for being a brief book, this was actually a pretty fleshed out story. i liked the dynamic of the men in this story. the heroine seemed a bit immature to me however. i liked how they didn't dwell on the past and connected again.. i would have liked more insight into their group dynamic growing up together. the action was well done but it was kind of squicky to have a murdering teacher with an underage kid

Taken is a novella in the Deep Ops series. This was a fantastic short read! Faye and Hunter have a history, and now they must work together. Hunter has a half-brother he knew nothing about, and it is up to them to find him before it’s too late!
I loved reading about Faye and Hunter, and we caught some glimpses of what will come with the next book! I was literally laughing out loud during some parts of the book. I cannot wait for the next books in the series because these characters have some awesome quirks! If you are a fan of Zanetti and have read her books, keep your eyes open during the book. There are some guest appearances, and I had to reread parts of it because I loved it so much! I HIGHLY recommend reading this book and reading the previous book because you will know more about the other characters.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.

Faye and Hunter were in the same Foster home as kids. Both their Fathers were abusive. They had a parting of the ways years ago but now are forced to work together. A Foster kid staying with their ex Foster Mother has run away. Turns out the run away is Hunters half Brother who has hooked up with a teacher who is on a crime spree. Can they get to the couple before law does.

This is a novella and it moves at a fast pace. Their are a few quirky characters In the book that made me laugh. The story has suspense along with a romance. It is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I LOVED this story.. Even though is was a novella Ms. Zanetti did a fabulous job of giving us enough so we could understand the story, history of the characters, past love between Hunter and Faye. We also had the chance to revisit old friends from Hidden. This was a delightful read and I can't wait for Fallen!

Geez, poor bunny.

Who is Miss Angelina, and what power do she have on them?

Ew.

Raider's fun! Way to be blunt, though, Hunter.

Wow. Miss Angelina sure is respected around here.

This chief gives police officers a bad name.

Charming place. Not.

Obviously not biologically, Wolfe.

An alcoholic dog?

Holy Mary Kay Letourneau.

Zanetti continues her irresistible Deep Ops series with Taken.

Five years ago Faye Smith needed to get her life in order and walked away from the love of her life. But needing Hunter Holt’s help to find a runaway foster teen has given her a second chance with the man who holds her heart.

Having run away from the same abusive man, Hunter doesn’t hesitate to help find the half-brother he didn’t know existed, even when it means teaming up with the beautiful psychologist who broke his heart. But the collaboration not only means they get a second chance, it also means working with his friend Raider and the Deep Ops group. Can they all work together to reunite the brothers?

In this novella, Zanetti shows that you don’t need a full length novel to get an engaging, action packed and sizzling romance. Faye and Hunter’s undeniable attraction and deep connection, fueled by their history, feels utterly sincere despite the story’s length. Zanetti also incorporates in characters from the Deep Ops group including the hilarious Wolfe with his loveable kitten aptly named Kat and the alcohol loving and stiletto stealing dog Roscoe.

And get this all you Dark Protectors fans, I’m sorry if this is a tad spoilery but it must be said, Rebecca seamlessly weaves in TWO characters from that series! Oh yes she did! I totally flipped and re-read that scene a bunch of times.

Zanetti does a wonderful job of crafting an fascinating romance in a scant number of pages. Taken is novella #1.5 of the Deep Ops series by Rebecca Zanetti. It is a standalone contemporary romantic suspense, told from several points of view.

A quick and fun read that has the added benefit of giving a peek into the background of one of the Deep Ops team's members. I'm even more impatient to read Raider's story now.

Really enjoying this series from Rebecca and looking forward to the next book in the series which hopefully will not be too far away.

I love second chance love stories and this one did not disappoint. Add in the suspense and steaminess made this book amazing!!! Faye and Hunter had history and when the reunite it is off he charts. This book is definitely novella length but the content does not eave you hanging. It sucks in from the beginning!! Add in the dog and this book has it all. I was a big fan of this series since the first book. we also get to see some of the pat and potentially future characters in this series. Great read...would definitely recommend.

A lot of story is packed into this novella. The characters are great. There is just the right amount of romance. The story is a fast paced mystery with twists. I think this series is a hit. I look forward to reading more by this author.

While this is a novella, Zanetti gave us a full story from a second chance romance between Faye and Holt, to a kidnapping serial killer who crossed state lines. We even got to spend time with our high-heel wearing, beer loving pooch!

The romance was sweet, and low on drama. The two have grown and clearly there were reasons it didn’t work the first time. The case is wrapped-up, and we get our HEA.

A full review will post on April 29th at Caffeinated Reviewer. A link to the review will be shared on all social media. A review will also post to Goodreads and Amazon.

Hunter and Faye had gone through some tough times and had not seen each other for five years but now they were being asked to work together again to find a runaway from a foster home. The same foster home that Hunter had once runaway from. To add to the the stress of being close to each other again, the runaway is a brother that Hunter knew nothing about. Will they be able to find Hunter's brother in time and will they be able to forgive each other and move forward?

Also, loved the surprise appearance.

Boy..this was a tough one. I'm a huge huge fan of this author but this book is the only one she has ever written that I couldn't sink my teeth into. The story and the characters just didn't resonate with me. But that's me. Zanetti is a wonderful storyteller and I'm positive this book will be well received. It just didn't click with me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing/Zebra for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series. I believe it is a novella as it is quite short. This is a second chance romance/suspense. Family plays an important role. 3 1/2 stars. I think a lot of her fans will enjoy this one.

Another great read by Rebecca Zanetti. This book is about a group of friends who when younger ended up in foster care together, a blessing because their parents were terrible. They come together again when one member finds out his father, fathered and abuse another son. This is how they come back together and with the help of friends track his brother.. Laugh out loud about a kitten in a pocket, and a dog who likes to drink. A must read book and hope there is more!

Taken by Rebecca Zanetti

Deep Ops series book 1.5. Novella length but don’t discount it. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a standalone.
Easter eggs for fans of Zanetti.

A second chance romance. They walked away from each other in the past. They want to try again but there is past pain that has to be dealt with.
The hero is a protector. He would never lay a hand on a woman. I didn’t like that she felt it was ok to kick him. It turned it into a sexy scene in bed but she should have found a better way to get his attention.

Love the dog! And the kitten too. The dog shows up only briefly in this story but he leaps off the page. Read the first book and you’ll understand my uncontrollable laughter at his antics.
Humor and suspense and romance. A great combination.

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

5 - ”I’m not letting you go again… Stars!

This series absolutely stinks. And it stinks sooooooo gooooood! Potential oozes from every page, character and trope being used. I was pretty enamoured with Angus Force and his crew of misfits when we were introduced to them in the first book of the Deep Ops series; Hidden and things just stepped up another level with this perfectly formed novella.

"I’m the type of guy who only loves once… and you walked away."

Taken is Hunter and Faye’s story. A side-step from the main crew in that they are Raider Tanaka’s non-biological brother and sister. They are also deeply in love, but have been apart for the past five years due to their own demons, grief and general stubbornness getting in the way.

He wasn’t the only one who’d given his heart away and never got it back…

Bought back together by their foster mother, to try and locate one of the children in her care who has gone on the run with his teacher, this is a book of two halves with the rebuilding of Hunter and Fayes’ relationship taking place around the man-hunt for the fugitives across several state lines.

"You’ll always be mine…"

Tanaka, Wolfe, Angus Force as well as Roscoe the alcoholic dog (adore him) all make appearances in this one, but it was the surprise inclusion of two of my all-time favourite Zanetti characters that took this novella from stellar to outstanding. I laughed, had a bit of a lip wobble, and was thoroughly entertained through its whole reading, and it just left me desperate for more from this series. Fallen is not due to release until September, but if its predecessors are anything to go on, it will be well worth the wait.

"I’m not afraid of you… Never have been and never will be. so you just go right ahead and show me what you’ve got, tough guy…"

I think what I really like best about this one was that it showed the characters from the first book, Raider especially in a different light. I liked that we got to see the unusual family, how blood didn't matter, but connection and choice. I especially loved that when Hunter learned about Jackson he was all in to save him as was his family.

This one ended about as good as it could for Jackson, but I have a feeling that his life going forward will be nothing but sunshine and puppies.

DNF at %48

It's a fast paced "second chance" suspense romance. But it was TOO fast paced to me, it lacked depth. The characters were unidimensional, they were "cartoon characters". I just couldn't connect with the story.


FUN FACT: This is a NOVELLA so that's why it's too fast paced BUT I love reading novellas and I definitely have read novellas with more depth than this one.

👇


And: "Raider was part Japanese, and his blazing black eyes had always fascinated her."

Please white authors 🙏 Asian people are not "exotic" and their eyes are not something to be fascinated about. You can do better 🤗😬

Taken by Rebecca Zanetti. Her books have great characters and a well put-together story line. Hunter and Faye have a bond that goes back, and it goes deep. Five years ago their world challenged them in a way that divided them, but now they need to come together for family. It's important, and they will do whatever they can for family.
The intense feelings, the true in depth characters who seem to leap from the pages and the funny stuff (yeah, it's in there) grabs me every time with Ms. Zanetti's novels. I had to read it the first time in one sitting, and then I read it again, slower this time to smile at the way this series is playing out. It's a great read, and one I'm sure I'll be reading again.