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Wednesday Waypoints | Five Novels with Dogs

by Mar 11, 2026Wednesday Waypoints0 comments

Today’s Wednesday Waypoints features

Five Novels with Dogs

Welcome to Wednesday Waypoints, your midweek hygge inspiration. Each week, I’ll share a small collection of things to brighten your day. Whether books I’m loving, favorite blog posts, cozy shopping selections, or even a short excerpt to savor.

What is hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”)? According to Visit Denmark, “In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.”  So grab a cuppa, slow down, and enjoy.

About Today's Currated List

Today’s curated list explores the unwavering loyalty of canine companions. From the elite protection dogs of modern security agencies to the K9 bodyguards and dedicated trainers of the 1930s, these stories follow characters who find hope and safety through the bond of a four-legged friend.

In these novels, you’ll meet heroes like Andri Jóhannsson from my historical romantic mystery, Eyewitness Sketch, who uses his home as a sanctuary for a woman in danger. You’ll also meet Lily Moore from my historical romantic suspense A Strike to the Heart, a dog trainer caught in a violent conspiracy.

Whether they are providing emotional support for a veteran or helping a father reconnect with his secret son, these dogs are central to the characters’ journeys toward healing and home.

Enjoy these first lines!

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Five Novels with Dogs

Eyewitness Sketch

Danielle Grandinetti

Finding love at Death’s Door might destroy them both.

CHICAGO, Ill., 1931—Gabriella Salatino, an illustrative journalist for the Di Stasio Giornaliste Agency, never planned to return to her island home at the tip of Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula. Nor did she plan to witness a murder. But when her life is threatened, she has no choice but to hide out under the protective care of the man she left behind.

Deputy Andri Jóhannsson has been coming to Gabby’s rescue his entire life, but having her in his secluded home tests the limits of his patience. The woman has no sense of self-preservation, and he has a smuggling ring to ferret out. Except, her skill with sketchpad and pencils might be the very investigative tool he needs in order to catch the bootleggers.

With a murderer on her trail and criminals evading detection, Gabriella and Andri must set aside the past or risk its eruption. Because this time, the collateral damage might include more than losing their friendship. It might cost them the lives of those they love.

La Verità con Integrità. Truth with Integrity. The Legacy of a (Girl) Stunt Reporter.

CHICAGO, Ill., Saturday, March 7, 1931—They say curiosity killed the cat, which is why Gabriella Salatino preferred to let the cat keep her tongue. Silence was golden, as the saying went. However, she’d never managed to rein in her curiosity, which meant tonight might kill her.

A Strike to the Heart

Danielle Grandinetti

She’s fiercely independent. He’s determined to protect her.

Wisconsin, 1933—When a routine mission becomes an ambush that kills his team, Craft Agency sniper Miles Wright determines to find the persons responsible and protect the woman he rescued. But the fierce independence that led Lily Moore to leave her family’s dairy business for the solitary life of a dog trainer and the isolation of her farm don’t make that easy. Neither does his unwanted attraction to her. Meanwhile, escalating incidents confirm that she’s far from safe.

Lily fears letting the surprisingly gentle retired marine into her life almost as much as she fears whoever is threatening her. As Wisconsin farmers edge toward another milk strike, one that will surely turn violent, it becomes clear that the plot against Lily may be part of a much larger conspiracy. When the search for her abductor leads close to home, she must decide whether to trust her family or the man who saved her life.

Friday, October 13, 1933
Northern Wisconsin

Miles Wright pressed his eye to the A5 telescopic sight attached to his Springfield long-range rifle.

Unseen Danger

Jerusha Agen

This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?

After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.

Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.

Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh’s only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn’t see before it’s too late.

The building quaked, helpless against the pounding onslaught. D-Chop was famous for his ear-blasting hip-hop concerts, but Nevaeh Williams was glad she wasn’t back-
stage at the moment.

The Father He Deserves

Lisa Jordan

An unexpected reunion may mend a broken heart and complete a family in this heartwarming second chance romance.

Injured in a kayaking accident, champion Evan Holland returns home to train rescue dogs. But his unexpected partner is the woman he left behind, Natalie Bishop. And she has a secret: a son Evan never knew he had.

Now, Evan must prove he can be a real father. But earning Natalie’s trust back will take hope, forgiveness—and risking everything on forever . . .

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Evan hated returning home a failure.

The Veteran’s Vow

Jill Lynn

Could his biggest fear
be what he needs to heal?

After a traumatic brain injury, military vet Behr Delgado refuses the one thing that could help him—a service dog. But Ellery Watson is sure the perfect pup will change Behr’s life and offers to work with him one-on-one. As Behr sets about overcoming his fears, Ellery’s surprised to find herself opening up about her troubled nephew. Will family obligations force them to deny what’s in their hearts?

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Ellery Watson’s job description did not include tracking down veterans at their homes to investigate why they hadn’t shown up for training, but when she realized her no-show lived in her town, she’d been unable to resist.

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Until next time, may your reading bring both light and encouragement.

Happy reading!
~ Danielle.

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