The Hero She Craves (Unbroken Heroes #3) by Anna Hackett

The last thing he expects on his ship is the off-limits woman he can’t stop thinking about—his best friend’s daughter.

After a tough military career as a Navy SEAL, and a member of a covert Ghost Ops team, Lorenzo “Ren” Santoro now calls a research ship home. The ocean, very few people, and solitude…it’s all he needs.

Then as a favor to his best friend, he agrees to take a research team to sea to test a top-secret Navy project. He’s shocked to discover his best friend’s daughter is one of the scientists. The beautiful Halle Bradshaw who Ren once kissed, who ignites a powerful craving inside him. She’s too young, too innocent, and too off-limits.

When strange things start happening to Halle, Ren suspects she’s in danger…and he’ll do anything to keep her safe.

Marine biologist Halle loves the ocean, her work…and Ren Santoro. Being aboard his ship, she finally has the chance to show the stubborn man how good they could be together.

But someone is targeting the highly classified project she’s working on. One she can’t let fall into enemy hands.

The only person she can trust is Ren. Forced to abandon their ship, they will face the danger of the sea and the wilds of a jungle-covered island, all while being hunted by a relentless enemy.

Ren and Halle will no longer be able to hide from their white-hot desire or their demons. She’s determined to convince him to take a chance on love…but first, they have to survive.

Ren loves being out on the water. The solitude helps him deal with the things he did whilst serving in the military, the things that make him think he doesn’t deserve a HEA. His best friend, mentor, and recruiter had a daughter who he has known since she was a young child and he was a teenager. When they shared a kiss at her 20th birthday party, Ren realised his feelings for Halle were no longer brotherly or friendly!

Halle may be younger than Ren but she is smart, determined and knows who and what she wants. When her Marine Biology project leads her to spend time with Ren and his crew, she’s going to use every second of the time she has to make Ren see her as something other than his best friends daughter.

Add in some espionage, high seas adventure and being stranded/on the run and you have yourself a rollicking adventure. Ren thinks seeing him in action will put Halle off but she handles it with aplomb and she knows a move or two herself!

Can’t wait to meet more of the Ghost Ops guys and their HEA’s

Knightqueen (Oronis Knights #3) by Anna Hackett

A queen and her battle-scarred guard are on the run on an alien planet…with a relentless enemy hunting them.

Knightqueen Carys of Oron lives a life of duty to her people and planet. After the murder of her parents, she worked hard to become a fair and dedicated leader. She never expected to be abducted by the vicious Gek’Dragar and locked in a mountain prison, but having her head knightguard at her side makes it bearable. Older, scarred Sten is duty personified, the one man she’s always been able to trust.

He’s also the only man she’s ever loved, not that she’s ever told him that.

Knightguard Thorsten Carahan has sworn to protect his knightqueen, and lives and breathes her safety. He works hard to keep his mind on his duty, and not on the too young, too beautiful, and too kind queen who is way out of his league. But now they’ve escaped their enemy’s prison and are on the run on a dangerous planet. When they learn that the Gek’Dragar have created a lethal weapon to use against the Oronis, Sten knows he must get Carys home. But with danger at every turn, lines get blurred.

With only each other to depend on, Carys and Sten’s bond of duty and respect tangles with forbidden desire and need. As passion flares, they can no longer deny their connection, and they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people…and each other.

Carys and Sten have finally broken out of their prison and are on the run. Unwittingly running from their rescue team of Kaden and Nea, they are attempting to evade recapture by the Gek’Dragar on Ti-Lore.

Carys is well aware of Sten’s devotion to her as queen and leader of their people. The man takes duty to another level. if only she could make him realise how deeply she feels for him – and how hot he makes her blood run. Sten sees himself as the beast to Carys’ beauty. He is older than her, been her protector since she assumed the throne after her parents were killed. He may dream of her but that’s all he can ever have.

Carys is no damsel in distress, she is a highly trained warrior in her own right. Sten sees himself as her shield and her sword but Carys is equally protective of Sten. I loved it when they finally got their heads on straight and just gave in to that long simmering attraction. There was only a slight wobble when Sten thought he should give up Carys for the good of the throne but she soon put him right! And their attraction – work kept secret on Oron!

Battles, bioweapons and burgeoning friendships with the native population are all layers to the story. The Gek really are hard-core horrors! Carys also finally accesses the ultimate level of her innate power – it is a glorious and powerful thing to see. And the cameos from the Eon Warriors are always welcome.

And that epilogue! It was so nice to see out MC’s settled in the future and what lies in wait for them!