Biochemistry

Good narration, story not as good as first book

In book one, we met Josh and Brendan, a coach and a professor/genius who fall in love. Josh is here as the coach of Freddie, the star quarterback, and acts as a counselor for Freddie as he navigates his decision to come out.

Kurt is out and proud in his new college but he’s already been the victim of bullying so he’s a bit gun shy of jocks, especially closeted jocks. So when Freddie tries to strike up more than just a tutoring relationship – it’s understandable that Kurt is a bit reluctant to take a risk.

Freddie, on the other hand, is captivated by Kurt and thinks he might be the reason it’d be worth facing his family and friends with his new “truth”.

**

I loved book one so much! Brendan and Josh were really sweet and adorable and I was hoping for something like that here.

Instead we get Freddie who has trouble in school, has trouble making decisions and has self-esteem issues when it comes to his family. I’m not sure what he sees in Kurt or vice versa and it was hard rooting for them as a couple.

Kurt is a bit of a bossy bosserton who waffles and gives in pretty easily in the face of only a very minor bit of pushing on Freddie’s part. Besides his physical appeal I didn’t see what he saw in Freddie nor did Freddie give any good reasons for Kurt to trust him.

Freddie’s actions didn’t feel authentic and I wasn’t really feeling any chemistry between him and Kurt so this wasn’t a romance that let me believe they’d still be together in the long run.

3 of 5 stars

Audio

Nick J Russo is a great narrator and really seemed to hit Freddie’s football persona on the head! I LOVED Freddie’s roommate – the drawl Nick gives him is pretty funny and it actually added a bit of much needed color to this somewhat drab romance.

I definitely enjoyed listening to this more than reading it as Nick was able to draw me in to the characters with his well-done narration.

4.5 of 5 stars

Overall 3.75 of 5 stars

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Great story

Great writing and great Narration. Author had me drawn in to the story and caring about the characters and what would happen to them.

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Sweet story

First days of school are the worst! Add in an entitled and obnoxious football jock, a twisted ankle and things does not look good for Kurt. When said jock also ends up as his lab partner for the semester Kurt is anything but happy. Especially since he's trying to make Kurt do his work for him.

At the surface Freddie is the epitome of an entitled jock, who never had to lift a finger in his life or put much effort into anything but football. So when he finds himself in biochemistry class, and way over his head he does what he normally do - tries to get someone else to do the work for him. Only this time that doesn't work out quite the way he expected.

Biochemistry didn't have quite the same feel to it. It was still about the nerd and the jock, but it lacked a bit if the sparkle I felt in the first book. It was an enemies to lovers story and a really good one at that. Kurt and Freddie fit well together, that is when Freddie let his guard down and we really got to know who he was, his wants, dreams and fears. And watching him grow as a person, take that chance with Kurt, falling for Kurt was beautiful.

Nick J. Russo did a great job narrating this book too. I love listening to his voice, his narrations. He has a genuine talent and his books never disapoint.


A copy of this book was generously provided in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes.

Fun Jock meets nerd college coming out fantasy

Kurt Maxwell, nerdy, out & outspoken, scholarship student from a poor Pennsylvania family, transfers in his junior year to a more prestigious school and is determined to do well.

When he's teamed as a lab partner with Freddie Samuelson, the studly closeted/clueless quarterback, scion of a wealthy east coast family, who shares a name with several campus buildings, friction is inevitable, and in the case of m/m fiction some sweaty wish-fulfillment fantasies.

This is a fun, if periodically incredible, romp in the hay, centered on the modern college experience. Sure there are plot glitches - (What guy gets a drivers' license without ever getting his eyes checked?")

However, if you're in the mood for fantasy fulfillment and aren't too concerned with the elegance of the prose (or plot plausibility) then this may be the book for you.

As I was reading this I was reminded of the time I once helped an artist friend take an estate donation of "folk art" from the NY Met down to the Smithsonian. It was an astonishing mix of clever mixed with crude mixed with meaningful.

Somehow listening to this book reminds me of that collection. This will not be to everyone's taste but if you are the type that can see the art in it, it can be a lot of fun.

It should be noted that this is the second book in a series but can be read independently with no problem.

One purely personal sour note for me... Nick J. Russo, the narrator, in this book was tasked with recreating the voices of a number of gay men, some bone-headed jocks and even an assortment of women. His portrayal of the women and a few of the more effeminate men was border-line awkward for me as a listener.

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