Under Fire - (Defend and Protect) by Lynn H Blackburn

Under Fire is the final book in the Defend and Protect series by Lynn H. Blackburn. While it could be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series to understand the relationship between the agents. So, the beginning was a little odd to me. Usually, with a suspense novel, you jump right into the action. That was not the case this time. The story starts a year and a half earlier, the second chapter is five months later, and the third chapter takes us to the present day. While it was an odd start, it was an engaging and brilliant beginning. It gives the reader a better understanding of Tessa and Tessa and Zane's friendship. We have been waiting through all the stories to understand what has kept them apart. Their story is fraught with tension, emotional revelations, and high-powered stakes. While the suspense didn't start right away, the threats did. The president is coming to town, and Tessa is in charge of the legalistic nightmares the visit entails. The threats coming against her are intense and personal. I loved seeing the friendships evolve from story to story. I love how the friends have each other's backs and speak frankly with each other. It was a satisfying conclusion to the series. Thank you to Revell for the opportunity to review this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Special Agent Tessa Reed and USSS Agent Zane Thacker have to work together to protect the President during a fundraiser while struggling with their growing feelings for each other. This is a phenomenal, well written and well balanced story. There are unexpected twists along the way that keep the reader turning pages wanting to find out what will happen next. This book covers feelings of hope, fear of failure, faith, romance and redemption in a very real and uplifting way. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher/author for the ARC of Under Fire. The opinions stated here are mine.

A fantastic book! Romantic suspense at its best! I love all of the characters but my favorites are Tessa and Zane. Tessa is a recovering alcoholic and she's determined to overcome her past and be the best special agent that she can be. Zane is the perfect protector. He's always there for Tessa, encouraging her and making sure she recognizes how special she is. There's so much happening in this book and the ending was a complete surprise! A definite must read!

Since the first book I have been waiting on Zane and Tessa's story. They have a history that is brought to the foreground in this story. Their relationship is based on a friendship that distance can't break. Zane Fletcher has his dream job of being Secret Service agent to the president and Tessa Reed works for the Secret Service branch in Raleigh. When the president is invited to a party at the home of one of his dearest friends Zane returns as part of the protection detail and gets to work with his old friends including Tessa Reed who is in charge of the protection detail while the president is in Raleigh. When threats are made on her life, the team works together to not only protect the president but to make sure Tessa stays safe. This story is full of humor, romance, intrigue, suspense, forgiveness, friendships, and a faith in God. It was fun to have the characters from Carrington (another series) show up and help out. This was a great ending to this series and I can't wait to read the next one.

Wow! What an amazing series and story! The characters and story line kept my interest and engaged from beginning to end with lots of action and drama! Special Agents Zane and Tessa, along with her team, are assigned to protect the President and eliminating any potential threats before his arrival to their area Raleigh NC. I liked that the other characters from the previous 2 books in this series were also included in this story. I liked the teams energy, integrity, faith and family focus. What an amazing bond they shared! I highly recommend this Christian fiction, clean romantic suspense series! I can’t wait to see what this author is going to write next. She is one of my favorite authors to read. I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

Previously I have given Lynn H. Blackburn four and five stars. So, the bar was set high for Under Fire. It is a great story, but my least favorite of her Defend and Protect series. The suspense element is intriguing, the romance filled with tension. There were, however, snippets of the story that were confusing, and some that were redundant. I am a big fan of epilogues that give you a look into a couple's happily-ever-after, but this one felt more like a plug for the next book and would have been better as a sneak peak into a first chapter. With all of that said, I would still recommend this book to romantic suspense fans. I especially like how the characters' faith is demonstrated as a natural part of the way they do life together. The humor had me laughing aloud multiple times. This is an author that I will continue to look for in the future. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Under Fire from Revell without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Author Lynn H. Blackburn excels in writing exciting stories with relatable characters and Under Fire may be her best yet! Danger, suspense, and the balance between work and personal relationships have been the basis of this entire Defend and Protect series but Zane Thacker and Tessa Reed add a captivating dynamic! I highly recommend Under Fire to all who enjoy romantic Christian suspense. Well done, Ms. Blackburn! I received an ARC from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

I received this book as an ARC with no promise of a positive review. This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first page. I fell in love with Tessa, Zane, Gil, Luke, Benjamin and Jacob. These wonderful characters are Secret Service agents. The President of the United States was coming to Raleigh for a dinner party. They were responsible for following up on any threats to the President. So much had happened to this Raleigh office previously. This was an opportunity to show they were not jinxed. Can they keep the President safe as well as one of their own as attacks begin to happen.

“This was dangerous. For both of them. They’d agreed on friendship, nothing more,” Zane and Tessa consider in Lynn H. Blackburn’s novel, Under Fire. ~ What ~ The third and final book in the Defend and Protect series, this three-hundred-and-fifty-page paperback targets those who like romantic suspense involving two U.S. Secret Service agents dealing with their relationship amidst presidential threats. With no profanity but topics of alcoholism, physical abuse, and death, it may not be appropriate for immature readers. The ending includes an excerpt from a novella by the author, her biography, and advertisements. In this story, Special Agent Tessa Reed may be an expert liaison between the Raleigh USSS office and the president’s protective detail, but she has more fears and shortcomings forgiving herself of her past addiction. When her close friend, Zane, works with her and the team, they both struggle with what could be between them as they plan the president’s visit to a private estate. When Tessa gets several death threats, there is more to the crisis than her job that unknowingly involves her past. ~ Why ~ This fast read examines the tampered-down love two agents must deal with while keeping the president from harm. I liked the hovering, concern, and determination Zane showed in helping Tessa with her past and why they are important to both of them. Adding prayers to Jesus showed trust in the Almighty. Although it is the third book in the series and I have not read any of the others, it is a stand-alone read. ~ Why Not ~ Those who do not like a Christian-based story that centers on friendship, camaraderie, and love among a team of special agents may not like this series. Others may not care for the many characters intertwined in the previous books and revisited in this one, but they were not too confusing. ~ Wish ~ Since there are three books in the series, a list of characters would be helpful for readers. I wish all pronouns of God were capitalized for reverence. ~ Want ~ If you want to read about how the Secret Service works as a team to protect the U.S. president, this one is engaging as it fuels the flames of a romance between two caring friends who work together. Thanks to Revell for this complimentary book. I am under no obligation to give a positive review.

I try to remind myself not to start a book after 6 pm by this author. But sometimes, you just wanna dig into a new book no matter the consequences. Case in point, started at 7 pm and in true Blackburn style she had my attention until I finished the epilogue. Yep, straight through until 3:30 am. It was a page turner for sure. In this Defend and Protect series, I have loved getting to know these crew of characters and coworkers and felt like I KNEW them. Seriously. And in this final book of the series, the way their characters are described through the senses, you begin to know what will make them jump, clear to which doughnut they prefer. The amount of suspense and action in this final book of the series did not disappoint. I often have a guess early in a Romantic Suspense book who the villain might be, but not this time. Well played, Ms. Blackburn. But the swoon worthy romance ... sigh. Gosh, you sure hoped the Zane and Tessa would get together by the end. This book is #3 and the final book in the series. I highly recommend this book. Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Revell/BakerHousePublishing with no expectation in return. The opinions above are my own and I willingly shared them here for other readers aid in their decision to purchase the book.

Loved this story!! Under Fire, book #3 in the Defend and Protect series is amazing. I laughed a lot, and I couldn't stop turning pages in this captivating romantic suspense. Tender, yet full of action, layered, perfectly paced, funny, and pitch perfect. A few of my favorite quotes: "But whoever was behind these attacks was either an evil genius or a few crumbs short of a biscuit." "We all have a few skeletons in our closet. It takes far more bravery to pull them out and own them than it does to keep them hidden and pray they never come to light." The story of US Secret Service agents Zane Thacker and Tessa Reed is a long-awaited story that does not disappoint! They have their hands full trying to prepare against any threats against the President who will be visiting Raleigh, North Carolina soon. Zane and Tess also navigate their complicated friendship, love, and a past that may stand in their way. I can't recommend Under Fire enough! Absolutely loved it. Thank you to the author, and Revell Books for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was one of the sweetest romance within an action suspense that I have ever read, and I absolutely adore a best-friends-to-lovers trope. Zane and Tessa made the perfect couple, because they weren’t; meaning they had a lot of ‘real people’ issues and struggles just like anyone else but they pushed through them. The first scene isn’t pretty, with Tessa dealing with the terrifying results of her alcoholism, one that also nearly destroyed her relationship with Zane before. This introduction may bother or be triggering to some readers, but this is a clean read beginning to end. This scene is crucial to the storyline as well as showing a relatable imperfect character trying to make a better life for herself. It made me root for her all the more. And Zane. What a guy! He is incredibly patient, caring, and loyal. He doesn’t just walk away from the mess, but he does set important boundaries for both their sakes. Because I didn’t read the other books in the series, sometimes I got confused about other characters and who they were. There are a lot of names to keep track of. But I never felt like it detracted significantly from my enjoyment of the story. I wish the book had ended with the last chapter as an epilogue. Because the actual epilogue was so very odd - it isn’t a wrap-up bonus scene like you’d expect. It introduces a group of random characters and a whole new scenario that’s completely unrelated. Then it just…ends. I was left feeling very soured asking: what was the point of all that? I think this is the last book in the series (maybe I'm wrong) so it makes no sense to me at all. Either way, it left Zane and Tessa's story feeling unfinished/unresolved. I almost lowered my rating, but the rest of the book was SO GOOD I decided not to. I'll just skip the epilogue next time and pretend it doesn't exist ;) I was given an arc for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Under Fire by Lynn Blackburn is on fire! This exciting story wraps up this trilogy perfectly, although I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters, which is perfect, because … Blackburn uses this story to segue into her next series! I love the way that she made this work. The characters in the Defend and Protect series make a fantastic team, and Blackburn shows herself to be equel to the genius of Susan May Warren or Dee Henderson when worldbuilding with the way that she creates an extensive cast of characters and can weave their lives together. With that said, though, I didn’t feel that I had a good handle on Tessa Reed before this book. She felt like the quiet newbie in the Raleigh Secret Service office in the first two books of the series, and while she seemed quite capable, she kept to herself more than the others. She comes fully into her own in this story, though, and you find out what’s been happening with her that caused the friction with Zane and kept her moving on the down-low previously. What I love about her, though, is that she’s handling all of her past junk with honesty and aplomb, all while taking charge of the case, the chocolate, and the coffee! She’s such a neat character, and I hope we see more of her in this interagency world that Blackburn is creating. Under Fire sizzles with signature Blackburn tension, and she keeps your heartrate high with a mix of fast-paced action and quirky humor. It’s a fantastic read, and if you love suspense and/or romantic novels, you won’t want to miss this one. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is an addictive suspense that includes a developing romance that sparkles with laugh-out-loud banter between the two protagonists. Filled with warmth, humor and the creative complications that add to the pleasure of reading, this book is one not to be missed by fans of action-packed romantic suspense. Although it is part of the Defend and Protect series, it can be read easily as a standalone. All opinions expressed are my own.

The truest sign of courage isn’t to ignore the threat but to prepare for it. As a Secret Service Agent, Tessa is not new to threats but they are usually against those that are being investigated or protected. This time it is different - these threats seem to be against her personally. Or are they? Perhaps it is just because she has been tasked to plan and implement the protection for a presidential visit. Be prepared to laugh out loud, sit on the edge of your seat and maybe even hold your breath as you read this book! The author keeps you guessing the whole time with attempted assaults, poisoning and more. Who is behind these threats and what has the victim done to deserve them? Will the team be ready to protect, regardless of the cost? This early copy of #3 in the Defend and Protect series was received through Baker Publishing Group, Revell Books and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

A fast paced reunion with old friends, and from the first page forward you will wonder if they are going to survive. This is Tessa's story and Zane, friends that really care about one another, and there maybe more if one of these can forgive themself! This is a story of the agencies job to protect the president, but it becomes so much more, especially when one of them is having their life threatened. Come along and page turn as the author has us journey for answers, great Christian suspense, along with some sweet romance, danger, and true friendship! I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

Under Fire was a book that I didn't want to stop reading to even go to work. Tessa and Zane's story was so exciting. Totally action packed, with an ending I didnt see coming. And I love when a story has a second chance in it. This series was so awesome! I can't wait for her next one. I love her books.