Books like 'Unexpected Hero'
Readers who enjoyed Unexpected Hero by Jackie Walker also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance action / adventure age-gap stalking suspense multi-pov forced-proximity military slow-burn
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Tainted by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFormer Navy SEAL sniper Matthew Kessler thought his life was charmed. He was wrong. He thought his father had amassed the family’s wealth through hard work. He was wrong again. He thought the battlefield had taught him everything he needed to know about strength and courage. He was absolutely wrong. In the blink of an eye, everything he thought he knew about his family became a lie... -
![The Wrecked One by Brittney Sahin]()
The Wrecked One by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOne moment. One decision. Will change everything. I’ve spent my life chasing stories and mysteries, as well as running from love. I’ve also come face-to-face with evil before. Felt its breath on my skin and survived.But nothing could prepare me for that one day when my life changed. Impossible choices and unbearable sacrifices were made, and evil still won...Categorized as:
military suspense slow-burn multi-pov forced-proximity romance contemporary friends-to-lovers -
![Rook Security: Complete 5-Part Series by Camilla Blake]()
Rook Security: Complete 5-Part Series by Camilla Blake
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPART ONE Elena Vasquez thought she would never be safe again, not after she nearly got blown to pieces by a car bomb. Rook Security then comes in, spiriting her away to shield her from the ruthless criminals seeking to kill her and her campaign against ivory smuggling. That’s when she meets him again—the charmingly awkward jock who never gave her the time of day...Categorized as:
bodyguard female-mc forced-proximity military suspense action-adventure adult alpha-mc -
![The Wanted One by Brittney Sahin]()
The Wanted One by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a reality dating show becomes a race for their lives . . .Charlotte Lennox has spent the last decade on the run, protecting her sister from a past she hopes remains buried. Meeting a handsome and funny stranger, only to discover he’s not who he says he is, prompts her to do what she does best—disappear...Categorized as:
suspense age-gap military forced-proximity multi-pov romance contemporary insta-love -
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![Theo by Riley Edwards]()
Theo by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIs seven days long enough to build a forever love?I was living a nightmare of my own making.My life had been erased. My past rewritten. My name changed. I had nothing from my previous life. I was no longer Bridget Keller.I was promised federal protection. I was promised a new life. I was promised I would be safe...Categorized as:
suspense military bodyguard forced-proximity romance second-chances action-adventure mystery -
![The Guarded One by Brittney Sahin]()
The Guarded One by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe’s a grumpy small-town sheriff. And she’s the off-limits operator capable of bringing him to his knees.Sydney Archer isn’t the typical daughter of a billionaire. A former Army officer, she now works with an elite security team to hunt the worst of the worst . . . all while raising a teenager.To the outside world, Sydney’s an ice queen who’s lethal with a bow...Categorized as:
female-mc forced-proximity military suspense action-adventure adult book contemporary -
![Her Wild Coast Outlaw: A Small Town Contemporary Romance by Dakota Davies]()
Her Wild Coast Outlaw: A Small Town Contemporary Romance by Dakota Davies
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA wild attraction. A forbidden passion. Will two kindred hearts surrender to their fiery chemistry? Hunter: She should be off-limits to me. Not only is she too sweet, too innocent, her uncle is the boss of this operation. I’m in Storm Harbor to secretly find out why he's stealing from the town’s dock construction project... -
![Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch]()
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy code name is Pisces. The stars say I’m independent, wise, and intuitive.Still waters run deep. I’m the leader of Zodiac Tactical’s guardian unit. We’re the bodyguards—the ones who stand toe to toe with danger and refuse to give any ground. We protect people who need it most.But what if who needs it most is a spoiled diva?I don’t normally take on movie stars... -
![Dangerous Encounter by Riley Edwards]()
Dangerous Encounter by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEverything was a lie, fake, a façade of beauty to cover the ugly truth.Sloane Ellis has a secret—actually, she has many. Working in a sex club wasn't part of her life plan, yet neither was her best friend vanishing without a trace. The club and her missing friend go hand and hand. One secret leads to another until the lies pile up... -
![Let Me Love You by Brittney Sahin]()
Let Me Love You by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLove is a risk for a woman in danger and a mercenary sworn to protect in a blistering novel of vengeance and redemption by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin. Six years ago, Maria Romano got her birthday wish—a kiss from Enzo Costa. A man she could never take her eyes off, but who seemed as haunted as her favorite book boyfriends and strictly off-limits... -
![Engaging the Billionaire by Ivy Layne]()
Engaging the Billionaire by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf we can’t outrun the past, we won’t have a future. The rock on her hand is real, but our engagement is a fake. Once upon a time, I dreamed of buying her a ring, until everything blew up in my face. That was the past, and this is business. At least, it is until I kiss her. It's supposed to be part of the act — and it is — right until my lips touch hers. I forget where we are... -
![Finding Carly by Susan Stoker]()
Finding Carly by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJag helped her take control of her life back...but someone is watching and waiting for the perfect moment to finish what her ex had started.On one unforgettable afternoon, a simple fluke kept Carly Stewart out of her crazy ex’s reach…landing her best friend in his clutches instead...Categorized as:
military suspense age-gap slow-burn forced-proximity romance contemporary friends-to-lovers -
![Still Not Love by Nicole Snow]()
Still Not Love by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition found hereNot the heck again. I've had my alpha-jerkface fix.Now he's my sworn protector...I'm about to go nuclear.Yet I have to smile and pretend I won't slap him into the next century.James Nobel and I have history.Raging hearts. Dueling kisses. Firestorm nights.A man like him breaks laws with that suit and that smirk...Categorized as:
bodyguard female-mc forced-proximity military suspense action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Black Velvet by Lynn Raye Harris]()
Black Velvet by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe doesn’t believe in heroes anymore. He’ll prove her wrong. Mercenary Dax Freed would rather stride into the desert naked and covered in honey than pretend to be a reclusive romance novelist’s fake boyfriend, but nobody gave him the option. Roberta Sharpe writes about heroes for a living, but she already knows they don’t exist in real life... -
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![Pearl's Fight by Jane Blythe]()
Pearl's Fight by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir anger will either bring them together or destroy what could have been. Pearl Smith is angry at the world. Stolen as a baby and raised under torturous conditions now she uses those same skills to save other innocents, but it doesn't abate her anger. Nothing does, until a random encounter with a DEA Agent...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity military dark kidnapping enemies-to-lovers fiction romance -
![Line of Resistance by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker]()
Line of Resistance by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGetting stranded in the snow without cell service wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to Eloise Rivers.Being saved by the man who’d led her on more than once was...Categorized as:
suspense military forced-proximity bodyguard slow-burn romance contemporary found-family -
![Castle Investigations: The Complete 5-Books Series by Dee Bridgnorth]()
Castle Investigations: The Complete 5-Books Series by Dee Bridgnorth
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBook 1 Scarlett Ferguson has raised her younger sister Emery since their parent's death. Working two jobs to put food on the table leaves no time for romance. When a former Air Force Para rescue pilot visits her diner every week vying for her attention, Scarlett is tempted to throw caution to the wind and take a chance... -
![Colder Than Sin by Toni Anderson]()
Colder Than Sin by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHostage Negotiators can talk themselves out of anything—except falling in love. Top FBI negotiator Quentin Savage is hurled into his worst nightmare when a terrorist attack on a luxury hotel propels him from esteemed keynote speaker to powerless captive...Categorized as:
dark female-mc forced-proximity military suspense action-adventure adult anthologies -
![Deserving Reese by Susan Stoker]()
Deserving Reese by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe never expected to fall for his best friend's sister, but now that he has...he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.Having a crush on one of your brother’s friends is so cliché. But Reese Woodall isn’t too worried…it’s not as if she’d ever have a chance with the former Delta Force Operative. For one thing, he lives in New Mexico, and she’s in Missouri... -
![Searching for Khloe by Susan Stoker]()
Searching for Khloe by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe thought secrets would tear them apart; instead, they brought them together.Khloe Moore has secrets. She came to Fallport, Virginia, under false pretenses, only intending to stay for a short while... -
![I'll Just Date Myself by Lani Lynn Vale]()
I'll Just Date Myself by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNormally when you say, “I have a stalker,” you think bad thoughts. That wasn’t the kind ofstalker Folsom was when it came to Kobe Sano. Folsom liked to call herself a “guardian angel indisguise.”The first time he catches her attention, he’s been assigned to hunt her down and throw away thekey. All she did was steal someone else’s child. Well, embryo, that is... -
![Blaze by Lynn Raye Harris]()
Blaze by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections. Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single. Former Hostile Operations Team soldier Blaze "Shadow" Connolly knows what it’s like to lose everything. He’s got nobody except his job and his team and that’s the way he likes it... -
![Secrets of Desire by L.K. Shaw]()
Secrets of Desire by L.K. Shaw
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA NEW ** STANDALONE ** NOVEL When secrets surface… Bridget Carter seems to have the perfect life. She’s happily single and has a career she loves as a fashion designer at a local boutique. She enjoys playing at Club Eden and bounces from one Dominant to another. She’s not looking for love, even though she’s more than intrigued by Connor Black... -
![Daddy's Angel by Laylah Roberts]()
Daddy's Angel by Laylah Roberts
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe’s a Little in desperate need of a protective Daddy, but by the time he realizes he can trust her, it just might be too late. . .On the surface Arianna has it all. Beauty. Talent. Wealth. But she’s hiding a secret. Actually, more than one.She’s not perfect. She’s not brave. And she’s in a lot of trouble.Luckily, help arrives. In the form of a huge, gruff, blunt man... -
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![Scandalous by Sybil Bartel]()
Scandalous by Sybil Bartel
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBodyguard. Babysitter. Chauffeur. Not what the hell I thought I’d be doing with my life. Especially not for a spoiled Hollywood actress on location in Miami Beach. But triple pay and carrying a gun had its advantages. I’d shove away paparazzi and screaming fans for a lot less...Categorized as:
age-gap bodyguard forced-proximity military multi-pov slow-burn suspense action-adventure -
![The Hero She Deserves by Anna Hackett]()
The Hero She Deserves by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen he goes to investigate a blaring smoke alarm, the last thing he expects to find is Hollywood’s hottest actress…naked.Deputy Sheriff Sawyer Lane likes the pace of life on Maui. After years as a Navy SEAL and in Ghost Ops, he likes that no one shoots at him. Coming to the island saved him. He still can’t sleep, but he’ll take the sun, sand, and solitude... -
![Ranger by Rebecca Sharp]()
Ranger by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSydney Ward woke up on the wrong side of life—that’s what it feels like when cancel culture claims another victim... -
![Tangled Innocence by Nicole Fox]()
Tangled Innocence by Nicole Fox
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“What do you mean, ‘You gave me the wrong sperm sample’?!”But the doctor says he isn’t joking.Instead of being my sister's surrogate...I'm accidentally carrying my boss's baby.A few months ago, I agreed to be my sister's surrogate.Then she died in an unsolved accident.I swore I'd keep her child and raise it on my own.But as it turns out, there was a mix-up at the clinic... -
![Keep by Anna Hackett]()
Keep by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy boss is a tough, grumpy bounty hunter—and a hot single dad—and now he’s sworn to keep me safe, whether I like it or not.My name’s Macy, and I always look on the bright side of things. Life’s too short not to. Super grump extraordinaire Colton Fury is the total opposite. Luckily for him, along with the muscled bod, tattoos, and rugged face, it works for him... -
![Cold Deceit by Toni Anderson]()
Cold Deceit by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA tenacious forensic anthropologist needs protection from an elite FBI HRT operator as they search for a ruthless killer in this Romantic Thriller by New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson.When forensic anthropologist Zoe Miller stumbles across a murder victim in the blisteringly hostile Sonoran Desert, she triggers a chain of events that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer...Categorized as:
bodyguard dark female-mc forced-proximity military multi-pov suspense action-adventure -
![SEAL's Sky by Lynne St. James]()
SEAL's Sky by Lynne St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSEAL's Sky is book four in the exciting Black Eagle series and features John "Tex" Keegan from Susan Stoker's SEALs of Protection series.Navy SEAL Drew "Murph" Murphy was determined to stay single and win the bet with his SEAL team. Until he met Sky. Her damaged heart and undeniable strength ignited his need to protect... -
![Lead Security by Evan Grace]()
Lead Security by Evan Grace
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve spent the last several years building my company, having zero time for a social life. I preferred it that way. After the mess my ex-wife left me with, I have no interest in anything remotely close to a relationship. Until I meet my daughter’s new next-door neighbor. Harley is kind, beautiful, and she’s also an erotic romance writer. To any man, she’s the perfect package... -
![Operation: Fallen Angel by Margaret Kay]()
Operation: Fallen Angel by Margaret Kay
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShepherd Security Operative, Doc, accepted he was going to die…now, he has to remember how to live. Shepherd Security has its mental health protocols in place for a reason. PTSD is real. Returning from a mission to Africa that should have ended him, Doc finds out firsthand how real it is. He has a past that only Dr... -
![Friendly Fire by Jemma Westbrook, Janice M. Whiteaker]()
Friendly Fire by Jemma Westbrook, Janice M. Whiteaker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAbe never intended to be a lifelong bachelor.It just happened.Now he’s staring down fifty. Alone. Watching the men around him find what always seemed to escape his grasp.Unfortunately, the only woman to catch his eye in years is more than a handful.Elise is high-strung, smart-mouthed, and defiant as hell.And he can’t seem to stay away from her.Until she’s taken from him... -
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![Taking a Risk: Part Two by Anna Blakely]()
Taking a Risk: Part Two by Anna Blakely
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsR.I.S.C. (Rescue, Intel, Security, & Capture): An elite, private security team who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love. The highly anticipated romantic suspense series by debut author, Anna Blakely. >HE LIED TO PROTECT HER It’s been two months since Jake McQueen walked away from the woman he loves. With the other members of R.I.S.C... -
![Excalibur by Anna Hackett]()
Excalibur by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe never should have touched her.She’s beautiful, sweet, and all sunshine. He’s too old, too rough, and too grumpy.Now she’s pregnant with his baby and in danger, and there is nothing he won’t do to keep her safe.All Adaline Harris ever wanted to do was escape her small town and make it as a ballet dancer in New York. But luck is never on her side... -
![Marked for Deception by Anna Blakely]()
Marked for Deception by Anna Blakely
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe lied to catch a killer. She just wanted to escape the past. Neither realized just how deadly their deceptions could be.Denver homicide detective Declan King lives by a strict code. But when he’s tasked with using an escaped serial killer’s daughter to catch the twisted murderer, his black and white world becomes blurred in ways he never could’ve imagined...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity bodyguard military contemporary romance law-enforcement mystery -
![Unpredictable Risk by Anna Blakely]()
Unpredictable Risk by Anna Blakely
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFOR YEARS, HE’S KEPT HIMSELF CLOSELY GUARDEDFormer SEAL Grant Hill believes love brings nothing but pain. Having suffered more loss than any one person ever should, the gruff R.I.S.C. operative has mastered the art of avoidance…especially when it comes to women.But with his newest bodyguard assignment, Grant’s unwavering determination is put to the ultimate test... -
![Point of Contact by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker]()
Point of Contact by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeaving Miami was the plan, but Courtney never expected to do it behind the wheel of an archaic RV with the most hostile member of Team Rogue at her side.Reed didn’t like her, which was fine. She didn’t necessarily like him. He was rigid. A stickler for the rules. Unamused by everything, especially her...Categorized as:
suspense military bodyguard forced-proximity multi-pov romance contemporary enemies-to-lovers -
![Rowe by Jessica Gadziala]()
Rowe by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe was just going to stay away from him.That was the only way to deal with the outcomeof a particularly devastating conversation with the guyshe’d been crushing on for years.She’d been doing okay, even.Well, not okay. But coping.But when a bad situation hit the club, and a cousincalled in a favor, Billie found herself face-to-face withsomeone she thought she never wanted to see again... -
![The Protector by Susan Stoker]()
The Protector by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker comes a sizzling suspense about the romance that blossoms between two strangers during a snowstorm and the stalker who threatens them both.Riggs “Chappy” Chapman didn’t expect to be disrupted at his remote cabin in the woods... -
![Guarded by Helena Newbury]()
Guarded by Helena Newbury
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the author of Saving Liberty comes a scorching, standalone romantic suspense packed full of emotion. He’s a grumpy Texan bodyguard who lost everything he cared about. She’s the single mom who melts his frozen heart. She and her son might just be his shot at a second chance...if he can keep them alive.I swore I’d never love again. After my wife and son were torn from me... -
![Controlled Burn by Marie James]()
Controlled Burn by Marie James
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the mechanic for Blackbridge Security, when I make a mistake things don’t work properly.Correcting that mistake is the only way to get things operational.I meet issues in my personal life with the same mindset.How was I to know the woman I’ve been flirting with at the gym is the same woman I called a noise complaint on?I got her kicked out of her condo.My first response: Move in with me...Categorized as:
female-mc forced-proximity military multi-pov slow-burn suspense action-adventure adult -
![Protecting Esme (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Josie Kerr, Operation Alpha]()
Protecting Esme (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Josie Kerr, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKyle Richards was born to be law enforcement, first as an Air Force Security Forces K-9 handler, and then as a beat cop in his hometown of Atlanta. When an injury ended his police career, Kyle set up shop as a private investigator, spending his days spying on cheating spouses and dishonest delivery men. His life didn't leave much time for relationships... -
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![Going Under (A Titan World Novel) by Anna Bishop Barker]()
Going Under (A Titan World Novel) by Anna Bishop Barker
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT UNDERWATER Clinical researcher Rebecca Shaughnessy’s life has always been planned, ordered, controlled, logical. She isn’t a damsel and she doesn’t need a hero. What she needs is a decent day planner and some really good ice cream. And to stop looking at the hot new therapist’s backside. Ex- Army Ranger Max Lawrence has had his course plotted, focused, laid in... -
![Pretend: A Dark Military Romance by Lexie Axelson]()
Pretend: A Dark Military Romance by Lexie Axelson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlessia ValentínShe’s an intelligence officer on orders to go overseas on her first deployment. Despite who her parents are, she’s determined to prove she belongs there. After getting informed by her step-father, Admiral Ravenmore, that she’s a target for multiple enemies, he assigns Operator Creature as her personal security to watch over her while she’s on deployment... -
![Condor's Vow by Maddie Wade]()
Condor's Vow by Maddie Wade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe hunts serial killers, she saves lives. When their worlds collide, he must use all his skills to save her from becoming a killer’s prey.Clay ‘Condor’ East was ready for a change and heading up a new serial killer task force, Ryoshi Delta, was just the challenge he needed... -
![Black Hearted by Julie Ann Walker]()
Black Hearted by Julie Ann Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s everything she ever wanted. She’s everything he never knew he needed. Can she convince him she’s the one?The Black Knights are back and better than ever!Samuel Harwood has spent his entire career working in the black and gray areas of international intrigue. Living in the shadows for so long has made him forget who he was and where he came from...Categorized as:
suspense slow-burn age-gap military romance contemporary friends-to-lovers action-adventure -
![False Front by Debbie Baldwin]()
False Front by Debbie Baldwin
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmma Porter is not real. She is an accomplished young woman, living a fulfilling life in New York City, working for an online news agency, and striving toward normalcy. The truth, however, is something else. She was once Emily Webster, a child of privilege, and the twenty-first century Lindbergh Baby... -
![Mine to Guard by Kennedy L. Mitchell]()
Mine to Guard by Kennedy L. Mitchell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeing ripped from her mundane life by a swarm of police officers is not what Rae Chapin expected when she woke up this morning. Accused of a series of murders she didn’t commit, Rae doesn’t have anyone to rely on. Except him...
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