Cherished Witness

J.T. Romano lost everything he held dear to his heart due to one fatal accident caused by one Mr. Yuri Calamondo. Desperate to see Calamondo pay for what he did, J.T sets a plan in motion. Unfortunately, his plan has one slight problem: Kelly Watson, aka Teresa Pastral. He plans use her to draw Calamondo to the small town of Snake Bayou. Once Calamondo is actually there, J.T. realizes that he might have just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. In order to fix that mistake, J.T. stakes his claim on Kelly to ensure her safety. Will J.T. be able to keep her safe from the mob, while also safeguarding his heart from wanting to stake a claim on her?

Teresa Pastral has done one of the bravest things in her life: testify against her husband, a mob boss. Entering the Witness Security Program, Teresa ends up in Snake Bayou as none other than Kelly Watson. Determined to put the past behind her, she is working to deal with all the emotions of walking away from her family and running for her life. In a horrible twist of luck, her husband’s right hand man, Yuri Calamondo, just walks into the one restaurant she happens to work at. With one accident after another, Kelly finds herself once again in danger. Her boss, J.T. Romano, has pledged to keep her safe. Can she trust someone she barely knows? Will she be able to trust herself when she finds herself utterly attracted to him?

Cherished Witness is a suspenseful story filled with emotional heartbreak, consuming passion, and enough twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. Instantly, readers will be drawn to and love Kelly, aka Teresa, for her spunky, never-give-up attitude. More than once she finds herself up against odds that are definitely not stacked in her favor, but she finds the courage to face them. J.T. is a passionate man that struggles with his past, decisions he made for revenge, and the emotions that consume him in regards to Kelly. He is a man that is strong and dedicated to protecting Kelly, but finds that he must overcome some fears of his own along the way. The array of secondary characters offers readers depth, intrigue, and emotions within the story. I would recommend this story to anyone that loves a suspense mixed with a touching romance. With the conclusion of this story, readers are left feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside as well as a little suspicious. Could there possibly be a sequel waiting to be told? One can only hope: Slade needs to find what J.T. realized he was missing. Melanie Atkins has created a tremendous story that is riveting from the first page to the last causing this reader to strike out to find another story of hers to read. Cherished Witness is one of the best suspenseful romances I have read in some time and truly worth the best. 5 Angels as well as a Recommended Read!

Reviewed by: Jessica