Unforgiven
by Rebecca Zanetti
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Book #5 in the Deep Ops series
Number of pages: 344
Kindle
Source: NetGalley ARC
Romantic Suspense
Ages 15 and up
CW: murder, physical abuse
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Run:
Gemma Falls never expected to use her game theory expertise to outrun a killer. But for years, that skill is all that kept her one step ahead of a deadly stalker. When Gemma gets the chance to teach at D.C. University, she hopes she and her young daughter have found a safe harbor. The only flaw is the arrogant philosophy professor who’s always underfoot giving unwanted advice—in his sexy British accent . . .
Hide:
Jethro Hanson has blood on his hands. He’s working within ivy-covered university halls now, but he knows that his work with the Deep Ops team and the deadly acts he once committed for the sake of Queen and country place him beyond forgiveness—until he meets Gemma . . .
Seek:
Soon, the passion between them stuns them both. But when Jethro discovers a threat is fast overtaking her, he must choose between the redemption he seeks—and releasing the ever-present killer inside . . .
The last book in this series, Driven, was almost a year and a half ago. At that time, I said it could be the natural conclusion to the series but I had hoped for more. I’m so glad we got more!
Jethro has been helping the Deep Ops team for a bit, but remained “other” due to him being a college professor and not part of the US Government agency the rest of the crew work for. I’ve always loved Jethro and I was so happy that he was getting his story.
Gemma has been on the run from her ex-fiancé since she was pregnant with her now 3-year-old daughter. She ends up at Jethro’s university teaching in the same department and sparks fly right away. With Jethro’s MI6 training he is aware from the beginning that there is something Gemma is hiding. That doesn’t stop him from wanting to get to know her and her daughter better. Jethro is not quite sure what family means, though. His is quite screwed up and he has kept a sort of distance from everyone to keep them safe from his family.
Well, the Deep Ops team has a hard time with being told no. Especially when it’s one of their own. The more Jethro tries to push them away, they more the rally around him. When Gemma gets pulled into danger, partly because of Jethro, the team also rallies around her and her daughter Trudy. Jethro and Gemma both start to learn that family can be made and it can be wonderful.
Besides the great connection Gemma and Jethro have, I enjoyed getting to know some new characters from Jethro’s past. Plus, it’s always so much fun to visit with Wolfe. I always forget just how much he makes me laugh. And Wolfe has decided that he, and he alone, is Jethro’s best friend. It’s sweet and hilarious and intense.
This story seems like it’s a bridge from the original concept of this series to the new adventures that will face this crazy group of people. More questions were raised, more characters were added, and the addition of Trudy has really shown us how mushy some of these tough guys can be.
4 stars
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
All In Good Time 