I decided not to finish this book because I didn't feel a strong connection to the story or characters. I will not be rating it or writing a full review, but I appreciate the opportunity.

The premise alluded on the blurb was what attracted to me to the story in the first place. Sexy hackers and the women who love them? Heck yeah! Sadly, while I enjoyed the suspenseful and action-packed moments, the romance between Wren and Roarke was irritating, which kept me from investing myself in their romance. The chemistry was there and the connection too, but they were so adamant about not giving into their feelings that I ended not giving a crap if they ended together or not.

Zero Hour is the first book in Meghan Erickson’s new Wired and Dangerous series about a group of white hat hackers bent on revenge. Those who love the best friend’s little sister trope will eat this one right up. Roarke and Wren are combustible from the moment they both hit the page. The revenge storyline is compelling and provides the right about of suspense and action to keep the plot moving forward. As this is a series, the revenge storyline doesn’t end with the last page. Readers will have to keep going to find out what happens.

I really like Megan's writing but this book was just kind of meh for me - the characters, were just okay, the plot was just okay and I don't know that I'll remember any of it for all that long.

MEGAN Erickson is one of my favorite authors and this was one of the best starts to any of her series. It didnt let me down and gave me all the thrills and chills that I was looking for.

I had high hopes for the book, and maybe they were too high, or maybe it was just the wrong moment for me to go and read it. It didn't capture my attention, to be honest, at least not enough and I didn't really like the characters.

I tried getting into the book and gave up barely two chapters in. The characters were all annoying and idiots and could not stand another moment with them.

Zero Hour is the first book in Megan Erickson’s new Wired and Dangerous series about a group of white hat hackers bent on revenge. Those who love the best friend’s little sister trope will eat this one right up. Roarke and Wren are combustible from the moment they both hit the page. The revenge storyline is compelling and provides the right about of suspense and action to keep the plot moving forward. As this is a series, the revenge storyline doesn’t end with the last page. Readers will have to keep going to find out what happens. This was the first book by Erickson I’ve read and it won’t be the last.

The story reminds me of a 1980's movie where a high school student hacks into the pentagon - unknowingly causing problems (WWIII possible). Very dark and depressing story.

What’s it About? Racked with pain and bitterness over his brother’s death, hacker Roarke Brennan can’t rest until he avenges his brother’s murder. So he decides to put together an elite team of hackers to help him. Except he didn’t count on them driving him nuts. Especially Wren Lee, the one woman Roarke has always wanted but didn’t think he could have. She has her own reasons for wanting to join the team and no one is going to stop her. With Wren in the mix, things are more complicated for Roarke and the attraction that has always been between them is now something neither one of them can ignore.








Overall reaction to the book? As a contemporary romance Zero Hour is a solid read but as a romantic suspense there are a few things missing to make it a memorable one. I had no problem with the characters for the most part, I enjoyed them and want to read more about them.

Roarke is a grumpy bear, bitter, closed off, angry, and hurting over the death of his brother. I’m a softie for characters like him. He didn’t know how to handle his pain so he did the only thing he knew how; start planning how to get revenge on the ones who murdered his brother. This guy was an ocean of emotions waiting to break free and I loved his intense, no nonsense attitude because when a guy like him falls in love, he does it like he does everything else: All in with no regrets and forever. Definitely the strong, silent type.

Of course a hero is only as awesome as the heroine and Wren definitely was awesome. She’s gutsy, she’s intelligent, and she’s a survivor, something that comes across from the very moment she walks back into Roarke’s life. I love a woman who survives and comes out stronger in the end. She wasn’t the same girl Roarke knew and that’s another aspect of her that I loved. She was determined to get what she wanted and knew she needed Roarke’s help to do it. That didn’t take away from her confidence.

As a couple these two kind of tired me out with their back and forth. I loved the angst and the tension build up between them but I could have done without the constant backing away part that seemed to be a part of their courtship. They’d get close then someone would run away or get angry and they’d back off. Then the tension between them would build up, they’d get close and yup, someone would get mad and they’d go through the whole thing again. That went on for too long in my opinion. It got old real quick.

Romance aspect aside, Zero Hour’s real accomplishment is in taking a group of hackers, some of who may have questionable allegiances and motives, and putting them on a team with each other. Sort of the nerdy version of the Avengers, except there is nothing remotely stereotypical about these super smart hackers. Each of these characters brings something different and unique to the team, along with their own set of emotional baggage and that is something I can’t pass up on. I’m curious about them all.

One more thing I will say is that while Zero Hour grips the reader with its suspense, action, and revenge plot, the ending wrapped up too quickly and conveniently for my tastes. It felt unpolished and unsatisfying for me.

Click It or Skip It? Click It. As a starter book to a new series, Zero Hour isn’t bad but it could have used a bit more fleshing out towards the end and a bit less back and forth with the romance.

DNF.

It's been months and I still can't finished this book. It was just boring for me :/

First of all I would like to say that I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you how much I enjoyed this book, it was the oerfect combination of mystery, action, romance and great characters.

The mystery and action were essential in this book, because Roarke and his crew got into some pretty serious trouble trying to uncover the truth behind an event in the past that has affected them in some way or another. Each crew member was different and exciting to read about, there were several moments where I was really thrown by somo plot twist or revelation in the story and I loved those moments, I found myself screaming I'M SO INTO THIS!!! So many times that is a bit embarrasing.

And about the romance, well, let me tell you that it was ideal, it was such a contrast from the action packed scenes because both Roarke and Wren were very vulnerable when they were with each other, there were never misunderstandings about their feelings, there were some roadblocks but I think Megan Erickson managed to bring this two together in a wonderful way.

I look forward to reading more about this characters, some of them I already know what I want/wish to happen with them. I'm super excited for the future of this series.

Trust Megan Erickson to give me a best-friend’s-little-sister book that I don’t hate.

Roarke wanted Wren when they were teenagers, but she was too young, and the little sister of his best friend, so she was very off-limits. The feelings were mutual, but even so, he refused to act on them. It’s been about a decade since they’ve seen each other, and Roarke is in no way prepared for the woman Wren has become.

No longer the sweet homecoming queen Roarke remembers, Wren is determined to get onto the hacker crew Roarke is putting together. They’re going after Arden Salter, the man responsible for the death of Flynn, Roarke’s brother. Wren does want to avenge Flynn, but she also has her own reasons for wanting to take down Salter, and she’s not going to share those reasons with anyone.

Roarke is initially reluctant (there are no words to explain just how much of an understatement that is) to allow Wren onto the crew, but she manages to convince him. Arden’s son Darren has a thing for Wren, and the crew can use that to their advantage. Even Roarke, as stubborn as he is, realizes this is an opportunity they can’t pass up. (This sounds a little convoluted, but I swear it makes sense) Roarke’s objections to Wren being on the crew basically amounted to “I like you a lot, so you can’t be here”, which….. Nope. Wren tries to convince him that she can handle it, but he’s determined to continue to see her as the teenager he knew, and won’t even listen to her. Until she reveals the card up her sleeve and forces him to admit that she’s the only one who can help right now.

If I had one quibble with this book, it’s that I felt like I was dropped into the middle of the story. In fact, I went back to Megan Erickson’s site and made sure I hadn’t missed a previous book or a novella or anything that kicked the story off. There’s a lot of backstory for these characters and it’s just sort of mentioned and glossed over. It wasn’t an issue; I was able to follow along, but most of these characters had pre-existing relationships that the reader wasn’t privy to, and it left me feeling a little unmoored in the beginning. And to be fair, the backstory came up in conversations that read like actual conversations people would have. People with history speak to each other almost in code, and that’s how this read. I much prefer that to ridiculous info dump conversations that no human beings would ever actually have with each other.

But that’s a really minor quibble for what ended up being a fast and fun read. I’ve seen this book described as Hackers meets The Fast and the Furious, and I don’t think I can do a better job describing it than that. Our crew is determined to take down Arden and his son, and they’ll use their hacking skills and their sex appeal and anything else they need to in order to bring down Salter and his network.

Wren and Roarke’s relationship was a super-hot slow burn; if you’re looking for a quick payoff to a decades-long flirtation you won’t get it here. A lot of back-and-forth, a lot of near kisses and longing looks before they actually get down to it. I mean, this is Megan Erickson, so it’s fantastic when they do get down to it, but I could have done with a little less of the constant backing off by both of them.

And Roarke. At times, I wanted to reach through my Kindle and throat punch him for some of the shit he pulled. He really just has no idea how to be around actual people sometimes. I understand he’s spent most of his life behind keyboards, but there’s really no excuse. At one point, Wren accuses him of seeing her as more of an avatar than an actual person, and I think that’s how he sees most people. He has no problem interfering in people’s lives, whether they’ve asked him to or not, and rearranging things to what he thinks they should be. People are just chess pieces to him until Wren manages to make him see how that affects the very people he thinks he’s helping.

Wren wasn’t without her own issues. She has her reasons for wanting to take Salter down, but she won’t share those reasons with anyone else on the crew, and it leads her to take some really stupid, unnecessary risks. Both Wren and Roarke need to learn to communicate on a basic level before they can take their relationship anywhere, and it’s a really slow process. As it should be. No one changes at a base level instantly; it would have been ridiculous for Megan Erickson to write it as though they did.

This book was a lot of fun, and it sets up the rest of the series nicely. I’m really excited to move on and read the next book; Jock and Fiona are sure to be a fantastic couple. I generally expect a lot from Megan Erickson, both on her own or when she collaborates with other authors, and this book didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend that you pick this one up.

ZERO HOUR is fantastic with a writing style that flowed quickly and easily, with non-stop action that will have you glued to the pages. Roarke is not your average nerd. He's tough, tattooed, cocky, and very much an alpha especially around Wren. His mind set may be on making those pay for his brother's death, but it does bend a little toward her. As you read along, you will find out why he is so protective of those he cares about and feels a failure when he loses someone. Wren is amazingly gutsy and solid in her love for her family and friends, but she also was almost -- just almost -- willing to give up her HEA for revenge.

The hackers gathered in this group are varied and some are really frightening in what that can and will do to avenge their friend. There are a lot of secrets that come out and one especially surprises Roarke about this brother and one of the hackers, but you will have to read ZERO HOUR to find out what. The language at times is crude, but it fit all of these people and the situations they were fighting against to a tee. The moments with Roarke and Wren will leave you breathless in a very good way.

If you want action, dangerous heroes, brave heroines, sweet and steamy romance, and a very good ending, then get your hands on ZERO HOUR by Megan Erickson.

~ Annetta Sweetko, for Fresh Fiction

My complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=65123

Didn't finish. It had all the elements that I enjoy in a romantic suspense, but something about the writing or the way the characters interacted didn't allow me to connect with them. It didn't feel llike it flowed naturally. The characters names were used too much.

A very good hacker, you could say the best hacker wants to avenge the death of his brother. he gets a team together, to help him on tis revenge mission. What he didn't se happening was his mates sister also helping and joining forces, for her own reasons. There chemistry has been smouldering for years and it was bound to happen... It takes a long time to get there crap together and they finally admit and do something about it, low burn everyone. SLOW BURN! I didn't love this as much as I thought I was going to, I enjoyed it for hat it was, a nice suspense, mystery romance.

Megan Erickson kicks off her new Wired & Dangerous series with ZERO HOUR, a fast-paced take on badass hackers. I’m a child of the ’80s and fell in love with Matthew Broderick in WarGames, so my typical ilk of hackers is quiet, mild-mannered and invisible. Erickson’s version are brainy and broody, but are also packing heat and an ability to fight their way out of any physical altercation in which they might find themselves.

Since this is a series, I know we’ll catch further glimpses into the motivation and back stories for each of the players, but in this first installation we meet Roarke Brennan and Wren Lee. Not only is Roarke best friend to her older brother, Erick, but he’s the boy she crushed on as a teenager. But when the boys moved on to serious hacking gigs after high school, Wren was left behind. She returns with gusto when Roarke’s brother, Flynn, is murdered after discovering complicit motives with the owner of the computer security software company where he worked, Saltner Defense.

Flynn was handsome, charismatic and well-regarded by all, which made his death all the more devastating to the people in his life. It also made Roarke’s thirst for vengeance easier to pursue, because when he assembled a team to take down Arden Saltner, everyone was in. Including Wren (though he doesn’t realize it yet).

Roarke always refers to this retribution as “the mission,” which sort of makes me think in a manga mind frame, where defeating the Dual Monster Card Game is the only thing that’ll save the universe. Zero Hour is much more Hackers than WarGames, but it’s certainly a timely story, particularly with so many stories of hackers pilfering credit cards, passwords and politics making headlines in the real world. Cybersecurity is a big deal, and Roarke’s crew operates in the gray, seemingly neither black hat nor white hat all the time.

The element that drew me more in this story was the simmering romance between Roarke and Wren. As it turns out, Roarke’s harbored feelings for Wren for years, too, and has been keeping an electric eye on her life. “To him, Wren would always be fresh-faced, eighteen, happy … and unattainable.” In the 10 years since he’s last seen her, it was the young ideal he held close to his heart rather than the coding dynamo she’s become.

Though Wren has developed her own coding and hacking skills over the last decade, what actually gets her an in with Saltner’s son, Darren, is his physical attraction to her. And what cements her spot on Roarke’s mission is that attraction. No amount of binary will get the team as far as fast as exploiting Wren’s people skills. It’s a double-edged sword, for sure, because while he yearns for vengeance for Flynn, Roarke’s helpless attraction to Wren means he wants her safe and far away.

When it’s all said and done, the team scrambles for its own safety — safety in numbers doesn’t apply when being on the lam. And it certainly doesn’t apply when the biggest fish in the cybersea is an entity known as Maximus, who is always one ominous step ahead of Roarke and his crew …

Next in the series is Darkest Night, about one of the secondary characters I found to be most interesting. I can’t wait for Jock’s story!

*Originally published with USA Today's Happy Ever After: http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/02/08/dolly-r-sickles-recommended-romantic-suspense-zero-hour-megan-erickson/

3.5 stars for this suspenseful book filled with awesome characters.

I, oftentimes, find the first book in a suspense series arc to be a bit slow as the author builds up the drama for the remainder of the series. This book felt a bit long even though it really wasn't. There was a lot going on with backstories, character introductions, plot twists, suppositions, back and forth between the MCs and then things wrapped up kind of quickly in the end. Overall, I felt it was a good start to a series with a lot going on, but I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

This book has a kick-butt hacker heroine who is intelligent, independent and strong despite her fears and a hero who is stoic and alpha, but can be sweet and honest and not afraid to confront his emotions. And tattoos. Lots of tattoos.
It was a fast-paced story with just enough suspense to keep me reading. I was on the edge of my seat multiple times wondering how our MCs were going to get out of situations and whether everyone was going to make it through the mission.
Both Roarke and Wren are flawed, some of their lack of communication and assumptions of their youth bled into their adult interactions. This was probably the most frustrating part of the story for me. They do figure things out, but I thought their leap from "we can't" to "we are doing this" lacked a certain something. I do love a book where both adult MCs figure out an effective way to communicate, which they do. And the fine art of forgiveness - Wren does it better than I would have!

The hacker aspect was everything I was hoping for. Nothing too over my layman's head, but not so much information dumped that I lost interest.

I really loved Wren, her character as a whole worked for me. I wasn't quite on board with her lack of trust in her brother with her own agenda. Even if she wasn't as forthcoming with the team as a whole (considering their newness), I felt like her relationship with Eric, and his obvious confidence in her, would have warranted a bit more openness on Wren's part.
Then we have Roarke. Something about a guy who looks within himself and knows that his capacity to take another hit to his heart, to be able to acknowledge that he even *has* emotions, is a joy to read.

As far as secondary characters go, this group is special. This group of intelligent misfits has broken the nerdy mold, but they are definitely computer geeks. They all have an extra dose of attitude, but each of a different brand. Wren's brother and Roarke's best friend, Eric, respects Wren's abilities and her decisions. Longtime friends, he was all in for Roarke's revenge plot. I can't wait to learn more about Eric in his book (which I believe will be book 3). Jock is all sorts of amazing, quiet and strong with a hefty dose of compassion. I think he might be a superhero. Marisol has her own brand of strength, snarkiness, and femininity that translates well to an easy friendship with Wren. And Dade. I can't...I want so much more of him.