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.
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.
After graduating from Bowler University, the last place Cam Ruiz ever expected to find himself is his hometown. A bad job as a bouncer and worry over his mom’s health make living in Paradise anything but. There’s only one thing that can make his return any harder—running into the only girl he’s ever loved.
Tate Ellison made a mistake when she was eighteen, one that cost her the best thing she’s ever had. She’s always hoped the regret of losing Cam would fade over time. Too bad it’s only grown. She took comfort in the fact she’d never have to face him again, so his presence in Paradise throws her for a loop.
The pull between them is instant and when the truth of what happened years ago tumbles out, they share a mind-blowing kiss…which leads to more. But the past has a way of repeating itself. When all the cards are on the table, Cam and Tate must decide what they are willing to do to make it last.
Oh…Alec gives me all the feels…
Keep reading to see the full Love Note!
Kat,
I’m not sure how we got here, really, with my mom’s engagement ring on your finger. I look back and wonder if it’s a little bit of fate and a lot of luck. Or if it’s the other way around.
But I guess it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are here. What matters is that I love you. I love waking up next to you when your hair is all over the place, when you’re grumpy because you haven’t had your coffee yet. I love listening to you talk because I never know what you’re going to say next. You’re the best fucking surprise I’ve ever had.
Wow, this is the sappiest thing I’ve ever written, huh? Well, get used to it. Because we got a lot of Valentine’s Days ahead of us and I’m going to Hallmark the shit out of them.
I love you, meu coração.
~ Alec Stone
Make it Count by Megan Erickson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
4.5 “Kitty-Kat” “Zuk” “meu coração” Kisses
So…not going to lie…I was totally taken aback by how much I fell in love with this book. Every little detail from the story to the characters to the emotions really got me and after about 50% I seriously couldn’t put it down. It was unique, funny, angsty as all get out and sexy as hell.
Katía Curuso…Kat…Kitty-Kat (to her bestie)…hmmm…where to begin with Kat. She’s a beautiful mess…no, really, she is. She’s Brazilian, which I think by law means you’re born gorgeous, with caramel colored hair, blue eyes…she’s got a quirky little personality that not everyone gets, but I did and I loved it. She was funny and witty in her own way, which made her even more special. I mean the things that came out of her mouth and head were just golden… I mean seriously, how can you not love someone that says ‘Crap on a cracker…’ and ‘Oh sugar-snacks.’ But here’s the thing…she’s not so great at school…and that’s her crux…her weakness…her one flaw. She has this horrible feeling that everyone sees her as flighty and dumb, which couldn’t be further from the truth and she tries to hide it from everyone. But it has definitely held her back in a lot of respects. Very few people know the real Kat and to be honest…I got the feeling she was kind of figuring that out for herself. One person who always saw Kat for who she was…was Alec.
‘Organization was key to her life. She could control that – her bedroom tidy and her calendar nearly filled out with color-coded highlighter. Of course, it was a stark contrast to the riot of chaos that was her mind. But fake it ‘til you make it, right?’
Alec Stone…oh my nerdy little dream come true! I have a total, no-holds-barred, absolutely unending crush on Alec. He’s hot and cute at the same time…which is a really tough act to balance but basically it means I want to hug and snuggle him forever…and also hump his leg. He’s one of those gems that is hard to find…he’s a genuinely good, sweet, smart guy. He’s not rich (at all…not even close)…he’s not alpha or dominant – but that doesn’t make him any less sexy in my book…he’s not a rock star or an athlete…he’s just a guy who is really smart and wants to be a lawyer. And I loved every second of him. But let’s get back to the fact that he’s hot, shall we? 🙂 He’s 6’ (yum!)…dark hair that he always styles into a pompadour (which I loved…too much!)…pale green eyes hidden behind glasses with thick dark frames (told you…adorably hot nerd!)…sleek muscular runners body (yes please!)…I just wanna lick him from head to toe! Alec has a genuinely good heart, he has been wronged in his past and he doesn’t want to repeat past mistakes. I think in a sense, he’s kind of like Kat…still figuring himself out, but in a different way…but it was nice to see them do it together.
“You stood up to that meathead dude at the bar, but you can’t tell your boyfriend to treat you better? You told me you don’t want me to think you’re dumb, which I don’t. But why do you let Max-“
“Because it’s different with you!” she blurted out, and then immediately wished she’d kept her big mouth shut when Alec froze, his eyes bugged out of his head.
“What-“
“Nevermind,” she snapped and tried to walk around him. But Alec wasn’t satisfied with that because he flung his hand and grabbed her arm. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, facing opposite directions, but Alec’s head was turned, his eyes boring into her temple like a pistol held to her head.
“What do you mean it’s different with me?” His voice was soft and cautious, like he was talking to a traumatized child.
No way could she tell him how she lay awake at night thinking about him beside her, a place currently being held by his best friend. No way could she tell him no one had been this patient with her since Mrs. Ross, her sixth grade teacher. No way could she tell him that with him, she felt smart and respected.
No way could she tell him that given a chance, she’d be his. Because he would leave, like all the rest of them, and she’d be in pieces.
She turned her head slowly, so now that pistol he held was aimed right between her eyes. “Because you see me like no one else does.”
Oh my wow…so…I loved the love triangle aspect…I mean Alec and Kat had instant chemistry for me – like I felt it from their first interactions and I loved it, so it’s not that I had anything against Max (her boyfriend and Alec’s best friend) but it was never about them. Max never appreciated her like Alec did and I knew there was something more to Max (and holy cow…when the truth came out on that one – it blew me away! I was not expecting that!) I loved that they became friends first…it helped strengthen their connection in my eyes and really drove home that this wasn’t a physical thing. They got each others sense of humor…I can’t even tell you how my heart felt every time they would make each other laugh and joke around, it made me so happy. And they both opened up and told each other things that they’d never shared with anyone…I couldn’t get enough of their conversations. I guess that’s why when things got steamy…I was completely invested. The feelings and emotions that were behind the hot sex made it insanely hotter…and it was already pretty freakin’ hot.
‘He reached for his book bag and then whirled back to face her. “But, I need to tell you that you deserve better than him.”
She blinked. “Why do you think that? What do you even know about me?”
His face hardened and his jaw ticked. He lunged forward, hands fisted on her bed on either side of her hips, his nose touching hers. “I know you squint your eyes when you’re about to say something funny. I know you snort when you laugh, especially when you laugh at your own jokes. I know you go on crazy cute rants about your hair whispies and covered Segways. I know you’re in college because you fiercely want to be your own person and decide your own future. And I know you are, without a doubt, the hottest, most interesting girl I’ve ever met. I know you, Kat. Don’t doubt that.”
She wasn’t breathing. There was no way air entered and released from her lungs. Did her heart stop, too? Every word was like a sledgehammer to the meticulously crafted, carefree Kat Caruso veneer. She didn’t know what Alec saw, but she knew it certainly wasn’t the face she wore for everyone else.’
God, there was just so much about Alec and Kat that sucked me in and made me fall in love…but they weren’t the only characters I enjoyed…in fact, there are quite a few characters in this book which can sometimes be a mess and hard to make work, but it was great. On Kat’s side we’ve got her roommate and bestie Tara (Tare-Bear) and Shanna, one of their other roommates. Then with Alec…you’ve got Cam who is his and Max’s other best friend and roommate (I’m pretty sure he’s going to be a blast in a glass – he’s a man whore, which already makes me a little giddy). Plus we also meet Alec’s mom and Kat’s parents…which were incredibly sweet and endearing moments. There’s one scene with Alec and his mom that totally made me cry…I don’t wanna spoil anything because it has to do with his dad, but it totally hit home for me and the emotions were just spot on for the scene.
‘He didn’t know what his face looked like. But hers was flushed and her lips were a perfect full pout, and she was so damn beautiful, he could do nothing but give in.
There was only one way to fix this, one way to swim and breathe again.
So he dove in, unable to see the bottom to know when his feet would touch.
He cupped the back of her head with one hand while his other fisted her shirt at her lower back. But what gave him breathe again was his lips on hers. They were soft and wet and Oh God, she’d opened her mouth. Her tongue slipped between his teeth and swiped his eagerly and then he kind of lost it.’
I really enjoyed Megan’s writing…she balanced the dual POV’s really well and especially with these specific characters, I totally loved how different they were from others that I have read in the past. I’ll be honest, the first 30-ish% was the progression, getting to know the characters and everything – which Megan did an excellent job of balancing and keeping entertaining. It’s really easy for jokes and situations to not translate well in books but I had so many laugh out loud moments in this book…that combined with the hot-n-steamy moments and the off-the-wall angst…I was just a happy little camper. If you thought the entire book the angst was just coming from the love triangle – HA! Nope…I was in knots! It was a complete rollercoaster and while I tend to figure out plot really easily, I didn’t see a lot of this coming. I can’t lie, there were a couple of times where I wanted to smack Kat and Alec around a few times when they were doing or saying things that frustrated me…but all the anguish was well worth it.
‘Alec smiled. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were this girl who rode the edge of a wave. One push, and you’d fall in.” He met her eyes. “All I wanted to do was keep you up on that wave. Brace you so you’d stay stable.”
She closed her eyes briefly and leaned into his touch. “I’m not on that wave anymore. I’m right here, on solid ground with you.” She leaned in and brushed her lips over his. “And that’s right where I want to be.”
He sighed into the kiss, then pulled away a fraction to whisper, “Ditto, meu coração.”
Make it Count is the first book in the Bowler University series…and if this is only the beginning…wow…I can’t wait. Make it Right, Max and Lea’s book is next and from what I learned about them in MiC…I’m super excited. I don’t think either of these two are going to make this easy and I can’t wait!
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. You can get more info about Megan on her website.
This looks like a great book. I will have to check it out sometime.