{Review + GIVEAWAY} Make It Count by Megan Erickson


Title: Make It Count
Series: Bowler University #1
Author: Megan Erickson
Published: 3rd June 2014
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC provided by publisher for fair & honest review
Rating: 5/5

BLURB:
Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend's gorgeous best friend, Alec...who just so happens to be her brand new college math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot?

Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends--both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It's safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm's reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close.

Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She's adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He'd never stab his best friend in the back...

But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can't be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it.

Statistically speaking, this book is 50% sexy, 50% heartwarming and 100% awesome!

REVIEW:
The story:
Kat's always struggled academically, no matter how hard she studies. Now on academic probation in college, she's desperate to pass Statistics, but being assigned her boyfriend's nerdy roommate as her tutor is not what she had in mind. Being around him makes her feel even more stupid than normal, and the way he looks at her makes her feel he can see past her sarcastic jokes to the real Kat underneath.

But Alec doesn't judge her, instead he laughs at her wacky jokes and makes her believe that she might not be the dumb girl she thinks everyone sees her as. But despite starting to develop real feelings for him, she's afraid that once he see how stupid she really is he'll leave her, and Kat's heart won't recover from that kind of heartbreak. The question is can Alec convince her that he sees the real Kat, and that he likes what he sees?

The characters:
Aleeeeec!!!!! He is the male lead character I have always wanted to read and haven't been able to find! He's intelligent and a bit nerdy, but still supremely sexy! And he's not a tortured, brooding douche!! To say he's a 'good guy' sounds like a huge understatement, but that's exactly what he is; kind and caring, and the way he treated Kat with absolute respect melted my heart. I love Alec and I want more leads just like him!

Kat is one of the most relatable heroine's I've read in a long time. She studies so hard, but has trouble getting the results she wants. I completely understood that, & my heart broke for her every time she said she felt stupid. She tries to cover it up with a quirky sense of humour and 'sex kitten' personality, but deep down it hurts. Seeing her character grow and develop throughout the story was truly inspiring.

There are also plenty of fabulous secondary characters rounding out the cast. With Matt, Daneka, Alec's colouful and vibrant friend, & Lea, Kat's roommate, all adding lots of excitement to the story.

The romance:
The chemistry between Kat & Alec was phenomenal! Their relationship was built around mutual respect & attraction, not lust. Alec loved Kat's wacky sense of humour, but he also saw the vulnerable side to her, and wanted to show her how amazing she was. Their romance was equal part sweet and sexy, which made for the perfect romantic scenes. 

The writing:
One of the most amazing parts of this book was the dialogue, it was fresh and creative and had me giggling and snorting like an idiot - it was fabulous! Kat's personality and quirky scenes of humour was portrayed so vibrantly through her dialogue. And the conversations between her & Alec were hilarious, often with Kat running off with little quirky thoughts.

FINAL WORD:
This book is exactly what NA is about; not just smutty romance, but an actual story of twenty-somethings finding their place in the world. I'm a self confessed nerd lover and I felt like this book was written just for me. Statistically speaking, this book is 50% sexy, 50% heartwarming and 100% awesome! The probability of me reading more of Erickson's books in the future is highly favourable! This is one of my favourites for the year!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / sex scenes
Violence: none
Language: mild-medium / some f words
Drugs & alcohol: mild / some drinking 



ABOUT AUTHOR:
Megan worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she's not tapping away on her laptop, she's probably listening to the characters in her head who won't stop talking.


GIVEAWAY:

3 comments:

  1. Oh Amy, you have me excited to read this, I love books with clever dialogue that make me giggle:snort and Alec sounds wonderful! I love nerdy, geek types

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  2. This sounds like a fab read! I am a big fan of the NA genre, so I know I would love this one! You have sold it so well in your review and I just want to get to know Kat and Alec more!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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  3. aww sounds like a sweet and perfect summer read :D love the feel of light-heartedenss in this book.

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