When He Hunts (Protector & Defender 2) by Cynthia Eden-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2025

She’s a dead woman walking.

Luna Black knows that she’s being hunted. The price on her head is astronomical. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she saw some very dangerous people doing some very, very bad things. Now she needs to reach the Feds, stat, and get a new identity and a new life. Because her old life? Definitely over.

It’s not personal. She’s just a job.

Ronan Walker lives in the shadows. His job? Simple—to deliver death. And the latest hit has him tracking down the very elusive and unpredictable Luna. But he’s not the only hitman on her trail. Luna has valuable intel. The kind of intel that can never see the light of a courtroom. When the other hunters swarm in on her, Ronan has no choice but to intervene.

Death wasn’t supposed to be so…dead sexy.

After he defeated the group trying to abduct her, Luna expected to die by the gorgeous stranger’s hands. Even as he kissed her, Luna was sure that the tall, dark, and fierce predator would kill her. Only…she woke up, very much still alive, and handcuffed to his bed. Before she can even scream, he offers her a deal…protection, but for a price.

Is he a hitman with a heart?

No, he’s not. Not even close. His heart never gets involved in a job. Ronan faked Luna’s death, and now he has to keep her with him in the shadows until the Feds are ready to use her in order to bring down a massive criminal ring. The problem? He’s not exactly used to sharing close quarters with anyone. Especially not someone like Luna…a woman who pushes him to the edge and makes him want to let go of the fierce control that he’s kept in place for years.

On the run. Hiding in the shadows. Pretending to be a couple in love…

Sometimes, it’s easy to pretend. To act like lovers. But what happens when the pretending starts to feel all too real? The longer they are together, the more Luna realizes there is so much more to Ronan than meets the eye. He protects her, he defends her from every threat, and she…just might be falling hard for the hitman who swears he can never love…

The story of her life. To fall for the man who delivers death.

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REVIEW:WHEN HE HUNTS is the second instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult GUARDIAN AND PROTECTOR erotic, romantic suspense series. This is assassin for hire Ronan Walker, and drama teacher Luna Black’s story line. WHEN HE HUNTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Ronan and Luna WHEN HE HUNTS follows the hunt and take down of our story line heroine. Luna Black witness the murder of a friend, and now she is the target of a powerful man. On the run, Luna will face down several assassins including the man with whom she is falling in love. Refusing to lose his payday, Ronan not only abducts our heroine but takes aim at the other assassins hired to finish the job but Ronan never expected to find himself falling for our story line heroine, and in doing so, places a target on the woman he loves.

The world building follows Ronan and Luna as our couple begin a cross country adventure in the hopes of staying one step ahead of the man who hired our story line hero. Working undercover with the both the FBI and US Marshall’s office, Ronan takes aim at the people who placed a hit on our story line heroine.

The relationship between Ronan and Luna begins as assassin and captor but quickly turns into something more. Protecting Luna becomes Ronan’s number one priority even in the face of threats against his own life. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of FBI Agent Grayson Stone; former Marine Kane Harte, and former Marine turned US Marshall Tyler Barrett, and his wife, professional thief Esme Laurent. The requisite evil has many faces.

WHEN HE HUNTS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is exciting and engaging; the romance is provocative; the characters are determined and dynamic.

CLICK HERE for Sandy’s review of book one WHEN HE PROTECTS

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy