Review: Make it Count by Megan Erickson

Make it Count (Bowler University #1)
    by: Megan Erickson

Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow Impulse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 384 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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 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.

Hello book hangover. We meet again. I am quite bummed that I finished this book because I really want to live in my Bowler University bubble forever. I loved the witty, fun characters Erickson has created and I won't be forgetting them any time soon.

Pacing: Very well-paced. I could NOT put this book down. It flowed very well and I liked the pacing of Kat and Alec's relationship. It was filled with chemistry and tension and I just loved watching these two try to figure out their feelings and what they meant.

Storyline: Kat Caruso has always struggled academically. This year, statistics is kicking her ass. She needs help, but none of the tutors she seems to get can figure out a way to help her. After her current tutor says 'c'est la vie', Kat doesn't expect her next one to be her boyfriend's nerdy, adorable roommate, Alec. As the two work together, both really struggle to maintain their distance, especially once they really get to know one another. Alec builds Kat up and encourages her, while Kat makes Alec laugh and helps him loosen up. The two couldn't be more different, but they just fit together. Max, Kat's boyfriend and Alec's roommate and best friend, is the initial problem, as Kat likes that he doesn't expect anything from her. With Alec, she knows he will see past the flirty, fun exterior she has put up and see down to her very soul and that scares her. Kat has some insecurities and I really like that Erickson addressed them and made them such a focal point for the novel. Kat will not be able to move forward with Alec until she addresses them and starts feeling confident in herself. He is a great support system for her, but she doesn't want to feel as if she's being 'fixed'. This causes some tension between the two as well, as well as some miscommunication. I love Kat, but I did want to shake her a bit and tell her that she needed to tell Alec how she felt, because the poor guy is not a mind reader!

Characters: I loved Kat. She's probably one of my favorite New Adult female leads to date. Being in her head cracked me up because her thoughts are just so scattered and out there. I was seriously laughing at parts because of what she was thinking while her brain wandered! As I said, Kat is a bit insecure. She doesn't like to be made to feel stupid. She's beautiful and sexy and she hides behind that. She doesn't stay in relationships long for fear they'll get bored with her. Her wit was really what drew me to her and I really felt for her in regards to her feeling stupid. She is really shy with Alec at first, because he's so smart and she doesn't want him to see her as an idiot. (Alec adores her though and doesn't think that at all.) I did feel she acted a little over the top about the whole Alec thing towards the end. He's a guy- he needs to be told when he's doing shit wrong! 

I loved Alec. Nerd really is the new sexy. And can I just take a minute to gush over the whole 'Zuk' nickname? I LOVED IT! He wears his hair in a pompadour and earned the nickname in high school after Danny Zuko! He is an incredibly sexy, good-hearted male lead and he doesn't like the way Max treats her. He doesn't get why she won't stand up for herself to him. Max is a safe choice- he won't hurt her because it's not like that with them. Alec is best friends with Max- he doesn't want to be like his ex who cheated on him, so he will stay away from Kat to honor this. Max stood up for him when he was younger and have been friends ever since, even though the two are as different as night and day.

Max has issues with his dad and hasn't been acting like his normal self ever since school started. He flies off the handle easily and he really comes across as an ass. However, while Max makes mistakes and doesn't always handle things like he should, he's really not a bad guy. He's always been under an immense amount of pressure from his father and never feels as if he's lived up to the expectations his father has set on him.

Some other characters I enjoyed were Danica, Alec's good friend. She is a total badass and really helps put things into perspective in regards to Kat and the female brain. I also really liked Lea, her roommate. She's quiet, but I can already tell she's going to be a great main character in Erickson's next book in the series, Make it Right. 

Final Thoughts: I loved the build up between Alec and Kat. Their banter and chemistry is GREAT and I love books where I get that anxious feeling in my chest because the build up is so intense! These two definitely took a while to get their act together, but man once they did? Perfection. I especially loved their first romantic scene together because it was all passion and need and I just love those scenes where the characters cannot physically resist one another! Erickson has done such a great job with her debut novel and creating a cast of characters that will stick with you long after you've finished reading.