A fantastic, suspenseful, quick read. Loved the action, adventure and the steam between these two characters. Although it was a quick read, there were no details left out and I really enjoyed the story.

Gabe and Lillian’s story made for on sexy novella! I love office place romances and this one was so good! This was my first book by Brynne Asher and I can’t wait for more!

5 STARS for Blackburn by Brynne Asher

This is the first novel by this author for me and I really enjoyed it as well as getting to review the audio version. Loved the narration for both main characters Lila and Gabe.

Cover is a great visual of Gabe
Age gap romance
Office setting where falling in love with the CEO is possible
Great plot twists
Happily ever after

When Gabe and Lila are kidnapped in the Nicaraguan rain forest while on a business trip they need to fight for survival as well as fight their growing attraction for each other. Lila is a southern charmed beauty working with Gabe when they are blindsided and barely escape with just the clothes on their backs and few other resources. I loved the dynamic between Gabe and Lila !

I very much enjoyed this audio version of Blackburn ! Great read !

Blackburn is my first Brynne Asher audiobook, and I promise it won't be my last. What a great adventure, written well, and narrated perfectly by Virginia Rose and Aaron Shedlock.

Lillian is a sunshine and rainbows personality, and Gabriel, her boss's boss, could not be more opposite in nature. His job, his history, it all has left him with a growly personality. But he can't help but be drawn to her. And because she's 'off limits' he does his best to be as surly as possible towards her. I love the growly/sunshine juxtaposition. When things go completely awry on a business trip, and Lillian is in danger, Gabe will do all that he can to keep her safe and make her his forever.

Aaron Shedlock was so great as Gabriel. He always delivers a fantastic performance, with emotion, heart, and plenty of heat and growl. Virginia Rose is also an amazing voice artist, and she captured Lillian's sunshine heart beautifully.

Spicy! I really enjoyed this one. The main characters were so dreamy and I would deff read this one again! Not for the faint of heart

Blackburn starts with Lillian, a sales rep for a software tech company and Gabriel “Gabe” Blackburn, CEO and owner of the tech software company and Lillian’s boss on a business trip in Nicaraga when they run into a bit of trouble......actually a whole lot of trouble.

Gabe has been completely aware of Lillian since the day he met her. He has had to work hard to avoid her because everyone knows you don't sleep with your employees, that’s a line he just won’t cross. So he has done everything in his power to avoid her to the point of being rude.

Lillian loves her new job. She loves everything about it except Gabriel Blackburn. At least she keeps telling herself that......Gabe is always rude and moody and she wants nothing to do with him. But because of her bilingual skills she is stuck with him on several South American sales seminars when her immediate supervisor has to cancel and Gabe attends in his place.

Blackburn is my first book from this author and I enjoyed it. It is a workplace romance, but this workplace goes from the corporate world to the jungle. Gabe and Lillian have to go into survival mode and emotions run high. This is a shorter story, so everything happens fast. I can appreciate the pace and the story flows well. It is action packed and held my attention well. The narration is great in the audiobook and I recommend giving it a listen.

If you're looking for a low angst romance and a quick listen, Blackburn is probably a good choice. There is a bit of danger and some violence, but not between Gabe and Lillian, but between them and others. From what I understand, this book is part of a multi-author series that is based on a world created by Susan Stoker. I'm not all that familiar with that world, but when I see words like Special Forces and Operation Alpha in the title or description, I kind of expect a bit more of it in the story. This couple is in a perilous situation, but the whole thing is resolved very quickly. Honestly, it felt like everything was over very quickly - the danger, the love story, all of it, and then we get the ending and epilogue, which felt almost like that part was longer than any other in the book. Don't get me wrong. It's an adorable conclusion, but I wanted more of what got them to that point.
Virginia Rose and Aaron Shedlock gave voice to Lillian and Gabe, and they both did a good job. I'll say here that I enjoyed Aaron Shedlock's narration of Gabe better than Virginia Rose as Lillian, and I'm really not sure why. I suppose part of it was that Shedlock's voice and way of reading the character just worked for Gabe - kind of the way I thought of Gabe in my mind. Rose doesn't do a bad job by any means. I just think she sounds a bit flighty when Lillian seems anything but. I don't mean the actual sound of her voice, it's more the tone - the way she put emphasis on certain words over others, the way she almost sounded southern, but not quite. That kind of thing.
So, what I'm left with is a middle of the road feeling about this book. It's not bad, but it's not something that will leave a lasting impression. I'm all for a low angst romance, but I feel like the situations in this one warranted more development.

Oh my goodness! I had this one in audio and I think I listened to it in one listen it was so riveting. Gabe is Lillian's boss and he they are on a business trip together when commandos attack their vehicle. What is he to do but protect her and get her out of there. Oh and while he is at it, all that protectiveness turns to possessiveness and finally all those repressed feelings are let lose. Lillian is sure Gabe hates her and she is not sure why. Everyone else in the office likes her and she does her job well but he hardly talks to her until they are struggling their way through the jungle. That is when all the shields come down. The banter between these two was priceless! I just wish this one was longer.

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Blackburn misses all the required elements of what makes a story. Due to its shortened narrative, there is no time to construct a one believable plot nor build a convincing romance. Overall, this was a waste of time because the reader is presented with a incoherent mess that isn’t even enjoyable.

Nice steamy well built novel
Well perfomed by narrators
Good combination of sweet steamy a little. Bit of thriller
First time I met read of this author and she is good
Short and refreshing
Received a copy of this ARC from and thanks to NetGalley

This was a short romantic suspense. There was chemistry between the two character but one character was left in the dark about it until a life and death situation occurred. . Lilian just did not think that her employer liked her at all. She finds that on one trip to South America they get very acquainted. The situation they find themselves in allows for quick thinking and fast bonding.

Blackburn (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) by Brynne Asher
Narrated by Virginia Rose, Aaron Shedlock
Publisher: Spectrum Audio
Genre: Romance | Women's Fiction
Release Date: November 18, 2020

Blackburn is a romance novella by Brynne Asher. This is the first book I've read by the author and I know it won't be the last.

Blackburn is part of the Kindle Worlds series "Special Forces: Operation Alpha, which is based in the universe of Susan Stoker's SEAL of Protection series. (https://www.goodreads.com/series/1850...)

This was such a captivating audiobook! I couldn't stop listening to it! The narration was incredible and the storyline was even better.

I loved the main characters, Gabe & Lillian. I admired Lillian for not being a pushover or a softie....she's definitely a badass!

This was definitely steamy (NSFW) and had some blush worthy moments for me.

I loved the adventure and the suspense that was built into the story. I look forward to reading future books!

This is definitely worth reading or listening to (it's under 3 hours)!

I'm so grateful to Pam Binder, The Wild Rose Press, Inc, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this short novella. Lilian Burkett is a bilingual marketing specialist. She is hard-working, pleasant, and optimistic person, so no wonder that she easily makes friends everywhere she goes. One exception is her boss's boss, Gabe Blackburn. The business side of their short trip to Nicaragua seems to have gone really well, although Gabe is as grumpy as usual about her taking too much initiative and not enough translating. On their way back they get ambushed, and from this point on the pace speeds up as Lillian and Gabe run for their life.
I really enjoyed Virginia Rose's performance and her characterization of Lillian Burkett. I found myself listening at 1:1 speed for Virginia Rose's parts and then slowing down for Aaron Shedlock's chapters. Having said that, I genuinely prefer having two narrators in a double POV books, and this combination of narrators seemed to work well,
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Lillian never knew why her boss hated her. Working with him daily was an absolute nightmare but watching him stand by her side could save them both. Great fast read!

I'm not sure how I've never read a Brynne Asher book before now, but that's something I am definitely upset with myself over.
This book was so good.

It's short, so you gotta pack a lot in, but there was just enough background, enough suspense, enough chemistry to make you believe everything was real. It didn't feel rushed and it was extremely well done.

I'm very happy I gave this book a chance.

Enjoyed this short story. I really wish that it was much longer. I feel like the concept is great. I would have loved to see some more build up (aka them "hating" each other") I feel like that would make the story way more dynamic. The audiobook was great too.

Blackburn by Brynne Fisher began on an exciting note, however, somewhere along the journey it lost the excitement and ended up being an average read for this reader.

This is the first book in the Special Forces Operation Alpha series. It tells the story of Gabe Blackburn and Lillian Burkette. Gabe is a tech genius, a former ranger owner and CEO of a top tech company. Lillian is a marketing rep in Gabe’s company. Gabe’s attracted to Lillian, but being his employee, he keeps her at a distance with his frosty attitude. So, when he stepped in to accompany her on a business trip to Nicaragua, because her immediate boss could not make it, she was not enthused. Then, to make matters worse, while returning from conducting business with a potential client, they drove into an ambush.

The author delivered a story broken down in to two parts. I found the first part of the story exciting. Fraught with danger, Gabe and Lillian found themselves in a perilous situation while trying to stay alive and make their way safely back to the States. In the middle of their crisis, Lillian will learn of Gabe’s protective nature, which made her see him in a different light. Lillian may not have been a kick-ass heroine, but she proved to be strong and never allowed her fears to overwhelm her. It disappointed me to see how this aspect of the story played out. It ended abruptly and left me with questions as to the identity of the mastermind of the ambush, how did they bypass all the security protocols and the primary reason for it.

The second half of the story focused on Lillian’s issues with her family upon her return to the states. I am not clear as to the reason for inclusion, as it had no connection to character’s experience in Nicaragua.

Narration
The narrators Virginia Rose and Aaron Shedlock did a great job in bringing the story to life and in portraying the voices of the characters. I would listen to them again if given the chance.

Conclusion/Recommendation
This had the potential to be a four-star or higher read, however, because of unfinished storylines and the lack of fluidity between the two plotlines it ended up being a three-star read for me. That being said, I would read more of the author’s work.

To start with I like the story although it felt little rushed. Gabe and Lillian were great. I am little disappointed and it did not meet my expectations. Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Spectrum audio and @netgalley for this thrilling romance book. Starts out like any normal business trip to South America until fate intervenes. Gabe and Lillian is a relationships is something simply amazing to watch unfold. Simply could not stop listening. Narration was absolutely devine. Looking forward for more from this author.