Zero Control

by Trina Lane

Keiji Pacheo knows there is something very wrong with one of the smart weapons his company has fast-tracked for production. Something has to be done to protect millions of people from being targeted. But apparently, he is the only one willing. He needs help or artificial intelligence is going to run amok and destroy the world!

Sergeant Major Rick Davis thought it was going to be just another day at work, but he quickly finds himself defending his professional integrity, fleeing from the NSA, and racing around the world with a crazy, but seriously hot, software engineer. He never expected a cyber defense gig for the US Army to turn into a real-life action movie. Therefore, it’s only logical to ask just what IT gods he’s pissed off.

Together Rick and Keiji have to figure out who they can trust to help them navigate the unexpectedly dangerous world of cyberwarfare. Along the way they discover there is nothing so simple as hitting reset or flipping off the power when the problems spread to other military systems. Keiji has to rely on Rick's skills to keep them alive, and Rick needs Keiji to stop the first set of smart weapons ready to deploy. Can they really make a difference when it seems like the whole world is against them?

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2024

About the author

Trina is a scientist with a passion for history, music, and photography. She loves to travel and experience new places but is terminally shy around people she doesn't know. When the zombie apocalypse occurs, you'll want to find her because she's a crack shot, and promises to take out those nasty decomposing flesh-eating vermin before they have a chance to make you their snack. Her favorite aunt gave Trina a sultry romance novel to read while they were on vacation together back when Trina was in middle school and made her promise not to tell her mother. She's been hooked ever since! Her choices in reading and writing material are as diverse as her Apple Music library, which contains music from Mozart to Metallica. Her one concession is all stories must have a happily ever after ending-did we mention she's incurably romantic? She's the mother of a very strong-willed and sweet little boy who frequently makes her smile and grimace within seconds of each other. She firmly believes that the sweetness comes from her, and the other part is her husband's fault. She loves to hear from readers, and her greatest wish is that we all strive to achieve bigger dreams.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

8% DNF.

I started into chapter 2, but man. I just can't with this one. The prose is choppy, with some odd choices, and the 'plot' is just not realistic enough. It's a bad combination. There's also a scene shift with no scene break, which is jarring. The MC is sort of ok-ish, but every other character is minimal. The dream that starts the book is the most realistic. I don't even know what to think about that.

Anyway. BIG nope.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 Stars

This is definitely a solid 4 star story for me. It was so interesting and pulled me completely into trying figure out who is behind the sabotage. I'm absolutely going to read book two when it's available.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[C.S. Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero Control is Book One in Trina Lane’s all-new military, action-thriller romance series, Got Your Six, and it’s every bit as enjoyable and exciting as a Hollywood blockbuster! Full of techno-intrigue, explosions, faraway countries and top-secret facilities, with a high-heat, high-energy relationship mixed in for your pleasure, so even if military isn’t your genre go-to, I’m here to tell you to take a seat and give it a try.

Rick Davis, Sergeant Major in the US Army, works in cyber defense after experiencing one too many deaths on the front line. Jockeying a desk might not be as adrenaline-pumping, but Rick is good at what he does and is proud to serve where his skills are needed. And needed he is! Oracle, a program being built and tested to predict supplies in-need, has been acting… funny. It’s almost like the system is changing requests of its own accord, and if Rick can’t find the fault in the coding, nail down what sort of malware has been introduced, or find which infamous hacker is clearly bored and looking for some fun, Oracle might end up shipping crates of toilet paper to soldiers in desperate need of ammunition, which could put a lot of lives in a precarious situation.

Keiji Pacheo isn’t a soldier or some glamorous tech genius. He’s a software engineer for a company called Blackraptor. Blackraptor is delving into weapons development and Keiji is just a cog in the wheel—until he finds a problem with the long-range smart device being put into production for the DOD. Some sort of... coding glitch...? It’s awfully similar to the issues Oracle is facing, the difference being, Ascaris could actively kill a lot of people if this coding problem isn’t diagnosed and fixed ASAP.

Cue Keiji being removed from the project, Rick being escorted from his office on base by MPs, and the two come together in the unlikeliest (and to be honest, coolest) way possible. And when Keiji and Rick trust and work with each other to bring to light the concerns over a common problem, a great supporting cast of characters is introduced, and the reader needs to buckle their seatbelts for a nonstop ride of action and romance!

I feel like there aren’t too many military-themed gay romances (as compared to powerhouse genres like general contemporary, paranormal, or mystery) and they definitely are not my forte either, but I can attest that my very basic military knowledge was more than enough to guide me through Zero Control, as Lane does an excellent job at providing solid ground to stand on through both narrative and dialogue, and even builds your awareness of US military/political ins and outs without having the reader really notice! This book was wonderfully exciting, especially with the very timely plot of AI technology and how it can go horribly, horribly wrong. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book, which will focus on a new branch of the military and a new couple.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While i have read a lot of good books i am picky about giving out five stars. In order for me to give a book five stars it has to be really good, and for me Zero Control hit it out of the park. The main characters, Keiji and Rick, pull me into their story from the beginning. Keiji is a computer expert working for a private company. When he notices a glitch in a program, and his bosses do nothing he goes for Rick. Rick is in the military and after changing his MOS he oversees a computer department that is having issues with the program they are working on. When Rick is pulled in by the MP's and Keiji breaks him out the real adventures beginning. There are two parts to this review. First the romantic aspect - the chemistry between the two men is strong right from the beginning but instead of jumping straight into bed the men work on whats most important, saving the world. This does not mean there is no spice because when they do come together they are intense. Second - the action is non stop. There is a strong secondary cast that are just as interesting as Rick and Keiji. They also leave you wondering which of them is going to turn out to be the bad guy. There are so many twists and turns that you will be turning the pages just to find out what will happen next. There was more than one OMG moment for me and I love that about this book. I am so glad that this is the first book in a new series. I can't wait for book two.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars with mixed thoughts for this one.
If you love books with lots of details and dangers this will be for you. Unfortunately for me this had a lot of computer jargon and scene information that was lost on me.
❤️A great start to the book with an action scene with Rick and his men under fire from the enemy. But that was in his memory resulting of a dream. 
What comes next is a ultra fast love story with dangers over a short time for the book.

Sergeant Major Rick was working to find problems in a program for Oracle which they suspected it was being hacked with an AI code. Rick days get worse when he’s gets held for questioning until he’s broken out by someone unknown.

Keiji is a software engineer trying to help Rick take down the bigger enemies of warfare. Rick and Keji are hot for each other at first sight and their story progresses. 

A great story for figuring out who to trust or not which was a big part in this book, but they make headway into a plan. The dramas and the fast paced mystery unravels to find their enemy before the world changes forever. The hot sexy scenes are smoking sizzles along with their chemistry as they’d find snippets of being together away from the excitement of the mission. I loved the secondary characters in this especially when they join the team onboard the plane to fly out, humor and banter are fantastic. A fantastic ending to the story with an HEA finish with both their POVs included.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

This is the first book that I’ve read by Trina Lane and it won’t be my last. I thought that it was a good start to the Got Your Six Series but I did get lost in quite a few places with all the computer jargon. This book was thrilling and considering the way the world is using a lot of AI, it’s quite frankly scary thinking that this could possibly happen in the future. I really enjoyed meeting Keiji and Rick and thought that they make a great team. I loved their banter and they hit it off instantly.

This book is very instalove, which I usually don’t like but I don’t blame them for getting close and after all the sh*t they went through during this book it obviously bonded them together faster than usual. I thought their chemistry was off the charts. I really liked the secondary characters that were part of the investigative team, all their different personalities shone through. I’m looking forward to reading Northern Current next, as well as more books by Trina Lane in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Davis and Keiji Pacheo are brought together in a thrilling chase to find the reason behind a breach in military security that, aside from making Rick a person of interest to the CID, has possibly globally catastrophic potential. Both men are brilliant in their own areas of technological expertise, which endangers them and the people with whom they eventually align themselves to help save the world. The suspense is riveting, and though the feelings that emerge between them are very insta-lovey, I don't mind it since in the circumstances in which they find themselves, and with their forced proximity added to shared interests, it is believable. I enjoyed the story as both romance and suspense, as we see both strands working out, sometimes in tandem with each other, throughout the story. Even the unexpected and very sad event that occurs, while it is heartwrenching, only adds to the believability of the tale.

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up

It’s a fairly fast paced story with disturbing reality about how AI can be manipulated.

Ricks and Keiji have e case of insta-lust turning into insta-love but both come over as likeable characters and I like the way they interact and are open about their feelings .

Downside of the book is a huge amount of techno-speak and it can get overwhelming, it made me skip some paragraphs.
The last part of the book and the unveil of the villain got really confusing as everything started to happen very fast.
Having two characters with similar names also caused me to double-check who is who sometimes.

But, it very good in being a story about trusting everything you previously believed in and the secondary characters are also well written and I would love to see some of them again.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keiji (of the killer cheekbones) rescues Rick from a situation that could land him in a black site detainment facility. They race to find answers to questions that probably haven’t even been asked yet while quickly deciding they can’t live without each other. Instalove at its best and hottest.

Their race to stop the threat, aided by an excellent cast of characters. Snarky and sweet. Loved the movie references and quotes.

I was confused at times with all the tech and government acronyms (looked up more than one). But as I got engrossed in the story that faded a bit. The AI connection is very timely and frankly scary.

The author has created a well written action thriller with very likable leads.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the political/military/techno thriller and this new author to me has used the current issues with AI and cyberwarfare to magnificent effect in this story. I was hooked from the first page and had real trouble putting down the story of Keiji and Rick and their struggles to understand exactly what kind of weapons and technology they are dealing with and try to find a way to prevent their use by those who would destroy rather than build. The developing relationship between Keiji and Rick was also well handled and the story balanced the personal, the action/adventure and the presentation of information about AI and weaponry perfectly. Very happy to see this is book 1 and there will be more to follow.

[Thrilled Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was so intense it made my head hurt! I would say that the technical part of this story (which is significant) means it is not a light- hearted tale for those looking for a quick read with a HEA. However, for those of you looking for an intense thriller with some steamy love thrown in, this is your book! Rick and Keiji are perfect for each other and the cross-cultural aspect of their relationship is very interesting. I love near the end of the book when after they've survived being killed twice Rick says, "when this whole thing is over, I want to take you on a date." That was perfect, as this was a whirlwind romance with a capital W. I loved this book and definitely recommend it to the above- average intelligence reader!

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

Keiji Pacheco and Rick Davis get roped into a high-stakes political game with a lot of twists and turns that end up being a whole lot bigger than they ever imagined.

Rick and Keiji had amazing chemistry both in and out of the bedroom. I really enjoyed seeing them working together. 

Zero Control is a fast-paced, well-thought-out thriller, and it's very well-balanced with a steamy romance between Rick and Keiji, and a rag-tag team of secondary characters that I'm looking forward to getting to know better. The only reason I didn't rate it higher was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but I still have no trouble recommending it.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. *** 

[Vols77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wnen I was first given the chance to read this as an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews, I would not sure as it is not my klnd of read. I typically go for rom com contemporary romance and while this book had the instalove theme, it had more depth and complexity than I read. I will admit to being lost at times with jargon but the action kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering where the book was going to go next. I loved the MC of Rick and Keiji especially when they teamed up to talk on this mystery in this book. A very timely read that will cause you to think.. I did receive an ARC and leave this honest review.

[Malia Winger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sgt Major Rick Davis is a solid career soldier. After serving his time in combat he has switched his focus and is working behind a keyboard with the cyber divisions. While trying to unravel a serious error in a new system he finds himself pulled into a high security, high stakes game by programmer Keiji Pacheo. This story balances the best parts of a high stakes political thriller and a spicy love story. Both men are strong, well rounded characters and even though they fell in love at light speed it was always believable. And the supporting characters have me hoping this is the first of a series.

[Nevergreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had promise but it needed several more rounds of rewrites and edits to get it there. The writing was serviceable but there were multiple instances where I could not figure out who was speaking. Additionally, there needed to be more description of what was happening around the dialogue as characters would move from one place to another without any indication they had moved. The military lingo was not explained and should have had at least something there to give context to the reader. The characters showed promise, but needed more time. The plot...should have been interesting but was both basic and convoluted at the same time. Overall, I'm disappointed in this.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I haven't enjoyed a story more on this level in a long time. The adventure, the characters, the story - excellent! The characters are intriguing and you just want to read their origins. I liked that I understood the references, nice!More please! Great dialogue exchanges. First and not the last time reading this author. Kept me on the edge I didn't want to put the story down. I will reread this story several times. Eagerly waiting to hear about the rest of the team. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cheezie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s actually a DNF. There is wayyyyyy too much technobabble for me. I was totally confused about what was going on in the supposedly exciting hacking scenes.

The concept was intriguing and I found the characters likeable enough. The idea of rogue AI/hacking military targets is scary and I could relate to that fear. But there were so many acronyms and so much unexplained computer stuff, I couldn’t keep up. Not a bad book, just not for me.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author. I picked up the book because the blurb made it sound really interesting and different than what I normally read. Ok, so there is insta-love, which I'm not a big fan of. But the action in this book DID. NOT. STOP. I never in my life thought a book about AI and computer code would have so much edge-of-your-seat action. I had fun reading this !

[Sandy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just recently discovered this author and I absolutely love her books. This story was really the best. looking forward to the next story in this series. I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author and this is the first book of a new series and I’m hooked the story caught my attention from the beginning and I can’t wait to see how the story progresses in the next book of the series.

[REKH · Rating 4 out of 5]

New author: Yes
Format: ARC
Narrator(s): NA
New: NA
Audiobook challenge: NA
Rep: Queer romance (gay)
Keywords: military thriller, Army, CID, cyber security, defense contractor, AI, Japanese-American, drones

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He knows there is a problem with the new weapon but no one will listen to him about it. It was rushed through and now millions could be at risk. He needs to stop it before millions die. Can he find help? Can he stop the weapon being used? Will he succeed? See if can stop it before disaster hits

[Dray Hack · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun ride

This book was definitely action packed but also had some good humor. I really loved all of the movie references. I also liked the amount of technical talk amongst the swoon worthy romance.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/3.5*
Action packed - a salutary lesson on AI indeed.
Lots of tech jargon.
Felt the dialogue between Keiji and Rick when they were talking about their relationship was a bit too lovey dovey for me and occasionally took me out of the story a bit.
Overall, a good action romp

[Rani]

This was such an action packed story and a great start to the series. Rick and Keiji are really good together as well. Am looking forward to the next book

[Elizabeth H.]

DNF

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great plot with technology, AI, military! But dang, no chemistry b/t MC’s, cringy declarations of love, just did not fit the protagonists.

[Jenette · Rating 2 out of 5]

A distinct lack of chemistry and I found it really hard to feel like there was a real threat looming. Also, that any of the choices made here were logical.