Friday, August 30, 2013

review - After Math

After Math Cover Image

Five Stars
After Math
by: Denise Grover Swank | Website | Twitter

Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Series: Off the Subject #1
Format: eBook
Page Count: 246
Genre: NA, Contemporary Romance
Get your copy: Amazon | B&N

Add to Goodreads

Summary: Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After.

Before she agreed to tutor Tucker price, college junior Scarlett was introvert, struggling with her social anxiety and determined to not end up living in a trailer park like her mother and her younger sister. A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.

After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him. Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.

But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn’t the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath?


Summary and cover image from goodreads.

After Math Header Image
My Review
Never have I read a book that I so connected with, as much as Aftermath. And to think it was a whim purchase after seeing a quick blog post with the words "math nerd." I started Aftermath that night and stayed up way too late finishing it.

RELATABLE HEROINE
Scarlet is the closest book version of me I've ever found, aside from her background. The studious, 4.0 GPA introvert, who's wary of crowds and prefers her comfortable sanctuary that is her room/apartment. She spoke to me from page one; I understood how she felt and all of her motives. Some would ask why read about what you already know, instead of the adventurous heroine who's afraid of nothing? While those can provide some escape, it was nice to read something relatable.

COLLEGE
All the New Adult books are taking place in college, and Denise Swank writes one of the most realistic, true-to-life college settings, everything from classes, university funding, study labs, student fitness centers, and NCAA athletes (having been one myself). Aftermath was kind of surreal, like my college years had been brought to life on the page. And for me it was these little details that really pushed Aftermath to the next level in New Adult. College wasn't presented in this Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby way with all the parties and days were students don't study. The characters actually went to a college sporting event; hello real college experience!

TUCKER
Be still my heart! The understanding of this man is mind-blowingly sweet. He senses Scarlet's apprehension and works so hard to make her comfortable, building their relationship from the very smallest nugget of friendship. I love that the infernal friend-zone wall was smashed in this book. In fact, Scarlet almost required the friendship prior to her heart even thinking about any more. No insta-love here, which is much appreciated. Sometimes people need to know a person's character before they surrender their heart. Very glad Tucker stuck with Scarlet and let her warm-up to him and the idea of them. Just another shoutout for how much I loved that Tucker was a college athlete. Him running to Scarlet's apartment made my heart pitter-patter.

I highly recommend Aftermath to anyone interested in a slow-burning romance and a realistic New Adult novel, where partying is not the entire college experience!

Have you read After Math? What did you think?
-crj

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