After reading the first book in the Deep Ops series ‘Hidden’ back in 2018, I’ve been wanting to read other books by Rebecca Zanetti. So when I saw the third book in the Deep Ops series on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. Luckily, I got approved and started reading as soon as possible. ‘Broken’ is a standalone novel.

In ‘Broken’ we meet Former Navy SEAL Clarence Wolfe and Reporter Dana Mulberry. Clarence and Dana have felt this connection between them from the moment they met. But Wolfe has been clear from the start: they can only be friends. So when Wolfe and Dana accidentally meet when they are both on a job, they are both frustrated with each other. And when their job seems to involve the same dangerous people, they decide to work together. Well.. Wolfe decides he has to protect Dana.

I love Contemporary Romance novels, but once in a while I just need a little more action. So I was super excited to start reading ‘Broken’, a Romantic suspense novel, and it didn’t disappoint. Right from the beginning of the book these pages where filled with romance and definitely some suspense. And I definitely enjoyed reading it.

This book starts right in the middle of things. Clarence and Dana have already met, I think this happened in book two, and even though they have feelings for each other they try to stay professional and friends only. Although I haven’t read book two, and because of that hadn’t read about Clarence and Dana meeting.. it wasn’t something that bothered me. I was able to catch up fast enough, and enjoyed their friends/lovers conversations.

The suspense in this book was definitely nice to read. It kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. The suspense moments went by a little fast at times, but I truly enjoyed reading them. And the chemistry between Clarence and Dana was really fun to read about. I really was rooting for them from the start.

What I enjoyed the most about this read was the fact we got to read things through both Clarence and Dana’s point of view. And although some parts where a little predictable, I definitely enjoyed reading this book.

I had a hard time getting into this one. Clarence Wolfe seemed so delightfully quirky in earlier books, but now he's just a regular ol' taciturn special forces guy with a past. The building blocks of the plot at the beginning didn't make too much sense -- I had to quit when the special burner phone rang with a special call from his arch-nemesis, telling Wolfe he was coming after him. It didn't seem that organic, and it was still so early in the book.

Turns out Wolfe is not as broken as he thinks. It just takes the right person, a dangerous man, and some quality time together to convince him. This has it all: a great set of characters, a interesting plot, a real villain, hard to put down tension and of course romance. I love the Deep Ops group. They just keep winning while everyone tries to shut them down.

Broken by Rebecca Zanetti is the continuing story of the Deep Ops team. This is the story of Clarence Wolfe who goes to the beat of a different drummer, but is all in on protecting reporter Dana Mulberry who is always going places she should not be, like the sex club. Of course she just saw Wolfe go in there right before she is going in and wonders why he is going there. Hmm, could be interesting. Will they be found out? Will they solve the mystery of Dana’s friend death? Who knows and who knows what kind of trouble they will get into as they work through this mystery. The only way to find out is to read this next installment. I enjoyed this book and had been looking forward to reading about Wolfe. It did not disappoint.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book to give an honest opinion.

I enjoyed the heroine but not so much the hero. He way he was described in previous installments hinted at a sweet side but that never came out in this book. He clung to his isolation and I never felt like he grew. I did like the team a d their dynamic and revisiting them.

Wow!! I still am in awe of the gift that Rebecca Zanetti has with her writing!! I could not wait for Wolfe & Dana's book and I must say, it did NOT disappoint!! Zanetti has a way of writing her characters so you are drawn in quickly and can't put the book down until you know what happens. Each of her characters are truly unique and it's so easy to fall in love with them.. Wolfe is crazy and fun loving!! In my opinion he is almost like the rock or the glue that holds the team together (although he doesn't think he is). The interactions between Wolfe and Dana had my heart fluttering and a smile on my face. This book has phenomenal characters, an insane villain, and is action packed. The entire Deep Ops series is a MUST READ!! It does not disappoint! I absolutely can not wait for the next book in the series!!

PS: I also ended up buying the audio version of the book... WOW!! I must say I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story. I'm fairly new to audio books and some of them have made me cringe, this narrator does a great job and I loved it!!

This is the third book of the series and you will want to have read them in order. I have loved all of them but Wolfe has been a character from the beginning. He has issues. Everyone kind of overlooks them and just works with him as he is. We learn so much more about his back story here.

Dana has worked with the team before. Wolfe is her friend but there is that little spark between them that seems to indicate they could be so much more. Their two lives get tangled in this adventure. More suspense and action than true romance. But I do love that they were such good friends first.

Great seeing the rest of the Deep Ops team and catching up on the previous couples. Things look to be coming to a head over their search for the supposedly dead bad guy. Can't wait to read more!

While this is my first book by this author, it won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the suspense, the action, the characters (including the dog!), the banter and the sexual tension. I would have liked more background to the main characters but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. This information may have been introduced in the previous books since this is the third in a series but Broken can be read as a stand alone. I am definitely interested in more from this author.

If a team of misfit agents, a dog with a drinking problem, and a swoon-worthy romance with an intense case sound like your kinda thing…. run don’t walk to grab Broken by Rebecca Zanetti. Part of the Deep Ops series, I love this group of agents and their romances.

Requisition Force is part of Homeland Security. The team is an outcast of misfits, ex-cons and alphas with issues. I love them all! While each book stands on its own and contains one agent’s romance and case, you’ll want to meet the team and read their stories from the beginning,

I have been waiting for Wolfe’s story since the beginning. An agent wearing a trench coat with a kitten in his pocket who likes coffee with whipped cream and sprinkles has a story to tell and Zanetti did not disappoint!

Coffee Dates with Broken

First Date: Reporter Dana Mulberry is on a personal case dressed as a submissive at an exclusive sex club house party when she spots Agent Clarence Wolfe. Wolfe is a Former Navy SEAL whose been working his own vendetta case on the side. Sparks, undeniable chemistry, snarky banter await you when the two flee after the man they were both looking for ends up dead.
Second Date: Someone wants one of them dead, Wolfe’s old nemesis has made contact and Dana refuses to go into hiding, so she ends up bunking at Wolfe’s house. I loved seeing these two stubborn, driven characters together. Dana is insightful and sees past Wolfe’s attitude. Scorching moments, RULES, denial and sweet build up play side by side with intense action, danger and hilarious moments involving the team, Roscoe the dog and family.
Thrid Date: As the danger escalates, Dana brings the rest of the team in on Wolfe’s case when ties link to her case. This last date sees character growth, some healing, explosive danger and sweet swoon-worthy moments. While fast-paced, the cases threaded together and felt genuine. I loved the dynamics of the team, the teasers about things to come and the camaraderie we witnessed.
Broken delivered everything I hoped for and was the perfect escape. I laughed, cried, adored the romance and didn’t want my time with this team to end.

Clarence Wolfe's is his own special brand of crazy. After his entire unit was taken out with a land mine he is out for revenge against the man responsible. What better place to hide that with the other misfits of the Deep Ops team. Until all hell breaks loose at a sex club with the death of Wolfe's lead.

Freelance reporter Dana Mulberry is on the trail of a story of her murderer friend. The pieces are coming together slowly and have led her to a completely unexpected place, a private sex club. And even more shocking is Wolfe in leather pants taking her to task. Their friendship is about to get blown apart as danger catches them and forces barriers to come down. Now to uncover the clues before it's too late

My girl Rebecca Zanetti is back with book three in the Black Ops series, BROKEN, and my second favorite character, Clarence Wolfe (Hunter Holt was my fave). He’s big, he’s bad … and in this one, he’s in leathers at a sex club. Hallelujah, right? Because Zanetti has enriched the series with novellas, this is actually the fifth story, and like the others, it’s a winner. Wolfe’s got his hands full with Dana Mulberry, a journalist hell-bent on avenging the death of a colleague. I feel like reporters are presented in one of two ways in fiction: the Lois Lane’s who are busybodies sticking their noses where they don’t belong and constantly compromising their morals for a story, or the Pollyanna Clark Kent’s with their wide-eyed belief in all things good and the idea that shining a light on a story will bring unicorns and rainbows. Blessedly, Dana is neither … rather, she’s both a competent searcher of the truth and a responsible journalist. She also turns out to be a surprisingly capable partner for Wolfe, who’s reluctant to let anyone close for fear they would become an instant target for the man who took out his team while working for the Homeland Defense Department. They’re the whodunnit dream team for government operative and civilian pairings, and the development of their inevitable romance is so satisfying.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/may-romantic-suspense-must-reads/

Please save me from the friends-to-lovers trope where they both want to get together, but we can't. I've read more than my share lately and they are sooooo trite, every one of them. I expected so much more from Wolfe and Dana, who have been dancing around each other from the first book.

Clarence Wolfe is a former Navy SEAL who lost his unit and was severely injured. He is on a one-man personal mission to avenge their deaths. Dana Mulberry keeps distracting him by needing rescue. Dana is a freelance journalist who keeps getting caught up in dangerous situations and needs Wolfe to rescue her. She is also on a personal mission to avenge to death of a journalist friend. Her hang up with Wolfe is that he won't unburden himself to her. They have labeled their relationship as "friendship" and that's fine, if they want to lie to each other, but that makes it really boring when they do it for most of the book.
3 1/2-Stars

I’ve been looking forward to the latest entry in Rebecca Zanetti’s Deep Ops series for a while. Broken is a very reluctant (on Clarence’s part ha!) friends to lovers romance that opens with Clarence and investigative journalist Dana trying to sneak their way into an underground sex club to solve their respective cases. When things turn sour Clarence wants to protect Dana without acting on their attraction for each other. He’s dedicated his life to vengeance.

I love how Dana reacts to his speech (and of course how they ignore it so they can act on their attraction later). The relationship dynamic between Dana and the overbearing Clarence feel realistic—even if not entirely attractive to me—as they try to figure out a balance between Clarence’s desire for control & Dana’s for independence and the dangers & demands of her job. Finally, Broken is super sexy and that’s much appreciated.

But I had some big problems with how some plot points are executed. A big event happens to Clarence & Dana and the possible implications of it are barely touched on. Also I found Dana’s continued desire to go to a cousin’s wedding—a cousin she doesn’t even like—in the face of the grave danger she’s in kinda strange.

Overall I really enjoyed this one—it’s so steamy and high octane that I couldn’t help but be sucked in—but I also couldn’t forget what feel like some plot/execution missteps for me. Looking forward to the next book in the series!


CW:




Both leads are drugged and have sex with each other. They’ve had sex before but had no immediate plans to have sex together again.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for complimentary ARC; all opinions provided are my own.

Broken is definitely an exciting and emotional addition to the Deep Ops series. If you read previous books in the series, you know that something was going to happen between Dana and Wolfe. But Wolfe has had his reasons for keeping Dana at a distance. It’s time for them to face the future together. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! You won’t be able to put it down once you start.
5 stars!!

I loved loved loved this!! So happy to finally read Wolfes story. Hes such a quirky guy and you cant help fall in love with him. Dana is a no nonsense woman that just compliments Wolfe. The action is non stop and kept you on your toes. Cant wait til the next one!!

I have been waiting on Wolfe’s book forever and it did not disappoint all all. I was captivated from the first chapter. I loved the dynamics and build up to the relationship between the two main characters. There was so much humor and romance, definitely my type of book. I have been a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan for years and I can honestly say Broken is one of my favorites! I received a ARC for exchange of a review, this book was crazy good!

Broken is a well paced, action driven addition to Deep ops. The story is compelling, the characters engaging and the premise dynamic, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to what comes next.

Broken by Rebecca Zanetti
Deep Ops #3

Lighter in some ways than the previous books this story still had plenty going on. Wolfe has been intriguing throughout the series with the kitten named Kat in his pocket that he takes with him everywhere. He has been strong and somewhat silent while providing super sweet coffee beverages with shipped cream and sprinkles. I was eager to read his story and hear who he would end up with. That said, though I enjoyed the story it was not my favorite of this series. I think the reason was that I didn’t feel the same depth to the story as I felt in the previous books.

What I liked:
* Wolfe: a giant of a man with lethal skills, a TBI to contend with, much loss in his life and a man who genuinely cares for his friends and team.
* Dana: dedicated to her job she will do just about anything for her job, as we saw in the first chapter. She assists the Deep Ops team from time to time, is trying to find out what happened to a friend/colleague and has definite interest in Wolfe.
* The team: a great collection of misfits that find their niche together
* The relationship that develops between Wolfe and Dana
* Dana’s family and the way they give a sense of what family and sisterhood is.
* That the bad guy was thwarted

What I did not like:
* The bad guy: truly evil and needed to be put down
* Being left to wonder what the story is with Lassiter BUT know that is the thread that hooks the team together in the end…or think it will.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

I loved it! This series is great, all the characters are wonderful and I'm always thrilled to read another one of these books. Lots of adventure and lots of love. I'm ready for the next one!

Broken by Rebecca Zanetti is the third book in the adrenaline-charged Deep Ops series and packs one hell of a punch! A story laden with corruption and danger, it also has equal amounts of humour, anticipation, and sizzling chemistry. No romantic suspense would be worth the read without an element of mystery and BROKEN provides that along with some explosive action and plenty of twists and turns along the way. Wolfe is an amazing character who I’m sure many readers have been waiting impatiently for him to get his very own story. A true alpha male who takes his role as protector seriously, he exudes sex appeal and charm while displaying the vast intelligence that as helped him survive. Dana is a fiercely independent woman with a smart wit and deeply caring personality you can’t help but adore. In this firecracker of a novel, you will gasp, laugh and on occasion shed a tear, but you will certainly not regret a single moment you spent within the pages of this exhilarating story. Bring on the next one Ms Zanetti; I for one can’t wait!