“Sizzling.”–Kat Martin Hide. That’s all Pippa can do to escape the terror chasing her. But now that she’s off the grid in a safe house, she finds plenty of interesting things to watch through the window. Like her new neighbor, with his startling green eyes, killer smile, and sexy bad-boy tattoo . . .
Run. Malcolm West is fleeing the hell he unleashed in his last assignment as an undercover … fleeing the hell he unleashed in his last assignment as an undercover cop. A backwoods bungalow sounds like the perfect place to start over. Until he discovers he’s been set up . . .
Fight. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to bring them together. No matter how much he resents that, and his own driving needs, Malcolm will have to dig deep and let loose the banished killer inside himself, or Pippa’s fears could come true faster than the flip of a bolt in a lock . . .
“Sexy . . . packed with action and danger–a real page turner.”
—New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin
“Fast-paced romance . . . very compelling. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
—RT Book Reviews on Marked, 4.5 Stars Top Pick
“Sizzling sex scenes and a memorable cast.”
—Publishers Weekly on Claimed
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We’ve got a cult, a shut-in, an ex-detective, an alcoholic german sheppard, a Wolfe that keeps a kitten in his pocket and a newly established government team consisting of rejected law enforcement. What is not to love about this combination?
This book had it all from romance, action, comedy, and some serious stuff going down. I loved it! This group of people and animals kept me highly entertained. The action was pretty exciting and the serious stuff had me wanting to jump in and take some people down.
This was a great start to a new series and I can NOT wait for Wolfe’s story! Call me crazy, but I kinda love the crazy men.
Malcolm is the uber undercover cop. But he has burned himself out and after some soul searching decides to buy a house. But when he moves in next door to Pippa, he finds a female scared of her own shadow and with a very big secret. Pity he also finds her delectable!
West is also approached by an FBI agent with a job offer, one which he intrigued by until he realises that the job includes investigating Pippa. That perfect house listing was made just to entice him it seems! He has a gut feeling that Pippa isn’t involved but there are some things he has to uncover to make him 100%.
Poor Pippa! She managed to distances herself from her crazy past and a mother…well lest said soonest found out on that little matter! I loved how she tried to extend her rather hermit like existence but also traps herself within her own house, she is a bit of an enigma! She feels strangely at ease with the huge male next door, even when she does find out what he used to do for a living.
The fast paced storyline sucked me into the world really quickly and I enjoyed meeting the characters. Would I have enjoyed more will-they-won’t-they between Pippa and Malcolm? Sure I would but I still enjoyed the story and learning all about Pippa’s childhood. Looking to enjoy more from this series soon!
4.5 stars-HIDDEN is the first instalment 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 former police detective and undercover operative Malcolm West, and twenty-five year old Pippa Smith’s story line.
Told from several third person perspectives including Malcolm and Pippa HIDDEN focuses on the hunt for man claiming to be the Prophet, Isaac Leon, a former actor turned charismatic cult leader whose is desperate to find the woman who would one day be his wife.
Police Detective Malcolm West is on permanent leave since his last assignment went all to hell but it isn’t long before Malcolm’s special abilities as an undercover operative place him on the HDD’s radar for a new Deep Ops Team. Finally able to settle down without fear of being stabbed in the back Malcolm must take a chance when his new neighbour turns out to be his latest mark. Enter former cult member Pippa Smith, and the woman with whom Malcolm will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Malcolm and Pippa, and the potential fall-out when Pippa discovers the truth about Malcolm’s assignment, and her intentions to diffuse a dangerous situation by sacrificing herself against all better judgement.
On the run, along with her best friend Trixie, Pippa Smith, a former member of Isaac’s cult has been hiding in a small cabin in the woods. Having suffered PTSD and anxiety disorders as a result of years under the control of the self-proclaimed Prophet Isaac Leon, Pippa struggles to trust the man who has stolen her heart. Malcolm knows that falling for Pippa is all kinds of wrong but the potential for everything to backfire continues to grow.
The relationship between Pippa and Malcolm is one of immediate attraction between two people who suffer PTSD brought on by events from their pasts. Falling for Malcolm places our heroine in the direct line of fire but Malcolm isn’t willing to let Pippa go in alone. The 4ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and sex.
There is a large colorful and eclectic secondary and supporting cast including Pippa’s best friend Trixie. We are introduced to the Requisition Force team leader Angus Force, and members: former Lieutenant Commander Clarence Wolfe who carries a kitten in his pocket, and Angus Force’s quirky whiskey guzzling, lipstick eating German shepherd Roscoe; IT specialist Bridgid Banaghan : FBI psychiatrist Dr. Nari Zhang; Special Agents Tom Rutherford, Raider Tanaka, and Kurt Fields. The requisite evil has many faces including the Prophet Isaac Leon.
HIDDEN is a story of suspense, betrayal, secrets and lies, romance and falling in love. There is a building story line involving Angus Force, and a former serial killer who is no longer in custody but taunting the Requisition Force leader from afar. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the characters are dynamic and strong; the romance is spicy and seductive. HIDDEN is an entertaining inviting and gripping story; a cleverly written introduction to Rebecca Zanetti’s DEEP OPS series. If you are a fan of Cynthia Eden or Elisabeth Naughton’s style of romantic suspense you can’t go wrong.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have been a Rebecca Zanetti fan for years but none of her past romantic suspense novels really pushed my buttons. I tended to prefer her paranormal series. That being said, I read the teaser chapter for Hidden and knew I needed this book in my life… immediately. Boy, was I right.
I was on the edge of my seat from page one and Ms. Zanetti kept me panting for more the entire book. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Hidden stars Pippa, a woman in hiding from a violent past and Malcolm, an ex-cop with tons of demons. They’re thrown together by outside forces and proximity and are immediately drawn to each other. The chemistry between Pippa and Mal is practically incendiary
The cult elements both fascinated me and freaked me out a little bit (in a good way). The mystery had me looking for clues on every page and the sexy, sexy romance had me working my hand fan. Hidden is everything I have come to love and expect from a Rebecca Zanetti book with a gritty, real-world feel. The only part where I had to suspend my disbelief was the alcoholic, high heel wearing ex-police dog. That was a little crazy, but also so hilarious and the perfect comedic relief, I forgive a little bit of zany.
While Pippa and Mal are falling in love, working through each other’s lies, and confronting their own problems, Ms. Zanetti is building a fantastic new crew of quirky characters each begging for their own book. Zanetti artfully crafts the suspense plot, romantic elements, and new cast into one complete book with a satisfying happily ever after that leaves you wishing the entire series was already written and released. Each character was well developed and I am invested in the entire new team. All I can say is: write faster, please!!
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
What happens when two people are living lies and those lies converge by pure chance?
Malcolm is a former undercover cop just looking for some R&R in his new home when his past career comes back to haunt him. There’s a new task force being formed and Malcolm lands smack dab where they wanted him to be. Next door to their mark, Pippa.
Pippa escaped her former cult family, only to go into hiding from the leader. She’s become kind of a shut-in, rarely venturing out for fear of being located. She’s tough and determined to survive alone, but there’s just something about her new neighbor that has her intrigued…and feeling butterflies.
I was excited to learn Zanetti had a new series and thrilled with this cast of characters. The suspense came later than I expected, but the storyline was strong and the romance was great. I also liked the Requisition Force team members. The oddball group was diverse and highly entertaining, including Roscoe, the wackiest German Shepherd I’ve ever read! I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A new book from Rebecca Zanetti in a new series? YES PLEASE! This new book, Hidden kept me guessing from the very start and made me feel on edge, eagerly eating up the pages far too quickly for my peace of mind. Hidden is wholly alluring and this Requisition Force series is my new addiction from Miss Zanetti. Every time I think that Rebecca has written all the good books, she brings something brand new into the fold that changes EVERYTHING. This new book is intense. Its a romantic suspense with one incredible hero and one strong heroine who I loved.
Pippa is a really amazing heroine. Sweet, brave, loyal with a great sense of determination and boldness that is endearing. And Mal is an all around sexy alpha who believes in saving those that need it. He made me feel hot and flushed and craving his protective and possessive side. I really REALLY liked these two EVER so much! Everything about this book made me desire MORE…MANY more books from Miss Rebecca Zanetti.
Hidden is BURSTING with high octane suspense, white hot passion, and one amazing plot. I am so very much looking forward to Fallen! Hidden gets a HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR FIVE GLORIOUS SHOOTING STARS!
I listened to the audio version via Hoopla. The book started out somewhat slowly to me. The situation with Pippa’s panic attacks, Mal’s panic attacks, and Mal initially being manipulated seemed to go on too long.
Once they started introducing the members of the Deep Ops team things started to pick up.
I liked the quirkiness of the team and how they interacted. The Malcolm/Pippa relationship felt like a drag on the story to me. They danced around each other entirely too long.
The cult aspect added some interest. The way one of Isaac’s soldier’s reacted toward the end was pitiful and ridiculous, all rolled up together. There was no way to garner any sympathy for his pathetic self.
Throwing in the bit of BDSM was kind of surprising. It never seemed like it was fully fleshed out in the storyline. I could see areas where it could have had more of an impact, but it wasn’t used in that way. So, it could have easily been left out completely.
All in all, it was an ok listen. The plot had its moments, and the story gradually got better. It does make me interested in the stories behind the rest of the Deep Ops team.
I can’t say enough about this book & series!! I read one of them & was hooked instantly. I did read out of order & read the first book last. Hidden has action, suspense, danger, humor, an adorable dog & kitten, emotion, cast of quirky & lovable characters and is just amazing!! Malcolm West buys the house next door to Pippa who is in hiding from a cult. Angus Force is putting his new Ops team together & recruits Malcolm & he’s going undercover with the cult. Malcolm & Pippa are a great couple who you will be rooting for and you see the new Ops team Angus chose forming a bond. There are some hysterical moments including Angus Force’s dog Roscoe (wears high heels, dances) & Pippa’s interrogation scene. This book & series are a must read, you will not be disappointed!! I can’t wait to read the next one!!
Mal and Pippa are those damaged characters we love. Pippa because we want to root for her, and well, several times I honestly wanted to smack Mal upside the head!
Seriously, so you think she’s a terrorist, dude, she welcomed you to the neighborhood with homemade cookies and pie and you joined a covert agency to spy on her, how rude!
But, the book was so well done I just loved them! The twists, turns and the drama. More please!
Great plot, non-stop action and I absolutely love the personalities of this “band of misfits” Angus Force has recruited for his team. It reveals how gifted he is as a profiler. Roscoe is hilarious! The steamy romantic scenes between Malcolm and Poppa are awesome but that thin line of trust can so easily be shattered.
I was provided a free copy of this ebook through my local library. I always provide honest review of the ebooks I read.
Hidden is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it’s also the first book in the Deep Ops Series. The main characters in this series are a mismatch group of experts no longer in their field (military, law enforcement, computer hack, profiler, etc.) brought together by a single man on a mission to right wrongs. Each member of the team will get their own book.
I liked Malcolm and how his protective instincts kicked in almost immediately after meeting Pippa. He had some major baggage and suffered nightmares and panic attacks from his time being an undercover police officer.
Pippa had a lot of secrets and told a number of lies to keep her past hidden. She desperately wanted to confide in Malcolm but wasn’t sure how much she could trust him.
There’s a little drama but the story ends in a good place. I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Wolfe, and plan on reading more.
Audiobook review:
Overall – 5
Story – 5
Performance – 4
Wow – sexy, thrilling and lots of action.
I’ve read a few other books by Rebecca Zanetti but they were older ones (circa 2013-15). This story had a more modern feel to it. More explicit language and a heroine who was very strong.
Pippa had been living in a cult after her mother moved there when she was young. She didn’t like the things going on and finally managed to escape and make a new life for herself. She was ever vigilant, though, because the cult’s leader wanted her for his wife and she wanted nothing to do with that.
Malcolm is running away from his former life as an undercover cop but fate is conspiring against him and he is set up and roped into a government operation that he didn’t want to be involved in.
There was a lot going on in this story. We were kept guessing which characters could be trusted and it made the story that much more interesting. When things finally start coming to a head, the horrible cruelty of the cult leader was hard to listen to. I was happy that I was performing other mundane tasks while I was listening so that I was able to tune some of it out.
This is the first audiobook I’ve listened to by Roger Wayne and I think he did a good job. I had to speed him up a bit but that’s not real unusual for me to do with many voice actors. I didn’t care too much for his female voices but it didn’t bother me enough to make me want to switch to reading the book instead.
There were several interesting secondary characters who will probably be featured in other books in this series. If I can make the time, I wouldn’t mind continuing on with this series.
This book, narrated by Roger Wayne, grabbed my attention from the start. Great mix of romance and suspense with an intriguing cast of characters. Rebecca Zanetti’s writing and story are captivating.
I love this book for its nonstop action and Pippa’s uncertainty about Malcolm West. I like how Zanetti slowly unravels his mystery as to why Malcolm says what he does, which can be jarring at times to Pippa. This is a suspenseful story with glorious sexual tension that keeps us turning the pages. I liked the growth of both characters, especially Malcolm. And there’s no doubt that Pippa and the romance made that happen. I love Zanetti’s writing. She gets right to it and slays romantic suspense!
This is a well-written, entertaining, steamy, fast paced romantic suspense novel. It has likable, engaging characters, humor, intrigue, and a hot hero. It is the first book in Ms. Zanetti’s outstanding Deep Ops series. I am looking forward to reading the other entries in this series with great anticipation.
Excellent story. I fell in love with Pippa and Malcom on the first page, their introduction was a great opener. The story is well written and has complex and wonderful characters. Plenty of secondary characters as the Deep Ops team is assembled and introduced. I got a little lost a few times in the introductions, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more in the series.
The story deals with the dark side of cults, so I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone with triggers associated with cults.
Great characters and storyline. I loved the quirkyness of almost everyone in the book. By the middle of the book, I wanted to join the team. Ms Zanetti engages her readers with excitement, fast paced action, and hot romance. I’ve already purchased the next three books in her Black Ops series.
Malcolm West is done with undercover work and is ready for peace and quiet. He quickly finds out though his peaceful house was actually a set up to get him in position for a new job, watching his new neighbor. Pippa is an ex-cult member and is the key to preventing an impending terrorist attack.
This was the perfect blend of romance, suspense, and emotional anguish. I really enjoyed watching Pippa come out of her protective shell and trust Malcolm. Malcolm was a battered warrior who finally finds love. I quite enjoyed their story. The romance between them was sweet, cute, and steamy.
I am excited to see where this series will go. The special ops group that was being formed in this book was quite fascinating. I really enjoyed the camaraderie between these missfits and I can’t wait to learn more about them. Also Roscoe was hilarious and I want to see more of his crazy dog shenanigans.
Love the imperfect characters and the steamy turn I wasn’t expecting and now I want to read more in the series!
Loved it!