I read this book back in 2016 and as is a common theme with me and netgalley I never popped over here when I was done to give it a proper review. Nor did I leave much in the way of reactions on goodreads as I just read it so fast. What I know, i gave this 3 stars so I liked it but I didn't love it. I have recommended this series to friends and loved that it spun off into the Out of Uniform series. I enjoyed this world and love that Alberts connects all her books together - even if its just an throw away line about the game created in this series.

Josiah Simmons is headed to Germany to meet with the new team he is leading for his video game company. He ends up sitting next to a hunky guy with biceps to die for on his connection to DC. Ryan Orson is headed back to Walter Reed to continue his rehabilitation after a bomb led to double amputation of his legs. Ryan is determined to work as hard as necessary to get back to active duty and hopefully an instructor position at Coronado. He is frustrated that things are not moving as fast as he had hoped, but he is sure with enough hard work he can make it onto his new prosthetic legs and get back to duty.

Josiah and Ryan have a great time together during the flight and chat most of the way across the country until the plane is grounded due to bad weather on the East Coast. Fortunately, Ryan has a hotel room and invites Josiah to wait out the time before their rescheduled flights together. The guys act on their attraction to one another, and Josiah would love more between them, but Ryan is still a little wary. He has done long distance before without success, not to mention he still has some anxieties about his missing limbs when in bed. But despite his intentions, Ryan finds that he continues to be drawn to Josiah and the two maintain their friendship even after they make it back onto their flights.

As time passes, the guys grow to become the closest of friends, talking regularly and spending evenings gaming (and some dirty Skyping). Josiah would love things to grow to more, but Ryan still is wary about a relationship, especially as his rehab is not progressing as he hoped and he is increasingly frustrated. Josiah is hopeful that Ryan will see him more than a close friend and instead as someone who can be there when Ryan needs him. But Ryan has a tendency to want to handle everything himself and is shutting Josiah out, despite his growing feelings. Now Ryan has to let himself accept that Josiah can be a real partner to him, and he must open up to Josiah or risk losing him for good.

Connection Error is the third book in Annabeth Albert’s fabulous #gaymers series. While the other two books had a little more overlap in characters, this one is pretty independent, although there are some cameos from past books as Josiah works at the same video game company as many of the others. So I think this could stand alone well, but I am really loving this series so I’d encourage you to start at the beginning.

I really loved both the storyline here and the way Albert develops the characters. Both these guys face some struggles that make them doubt themselves along the way. Josiah has ADHD and has some trouble with focus. He is leading his first team with this new project, and he has some stumbles as he gets used to his new position. Ryan is facing a rough rehabilitation and is trying to get out of his wheelchair into prosthetic legs and ultimately back to active duty. He is determined mentally, but his body is not cooperating. Ryan just wants to be useful, and he feels that without being a SEAL, he doesn’t have a purpose.

Albert really does a nice job showing us the vulnerabilities both of these guys face and the way it affects them as a couple. Josiah at times needs help with structure and tasks like bill paying due to his ADHD. And Ryan has a need to help and take care of things. So Josiah struggles with Ryan seeing him as an equal partner, not just someone to take care of. And Ryan is frustrated because all he wants to do is help and Josiah won’t seem to let him. Albert really explores these issues so well.

I also think she does a great job with Ryan’s issues being in a wheelchair. We can see his frustration and impatience that things are not moving forward as fast as he wants. He is weary of everyone treating him differently when he is in the chair — either that or he seems to be invisible. He doesn’t want pity and he doesn’t want help, he just wants to be treated normally. And Josiah somehow strikes that perfect balance of being there when Ryan needs him, but also never treating Ryan as anything less than an equal. In fact, Josiah sees Ryan as strong and powerful and sexy in ways Ryan really needs as he goes through the frustration of rehab. The guys are super sexy together and their scenes are incredibly hot, and also acknowledging of some of the adjustments they need to make due to Ryan’s physical condition.

Overall I found this one just really well done. I was drawn to these guys from the very start and this story captured my attention right away. I loved Ryan and Josiah together and the way Josiah slowly breaks down Ryan’s walls. They are so connected to one another, almost before they realize it. And Albert just really shows us so much depth in both of these men that I found them really fascinating characters.

So I really loved this book and continue to be enjoying this series. I would definitely recommend both Connection Error and the whole #gaymers series.

I’ve enjoyed every book in Annabeth Albert’s Gaymers series and while I liked Connection Error for me it didn’t work quite as well as the other books in this series. That being said there was a lot I liked about this book; the way these two met and became friends despite the missteps was interesting, their very different occupations and where they were in their lives added a lot of interest and the many obstacles they had to overcome set up the story nicely. What didn’t work for me is that for a lot of this book these two were separated by many miles and while their emails and messages to each other were great, they were missing the feelings you get from face to face interactions.

Add one ADHD video game developer with absolutely no filter with an injured Navy SEAL on medical leave while in rehab for significant injuries mix in some video game playing, a whole lot of flirting and some creative positioning and you have a romance in the making.

One thing was for sure I never had to guess what Josiah Simmons was thinking because the man simply could not keep a thought in his head. I only wish Lieutenant Ryan Orson was a little more forthcoming because I never really felt like we got to know him well despite everything he went through in this book.

I very much enjoyed their face to face (and body to body) interactions, but they spent so much time apart in this book that while I had no doubt their attraction to one another and that they missed each other, I didn’t feel the love connection between them. I did like that through their emails and Skype sessions they got to know one another, thus letting the reader get to know them, but I really needed more time with them in the same place together to feel that lustful passion turn into love.

Overall I enjoyed this story, but it just didn’t have the emotion I’m use to from Ms. Albert’s other works and I missed that terribly.

I originally received this to review, but ended up picking it up on the Kobo store when I needed a pick-me-up, rather later than the release date! It's the third in a series, but it's a loosely connected series with new main characters for each book; this one features Navy SEAL Ryan, an amputee, and game designer Josiah. Both of them have disabilities: Ryan is just learning to cope with being an amputee and going back to civilian life, while Josiah has ADHD which makes him impulsive and prone to forgetting the important things. This sets up a nice dynamic between the two of them, and I enjoy that it isn't just plain sailing: Josiah blurts out the wrong thing several times, apologises awkwardly, etc, etc, while Ryan's steady ability to look ahead and work things out helps Josiah steady himself.

It isn't all plain sailing in terms of their relationship, either, starting with a casual sort-of-hook-up in a hotel while stranded by snow, supplemented by some gaming, and slowly growing into a stronger connection which both of them avoid naming or solidifying for far too long, despite their growing attachment. The emotional stuff between them is well-written, and their actions make sense: there's no stupid misunderstandings that would just be solved by some basic communication, but rather genuine issues caused by their situations and personalities.

The exploration of Ryan's new disabilities is well done, in my opinion; it explores some of the difficulties he has with physicality, some of the things he has to get used to, but he is also unequivocally still a sexual person. Josiah's ADHD, too, is dealt with sympathetically.

There are quite a few sex scenes in this book, as with much romance (particularly queer romances); they're well-written and don't forget the characters' limitations or characteristics, and though they're not exactly essential to the plot, they are key in demonstrating how the relationship between the two men works and grows. The main thing that I enjoyed, though, is that it isn't just about the sex, and we get windows into both characters as they navigate life. My only quibble is that sometimes the time jumps felt a little weird, and the formatting of the Kobo ebook made it difficult to tell what was actually typed and what was just thought during the gaming sessions.

This one really packs a punch, angstier that the other two books in the series and wow, wasn't it worth it. By far my favourite of the series, highly recommended.