Wow! What an exhilarating ride this book was. A rag-tag bunch of government agents band together to infiltrate a cult. Malcom, part of the team, is a former cop who just left that career after an undercover stint went wrong. Pippa lives next door to Malcolm and is hiding a big secret. That’s just the beginning of the story. Many twists, turns and intense action mixed with a blossoming relationship. A set of fascinating characters and pets lol. I would recommend “Hidden” for all of your romantic suspense needs!

OMG this book was so good! Look it's no secret to anyone that knows me that I'm a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan. She is one of my top 3 favorite authors of all times. I have read and loved all the books in her Dark protector series, Sin Brother Series, and her Realm Enforcers series. So to say I was excited when I heard she was starting a new series, would be an understatement. Hidden was everything I hoped for and more. With a strong plot, a sexy bad-a%$ hero, a smart and brave heroine, likable secondary characters, and lots of action this book took me for one hell of a ride. I couldn't put it down.
Malcolm was so yummy. He had some scars inside and out. A ex-undercover cop all Mal wanted was some peace to deal with the demons of his last case. Instead he got pulled into a new Team called Requisition Force. Because even though Malcolm didn't want to go undercover again he did it so he could help save his sexy reclusive neighbor Pippa. Pippa was brave, smart and sweet. My heart bled for all she lived through. I loved Malcolm and Pippa together from the start. They had a ton of sexual tension and chemistry. And though they were both keeping secrets and lying to each other I still felt their relationship had real depth.
Being the first book in a new series it built up the world, and introduced the members RF. Let me just say I loved the team. Angus, Raider, Bridgid, Nari, and my two favorites Roscoe the alcoholic, high heel wearing dog, and the big sexy, slightly crazy, kitten loving, ex-lieutenant commander Wolfe! I want me a piece of Wolfe! Hell I want all of him! This book had the perfect amount of action and passion. There was also some great laugh out loud moments too. There was a cute quirkiness to the team that made them very endearing. I loved the cult part of the plot. Isaac the cult leader was creepy, crazy and just plain evil. Zanetti did a great job writing believable characters. I loved the camaraderie that I already felt with the team. I already feel very attached to the other team members and I can't wait to read their stories. Especially Wolfe's!!!!

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/09/20/hidden-by-rebecca-zanetti/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I always enjoy Rebecca Zanetti. She knows how to bring the feels of a connected couple along with the hot and sexy, plus a compelling plot, in addition to the romance. Neither Pippa or Malcolm have had an easy time of things. I love how they are both strong, smart survivors.  I understand why they are both a bit reserved with their history and personal information.  It just makes for trouble.

If you love someone, you have to trust them. So since trust is a scarce thing for them, can they really love anyone?  Sometimes the feels are there, rational or not.

<strong>Hidden</strong> has lots of action, and a terrifying suspense aspect, for both Pippa and Malcolm.  They are both such compassionate people in spite of the horrors they have seen. It's both endearing and whoa steamy how attracted they are.  They are well-matched and they need each other in their lives. They deserve that love.

I am so excited this is the beginning of a series. I hope we will see more of this couple and hopefully more relationships around the "team"  in this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/227577-deep-ops" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Deep Ops series.</strong></em></a>

3.5 Stars

Malcolm West is working to put his career as an undercover police officer behind him. After his last assignment ended horribly, he has decided to get as far away from the stresses of undercover life as possible, and he finds the perfect house to achieve his purpose...

Pippa Smith has been running for a very long time. Preferring to keep to herself as a measure of security, there is something about her new next door neighbor that makes her want to venture out of her comfort zone. 

Both Malcolm and Pippa are hiding something, and it's only a matter of time before whatever danger they have coming for them shows up on their doorsteps...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book was an excellent foray into the new Deep Ops series, where we are introduced to a rag tag group of operatives brought together by one very persuasive commander. 

Pippa was once deeply embroiled in a cult lifestyle at the insistence of her mother. Fleeing before her worst nightmare was realized, she has been living life on the run since she was 17 years old. But, with a timeline fast approaching that is important to the group, she finds herself being pulled back to the place she never wanted to see again...

Malcolm is still healing, mentally and physically from his his last undercover assignment. While he is looking forward to a quiet and uncomplicated life, it isn't long before his solitude is invaded with a job offer, one he initially wants nothing to do with... until he learns of his first assignment...

Pippa and Malcolm quickly act on their attraction to each other, and what starts out as purely physical, seamlessly turns into something more. But, when they are lying to each other about almost everything, how could a relationship between them ever be something more? 

I enjoyed this book, while a little slow in the beginning, the ending definitely turns up the tension and excitement. I loved the set up and characters introduced within the Requisition Force, and I can't wait to see more from this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

Hidden is the first book in the new suspenseful romance series Deep Ops by Rebecca Zanetti.

Pippa is hiding from her past. Not your typical past, Pippa is hiding from a crazy cult leader and his followers.

Malcom is an sexy hot ex undercover cop hoping to start a nice new peaceful life after the hell of his last assignment by purchasing the house next to Pippas.

Nothing about the move was a coincidence, someone is pulling stings to get Malcom close to Pippa.

This plot is absolutely astounding! I loved every minute reading this book. Rebecca did a great job developing each character, even down to the kooky pets some of the characters have! One of my new favorites of Rebecca’s work. Trust me when I say you will not regret reading this book! Now to wait for the next book in this series!

I have mixed feelings…

What worked for me:
I liked the idea of assembling a motley crew of law enforcement officials, mental health providers and yes, even convicted felons to work the most undesirable and heinous cases threatening the livelihood of society. Every single one of the assembled team has one defining screw-up in their careers/lives that’s sentenced them to this new task force. It’s equal parts exasperating and comical. I especially loved Roscoe, a whiskey drinking German Shepherd with a high-heel fetish and a plethora of other hidden quirks. I literally laughed out loud at his antics.

What didn’t work for me:
Pippa is a very delicate and damaged heroine. She’s scared of her own shadow and her character is overshadowed by the hero Malcolm—often referred to as Mal. Pippa escaped a cult after years of mental, physical and psychological abuse. She’s not strong and she is afraid of Mal for the first part of the book. I felt she was uninteresting and easily forgettable.

And then there’s Mal. He’s a very damaged undercover cop that’s perfected the art of lying. 99% of his interaction with Pippa is deceitful. I never got the sense of him having genuine feelings for her until the very end of the story. I didn’t like Mal’s character at all. Pippa’s character was also living a lie because she’s in hiding from the cult. I didn’t like that the relationship was based on lies. It rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning and made it difficult to stay engaged in the story.

What also really bugged me was that this scared woman has sex with Mal—a person she is very fearful of—very fast. It didn’t gel with the story and felt totally out of character for Pippa. The story felt unbalanced and what kept me interested in the story were the secondary characters.

Overall, it was just an okay read. Yes, I had a lot of problems with it but that won’t stop me from reading the series. I’m looking forward to the next book. I just hope the hero/heroine are more evenly matched.

Pippa has a lot to hide. And she's in hiding from a cult leader who ruined her young life. Now, Malcolm, a retired police officer who is having a hard time coping with what he did on his last undercover assignment, has moved in next door. He's now part of the Requisition Force, a quasi government organization of similarly dispossessed law enforcement, which is all about finding and disarming threats. That part is a tad unrealistic but go with it because it's a good story. The romance between Pippa and Malcolm takes up a lot of air here (and some of the dialogue is regrettable) as he tries to find out whether she's a good one or a bad one but the story moves quickly to the suspense part. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This has a little something for everyone who likes romantic suspense.

5 - "You saved me... Let me save you." Stars!

Book one in Rebecca Zanetti’s new Deep Op’s series, gives us Malcolm and Pippa’s story, and both of them are keeping more than a few things Hidden from the outside world as well as from each other.

He’d never met a mystery he didn’t want to unravel… Maybe some things never changed.

I really enjoyed this book, Zanetti excels at combining romance with suspense, sweet with dirty and thrills with the inevitable spills, and this was a book that set off at a fast clip and went all Usain Bolt up to its climax.

There was something so careful about him… As if he was afraid to scare or hurt her…

There is a lot going on in this book, what with the story playing out between Mal and Pippa, the fact they both know less than the truth about each other, and how they become more connected as things progress, especially as Pippa’s past, the one she has tried her hardest to stay Hidden from starts to encroach on the carefully designed existence she has now laid out for herself. Little does she realize how much of that past Mal is actually aware of, and how much his involvement with her is due to it.

"You don’t know me."

"Show me, then. Show me who you are… I don’t care who you’ve been or what you’ve done. Just show me now."

We are also introduced to the newly formed Requisition Force (which incidentally was the original name for the series, and my personal preference) headed by one Angus Force, Mal is part of the team, and as the book progresses we are introduced to Clarence Wolfe, Dr. Nari Zhang, Raider Tanaka & Brigid Banaghan, ne’er a bunch of mis-matched, mis-placed misfits you are likely to meet. And although all of them may be considered in polite circles a few cans short of s six-pack, their is no denying they are all still pretty adept at their own personal specialties.

"Nothing quite bonds you like gunfire and blood."

A great start to the series, plenty of prospective characters to get their own books as things progress, and absolutely one of the better books I have read by this author in recent years. Raider and Brigid are up next with Fallen due sometime in 2019.

"We’ve only known each other through lies… Now we know the truth."

We were lucky enough to get an ARC of Rebecca Zanetti's newest thriller, Hidden.
This story had me entranced from the get go. What is not to like about hot, tall, dark, and slightly damaged Malcolm West. Retired undercover detective who is a master manipulator. All of his protective instincts come out for the shy, introvert Pippa Smith. He instantly suspects that she is hiding something, but doesn't dive in until FBI agent Angus Frost, Dr. Nari Zhang and retired Lieutenant Clarence Wolfe comes a knocking. My favorite though is Roscoe a whiskey loving, high heel wearing German Shepard. Gotta love it right?!?
Pippa is hiding a dark past, and Frost enlists Malcolm's help to uncover Pippa's secrets. The trio are on the hunt to stop a suspected terror attack. All the while, helping Special Agent Frost track Dow a serial killer. This book has a lot of action from beginning to end.
Is Pippa really part of this plot? Well you will have to pick up this amazing book that comes out on Tuesday!
You won't be let down. I mean like I said earlier, hot alpha male, shy introvert, love and mayhem. What's not to like right?

I loved Hidden! The author has started an intriguing series featuring alpha males and interesting women. There are hints of romantic entanglements to come and questions that need to be answered in future books. And of course we need more Kat.

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in from the first page till the last. It was a great mystery, funny, thrilling read with some wonderful quirky characters, who I hope get their own story.

I relate writing about Rebecca Zanetti’s romantic suspense books to Shakespeare writing about love … dreamy, romantic and wholly on point. The first installation of her new Deep Ops series, HIDDEN, is no different. I’m a sucker for the setup: A former undercover cop moves next to an agoraphobic woman suffering from panic attacks and on the run from a crazy cult. And, shazam — it doesn’t get better than this!

Pacing is one of Zanetti’s hallmarks. She has a penchant for introducing characters and situations at the exact right time with the exact right tension to compel you to race to the next page, where danger, desperation and desire always follow suit.

Take Pippa Smith, who’s been on the run for the last seven years from the crazy leader of a cult, who goes by the moniker of The Prophet. The Prophet is playing a numbers game, a la Nostradamus, and intends to marry her on her 25th birthday — she’s the solution to the salvation he’s trying to sell. Only, before he could get his hands on her, she ran … to a little house in the middle of nowhere in a little town called Cottage Grove. Life in Cottage Grove is quiet, and she can let down her guard. Until Malcolm West moves in and sends her spiraling.

After an injury on his last undercover assignment and a bad case of PTSD, Malcolm was looking forward to retiring to a small little house in the country. He’s intrigued when he notices the woman next door watching him through the window, because she’s, well, strange. Strange and vulnerable and wonderful … and kind of his kryptonite. When he witnesses her panic attack, his instinct is to help.

Despite the instant, easy connection Pippa and Malcolm have, it’s evident she’s hiding something really big. So when he has an opportunity to get more information on her background from a stranger who showed up in his house the day he moved in, he’s helpless to ignore it.

Turns out the man who approached Mal was Angus Force, who’s building a new team with the Homeland Defense Department (HDD). And not only does he want Malcom’s skill set, he wants Pippa and her knowledge of the cult. HDD is brand new and “kind of a dirty secret nobody wants around.”

The thing about crazy cult leaders, or just crazy stalkers in general, is that they never give up. For Pippa, it’s been a long seven years. And when she finally takes a brave step and invites Mal into her life and into her heart, she has no idea he’s working undercover with HDD. She already battles her fight-or-flight instinct, struggling with trusting a complete stranger, and knowing that Mal is actively pursuing The Prophet is a major tipping point for her … even though in the deepest corners of her heart, she knows their love isn’t a front.

Like any good Zanetti tale, danger is woven into every corner of the story. Truth and trust are big elements in many of her books, as is her ability to get to dissect the strength of a character who has the capability to be so vulnerable. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the Deep Ops series!

*Originally published with USA Today's Happy Ever After: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/09/13/dolly-r-sickles-romantic-suspense-rec-hidden-rebecca-zanetti/

We've got a cult, a shut-in, an ex-detective, an alcoholic german sheppard, a Wolfe that keeps a kitten in his pocket and a newly established government team consisting of rejected law enforcement. What is not to love about this combination?

This book had it all from romance, action, comedy, and some serious stuff going down. I loved it! This group of people and animals kept me highly entertained. The action was pretty exciting and the serious stuff had me wanting to jump in and take some people down.

This was a great start to a new series and I can NOT wait for Wolfe's story! Call me crazy, but I kinda love the crazy men.

Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti

Romantic suspense. First in the Deep Ops series.
A newly formed Undercover team investigates a cult. The heroine has been on the run from the same cult for years. She’s a bit skittish. Malcolm falls for her quickly, sure she is innocent in the upcoming and unknown threat from the cult.
Fast moving action, suspense and hot, sexy romantic connections.

Secondary characters:
Haha. The dog doesn’t know when to stop drinking whiskey. As they were leaving, he raced back to the table, knocked the bottle over, grabbed the neck in his mouth and then drained the bottle, his tail wagging. But no worries, the owner has had him to the vet several times checking on the dogs liver. All good. Not that the dog was supposed to drink, but he sometimes got into the liquor cabinet.
What a hoot! The dog has a few other issues that are revealed throughout the story.

The rest of the agency staff all have their own quirks. Wolfe with Kat the kitten. Leader Angus. The freed jailbird computer hacker with the Irish accent. I can’t wait to read all their stories.

Excerpt:
“I, ah, bake sometimes.” The flush intensified as she looked down at him from not much height. “A lot. I bake a lot.”
It smelled like what heaven should smell like. He’d probably never know. Was it rude to beg? It probably was. Would she let him buy whatever it was that smelled so good? It was probably also rude to offer money to a new neighbor for baked goods. He’d never learned much in the manners department. Manipulation, hell yeah. But something in him, something he definitely didn’t want to examine, balked at manipulating her. “I can microwave,” he offered. “Good noodles.”
“Oh.”
She slid the door open and edged halfway inside. Indecision crossed her face; she looked almost pained. She probably had great manners and was now fighting them. He rolled to his feet and shook out his left leg, which had cramped. The ache from his thigh was a constant companion, but at least the bullet had missed an artery. When he could, he took several steps back to give her space. The skies opened, and rain began to drop.
“Um, I could give you a couple of cookies, if you’d like.” Her knuckles were white as she clutched the door. Damn, he wanted those cookies. But her body language, even if he wasn’t an expert, showed she didn’t want him inside. In fact, she was barring the way.
“My boots are dirty,” he lied easily. “I’d love a couple of cookies, but do you mind if I stay on the porch? My socks have holes, and I’d rather not remove my boots. Too much ego, you know.”
Excerpt from Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

HIDDEN will give you a sweet and steamy romance, action, fear, danger, and the camaraderie of men and women who have something to prove to themselves and each other and a happily ever after that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This book is intense, with his backstory and hers, the readers will want them to win no matter what it takes and there are moments that it seems impossible for the much hoped for HEA will come about. Have no fear, through the suspense, danger, fear, and anger there is also love, sweet moments, and the steamy ones expected by this author.

I love the quirky characters, that are fast becoming the norm for this author but this group with Angus Force, Raider Tanaka, Brigid Banaghan, Wolfe and his ever-present Kat (you will love this guy) and Nari Zhang (the group's shrink), I cannot wait to see what happens next in the new Requisition Force series.

~ Annetta Sweetko, reviewing for Fresh Fiction

The complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=66820

Pippa is in a self imposed witness protection program from a cult. The leader wants to make her his wife and she knows too much to just let go. She didn't leave alone and having the support of her friend helps them both through the hard times. When a sexy man moves in next door she knows he will be dangerous but will he threaten her carefully chosen life?

Malcolm is an ex-cop looking to live a quiet life. He doesn't stand a chance. A rouge unit of Homeland security has taken an interest in him for his undercover skills and has manipulated him right onto their team. Even knowing what is happening, Malcolm can't say no. There is something not right about his new neighbor and until he can solve the puzzle he can't walk away.

This is a great start to a new series! Our cast is quirky and flawed. It takes some twisting and shoving but they all fit together. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Rebecca Zanetti never fail to deliver a compelling story to her readers. Hidden is the first in her new series and it was as riveting as I have come to expect from Zanetti. Fast paced edge of you seat action keep you entertained from beginning to end, A must read to be sure,

A fun start to a new series from a new-to-me author, and I liked the thriller aspect of the storyline. I can tell this is setting up for some obvious sequel romances, but I'm still weighing over whether or not I want to read any of them. I wasn't really drawn towards any of the characters in particular in terms of wanting to know more of their stories, so this might be a one and done for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this e-book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Malcolm is a former police detective just wanted to get away from the crazy life of an undercover cop.
He buys a house in small town America, planning on some down time.

Pippa is on the run She ran 7 years ago, on her 18th birthday and day of her Wedding. She has had to move several times...and change her identity.

As Malcolm is moving in he sees Pippa looking out the window at him. When she sees that he saw her she freaks out. Noticing this, Mal goes over to see if she is alright. She feels so bad about the freak-out that she ends up baking for him, something she does to alleviate some stress.

Is there an attraction between the two? Oh yes....

Malcolm soon finds out that his buying this house was planned...by an agent who wants him to work on a job. It seems they feel that Pippa is covering for a fanatical cult leader, possibly even helping in the death of many people. His job will to get info from Pippa.....however he can.

Will Mal and his new team find out what Pippa may be hiding? Is she just scared or aiding the cult leader? Does Mal really have feelings for her or was it just part of his "work"?

This is a new series by the author. I have to admit that she is a favorite of mine and I really loved this story! The cast of characters is totally amazing, Mal's "team" are quirky but dedicated to the cause while the evilness of the cult leader and his plans were truly terrorizing and the members of the cult believing in their leader. Oh course, every book usually has a child or an animal that steals their part of the show and this one did also...in the form of a whiskey drinking dog!


I would highly recommend this story and look forward to more from these characters!

One of the best thrillers I've read all year. Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti is full of suspense. Good solid plot and characters. I couldn't stop reading.