NEW ADULT MONDAY: After Math (Off the Subject #1)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

After Math (Off the Subject #1), by Denise Grover Swank
Published March 12, 2013
Publisher:  Createspace
Format: e-book - provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Genre:  NA
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) 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?

In a lot of ways I could relate to Scarlett, which made After Math a great book for me. Although I wasn't gripped with social anxiety at the same level that she was when I was in school, I can appreciate her stress of social situations and the desire to just want to blend in and not do anything to draw attention to herself. Unfortunately, I didn't know any super hot guys in college who found that particular characteristic sexy. 

Tucker is your proverbial jock. He's a soccer star who really gets around, if you know what I mean. He employs Scarlett's talents as a math whiz to help him pass algebra and keep his scholarship. Scarlett thinks she knows exactly who he is, and she knows that she doesn't want anything to do with him. 

As it turns out, Scarlett had a small pair of brass ones tucked away. Which was such a nice surprise. 

Scarlett is quite possibly the only female on campus who is not willing to take Tucker's crap. She sees through his tough guy facade, and to her surprise, discovers that there's something real underneath it. And, she likes that part of him a lot. Understandably, for someone like her, that scares the crap out of her. 

I didn't find it quite believable that Tucker got over himself as quickly as he did. Most guys - even the innately good ones - don't give up the front that they allow everyone to see just because one girl told him off one time. But, as is usually the case in books like these, there's more than meets the eye with Tucker, as well as with Scarlett. 

After Math was a good read. A quick read. I enjoyed Scarlett and Tucker both. The supporting characters were fun. There was a lot here to love.