I haven't read many of the author's stories in the past, but this one was just amazing.

Give me suspenseful stories filled with a huge romance plot and I’m done for the night! I just can't get enough of it.

And Zanetti has such a gift to keep you invested and craving more and more of these stories each time.

Jethro is not your typical hero. He's dangerous and when he's found with blood on his hands, you can make your own assumptions. Throughout the book, he proves himself to be an honest man, one that will never ask for help from his friends or colleagues because he actually has a bigger heart and doesn't want to get them killed or in trouble. Protection for the ones he cares is a must in his game.

Gemma is a single mother, but that doesn't mean she can't redo her life and while she's still keeping her distance, their chemistry and attraction are undeniable from the moment they get to know each other better.

Unforgiven is one of the best romantic suspense story that I’ve ever read. I couldn't stop turning the pages faster and faster to get my adrenaline shot from this story.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

Wow, just wow can Rebecca Zanetti write a thriller! No one builds the tension like her and then breaks it with laugh out loud humor! She uses kids and animals so effectively in this story. Rosco the alcoholic German Shepard and Trudy, Gemma's 3 year old daughter as just precious. I love this band of misfit agents who are determined to be a family who protects each other. They work so well together to bring down the bad guy. They would NOT let Jethro go it alone on this one!

Jethro Hanson is a former MI6 agent in an super secret arm of the service. Both he and his one year older brother, Fletcher were. Fletcher it turns out is mentally ill and a sick killer for hire after breaking away from MI6. Jethro finally tracked him down and brought him to justice after Fletcher killed their mother. He's been retired from M16 and is a philosophy profession at DC University where he meets Gemma. He's been a consultant for the Deeps Ops crew in the past. When his brother escapes from prison and starts killing people in the DC area Jethro starts his hunt.

Gemma Falls is on the run from her ex-fiancée. He beat her one too many times. When she found out she was pregnant she ran. Her daughter's father is Dr. Monte Cameron who works with his doctor brother Jack in coastal Oregon. Gemma has taken a temp position at the DC University where she meets Jethro. She is a friend of Serena from Deep Ops. Gemma is very good at keeping people away to stay safe as a nobody, and has kept ahead of Monte for four years, barely. Things keep going wrong for her in DC and Jethro always seems to be there to help her out. The Ops team gets involved with Jethro's investigation to find his brother as well, as they consider him family. This turns into a heck of a twisted story with Fletcher pulling their strings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another great read in this series that is the perfect combination of suspense drama and romance While this book can be read as a stand alone I think it is far better to read the series in order as characters from past books appear throughout the series and they are so good why wouldn't you want to read them anyway.

This is Gemma Falls and Jethro Hanson's story Both have secrets she is on the run with her daughter from an abusive ex and the father of her daughter she fled the moment she found out she was pregnant and has been running ever since Now she is working at a prestigious university and having to deal with a know it all philosophy professor with a gorgeous British accent. Jethro has his own secrets he may be working in academia now but he used to be a member of a black ops team for MI6 and his past is about to crash in to his future when a killer he put away is free and now going after all he loves and that includes Gemma and her daughter They will have to work together and use the Deep op team if they are to survive this madman. be prepared for a roller coaster ride that you won't want to pout down

Ooh yes! I was looking forward to going back to Rebecca's world. Gemma has been on the run. Her life is hard, but not something she can't do. She finds herself teaching at D.C. University and has a semblance of normalcy. I enjoyed how we're given a glimpse into her world and why she's running. And who she's protecting. She doesn't allow herself to get close to people, but suddenly find herself drawn to Jethro. Soon life gets a little scary and she and Jethro and his group of friends are brought together to protect her. I enjoyed the action in this book, the sense of danger and the budding romance. This book had it all and I was completely captured. This is the 5th book of the series and while it can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading the other books.

This book had fantastic characters (that you would want on your side if you ever needed help) and an amazing story filled with suspense, romance, humor and danger. Dr. Jethro Hanson has left his career with M16 to become a college professor. His meeting with Gemma Falls and her daughter Trudy will change his life, in the best way. Gemma has been on the run from her abusive fiancé who has no idea that she gave birth to his child. Money is tight and this time she hopes to stay for a while before she has to run again. Jethro knows that she is in trouble, but he is dealing with his brother, Fletcher, a contract murderer. They caught him once, but he escaped and this time he wants to destroy Jethro’s life along with everyone who is close to him. He wanted to protect Gemma by staying away, but it is too late as Fletcher has made her his next target. The Deep Ops team are a “family” and protect each other, but my favorite character was Trudy. She added the endearing viewpoint of a child to this exceptional story! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Gemma Falls is on the run, hiding from someone with good reason. When she takes a teaching job at DC University, she meets Jethro Hanson, a gorgeous professor with a British accent who just won't leave her alone. He's got a past he's running from too.

When danger crosses both of their paths, Gemma and Jethro must learn to trust each other if they are going to survive.

The bad guys are revealed early on in this story, and it becomes a tale of putting them away before they can get to Gemma and her daughter. It takes all of Jethro's colleagues and plenty of tenacity on the part of Gemma to thwart the killer coming after them.

I really liked this. There was plenty of action, and sweet alphas, Even thought the killer is clear, there are many questions to be answered. Much of the story focuses a lot on the relationship between Jethro and Gemma and Trudy and I liked that. They were all looking for family and they both found it.

Unforgiven is a nice little thriller with a lovely special-ops style romance. It's a well crafted, standalone romantic suspense that I enjoyed.

This series is GREAT! My favorite character is the booze loving, Roscoe. This story has suspense, mystery, drama and of course, sexy romance! The new characters of Jethro, Gemma & Trudy are awesome additions to the "family". I look forward to the next book in the series and to finding out the sex of Wolfe and Dana's baby!

Love the action; fun stalker angle! Plus, other enemies popping up too. Entertaining suspense and danger! Not into the single parent angle or some of Jethro’s actions, but he does have good chemistry with Gemma. Sweetness and steam! An interesting, exciting addition to this great series! Really enjoy Zanetti’s writing style!

Gemma Falls sees her opportunity to spend a semester teaching at a university in D.C. as a chance to take a breather. For years, she and her young daughter have on the run from a crazed ex who's been stalking her. The only hitch in her plan is philosophy professor Jethro Hanson.

Jethro left behind his job with the British Secret Service for a quiet life as a philosophy professor and sometimes consultant for the Deep Ops team. When Jethro discovers that danger is coming for Gemma, he appoints himself her protector. With Jethro comes the rest of the Deep Ops team. Suddenly Gemma finds herself with a family she didn't know she needed. But a threat from Jethro's past has come back to haunt him, putting all his friends in danger, Now Jethro has to decide, is he more danger to Gemma if he stays? But will his friends in Deep Ops let him run?

A rapidly moving, suspenseful story with a new, surprising twist around every corner. Strong, thoughtful dialogue provides additional insight into the thoughts and feelings of our favorite characters. Then, of course, there's Roscoe, the alcohol loving dog, who provides a bit of humor just when it is needed most. This is a thrilling addition to the Deep Ops series. Whether you're new to the series or are familiar with the Deep Ops Team, you won't want to miss this thriller.

4.25 stars--UNFORGIVEN is the fifth instalment in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary,adult DEEP OPS romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women of the Requisition Force, Deep Ops Team, a division of the Homeland Defense Department ( HDD) of the FBI. This is former MI6 agent turned professor Jethro Hanson, and single mother/ professor Gemma Falls’ story line. UNFORGIVEN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Jethro and Gemma) UNFORGIVEN focuses on two intersecting pathways. Single mother/professor Gemma Falls is on the run, trying to stay under the radar in the face of her abusive ex tracking her down, and trying to destroy her life but Gemma never expected to meet fellow professor Dr. Jethro Hanson, a man whose own past is about to push Gemma and Jethro together, in the face threats against both of their lives. A UK assassin for hire has tracked down Jethro Hanson, and has set their sights on our story line couple; and Gemma’s past is seeking vengeance against the woman he lost years before. Reluctantly accepting the help of his fellow agents of the Requisition Force team, Gemma and Jethro struggle to stay one step ahead a killer but as the number of bodies amass, all evidence points towards our story line hero. What ensues is the building relationship between Gemma and Jethro, and the potential fall-out as both of their pasts collide with the present, threatening everyone connected to our story line couple.

Gemma Falls’ past is mired in betrayal and abuse. On the run, in hiding, trying to stay one step ahead of her well-connected ex fiance, Gemma struggles with Jethro’s attention, attention that is going to place our heroine in the direct line of fire. Jethro Hanson had hoped he had left his past behind but an aggressive killer with ties to our hero, is doggedly determined to destroy our story line couple.

The relationship between Gemma and Jethro begins as co-workers whose lives are about to cross paths again and again. Jethro Hanson walked away from MI6, hoping to restart as a professor in America but Jethro never expected his past to return, threatening the woman with whom he is falling in love. Gemma Falls wants her life to be free of the past but at every turn someone or something is determined to destroy any sense of peace. Meeting Jethro means the possibility of a new start but until both of their pasts are out of the picture, Gemma sees no relationships for the foreseeable future. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including team leader Angus Force and FBI psychologist Nari Zhang, computer hacker Brigid Branaghan (Fallen 2), US Navy SEAL Clarence Wolfe and his fiance /reporter Dana Mulberry (Broken 3), of the Requisition Force, Deep Ops Team, a division of the Homeland Defense Department ( HDD) of the FBI, Special Agents Tom Rutherford, and Kurt Fields, Detective Tate Bianchi, Detective Buckle, and attorney Scott Terentson. We are introduced to MI6 Agents Ian and Oliver Villan, Gemma’s daughter Trudy; her ex-fiance Monty Cameron, and his brother Jack as well as Jethro’s brother Fletcher.

UNFORGIVEN is a story of betrayal and vengeance, obsession and murder, friendships and family, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is intriguing, edgy and tragic; the romance is seductive and moving; the characters are spirited and startling.



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A gripping thrill ride with a glorious HEA!

Wow! There's a lot going on in this book, and the author is an absolute genius for making it all work together so beautifully!

Gemma is on the run, living under cover and under the radar. Her newest job lands her under the scrutiny of a highly capable philosophy professor, who happens to have a past that's even more dangerous than her own. When these two pasts collide, there's non-stop action juxtaposed with an undeniably intense romance that kept me glued to this book from start to finish.

I haven't yet read any of the earlier Deep Ops stories, though the couples there are intricately involved in this book's protection and investigation. I especially loved the combination of American and British operatives. I really hope the author continues in this world and writes books for Scott, Oliver, and Ian.

This is a standalone romance and I didn't feel I was missing anything, but I was so impressed with the characters and this author's brilliant writing style that I've added each of the earlier books to my TBR. Everything I've read so far by this author has been absolute gold, and I highly recommend any of her romantic thrillers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington and Ms. Zanetti for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I haven't read any of the other Deep Ops books, but I definitely think this could be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Perhaps it's me, and it's unfortunate for this book that I just finished a run of really excellent books, but I wasn't sold on the characterization. There needed to be either more romance or more suspense; the mix as is was not dynamic enough. It was a perfectly enjoyable book but needed a little spark to make it truly jump.

I also wasn't clear on how game theory helped Gemma escape. I think she was just doing things that most people would think to do. Maybe I just don't understand game theory well enough. IDK.

This was a decent romantic suspense but with a little pizzazz would have been great.

Jethro has been the guy in the background, he helps when needed and goes back to his own thing. His past is a secret but currently he’s the hot British professor. Gemma meets Jethro at the college while she’s protecting secrets of her own. Secrets are the only thing they have in common but that doesn’t stop the sparks. Always the guy in the shadows Jethro doesn’t think he’s part of Angus Force’s team. The Team says he’s family but he believes he’s a loner and seems content. Until someone from his past is out for revenge and the entire team steps up to help their family. The Team is a lovable bunch of trained agents with a soft spot for little kids and alcoholic dogs. The series is based off each couple, with a new mission and romance, however they usually make cameos in the other books. I’ve received an early copy and wrote this review voluntarily.

Unforgiven by Rebecca Zanetti is the 5th volume in her Deep Ops series. Fan of the series from the first volume, I’ve reviewed all the previous books, that is 4 long novels and two novellas.

The book features Jethro Hanson and Gemma Falls. The first has been seen in the previous books, the latter is a new character.

I must say that Jethro as a character has intrigued me from his first apparition. He’s British and a former MI6 agent. He also has an ironclad stoicism but we can feel he’s containing himself and it wouldn’t take much for him to explode. Evidently my Romantique’s heart was telling me only the heroine would be capable of such a miracle.

When I began reading Unforgiven, two elements surprised me.
The first is the hero’s unpleasant behavior toward the heroine. What’s more, Jethro is keen on one night stand. Let’s just say that for me, those are two things that didn’t work in his favor. However, against all odds, the more I was progressing in the book, the more I was taken by the story, the suspense and the action. Finally, Jethro quickly went up in my estimation.
The second surprise is about Gemma Falls, our heroine. She’s a fragile and vulnerable character, I wasn’t used to that with the author and that disturbed me during a part of the book. I was afraid Gemma would take bad decisions at some times but in fact not at all. I loved her evolution in the book, I loved her relationship with her little daughter, I loved her little daughter.

The attraction is instant between both heroes but they don’t yield immediately, on one part because of the hero’s behavior, on a second part because of Gemma’s past and the plot about Jethro.

In the book, I loved the help and support from the whole Deep Ops team, I loved seeing the interactions between each couple created in the previous volumes. There’s also a hint about one of the next couples in the series. I’m waiting to see if it will be the case or if Rebecca Zanetti will feature someone else, especially as she introduces two new characters who have all you need to become heroes themselves. There’s once again the appearance of the inspector Tate Bianchi and of the two FBI agents, the ambitious Rutherford and the soon retired Fields. The first still gets on my nerves LOL.

I don’t talk about the plot of the book on purpose because you need to read it to understand what it’s about from the start. I’ll just say Unforgiven is aptly named and it can be read totally separately from the other books. The suspense is still as well done, the action omnipresent, the fight scenes well described.

To conclude, I loved this book and I highly recommend it, and the other books of the series as well.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was interesting, fast-paced and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.

Jethro, aka Professor Bada$$, is one amazing man. Former MI6 spy, game theory expert, philosopher, and he makes 007 look ugly… ummm, sign me up for class! He almost replaces Angus as my favorite in this series, almost…

Gemma, single mom on the run. Brilliant, but basically gave up her future to keep her daughter safe, yet kept in touch with the friend who was able to help when she needed it.

Now Gemma is hiding as a professor, she has the degree and the abilities, and being next to Jethro, well, might not be that bad. Well except for her abusive ex and and his psychotic brother. I mean, what can really go wrong with those 2 in their history and a blizzard on the horizon?

Now you know Rebecca Zanetti is going to keep throwing curveballs at you, and the murders that mimic others just for the twisted pleasure of the killer, well sit right back and watch as the Deep Ops team takes on not just the killer, but multiple law enforcement agencies. I mean, I may have actually made popcorn at one point… For Pete’s sake, how does she think this stuff up?

(I was given an ARC for a Honest review)
Unforgiven the fifth instalment of the Deep Ops Series is a great read Jethro Hanson who seems a little mysterious,aloof, and introverted Jethro turns out to be complicated, caring, and loving man who has more support that he has allowed himself to see. Gemma Falls is a intelligent, courageous woman on the run from an abusive ex all while protecting her daughter. Put them together these characters have a beautiful story of discovery,love, and courage.Mix on some of some old favorites like Wolf and Roscoe for some lol moments we also get some new Faces. This was a great read it had all the feels along with a nice balance of suspense and sexy times.

A great addition to the Deep Ops Series. I have been waiting for Jethro’s story since he was first introduced, I was not disappointed. Gemma and Jethro are strong characters! They are written well and you come to care for both Gemma and Jethro, not to mention Gemma’s cute little daughter. Each have deep secrets and are hiding from the world and themselves. No matter how hard they try to avoid each other, they still end up together! Action packed sprinkled with some humor. The entire crew is back, as an added bonus! Go Rosco!

Always a one click for me
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022
I will never tire of reading any book by Rebecca. Her writing is never repetitive and each book in her of all her series are unique and the only problem you will have is choosing a favorite character. Jethro and Gemma are such characters. I can just hear his... See more

I have read this series and loved it. There is just something about a gang of misfits who band together for a common mission that just tugs at me. I fully expected to absolutely love this book which featured my favorite 007 Professor Jethro Hanson, a swoon worthy supporting character in the other books. But I didn't. I just couldn't get in the groove with this one.

Dr. Jethro Hanson is a real renaissance man. Educated, British, handsome and off the charts smart. He is a professor at DC University, but moonlights on Angus Force's Deep Ops Team. He had his fill of killing for Crown and Country and left MI6, but that is an organization you can never really leave. He loves teaching but is jolted back to his past when his psycho brother escapes and shows up in the good old USA murdering people and leaving evidence that Jethro is the killer. Jethro is determined to handle this little problem on his own, but the Deep Ops family isn't about to let him face this alone.

Gemma Falls has been on the run from an abusive relationship for over three years. The teaching position at DC University is her chance for some stability, at least for a while. Hiding in plain sight only works if you don't draw attention to yourself, but Gemma has drawn the attention of a gorgeous professor and as much as she wants to explore that, she is ready to run again. She wants to run, but the sexy Brit has her wrapped up in his arms and the security he and his friends can provide. Unfortunately, she and her daughter are caught up in the deadly cat and mouse game Jethro and his brother are playing out.

My thanks to Lyrical, Publisher, and Rebecca Zanetti, author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.