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Review

4 stars!

I love this book! Funny, dramatic, exciting, suspenseful and romantic, and packed with action, it’s just what I have come to expect from this series, and it’s a fantastic read.

Book #2 in the Deep Ops series, and Rebecca Zanetti takes us back to her team of misfits – a team within Homeland Defence that has basically been set up to fail. But that doesn’t deter its uniquely quirky members from doing what they do best and saving the day any way they can.

Brigid Banaghan is a brilliant hacker. Caught for doing the wrong thing, she was released from prison on the proviso that she put her talents to work for the government, and that’s how she ended up as a part of the Deep Ops Unit. Straight-laced Fed, Raider Tanaka is her handler, and he has no idea why. Until it is revealed that Brigid’s father has links to the mob, and the very crime family that Tanaka has been hunting down after they killed his former partner. Now the two of them are going undercover – but with very different goals. Raider wants to use Brigid’s father as his way in to the mob, and Brigid just wants to clear her father’s name. To pull the assignment off though, they are going to have to pretend to be engaged, which means Raider has to become just like the badboys that Brigid usually falls for.

“You need to turn into a badass criminal with an attitude. The reason I’m telling you this is that when we turn you into her type, she may fall for you, and I don’t want personnel problems here.”
“What a line of malarkey,” came from the door.
Raider winced and looked over his shoulder to find Brigid standing there, her pale skin flushed a very pretty pink. “I do not have a type, and no way on God’s green earth would I fall for Raider Tanaka.” Her Irish brogue came out stronger than usual.
If that wasn’t a challenge, Raider didn’t know what was. “Don’t push it, sweetheart.”
Her chin snapped up. “Bite me, Tanaka.”

This is such a fun setup. Raider is smart, serious and protective and Brigid is stubborn and opinionated. They clash, but there is a strong attraction hidden underneath all of that snark. Raider and Brigid’s assignment together is full of fireworks and sexual tension, and I loved the ride!

He brushed the hair off her shoulder and slid his knuckles of the smooth skin of her neck.
Her eyes darkened. “What are you doing?”
Something he definitely shouldn’t. “We have to be more natural with each other to fool anybody.” Could he be any more full of crap?

It’s fiery, passionate and exciting, but there’s a really nice emotional element to it, too. Raider is a straight-up, very matter-of-fact kind of guy, and he doesn’t play games. He has always suspected that there’s more to Brigid than he was originally told, and the girl is definitely hiding secrets. They have some hurdles to overcome as their fake relationship becomes all too real, but I loved watching them figure it all out.

“I’m tired of trying to keep my distance from you. Wherever this goes, I want to jump.”

And alongside the blossoming romance, there is action. SO much action, so much excitement, twists, turns and lots of unexpected moments. The whole Deep Ops team is dragged into the case, and they all get pretty banged up along the way, but it’s a great mix of intensity and laugh-out-loud humour as they take the hits and just keep on going.

I love these characters so much, and the stage is set for future books to come. It looks like Wolfe’s story is up next, and I can’t wait to get inside of his head and get to know him as a romantic hero as he finally gets his HEA.

Another wonderful read from Rebecca Zanetti.

4 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.