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Omega Sector: Critical Response #4
Man of Action
Don't miss OMEGA CRITICAL RESPONSE, the most highly-awarded Intrigue series of 2017 that readers call " binge-worthy " and " un-putdownable. " These ain't your mama's Harlequins, baby. Get all six now!
MAN OF ACTION
A past she can't escape.
An ability she doesn't understand.
A killer who's become obsessed.
At nineteen, Andrea Gordon's life was forever changed. After proving herself instrumental in a bank hostage crisis, she became one of Omega Sector's top agents. Four years later, her skill at reading people is unrivaled--until she meets fellow profiler Brandon Han. Paired together to track a serial killer who has been targeting at-risk women, the two become entangled beyond the case. Their mutual attraction deepens as they get closer to the truth. But when Andrea's own sordid past surfaces, they will both be forced to question everything about the assignment...and each other.
The OMEGA CRITICAL RESPONSE series books were winner of the National Readers Choice Award and finalists for the Daphne Award for Excellence in Romantic Suspense and the Romance Writers of America RITA Award (highest honor a romance book can receive). A series not to be missed!
*****
All the OMEGA CRITICAL RESPONSE books are stand-alone, but were published in the following
1. Special Forces Savior
2. Fully Committed
3. Armored Attraction
4. Man of Action
5. Overwhelming Force
6. Battle Tested
MAN OF ACTION
A past she can't escape.
An ability she doesn't understand.
A killer who's become obsessed.
At nineteen, Andrea Gordon's life was forever changed. After proving herself instrumental in a bank hostage crisis, she became one of Omega Sector's top agents. Four years later, her skill at reading people is unrivaled--until she meets fellow profiler Brandon Han. Paired together to track a serial killer who has been targeting at-risk women, the two become entangled beyond the case. Their mutual attraction deepens as they get closer to the truth. But when Andrea's own sordid past surfaces, they will both be forced to question everything about the assignment...and each other.
The OMEGA CRITICAL RESPONSE series books were winner of the National Readers Choice Award and finalists for the Daphne Award for Excellence in Romantic Suspense and the Romance Writers of America RITA Award (highest honor a romance book can receive). A series not to be missed!
*****
All the OMEGA CRITICAL RESPONSE books are stand-alone, but were published in the following
1. Special Forces Savior
2. Fully Committed
3. Armored Attraction
4. Man of Action
5. Overwhelming Force
6. Battle Tested
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 21, 2016
145 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Janie Crouch
254 books2,028 followersUSA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Janie Crouch writes what she loves to read: passionate romantic suspense.
After a lifetime on the East Coast—and a six-year stint in Germany due to her husband's job as support for the U.S. Military—Janie has settled into her dream home in Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. She loves engaging in all sorts of adventures (triathlons! 200-mile relay races! mountain treks!), traveling, and surviving life with four kids.
Heroes exist. Let a Janie Crouch book prove it to you.
Check out Janie's updates and more on her website at http://www.janiecrouch.com
After a lifetime on the East Coast—and a six-year stint in Germany due to her husband's job as support for the U.S. Military—Janie has settled into her dream home in Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. She loves engaging in all sorts of adventures (triathlons! 200-mile relay races! mountain treks!), traveling, and surviving life with four kids.
Heroes exist. Let a Janie Crouch book prove it to you.
Check out Janie's updates and more on her website at http://www.janiecrouch.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 19, 2016
4.5 Stars
Fast paced action/mystery; I did NOT guess the killer (always a plus in my book!), good romance; fade to black sex scenes
Fast paced action/mystery; I did NOT guess the killer (always a plus in my book!), good romance; fade to black sex scenes
August 12, 2016
Very good book that drew me in right from the start and didn't let go until I'd read the last page. Both Andrea and Brandon were fascinating characters. Andrea is introduced first when, at the age of nineteen, she's already been through more trauma than most people experience in their entire lives. Then she becomes instrumental in preventing a slaughter during a bank robbery, and her life changed forever. Her talents earn her an offer of training and a job, enabling her to leave her troubled past behind.
Brandon's life was almost exactly the opposite. He was the son of loving parents who were supportive of all his endeavors. When he misbehaved as a child they quickly figured out why and took steps to solve the issue. As a result, he has multiple degrees and an excellent job with Omega Sector as one of their top profilers.
Four years later, Andrea and Brandon are tagged to work together to solve a serial murderer case in her old hometown. Brandon prefers to work alone, ever since the death of his previous partner, and isn't at all happy to be forced to work with Andrea. She can sense his antagonism, which adds to her own insecurities. Though she is respected in her work, Andrea keeps herself apart from everyone, always afraid that someone will discover her past and judge her for it. I ached for her, as she always lived with the fear that she was about to be fired because of it (even though her boss knows all about her past).
Brandon irritated me at the beginning, and at several points throughout the book, because he comes across as very judgmental. He sees Andrea as young and inexperienced, in spite of her reputation, and thinks that she is going to be a liability rather than an asset. It made me very happy to see her prove him wrong right from the beginning. It was quite satisfying to see him have to readjust his thinking.
Also from the beginning, there is a sense of attraction between them. Brandon is taken by her beauty, and also finds himself feeling quite protective of her. There's a pretty sweet scene where he cares for her after she's had something of a flashback to her previous life. She opens up to him a little bit about her early life, but doesn't reveal her biggest secret to him, afraid of what his reaction would be.
When the case that they are working on gets to the point where they want to draw the killer out, Andrea volunteers to go undercover. Intellectually Brandon knows now what she did in her previous life and claims to be fine with it, but when he actually sees her doing the job his reaction is very different. I was very angry with him over the way he acted, especially since he knew he was being an ass, but kept doing it anyway. I hurt for Andrea, who had started to come out of her shell, thanks to Brandon's belief in her and her abilities. Feeling his negativity hurt her so much because she had begun to care for him. I loved the way that comments from their boss and a lecture from one of Andrea's former coworkers made him feel like the jerk he was. I did like the fact that he was able to admit his stupidity and apologize for it, though I wish she had made him work a bit harder for her forgiveness.
The suspense of the story was really good. Both Andrea and Brandon have complementary skills when it comes to figuring out who the killer is. Together they are a great team. I could feel their frustration at the way local law enforcement was less than totally committed to the investigation because of who the victims were. The tension was a slow build as they followed the few clues they had to narrow the field. When Andrea went undercover, I was just waiting for the killer to go after her. I was right there with them when the evidence pointed to the lead suspect, even though both of them wondered how they could have missed the signs. What came next was a complete surprise, with an added twist that doubled the intensity of the final confrontation. I liked that it had realistic consequences for Brandon, and that it was Andrea's turn to be there for him. There was one loose end left hanging that I suspect will be addressed in the next book.
Brandon's life was almost exactly the opposite. He was the son of loving parents who were supportive of all his endeavors. When he misbehaved as a child they quickly figured out why and took steps to solve the issue. As a result, he has multiple degrees and an excellent job with Omega Sector as one of their top profilers.
Four years later, Andrea and Brandon are tagged to work together to solve a serial murderer case in her old hometown. Brandon prefers to work alone, ever since the death of his previous partner, and isn't at all happy to be forced to work with Andrea. She can sense his antagonism, which adds to her own insecurities. Though she is respected in her work, Andrea keeps herself apart from everyone, always afraid that someone will discover her past and judge her for it. I ached for her, as she always lived with the fear that she was about to be fired because of it (even though her boss knows all about her past).
Brandon irritated me at the beginning, and at several points throughout the book, because he comes across as very judgmental. He sees Andrea as young and inexperienced, in spite of her reputation, and thinks that she is going to be a liability rather than an asset. It made me very happy to see her prove him wrong right from the beginning. It was quite satisfying to see him have to readjust his thinking.
Also from the beginning, there is a sense of attraction between them. Brandon is taken by her beauty, and also finds himself feeling quite protective of her. There's a pretty sweet scene where he cares for her after she's had something of a flashback to her previous life. She opens up to him a little bit about her early life, but doesn't reveal her biggest secret to him, afraid of what his reaction would be.
When the case that they are working on gets to the point where they want to draw the killer out, Andrea volunteers to go undercover. Intellectually Brandon knows now what she did in her previous life and claims to be fine with it, but when he actually sees her doing the job his reaction is very different. I was very angry with him over the way he acted, especially since he knew he was being an ass, but kept doing it anyway. I hurt for Andrea, who had started to come out of her shell, thanks to Brandon's belief in her and her abilities. Feeling his negativity hurt her so much because she had begun to care for him. I loved the way that comments from their boss and a lecture from one of Andrea's former coworkers made him feel like the jerk he was. I did like the fact that he was able to admit his stupidity and apologize for it, though I wish she had made him work a bit harder for her forgiveness.
The suspense of the story was really good. Both Andrea and Brandon have complementary skills when it comes to figuring out who the killer is. Together they are a great team. I could feel their frustration at the way local law enforcement was less than totally committed to the investigation because of who the victims were. The tension was a slow build as they followed the few clues they had to narrow the field. When Andrea went undercover, I was just waiting for the killer to go after her. I was right there with them when the evidence pointed to the lead suspect, even though both of them wondered how they could have missed the signs. What came next was a complete surprise, with an added twist that doubled the intensity of the final confrontation. I liked that it had realistic consequences for Brandon, and that it was Andrea's turn to be there for him. There was one loose end left hanging that I suspect will be addressed in the next book.
June 23, 2016
This hero was so incredibly frustrating because of all his slut shaming. I know the book was generally trying to point out that shaming a woman for choosing to be a stripper and/or server at a strip club is bad, which I appreciated, but the fact that the hero goes on and on about how terrible it was that the heroine had done that work...ick. And he takes way too long to come around, and then his apology is not all that great. Nope nope nope, you aren't a hero and you deserved to be kicked to the curb, buddy. I just couldn't get past his behavior--he certainly never redeemed himself in my eyes. I'm enjoying the series, but this book didn't work for me.
February 17, 2018
There were a variety of aspects that made this a good romantic suspense. Both the hero and heroine's very different backgrounds shaped who they were and how they related to each other. The hero did let me down for a little bit, however, the plot complicity made up for it. Andrea excels at reading people and is paired with PhD Brandon to catch a serial killer.
June 26, 2016
Andrea, young, though only in age, due to a painful childhood, is in the wrong place at the wrong time, yet it actually ends up being one of the best things to happen to her. See, nineteen-year-old Andrea can read people's expression and pretty much discern them accurately. When three men enter the bank she's in, she immediately realizes something isn't right and after quickly making some observations, makes her exit just in time...right before shots ring out inside.
While Andrea doesn't completely leave the area, she does hide from law enforcement surrounding the bank doing their job, until she decides to make her way home, but once she overhears a conversation and knows their information is wrong, she had to help. Thankfully, two of those people are familiar with behavior analysis and take her information seriously, and it helps.
When Steve, Director of the Critical Response Division of Omega, and Grace, the head psychologist, ask to speak with Andrea later after they've tracked her down, she's shocked when they offer her a job, if she passes the testing required for the position, of which they have no doubt she will. If, for some crazy reason she fails, then they'll help her start a new life, far away from her previous one. For Andrea, it's a win win situation.
Four years later, Andrea loves her job and excels at it, yet she can't shake the fear that at some point she'll lose this new life, so much so that her past has remained a secret from her co-workers as she doesn't feel she fully fits in with anyone. A belief that leads to her keeping herself apart from everyone else.
But Steve surprises Andrea yet again when he assigns her a serial killer case involving a victim found near her hometown. But she's not working it alone.
Brandon, Omega's profiler and resident genius, will be her partner for this case. This will be a little tricky as both prefer to work alone, and each have their own personal reasons for wanting to maintain distance between themselves. Brandon knows Andrea has secrets and in his experience those can be dangerous, then add in his attraction to her and he decides it's wiser to avoid the temptation she represents. For Andrea, not only is she highly aware of Brandon whenever he's near, she also can't help that he makes her feel, with no knowledge on his part, less than just by being himself.
As Brandon and Andrea work closely together, the attraction that has always been there grows stronger, as does the need to form more of a connection, entailing secrets being shared, trust being given, and just maybe hearts as well.
Can they remain focused on their professional objective while exploring their personal connection? Will Brandon and Andrea discover who the killer is? Will Andrea finally realize her true worth is not related to her past? Can this talented profiler and natural analyst look deeper than the surface and their preconceived notions of each other? Can Andrea accept and help Brandon cope with both sides of himself? Will Brandon discover the real Andrea beneath the protective facade she displays to others? Or, when literally confronted with her past as she goes undercover, will Brandon's feelings and opinion of Andrea change? Will she accept that overcoming said past only proves her strength? Is this case related in any way to her history in her hometown? Is the case that started her on this path truly behind her or is someone out for revenge? Or is it a completely different option? Will Brandon and Andrea get their HEA?
One-click this book now. While it is part of a series, and I highly recommend reading them in order, you'll love them, I do feel you could read this one and not feel lost as the author does a nice job of sharing enough information from the previous books so you aren't left feeling lost.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
While Andrea doesn't completely leave the area, she does hide from law enforcement surrounding the bank doing their job, until she decides to make her way home, but once she overhears a conversation and knows their information is wrong, she had to help. Thankfully, two of those people are familiar with behavior analysis and take her information seriously, and it helps.
When Steve, Director of the Critical Response Division of Omega, and Grace, the head psychologist, ask to speak with Andrea later after they've tracked her down, she's shocked when they offer her a job, if she passes the testing required for the position, of which they have no doubt she will. If, for some crazy reason she fails, then they'll help her start a new life, far away from her previous one. For Andrea, it's a win win situation.
Four years later, Andrea loves her job and excels at it, yet she can't shake the fear that at some point she'll lose this new life, so much so that her past has remained a secret from her co-workers as she doesn't feel she fully fits in with anyone. A belief that leads to her keeping herself apart from everyone else.
But Steve surprises Andrea yet again when he assigns her a serial killer case involving a victim found near her hometown. But she's not working it alone.
Brandon, Omega's profiler and resident genius, will be her partner for this case. This will be a little tricky as both prefer to work alone, and each have their own personal reasons for wanting to maintain distance between themselves. Brandon knows Andrea has secrets and in his experience those can be dangerous, then add in his attraction to her and he decides it's wiser to avoid the temptation she represents. For Andrea, not only is she highly aware of Brandon whenever he's near, she also can't help that he makes her feel, with no knowledge on his part, less than just by being himself.
As Brandon and Andrea work closely together, the attraction that has always been there grows stronger, as does the need to form more of a connection, entailing secrets being shared, trust being given, and just maybe hearts as well.
Can they remain focused on their professional objective while exploring their personal connection? Will Brandon and Andrea discover who the killer is? Will Andrea finally realize her true worth is not related to her past? Can this talented profiler and natural analyst look deeper than the surface and their preconceived notions of each other? Can Andrea accept and help Brandon cope with both sides of himself? Will Brandon discover the real Andrea beneath the protective facade she displays to others? Or, when literally confronted with her past as she goes undercover, will Brandon's feelings and opinion of Andrea change? Will she accept that overcoming said past only proves her strength? Is this case related in any way to her history in her hometown? Is the case that started her on this path truly behind her or is someone out for revenge? Or is it a completely different option? Will Brandon and Andrea get their HEA?
One-click this book now. While it is part of a series, and I highly recommend reading them in order, you'll love them, I do feel you could read this one and not feel lost as the author does a nice job of sharing enough information from the previous books so you aren't left feeling lost.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
June 22, 2016
How did I miss the middle two books in this series? (
Fully Committed
and
Armored Attraction
)? Must. Fix. Soon.
Man of Action is another race against time to find a killer (ahem...killers!)--with just enough of a romance to satisfy. The killer wasn't obvious, though I did manage to figure it out ahead of the characters...which had me screaming No! Don't do it! when Andrea came across the real baddie while Brandon and the others thought they had the perp in custody. Man, talk about stress...and then things get even worse.
Yeah, so the "suspense" part of this romantic suspense clearly knows its stuff.
I loved that Brandon was able to bring Andrea out of her self-imposed ice shell, and that Andrea returned the favor by helping Brandon to depend on a partner again (his last one--also his best friend--had died from cancer a year earlier). They came from wildly different backgrounds--something Andrea was especially sensitive about--but their relationship really worked. Brandon did make me get all growly for a bit (even though he knows what he's thinking/feeling isn't right, he keeps on keeping on--grrrrr) but fortunately two of the secondary characters helped him to get his head out of his butt before it was too late.
Which helps the "romantic" part also have a check mark. :)
There isn't a cliffhanger ending, though there is a loose end left running around--literally--which means I'm going to have my eyes peeled for book #5. Fingers crossed that it'll be soon!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Man of Action is another race against time to find a killer (ahem...killers!)--with just enough of a romance to satisfy. The killer wasn't obvious, though I did manage to figure it out ahead of the characters...which had me screaming No! Don't do it! when Andrea came across the real baddie while Brandon and the others thought they had the perp in custody. Man, talk about stress...and then things get even worse.
Yeah, so the "suspense" part of this romantic suspense clearly knows its stuff.
I loved that Brandon was able to bring Andrea out of her self-imposed ice shell, and that Andrea returned the favor by helping Brandon to depend on a partner again (his last one--also his best friend--had died from cancer a year earlier). They came from wildly different backgrounds--something Andrea was especially sensitive about--but their relationship really worked. Brandon did make me get all growly for a bit (even though he knows what he's thinking/feeling isn't right, he keeps on keeping on--grrrrr) but fortunately two of the secondary characters helped him to get his head out of his butt before it was too late.
Which helps the "romantic" part also have a check mark. :)
There isn't a cliffhanger ending, though there is a loose end left running around--literally--which means I'm going to have my eyes peeled for book #5. Fingers crossed that it'll be soon!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2018
I loved this book! It was fast-paced and had great characters. Andrea didn't have a very good childhood, didn't finish high school and was dyslexic. But she overcame her past and became a behavioural analyst for Omega Sector. Brandon had a completely different upbringing. He came from a loving family and was given the opportunity to pursue his education, getting several degrees. He later became a profiler for Omega. The suspense began in this story when they were paired to find a serial killer. While Andrea was qualified for the assignment, it brought her back to the town she grew up in. She only had bad memories of that place.
This mystery had me on the edge of my seat while wondering who the killer was. At the same time, I enjoyed the building romance between Brandon and Andrea, hoping they would have a happy ending.
If you are a romantic suspense fan and like a story with intense, life-threatening situations, you'll like Man of Action.
This mystery had me on the edge of my seat while wondering who the killer was. At the same time, I enjoyed the building romance between Brandon and Andrea, hoping they would have a happy ending.
If you are a romantic suspense fan and like a story with intense, life-threatening situations, you'll like Man of Action.
October 11, 2020
After In the Lawman's Protection, I decided I wouldn't be reading Janie Crouch again. She always had a tendency to have awful "heroes" in her books, but that reached its nadir in In The Lawman's Protection when the hero drugged the heroine without her consent or knowledge.
However, the curse of the op shop bargain struck again: I bought this on the cheap well before I read In The Lawman's Protection and crossed Janie Crouch off my reading list. To be fair, Crouch has written some good books, and this is a decent romantic thriller, although keeps to Crouch's tradition with an asshole for a hero.
One criticism I often had of Crouch's "Omega Sector" books (she wrote 16 (!) all up), was that all the previous characters in the series would show up for gratuitous cameos. That is neatly avoided here, with heroine Andrea Gordon teamed up with Brandon Han to travel to her hometown, where a serial killer is at work, his victims consisting of strippers and occasional hookers.
Four years ago, Andrea was a stripper herself, before her skills at reading people brought her to the attention of Omega Sector. Not only was Andrea a stripper, but her single mother died when Andrea was 10. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. But she ran away from home because her uncle physically abused her. AND she's dyslexic. Whew!
As for her skills at reading people, this was discovered at a bank hostage situation where she identified a third robber not noticed by the FBI. This robber would turn out to be Damian Friehof, who would later go on to become the main antagonist in another six book Omega Sector mini-series. In this book, he has vowed revenge against Andrea for putting him away, and has now broken out of prison. (Strangely, in the later mini-series, he seemed to have abandoned his revenge plans for Andrea entirely.) But, anyway, moving on!
Damian's threat lies in the background of the book, with Andrea and Brandon instead focused on catching this serial killer. They connect it to a DJ doing a sort of promotional run by visiting various strip clubs. So Andrea puts her dignity aside to work undercover as a waitress (not stripper) in one of the clubs to see if she and Brandon can use their people-reading skills to spot their killer.
This is where Brandon changes from fairly reasonable hero into Crouch's typical asshole hero. Once he sees Andrea in her skimpy waitress outfit, Brandon decides she must like the lifestyle and becomes cold and distant towards her. Despite one of Andrea's friends calling him out on it, and Brandon acknowledging to himself he's being hypocritical (he was previously understanding of Andrea's stripping past), he then proceeds to CALL THEIR BOSS, and hint that Andrea is a total slut who loves flirting for waitressing tips.
Slut-shaming someone behind their back, especially after you know your attitude is unreasonable, is tacky, cowardly and utterly odious. Not what I like to read about in my heroes.
As for Andrea - heaven's above! She has got perhaps the lowest self-esteem I've ever come across in a heroine in a romance novel! She spends every single moment of her life believing everybody thinks the worst of her. Yes, this most likely makes sense in the context of her past, having been physically (though not sexually) abused, and having had to work as a stripper to survive, but she rams it home to the point of it being tiresome. Even not going to college has her thinking she's a worthless human being.
I think we all know a person like Andrea. You know the one: they're always going, "I'm so dumb. I'm so useless. I can't do anything right," or something along those lines, usually because they want someone to reassure them they're not. It probably wasn't Crouch's intention, but that's how Andrea strongly came across to me, and I eventually got a bit fed up with it.
Otherwise, this was a fairly enjoyable, easy-to-read romantic thriller. It plays out a bit like an episode of Criminal Minds, which isn't a bad thing for me. The identity of the killer was a bit arbitrary, but still made sense in the context of the rest of the book, and was actually a pleasant surprise. I certainly didn't see it coming! The Damian Friehof subplot, I could have done without. It's not resolved, and lead to another mini-series where he wasn't even interested in revenge against Andrea anyway.
However, the curse of the op shop bargain struck again: I bought this on the cheap well before I read In The Lawman's Protection and crossed Janie Crouch off my reading list. To be fair, Crouch has written some good books, and this is a decent romantic thriller, although keeps to Crouch's tradition with an asshole for a hero.
One criticism I often had of Crouch's "Omega Sector" books (she wrote 16 (!) all up), was that all the previous characters in the series would show up for gratuitous cameos. That is neatly avoided here, with heroine Andrea Gordon teamed up with Brandon Han to travel to her hometown, where a serial killer is at work, his victims consisting of strippers and occasional hookers.
Four years ago, Andrea was a stripper herself, before her skills at reading people brought her to the attention of Omega Sector. Not only was Andrea a stripper, but her single mother died when Andrea was 10. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. But she ran away from home because her uncle physically abused her. AND she's dyslexic. Whew!
As for her skills at reading people, this was discovered at a bank hostage situation where she identified a third robber not noticed by the FBI. This robber would turn out to be Damian Friehof, who would later go on to become the main antagonist in another six book Omega Sector mini-series. In this book, he has vowed revenge against Andrea for putting him away, and has now broken out of prison. (Strangely, in the later mini-series, he seemed to have abandoned his revenge plans for Andrea entirely.) But, anyway, moving on!
Damian's threat lies in the background of the book, with Andrea and Brandon instead focused on catching this serial killer. They connect it to a DJ doing a sort of promotional run by visiting various strip clubs. So Andrea puts her dignity aside to work undercover as a waitress (not stripper) in one of the clubs to see if she and Brandon can use their people-reading skills to spot their killer.
This is where Brandon changes from fairly reasonable hero into Crouch's typical asshole hero. Once he sees Andrea in her skimpy waitress outfit, Brandon decides she must like the lifestyle and becomes cold and distant towards her. Despite one of Andrea's friends calling him out on it, and Brandon acknowledging to himself he's being hypocritical (he was previously understanding of Andrea's stripping past), he then proceeds to CALL THEIR BOSS, and hint that Andrea is a total slut who loves flirting for waitressing tips.
Slut-shaming someone behind their back, especially after you know your attitude is unreasonable, is tacky, cowardly and utterly odious. Not what I like to read about in my heroes.
As for Andrea - heaven's above! She has got perhaps the lowest self-esteem I've ever come across in a heroine in a romance novel! She spends every single moment of her life believing everybody thinks the worst of her. Yes, this most likely makes sense in the context of her past, having been physically (though not sexually) abused, and having had to work as a stripper to survive, but she rams it home to the point of it being tiresome. Even not going to college has her thinking she's a worthless human being.
I think we all know a person like Andrea. You know the one: they're always going, "I'm so dumb. I'm so useless. I can't do anything right," or something along those lines, usually because they want someone to reassure them they're not. It probably wasn't Crouch's intention, but that's how Andrea strongly came across to me, and I eventually got a bit fed up with it.
Otherwise, this was a fairly enjoyable, easy-to-read romantic thriller. It plays out a bit like an episode of Criminal Minds, which isn't a bad thing for me. The identity of the killer was a bit arbitrary, but still made sense in the context of the rest of the book, and was actually a pleasant surprise. I certainly didn't see it coming! The Damian Friehof subplot, I could have done without. It's not resolved, and lead to another mini-series where he wasn't even interested in revenge against Andrea anyway.
November 16, 2018
The last thing Brandon Han wants is to work with someone. Ever since his partner died he would
rather work alone. The Director Of Omega is setting him up with Andrea Gordon who’s somewhat of
a profiler so to speak. She can sense things,’and when someone is not telling the truth.
Brandon doesn’t know her story, but she’s young. He knows she’s hiding something and he doesn’t like it.
Steve thinks because what’s happening she’s the right person to partner up with. Maybe he’s right but he still doesn’t like it.
Andrea knows Brandon doesn’t want to work with her. Hes made it so clear.
But the killings are happening close to where she lived. So Steve knows she’s needed.
See what happens.
rather work alone. The Director Of Omega is setting him up with Andrea Gordon who’s somewhat of
a profiler so to speak. She can sense things,’and when someone is not telling the truth.
Brandon doesn’t know her story, but she’s young. He knows she’s hiding something and he doesn’t like it.
Steve thinks because what’s happening she’s the right person to partner up with. Maybe he’s right but he still doesn’t like it.
Andrea knows Brandon doesn’t want to work with her. Hes made it so clear.
But the killings are happening close to where she lived. So Steve knows she’s needed.
See what happens.
March 23, 2018
You know what I love about reading a book by Janie Crouch? I know I’m going to enjoy it before I’ve even read a word. This book was no exception. I’ve seen Brandon pop up in other books before and was curious enough to want to read his book.
Andrea Gordon is an amazing heroine. Brought up by an abusive, alcoholic aunt and uncle, she finally leaves at seventeen and gets a job in a strip club. She hates every minute of it, but does what she has to do to survive. When she goes into a bank one day and gets an uneasy feeling about three men who’ve entered, she leaves immediately – and becomes the last person to leave before they take the bank hostage.
When she overhears the authorities talking about storming the building, she realises they don’t know about the third man. She approaches Steve Drackett, the Omega Sector director, and Grace Parker, the psychologist, to tell them about him, and something about her intrigues Steve enough that he and Grace seek her out after the crisis is over. Andrea is naturally gifted at being able to read people’s emotions and body language, better than some people who have been trained for years. When Steve sees where she is working, he offers her an out – do some testing and he’ll hire her at Omega Sector.
Four years later, Andrea has turned her life around. Her previous life is behind her, but she’s afraid of getting too close to her colleagues at Omega Sector in case they find out she’s a dyslexic high school dropout who used to strip. Brandon is aware of her reputation around the office as an ice queen, but he’s attracted to her for reasons he can’t work out. Having worked solo for the previous year since the death of his partner, he’s not happy when Steve partners him up with Andrea on a serial killer case. It makes sense – Andrea is excellent at reading people and one victim is from her hometown, so she knows the area well.
Home is the last place Andrea wants to go, especially with the man she’s been attracted to for years, but she has a job to do and she doesn’t want to let down Steve, the only man who’s ever given her a chance. While they’re there, they can no longer fight their desire and Andrea’s sordid past comes out. Brandon disappointingly doesn’t take it well at first, and I could have smacked him for it, but eventually he realises how amazing Andrea is to have overcome her past to be who she is now. They do eventually catch the killer, whose identity I did not guess, but not before Andrea is taken hostage. Brandon saves her, is injured, and they get their happily ever after. Read this book because Andrea is awesome, and I love reading about awesome heroines 🙂
Andrea Gordon is an amazing heroine. Brought up by an abusive, alcoholic aunt and uncle, she finally leaves at seventeen and gets a job in a strip club. She hates every minute of it, but does what she has to do to survive. When she goes into a bank one day and gets an uneasy feeling about three men who’ve entered, she leaves immediately – and becomes the last person to leave before they take the bank hostage.
When she overhears the authorities talking about storming the building, she realises they don’t know about the third man. She approaches Steve Drackett, the Omega Sector director, and Grace Parker, the psychologist, to tell them about him, and something about her intrigues Steve enough that he and Grace seek her out after the crisis is over. Andrea is naturally gifted at being able to read people’s emotions and body language, better than some people who have been trained for years. When Steve sees where she is working, he offers her an out – do some testing and he’ll hire her at Omega Sector.
Four years later, Andrea has turned her life around. Her previous life is behind her, but she’s afraid of getting too close to her colleagues at Omega Sector in case they find out she’s a dyslexic high school dropout who used to strip. Brandon is aware of her reputation around the office as an ice queen, but he’s attracted to her for reasons he can’t work out. Having worked solo for the previous year since the death of his partner, he’s not happy when Steve partners him up with Andrea on a serial killer case. It makes sense – Andrea is excellent at reading people and one victim is from her hometown, so she knows the area well.
Home is the last place Andrea wants to go, especially with the man she’s been attracted to for years, but she has a job to do and she doesn’t want to let down Steve, the only man who’s ever given her a chance. While they’re there, they can no longer fight their desire and Andrea’s sordid past comes out. Brandon disappointingly doesn’t take it well at first, and I could have smacked him for it, but eventually he realises how amazing Andrea is to have overcome her past to be who she is now. They do eventually catch the killer, whose identity I did not guess, but not before Andrea is taken hostage. Brandon saves her, is injured, and they get their happily ever after. Read this book because Andrea is awesome, and I love reading about awesome heroines 🙂
June 16, 2016
After a bank robbers where Andrea proved herself useful on the case, it was then that the police seen some use for her being able to tell clues in people and had her join them. Her life has been looking up since then. Its been a while since shes been back at her hometown and Andrea proved her worth but now she has to go back to help on a case after a string of murders occur.
I really enjoyed this book. There was plenty of mystery, drama, suspense going on. Then there was the romance that was sparking between the two. I thought it was interesting getting to know more about Andrea's past and how Brandon was taking things with a bit of secrets of his own he has to deal with on the side. I loved that there was enough mystery to keep the readers guessing. I mean I had my guesses of who it was and was surprised who it turned out to be. I really enjoyed this book really fun read.
I really enjoyed this book. There was plenty of mystery, drama, suspense going on. Then there was the romance that was sparking between the two. I thought it was interesting getting to know more about Andrea's past and how Brandon was taking things with a bit of secrets of his own he has to deal with on the side. I loved that there was enough mystery to keep the readers guessing. I mean I had my guesses of who it was and was surprised who it turned out to be. I really enjoyed this book really fun read.
June 27, 2016
Man of Action
Janie Crouch
Received an ARC for an honest review.
Once again Janie Crouch has hit the nail on the head with another nonstop action packed thriller.
Teaming up Brandon Han and Andrea Gordon to find a serial killer in Andrea's hometown causes them to have to face ghosts from their pasts in order for them to build trust. Follow them through fast moving story as they travel a maze of memories and intrigue which leads to a surprise ending.
Janie Crouch
Received an ARC for an honest review.
Once again Janie Crouch has hit the nail on the head with another nonstop action packed thriller.
Teaming up Brandon Han and Andrea Gordon to find a serial killer in Andrea's hometown causes them to have to face ghosts from their pasts in order for them to build trust. Follow them through fast moving story as they travel a maze of memories and intrigue which leads to a surprise ending.
June 6, 2016
3.5 stars
What a twist in the end. Wasn't expecting that person to be a killer.
What a twist in the end. Wasn't expecting that person to be a killer.
July 7, 2016
Brandon
Andrea
Andrea
July 11, 2016
3.5 stars
May 10, 2016
The second book in a great series.
January 2, 2018
This was the 4th book in the series. This one settles on two people who work for the same law enforcement department. They have noticed each other but had never partnered before. These are our hero and heroine of the story.
The heroine has always felt not good enough. Growing up she always did what she had to do to survive after her mother died when she was young. She ran away and left school which was difficult for her. She took to living in her car, and when that proved not to be too safe, she changed jobs and started working in a strip bar. However, one day her live spun out of control when she went to the bank and used her skill to read people and left in a hurry. Within minutes of her leaving, the bank went into a hostage situation, which she helped with. After, she was asked to come help the department and is considered to be a highly prized asset with her skills. However, she still doesn't see herself as such even years later.
Our hero has had a stable growing up and has a high IQ. Over the years he's helped develop many different things for different departments. Upon meeting a friend in college, the friend moved into law enforcement and within months our hero was working for them as well. In fact, they had partnered up - until his friend loses a battle for his life. His friend always helped in control the beast side of him and usually the educated side has been controlling the beast.
However, with a serial killer on the loose, the head of their department sends our hero and heroine together back to where the heroine grew up in a small town. Once there, the heroine will discover certain aspects of her past she didn't know and how it could have been so much worse. The hero will learn to trust himself and others by not everyone working the same way or doing the same things as the heroine works very different. However, as the battle with the villains nears to a close, will the get their guy, woman and each other?
This was an interesting read as the heroine was very unique. The hero was ok, but the beast versus educated side was very weird and not well explained. I did like how the small town was, but living in a small town I know within minutes usually everyone knows you're back along with all of your history. This wasn't portrayed very well in the book, but it was there in small amounts.
The plot was good and kept you guessing on what was coming next, although I knew it was going to loop back to the one that got away eventually. However, how it ended was not what I was expecting which was great. I can only imagine what the next story will be like.
The heroine has always felt not good enough. Growing up she always did what she had to do to survive after her mother died when she was young. She ran away and left school which was difficult for her. She took to living in her car, and when that proved not to be too safe, she changed jobs and started working in a strip bar. However, one day her live spun out of control when she went to the bank and used her skill to read people and left in a hurry. Within minutes of her leaving, the bank went into a hostage situation, which she helped with. After, she was asked to come help the department and is considered to be a highly prized asset with her skills. However, she still doesn't see herself as such even years later.
Our hero has had a stable growing up and has a high IQ. Over the years he's helped develop many different things for different departments. Upon meeting a friend in college, the friend moved into law enforcement and within months our hero was working for them as well. In fact, they had partnered up - until his friend loses a battle for his life. His friend always helped in control the beast side of him and usually the educated side has been controlling the beast.
However, with a serial killer on the loose, the head of their department sends our hero and heroine together back to where the heroine grew up in a small town. Once there, the heroine will discover certain aspects of her past she didn't know and how it could have been so much worse. The hero will learn to trust himself and others by not everyone working the same way or doing the same things as the heroine works very different. However, as the battle with the villains nears to a close, will the get their guy, woman and each other?
This was an interesting read as the heroine was very unique. The hero was ok, but the beast versus educated side was very weird and not well explained. I did like how the small town was, but living in a small town I know within minutes usually everyone knows you're back along with all of your history. This wasn't portrayed very well in the book, but it was there in small amounts.
The plot was good and kept you guessing on what was coming next, although I knew it was going to loop back to the one that got away eventually. However, how it ended was not what I was expecting which was great. I can only imagine what the next story will be like.
July 6, 2017
Man of Action by Janie Crouch is a one stunning tale. A romantic suspense that went deep under my skin and into my heart. Suspenseful and charming. A young woman had it really rough growing up...actually, she had no one there for her. Her aunt and uncle didn't even want her. But she had nowhere to go. Her uncle beat her. Her aunt let him. She finally ran away to survive. Andrea ended up not graduating from high school and working in a place she feels shameful for...now, four years later, she's made a career for herself. Her one time insight to a crime led her to a career as a behavioral analyst. From there she's partnered with sexy and super smart Brandon Han. He recently lost his partner. A new serious case pops up, and both are sent as new partners. Brandon isn't game for having a new partner. He knows Andrea is hiding secrets...as their case is in her hometown, those secrets become exposed. Brandon will struggle with how he should feel around Andrea. Andre really likes Brandon but feels he'll turn away from her if he knew her past. A serial killer is loose and another escaped from prison. With evil lurking around, it will take them both to capture the criminals.
Man of Action is exactly as it states. Brandon Hall provides more action than most. Both in and out of the bedroom. A sinful combo of hot looks and high intelligence makes him a man most wanted. I loved how Janie Crouch explored differences in race, intellect, and careers. She tamales something like a learning disability or a job for survival and make it into an emotional yet unforgettable journey. I was hooked. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers everywhere.
Man of Action is exactly as it states. Brandon Hall provides more action than most. Both in and out of the bedroom. A sinful combo of hot looks and high intelligence makes him a man most wanted. I loved how Janie Crouch explored differences in race, intellect, and careers. She tamales something like a learning disability or a job for survival and make it into an emotional yet unforgettable journey. I was hooked. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers everywhere.
September 17, 2021
I love a good Janie Crouch Intrigue, and the Omega Sector: Critical Response series is definitely that. I read the fourth book in the series after reading the first because that's where you meet Andrea, and I was dying to know her story. I was not disappointed. (and I didn't need to read them in order to understand them)
Andrea was a natural profiler of human emotions, but she wasn't a natural at being part of the Omega Sector. She stayed hands-off with her colleagues and told them as little about her past as she could get away with to protect her secrets.
Brandon Han wasn't having it. Andrea had caught his eye since she started at Omega, and he was tired of her secrets. As a guy with more degrees than you could shake a stick at, and one of them as a profiler, he could easily read the gorgeous blonde profiler, and he didn't need a degree to know that whatever her secrets were, they held shame and fear.
Sent back to Andrea's hometown to find a killer, the last thing Andrea wants to do is let Brandon into her world, but her world didn't give her a choice. As the action heats up and the stakes grow higher, Andrea has to decide if she can trust Brandon with her heart and her life. At the same time, Brandon has to decide, now fully aware of Andrea's secrets, if he can put his past prejudices aside and see the woman she has become.
Once again I stayed up way too late reading this Intrigue, but it was worth the fatigue this morning to find out how it ended. I'm jumping right into book 5, and if you haven't started this series, you should find book 1 and jump in too!
Andrea was a natural profiler of human emotions, but she wasn't a natural at being part of the Omega Sector. She stayed hands-off with her colleagues and told them as little about her past as she could get away with to protect her secrets.
Brandon Han wasn't having it. Andrea had caught his eye since she started at Omega, and he was tired of her secrets. As a guy with more degrees than you could shake a stick at, and one of them as a profiler, he could easily read the gorgeous blonde profiler, and he didn't need a degree to know that whatever her secrets were, they held shame and fear.
Sent back to Andrea's hometown to find a killer, the last thing Andrea wants to do is let Brandon into her world, but her world didn't give her a choice. As the action heats up and the stakes grow higher, Andrea has to decide if she can trust Brandon with her heart and her life. At the same time, Brandon has to decide, now fully aware of Andrea's secrets, if he can put his past prejudices aside and see the woman she has become.
Once again I stayed up way too late reading this Intrigue, but it was worth the fatigue this morning to find out how it ended. I'm jumping right into book 5, and if you haven't started this series, you should find book 1 and jump in too!
June 20, 2025
4 Stars
Man of Action is the eighth book in the Omega Sector Universe Series (Omega Sector: Critical Response #4) by Janie Crouch. I am reviewing The Omega Sector Universe series, which is made up of 16 engrossing reads and comprises of three connected series.
Omega Sector
Omega Sector: Critical Response
Omega Sector: Under Siege
This is a compelling collection of romantic suspense novels that blends high-stakes action with emotionally engaging storylines. The series focuses on a team of elite operatives who face dangerous missions while navigating complex personal relationships- resulting in a dynamic and immersive reading experience.
Each book in the series offers a unique storyline while maintaining a connection to the overarching universe. The characters are well-developed, with their personal struggles, highs and lows, adding depth to the storylines. The balance between suspenseful plot twists and heartfelt romance ensured an engaging read throughout.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Janie Crouch!
Man of Action is the eighth book in the Omega Sector Universe Series (Omega Sector: Critical Response #4) by Janie Crouch. I am reviewing The Omega Sector Universe series, which is made up of 16 engrossing reads and comprises of three connected series.
Omega Sector
Omega Sector: Critical Response
Omega Sector: Under Siege
This is a compelling collection of romantic suspense novels that blends high-stakes action with emotionally engaging storylines. The series focuses on a team of elite operatives who face dangerous missions while navigating complex personal relationships- resulting in a dynamic and immersive reading experience.
Each book in the series offers a unique storyline while maintaining a connection to the overarching universe. The characters are well-developed, with their personal struggles, highs and lows, adding depth to the storylines. The balance between suspenseful plot twists and heartfelt romance ensured an engaging read throughout.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Janie Crouch!
June 4, 2018
As awesome as all the other is mom and myself’s opinion. Over all I love that it had a stripper for a main character. People in the sex interesting should be given respect, along with help and comfort if forced into the position. That said the hero was a told jerk, but he as typical of Janie Crouch it is suppose to be a growing point for the hero, so of course she helps the hero grow. (He relises he was a jerk and wrong. To top it off he grovels for forgiveness, so in mom books he is forgiven and redeem’s himself. (Mom believe the sex industry does need to be talked about and mom need to be shown respect, not just people whisper they should be given respect, or respect only given to stranger, because they could have some sob story, and none given to friends or family who do not.
Over all an amazing corny read that it well worth the read.
Over all an amazing corny read that it well worth the read.
March 21, 2022
Fabulous!
I just started reading Janie Crouch’s books on Friday, after following her on FB for a long time. This is probably the fifth or sixth I’ve finished in that time. SOOO good! I’ve been laid up with a bad cold for a few days, and sometimes I was afraid I was getting a fever - but it was just the books! It’s amazing to me how she weaves such intricate plots and excellent characterization in such short books. This one, Brandon and Andrea’s story, really digs deep into a developing relationship between two passionate, strong personalities, in the context of a compelling mystery. The villain surprised me! Bravo, Janie!
I just started reading Janie Crouch’s books on Friday, after following her on FB for a long time. This is probably the fifth or sixth I’ve finished in that time. SOOO good! I’ve been laid up with a bad cold for a few days, and sometimes I was afraid I was getting a fever - but it was just the books! It’s amazing to me how she weaves such intricate plots and excellent characterization in such short books. This one, Brandon and Andrea’s story, really digs deep into a developing relationship between two passionate, strong personalities, in the context of a compelling mystery. The villain surprised me! Bravo, Janie!
May 29, 2022
nice
Great quick read.
Andrea is Omega sectors behavioural analyst and has a sad past. When a new case comes up she’s paired with Brandon, who after his partners death, is used to working alone. With a suspicious mind he looks for ways that Andrea isn’t a suitable agent but soon comes to discover the amount of fight she’s had to give to get where she is.
This was a great story. Nice quick read with great amount of suspense. My heart broke for Andrea and everything she’d been through.
I actually wanted to slap Brandon silly will all his judgements and pulling her down from where she’d gotten herself.
Im glad they manage to sort it out.
Great quick read.
Andrea is Omega sectors behavioural analyst and has a sad past. When a new case comes up she’s paired with Brandon, who after his partners death, is used to working alone. With a suspicious mind he looks for ways that Andrea isn’t a suitable agent but soon comes to discover the amount of fight she’s had to give to get where she is.
This was a great story. Nice quick read with great amount of suspense. My heart broke for Andrea and everything she’d been through.
I actually wanted to slap Brandon silly will all his judgements and pulling her down from where she’d gotten herself.
Im glad they manage to sort it out.
July 9, 2016
I debated with myself about writing this review, and in the end, I just couldn't let it go. I have been reading category romance since I was 12. I'm 50 now, so do the math, that's a long history with Harlequin. Anne Mather, Carole Mortimer, Nora Roberts, Leslie Kelly, Cynthia Eden, Jill Shalvis, Helenkay Dimon, Rhonda Nelson, Suzanne Brockmann...some of my all-time favorite authors are or were HQ staples. Although I have considered a boycott since the demise of the Blaze line, but I digress. The point is, I have a long history with this genre. Janie Crouch caught my attention with her first entry in the Omega series, and I have read all of the subsequent titles. On the surface, Man of Action is a solid entry. But if you peel off the first layer to look underneath, it starts to fall apart.
Very Brief Synopsis - Andrea and Brandon are teamed up by their boss to investigate a serial killer on the loose in Andrea's hometown. In the meantime, the bad guy who was the impetus for Andrea meeting and subsequently joining the Omega team has busted out of jail with the intent of finding and hurting Andrea for her part in his takedown. Andrea is not looking forward to going home, where she was a high school dropout/runaway who turned to stripping to support herself. Oh, and she's dyslexic. Yeah. Over the top in a major way. And the author absolutely knew it. She has Brandon mention if a shark attack was involved, it would be a great movie, hence the title of this review.
***Let's stop here for a moment of analysis. None of the above is that bad. If Andrea had been portrayed as a strong woman who overcame some seriously crappy circumstances, I would be cheering. Instead, Andrea has the lowest level of self-esteem I have ever read in a heroine. At least, that I can recall. When her boss calls her into his office, she is convinced she is about to be fired. Why? Who knows? She hasn't done anything wrong (according to her POV in this scene), but she's an ex-stripper/runaway dropout, (oh, and dyslexic), so she must be shunned. Drove. Me. Crazy.
Back to the synopsis - So Brandon has been lusting after Andrea, but she's standoffish, he doesn't want a partner...whatever. When he finds out about her past, he's cool with it, telling her how great she is for getting past her circumstances, she belongs on the Omega team for her uber-observant skills...And that was all super! Until he actually sees her in action as a waitress in the strip club they are surveilling and he turns into a Neanderthal nitwit. I will acknowledge this was a legitimate response, but the way it was handled reeked. No conversation, no working it out, just a solid wall of disdain.
***Another moment of analysis - Keep in mind - she was WAITRESSING, not stripping, and Brandon completely lost his mind. He turns all "Ewww, you worked in a strip club, keep away from me, even though just last night I told you how super awesome you were and slept with you, but now you're just skeevy." No. Nope, nope, nope. You don't get to shame her for doing what she had to in order to survive. Especially when she shared this with you, you knew how ashamed she was, then you act like a complete jackwagon??? NO.
Synopsis resumes - So after Brandon has some sense knocked into him by another stripper with a heart of gold and his boss, he apologizes, and Andrea is immediately all, "Oh, that's okay. I deserve it because I am a high school dropout/runaway/ex-stripper with dyslexia, and I am so grateful that any man of your caliber would look twice at me!" Gag. Seriously, what??? No groveling required, she just melts because "he was wrong." Okay, whatever...I completely lost any and all affection for either character at this point.
In the meantime, these two dumb bunnies are trying to find a killer, broadcasting their intentions and locations to everybody...Seriously, like, Andrea's aunt shows up at their hotel and later, at the rental house in which they are staying. How did she find them? Both times? Show your work here, because I really wanna know how these super-elite law enforcement agents couldn't manage to elude an elderly alcoholic. Keep in mind, there is a bad guy on the loose looking for Andrea. Oh, but Andrea doesn't know this because her team doesn't want to "upset" her. *Head-thunk* What?!? We don't think this is a piece of information she may need to have??? Gah!
One last quibble - Brandon's whole "I am warrior" trip. I get where the author was going here. But the actual depiction was such that Brandon seemed like he was afflicted with Multiple Personality Disorder. And I guess it's good for Brandon that Andrea has zero self esteem, because if a guy tells a normal girl that his best friend who has since passed kept him from turning to the dark side and becoming a serial killer, well, the reaction probably wouldn't be, "Oh, well, now I'll keep you from killing innocent people, no worries, honey!" And while I am being a bit snide, I am not making that up. (I don't think I could make that up...)
Bottom line - I can't even. And it *kills* me, because Ms. Crouch has a lot of talent. Great flow, funny dialogue, quirky characters - all things I love. But this thang is so OTT. Kitchen-sinking at its finest. And it didn't need to be. I get that this imprint is about the mystery, but with just a few paragraphs, the whole tone of this book could have changed from Andrea being ashamed to empowered.
Very Brief Synopsis - Andrea and Brandon are teamed up by their boss to investigate a serial killer on the loose in Andrea's hometown. In the meantime, the bad guy who was the impetus for Andrea meeting and subsequently joining the Omega team has busted out of jail with the intent of finding and hurting Andrea for her part in his takedown. Andrea is not looking forward to going home, where she was a high school dropout/runaway who turned to stripping to support herself. Oh, and she's dyslexic. Yeah. Over the top in a major way. And the author absolutely knew it. She has Brandon mention if a shark attack was involved, it would be a great movie, hence the title of this review.
***Let's stop here for a moment of analysis. None of the above is that bad. If Andrea had been portrayed as a strong woman who overcame some seriously crappy circumstances, I would be cheering. Instead, Andrea has the lowest level of self-esteem I have ever read in a heroine. At least, that I can recall. When her boss calls her into his office, she is convinced she is about to be fired. Why? Who knows? She hasn't done anything wrong (according to her POV in this scene), but she's an ex-stripper/runaway dropout, (oh, and dyslexic), so she must be shunned. Drove. Me. Crazy.
Back to the synopsis - So Brandon has been lusting after Andrea, but she's standoffish, he doesn't want a partner...whatever. When he finds out about her past, he's cool with it, telling her how great she is for getting past her circumstances, she belongs on the Omega team for her uber-observant skills...And that was all super! Until he actually sees her in action as a waitress in the strip club they are surveilling and he turns into a Neanderthal nitwit. I will acknowledge this was a legitimate response, but the way it was handled reeked. No conversation, no working it out, just a solid wall of disdain.
***Another moment of analysis - Keep in mind - she was WAITRESSING, not stripping, and Brandon completely lost his mind. He turns all "Ewww, you worked in a strip club, keep away from me, even though just last night I told you how super awesome you were and slept with you, but now you're just skeevy." No. Nope, nope, nope. You don't get to shame her for doing what she had to in order to survive. Especially when she shared this with you, you knew how ashamed she was, then you act like a complete jackwagon??? NO.
Synopsis resumes - So after Brandon has some sense knocked into him by another stripper with a heart of gold and his boss, he apologizes, and Andrea is immediately all, "Oh, that's okay. I deserve it because I am a high school dropout/runaway/ex-stripper with dyslexia, and I am so grateful that any man of your caliber would look twice at me!" Gag. Seriously, what??? No groveling required, she just melts because "he was wrong." Okay, whatever...I completely lost any and all affection for either character at this point.
In the meantime, these two dumb bunnies are trying to find a killer, broadcasting their intentions and locations to everybody...Seriously, like, Andrea's aunt shows up at their hotel and later, at the rental house in which they are staying. How did she find them? Both times? Show your work here, because I really wanna know how these super-elite law enforcement agents couldn't manage to elude an elderly alcoholic. Keep in mind, there is a bad guy on the loose looking for Andrea. Oh, but Andrea doesn't know this because her team doesn't want to "upset" her. *Head-thunk* What?!? We don't think this is a piece of information she may need to have??? Gah!
One last quibble - Brandon's whole "I am warrior" trip. I get where the author was going here. But the actual depiction was such that Brandon seemed like he was afflicted with Multiple Personality Disorder. And I guess it's good for Brandon that Andrea has zero self esteem, because if a guy tells a normal girl that his best friend who has since passed kept him from turning to the dark side and becoming a serial killer, well, the reaction probably wouldn't be, "Oh, well, now I'll keep you from killing innocent people, no worries, honey!" And while I am being a bit snide, I am not making that up. (I don't think I could make that up...)
Bottom line - I can't even. And it *kills* me, because Ms. Crouch has a lot of talent. Great flow, funny dialogue, quirky characters - all things I love. But this thang is so OTT. Kitchen-sinking at its finest. And it didn't need to be. I get that this imprint is about the mystery, but with just a few paragraphs, the whole tone of this book could have changed from Andrea being ashamed to empowered.
July 10, 2021
Man of Action with a Brain to Boot! Awesome. I love delving deeper into the characters of Omega Sector. This book has what I love, great love story blooming, action, suspense, regret, courage. These all make up the great characters in this series of books. Strong and yet vulnerable men and women. It has great insight into how differently we all interpret events, our past, other's past, our future and what we really want out of life.
November 1, 2024
Andrea & Brandon
Andrea has had an incredibly tough life. She was discovered by the Omega Sector and given a job. When she gets paired with Brandon, he makes many obnoxious assumptions about her and her skills. Until he gets to know her and see her in action. Craziness ensues with a great rescue. But the ending is too abrupt and a madman does not get caught. Hope this gets resolved in the next book.
Andrea has had an incredibly tough life. She was discovered by the Omega Sector and given a job. When she gets paired with Brandon, he makes many obnoxious assumptions about her and her skills. Until he gets to know her and see her in action. Craziness ensues with a great rescue. But the ending is too abrupt and a madman does not get caught. Hope this gets resolved in the next book.
July 7, 2019
Awesome Book
Each and every book in this series has been great. I read this series after I read all of Janie's other books and enjoyed them so much I went back to complete this series. It is well worth the read.
Each and every book in this series has been great. I read this series after I read all of Janie's other books and enjoyed them so much I went back to complete this series. It is well worth the read.
August 4, 2017
More a psychological story than an action story. I still liked it.
October 29, 2017
Part of a series but read as a stand alone. Easy to read - good.
November 3, 2017
Good series good book
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