' book, I wasn't even sure I was going to read it but then I got over myself because it's a Cora Carmack. Of course I'm going to read it.

And I'm glad that I did.

I ended up really enjoying this one. I thought that Silas and Dylan were such a great fit and watching the two of them come into their feelings for each other was such a treat.

What did you think, Ames?

Ames: I had the same hesitancy as you about Silas being the hero of this book. But I had faith in Cora's writing and that she'd redeem his character. Which she totally did in my opinion.

I really enjoyed All Broke Down. I thought Dylan was a great heroine. Sometimes the do-gooder types can come across in books as very annoying but Dylan was cool. And I love how her and Silas meet!!

Rowena: Oh yes! Their first meeting was wow. I've never read a first meet quite like Silas and Dylan's. I liked it a lot.

I really enjoyed Dylan. I thought she was pretty great and loved that she was trying to be a good influence on Silas and help him be the better guy that she knew he could be. I liked how she was always there when Silas needed her most and that she didn't scare off easily.

But my favorite part of the book was Silas. Holy crap did he turn out to be a pretty fantastic character. Seeing him grow into the person he was at the end of this book and seeing him try to figure things out was such a treat. I liked seeing him grow into a person that even Dallas was starting to like was just great. He was strong, fiercely independent and so hot damn sexy...he reminded me a lot of Tim Riggins. What do you think?

Ames: Silas was definitely a great character! I like how Carmack transformed him from a total douche to a guy with an interesting, troubled backstory and how he's just trying to outrun where he comes from. And yes, definitely had a Tim Riggins feel to him! We learned what motivated him and that shed a new light on his behaviours.

I liked how him and Dylan's relationship developed. Remember when they were working on the house? I thought that was cute.

Another thing Carmack did really well was flesh out Silas' friends. Like Stella and Torres and the other members of the team. I really felt the friendships there.

Rowena: OMG, Stella! I really liked getting to know her. Do you know if she's getting her own book? I want to say that she is, especially considering her part in this book but I can't remember if that's wishful thinking or not.

Silas' back story left me sighing all over the place because I would have never guessed any of that from meeting him in the first book. I'm glad that we got his background because it made me appreciate him more as a character as the story progressed.

I can't think of anything that I didn't like about this book. You?

Ames: Oh, there was something I didn't like! But I understand it's inclusion and how it pushed the plot ahead, especially in regards to Silas' behaviour. The sexual assault. It is just so close to real life and I like to read fiction to escape all the bad shit that happens in real life. But I liked Silas' reaction to it and shows his growth overall in the book.

I just hate that it happened and who it happened to. I don't want to say who because spoilers.

Rowena: I hear you. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am pretty anxious for the next book. I liked the development of both main characters, I loved seeing Silas' journey and I really liked how the secondary characters really popped and didn't feel like add-ons. They each added something to the scenes they were in and I dug it.

Cora Carmack wrote another winner of a story for me and I will definitely be back for more. This book gets an A from me. What about you?

Ames: I'm giving this one a B+. Despite my hesitations over Silas being a hero, he was redeemed in the end. Good stuff!