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pigeomita's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bfdbookblog's review against another edition
5.0
I have loved this series, but this is hands down the best book in it. This book has everything I love in a story! And who would have thought to put a recently injured, PTSD riddled double amputee with an ADHD super geek? Well, Ms. Albert did and they are so, so perfect together. I always love seeing such a broken, ex-military man become whole again. Ms. Albert hit a triple with this book for me as I’m a Navy brat from San Diego, I have an ADHD kid and I’m in IT. And once I picked this book up, there was no way I could put it down.
Ryan is an absolute mess, not that he’ll let anyone see that. He’s living with guilt, depression and PTSD and living in denial by thinking his life will go back to normal. And all that makes him grumpy and he feels unnecessary and unwanted. He’s pretty much blindsided by Josiah and doesn’t quite know what to do with him. But I absolutely love that the chaos and disorder in Josiah’s world actually has a calming effect on Ryan. Josiah is just a little bit of a mess. His ADHD leaves him scattered and extremely exuberant. He feels stupid and inadequate. He’s trying to prove himself to the world and no one thinks he can be the adult he’s striving to be. Ryan’s belief in him and his strength (even though most of it is for show) gives Josiah the strength he needs to believe in himself and prove to everyone else that he can be everything he needs to be…on his own. His out of control personality thrives under Ryan’s controlled personality. They are truly exact opposites that are perfectly made for each other.
There is some pain in this book. I was brought to tears a couple of times. But there is so much goodness that it absolutely is a must read.
We get a few glimpses of previous characters and I’m guessing the next book will be about Kyle and Pike so that should be interesting as neither character really endeared themselves to me. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Albert has for us in the next one!
Ryan is an absolute mess, not that he’ll let anyone see that. He’s living with guilt, depression and PTSD and living in denial by thinking his life will go back to normal. And all that makes him grumpy and he feels unnecessary and unwanted. He’s pretty much blindsided by Josiah and doesn’t quite know what to do with him. But I absolutely love that the chaos and disorder in Josiah’s world actually has a calming effect on Ryan. Josiah is just a little bit of a mess. His ADHD leaves him scattered and extremely exuberant. He feels stupid and inadequate. He’s trying to prove himself to the world and no one thinks he can be the adult he’s striving to be. Ryan’s belief in him and his strength (even though most of it is for show) gives Josiah the strength he needs to believe in himself and prove to everyone else that he can be everything he needs to be…on his own. His out of control personality thrives under Ryan’s controlled personality. They are truly exact opposites that are perfectly made for each other.
There is some pain in this book. I was brought to tears a couple of times. But there is so much goodness that it absolutely is a must read.
We get a few glimpses of previous characters and I’m guessing the next book will be about Kyle and Pike so that should be interesting as neither character really endeared themselves to me. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Albert has for us in the next one!
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars - I loved it!
This was a wonderful book and I couldn’t put it down. Unlike the previous two books this one is a bit different because both Ryan and Josiah are both out and comfortable with their sexuality and they both have supportive families. Ryan and Josiah have a wonderful relationship that shows that long distance relationships can work and communication is important.
Ryan was a confident and determined man who really is set on getting his life back and returning to active duty. Ryan was flirty and cocky from the very beginning and I really enjoyed seeing him go after what he wanted, which was Josiah. While he is extremely confident, he does have a lot of insecurities around his body and around his ex-fiance who recently left him. I enjoyed seeing him let go of these insecurities and work towards being comfortable again with his body. Also I think Albert did a great job at showing the good and the bad of his struggle with rehab and the loss of his legs.
“Josiah made him laugh. Made him feel important. Made him feel hopelessly tender and brutally strong at the same time.”
Josiah was an adorable character with a lot of personality. I loved seeing him build confidence in himself and learning to be more independent. It was wonderful seeing Ryan supporting Josiah and respecting his determination to do things on his own. He never makes Josiah feel helpless or that he needs to be tended to. Josiah was just a wonderful and sweet guy and I loved seeing him find love.
These two had a wonderful relationship. I loved how they built their friendship over emails and chats and, of course, online gaming. It really created a strong base for their relationship and was just a wonderful slow love that I didn’t want to put down. I just adored these two so much!
Trigger Warnings; ableism; hospitalizations and physical therapy; death of father mentioned; Ryan is adjusting to a recent double leg amputation and learning to use prosthetics.
nasaje's review against another edition
5.0
I like romances that are slowly and steadily building, and this fit the bill perfectly. Josiah (still unsure how to pronounce that) and Ryan seemed a good fit, and the angst of unrequited love, long-distance and uncertainty was enough to captivate me on its own, but Ryan's story separated this story from the many others like it and gave it another layer.
tikipoupower's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
4.0
Josiah Simmons can't believe he's late for one of the most important flights of his career. He's on his way to Germany to meet with the design team for an expansion to his company's wildly popular game. Despite his best efforts, though, here he is. And although part of him says he should remain focused--he gets distracted easily enough on his own--he can't help taking notice of the wildly attractive man sitting next to him. And it's a bonus when he learns the guy is a gamer, and he just happens to play Josiah's game.
Ryan Orson is hoping for an uneventful flight back to Washington, D.C., so he can get back to his physical therapy. His injuries have put his future as a Navy SEAL in question. But Ryan plans to do all he can to get back to active duty. When he meets Josiah, however, he decides the flight may as well be a little more eventful than he'd planned.
When their plane is rerouted to St. Louis due to weather, Josiah sees an opportunity to get to know Ryan better. But after he sticks his foot in his mouth, he figures he's ruined that opportunity altogether. There's something about Josiah that gives Ryan pause, however, and he finds himself willing to let things go long enough to help Josiah out for just one night. But what that one night might lead to is something neither of them has really figured out just yet...
--
This series is absolutely wonderful. The way Annabeth Albert writes characters is simply masterful. It's so easy to get into their world as a reader. And the writing is so engaging that I always find it difficult to put these books down.
I do recommend starting from the beginning just for the purpose of catching these in order. But they can all be read as stand-alone books as each focuses on a different set of main characters.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Ryan Orson is hoping for an uneventful flight back to Washington, D.C., so he can get back to his physical therapy. His injuries have put his future as a Navy SEAL in question. But Ryan plans to do all he can to get back to active duty. When he meets Josiah, however, he decides the flight may as well be a little more eventful than he'd planned.
When their plane is rerouted to St. Louis due to weather, Josiah sees an opportunity to get to know Ryan better. But after he sticks his foot in his mouth, he figures he's ruined that opportunity altogether. There's something about Josiah that gives Ryan pause, however, and he finds himself willing to let things go long enough to help Josiah out for just one night. But what that one night might lead to is something neither of them has really figured out just yet...
--
This series is absolutely wonderful. The way Annabeth Albert writes characters is simply masterful. It's so easy to get into their world as a reader. And the writing is so engaging that I always find it difficult to put these books down.
I do recommend starting from the beginning just for the purpose of catching these in order. But they can all be read as stand-alone books as each focuses on a different set of main characters.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
kara_hildebrand's review against another edition
5.0
Connection Error is book three in the Gaymers series and I just can't get enough of these characters! We've met Josiah before and I was happy to see he was going to get a story. Josiah has been chosen to lead at work and needs to travel overseas. When he meets Ryan, a sexy military guy on the plane, he can't help but be attracted to his muscles and tatts. When they get stranded at the airport, Ryan agrees to let Josiah share his room for the night. Josiah has to remind himself and his tongue to think before he speaks. He doesn't want to keep embarrassing himself. Ryan is on his way for grueling physical therapy for a life changing injury he suffered as a SEAL. He's not going to let the cute, geeky programmer get under his skin. Is he? When Josiah finds out he's a fan of his game he wants to pick his brain and play against him. Their attraction for one another is building, but they are going their separate ways. That is until Josiah leaves his laptop behind. Ryan has no choice but to reach out to him to try to return it. They quickly become friends over chat and while playing games late into the night. Josiah desperately wants to see Ryan again and he finally gets his chance when he returns back to the states. Ryan is done trying to fight his feelings for Josiah. He doesn't want his injury to get in the way anymore. Will Ryan let Josiah into his life and his heart? Can Josiah stop letting his ADHD make decisions for him and go after what he wants? I love this couple. Josiah is funny, smart and just all over the place, but he's real and can't hide his feelings. Ryan is sexy, determined and can't help but love Josiah for all his quirks. Both these men are dealing with real issues that seem to hold them back, but when they finally decide to move forward it's perfect. This is a story about friendship, trust, forgiveness, heat and love. They give each other what the other needs without even knowing it! I love that they can laugh through the passion. Ryan gets to be the dominating hero and Josiah gets to keep Ryan smiling. And I loved seeing all the men from Space Villager again. I can't wait to see who's next!
Josiah made him laugh. Made him feel important. Made him fell hopelessly tender and brutally strong at the same time. Turned hum on like crazy. And wound him up more than was healthy.
"Really? I figured you big bad SEAL types like to keep your love life on the down low."
"We do," Ryan growled, pulling Jos closer until they were nose to nose. "But you make me crazy."
Josiah made him laugh. Made him feel important. Made him fell hopelessly tender and brutally strong at the same time. Turned hum on like crazy. And wound him up more than was healthy.
"Really? I figured you big bad SEAL types like to keep your love life on the down low."
"We do," Ryan growled, pulling Jos closer until they were nose to nose. "But you make me crazy."
alienor's review against another edition
3.0
"I'm more worried about forgetting to pay the rent or screwing up my med reminders or getting so into work that I forget to eat. I do that. And what about Gracie? [the dog] What if I forget to feed her?"
I can't talk about the disability rep (Ryan, one of the MC, is an amputee and uses a wheelchair ; it seemed correctly handled BUT you should check ownvoices reviews) and I had complains with the story itself (nothing huge, but wasn't a favourite either) but the ADHD rep was A+. Seriously. I have rarely seen myself in fiction in that way. Wow.
enemies2lover's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0