Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Can You Hear Me?
AUTHOR: Geonn Cannon
PUBLISHER: Supposed Crimes
LENGTH: 278 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 2018
BLURB:
For the next two years, Colonel Noa Laurie – the sole survivor of a disaster which destroyed the International Space Station – will be orbiting Earth in an experimental craft called ODIE. Her mission: to clear away the treacherous minefield of space junk that has accumulated around the planet and endangers future missions. Her only lifeline during this mission will be the radio connecting her to the command center and whoever happens to be assigned to the communications desk.
Or so she thinks.
Because tucked away and almost forgotten in an Indiana woodshop is an antique radio. Its owner, Jamie Faris, occasionally uses it for eavesdropping on the truckers passing by on the highway. One day in the third month of Noa’s mission, Jamie uses the radio to vent her frustrations by screaming into the ether. She screams and rages and curses into the thick static knowing it won’t matter because no one will hear, but she’s wrong… someone is definitely listening.
And she’s about to say hello.
REVIEW:
Though Geonn Cannon is a pretty prolific lesfic and fan fiction writer, this is the first published work I’ve read by him. I’m definitely excited to read more of his works now—he’s an awesome storyteller who knows how to blend a great plot with believable characters and a scorching romance.
This book’s plot drew me in right away. It takes the long-distance relationship trope to a whole new level by having the characters separated not by a few miles but by a whole atmosphere. This is a unique story that I’ve never read before, and Cannon does a good job of establishing Noa’s career and significance in the larger realm of space travel (including a biopic about her with Charlize Theron as the leading lady, which is amazing). The romance takes center stage, but the characters are crafted carefully as individuals as well—we’re just as interested in Noa’s day-to-day life in the ODIE and Jamie’s relationship with her ex-husband as we are in their budding romance.
The stakes are set appropriately high by establishing that Jamie and Noa’s passionate romance is as tenuous as a single radio connection that only holds for hour-long windows depending on where Noa is above Earth. If Jamie cannot connect for any reason, Noa has no way of knowing why—and when their connection is lost, even for a brief amount of time, my heart absolutely broke for them both. We fall for them so fast that when they cannot communicate, the tension feels unbearably high.
Even though they’re far apart, Jamie and Noa’s love for one another is written so beautifully. They can connect sexually (with all of the awkward phone sex mishaps that occur with even the most mundane long-distance relationships) and they make do with a few photos of one another for company. Their imaginings of meeting one another (either on Earth or in space) are well-written and take on a hazy, dream-like quality that showcases the true depths of their pining. And Noa’s isolation as the sole astronaut in the ODIE makes us excited for the way when the two women can finally meet and establish the last link of their connection.
Though Cannon does a great job with the basics of Noa’s experiences in space, I wished there was a little more science involved. I wanted to know more about Noa’s ship and her expertise as a pilot, and the added info would’ve elevated the plot tension even more. I think the science research was especially rushed towards the end of the book.
This is a fantastic story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you savoring every moment the characters have with one another. It’s a classic romantic story with a fresh, unique plot.
RATING: 
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