The Boss by Abigail Barnette

Narrated by C.J. Bloom

When the irresistible stranger from that one incredible night turns out to be her new boss – billionaire and publishing magnate Neil Elwood – Sophie can’t resist the chance to rekindle the spark between them… and the opportunity to explore her submissive side with the most dominant man she’s ever known.

Neil is the only man who has ever understood Sophie’s need to submit in the bedroom, and the only man who has ever satisfied those desires. When their scorching, no-strings-attached sexual relationship becomes something more, Sophie must choose between her career and heart… or risk losing them both.

I recently stumbled upon bestselling author Jenny Trout (aka Abigail Barnette) via her blog, Trout Nation, and I was immediately intrigued. She is hilarious, and her writing is brilliant. Her thorough recap of each Fifty Shades of Grey chapter made me laugh so hard I cried. Having read 50 Shades, I had issues with many aspects of the book, including, but not limited to, the plot, the grammatical errors, the controlling creepy Christian, as well as the insecure, misguided Anastasia. And that’s why I was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to The Boss which is touted as the anti 50 Shades.

Having listened to several books narrated by C.J. Bloom, I was thrilled to learn that she was portraying Sophie Scaife’s character in this novel. C.J. has a distinct voice that lends itself to an emotional connection between the author, character, and listener. She made me feel as though she really was each character she portrayed in The Boss, rather than just someone reading a book aloud. The stars aligned for me, because this was the absolute perfect combination of plot and narrator!

Going into this, I had a few burning questions:

Is it even possible for an author to write an erotic romance novel featuring a strong-willed, rational, intelligent female protagonist who initiates a consensual BDSM relationship? Would this novel be filled with an actual plot that was believable as well as featuring characters who were remotely connected to each other and relatable to the reader? Could there possibly be clever dialogue and witty banter between the pages of yet another novel about a dominating male boss who happens to be a multi-millionaire? Am I going to be able to believe that this egomaniacal and domineering man is also incredible in bed?

My questions were answered and I am now sharing them with you:

Yes! Affirmative! Absolutely! Abigail Barnette made it happen and this cynical listener could not have been more delighted or surprised. I loved that the same well-worn stereotypical plot and characters were obsolete in this book. This was new and fun! It finally provides a twist and upgrade for this particularly tired and overdone genre. I enjoyed the POV of a strong female protagonist who owned her sexuality. Sophie was a breath of fresh air. She made it clear from the beginning that Neil would have to take a hands-off approach to her life and the decisions she made. She also was not afraid to speak her mind and let Neil know what she did and did not want. She was no wavering damsel in distress, thank goodness!

My favorite character in this book was Neil. I adored him. He was extremely confident in and out of the bedroom, but he pulled it off without coming across as an egotistical, borderline abusive, control freak. He was thoughtful, respectful, and I could literally feel him falling for Sophie every step of the way. He was real. He displayed the full range of emotions associated with humanity. He was perfectly flawed, and better for it. I can’t say enough about Neil’s character. I fell in love with him just a little bit, actually.

Neil and Sophie had a significant age difference. He was 24 years her senior. I was surprised that this did not bother me, but it honestly didn’t. The character development was so thorough that the age gap only made the steamy story even better for me. Sophie’s consent was something Neil did not take lightly. He regularly communicated to Sophie that he wanted to make sure she was comfortable with every sizzling BDSM endeavor. He put her emotional and physical safety first, and that shined through.

C.J. Bloom did an excellent job of switching from Sophie’s American accent to Neil’s gentle British lilt. Instead of going with a thick accent for Neil, she kept it light. She didn’t distract from the story by overdoing it, although I would not be surprised if a British listener didn’t share my opinion. I didn’t cringe once during a single sex scene. That was another miracle in itself! C.J.’s narration made the story more believable for me.

This book was a naughty guilty pleasure. Abigail Barnett knows her craft. She has fine-tuned the art of writing erotica. Erotic Romance featuring BDSM is not my favorite genre. In fact, prior to this novel, it was my least favorite mostly because every time I have attempted to read it, I found the plot impossible to believe. In many cases there was no actual plot. The Boss had a believable plot, relatable characters, and a story I could (mostly) buy into. I was a bit let down with the predictable “twist’ at the end but I will purchase the second book in the series, since this author alone has changed my entire perspective regarding this genre. If you are a cynical about this genre, but you, too, want to give it another shot, download and listen to this audiobook now. It will not disappoint.

Lisa

Narration:  A

Book Content:  A-

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Unknown

Genre:  Erotic Romance

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

The Boss was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for review.