For a book with K9 in the title, I expected a lot more dog content. This was my first time reading a book in this genre, and while I understand the need to balance romance, suspense, and action, I was still a bit disappointed—the title and cover definitely gave the impression there would be more focus on the canine aspect.

That said, it was an okay read overall. The two main characters were likable enough, and while some parts required a suspension of disbelief, it wasn’t bad. Just not quite what I was expecting.

Charlie was not raised in the typical household. Her father has some longstanding grudges with the government, and the town where she was born has become a stronghold. With rigorous training in her youth, those skills are hard to lose.
Now, with news that her youngest sister is dead, Charlie wants answers. She was ready to take her father down a decade before, but ran instead. This time, she is not going to have that luxury.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was a well-crafted story, with quite a bit of intrigue along the way. If you are looking for a fun and easy weekend listen, this is it!

I like dog stories when it's a police K-9 or specially trained to search and rescue type stories. This is a good audio version of Nichole Severn's "K-9 Confidential". The narration done by Gwen Steel was done very well. Very understandable and you knew when the different characters were talking.
Nichole Severn wrote about former informant "Charlie" who returned from the grave to avenge her sister's death.
Security agent Granger is shocked to find out Charlie is alive and now dodging the cartel to get the ones who killed her young sister. She also plans to take down the cartel family who happens to be her own father.
Danger, fights to the death and a man who once meant the world to her are all she must deal with but she is capable her father made sure of that.
I liked the story it did have interaction with the K-9 but not as much as I had hoped. It has murder, mystery and romance all the makings of a good story. It wasn't mostly romance the focus was revenge and good overcoming evil and love that isn't shown in the typical way between parent and child.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audio for my honest review.

Security agent Granger Morais is stunned when he and his K-9, Zeus find Charlie Acker his former informant and lover. Charlie had escaped from her father's town and been in hiding; her sister has died, and she wants to know who killed her. When she returns to her old home her father tries to capture her along with a drug cartel.
Great suspense story and the narrator did a great job.

K-9 Confidential is the 5th book in Nichole Severn’s New Mexico Guard Dogs series. Narrated by Gwen Steel. You will love this action packed, Fast paced second chance romantic suspense. You can read it as a standalone but it’s better if you start with book one. Thank you to #Harlequin Audio and #NetGalley for this Arc. This is my honest review

Another K9 Audio ARC. Okay, this was a first time author for me and to be fair, I am stepping in to this series at Book 5 (for those of you that know me....that is a huge pet peeve).

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. First of all, I am seriously beginning to understand that just because the book states that it in the K9 genre - that can mean MANY different things to different people. In this case, our K9 Zeus has an eating disorder- he is a binge eater, eating so much that he either ends up throwing up or dealing with an upset stomach. And his number one favorite trick/talent, is to jump on top of the bad guy. He is apparently over 100 pounds and when he lands on them, they are basically stuck. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that per se, but when I think of K9 police partners, this is not necessarily my first thought. Granted, he was a very sweet dog - but that wasn't even the real problem it was just unexpected.

The plot of this book was ALL OVER THE PLACE and if you were to take two minutes to actually think things out, the plot holes in it just pull you right out of the story. There is also the dreaded insta-love or maybe it should be called RE-Insta-Love since apparently the two MC's had a relationship 10 years prior. Don't ask - the Homeland Secret Agent and the criminal CI apparently never stopped loving each other - even though our FMC disappeared and stayed "dead" for 10 years.

Regardless, it did have good moments. The narration was done by Gwen Steeland was fine. Maybe if I had started with book one, things had been different Who knows?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this Audio ARC. This book will be out for publication on Apr 29, 2025.

K-9 Confidential by Nichole Severn
(New Mexico Guard Dogs Book 5)
This fierce K-9
Is facing killer odds
Security agent Granger Morais is stunned when he and his K-9, Zeus, confront the one person he thought was dead—and can’t afford to trust again. Helping ex-informant Charlie Acker discover who killed her young sister may be key to taking down her powerful extremist family. But when Granger must protect her from a ruthless cartel that wants her special skills, will his and Charlie’s troubled history—and reignited heat—keep them alive…or be the one trap they never saw coming?
This is Granger Morais and his K-9's story.
This is Charlie Acker and young sister Erin's story.
This is Henry Acker's story.
“Talk to me, Erin.” Charlie lowered the flashlight to keep from attracting outside attention. No matter how much she wanted answers, she couldn’t risk exposing herself to the people of this town. Bad blood tended to stain more than anything else.
Her little sister had been dead for two days. Already buried in the family cemetery, but there were still pieces of her here. In the knickknacks Erin had collected as a kid sitting on the bookshelf, even that gross old snail shell she’d picked up while weeding rows of corn when she’d been around five years old.
Charlie closed the distance between her and the nearest nightstand. In truth, she and Erin hadn’t talked in years, but she’d known her sister suffered as much as she had after what they’d done.
After what they’d helped their father do.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Former counterterrorism agent, Granger Morais, memorized the surveillance photos sprawled in a haphazard pile on the desk. It didn’t take long. He’d been studying this subject for nearly a decade. The chestnut bangs that framed an oval face, dark eyes the color of coal, a sharp jawline that always seemed to be set in defiance. Granger checked the date on the surveillance. Yesterday. He rifled through the rest of the stack. “Where did you get these?”
Ivy Bardot—Socorro Security’s founder and CEO herself—refused to give any hint as to how they were going to proceed with this new intel. This wasn’t Socorro’s case. His former life was coming back to haunt him, and she knew it. “Our source inside Sangre por Sangre sent them over an hour ago.”
K-9 Confidential by Nichole Severn is a 3 star book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.

Received this as an audio book arc from netgalley and I really enjoyed it! Our FMC had a rough upbringing and that really effects her into adulthood. But she wants answers about her sisters death, and the only way she is going to get those is going to someone who she already has a history with. The storyline involving her sister was fast pace and at times heavy (which I enjoyed!). The romance was well written but definitely was more plot driven. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.

This is a Second Chance Romance Suspense, and this is the fifth book in the New Mexico Guard Dogs series. I have not read the other books in this series, and I do think you need to read them before picking up this book. Normally, I have no trouble reading the Romantic Suspense book series as standalone, but this book I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory which took away for me really enjoying this book. I listened to this book's audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narrator. I really enjoyed the audiobook. This book is filled with action and suspense. The romance was done well. I liked the characters, but I felt I really did not understand some of the characters. Overall, I liked the story, and I felt I could have loved the story if I had read the other books in the series before picking up this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

This book was the perfect blend of action, romance and a cute puppy sidekick. I was a little worried when I started this that it was going to be so short that it wouldn’t have much action, or that the characters wouldn’t be developed well but that wasn’t the case at all!

As far as audiobooks go, the dual narrators is always a yes from me and this was no different!

K-9 Confidential is the fifth book in the New Mexico Guard Dogs series by Nichole Severn. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I know it won’t be the last!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the characters were fascinating and the story had me on the edge of my seat! There were great twists and turns and I loved it! I can’t forget about Zeus, he was amazing!!!!

I loved the narration by Gwen Steel! She really brought this book to life!

I definitely recommend reading K-9 Confidential!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

K-9 Confidential (New Mexico Guard Dogs #5) by Nichole Severn
Narrated by Gwen Steel
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Romance
Expected Publication Date: April 29, 2025