REVIEW: Strong Signal (Cyberlove, Book 1) by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell

***NOTE: (Updated Mar 2018) Leaving the review not because of Santino but because of Megan. This is no way a denial of those hurt by Santino and and I actually do want to give a shout out to all the brave souls who bared themselves and told their stories. May they find the healing they deserve.)

RATING:

Amazon || Kobo

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.

Strong Signal is a standalone, full-length novel with no cliffhanger

Review

This has nothing to do with the book per se but I still want to say it anyway. Before this book, I just finished one that I knew was gonna give me a serious case of book hangover. And when that happens, I’m less forgiving of my very next read, which I feel is unfair. I knew I needed to shake up my headspace pronto, and what better way to do that than switch it up a bit. Enter Strong Signal. And sweet mommah!!! Book hangover be gone! All kinds of smexiness be in! I practically inhaled this book! I read this in under a day, and that says a lot for me!

Not a first Megan read but def a first Santino read *asks self why that is*. What a sweet treat, indeed!

Kai’s and Garrett’s worlds collided all for the love of online gaming. They are quite opposite at first glance but not really. Yes, they’re both gamers, but more than that, once they got to know each other, there’re a lot of parallels in their lives, including their personalities. It’s like seeing a coin from 2 sides, in the end, still the same coin.

Garrett is gruff, introverted at his core, but with a heart of gold. Oh, and can he talk the dirrrrty!*g*

VIA

Kai is just as introverted but more than that, he’s dealing with a serious medical issue. His online world is the only avenue that allows him contact. Oh, but he can be just as naughty!*g*

VIA

Interacting online is one thing. The digital world, after all, takes away some vulnerability that one can’t help but feel when face-to-face. Taking their relationship to the next level was sweet to see. There is so much familiarity already yet so many things to learn still. I fell for their chemistry right from onset. I’ve read other online smexy times in my romance reads, but somehow, theirs just took it on a different level. *fans self*

If I have any qualms about this one, albeit tiny, I wish it was longer, but then again maybe it was just me. Also, things felt a tad rushed in the end. I wished certain resolution could’ve been expanded a bit for it not to feel too convenient… just sayin…

Ultimately, I got what I needed, a sweet sexy read that felt genuine and honest. I will definitely recommend this to everyone.

*runs to device to take a peek at my other Megan and Santino books*

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie