Army soldier Luke is suffering from PTSD and is hoping a special trained service K9 will help him give back part of his life, one where he can live more normally. But the trainer, Destiny, is also his sister’s best friend. Destiny pairs Luke with a Husky Java, who is sweet as can be and took to Luke right away. Destiny has issues of her own and as Java brings the two together will they get in their own way or take a chance?
This is a bit different than most of the other K-9 audiobooks I have listened too from Harlequin Audio, as this isn’t police working dog but a service dog. But none the less still a very good audiobook, narrated by a wonderful voice actor, Aure Nash. Being a veteran myself and having a friend who had PTSD I know how much these pups can help calm a person and also helps keep them from self-harm. This book is a wonderful addition to the K-9 series and means a lot to many people.

I was looking for a book with dogs when K9 companion crossed my path. Harlequin books are my vice, I read and read because the romances are always perfect and sweet. I absolutely loved this couple, Destiny is such a sweet and gentle soul and we can see how much her dogs and the service she makes is everything to her.

Luke was a different thing, he’s ex-SEAL and we can see the struggle through the story, he has PTSD and his friend Charlie talks about the service dogs and his little sister work to help with people’s suffering. The dog is a sweet husky named Kava and I loved every moment she was part of the story.

We see the couple finding each other, both had troubles in the past and we see how understanding, long talks and all of course Kava made the romance so sweet.

The narrator was Aure Nash and she was simply perfect.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for the audio review copy.

Luke is back in Serenity Peaks after experiencing a horrendous attack while serving as a Navy Seal. Although he is back home in familiar surroundings, he is living the life of a recluse. Struggling with PTSD, Luke decides to get a service dog to help him regain his confidence and live a somewhat normal life.
It just so happens that his childhood friend, Destiny, owns a K-9 farm where she trains service dogs. It turns out that it is the best decision Luke could have made. Not only does he renew his friendship with Destiny, but he also gains a canine companion, in Java, an Alaskan husky.
This is a very emotional story. Not only does Luke suffer from PTSD, but Destiny does also. As you read this poignant story, you will learn what happened to Destiny. Her work with service dogs helped her as well as others who suffered from anxiety or medical conditions that needed help that a service dog could provide.
The minor characters, neighbors, and relatives played significant roles in the development of the maike Contemporary Christian Romances, then this is a story that you will definitely enjoy. I recommend it for your reading pleasure.

A sweet story about a boy and his dog and the girl who brings them together. Oh, and also a romance.

For Luke Adams, being a Navy Seal was everything. But when an attack during a mission leaves him with PTSD and survivors guilt, he returns to his small hometown where he left a hero but now believes himself to be anything but.

Destiny Johnson trains service K-9s after a sexual assault several years earlier left her with panic attacks that only her sweet service dog could help her overcome. Now she wants to give back to her community, including helping her brother's childhood best friend.

This was a very sweet, faith-affirming romance. Our leads lean on each other and God for support as they work to overcome their traumatic pasts. Destiny's grandpa was also the sweetest guy ever who always had her back.

I personally would have enjoyed to see the characters struggle a little more than they did. While both Luke and Destiny faced challenges, they opened up to each other and others very quickly. I would have preferred a little more tension and having to work a little harder to get each other to open up. However, fans of the Love Inspired line who want a quick, heartwarming story will enjoy this.

I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the narrator and the way she tried to deepen her voice for the male voices. That said she did do a variety of voices for the characters and infuse emotion into the narration so others may enjoy the narration more than I did.

Tropes:
-Military hero
-Love heals all wounds
-In love with my brother's best friend/my best friend's sister

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Warning both of the main characters are dealing with the aftermath of trauma. After her experience with a service dog she decided to help others who would benefit.
Combat veteran struggling with PTSD and survivors guilt.
Survivor of an assault resulting in PTSD
A loveable SDIT

The Soldier’s K-9 Companion AUDIO by Belle Calhoune is a short and sweet romance between a service dog trainer and a returned SEAL with PTSD. Luke Adams had come home damaged; rarely left his house and had nightmares and panic attacks. His best friend, Charlie, one of the few people he saw, convinced him to visit his sister’s canine farm and see if a service dog could work for him. Since he had known Charlie’s sister, Destiny when he was younger, he agreed to visit. She convinced him and introduced him to a dog, but that didn’t make getting out of his house and making the drive to the dog farm any easier. He was sometimes late, and missed appointments, but eventually began to relax, agreeing that this could be solution for him.

Luke was a SEAL, through and through, accepting no weakness on his part and blaming himself for the deaths of his two comrades. Nothing could convince him differently. As he continued to train, he noticed signs of PTSD in Destiny, as well. Turns out she had been assaulted several years earlier and could trust no man to get close. As the training progressed, well, you know… Simple little book, yet powerful in its depiction of PTSD and of the difference a companion dog could make. The plot was elemental, yet effective.

The narrator was Aure Nash who read the book simply with an understanding of what she was reading.

I was invited to listen to the Soldier’s Canine Companion by Harlequin Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarlequinAudio #BelleCalhoune #The SoldiersCanineCompanion

The Soldier's K-9 Companion by Belle Calhoune
An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (K-9 Companions Book 35)
A chance to finally heal
With the help of a four-legged friend.
Struggling with PTSD, retired Navy SEAL Luke Adams hopes getting a service dog will help him finally get his life back. Fortunately, his best friend’s sister, Destiny Johnson, runs a K-9 farm where she trains service dogs. When Destiny pairs him up with an Alaskan husky named Java and teaches him how to bond with the sweet pup, he realizes that he and Destiny have more in common than he thought. With their friendship growing into something deeper, can a dedicated K-9 help them both face their trauma…and come out stronger together?
This is Luke Adams and an Alaskan husky named Java's story.
This is Destiny Johnson's story.
Luke suffers from PTSD. His childhood friend Charlie, think that getting a service dog would help him.
Destiny Johnson, owner of Destiny’s K-9 Dog Farm.
Destiny still suffers from PTSD. Having once owned a service dog and personally seeing the change it made in her life. She want to passing that knowledge and ability to gain a service dog on to others who would benefit from one.
Will her insight into PTSD and her dog training skills give her the ability to help Luke?
I recommend reading this book.
The Soldier's K-9 Companion by Belle Calhoune is a 5 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Belle Calhoune.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.

An intensely emotional, hope-fuelled story that gave me all the feels. With dogs. Can it get any better than that?

The author tackles some serious subject matter through both Luke’s and Destiny’s backstories, but she does so with grace and compassion. So appreciate this realistic view of life after severe trauma and the ensuing struggles to overcome.

The friends-to-more trope plays out to perfection after a rocky start. Great dynamics between Luke and Destiny but, oy, the complications! I could really relate to the way they both held back even though the reader in me was screaming at them to just open up already! Love getting that emotionally invested in a fictional romance!

Calhoune knows how to bring depth and authenticity to her characters and that includes the secondary ones. So, add in the kind of friends who won’t let you go it alone, along with an epic small town atmosphere and you have the perfect recipe for a romance that triumphs despite impossible odds.

I listened to the audio edition of ‘The Solider’s K-9 Companion’ and thoroughly enjoyed Aure Nash’s narration. Her beautifully modulated voice was a pleasure to listen to and I love the way she breathed life into these characters. A brilliant listening experience.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

A Soldier’s K-9 companion by Belle Calhoune, narrated by Aure Nash. Like an x Navy Seal with PTSD from an explosion that killed his team members that was with him, leaving him with survivals guilt. Meets up with his best friends disaster and long time friend who trains therapy dogs and is dealing with her own personal trauma. I enjoyed this story with Faith, Family and healing. My only complaint is the narration. All was good until she did Luke’s part.. to me that was just not good (my opinion) Thank you to #NetGalley and #Harlequin Audio for this Arc. This is my honest review. Releases July 29, 2025

I loved how the narrator brought this sweet romance to life! I enjoyed the service dog aspects of this sweet inspirational story about overcoming trauma!

I received an audio ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

The story of former Navy SEAL Luke Adams and K-9 trainer Destiny Johnson is heartfelt and touching.
After his last mission left Luke with not only PTSD but also with survivor’s guilt, he is having a hard time integrating himself back into civilian life.
Destiny is Luke’s best friend’s younger sister who has overcome her traumatic experience and nowadays dedicates her time and efforts in pairing service dogs with those in need. Java, the Alaskan husky, is just the dog for him. One that will help Luke deal with his PTSD.
In the midst of it all, feelings develop but each feels they are not good enough for the other. Will they realize that together they make a stronger unit?
This is a story about healing and overcoming the past . Especially in the company of a loving person. It brings to light the reality of PTSD, the after effects of experiencing an assault and the help a service dog can provide. It’s also a story about how love can support someone in the worse of times as well as the best of them. It’s a story about faith, hope, new beginnings and second chances in life.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook by Netgalley and Harlequin Audio. The opinions expressed are solely my own.