Review: Flat-Out Matt

 

Matt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he's witty, he's brilliant.

And he’s also very, very stupid.

You saw Matt through Julie’s eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt’s world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.

Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven Flat-Out Love chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.

Title: Flat-Out Matt (Flat-Out Love ~ Book 2)
Author: Jessica Park | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: March 25 2013
Publisher: Self-Published 
Length: Novella, but can not find an exact page count
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Again, this is perfect and wouldn't change a thing.
Point of View:  3rd person, following Matt mostly

My Rating: 5 Stars

How is it possible that I loved this even more than Flat-Out Love?  I loved Matt's 'voice' and it was a joy to be able to see not only specific parts from Flat-Out Love retold from his perspective but we also have two new prequel chapters, an extended Matt ending, and if that all wasn't enough we have a brand-new finale chapter from Julie.  Honestly, I was in heaven.

“You'll skydive, and hang into ravines by thin ropes, and go rafting in the rapids, but you won't...  what?  Get crazy and reckless with an amazing girl?  You won't fall madly out-of-your-brains in love?  Let your world as you know it be blown into bits because you fall heart-crushingly head-over-heels for someone?”

Please know that you should not attempt to read this novella or even itB's full synopsis (I have edited the one above to remove spoilers) until after you have read Fall-Out Love.  The last thing you want to do is spoil any single part of the experience you will have when reading Fall-Out Love for the first time.  I say first time because there is no way that it or Fall-Out Matt will ever be able to be read only once.  These are both multiple read books for sure.

“It was suddenly heartachingly clear how much he wanted this and how easy it was to imagine it with near provocative clarity.  She was not just his friend.  She was more.”

My heart broke for Matthew while reading this.  You think you understand the dynamics of his family life and the struggles he has faced but until you read these chapters from his point of view you don't really understand the full range of emotions.  The strength he shows, the love he has... he is just an amazing character and I am so very glad that Jessica Park let us into his head.  If you think you loved Matt before, trust me it is nothing for what you feel after you read this.

“How you find love means nothing.  It’s what you do with it when you see it that does.”

I also very much enjoyed the time that Matt and Celeste share together.  Even though these books are written in 3rd person they still mostly follow one character.  So, there was not a lot of interaction between Matt and Celeste alone in book one because it was following Julie.  Here we get to see Matt and his amazing little sister together.  Loved these bits...  Celeste makes me laugh like no other character.

“There is, however, one concerting factor,” Celeste said slowly.

“What? What's wrong with him?” 

“What I dislike quite strongly about Seth is that he currently has the romantic, and possibly sexual, attention of the young woman with whom you are finding yourself progressively more and more besotted.”

Matt practically snorted.  “Oh, God.  Good night, Celeste.  Perhaps a good night's sleep will bring you to your senses.”

“Perhaps a good nights sleep will bring you to your senses!”  Celeste said matter-of-factly as she lay down and again lifted the heavy thesaurus.  “A good night's repose.  A good night's slumber.  A good night's...”

And the new content?  So awesomely good.  The beginning chapters with Matt and Finn, the new extended ending from Matt's point of view... I honestly squealed when I saw the previous story was continued.  I loved the ending for Flat-Out Love but I wanted more.  I wanted to know what happened at that moment where book one finished and now we have our chance to read it.

Then the new finale chapter, back to Julie's perspective, was breathtaking.  And steamy!!  There was romance in Flat-Out Love but not really full on steam.  This however... was wow.   The love these characters have for each other is clear with the actions that were taking place. It was beautiful.  So yes it is steam but it was still very tasteful and fitting for the series and characters.

“I want you, Matt.  I want everything.  You kept me safe today, you'll keep me safe now.”

“Always. I promise, always.”

I know we are early into 2013, and I will have read many more books by the end of the year.  But I have to say right now it is going to be difficult for any book to come along to beat the Flat-Out books from my favorites of the year list.  For my last book of the year I always re-read my favorite of that year... I am already excited at the idea of coming back to Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Matt because right now these will be my pick.

“Her body pressed against his felt like the most natural thing in the world, and the way she fit against him as though they were made for this embrace was overwhelming.”

MORE QUOTES FROM FLAT-OUT MATT