Keeping Guard: A Thrilling Romantic Suspense Novel

Sandra Owens

May 2021 · Sold by Carina Press

About this ebook

"With realistic characters, witty banter, a well-written storyline, and a bit of action thrown in, Keeping Guard will draw readers in from the first page until the last." —Harlequin Junkie

Finding the future they deserve will mean leaving the past behind…

Navy SEAL Noah Alba is on extended leave after a terrible mistake resulted in the loss of his K-9 partner. He arrives in Asheville, North Carolina, hoping to get his head on straight before he returns overseas. When an old friend recruits him to train service dogs for veterans, he doesn’t feel ready. Still, rambunctious rescue dog Lucky is awfully hard to resist—as is the drop-dead stunning bride Noah encounters while hiking.

When she finds out her fiancé is only marrying her to gain control of her family’s brewery, Peyton Sutton’s I do turns into a hard pass real quick. But Peyton’s father and now-jilted ex are determined to force the match at any cost. Running away can only get her so far, until Noah—and his adorably fierce canine companion—step in as an unlikely protector.

Guarding a runaway bride in the close quarters of her downtown loft is no way to avoid a simmering attraction. But Peyton can’t outrun her ex, and Noah can’t outrun his past; they’ll have to find a way to move forward together, or risk making another terrible mistake.


Operation K-9 Brothers

• Book 1: Operation K-9 Brothers
• Book 2: Keeping Guard
• Book 3: Mountain Rescue

K-9 Defenders

• Book 1: In His Protection
• Book 2: Her Delta Force Protector
• Book 3: To Hold and Protect

Ratings and reviews

K-9s, SEALS, and Romance This is a nice hero romance. There is a lot of explicit sex that is part of the story but can be skipped over. It is a fine romance that builds between a SEAL on leave and a young woman who he saves. As their feelings for each other grow, he begins to heal. This book has a very good plot that keeps the reader interested and engaged. The character development is good and all of them are quite believable. The story is full of wounded warriors in various stages of healing. It is an emotionally touching book that left me mulling it over for several days. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This book is a winner! This is a fast paced story that opens with Peyton becoming a runaway bride. Once she's made her escape, Noah encounters her at the waterfall, but isn't sure what to make of the almost naked bride. When she unloads on him, he takes pity on her and brings her to his home to escape the groom and her father. Noah is in town working with his friend training dogs and working on his PTSD so he can return to being a SEAL. When he realizes that Peyton is at real risk, he steps in to help, all while fighting is attraction to her. However, as he quickly learns that Peyton is a force to be reckoned with, even if she is a bit of a princess. I loved their story and especially loved how Peyton embraced the "this princess saves herself" belief. Their story is fun and engaging, while also touching on domestic violence. If you are a fan of the genre, you will love this book and want to put it at the top of your TBR list. The author is on my must read authors' list.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. While this is a part of a series, you do not have to read the prior story to thoroughly enjoy this one. This author definitely knows how to stick a knife in my heart and twist it. My heart was in despair at one point. I truly felt for both of the characters. In fact, they seemed more human to me than characters of a book. I think that was due in part to the dual POV format. Reading the characters thoughts really helped to make them more human and easily understandable in a given scene. I so fell in love with Noah. He is a true warrior and protector at heart. He comes across Peyton at a waterfall. She is a runaway bride. Shortly before her wedding, she hears her intended telling his best man that he was only marrying her for her shares of her dad’s brewery. Noel and Peyton have a lot of hurdles to contend with to get to their HEA. A spurred fiancé bent on revenge, Noah’s demons, Peyton’s dad possible illness and Noah’s return to his Navy SEAL life. Yep this author threw the book at these two. This is a sexy read. I would highly recommend this to someone over the age of 18. If you love a sexy Navy SEAL, a runaway bride and a lovable dog, then you MUST read this!!! This book does give a glimpse into the hero of the next book. Holey hot cakes Batman!

About the author

Sandra Owens lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends have ceased being surprised by what she might get up to next. She’s jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the pilot performed death-defying stunts, and rode a Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing. Sandra is a Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member and a 2013 Golden Heart Finalist. Her books have won many awards and she is an Amazon bestseller.