Spoilers removed to review may jump around.
Having read The Perfect Lesson and The Perfect Voice, I have watched Trudie and Alex grow into the people they always dreamed of being. I have also witnessed the power of nurturing and the long lasting impact teachers can have in the lives of children. In that same breathe, we bear witness to the damage of bureaucracy and how disconnected decision makers can do more harm than good. Making Perfect Sense brings long awaited closure for those who believe that with love, dedication, and sacrifice - anything is possible.
In Part Two, we rejoin Trudie and Alex, post New York Gala fallout. Life is moving forward and Trudie doesn’t know what to think, how to feel, or even how to fathom working along side Alex. With great growth comes great discomfort and Trudie is in unfamiliar territory. She’s not alone in her murky sea of thought as Alex has his own skeletons to deal with. His ex-fiance Sheila has reared her ugly head, causing the woman he loves to flee without a word. Knowing Trudie’s tendency to be standoffish and skittish when she feels out of control and hurt, he’s on the outside looking in - lost at how to reach her when she still refuses to give him the time of day. He’s called, he’s texted, and when he drops off her stuff, he is shattered that she won’t even look at him. The only luck on his side is their paired project forces their paths to cross. Locked in a conference room (thank you Eloise), he is able to rekindle the connection, fanning the flames through heart to hearts and big reveals, allowing them to come together, yet again. The problem is, with two people as broken as they are - are they strong enough to build a bond that will last forever?
The evolution of Trudie’s character was visible in Part Two. In Part One, I constantly felt as if she was overreacting, shutting down, displaying more of a childlike behavior than a grown woman who has spent five years learning the tools she needed to move on. In Part Two, she was present, she was vocal, her inner voice pushed her to “grow up” and take ownership.
With the combination of part one and two creating a whole story, it is easy to see how this book would truly be a favorite for those in the education or psychology field. Unfortunately, while there were so many things I loved about Making Perfect Sense, the continuity of the overall story (looking at all three books - not just The Perfect Lesson), the cliffhanger, the 180 of the characters, and the laser focus on the school program for at risk children pulled me too far out to truly enjoy it.
The disservice of a cliffhanger is the “hope” that the reader has retained the information from the first part of the book. While Beth did provide a Prologue, the time between Part One and Part Two did make the recollection of facts somewhat cumbersome. For that reason, I felt lost the first couple of chapters. If this story simply stuck with the push and pull of Trudie and Alex, it would have been easier to jump right in. Instead, we needed to also remember the program Trudie and Alex were building as it is such an intricate part of the story. Again, Beth does a great job to re-inform the reader but it also creates a drawn out process to get to the meat/heart of the book. The real time of this book is also something I didn’t favor as it slowed down/dragged out the overall story. We just went through the entire first half of the book and understand the nuances of their high risk student program, Trudie’s background with her father, Alex’s background with his family, and the roadblocks of their relationship. In Part Two, I wanted to accelerate past that and arrive deeper into the story. While we did eventually, the journey was at a snail's pace.
I will warn that if you read The Perfect Voice, the lack of continuity between the two books may create frustration after awhile. For this book, focus on what you gather from The Perfect Lesson in terms of who Trudie is and her timelines of events. If you do read the Perfect Voice (or read it in between, like me) again just take away who Ruby and Daniel are as their story is referenced in The Perfect Lesson and more so in Making Perfect Sense.
Like those who truly enjoy Ali Hazelwood’s books due to their STEM affiliation, individuals with a psychological background would be the perfect audience for The Perfect Lesson and Making Perfect Sense. Unfortunately, outside of that realm, the book may be too focused on the psychological profile of its characters and educational/supportive impact of youth - pulling away from the essence of a romance. For those who are just looking for a romance to melt into, this would not be it. For those who looking for a Michael Crichton approach to romance - a book that educations as well as entertains, you may find what you are looking for.