Getting to know Janie Crouch

USA TODAY bestselling author Janie Crouch writes what she loves to read: passionate romantic suspense.  She has won or been nominated to romance literary awards including the Golden Quill Award for Best Romantic Suspense, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the coveted RITA© Award by the Romance Writers of America.

Janie recently relocated with her husband and their four teenagers to Germany after living in Virginia for nearly 20 years. When she’s not listening to the voices in her head—and even when she is—she enjoys engaging in all sorts of crazy adventures (200-mile relay races; Ironman Triathlons, treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp) traveling, and movies of all kinds. 

Angel: A Linear Tactical Romantic Suspense Standalone

Shunned by the town for committing a crime against one of their own and having the bad luck of being the daughter of the man who scammed half of the residents out of their retirement funds, Jordan Reiss returns to Oak Creek after six years of incarceration. 

Former Navy SEAL Gabriel Collingwood, aka Angel, does not trust Jordan, fearing that she weaseled her way into a job at his sister’s new bakery. One incident changes his views, and he becomes her “guardian angel.”

Whoever had the misfortune of being in Jordan’s shoes would know the feeling of unworthiness and despair that she felt for being blamed for something someone else did, for knowing that she was hated for causing a chain of events she had no control of. 

No matter what you do, even if you strive hard to do the right thing, biases and misconceptions born of years of thinking they were right to shun you—everything seems so hopeless. 

In today’s world where it is so easy to jump to conclusions, where hate, bigotry, and racism is at an all time high, Janie Crouch reminds us to take a step back and say, enough is enough. 

And what better way to do this than by looking at the world in the eyes of a child? Oh, you might argue, children don’t know anything, but that is just it! Children don’t know how to hate. They do not know how to look down on others. They do not look at the color of their playmate’s skin. They will ask, yes, for they are, and should be curious about the world around them. Who are we, really, to instill in them a fear of the unknown? 

Like the song goes:

In the eyes of a child there is joy, there is laughter
There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future
For the lessons of life there is no better teacher
Than the look in the eyes of a child
--Air Supply

We can only be their guiding light. And, I hope, the light that we shine upon our kids is one that is filled with hope, joy, and laughter, because, the world we are in right now? We need our children’s light to glow for them to survive. 

Just like the Archangel Gabriel is the guardian of truth, often depicted with a white lily in his hands which is a symbol of purity and truth…the Archangel Gabriel leads us with tenderness and loving words to awaken our inner child. 

In the story, it was Gabe who eventually brought the truth to light in Jordan’s case.

Here’s hoping that Janie Crouch has, in her own way, given each one of us, her readers, hope that our guardian angel is walking among us.

Or, maybe, it is her reminder that we can be the guardian angel to others.  

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Still Not Into You: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Enguard Protectors Book 2)

By Nicole Snow

“It’s a helpless, awful feeling to realise how alone you are. Never bothered me much before. Guess I always believe you gotta be the kind of person who don’t mind being alone with, and I’ve always been good with my own company. Don’t know why it’s not enough, all of a sudden. Must be because that little wildcat looked right through me like I wasn’t there, like I was just a phantom, and showed me there’s no one in my life who needs me at all.”

– Nicole Snow, Still Not Into You

First off, I must confess that I set aside Gabe and Skylar’s story after reading that passage. For two weeks I found myself looking for light-hearted stories, knowing that I needed to step back from a trigger that Nicole Snow unintentionally brought to life within me in those few words. 

Dear reader, I was Gabe at one time. I didn’t mind being alone, thinking that I was better being by myself than associating with the outside world.

I was not part of the “in” crowd, I was shy and quiet even among the few people who considered me their friend. My nose was perpetually buried in books. I was the quintessential introvert, albeit one who my peers run to then because they knew they could count on me for anything. This all changed one day when it was I who needed help—and met the brick wall of indifference. 

Like Gabe, that moment of hate became my strength. I refused to back down, I told myself I mattered and fought to be recognized, to be heard. This time, like Skylar, I developed a thick hide. I found myself again, bigger, better, and though still alone, at peace. 

Well. Nicole Snow has become one of my go-to authors, one of a few I keep because her stories resonate in my soul and I always feel like I am walking in her character’s footsteps. 

Gabe and Skylar’s story will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions: frustration at Skylar’s stubborn need to look for her niece on her own, anger at her for fighting Gabe when he only wanted to help, sadness for Gabe’s need to belong, affection for when he puts his thoughts to paper; anxiety when both were faced with danger, and, above all, relief, happiness and love for these two broken souls when everything was done and gone.

Another plus for me was the consistency of Nicole Snow’s writing style: descriptive without being too flowery, her words took me through the story without the abrupt bumps and stops I sometimes encounter in romantic action/suspense stories. Her words flowed so well that I wish—I dearly wish—to see Gabe and Skylar’s story converted into an audiobook, for me to swoon over and over again. 

So dear reader, go ahead and pick up Still Not into You. Better, get the whole Enguard Series. I promise you won’t regret it! 

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Baby Fever Bride (Baby Fever Love #1)

By Nicole Snow

After receiving news that she may never conceive after contracting a deadly virus, Penny stepped into a train where she was rescued by Hayden Shaw from a possible kidnapping incident. 

He needed a bride, she needed a baby. To solve their problems, the two of them set up a business proposal. They never counted on love to muddle the waters, triggering a series of events that nearly broke them apart.

I have had the pleasure of reading stories penned by Nicole Snow for quite some time. Baby Fever Bride was the very first book of hers that I read, but it is only now, after finishing the audiobook version, that I realized that I haven’t had the chance to share my thoughts. 

Well. I recall that when I read the ebook, what caught my attention, besides the blurb, was the scene on the train. Knowing that I always love the thought of a knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress, I decided to go ahead and one-click. And I was not disappointed, not at all. 

And, since I also had the chance to listen to the audiobook, I will be diving into the rest of the series, to see what Hayden’s brothers, Luke and Grant, are up to. And reader, so should you!

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Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance

By Nicole Snow

It is 3:36 PM, I’m at work, and I feel like I just got hit on the head by a horse. I just finished reading Drake and Bella’s story, and I feel like I am rambling, my mind is blank. 

Okay, take two. 

I still can’t find the words to describe how I feel after reading Accidental Knight, because, honestly, I. AM. SPEECHLESS!

No, I am in awe. My review here won’t be about the story. I would leave it to you, dear readers, to read this one by Nicole Snow, and find out for yourselves why I am at a loss for words. 

I will tell you instead, of my experience with Nicole Snow’s writing style, and why, several books later, I am still a fan. Here is what I wrote then when she offered me the story of James and Faye in Still Not Love:

Nicole Snow’s writing style. It has been a while since I came across an author who writes so flawlessly—not one grammatical error, no misplaced sentences, no thoughts jumping all over the place. Plus, the way she builds up her words—the sentences flow like water on a stream, or should I say, like her characters.

I will tell you that Nicole Snow never failed in leading me through the story, making me feel like I was right there along with Drake and Bella, experiencing their heartache, their laughter, and their tears. 

And I will tell you that I fell in love with Edison, Bella’s lovable beast of a horse, and I hope—no, I know, that you will fall in love with him too. 

So go ahead and take a chance with this author, and learn why I am in awe. 

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Still Not Over You: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Enguard Protectors Book 1)

By Nicole Snow

This is the first book in Nicole Snow’s Enguard Protectors series and the second book I read after being introduced to James and Faye in Still Not Love. Again, I ask myself, why did I just get to read Nicole Snow? 

Kenna was a starry-eyed girl who had a crush on her brother’s best friend. Landon tolerated her, spending time with her until the day when his father was murdered. Kenna stumbles across his journal, and what she read tore them apart. Years later, Kenna, an author, meets her childhood crush, who has become a man she did not recognize—sullen, hateful, dark, a man who had secrets. 

Landon, you’re an ass. A lie. A memory. A sin. A yesterday I shouldn’t want so badly becoming tomorrow.

–Nicole Snow

I loved the way Nicole Snow wrote the story like she was writing it the way an author would write down her thoughts—like she was in Kenna’s head. The quips, the ramblings—after all, Kenna was falling for her own hero, and, I would like to imagine, Kenna was writing her own story. 

I also love that she gave us a story that was not too fast-paced, that she injected humor in just the right situations, which I felt built up Landon and Kenna’s characters, which, in turn, made the book “unputdownable” for me.

Go ahead and pick up the book, dear reader, and settle down to meet Enguard’s leader. And then go get to meet the rest of the crew. 

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Get hooked on Nicole Snow

Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.

Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After.

Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.

Find more about Nicole here:

Website: http://nicolesnowbooks.com

Still Not Love: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Enguard Protectors Book 4) 

Still Not Love was the first book I read from Nicole Snow. I met her through Goodreads, when she sent me a message asking if I would want to receive an advance reader copy of the book. 

This was my review, and to this day, I still ask myself why the heck did I just read a Nicole Snow creation just now? And to see that I had one of her books languishing on my TBR list! I feel like I need to apologise!

Ok, the story first. James and Faye were partners in the FBI, then they became lovers. Sinister forces drove them apart after one operation—James distanced himself to protect Faye, while Faye was forced out of the FBI by her father. Circumstances and danger bring them back together, and the rest, of course, was a HEA worth swooning over!

Totally my trope.

The plot build-up. Some of you might feel that the story was a slow burn, and get impatient, rushing to the end. Don’t do that. Live the story with James and Faye, get to feel your adrenaline pumping as you search out the danger they themselves were looking for, having an idea but not a clue as to when it will hit. And, like an orchestra, it will hit.

Nicole Snow’s writing style. It has been a while since I came across an author who writes so flawlessly—not one grammatical error, no misplaced sentences, no thoughts jumping all over the place. Plus, the way she builds up her words—the sentences flow like water on a stream, or should I say, like her characters: James when he needs to be calm, deadly, and focused; Faye when she needs to let out her adrenaline and assert her relevance, her importance, for them to survive (she was, after all, an FBI agent).

There was something I saw too, with the way Nicole Snow led me through the pages. Like her characters’ love for music, the author wrote this story like a maestro nurtures his/her opus, making sure that the audience gets to experience every emotion he/she wanted to bring out, and still come away satisfied and content.

I honestly could not put the book down, and was a bit peeved whenever I had to do something else. Nevertheless, I finished the book in a day, it was that good! So, dear reader, settle down, and one-click.

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Unchained (Hogan Brothers #3)

By K. L. Donn

“One day at a time—this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.

– Ida Scott Taylor

Enduring words from a novelist born well before our time, and an apt description for KL Donn’s Unchained, the story of Lochlan, youngest Hogan brother, and Sage Marlowe, daughter of a Bible-thumping fanatic who used his power to terrorize his people.

KL Donn caps off her Hogan Brothers series by tackling an issue not always acceptable to most readers—the use of religion to bend others to their own twisted agenda or beliefs.

I agree with the author when she said that the story was not an easy one to write.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

–KL Donn

I felt heavy-hearted going into the first few chapters, reading how Sage suffered through degradation at the hands of her own father who, in the guise of purifying her supposed “unclean” spirit, subjected her to physical and emotional abuse.

Thank God, then, for Lochlan, whose faith and love for Sage enabled her to find the courage to break free and learn to find herself again.

If you are someone who does not like the idea of reading a romance story revolving around religious beliefs, I still would encourage you to read Unchained.

Or, if you are of a particular faith who grew up with a strict belief system on the bible, read it, still. Read it for the hope, love and faith that Lochlan and Sage want to share with you.

Read it, for the simple reason, that whatever happens, whatever experiences we may go through, faith, hope, and love, will always pull us through.

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One Choice (Hogan Brother’s Book 2)

By K.L. Donn

From when I met Levi when he was but Nox’s brother in One Chance, to when I finally got to read his story, I was hooked. His tale, while lighter than Nox and Sophia’s, was no less striking, as, once again, KL Donn gave me a story that I could relate to.

Frustration at feeling lost, not knowing where he stands in life like something was missing. Envy at seeing others –Nox and Sophia— find their happiness. Anger at himself for being jealous of his siblings. Of thinking that he needed to prove something just to belong, that was Levi in a nutshell.

Hayes Morrison. The girl with the haunted eyes. The girl who stole his breath. The girl he wanted to caress. Shit on a stick. Stick a fork in him, he was done.

— KL Donn

Hayes herself reminded me of the “humanness” of life. Of losing a loved one, of feeling guilty for being alive, for despair when knowing that even if she was alive, she has lost herself.

Two lost souls are given a voice by this wonderful story. Two wonderful, broken people who saw in each other a love worth fighting for.

“I’ll always choose you, Levi.” His happiness radiating back at her was so intense, nearly blinding, that a tear escaped her eye. His joy immediately turned to concern upon seeing it. “What’s this?” A finger swiped the tear away. “Happiness, Levi. That is what my happiness is.” Leaning his forehead to hers, his whispered words washed over her. “Yeah, it is.”

–KL Donn

Thank you again, KL Donn.

Dear reader, don’t just read the surface of Levi and Hayes’ story, listen to them speak to your inner child. For that matter, go treasure-hunting for all the lovely quotes the author was generous enough to gift us with.

Because love alone is worth the fight.

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One Chance (Hogan Brother’s Book 1)

By K.L. Donn

When you can’t think of how to describe your feelings at the end of a book, but you know you want to leave a review, you do your best to search for the perfect quote that will give the story, and your thoughts, justice.

“Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall” by Jodi Picoult, seems apt.

“Stupid” is a word so simple, but a word nonetheless that can tear someone apart when said in anger, jealousy, or spite. To be told constantly that you are useless, stupid, dense, at the same time demanding that you give them your undivided attention because without you, they can’t function… your soul bleeds and you start to doubt yourself. Just like Sophia.

There was a time that I thought I was like Sophia. My case was different, as I was a member of a club whose initiates were made to endure the ridicule of elders, brought into life and death situations time and again to prove that we could be tough like them. My final year with the club, I experienced two life-changing events— I was harassed, put in a situation where I either had to “follow” an elder, or get booted out of the club, and the other, I nearly lost my life just because they wanted me to prove that I can survive a category 5 storm without help.

Just like Sophia, I found the strength to fight back and regain myself.

Read beyond the words that KL Donn has written. Read beyond the story of Sophia and Lennox, her knight in shining armor. See the strength, the story of survival, of overcoming a betrayal so deep you thought you lost yourself, and smile knowing that just like Sophia—all of KL Donn’s characters, for that matter—you can rise above it all.

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Kennedy’s Redemption

By K.L. Donn

Kennedy Maxwell is running from demons haunting her soul. Left to fight alone, she’s soon lost to the monsters in her head.

Twins Creedence and Lincoln Black found the one thing they’ve been searching for in Kennedy, but they had to fight hard to vanquish her demons to be able to claim her for themselves.

She was meant for them. The soft to their hard. And them for her. They would be the strength to her fragile. Together they could be perfect.

–KL Donn

I went into Kennedy’s story with a bit of trepidation, as I knew, from the previous book, Emily’s Protectors, that this one will be an emotional journey. I was right. I had to put the book down for a day, because, hell—abuse, torture, and violence are not easy topics to read, no matter how one sugar-coat it.

This is a story of strength. This is a story of survival. This is a story of finding sunshine after the rain. Of hope, for those of us who were victims at one point. Kennedy’s redemption is our redemption.

That being said, I give KL Donn five stars for Kennedy’s story. When I finally closed the last chapter, I felt redeemed, having breathed a huge sigh of relief that Kennedy finally found her peace, with the help of Creed and Linc, her two, over-protective, alpha men.

Thank you, KL Donn, for this story.

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