by the numbers coverRating: 4.25 stars
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Length: Novel


Alex is getting tired of his pattern of meaningless hookups that he forgets as soon as they are over. He decides it may be time to take a step back and reconsider his strategy. With Alex’s new roommate, Theo, also cutting back on his own hookups, it gives the guys a chance to get to know each other a little better. Theo is fun and the two have a great time together. If Alex finds Theo attractive, nothing can come of it. Aside from the complications of living together, Theo is still pining for his best friend, Elijah.

Theo moved to California after missing Elijah when he moved across the country for school. It’s sometimes hard for Theo to see Elijah happy with Theo’s brother, Pax, given his own feelings for Elijah, but he knows the pair are happy together. Getting to know Alex better has been great, however, and the two are having fun hanging out. Alex may be a super genius, but he has missed out on a lot of the common growing up experiences, and Theo is having fun teaching Alex about all sorts of childhood fun. That doesn’t mean Theo isn’t having very adult feelings about Alex, however.

The sexual chemistry between the pair is off the charts, and as much as they both know keeping it friendly is probably the way to go, they can’t stop their attraction. When they finally act on their lust for one another, things are explosive, and a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement seems the way to go. But the more Theo gets to know Alex, the more he sees behind the light-hearted, sex fiend facade he puts up. The men are finding a connection outside of the bedroom, in addition to the intense heat between them. Now Theo and Alex have to figure out if they are willing to take the risk and be open about their desire for more with one another, and maybe they will find real happiness with each other.

By the Numbers is the third book in K.M. Neuhold’s sweet and sexy Love Logic series. Plot-wise this story stands alone, but we meet both Theo and Alex in previous books, and characters from earlier stories appear here, so I think you will enjoy it most if you have read the others. This is such a good series, it is definitely worth giving them all a read.

The book plays with some classic tropes in the roommates-with-benefits storyline, but I think Neuhold does a nice job adding other elements that give some more depth. Alex is a particularly interesting character and really nicely developed. We met him in Rocket Science as Elijah’s sex loving, outgoing, new friend. What is interesting here is that as readers, our understanding of Alex is what we have seen in the first two books and that is exactly the facade he puts up for everyone. Alex is an uber-genius who at 19 is getting a Ph.D. that is frankly too easy for him. He is used to be the odd one out as he was always younger than his classmates and the weirdly smart kid who didn’t fit in. So he puts on this “nerd chic” vibe and grabs his control wherever he can, which turns out to be enjoying random sex with lots of guys. What I liked here is that we learn along with Theo what’s really behind the public face Alex puts on, and see how much more there is to him. It is nice to see how Alex lets his walls down with Theo and shows the real him. And it’s equally nice to see how much Theo encourages and supports Alex to be who he wants to be and reach for what he enjoys, rather than feeling the weight of so much expectation.

I found Theo not quite as well developed as Alex, and I don’t feel like I finished the story knowing as much about him. But I did like the way he slowly comes to terms with his feelings for Elijah and about his brother dating the man he thought he loved. The progression happens smoothly for Theo to recognize he doesn’t feel the same way about Elijah as he did before. Although Theo and Alex have some small miscommunication issues as they try to make the move from friends to boyfriends, I did enjoy watching them fall hard for one another. As with the other books in this series, the story is super sexy with lots of fun in the bedroom.

This series is totally my vibe, with lots of sexiness and steam, great relationships, and some nice character development. I can definitely recommend giving these books a try.