Rocket Science

By: K.M. Neuhold

Narrated by: Zachary Zaba

Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Relationships aren’t rocket science. If they were, I might stand a chance of figuring one out.

Elijah

Saying I've had a crush on my best friend's older brother, Pax, most of my life is like saying the big bang was just an explosion. It's true, but I'm not sure that quite captures the essence of its true enormity.

I know he's only hanging out with me because I'm new in town and getting my PhD doesn't leave me with much time to make friends. And even if it did, my strength is mathematics, not friend-making. What I don't understand is why he kissed me...why he seems to want to keep kissing me. I don't think my advanced physics knowledge is going to help me figure this one out. But I think for once I'm okay with not knowing, as long as Pax and I don't know together.

Pax

He's still the awkward Nerdlet I remember...he's also probably the cutest, most tempting man I've laid eyes on. I know I should keep my hands off him, but this thing between us is like a force of nature. I want to be his first everything. He says we're nothing more than atoms crashing into each other. I'm no scientist but I don't think either of us are braced for the explosion.

Rocket Science is a stand-alone MM romance featuring an inexperienced nerd, a cocky player, and a satisfying HEA

©2019 Kyleen M Neuhold (P)2019 Kyleen M Neuhold

Narration sucks.

The narration is horrible. Don't waste your money. The narrator sounds like he's reading an instruction manual very stiff and robotic.

Omg loved this so much

There’s the perfect balance of sexy time and romance in this story, it’s pretty plot/character driven which I enjoyed. can I also mention how HOT it was hearing the scenes of Pax with his Nerdlet . 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 of steam for sure & the sweetness in this story is enough to give you a cavity. The narrator is new to me and I was completely sold on his performance of one of my favorite reads this year! His voices were pretty spot on how I imagined them. This is the perfect book to start with if you are unfamiliar with the author’s work as it is a standalone and showcases her talent perfectly. There’s plenty of banter/snark, the characters are fully developed, the entire plot is GOLD, and you get a lot of laughs with some fantastic love scenes (which I don’t even usually read).

Loved the nerdlet!

This book just gave me all the feels. I’d already read it, but listening to it was just as amazing. The new-to-me narrator was pretty good, too.

Oh how I adore this book!!!

I almost never both read and listen to a book, I just do not have enough time to do both and I want to get in as many books as possible. I make the rare exception for books that are 5 star reads for me, it is an o
pportunity to experience a book I love all over again and with an added interpretation from the narrator.
First the book: this is hands down my favorite book by KM Neuhold and I have read everything she has written. Rocket Science checked all of my favorite boxes: nerd, virgin, smart dialogue, sweetness and all the feels...I got butterflies more than once reading this book. And the steamy times were off the chart hot, but balanced perfectly based upon the characters. I adored Pax and watching him fall in love with Elijah, his Einstein, his Nerdlet, it was pure perfection! It was so well written and flowed effortlessly, I didn't want it to end.
The narration: Zachary Zaba is a new narrator for me. I will admit at first I was not on board with his voice, it was very deep and I had a hard time connecting with it, especially his voice for Pax. I am so glad I kept going though, because somewhere along the way everything clicked and I was sold. Pax is supposed to have a deep voice, that is how his character was written. His voice for Elijah was perfect and boy can the man read a steamy scene...he was spot on. I would definitely listen to him again and I am glad I got to experience him narrating this book!

“We’re all just atoms crashing together” 🔬💞

I loved the book and now I love the audio book even more! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

There’s just something about falling in love with your childhood crush and actually being together with him.

Nerdlet is adorable in so many ways, but also very practical in his thinking. I love how the simplified every other thing in his life & avoided any complicated situations. He’s a genius, focused and driven but also has the innocence and sense of adventure.

Pax is perfect for him. He’s the sexy older man who’s confident, settled and could protect and values his Nerdlet. 💙 I enjoy listening to them fall into bed together and fall in love with each other. It was inevitable. 💜

It’s a love story, not too complicated, it’s not like rocket science. 🚀 It’s a beautiful story, a fun read and perfect for those who want less angst.

The steamy scenes are hawt too! 😉

🎙 This is the first time I’ve heard Zachary Zaba narrate and he’s the perfect pick for Pax and Elijah. 👏🏼

This story is worth more than 5 stars! 👍🏼 Also, I can’t wait to read more about the rest of the characters’ story. 🙌🏼

Pax is disappointing

Angst with a heeping helping of heartwarming moments. Elijah was such a precious pure soul, and Pax was a callous cavalier thot with E's emotions and affections. I could have throat punched him all through the story. Pax had such a commitment phobia, that he acted like an immature player. I wished he had gotten a clue and grown up sooner instead of being such a D bag. Coward! Was truth and honesty to such a beautiful man so hard , Pax??? Elijah was the mature responsible one in that relationship. The narrator did a great job.

Great story with okay performance

I am always excited when an author announces one of the books I love is being produced as an audiobook. However, I listened to the sample, and I was on the fence. While I love Neuhold’s words, I was underwhelmed by the narrator. There have been times I was disappointed by the sample but was able to get into the narration once I listened to the entire story.
After listening to the whole audiobook, I think Zaba did a decent job. There were sound quality issues, and at times, Zaba seemed bored. He did do a nice job keeping the characters discernible. The sexy scenes were also nicely done. I think there was just inconsistencies that made me frustrated.
I would recommend you listen to the sample. If you are put off by the performance, just read the book. This story is so enjoyable and warming. If you are digging the audio, go for it.

3 stars

This book just didn't do it for me. It was cute and a bit sexy but I just found myself a little bored.

I need more

I loved this story so very much! The characters were so relation and loveable! The story was sweet and sexy. K.M. Neuhold has a way of bringing her characters together that has readers/listeners swooning.

The narration was alright. I think I just wasn’t a huge fan of the dude, but there were times I found it difficult to listen to. Over all though it was alright. I’d listen to it again.

Love this book!

Such a sweet, sexy book! And Zachary Zaba makes it even better. I highly recommend.

Nerd falls for best friends brother

Rocket scientist student, total geek virgin, wasn't looking for love, but....

Business man and family friend, not looking for love, bit of a playboy. The two are so different but....

The narrator is new to me but easy to listen to, although I did have to turn my speed down to 1, where I listen normally at 1.2.

More Than Atoms Crashing Together...

K.M. Neuhold is a fantastic author. Most of her work speaks to me and I find myself devouring everything that she writes. But, when Rocket Science first dropped, I read the blurb with an overall sense of disinterest. The lack of intrigue threw me for a loop because I love books where opposites attract. The proverbial underdogs snagging the unobtainable hotties are like a soothing balm to my damaged soul. So, not being drawn to Elijah and Paxton’s story was odd for me. But, because of my love for K.M. Neuhold and her work, I bit the bullet and downloaded Rocket Science to give it a chance. I thought that, perhaps, I was just being finicky and to a point, I was right in thinking so.

Elijah and Pax were a fairly decent couple to read about. Pax is the driven individual focused on his job and getting laid in his downtime. He’s not the sort of guy who does relationships, having cheated on boyfriends in the past, making him think that he should just avoid them at all costs. He’s not looking to start a relationship with his little brother’s nerdy friend. Elijah is not looking for a boyfriend. I think that he’s leaning toward the Demi side of the spectrum, so he’s not that fussed hooking up. He’s solely focused on getting his Ph.D. after moving to California, and he doesn’t have time for socializing. His best friend, Theo, has other plans though. Theo asks Pax to get his buddy out to socialize which ultimately sets the two of them up to fall.

I liked that Elijah was unapologetically himself. There were a couple of instances when he thought people were making fun of him and he didn’t withdraw. In one of those instances, he called the person out, letting them know he wasn’t there to be made fun of. I also really loved his nerdy, virginal innocents, and overall lack of experience when it comes to anything naughty. Pax, on the other hand, made me shake my head in irritation a few times. He’s this hot guy, full of confidence, and yet he didn’t have the balls to tell his friends that Elijah was the guy he’d been messing around with. I understand the Elijah wasn’t broken-hearted about that, but I felt dejected for him because he deserved better than that. There were a few other things that bugged me about how Pax treated Elijah, but in the end, it all worked out for them.

Theo was a bit of a mystery to me. He was in love with Elijah when they were younger but he got over it when bestie didn’t seem to notice him. Yet, when he finds out the Elijah is interested in someone, he gets overly protective and a little weird. I know that’s because he doesn’t want his friend to get hurt, but it comes off as possessive. Seph and Alex both seem like total sweethearts that I’d love to know in real life. I want to hug the hell out of Bishop for what he’s going through emotionally with Hudson. Bishop comes across as a man who wants to be in a loving relationship and Hudson treats him like a booty call. I can’t wait to finish reading Four Letter Word because I need to see how things play out for them, Leo, and Riot.

One complaint I do have about the audiobook version of this book is that Zachary Zaba, the narrator, seemed to read the book so fast! It felt a little rushed in my opinion. I could have slowed down the reading speed with the Audible app, but that’s not the point. Zachary is a ‘new to me’ narrator who does a pretty good job aside from the speed of which he read Rocket Science. In Four Letter Word he seems to have slowed down a bit which makes it more enjoyable. In the long run, he isn’t a bad narrator. I think the production of this audiobook might have just been a one-off.

In conclusion, Rocket Science wasn’t a bad book. It wasn’t my favorite of K.M. Neuhold’s work, but it was okay. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in reading about opposites attracting, especially those of the nerdy/player variety. I’d also say that if you enjoy K.M. Neuhold’s other books you’ll probably like this one even if you don’t love it.

nice, simple story

I loved the novel but the recording was low quality. The ambient sound could be better and the narrator clearly read a paperback. The noise cancellation was horrible, only deleting the silent parts, while in the spoken parts something like a matrix printer rumbled through the track.

great story

I really enjoyed the story but this new to me narrator was difficult to listen to. A few times I almost gave up on the audio to jump to the ebook.

If you are a fan of the narrator then definitely pick up this book. If he is new to you give it a chance. It took me about 2hrs in to be able to actually enjoy listening.

3.5/4 stars - decent story

I was a bit indifferent about one of this author’s previous books, but I liked this one more. Nice story. It did fizzle out a bit for me at the end, but I liked the relationship progression.

Perfect!

I loved this book the first time I read it, and I love it even more now that I've listened to the audiobook. Elijah and Pax are so freaking adorable. I instantly fell head over heels in love with both of them. Rocket Science had me simultaneously swooning and giggling. The perfect combination of best friend's brother and nerdy virgin, plus a wonderful mix of steam and banter, had me hooked on this story from the very beginning. I never wanted it to end. Plus, the narration was absolutely amazing, and brought Elijah and Pax to life perfectly!

Excellent

Rocket Science is another cracking book from KM Neuhold. A nerdy virgin and a commitment phobe player are our two main characters and their journey to HEA is adorable, funny and hot!

Elijah is socially awkward and really doesn’t know how to act around people, he had some bad experiences when he was younger that have dented his confidence and just had his best friend Theo to be himself with. He’s never had a boyfriend and secretly pined after Theo’s older brother Pax for most of his teenage years. Although I felt a bit sorry for Elijah he didn’t seem lacking in anything major, he was out pursuing his dream of working for NASA and love wasn’t in the picture. Oh how some time spent with his teenage crush Pax can change things.

Pax is a player and doesn’t really do relationships, he’s doing his brother a favour helping Elijah get out more and settled in to his new life in California. He certainly wasn’t expecting to start questioning everything he thought about himself. Pax is adorable even though he has no idea how lovely he is, some questionable decisions in his past have led him to believe he’s not boyfriend material and he seems to actively do what he can to ensure that’s the case. He doesn’t bet on Elijah sneaking his way into his heart.

The banter between these to is great, some of the texts between them had me laughing and I will certainly never look at a banana again without thinking about this book!

Zachary Zaba is a fantastic narrater, he gives distinct voices to Pax and Elijah and he’s amazing at the bedroom scenes!!

It’s an easy decision to get this one, you’ll not be disappointed.