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

TBH the hero might have made me roll my eyes a few times or so 😆 but Rebecca Zanetti’s Unforgiven gave me the kind of uncomplicated thrills and excitement I was looking for.

With this book another member of the Deep Ops team gets his HEA—whether he accepts it or not.

Sexy Brit Jethro Hanson has had a lot of lovers but mostly of the one night only variety. When he meets ice queen professor Gemma Falls he immediately makes snap judgements about her, based on his own past.

It turns out single mom Gemma has lots of secrets & might not be as icy as he thought. But someone’s targeting both of them.

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, despite Jethro’s many fine attributes, his appearance, charm, intelligence, physical prowess & save-the-day-ness, his judgments about Gemma seem largely unfounded to me & he isn’t self-aware of them fast enough/deeply enough for my taste.

But in general it’s sweet watching him fall for Gemma & her daughter & seeing how much the team values & cares for him. The sense of found family—& the shared life they’re building in the neighborhood—is heartwarming.

This was a fast-paced read that was great for the moment & my mood—& to me that’s so satisfying.

4 ⭐️. Release date: 06/07.


CWs: lots, including abuse, murder. Toxic biological families.


[ID: an ebook rests on a flatlay of open hardbacks. A white & green pitcher with sunflowers is behind.]

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, but reads well as a stand alone. Trudy stole the show, and of course Roscoe comes out to play. Adorable. This is a suspense, drama, cuteness, family and romance. Full of twists and yet endearing. Another winner 4 stars

Zanetti definitely knows how to write a very tight, creepy psychological thriller that still manages to include extremely hot romance! Jethro and Gemma were both fantastic characters to get to know, and it was also so good to be back with Angus Force and the team. The fact that Gemma had a little girl just made the suspense aspects even stronger.

I love this series and these characters. Finally we get Jethro's story and it lives up to all expectations. Gemma had me completely invested in her. There's mystery, suspense, sexy romance, and a good dose of humor. We get to catch up with the characters from the previous books. And then there's Roscoe. I'm really hoping we get a book about Millie. I'm never disappointed with a book by this author!

BOOK: Unforgiven
SERIES: Deep Ops #5 can be read as standalone
GENRE: romantic suspense
TROPES & TOPICS: serial killer, on the run, workplace romance, forced proximity, single parent, abuse, found family, cute kid, bodyguard, hidden identity
CLIFFHANGER: No
STEAM: 🔥🔥
RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
RELEASE DATE: June 7th, 2022

🖤 the suspenseful storyline that kept me at the edge of a seat

🖤 yet filled with wholesome and cute moments too

🖤 a mother's fight to keep herself and her child alive

🖤 heart-melting moments between the child and the dog

🖤 great cast of characters

the beginning was a little bit slower but once things start happening you are in constant movement of a hypnotic action and even though the bad guy's identities are known almost from the start, this book promises an incredible reading journey


* thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the book

I give this book 4.5 stars

Gemma, A visiting math professor who has a secret, and Jethro, a philosophy professor with a mysterious past are deeply suspicious of each other from the beginning; each know the other is not what they portray.
Bodies addressed to Jethro have him reluctantly reteaming with the Deep Ops Team.
Gemma is running from one dangerous man, possibly into the arms of another.
Jethro must learn to trust his team as threats converge to harm them all.
It is inevitable that the danger leads to passion between Jethro and Gemma.

This book is an excellent addition to this series. I’m so glad we finally got Jethro’s story. The story had great pacing; there wasn’t any point where I felt it was lagging or I needed to skip through pages. This is a great story, and while reading the previous books helps understand all the other characters backstory, it works as a standalone as well.

A calm, controlled professor that is actually a complete badass. A strong, determined mother protecting her child. A found family of kind, funny and dangerous men and women taking care of each other. This is everything I love in a book and Unforgiven had it all. I loved it and I can't wait for more.

Another bloody brilliant read by one of my favorite authors. It's been a while since we have been back with the Deep Ops team and I missed them all.... Especially Roscoe!!!
I loved Jethro and Gemma and of course little Trudy. Looking forward to more stories from this deep op world....I mean we have some twins now who will need a HEA!!

The action and characters were solid but the romance was pretty rushed. I liked the writing. The secondary characters were interesting and added a lot of fun to the book. I’d keep reading the series to see where it’s headed. Overall it was a good book. I felt a more character development would have helped me connect more.

Jethro's story was so much more than I could have asked for. I adored his relationship with Gemma's daughter, Trudy. Really all the characters and how they were with Trudy made this book so much fun to read. I just love when a small child is involved and all the adults melt for that child. Jethro and Gemma were amazing and I enjoyed every bit of their journey. Ian and Oliver were a very pleasant surprise and I do hope they get their own book. Wolfe and Roscoe still entertain me to no end. I really just enjoyed this book from start to finish.

*3.5 Stars*

This was a good read, but not a great one. Well written like all the other books and fast paced. But it was just missing something for me. The highlight of the book for me was Trudy and all the scenes with the rest of the team, especially Wolfe. I liked Gemma and Jethro but felt like we didn’t get enough time with them as a couple to really fall in love with them. Also predicted most of the storyline with the bad guy before it happened so there wasn’t that much suspense with this one. I still enjoyed it, just probably not my favourite of the series. I still look forward to reading the next in the series.

ARC Provided By NetGalley For An Honest Review

I have been a huge fan of this series from the get go and have been dying for Jethro's book since the first time we met him! The story itself is action packed, sweet, sexy, and funny at times. I loved seeing the old gang, Roscoe, and Kat, but I also loved meeting new characters from Jet's world!

Gemma was a good heroine. I loved her devotion to her daughter and how she tried to keep her distance from Jet, but alas, his British charm won! I loved seeing her courage when faced with her enemy as well as his.

Jethro has always been a mysterious character that I loved! He's British, ex-MI6, charming, smart, caring, and loyal. I especially loved his encounters with Wolfe. Wolfe cracks me up!

All in all, this was a fabulous read and I can't wait to see which couple will be written about next!

This is my perfect idea of suspenseful, with the right amount of humanity and romance. While this is my first book to read in the series (already started reading from the beginning) I loved the characters and their comradery. Both Jethro and Gemma are in precarious situations, making their lives and those around them dangerous to the point of possibly being killed.
This story checked all my boxes of mystery, humor, and romance.

I received an arc copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
This book is part of a series but can be read alone. The hero in this book is an alpha male you will fall in love with. British accent, brawn and brains with a dose of danger.
She is a mother on the run, desperate to keep her daughter safe. Together they are dynamite. It had suspense, action, a lot of steam and chemistry. This was one of my favorites in the series. Plus. I got to see some of the characters from the other books. Clarence Wolfe cracked me up! He is one of a kind. We see a lot of him in this book. Plus, the dog who is an alcoholic. It would be better if you read the whole series for the best experience. I don't want to spoil it, but this book has it all. Action, humor, suspense, romance and lots of steam!!!
You will be happy to read this great book.

Book 5 in the Deep Ops series and while it always give greater depth to characters to have read the previous books in the series, you could easily pick this book up and still enjoy it thoroughly. The earlier books I would suggest reading in order as there is a particular serial killer they are trying to catch that has snippets through those books.

Our Brittish professor Jethro who likes to be a loner, discovers he is surrounded by the family you create for yourself, who have his back and are there for him in his time of need.

This story delivers, romance, suspsese, the power of friendships and strong bonds that you build, it will keep you gripped. While early on, you know who the killer is that they are chasing, the motive and next move are what keep you turning the page to find out more of the Jethro's past, see his protective instincts kick in as we watch the beautiful bond develop between Gemma and Jethro and of course the cute toddler Trudy who quickly captures his heart and the affections of all the Deep Ops team.

Wolf and all his quirkyness will have you smiling and having a little chukkle.

I'm looking forward to what is next for this rag tag bunch who make up the Deep Ops team.

If you have not read the earlier books, make sure you pick up:
Book 1 - Hidden
Book 1.5 - Taken
Book 2 - Fallen
Book 2.5 - Pivot
Book 3 - Broken
Book 4 - Driven

This book was so amazing! Great story! I love this series and it was so cool to get more of the guys and their women and Roscoe too of course. New awesome characters are introduced as well and it seems like they'll be sticking around now. But this story is ultimately about Jethro, Gemma and little Trudy, who is simply adorable. She turns these big strong men to mush. Lots going on in this one. Well written romantic suspense and it certainly kept my attention throughout. I loved it!!

In Rebecca Zanetti's newest book the dysfunctional, dangerous and often humorous family of Deep Ops members are back highlighting the troubles of former MI6 member Jethro Hanson who worked with them in the past. The opeing of the book introduces Gemma Falls a semester subtitute for a friend who stepped aside from her job teaching game theory at the local college. The goal is to keep Gemma and her absolutely adorable daughter Trudy safe from her former abusive boyfriend. Jethro, now teaching philosophy at the college, meets Gemma and they don't get off to the best start. Yet as Gemma finds herself in need of unwanted help they are slowly drawn to each other. Besides the danger of Gemma's ex there is also the problem of Jethro's serial killer brother who has escaped prison and come to the US to continue his killing ways. As things heat up Gemma and Jethro are drawn together when trouble deepens and soon it is a team effort with the Deep Ops crew ready to help, support, and protect Trudy and Gemma. Roscoe the booze loving german shepherd makes sure he works too. Zanetti's character development is wonderful from their quirkiness to their significant others that in the end is a 'functional' dysfunctional family. Along with serious danger are the humorous moments fitting in just right to lighten the mood and have you laughing out loud. If you are looking for well developed characters, romance, and suspense his is a read you'll truly enjoy.

This is book 5 of the Deep Ops series. Jethro is a former MI6 operative and has unofficially done work with the Deep Ops Team while teaching at the local university. He meets Gemma, a game theory expert, who gets a chance to teach at the same university as Jethro and she hopes she and her young daughter have found a safe harbour hiding from her ex. Jethro uncovered a threat against Gemma and he must choose between the redemption he seeks and the skills he has to protect her. There are people being killed and disemboweled by a serial killer and he may be the one stalking Gemma.
All the characters in the Deep Ops books are seriously flawed and these two are no exceptions but they always find the match for them that is equally flawed. The story moves quickly and the reader roots for Gemma and Jethro to find their HEA. Lots of action and suspense keep the story moving and the Deep Ops crew come to the aid of their teammate and adopted family member Jethro in keeping Gemma and her daughter safe. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma Falls managed to escape from an abusive fiancé Dr. Monty Cameron when she discovered she was pregnant. Every time Monty was close to finding her, she’d pack up and leave for a new destination and change her name. Finally, she reaches out to her friend Selena for help. She finds a part time job teaching at DC University and moves into Selena’s house while she is away from home. She meets Professor Jethro Hanson when she is working late one night at the university. Even though Gemma does all she can to keep to herself, Jethro is determined to help both Gemma and Trudy.
Jethro has his own issues having worked with a Deep Ops Team as well as a murdering brother he helped send to prison. Fletcher, out of prison now, left UK and working as an assassin nearby is leaving ‘notes’ on dead bodies for Jethro. Soon, he starts targeting Gemma and Trudy. Jethro along with his MI6 brothers pull out all stops to protect them.
Meanwhile Monty has found Gemma and the team is working to find him as well. As Gemma, Trudy and Jethro start getting closer, the team is working to find both Monty and Fletcher. This story has many turns and twists. Don’t blink, you may miss something. Great author!

In Rebecca Zanetti's fifth book of the Deep Ops series, Unforgiven (Lyrical Press 2022), Gemma Falls has been hiding from an abusive mate for years. He won't quit hunting her and she is desperately trying to keep her young daughter safe while offering her some semblance of a normal life. Gemma takes a job as substitute teacher at a small college and meets Dr. Jethro Hanson, a former Deep Ops operative who retired. Like Gemma, he is trying to give himself the normal life that eluded him until now despite having a twin brother (Fletcher) who's a brilliant psychotic killer-for-hire and blames Jethro for their mother's death and Fletcher's imprisonment. How Gemma and Jethro manage to elude these crazy stalkers is a saga you don't want to miss.

This is fast-moving with a well-balanced mix of action and sexual tension. It could be a romance, but at its core is mystery and murder. I'm not a romance reader, but enjoyed this one so it tells you that Zanetti managed to balance the two themes well.