Make It Count by Megan Erickson

Title: Make It Count (Bowler University #1)

Author: Megan Erickson

Publisher: William Morrow Impulse

Release Date: June 3, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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 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.

Guys, I love my fun and flirty New Adult. You’ve heard me say it before, but here I am saying it again. The reason I’m reiterating this fact is Megan Erickson’s Make It Count. This was a fun story that kept me turning the pages almost faster than I could read them. It was everything I wanted it to be.

Kat Caruso has always struggled in school. There’s nothing she can do about it, her brain just won’t cooperate. But she’s made it this far, and she’s determined to graduate from college. If only she could figure out what’s going on in her statistics class, she would be doing just fine. But every tutor she gets gives up on her when the going gets tough. Something changes though when Alec Stone becomes her tutor. Alec is smart, charming, and absolutely gorgeous. Kat would totally be interested if she didn’t already have a boyfriend…and if Alec didn’t happen to be that boyfriend’s best friend. Alec shouldn’t be thinking about Kat the way he is. He should just be focusing on helping her pass statistics. But Alec can’t help it, every time he sees Kat, his mind goes where it shouldn’t. Both Kat and Alec are drawn to each other, but first they have to work through messy emotions, emotions that can’t be fixed with a simple equation. 

I said it on Twitter after I finished reading the book, but here it is again: Megan Erickson’s Make It Count was just a fantastically fun read. There wasn’t a page of it that I didn’t enjoy. I will admit, though, that I was a little worried before I started reading. From the synopsis, it wasn’t clear whether or not cheating would be part of the story and that made me hesitant. As much as I’ll read just about anything if the premise appeals to me, cheating is one of the things I’m always on the fence about (when it comes to books and stories, I’m 100% against it in real life). But I decided to just go for it and see where the story would go. And I’m so glad that I made that decision. The whole cheating thing, in the way that I thought it was going to work, ended up being a non-issue. Beyond all that, I just really enjoyed this story. The romance was what I was hoping it would be, and so much of it was mixed in with Kat’s special brand of humour. Make It Count also went deeper than I thought it was going to be. I loved how it touched on learning disabilities and how the way that these can sometimes be perceived affects those affected by them. It made for a story that had more substance. But really, what I loved was the romance and everything happening with Kat and Alec.

How much did I love Kat and Alec? Let me count the ways. Okay, not really. But you get what I’m saying. I loved Kat and Alec. Both as individuals and together. I loved Kat for the way she didn’t take crap from people. Maybe it was sometimes a defence mechanism, but it still made me love her. But at the same time I felt for her because she was clearly struggling and was often a lot harder on herself that she really should have been. And that’s one of the reasons I loved Alec so much. He saw Kat in a way she didn’t think anybody could see him. I mean, Alec was great in other ways too, don’t get me wrong. But I really liked the way he was with Kat, how he saw the smart person she was under the bad grades and how he allowed himself to laugh whenever she was around. And the best part of Kat and Alec? The banter. Oh how I loved the banter between these two. Kat always seemed to catch Alec by surprise and Alec just went right along with it once he caught up. It was fantastic. The last thing I will say about these characters is that I can’t wait to find out about more of them in the next books.

In case it wasn’t clear, I really enjoyed Megan Erickson’s Make It Count. It’s the perfect light and fun read for summer. And if you’re looking to dip your toes into the New Adult pool, then this book will make a fantastic starting point!