Review : Make it Count by Megan Erickson

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Make it Count (Bowler University #1)
Author : Megan Erickson
Publication Date : June 3rd 2014
Publisher : William Morrow Impulse
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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.
Personal Thoughts

I was quite excited to read Make it Count by Megan Erickson. It sounded like a cute NA read instead of an angsty and depressing one. While I thought it was a decent read overall, there were just a few things in the story that prevented me fully enjoying myself. Nevertheless, Make it Count was a quick read that I didn't regret squeezing into my reading schedule.

Kat was an interesting character to me. From the start, it was clear to me that she was suffering from a form of dyslexia because she kept mentioning how words and numbers appeared jumbled to her and also how she had a hard time being focused in class. I was extremely grateful to the author for handling this theme in NA. I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character is in college and doesn't realize that she has dyslexia. Kat's reaction to finding this out is as expected : she panics, but it was completely understandable. While I really liked how she decided to tackle everything by herself, making appointments with the necessary people and researching her condition, I didn't appreciate how Kat treated the people around her who wanted to help her out, mainly Alec. Alec was a genuinely sweet and down-to-earth guy who was head over heels in love with Kat. He wanted nothing more than to help her out with her dyslexia. I admit that there were times that he came across as a little pushy, but his intentions were good. So when Kat constantly pushed him away claiming that the only reason he wanted to help her was to fix her bugged me on many levels. In addition, I felt like Kat over-analyzed and overreacted to every comment Alec made about her dyslexia. Regardless of Kat's, at times, frustrating character, I admired her bravery. There are some great secondary characters too in Make it Count whose books I can't wait to read next.

From the blurb of the book, it might appear that the romance has a bit of cheating going on, but trust me, that doesn't happen. Kat is in a relationship when she realizes that she has feelings for Alec, her boyfriend's best friend, but she doesn't wait long to break off the relationship before attempting anything with Alex. I had much respect for her for doing the right thing. While the romance was really cute and sexy at times, I just wasn't convinced by it. For some reason, I couldn't feel the intensity or the chemistry between Alec and Kat. I also felt like they progressed to the love phase a little too fast for my liking. I wanted a little more depth from it so as to feel more invested in their relationship. Also, for some reason, I just didn't feel like they would work well as a couple especially because Kat overreacted every time Alec wanted to help her out. Nonetheless, there were some sweet and adorable moments in the book between them. I also really liked the roles of the parents in the book. Kat's parents do something really awful when Kat is younger (which she only comes to know afterwards), but they were truly supportive and helped her out with her life goals. Alec's mom was also a sweet-heart and her bond with her son was heart-warming.

Overall, while I had some issues with Make it Count, I thought it was an entertaining read and enjoyed it. I especially liked the tackling of the dyslexia. The series promises to be fantastic though and I think it might be worth the read.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to Edelweiss and Williams Morrow for the e-ARC of Make it Count.