I love the Diving Universe novels by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. They're science fiction, but heavier on the adventure than on hardcore science. So they could probably also be classified as space opera.
At the core, the books are about a woman who "dives" space wrecks much as scuba divers here on Earth might dive the wrecks of ships in our oceans. She had a tragic encounter with a mysterious technology in her past and when she encounters that technology again as an adult, it changes her life once again.
I love these books so much that the chance to get extra materials not included in the books drove me to back the Diving Universe Kickstarter project. Not only are there plenty of perks for readers who love the books, but since the project has met so many of its stretch goals, writers will get access to a number of the excellent online workshops Kris and her husband, Dean Wesley Smith, offer.
The Kickstarter ends on May 30th.