I enjoyed reading this story. Sandra is a favorite author. The story was sweet to see their journey of friendship.

Former Seal and War Dog Assume Lives at Home
This is the first book in a new series. The story is a little bit steamy romance and a lot about a former Seal and his war dog finding new lives as civilians. There is plenty of laughter in this book as well as tender healing moments and inspirational moments. There is more than a little bit about dogs and training them to be service animals. There just isn't a whole lot not to like about this story. Even the steamy parts were easy to overlook. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Operation K9 Brothers is the first book in Sandra Owens’ new series called Operation K9 Brothers. It is a romantic suspense story with great well developed characters, a fantastic storyline and a happily ever after.

After being injured, Navy SEAL Jack Daniels and his Belgian Malinois, Dakota, come home to Asheville, North Carolina to heal. He’s just biding his time until he can return to his brothers. Jack doesn’t expect to fall hard for the beautiful Nichole Master, but he does.

Nichole isn’t looking for a relationship, especially after her last disastrous one but there is something about Jack that draws her in. Together they work to train her rescue pup, Rambo and deal with the issues that surround Nichole. But will their growing connection survive the bumps in the road that are coming their way? Read it and find out.

I love Jack and Nichole, both individually and together. They had great chemistry and an instant and deep connection and understanding of one another that added to the depth of the storyline.

I am a huge fan of romantic suspense involving K9’s and the military and when I discovered Sandra Owens while surfing through Netgalley, I was hooked, and the story description sealed the deal. Owens is a phenomenal writer, who’s story telling ability keeps you hanging as you go page by page. I can’t wait for the next book in the great new series

This is a voluntary review of an advanced readers copy received from Netgalley.

I love this story by Sandra Owens. Operation K-9 Brothers is about Jack Daniels, a Navy SEAL, who is injured in the line of duty. He moves to Ashville, NC to heal along with his team's military dog who was also injured and adopted by Jack. The dog has transitioned into a therapy dog to help Jack with PTSD. While he is in Ashville, he is accidentally drunk dialed by a lady in the middle of the night and he determines to find out who that was. It turns out that it was a potter, Nichole Masters, who thought she was calling another potter who had stolen a job from her. In addition, she has a stalker ex-boyfriend and a brother that needs to grow up which makes this story even more interesting. I really enjoyed this story as there was plenty of romance, some suspense, some humor, and, of course, plenty of 4-legged furry buddies. I thought the characters were real and I loved seeing many of them grow, both 2-legged and 4-legged. I definitely recommend this book.

This story is the first one in this author’s new series.
Jack Daniels is a Navy SEAL who was badly injured and burned in his last mission when an IED exploded near him. His K-9 dog saved his life, but was also injured. Once Jack returned home to heal, he was finally able to get his retired dog Dakota as well.
One night he gets a call meant for someone else, but the voice of the woman woke up something in him . When he finds Nichole Masters, a potter, he’s smitten. But he is returning to his team and his past experience in love leaves no space for a permanent relationship. A plan to keep it light was agreed upon, neither expecting for deep feelings to develop.
But things come to an abrupt stop when Jack receives devastating news and his life spins out of control.
Add to that an ex abusive boyfriend, a man-child of a brother, and a vicious competitor threaten Nichole and you know you have a story that will keep you wondering what will happen next..
It was a good beginning to the series. You’ll have a few laughs with Jack’s grandmother and her friends and who doesn’t love a story with dogs.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Carina Press. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I loved this author's sense of humor, especially where the hero is going through a really tough time in his life. I haven't read any previous books, but I am interested in checking some of the future stories with other characters in this series.

Sandra Owens is one of my top five authors. I have never been disappointed with her books. She writes well with excellent storylines and wonderful characters. I get pulled in and can't put it down. I'm excited for this new series of combining military personnel with service dogs. It makes for heartfelt stories that will assuredly warm our hearts as we fall in love with both the characters and their dogs.

This story is worth a re-read. Jack Daniels is protective, honest, and fun. His swoon worthy actions most probably just made him my favorite for this series. I did want to throw my Kindle a couple times. I love it when an author pulls on my emotions. Dakota, his retired military dog, completely won my heart. He was just as much a hero as Jack. Nichole Masters is an artist who is confident in her business, sweet, and fun, but lacks confidence in romance. She is in desperate need of help, not only with her rescue dog Rambo, but several irritants in her life. Their story is filled with sweetness, uncertainty, and pain, but ends with a tear worthy HEA.

There are several wonderful side characters in this book, but two of them had me blushing and laughing out loud. Grammie and Dirty Mary were hilarious and unquestionably brought embarrassment and laughter into the lives of those they love. Anytime they were mentioned, you'd just have to grin ear to ear and hope you don't wake your husband because you couldn't put the book down to go to sleep.

One scene had my heart racing. Well, there were several, but I actually stopped, put the song UNCHAINED MELODY on, then read through it twice. This is an unforgettable scene in this book! Think the movies GHOST.

I absolutely cannot wait for Noah's story next!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC of OPERATION K-9 BROTHERS. This is my voluntary and honest review.

This is a great start to a new series. Jack Daniels is on medical leave from the Navy thanks to an IED. Nichole Masters is an artist who mistakenly drunk dials Jack at three in the morning. Jack is intrigued by her call and decides t track her down. This leads to a romance between the two as they train Nichole's dog, Rambo. I have to say while I loved Jack and Nichole and their romance, Jack's grandmother and her friend made this book for me. Grammie and Dirty Mary had to be the best secondary characters I have ever read. The humor they brought was perfectly balanced with the romance and suspense scenes. This is absolutely a series I will be continuing.

I received an early arc copy for an honest review. Ms. Owens has another winning series on her hand, with Operation K-9 Brother's. I'm already in love with this series. And am already counting down the days to Noah's DD story.
I loved Jack Daniels. 'Whiskey' to his Seal buddies. And Nichole. And of course, Dakota, Rambo, and Maggie May. I love the entire premise of this story. My only complaint? I'm all finished and now must wait for Noah's story.

This was a brilliant book and a first class read!!

The story was fast paced with something to keep you reading on every page.

It was a heartfelt struggle and a sey romance.

I love it - 5 stars and very highly recommended!!

3.5 stars.
“Operation K-9 Brothers”, by Sandra Owens (HARLEQUIN - Carina Press), is an enjoyable read with two very likeable main characters, great on their own and when they’re together.
Jack Daniels is an interesting hero, a charming, easy going wounded warrior, not intrinsically tortured but with some scars and need of healing. I loved the way he woos Nichole, how he confesses he wants to romance her, and his decency and determination.
Nichole is a great heroine, full of inner strength and joy, yet not devoid of insecurities and fears.
The playfulness between Jake and Nichole is amusing. I liked the way the author showed they’re both decent, honest people. And they respect each other and communicate, aside some exceptions.
I liked how the author wrote the building of the romance, the attraction and magic of the first times combined with the doubts and fears.
The interaction with the dogs and with the protagonists’ friends is also enjoyable. There are some promising secondary characters, too.
I really liked that Sandra Owens wrote a wounded warrior who isn’t all darkness and despair, and appreciated watching him enthusiastically invest in a new dream. I found his sense of defeat and failure after a certain event is understandable, but a bit overdone. I also didn’t particularly enjoy the boastfulness about SEALs.

Wounded Navy SEAL Jack is on leave undergoing physical therapy. Luckily he’s also got his companion, the service dog who saved his life by sniffing the IED that wounded him. One night he gets drunk dialed by an angry woman but he decides to find her. He finds Nichole, a potter with a dog who needs some training. He may have found his soulmate too.
This was a deliciously steamy wounded warrior story with K-9’s.The characters were well written- real and appealing. The secondary characters all added flavor to the plot. At times I felt the plot could have been written tighter. I’m not sure that it needed to be so long. But I would give this a 3.5-4.0. I would recommend this book to my patrons and friends. I’m not sure I’d be able to buy a 3.5-4.0 book as our tight budget is currently only allowing 4.5-5.0s.

Operation K-9 Brothers
Sandra Owens
January 26,, 2021

Jack Daniels is a Navy Seal. He was head of the Canine Unit in Afghanistan before an IED exploded. Thanks to the team’s Belgian Malinois, Dakota calling alert and sensing the bomb, both were burned and injured but not killed. After spending months in a hospital healing, then doing therapy he was put on medical leave. He was able to take Dakota home to heal the rest of her way. She had healing time left but Jack knew dogs and how to recoup. She would never return to combat but he was her owner now. Jack’s parents had died in an accident a few years before. He had always thought about selling the house in Asheville, North Carolina. Grateful now that he had somewhere to go without shelling out expenses while recovering and completing the remaining physical therapy. He and Dakota would go out for short daily runs. After return there were the exercises his therapist gave him. He was anticipating getting back to his team in a few months. Therapy was going better than the use of a gun. Each time he went for practice he was embarrassed by the weakness he felt in his hand. He was less than accurate.
One night his phone rang late. The number was unknown but he answered anyway. A woman started verbally abusing him about what a lousy creep he was. He didn’t recognize her voice but he stayed with the conversation. From all the Seal training he realized the anger and pain coming through her slurring words. She obviously did not realize she had made a dialing error. He felt the need to find her and see if he could help.
His search played out and he located Nicole Masters selling her art wares at the River Arts Festival held weekly. She is a potter who sells dinnerware, mugs, and other beautiful crafts. Along with her was a puppy causing all kinds of chaos. Not letting her know he was the recipient of the late night phone call, he looked at her beautiful works, then introduced himself. Once he untied her from her overactive pup. Rambo, he mentioned that he trained dogs. Interested in her smiling face and gorgeous looks he asked if he might be able to coach her and Rambo. Bringing the dog before he was ready only caused havoc with her work but shutting it up in the kennel was a guilty solution. She gladly accepted Jack’s offer.
This was my first book by Owens. It was fun yet it gives the reader a focus on what Seals do and the trials of recuperation without their team, the loss of their job. It is an excellent romantic suspense novel and I look forward to reading the 2nd in the series coming out in May.
Operation K-9 Brothers by Sandra Owens will be published by Carina Press on January 26 as an ECopy and in paperback on February 9, 2021. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review the ARC sent to me via NetGalley. Those who enjoy a good romantic read as well as suspense will like this one. There are many that like to pick up a Seal novel and this would be one not to miss. Enjoy!

This is the beginning of what might be a interesting romantic suspense's series. Sandra Owens uses more of the romance to tell the story and less the suspense but even with that it is a fast pace series that readers of romantic suspense novels will enjoy.

The characters are fun and readers will connect with them quickly. The author takes a topic that some might find as difficult to discuses and writes it with respect to the character development. The author does introduce you to characters that will be coming up in the series at least I hope. Otherwise the author has a few too many plot holes.

This is a summer read by the pool.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Sandra Owens Operation K-9 Brothers.

A note for publishers and editors that will not be part of my review: Not having some indication of a point of view switch is frustrating and annoying. For example, this author clearly delineates segments in each character's point of view into chunks. Being in Nichole's head one paragraph and then suddenly being in Jack's totally threw me out of the story and repeatedly made me go back to figure out what was going on until I realized the book publisher removed denotations. (I have read this author before and she always makes it clear when a POV segment shift is happening.)

Operation K9 Brothers is the first book of a series, but it is a complete story and stands alone. You will not feel obligated to buy the next book in the series, but you will definitely want to based on the preview of the next book this author includes.

Jack and Nichole's relationship starts out in a strange but kind of hilarious way, but the way that it organically grew from strangers to friends was really sweet. I found myself laughing at their banter and smiling at their bond as it grew stronger and stronger. Although there was sex and sexiness in this story, it wasn't the main focus so it enhanced rather than overwhelming, something that seems to not be the norm in this genre these days. They didn't just fall into bed and call it love, they developed a friendship and a real bond...even if Jack sometimes was too boneheaded to realize it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance story with lovable dogs, mystery, and a whole lot of fun banter. I already cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out.

What an amazing start to a new series! I loved the book from start to finish. The characters are wonderful. The chemistry between Jack and Nichole is sizzling. There were two characters that had me rolling with laughter. I loved how the animals have a huge part in the story. The book just drew me in and completely captivated me. I know I will thoroughly enjoy the complete series. The author did a phenomenal job!

SEAL, service dog, and suspense are just some of the reasons Operation K-9 Brothers is five-star awesome.

Sandra Owens writes such vivid descriptions that you feel you're going through intense physical therapy with SEAL team member, Jack Daniels. All he wants is to get better and back to his team, but then he meets a complication named Nichole.

The book is romantic, humorous, and intriguing. It also has plot twists that keep you guessing. You'll love Jack, his service dog, Dakota, Nichole, and Jack's hilarious Grammie!

NetGalley gave me this book for an honest review.

Loved this book. When a book can make you smile, sit on the edge of your seat, and be hot all in one it’s a good book! Nichole has a rambunctious puppy. She’s also has an ex that doesn’t understand the word no! When she accidentally calls the wrong number and chews out the person on the other end, it intrigues the man who answers. Jack needed something. Maybe this woman was it!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

This was delightful fluff. I love K9 stories. I have a feeling there are some inaccuracies in the story compared to reality, but I am good to overlook them as I enjoyed the book so much.
The whole story feels a little superficial, as if it never quite grips the deep emotions, but despite that it pulled me happily along in a one-sitting reading. I enjoyed the suspense elements and Jack and Nicole's relationship. It moved along quickly and, at times, had a feeling of insta-love, but the author gave the characters enough motivation and reasons to be believable. And the dogs were the best part of the story.
There were no surprises, but I still enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next book as that hero has been already woven into the end of this story.

I really loved this book, Ms Owens has really created 2 special characters in Jack and Nichole! Their banter had me in stitches, the chemistry was off the charts and the storyline was really good! My heart broke for Jack at times, other times I wanted to give him a slap!!!

Nichole was a strong woman, who has been hurt in the past, with an ex that won’t leave her alone and brother who’s under her feet, but she never loses her humour.

I can’t wait to read more fin this series...