Strong Signal (Renée’s review)

Title: Strong Signal (Cyber Love #1)
Author: Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: February 15, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary
Page Count: unknown (2,814 Kindle locations)
Reviewed by: Renée
Heat Level:  4 flames out of 5
Rating:   4.9 stars out of 5
Blurb:

I was counting down the months until the end of my deployment. My days were spent working on military vehicles, and I spent my nights playing video games that would distract me until I could leave Staff Sergeant Garrett Reid behind.

That was when I met him: Kai Bannon, a fellow gamer with a famous stream channel.

I never expected to become fixated on someone who’d initially been a rival. And I’d never expected someone who oozed charm to notice me—a guy known for his brutal honesty and scowl. I hadn’t planned for our online friendship to turn into something that kept me up at night—hours of chatting evolving into filthy webcam sessions.

But it did. And now I can’t stop thinking about him. In my mind, our real life meeting is perfect. We kiss, we fall into bed, and it’s love at first sight.

Except, like most things in my life, it doesn’t go as planned.

Best internet dating book ever! It’s no secret that Hassell is on my “gotta have” list. I DEVOUR anything he writes. But pair him up with Megan Erickson, who can temper the grit and desperation you feel from his MCs……I knew this would be magic.

And it was! Not your typical internet introduction, Kai and Garrett meet within an interactive gamer world with no romantic intentions. And since Garrett is halfway around the world, stationed in Afghanistan, there is no plan to get introduced anytime soon.

The friendship turns to flirting which turns to DIRTY flirting and then turns to some smokin’ hot texting and Skype sessions. Santino has included a lot of text or email exchanges in his last few books. That’s the norm in today’s world, so this is brilliant, and the first half of this book contained some of the most entertaining conversations I’ve read.

The in-person meet had to happen eventually, and then reality came crashing. Will he feel the same about me once he meets me “in real life?” It made me wonder if Skype doesn’t count as “real life” when getting to know someone. Countless long conversations talking about life……..sounds like real life to me. Enough that our boys knew that it could be love with absolutely NO cheese involved.

But Skype can’t cover this kind of “real life,” can it? The reality of a veteran finding a job. The reality of severe social anxiety. The reality of a long-distance relationship.

I did have some leaky eyes toward the end of this one. Megan couldn’t temper all the feelz, cuz she’s so good at punching you with her own. Highly recommended!

***Extra sexy points for Garrett’s alpha protective tendencies!

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