Deep Ops #1.5, Taken is a novella that feels like a full length book, there is so much that happens in it even after finishing it in just over an hour I felt fulfilled. In this book we meet Raider Tanaka's foster family. Raider, whom we met in the first book, is just a side character in this and they use his connections with Deep Ops to help track down Hunter Holt's (the main character) newly discovered younger brother, Jackson, when he runs off with his teacher and she goes on a robbery and killing spree. Faye Smith is a trained psychiatrist but not a practicing one anymore. Faye, Hunter, and Raider all ended up in the same foster home they all came from abusive parents and after finally ending up with Ms. Annabelle they all ended up good people. Ms. A's newest foster is Hunter's younger brother but before she could tell him about his brother Jackson ran off and Faye, Hunter, and Raider rush off to save his butt.

Faye and Hunter were each others first loves but after Hunter left the Marines and began suffering from PTSD and the death of their other foster brother and the incident that caused Faye to leave her practice everything just fell apart with them. Here they are now working closely together and realizing they could love no other.

Overall, it was a fast paced quick read that really hits the romantic suspense spot. I love the character, I liked seeing Wolfe and his cat, Kat, and Force and that dumb Roscoe, man I love that dog. Force also hints at what Raider is going to be up to in the next book.

❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
As much as I don’t like novellas of course I have to like a RZ one because am I a true fan if I don’t? I mean also it could be the fact that this one was done well that made a difference too? A second chance romance means that the relationship doesn’t feel too rushed and the suspense kept up a nice pace.
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Our heroine and hero grew up in foster care together and when they hit adulthood they tried to make a relationship work but both were too emotionally damaged to make it work. Fast forward a couple of years and our heroine approaches our hero at the request of their former foster mum to find one of her current runaways- who happens to be related to our hero.
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I definitely recommend reading Hidden (book 1 in the series) first as this feels like an extension of that with a lot of characters popping up in a short span of time, which honestly if you hadn’t read it could feel overwhelming. RZ writes fantastic alpha heroes and this one certainly didn’t disappoint as well as a writing a heroine who can totally stand her own ground around him.

Ms. Zanetti is a new author to me. I followed the recommendation that said her writing style is similar to other authors I read and enjoy. I will say the jury is still out on that one but I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

There is a lot of history between the protagonists which remains a bit murky other than the fact that the aftermath of events left the two deeply estranged. Now brought together by their foster mother in search of her newest foster run away who happens to be Hunter's brother of whom he had no knowledge, Hunter and Faye along with Special Forces friends pursue the leads to find Jackson before he becomes embroiled in the crime spree his lover is engaged in. Circumstances give Hunter and Faye a chance to mend fences and forge a future.

I found the story a little slow and not too exciting though the preview of the next book already has me salivating.

Taken is a short story in the Deep Ops series and it doesn't affect the plotline of the main (aka full length) books. It can be read as stand-alone, but I loved Taken, so I would recommend to also read that book.

If the author had been clear on whether or not the main characters had been celibate or not for the past five years or not. The mentioned dating but not if they had slept with other people. Also, both said that they were clean, but didn't say that they hadn't been with anyone else, so is it safe to assume that both had partners? Hunter and Faye seemed so in love with each other still, so I don't know what to assume. The lack of confirmation is the only thing that bugged me. I loved the rest of the story and I would have given it 5 stars otherwise.

The two main characters are two completely new people in the series, which threw me off in the beginning. Later on, we find out that they are Raider's family and he along with some other familiar faces make an appearance which made everything better since I love the guys. Hunter and Faye are chasing a madwoman who has convinced a foster kid that he is in love with her. I liked the story, the fact that the villain wasn't a man since I had too many of that and how Hunter and Faye found their way back into each other. The book is a novella, but I didn't feel as if Ι was missing something or that the story was incomplete. It was very well written and a fulfilling read. The series so far has been great and has kept me at the edge of my seat. I hope that the author will continue to write with this quality.

I loved this second chance romance. You can always count on Rebecca Zanetti to write a heart pounding romance mixed with a great suspense story.
Hunter Holt and Faye Smith have known each other since they were young teenagers. Raised by the same foster mother they knew from the start they belonged to each other. Youthful misunderstanding and a friends death sent them their separate ways. When their foster mother needs their help with a runaway they are thrown back together. Needing each other help and trust. If they survive this threat they just might find themselves!

This is a novella length book, but it's packed full of full story. Title can be read as a stand alone.
Faye Smith has only loved one man in her life and she walked away five years ago. Now she's determined to get her life back on track. First step, claim what's hers.
Hunter Holt is a decorated Marine whose looking for a simpler life after tragedy struck. When faced with the past he can't forget how well they fit together. Yet timing couldn't be worse as they search for an endangered teen.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance with a side of kick-ass road trip!
Still, I was thinking that a novella might not be the best format to fully develop a solid back story that not only makes me feel their former love, longing about being apart (thank you, dear author, for not making the separation period the magical "10 year," LOL), along with a fresh reason why our former lovers even see each other again, and still find a believably way back to each other in and around 100 pages.
I was so intrigued by book one, Hidden, that I really wanted to read more about those bad boys and girls in "Requisitions." While Hunter, Faye, and Jackson are all new-to-me characters, their journey was well worth my read. Not only is there an angel in a Volkswagen like Miss Angelina, but Raider, Wolfe, and Roscoe bring Deep Ops to the deep South ;)
Oh, and there is that wee stop in Realm country! Woo-hoo!!
A satisfying addition to the Deep Ops series, indeed.
Looking forward to Raider and Brigid in Vegas, baby.

Family is everything. This book can be read alone or part of the series. I warm you, if you read it by itself you will want to read the entire series. Hunter learns that a youth had been kidnapped. This case brings his family back into his life, the woman who broke his heart, the brother he has missed, the brother he did not know he had and the father who made his life a nightmare. Can he save the young man? Can he save his family? Can he save himself? Very exciting. Love Rebecca Zanetti. You will too.

Hunter and Faye are interesting characters with rich back stories for such a short story. This book packs quite a bit into 100 pages but it does it well and never feels rushed or light on details and character development. It's a second chance romance with secondary characters from the Deep Ops series. It has suspense, romance and a cameo from a couple of characters from The Dark Protector series which was just fun for fans of that series.

I enjoyed this short book and a little more information on some of the team members of Deep Ops and look forward to book 2 in the series.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Net Galley and the publisher with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.

When a book is good enough to read again it gets five stars from me every single time. This is one of those you absolutely cannot put down and you completely fall in love with the characters. In case I didn't say it, I love this book!!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Taken is a short story in the new Deep Ops series--about Hunter and Faye and their second chance at love. They were foster kids together, and went their separate ways years ago. Now, their once foster mother needs help finding one of her kids who has runaway, so they team up to help find him. This was a quick but good read, and while you don't need to have read the previous book in the series, I recommend it. It also nicely sets up the second book.

This was the first book I have read of Rebecca’s and it won’t be the last. It was so good and I couldn’t put it down. When a foster child goes missing Hunter is all in helping Faye find him. They might have a past but there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. When trying to find the most boy is there a possibility of a second chance? Or can they even stop arguing enough to work it out? This was so good and I can’t wait for the next one. Book given to me by author on netgalley.

Taken is a great addition to the series. I enjoyed Hunter and Faye's story. It was fast paced short novella and it a good plot with true to life characters. I love a second chance romance and I wanted these two to get back together. I enjoyed the suspense of the story also.

When Hunter Holt is called on to help find a lost foster kid, he jumps into action even though it means working with Faye Smith, the woman who broke his heart. She’s been trying to get her life back on track, but Faye knows that she should’ve turned toward Hunter not away. Since they have to work together, maybe they’ll get another chance, but first they have to actually stop arguing long enough to trust the Deeps Ops team and find the kid.

This Deep Ops novella is an emotionally gripping and moving story that holds readers hostage with lots of suspense and wonderfully, strong characters that have some scorching chemistry going on. Their chemistry is quite volatile however, so there are lots of sparks flying as they clash together which just punches the passion up hotter than ever. This second chance relationship is chock full of emotions that flows from the pages and ensures that the readers understand exactly where Hunter and Faye stand.

The plot is fast paced and while on the short side packs quite a thrilling punch as Hunter and Faye try not only track but save this young man from a bad person, the law and himself. The story has all the elements of a great romantic suspense so while it is a novella, it keeps readers turning the pages until they have read every last word. And the story also holds a few surprises throughout and a delightful one that tickles readers if they have read other books by this author.

4.5 stars-- TAKEN is instalment 1.5 in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary, adult DEEP OPS romantic suspense series focusing on a new Homeland Defense Department (HDD) unit known as the Requisition Force headed by FBI profiler and Special Agent Angus Force. This is ex-solider Hunter Holt, and former psychologist Faye Smith’s story line. TAKEN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for history and backstory of the secondary characters. For fans and followers of Rebecca Zanetti, there is a slight cross-over with another of the author’s series-see if you can spot the ‘Easter Egg’ ;) .

Told from several third person points of view including Hunter and Faye TAKEN follows the search for a kidnapper, turned robber turned serial killer, whose willing captive is a sixteen-year old boy unaware of the truth. When Faye gets a call from her former foster mother Miss Angelina that her latest charge is missing, Faye seeks out the only man capable of finding the missing boy but a man whose history with Faye is heartbreaking and dark. Enter ex-soldier turned river-tour guide Hunter Holt, and the man Faye hasn’t stopped loving. What ensues is the rekindling romance between Faye and Hunter, as they join the Requisition Force in the search for a killer whose numbers are increasing on a daily basis.

Faye and Hunter’s history is filled with abuse and addiction. From dysfunctional family dynamics to drugs and abuse, Faye and Hunter would find peace and solace, along with Raider Tanaka, in the arms of their foster mother Miss Angelina. But life, and everything it had to offer tore Faye and Hunter apart, and in the ensuing time neither forgot about their history and their past.

The relationship between Faye and Hunter is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between two people whose earlier lives were filled with neglect and abuse at the hands of people sworn to love and protect. 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 secondary and supporting characters including Miss Angelina, Jackson Holt and Louise Stockley. We are re-introduced to the Requisition Force leader Angus Force, and team members: former Lieutenant Commander Clarence Wolfe who carries a kitten (aka Kat) in his pocket, and Angus Force’s quirky whiskey guzzling, lipstick eating, high heel wearing German shepherd Roscoe; and Raider Tanaka-Hunter and Faye’s childhood friend, now a member of the Requisition Force Team.

TAKEN is a story of murder, madness and revenge; of suspense and mystery; of second chances and love. The premise is intriguing and exciting; the romance is fated; the characters are energetic, sexy and spirited. TAKEN is a spirited, character driven story that is sure to catch your attention.

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**3.5 Stars**

Ah, the curse of the short novella. I adore Rebecca Zanetti. ADORE. The first book in this series was a whole-hearted five star read. HIDDEN was actually one of my very favorite books of 2018. So I had high expectations going into TAKEN, especially because I have read, and loved, many of RZ’s novellas in the past.

For the most part, I enjoyed this quick, intense, and sometimes heartwrenching novella. Hunter and Faye are two soulmates who were separated because of unsaid hurts in their past. It was a quick second chance romance with an action plot that made my stomach hurt. For RZ fans, there is one part that will make you gasp in joy! Totally worth the read just for that one scene.

This novella was a tad underdeveloped. I think the purpose of this story was to invest the reader more into Raider’s future book, and that objective was entirely successful. I am ready for it! But as a romance, Hunter and Faye needed to have a little more conflict and page time to completely satisfy me. Their reunion was a bit too seamless and I didn’t really understand why they broke up in the first place.

Overall, this was a good novella. Rebecca Zanetti is my queen and that will never change. I wanted and expected a little bit more, but I think fans of the series will enjoy it.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

I have only ever read one other book by Rebecca Zanetti, and I didn't realize this was part of a series when I requested an ARC. Thankfully, it read perfectly fine as a standalone novella. First off, I have to say that the cover is very eye catching and intriguing. Secondly, the characters in this story were unbelievably good. I adore a book that can truly capture the personalities of quirky characters and give them depth while bringing them to life. Zanetti certainly does that in Taken. The main characters, Faye and Hunter, had such a magnetic pull and irrisistible chemistry, but it was the eccentric characters around then that really made me enjoy this story so much. Wolfe was my favorite, but Angus with his alcoholic dog and Raider also pulled me in. I will absolutely not be missing any books in this series.

A quick and exciting addition to the series!

I really enjoyed Hunter and Faye's story. They were raised in the same foster home together with two others and are a tight-knit family. Hunter and Faye were once together but experienced personal traumas that ultimately separated them. Their chemistry was electric and quite exhausting but it was plain to see how much they loved each other. They were fiercely trying hard to battle back their own demons-and each other.

The suspense was adequate and the story was fast-paced, if not a little emotionally heavy. We had a brief comic relief when Angus Force and his dog Roscoe showed up. Man, that dog is freakin' hilarious! And we are treated to a little crossover action from another Zanetti series!

This is a part of the Deep-Ops series and is a second-chance romance. It is a novella, but didn't feel like one. It didn't feel rushed and felt like I was reading a full-length story.

Hunter and Faye's story starts 5 years earlier when Faye walked away from the love of her life. But now she needs his help. This brings them back together and the chemistry is undeniable. There is action and romance and suspense all in one novella. The writing was solid with a few surprises for the loyal Rebecca Zanetti reader. This can be read as a standalone, but these little details really add to the story if you know what they are.

Good series overall, will definitely be continuing.

I had read many books by Rebecca Zanetti but not the first book in the Deep Ops Team series. Taken is a novella which is part of that series. Many may know this author as a paranormal romance writer but often I have liked her romantic suspense even more. This is an excellent example of that very thing.

Hunter Holt is an ex-soldier who grew up as a child of adversity. When he is asked by a former lover to help find a lost foster child, he knows he must help. There are also other considerations and factors into play that affect Hunter, Faye Smith and the lost child. The past meets the present with a resounding boom. A second chance romance, where Hunter and Faye must work through the past to have a future, all the while trying to find Jackson.

A connection to the main character from book one, a cameo by a surprise character, and some cute animals who also made appearances are added bonuses to this interesting read. Even though I had not read Raider’s story, I completely enjoyed this novella.