In this pulse-pounding novel from the bestselling author of Butterfly Dreams, a vigilante hacker plays a seductive game with the agent who’s chasing her online—and sharing her bed in real life. At first glance, I’m nothing out of the ordinary. I am a daughter. A sister. A friend. When you look at me you won’t see anything that warrants suspicion. I don’t look like a criminal. My name is Hannah … criminal.
My name is Hannah Whalen, but most people know me as freed0mov3rdr1v3, or “Freedom Overdrive”—one of the world’s most prolific and notorious hacktivists. My goal—my purpose—is to shed light on the evil that lurks behind the corporate and government lies we have been force-fed for too long.
My story begins with the best possible intention. Devoting my life to exposing the corrupt. The dishonest. The unethical. For that, they label me a cyber-terrorist. Wanted by the FBI, I’ve always been one step ahead.
Until I fell in love.
Because I’m sleeping with the man who’s hunting me. And he has no idea that I am his prey. Now I have to decide what’s more important: my freedom or my heart.
Note: Exploited ends on a cliffhanger. Hannah’s story continues in Aftermath.
Praise for Exploited
“A high-stakes game filled with suspense . . . Fans of M. Leighton and Sierra Kincade will enjoy Exploited.”—Harlequin Junkie
“I found this book very intriguing. It had a different plot line that kept me turning the pages. A. Meredith Walters did an excellent job portraying the cyber world without making it too overly complex for readers to follow.”—Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews
“I was left in suspense at the end, dying to get the answers that I needed. I will read the next book because I want my answers!”—The Heathers’ Blog
“If you enjoy reads with a bit of suspense and crime (internet crime, in this case), then check this one out.”—Steamy Reads
“Exploited is a story of a woman’s journey in righting the wrongs. . . . 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.”—Warhawke’s Vault Book Blog
“I enjoyed this story very much. The plot was great; I like the chemistry and the connection between the characters.”—Crazies R Us Book Blog
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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This is my first read by this author and Exploited intrigued me at page one. Hannah the hacker with a cause and Mason the hot shot FBI agent who is unknowingly hunting her. Their story is full of secrets, lies, deception, romance, intrigue, and an ending that left me screaming for more! Looking forward to the next book!
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.
This story had so much potential and I’ll admit, when I read the preface, I was all kinds of excited about it. That small introduction pulled me in and I was ready to be wowed. It is very well written and Walters has a great writing style. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the story to fizzle after the preface.
The book is rather lengthy, which isn’t a problem for me as long as the story keeps a good pace and holds my interest. While the book does have a steady pace for the most part, it’s almost agonizingly slow and even a bit repetitive at times, to the point that I found my interest waning.
The story is suspenseful and Hannah’s crimes were intriguing, but it would’ve benefited from a faster pace. I did expect more of a romantic element, but honestly, I didn’t feel the romance with this one. Hannah comes across as cold and calculating through much of the story and while we’re told on the page that she’s falling for Mason, I didn’t feel that.
Mason could’ve been a truly great character, but he has to be the most gullible agent in the history of fictional FBI agents. Not only does he accept Hannah’s excuses for her lies, but he justifies them in his head. There were so many red flags waved in his face that it became eye-rollingly frustrating.
The cliffy at the end was a big one, but between Hannah’s coldness and Mason’s gullibility, I wasn’t left with enough curiosity to read to the conclusion to this tale.
The author is talented and I would read other books by her, but this one just wasn’t for me.