Reviews

Leading the Witness by Chantal Fernando

nero1279's review

fast-paced

3.75

🎧AUDIO VERSION🎧   

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   production / 5 

🎤 NARRATED BY 🎤
Iggy Toma, Mackenzie Harte

Great voices for these characters. 

ARTICULATION  - clean, clear, precise 

BREATHING – controlled, volume, consistent, project appropriate, low mouth noise

DELIVERY – solid and in the spirit of the text and author’s intent. Timing and pacing is appropriate. Varied and not too predictable. No editing issues. 

EYE BRAIN MOUTH CONTROL – accurate and effortless delivery.

CONSISTENT – high energy, good articulation, breath and pitch control.

ANALYSIS – understands the story arc and characters.

CHARACTERISATION – attempts to bring to life. Distinct and consistent in tone, attitude, age, accent. Voices match characters. 

SEPARATION- clear and decisive for both performers.

INVESTMENT – the emotional connection helps with visualisation.

🌶️ spice / 5
😘 romance / 3

📚  STORYLINE 🌶️ 🌶️  😘😘

A great conclusion to the series. Once again, these stories are simply too short. However, this book has been the best at not adding to many sidelines that needed to be explored and not followed through as they were in the previous books. A series that is a great, short ear bud nibble. Enjoyable. 

beckyrendon's review against another edition

4.0

I love a sassy heroine and Riley is all that and a bottle of wine. (Lame, I know but very true.) Leading the Witness is my first foray into this series but what a start.

Sassy Riley and her bar of misfits (term used lovingly) are a dose of happy medicine. They constantly cause smiles, smirks, and giggles. With wild conversations, inappropriate behavior, and full on family style friendships it's easy to see why people gather at Riley's. I just wish I knew where it was at!

Leading the Witness is friends to...well, I can't give away all the secrets. It's sweet, sexy, and fun. Whether it's your first or last of the series, it's worth the time.


Oh and be on the lookout for full moons!!!

romancejunkie1025's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars, almost my favorite of the series. Filled with sensuality, laughter, drama and love. Would have loved it to be stretched out into a full length for sure. Wish the series went on further from here.

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

4.0

A great romance between a bar owner and her soon to be ex's husband's divorce attorney. The romance where fun and flirty and then angsty parts where not to much but enough to make the story more interesting. I havnt read the other in the series but now I badly wants to. Had a lot of fun with this book

the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition

3.0

 
 
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
This one was just OK for me. There wasn't anything wrong with it per se, but it just left me a bit "meh." All the OW stuff (women he slept with...women flirting with him) got tiresome after a while. Plus, I couldn't stand Riley. I do enjoy this author's writing, so that aspect was very good. The pace was a bit slow for me. The plot was OK. I found myself losing interest halfway through. I think the combination of finding Riley annoying. How slow the relationship was moving, and the constant OW stuff just left me less than impressed with the book overall.


~HERO~
HUNTER...Honestly? Hunter was the star of this book. I loved his character. He was sweet. A good friend. A manwhore, but very recently he had toned it down. He had an endless supply of patience with Riley. Pretty much ALL my three stars are thanks to Hunter.


~HEROINE~
RILEY...Riley was another big reason this one didn't work for me. I couldn't STAND her character AT ALL. First, I hate heroines that let pride get in the way of being smart. She has an entire group of lawyer friends yet she doesn't ONCE ask a single one of them for help or advice about her divorce?? Second, she was as a bitch (IMO) and her flip-flopping about Hunter drove me nuts. Pretty much everything about her drove me up the wall. Hunter deserved WAY better in my opinion.


 

~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
Another positive point for the book was it had a fantastic cast of secondary characters. Couples and characters from previous books. Friends and coworkers of Riley's. All of them added a nice extra layer to the story.


~FAVORITE QUOTE~
"I’m pregnant,” she says, sniffing . “And I broke my chair. Probably because I’m pregnant and fat, and my chair knew I was about to get fatter, so it committed suicide because it didn’t want to have to support my fat ass any longer."


~HEAT LEVEL~
LOW. This book was WAY slow burn with no sexy times until 66% (oral) and 71%(intercourse) in. Unfortunately, because of some of the issues I already mentioned, I never felt this couple had any on page chemistry.


~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
LOW. This one wasn't very angsty. There are a few bumps in the road, but nothing major. Neither were virgins. Riley hadn't had sex in over a year. I have no clue about Hunter. But I got the feeling he continued to have sex with OW right until he knew Riley was getting divorced. There was quite a lot of OW stuff in this one (blah). I wouldn't say drama, but Hunter hires Annabelle a woman he slept with in the past to represent Riley. Personally, I have NO idea why the author needed to have Hunter and Annabelle be past f-ck buddies. Thye could have easily just been good friends and it would have worked just as well. It was an icky situation IMO. We are also reminded A LOT that Hunter was a manwhore. Riley constantly thinks he is sleeping with everyone around him. Plus every single woman that runs across him flirts with him (rolling my eyes). There was a bit of OM drama in the form of Riley's ex-husband.


~IN THE END~
Eh...like I said, it was OK. There were quite a few issues that kept me from rating this one higher. But I also thought it was a well written book, and I loved Hunter and a lot of the secondary characters. So a bit of a mixed bag for me. That said, I don't think I will be carrying on with anymore books in this series since both books I have read have been just been OK. It is what it is. Therefore yours truly is going to give this one a single solid thumbs up.



 

zabicka97's review against another edition

2.0

I like the series, but I wasn´t so excited about this book.

mommasaystoread's review against another edition

4.0

It's finally Hunter's turn and the sexy, tatted up lawyer does not disappoint. This one has a somewhat slower build on the romance with so many things keeping Hunter and Riley apart, but the chemistry between them is through the roof. I loved Hunter's patience as he quite literally woos Riley, breaking down her walls little by little. We also get some suspense by way of both Riley's ex and her past, and this one had some twists that I never saw coming. The story does stand on its own, but for those familiar with the wonderful characters of this series, we get plenty of peeks at past favorites and what is going on in their lives. This one did feel a bit more drawn out at times, but it's full of Fernando's trademark wit and sass, along with some intrigue and a romance that is both sweet and scorching hot. All in all, another solid addition to the series.

sbauer16's review against another edition

4.0

Leading the Witness was probably my favorite out of the Conflict of Interest Series. I loved the fact that all the main characters from the previous books were in it!!! Riley was such a likable heroine with all of her sass. The banter and chemistry between her and Hunter basically made the whole book. I would've liked it if the end was a little longer and kind of wrapped up the other characters future as well. It made me not feel fully satisfied.

erinann78's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 Stars
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2364032071?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

paddlefoot55's review against another edition

4.0

ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

I have adored everything I have ready by Ms Fernando, and I am a big fan of her Conflict of Interest series.

I have been waiting for Hunter's story, and Ms Fernando certainly did not disappoint. He is the hottie lawyer, hiding his tattoos under expensive suits. However he does wear his heart on his sleeve, and he has been wearing it for Riley for a long time.

I love the banter between our lovelies, and sparks sure do fly between them.

I love Riley's kick ass, I don't need your help attitude, even when it is to her detriment. I also love that she will take the help - albeit reluctantly at first - when it is offered.

Hunter's name says it all. He goes for what he wants-eventually! And oh my, how wouldn't want to be hunted by Hunter? I adore that he is so protective of his friends, would go to bat for any of them if they needed it.

I freaking love love love the banter between the guys an gals from the previous books. They are such a close knit group of friends, and they are full of bite and snark and taking the p!ss out of each other.

I don't want to say too much about the story, just know that I think it was my favourite in the whole series - so far.

I can't wait to see where Ms Fernando takes us next with these illegally hot lawyers.