Man, I love
Harlequins. I’ve been reading them since I was like 8 or 9 years old, when both
of my grandmas would save them and sneak me grocery bags full on the Sundays
when we came to visit. Those first Harlequin Romances were the reason I wanted
to be a romance writer! So when Janie Crouch offered me an ARC of her debut title
Primal Instinct, a Harlequin Intrigue,
I said “Yes, please!” and can’t tell you how glad I am that I did.
Book: Primal Instinct
Author: Janie Crouch
Publisher: Harlequin
Intrigue
Genre: Category
Suspense
Rating: [ [ [ [ ] (4 out of 5 hearts!)
 |
About the Book:
A killer stalks the city streets, and one FBI
agent is determined to bring him down in Janie Crouch’s Primal Instinct.
On the crowded streets
of San Francisco, a serial killer watches and waits. Known only as “Simon Says,”
he lures his next victim while the FBI grasps for answers. Desperate, they turn
to Adrienne Jeffries. Adrienne has an uncanny talent for getting inside the
city’s most dangerous minds. But first she’ll have to get past agent Conner
Perigo. Skeptical of Adrienne’s abilities, Conner begrudgingly enlists her help…unprepared
for the powerful attraction that could jeopardize their focus. With little
time, and everything to lose, they must work to find Simon’s next victim—before
he does.
My Thoughts:
I have to admit, being
a freshly-minted writer myself, I was rooting for Janie before I started Primal Instinct. Getting a bad review on
your first book sucks (been there, done that) and I don’t like
handing them out. But I didn't need to worry—after reading Janie Crouch’s first
novel, I am very happy to say that she didn't disappoint me in the least.
Primal Instinct grabbed my attention first because of the
cover. I liked the film noir/Alfred Hitchcock vintage vibe that it had going on.
And then I started reading… very quickly, actually, because Janie threw me
right in to FBI agent Conner Perigo’s frustrating case and it caught my
interest. He’s desperate for any lead that will help him and his partner catch a
serial killer that’s terrorizing San Francisco and thumbing his nose directly
at the FBI at the same time. But when his boss tells him to basically blackmail
Adrienne Jeffries, the former FBI “Bloodhound” with some bigtime special
skills, into helping out with the case, he’s less than thrilled.
Like flint and steel, Conner
and Adrienne strike sparks off each other right away, even though they’re the
angry kind. Their relationship has a big element of friction, which I liked,
because you know that they’re going to make up for all that animosity later on.
I also thought that Adrienne’s personality was appealing—she was no shrinking
violet and she faced the frightening aspects of her gift with gritty
determination. And I’m a sucker for a protective alpha, which Conner definitely
was. They made a great team without either of them having to be at all wishy-washy.
I also enjoyed the
twists that Janie put on what could have been a familiar storyline. The
side-effects of Adrienne skills were realistic and frightening, and the effect
that their relationship had on things was really interesting and unexpected.
And, while I’ll admit I did figure out whodunit (I’m good at that, though—ask my
often-annoyed husband why he doesn’t like watching movies with me…), Primal Instinct’s resolution felt solid
and satisfying and I enjoyed it immensely.
My final verdict? I’m
giving Primal Instinct and Janie
Crouch lots of love. If you like Harlequin romances like I do, I highly recommend
this one. Can’t wait to see what this shiny new author has in store for us
next!
About the Author:
Janie is a member of Romance Writers of
America, Virginia Romance
Writers and KOD (Kiss of
Death – the Romantic Suspense Writers Group). When she’s not listening to the
voices in her head (and even when she is), she enjoys traveling, long-distance
running, movie-watching, knitting and obstacle course adventure racing. Most of
all, she loves to laugh and smile. And she’s tremendously thankful she has so
much to laugh and smile about. (For Janie’s full bio, go here.)
Connect with Janie
Crouch:
Buy the Book:
Disclaimer: I received
a free copy of Primal Instinct from
Jamie Crouch, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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