Connection Error

My favorite of the three books. Loved it! Loved the entire series. Narration by Sean Crisden was great!

This time around there's no gay guy in a painfully traditional family. Instead, both families are supportive - which was nice. Also, the two guys gamed together a lot, which was also nice. Unfortunately, we don't actually get to see much of that at all, which wasn't so nice. I also like both guys from the start, even if Ryan can be a bit of a jerk at times. Josiah is a total sweetheart on the other hand, and I was really surprised at how much I liked him given his character in the previous books. The only real complaint I've got is that I was still hoping for more to do with the game. Really, the gaming aspect was the whole reason I picked up this series so I'm a little disappointed that it's just background.

When we first meet Josiah in Beta Test, the second book in Annabeth Albert's “Gaymers” series, he was portrayed as hyperactive, immature and moderately annoying. I knew he was sequel bait but thought it would take quite a bit of skill to turn him into hero material. Fortunately Albert proves in Connection Error that she is more than up to the task. Josiah has ADHD, which he manages with medication, but even on meds he is still disorganized and impulsive. He is also smart, enthusiastic and caring, coming across sometimes like a giant puppy dog. When he meets Ryan, a Navy SEAL and double amputee, Josiah doesn't always say the politically correct or polite thing, but he doesn't assume that Ryan is helpless to take care of himself either.

The slow burn relationship between the two MCs is lovely to watch, as Ryan's fears about his sexual ability as an amputee are pretty much demolished by Josiah's eagerness to try anything that will make Ryan happy. But there are other obstacles to their relationship, and Albert shows both men moving past major challenges in their own lives before they can be a team together.

Josiah had me at hello with his good-natured energy; he may be my favorite Albert MC to date. I'm not a big fan of military heroes but Ryan gradually won me over as well with his quiet determination and his heartfelt need to be a part of a team. I also appreciated the fact that there was no angst about the MC's homosexuality in this story - they were both out and felt supported by their family and friends - so the drama was purely related to their relationship dynamics, not their sexual preferences.

Connection Error may be my favorite book so far in the “Gaymers” series. I don't know how many more potential Space Villager employees Annabeth Albert plans to write about, but between this and the “Portland Heat” series, she has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary m/m romance authors.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.