A Scintillating Tale and Study in Multidimensional Exploitation!!!

*taking a huge breath* Yes, this story takes your breath away in the most fascinating way. It is an intelligent, intricate story involving the intersection of an online vigilante cracker, our heroine, Hannah and Hannah the woman who steps into the real world and attempts to manipulate (exploit) the weaknesses of FBI agent, Mason, much like she "exploits" weaknesses in secure information systems of evil doers/"exploiters". She really is not eager to interface with a real human in her exploits but she needs to make contact to find out the extent of this agent's knowledge of her nefarious activities. She knows this because of the information passed on to her by the partner she recently acquired in a deep net chat room to assist her in her cracking efforts. This new cracker, remains an enigma, although if you are paying attention to the subtle clues in the read, you may form an idea or two in your mind as to the identity or identities of this or these individual(s).
Ms. Walters applies a practiced pen to the deep and stirring emotions of the characters. Hannah is instantly attracted to Agent Mason, both his demeanor and his tall, handsome, blonde hair and blue eyed good looks.
Hannah creates a false persona tailor made to Mason as she presents herself to him.Mason has a niggling feeling that she is so perfect for him...it is too good to be true.
From the moment he meets her and as he falls in love with her, he suppresses his intuition even as she is caught in outright lies. Hannah uses her own honest grief and guilt feelings involving her sister who is severely debilitated by the auto accident that also caused the death of her father to exploit the weakness of the unresolved guilt and grief Mason is carrying over the death of his brother. Their connection for all the lies and abuse of trust on Hannah's part is deep and to the bone. There is one intense sexual scene in which I felt that flutter in my tummy...it was so explicit, raw and beautifully Alpha male.
It is because Hannah stays closer than she should for both reasons...her vigilante mission and their blossoming real love that things fall apart.Watching this descent into literal madness is fascinating, brilliant in the exploitation of a reader's emotions and exceedingly clever writing.
Yes, we are left on a cliff but we are not just hanging there. You are left there brain and heart engaged thinking and feeling deeply for yes both these characters/lovers. Most of all, you will be left hoping the next book comes soonest!
I was introduced to this book as an ARC from NetGalley. This author seriously deserved to get paid for so fine a story! I put my money where my review is, so without hesitation I vouch for the value of this fascinating and scintillating tale.

A crusader on a mission. A woman whose grief pushed her to become a hacker set to avenge the injustice done to her family and to expose the corrupt. A cyber-vigilante who is being hunted by the FBI because no matter how bad the people her alter ego freed0mov3rdr1ve is taking down are, her methods are criminal.

Under the Freedom Overdrive code name, Hannah has been revealing corporate and government lies for years without being caught, but the agent assigned to track her down is closing in and she intends to do whatever it takes to evade Mason and the FBI. Until she decides to meet him in order to see just how close they are to catching her. She never expected to fall in love with him.

The book’s uncommon premise made it irresistible and I’m looking forward to finding out who the bad guy is. I have a couple of guesses but who knows, I’ve learned it’s not goo to miscalculate a writer’s imagination. I’m also curious to see how Miss Walters backs out of the cliffhanger where the book left off. The situation is dire and I can’t visualize how the she’ll maneuver her way out of it.

I really liked Hannah’s bada$$ery and understood her conflict regarding Mason as the lines were blurring and she was falling in love with him. I did have trouble connecting with Mason though. It was really sweet that he was so taken by Hannah that he completely ignored his training and instincts when it came to her. But it is also contradictory with the tough, smart, sharp alpha-male FBI persona that is being touted and it made him look bit like a sap that was easily distracted. I also had a small issue with the time frame regarding Hannah and Mason’s first meeting.

Being an IT person myself, I’ve always had trouble with books that include more technical details regarding this area. Interestingly enough though, I had no problems with it in this book. So I applaud the author and her adviser who added enough techieness to make the plot work, but not so much that it weighed it down or made it confusing to readers.

Exploited is the first book in Zero Day duet by A. Meredith Walters. It is a full length romantic suspense that ends on a cliffhanger. Told from both points of view.

She is one of my top authors but unfortunately this is my least favorite.I didn't like it at all.I couldn't feel the story and the characters.I felt like it wasn't the author I know who wrote this book.It was a big disappointed.

What I liked best about this book besides the story line is the reason for Hannah's double life and the cliff hanger. The suspense was really good. Mason was a little off to me, but otherwise great story.

Well, we all knew how the cliff hanger was going to happen from about page four or so. It was a well-written story in that it was engaging and entertaining, but Hannah made some questionable choices throughout. I'd like to see what happens in the next book.

Ugh, I'm on a book drought lately. This is the one of many books lately that I haven't liked. I didn't hate it like I hated Dr. Stanton, but still, it's not good. And it's not good for one reason - I hated the heroine, Hannah. I get that her family had been wronged, I truly get it. But, it does not excuse in any way what she was doing, or what she did to Mason. And speaking Mason...I liked the guy, but could he have been more clueless?! He was supposed to be a seasoned FBI Agent à la Seeley Booth of Bones fame, and yet he displayed little to no awareness that his girlfriend was the hacker criminal that he was hunting. And it wasn't because he wasn't given clues here and there that she wasn't who she said she was, because many times he had evidence right in front of his face that she was his prey and yet, nothing. Nothing! He didn't catch on until the end. Duh!

Sigh...sigh...sigh...I'm sorry but I just could not get into Exploited. I hate Hannah, I hate what she did to Mason, I hate how she conducted her life and I hate how she complained about everything but yet, it was all of her own doing. Not what happened to her family, but everything after that was of her own doing and she just couldn't get past her own stupid, inflated ego to realize it. I hope she gets what's coming to her in the next book, because she damn well deserves to be thrown in prison and for Mason to throw away the key, but I won't be reading to find out.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

wow. I need to know what happens here. I am not a fan of Hannah. Not that she isn’t a good character. I just don’t like her in general. Mason for me started as one I wasn’t thrilled with but as you got to see him you begin to have him grow on you. He goes from cocky to more thoughtful and at the end you feel so sorry for him and also wonder what he is about to do and what is going to happen to him.

Hannah is arrogant and she shows her hand. She lets her ego and arrogance control and she loses the focus. She feels she is the one in control when in reality she isn’t. The question is who is? Who is the one controlling the strings and also who set her up for the fall and her destruction? She has reason for going after companies and isolating herself but she could be nicer to those around her. Her mom doesn’t deserve her disdain. Mason deserves her not to be the way she is with him. She is so not good for him and the funny thing is she falls for him and that wasn’t what she wanted. She becomes something she swore she wouldn’t.

the story of why she hides behind her actions is one that has you empathize at first. But as you see her greed and ego come into play you wonder if she truly was doing everything for the reasons she justifies it with; She has burned so many it isn’t hard to imagine people wanting to get back at her. Heck even Mason is burned by her in so many ways. she is one that needs to look inside and truly figure herself out and grow up. She justifies her anger and her actions and doesn’t think of others or her consequences. She finds the game of Mason to amuse her and even when she falls in love it doesn’t matter nothing will stop her.

Mason is the one that changes the most. He learns how he was and tries to change. He does change. He gains patience and perspective. He lets someone in and begins to forgive himself. I hated to see him hurt in any way. but watch out because when he does find out things he hardens and let’s the game begin. He is the one you will most feel for in this book.

There are parts of the book that have too much detail and we sometimes get confused in the thoughts of Mason and Hannah. We switch alot between their thoughts so sometimes you have to take a moment to figure out where you are at. But this doesn’t detract from the experience. We get a ginormous cliffy and it has you needing to know what is next.

the story is one that has you wondering who is betraying who? with so many people that were burned it is hard to figure that out. You see a main female character who has a ego and feels her actions that are illegal are justified. You wonder some of her actions and do think she is too cheeky for her own good. A main male character who is broken and trying to find forgiveness and peace within and one who is snowed. You feel for him. A plot that is intriguing and has you wonder what is next.

There's a lot to recommend EXPLOITED. The premise is fantastic. A hacktavist main character who is falling for the FBI agent who is closing in on her. A romance suspense where our heroine is actually our hero's villain? An, "I'm sleeping with the man who's hunting me" tale? Yes, thanks. I loved watching the characters fall together. On the other hand, the instalove quality put me off a little. It's also a dual POV, which can be quite hard to pull off. In EXPLOITED, there is not a clear distinction between the two voices, and often times we'll get the same thing just recounted from the opposite POV. The book ends on a cliffhanger, with quite a bit of threads still left dangling. This doesn't bother me so much, but I also don't know how invested I am in continuing with Mason and Hannah's story.

Hannah Whalen is determined to expose the evil committed by various corporate and government bodies that have been getting away with corruption for far too long. However, being a notorious hacktivist means Hannah doesn't let people in easily. But that all changes when she meets the FBI agent assigned to find out just who 'Freedom Overdrive' is. She knows getting involved with him is a stupid idea, but what other choice does she have if she wants to stay one step ahead of him discovering her secret identity. Will Hannah be able to keep her identity a secret, or will the man she's fallen in love with discover the truth?

What a fascinating, fast-paced, exciting read Ms. Walters has delivered in this first book of her Zero Day series, which ends with an exhilarating cliffhanger, and is also a story worth diving into even if you're not a fan of stories that end in such a way. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the heroine, as she's suffered with the loss of a loved one and she's determined to make things better for those left behind by the aftermath. Will her plan succeed? Will she get caught?

As for the dialogue, it was intense and emotional due to the main characters back stories that had me empathizing with their losses and had me determined to figure out what would happen to Hannah, as the danger and someone's determination to have Hannah all to themselves closes in. Will Hannah discover the person's identity? Will Hannah be able to face off against someone that has skills that rival hers and may just be better than her when it comes to hacking? However, the dialogue wasn't all intense and I liked the growing relationship between Hannah and Mason. They have really strong chemistry, which is palpable through their romance, yet I felt sorry for Mason because their relationship is built on lies and a secret Hannah is desperate to keep. Just how far is she willing to go to make sure Mason never knows the truth?

Both the main characters were utterly entertaining and I loved both their back stories. Hannah believes she's doing the right thing, but it's palpable she's in way over her head. I also liked how strong and brave the heroine was and her determination to do everything she could to help her sister, even if it's in a way that could see her in jail if she gets caught. While the hero, he's smart, tenacious and I liked that he didn't give up on discovering the person responsible behind the hacking, even though it seemed impossible he was going to find whoever was taking down corrupt companies that definitely deserved what happened to them. I also liked that he gave Hannah a chance, although his career as an FBI agent has made him permanently suspicious of people's motives.

Overall, Ms. Walters has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this pair was instantaneous and had me wondering how things would turn out for Hannah and Mason in the end, especially since I knew this book ended with a cliffhanger. The way this story ended took me totally by surprise because of what Mason learns and the trouble coming Hannah's way that has me wanting to get my hands on the next book to find out how things will turn out for this couple. Will Hannah be able to get herself out of trouble? I would recommend Exploited by A. Meredith Walters, if you enjoy the opposites attract trope or books by authors Karina Halle, LP Dover, Samantha Young and Penny Reid.

I love a good tech thriller, but a tech thriller with a little heat thrown in? Perfect! I'd love to see more of this genre. Walters' Exploited has all the thrills and heat with very clever dialog and characters that felt real and had depth. Highly recommended.

Hannah Whelan wanted justice. As a cyber vigilante known as Freedom Overdrive, she used her skills to stand up for the wronged by bringing down corrupted corporations. Her exploits not only attracted the population but also FBI’s attention.

Mason Kohler thought the move to a different city would do wonders to his real life and career. As an FBI agent specializing in cyber crime, he had a glowing track record in solving cases, until he met a distraction that could make or break his future.

I think cyber related stories are interesting due to the character’s life in two different worlds. I was intrigued by this duality and excited to dive into this one.

Mason started as an amusing arrogant ass but he quickly showed his soft spot. I like how he had to deal with dilemma at work which became his motivation. However, for an experienced agent, there were several instances that he acted like a naive rookie.

I like how Hannah stayed true to herself. She was passionate in what she believed in and refused to stray from her goals. But while she was ruthless, she still used her heart as well.

I find both of them to be very likable individually and as a couple. The story started a little slow at first, but as the characters’ background were revealed, it got more interesting.

I like how when the questions started to arise, there were several possible answers to speculate from. However, I feel like in the end it was too predictable/straightforward. The big answer was already there, it made me wonder how much mystery/suspense will be left for the next book. I hope I’m wrong and the author will turn it around in the conclusion.

Exploited is a story of a woman’s journey in righting the wrongs. It would appeal to readers looking for a tech themed romantic suspense.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book because of the hacking angle. I’ve read this author before but not in this genre and I liked her style. I was expecting a somewhat emotional read as well because of that. While I enjoyed EXPLOITED ok, it definitely wasn’t the wow book I was expecting.

The heroine in this story is the hacker. She’s sort of a “good” hacker, meaning she’s not going around stealing money from people etc. She starts working with a new hacker as a team in this one and going after someone that wronged her family. The hero? The cop looking to take down the hacker (aka her) who has no clue that the girl he’s attracted to is the criminal he’s been looking for.

I really liked the “hacking” bits of this story. It felt like the author did a good amount of research to include in the book and it felt like it could really be going down like that (not that I know anything about it). But I found that aspect entertaining and engaging. The romance on the other hand was a bit flat for me. Too close too fast. How was he able to just trust her so easily? A lot of that didn’t make sense to me. Also the main characters didn’t stand out for me.

While this ends in sort of a cliffhanger because obviously the story continues in book two, I’m not dying to get to it and that lack of anticipation for what’s going to happen next has me debating whether I’ll pick it up or not.

Thank you Loveswept for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 56%

Reading this book is a struggle and it saddens me to not finish this book because it's by A. Meredith Walters. I love her writing style and based on the books I've read so far from her didn't disappoint me. Exploited has a potential but for a romantic suspense, I find the story progress too slow to the point I lost my interest. Hannah Whelan is a professional hacker who wants justice from the government. It's illegal and reckless. She could have been caught by the police and to make it more reckless, she's dating Mason Kohler, a FBI Agent. What she didn't know, he's handling her case.

For an agent, Mason isn't alert and observant. Like, he could have been suspicious or wary towards Hannah. Especially when she told him about her college years learning about computers. That rings a bell to me and the lack of furniture in her home as if she can runaway easily. Yet, Mason was blinded to these clues in the earlier chapters. I tried my best to finish this but I just can't.

I overall enjoyed this book. I could not get behind Hannah and Mason at all. She continued to be deceptive and manipulative for strictly her EGO. Mason, the crack FBI guy, made so many mistakes that allowed Hannah to get over on him I was amazed he still has a career. I would be interested to read the second book only to see if either redeems themselves and to find out who is the partner to Hannah

DNF 30%
I got very happy when I was approved for an ARC for this book, because I liked most of what I read by this author in the past, this story Kept my interest for a few chapters, but then I became distracted and it couldn't pick up my attention again, so sadly I have to say this book is a DNF For me

A computer hacker finds herself romantically drawn to an FBI agent. Quirky and fun. One drawback...the reader is left hanging..

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆
In order to lay the ground work for the story, the author takes her time introducing us to the characters and revealing their back story and intentions. Too much time for me because I found the first half of this book really slow going. I struggled to connect with Hannah, probably because of her manipulation of Mason, who I liked. And while we're on the subject of Mason, there were times I struggled to believe that he could be that oblivious to what was going on right in front of him given he is an FBI agent.

The last 40% or so of the book is where the story really starts to move and take shape. At this point I started to feel more invested in Hannah as it became a real possibility that she may be exposed as the hacker that Mason is investigating. There is plenty of tension toward the end of the book and cliffhanger ending left me with no doubt that I enjoyed Exploited and will definitely be reading the next book, Aftermath. I want to know what happens next.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
Hannah Whelan works at an IT company by day and is a black hat hacker at night. But she doesn't do the hacking to steal, she does it to get the bad guys exposed so they get caught. She is very careful and only one other person in the world knows that she is Freedom Overdrive, her hacker handle.

Now she has to get close to Mason Kohler, an FBI agent, to see just how much information and how close they are to finding out who Freedom Overdrive really is.

Mason Kohler loves being and FBI agent, love computers, and hunting cyber crimes. Hunting Freedom Overdrive has been his case for years and he wants to catch the guy and soon. When he meets Hannah at the local coffee shop, he is suspicious but blows it off as just his usual thing because of him being an agent. But what he doesn't realize is, he should follow his instincts, especially with Hannah.

As Hannah gets closer to Mason, she learns more about what he knows and she begins to fall for him. While Mason is falling for her too. Will she be able to end things before it is too late? What happens when Mason learns the truth about who she really is?

This is a really good story, although it started out a little slow but picked up, it is a romantic cyber suspense and I can't wait for more. I need to know what happens with Hannah and Mason.

I have read this author before and love her writing style and look forward to reading more from her.

This is the first book in this series by this author. This is one sexy story that will keep you reading long into the night. This book has an amazing cliff hanger ending that will leave you desperate for more. Fantastic characters that grab you into the story. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

I really liked the story, but I never fully connected with the characters. While the story was intriguing enough to keep me reading, it never fully hooked me. I am interested to see how the story continues.

This is my first read by A. Meredith Walters and the blurb really caught my eye. Although there were parts of the story I enjoyed, I couldn't connect with the characters. Their actions and words didn't resonate with me. The plot had really good potential but for some reason as the story unfolded it just didn't work for me.