He's hiding something...can a special K-9 encourage him to reveal all?
When a family crisis leaves rancher Randy Watkins caring for a surprise baby nephew, he turns to longtime friend Hannah Carr for help. But Randy has a heart condition -- a secret he's determined to hide...until Hannah's clever retired service dog threatens to expose it. As friendship turns to something more, can Randy trust Hannah with the truth?
Mills & Boon Love Inspired -- Heartfelt stories that show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives.
Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. She is a multi-published author of Christian romance novels with Harlequin Love Inspired. Nearly a million of her books have sold worldwide.
A former electrical engineer, Jill now writes full-time. Her essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books, and long walks outdoors. She rarely passes up a bookstore and spends too much time at the library. She resides in Ohio with her husband. They have two adult children. For more information, visit her website, jillkemerer.com.
This is a Clean Cowboy Romance, and this is the 6st book in the K-9 Companions series. I have read and reviewed most of the other books in this series. I think this book can be read as a standalone, or you can read this book out of order. This book as a retired service dog and a service dog in training I love all the dogs in this book. I love the characters in this book. There is a lot of secrets through out this book out slowly gets shared. There is a lot of drama in this book, but it make made me keep wanting to read. I really loved this book, and I found the romance in this book was super cute. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
If I could I would give this book more than five stars. I thought the story was realistic because the characters had both good and bad things that happened to them. The romance was gentle and sweet. This is a Love Inspired clean read book. The geographical location of the book is Wyoming. I loved every character in the book and felt they all could be trusted as friends. This story is about change and some of the characters went through situations that changed their lifestyles. Two characters kept secrets in their lives . It was an emotional read but also I found myself laughing out loud in one of the chapters. I love every book by Jill Kemerer. I thought this one was her best book that I’ve read. Randy Watkins has known Hannah Carr his entire life but in this book they get thrown together by unplanned circumstances in their lives. Randy keeps a secret from his friends and family. He has shut himself off from having a relationship or falling in love with a woman because of this secret he keeps. Then along comes his friend Hannah who steps up to the plate when Randy and his older brother, Austin’s life gets complicated by a life changing situation. Randy and Hannah spend a lot of time together and soon their friendship turns to an attraction for one another but Randy will put those feelings aside because of his secret. Or will he? But there is already someone who knows his secret. An adorable older retired service dog has bonded with him and is extremely protective of Randy. Will Hannah find out his secret through the service dog? I recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance and Love Inspired books. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I won a copy of this book a few years ago in a giveaway given by the Author. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
'Loving someone doesn't mean hiding the hard stuff. It means sharing the hard stuff. Getting through it together.'
I have long enjoyed Jill Kemerer's books and never miss this. This one was very good and reminded me of a time in my life when I desperately feared a situation but had to learn to trust God through my fear.
Kemerer deals very well with two people who handle life and fear very differently. I loved how she pulled everything together so that they could relax into God's care. Well done!
My thanks to Love Inspired for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion here is my own.
I am soooooo in love with this series! Each book is a standalone, but they share the common theme of K-9 companions and the variety of therapy dogs has been so fantastic. This is the sixth book in this year long series and I devour each one as soon as it comes out. And just an FYI, Guarding His Secret is also the third book in the Wyoming Ranchers series, so it's doing double duty.
Love this Western town and the bachelor (well, not all remain bachelors) ranchers who support and encourage and razz each other through good times and bad. A host of secondary characters bring added life and interest to the story...and I'm pretty sure Kemerer has done a fantastic job of setting up the fourth book. Time will tell!
Randy's juggling a lot between his shop in town, the ranch and some unexpected family drama that lands on his doorstep. To make things worse, this stubborn cowboy (can a rancher be considered a cowboy? This Easterner thinks so) has a heart condition that he is keeping under wraps...and mostly ignoring in a fatalistic kind of way. Gah, stubborn men and their health issues! His backstory includes a decades old trauma that still affects him to this day, so I guess I'll give him a pass on being so mule-headed!
Hannah is the kind of woman of feels her way through life. She cares a lot, loves completely and is generous with her time...and her heart. Which can get her into trouble sometimes. She's known Randy forever and when he's overwhelmed by one dilemma after another, she calmly steps in and offers to help, risking her heart in the process. Because sometimes, Randy draws close and at other times, he pushes her away. In fact, he seems to have a better relationship with her retired K-9, Ned, than he does with her!
This is where we get to the fan-girling over Ned part. Soulful brown eyes, still in his prime, but retired due to his owner's death. Ned has his own backstory to contend with and he just wants to be needed again. Sniffle. And then, voila, Randy is on the scene more and more and Ned starts alerting only no one clues in until....
Seriously fantabulously fantastical!!!! Gobbled this friends to more contemporary romance in an afternoon because it was just too good to put down.
Guarding His Secret, the sixth book in Love Inspired’s multi-author K-9 Companion series, is a heartwarming story of family, faith, and friendship. A smoothly flowing well-paced plot, well developed and relatable characters, a sweet though slightly complicated friends-to-more romance, and a strong faith element combine to make this an engaging, uplifting read. I have always thought service dogs were amazing, and Ms. Kemerer does an excellent job of conveying the trials and joys of the training process and showcasing the value of these animals. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick, inspiring read and highly recommend it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Love love and love this story!! Trusting people with secrets about our health can be scary, we don't want to scare others, but we don't want to face these battles alone either. God always puts the right people in our lives when we need them the most, we can trust them because He knows they will be there for us no matter what comes our way.
Jill Kemerer is an inspirational go-to for me. Her characters are relatable in so many ways. This book tugged on my heartstrings from the get-go and immersed me in rancher life. Plus dogs! Don't miss this one!
All it took was one phone call, two secrets, and a dream to change three people’s lives. This newest book by Jill Kemerer is a delightful story of friendships, and sweet romance, plus some cute puppy moments. I haven’t read too many books written by Jill Kemerer, she is a relatively new author to me, and I found I enjoyed her style of writing. I look forward to reading other books of hers. Her writing is smooth, and the story was truly relatable. Keeping secrets can cause so many problems and misunderstandings, but when they are tenderly shared, they can heal relationships. This book was also a wealth of information regarding service dogs and what they can do. I loved learning about them. This book is full of beautiful lessons about how God really does want to take our burdens and bless us. It’s a story of finding purpose and following dreams. This author weaves these wonderful lessons into our hearts through her book. If you want to read books that are clean, romantic, fun, and quick to read, then Jill Kemerer is someone you should check out! I highly recommend you pick this book up. I was given this book by the publisher which did not influence my review in any way, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
"Guarding His Secret" is a Christian romance. Hannah is a caring woman who tries very hard to meet her carefully planned, high expectations. Just as she takes on a retired service dog and a puppy to train toward becoming a service dog, her friend Randy also asks for her help with minding his store and then his baby nephew. Nothing's going as planned. Since Randy inherited a heart condition from his dad, he needs to avoid stress. The retired service dog was trained to pick up on certain signals and can tell when Randy needs help and then acts to help calm him. Hannah sees that Randy and the service dog need each other more than she needs the dog as a pet, but it isn't until nearly the end that she actually learns about his heart problem.
Randy didn't want to pass his condition on to any children and knew Hannah would constantly worry if she knew. They enjoyed being together, but Hannah and Randy had to come to a place where they could trust God with an unknown future. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this sweet romance.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Phenomenal... This is such an beautifully written book.
I love how dedicated Hannah was to helping Randy, get control of his daily life and understand his heart condition, and seeking medical treatment. Hannah is created with delicate and compassionate details while using her dog to help Randy understand his own body and when he needs to take his medicines and get emergency help.
This book especially attracted my attention and kept me capatived thru out this story, since I suffered from heart disease, myself, and I fully comprehend how serious this disease really is.
Thank you, Ms. Kemerer, for writing a passionate and great book. As always, I highly recommend this story and all other books, by this author....😘
Guarding His Secret ( K-9 Companion #6 ) By: Jill Kemerer Guarding His Secret is the sixth book in K-9 Companion series. I love reading Jill Kemerer’s books. Love the story and the characters both were well written. A heartwarming story about faith, friendship, forgiveness, and love. There is a secret someone is hiding. There is a K-9 service dog that I love. This book can be read as a standalone with no problem. An uplifting Inspiration romance you will love. I was given complimentary copy of this book. No review was required. Opinions are my own.
A heartwarming and delightful story of love and family. I always enjoy stories by author Jill Kemerer. She includes characters that are easy to relate to and to care about. This is a great story.
“Everyone endured hard times. Maybe it was time for him to embrace the good times, too, instead of avoiding them out of fear.”
Jill Kemerer’s books are always a treat to read and this one is no exception. She weaves inspiring messages into each one that uplift me and make me think and feel. In Guarding His Secret, Randy Watkins calls upon his friend Hannah for help when his brother Austin has to go out of town. Randy has kept his health condition a secret from everyone, but Hannah’s retired service dog senses something is wrong. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Randy and Hannah change and develop as they spent time together.
Messages of faith, hope, overcoming fear, and trusting others and God in our lives add inspiration and depth to this charming story. It is a captivating addition to Love Inspired’s K-9 Companions series written by various authors.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Guarding His Secret by Jill Kemerer is book three of her Wyoming Ranchers series. It is also part of the Love Inspired K9 Companions series.
Randy has a secret he hasn’t told anyone, including his brother, and when his life turns upside down, Hannah comes to the rescue.
The author did a fantastic job of drawing out the revelation of Randy’s secret. Then providing a deep reason for why he has kept it a secret, and continues to to do so, even as he wishes for a future with Hannah. It tugs at the heart and I wanted nothing but a happily ever after for Randy and Hannah.
I also love when dogs are matchmakers and the retired K9 Companion in this book is the sweetest! If you love a sweet romance with adorable, matchmaking pups, then definitely give Guarding His Secret a read!
— I purchased a copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines
Randy and Hannah has a long time friendship and after a family crisis on Randy's end leaves Hannah offering help the two seem to be closer then ever spending more time with eachother. Randy also has a secret heart condition and refuses to cross lines or tell anyone about but it seems Hannah's new service dog might expose him.
This was a nice enjoyable read. I kinda felt like it was a bit slow but I've been reading action packed book and this was just a different change of pace. I liked the friendship between the two and how they just worked well around eachother. Hannah really was such an amazing person who was really there for Randy and his family she really went above and beyond for them. Which makes Randy secret a bit more difficult hiding it from her and his loved ones. There was plenty to enjoy about this book and you'll just have to read it to find out but overall this was a pretty enjoyable read.
Jill Kemerer writes with a lot of spunk, heart, and compassion. Her stories are well-written with good storyline and good, believable characters. I love a book that has me laughing out loud one minute, and fighting tears the next! This story hit all the feels.
Hannah Carr is a young school teacher who “wants too much, worries too much, and thinks too much.” She is a ball of energy with so much compassion that she adopts a retired service dog, Ned, and takes on training a puppy, Barley, to become a service dog.
Randy Watkins is one of a group of young men that have declared they are never getting married! The bachelor part of the group is growing smaller as one by one they discover love. Randy needs Hannah to help care for his surprise nephew. Hannah’s dog, Ned, starts alerting on Randy’s health. His secret heart issue is about to be outed. Can Randy and Hannah let go and let God?
Jill Kemerer has quickly become a favorite author of mine. I've read a pretty high percentage of her Love Inspired books, and haven't found one I didn't like yet!
In Guarding His Secret, Randy Watkins has been hiding a secret from everyone, including his brother for more than 10 years. When his stress levels hit critical heights, his secret threatens to take him down. Enter his longtime friend, Hannah Carr, and her retired service dog, Ned. Hannah steps in to watch Randy's store when Randy has to take over ranching duties for his brother. Hannah's dog, Ned, keeps alerting when he's around Randy, and seems happier and more content when he's around him. What does the dog sense that Randy doesn't want anyone else to know?
Readers who love sweet romance with a hero who is doing his best to do the right thing, will enjoy Guarding His Secret. I know I did!
This was a quick read for me that was hard for me to put down when I was supposed to be sleeping.After a family cresis leaves randy caring for his baby nephew he turns to his long time friend Hannah carr for help but he has an heart condition that he doesn't want anyone to know about because he's scared that if he gets married and has children he could pass the heart condition to his children since it's the same heart condition that his father died from.But will the service dog reveal his secret.He doesn't tell Hannah about his heart condition until he passes out in his store and Hannah finds him.I enjoy books with babies in them.I received an advanced copy of the book from the author and this review is voluntary and are my thoughts on the book.
Randy Watkins has a lot on his plate when a baby is left in his care, he enlists the help of a longtime friend Hannah Carr who also has a passion for training dogs, to help him out.
Randy has never let himself get too close to a woman before, but he can't help but admire Hannah for her helpful and caring nature. They work well together and I could see why Randy was hesitant to put someone through something that could have many unknowns. I liked that they shared a faith in God and had great interaction, working together.
Overall this was an engaging and heartwarming read, with an adorable puppy to boot! A great story with well developed characters and a compelling plotline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Life can be hard when we keep secrets from those we care about thinking we are protecting them. We need each other in order to move forward in our lives. I enjoyed this book as it explored the real life feelings of fear, hurt and overcoming both in order to experience love. This book was well written and I was easily engaged. The characters were likable and the dogs adorable and smart. I would definitely recommend it.
I was provided with an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Love Inspired) or author (Jill Kemerer) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. This book is schedule to be release on May 24-2022.
This was such a fun story, and I really enjoyed it! Between the antics of the puppy, Barley, and Austin and Randy Watkin's first adventures with AJ, the baby, this book had me laughing several times.
Randy and Hannah Carr have known each other their whole lives, but when Randy asks her to help care for the surprise baby, AJ, for a week while his brother is recovering from a sprained ankle, Randy begins to view Hannah in a different light. But can Randy dare to hope for a future with Hannah with his secret condition? Faith in God and love for family play big roles in this must-read story.
Guarding His Secret is a sweet, heartwarming, inspirational romance. I love Ms. Kemerer's books. The dogs in this series are amazing. This well written book is about family, love forgiveness, giving your problems to God and not keeping secrets. Hannah has both a retired service dog and one in training. The retired service dog is going to reveal Randy's secret if anyone is observing the dog's behavior. I loved reading about Randy caring for his nephew and watching Randy and Hannah fall in love. Once i started reading, I devoured the entire book because I could not find a stopping place.
Randy has a secret. He has the same heart disease that killed his father. He tells no one and closes himself off to a shared life with someone he loves. Hannah is a teacher in town who has caught his eye several times but he squashes any potential feelings. Then Randy and his brother Austin need Hannah's help when Austin shows up with a surprise baby. Throw in a retired medical service dog and a new potential service dog trainee and insecurities on Hannah's part and you have a great story. I loved the way Randy and Hannah finally work through their issues.
Wow! The setting is what initially caught my eye, a ranch in Wyoming. But there is so much more to this book. Randy and his brother have a broken past that threatens their present and future. The sweetest part of the story is the baby! And I was laughing along with Hannah as the men try to care for him. Hannah has a lot of passion and isn't afraid to be who God made her to be. Randy's secrets and fears are holding him back. Both of them have to surrender and learn to live each day as God gives them. The romance was a sweet friends-to-more.
Randy and Hannah's story is sweet, inspiring, and romantic. The two, who are destined to be together, but have to get past secrets and insecurities, are helped along by a baby, a cute and energetic puppy, and a sweet older dog who might possibly be a life saver. I love this book, part of a series, and I cannot wait to read the others. Received a copy of this book from Netgalley. These are my own thoughts and honest opinions.
I so enjoyed Guarding His Secret it kind of hit home for me because I have a heart condition myself. Not quite the same as Randy but I do tend to pass out sometimes. Hannah Carr never thought she’d find someone since her past relationship said she was too much until a special dog and Randy’s brother bringing a baby home.Then all things started to bring Randy and Hannah together. Will they get through the secrets to have a happy ever after or will Randy throw it all away?