This is the fourth of this series, and I do recommend reading the previous books first. Riley is determined that her pub is going to thrive, and she puts her all into it. It's just luck that she happens to be down the road from the law firm where Hunter works, meaning Hunter and his co-workers come in all the time. Hunter made it known on their first meeting that he was attracted to Riley and that he wanted her. Too bad she is married. Over the course of the year, Riley became friends with Hunter and the other lawyers, but not friends enough that they knew what was going on in her personal life. They had no clue that Riley was in a horrible marriage and had filed for divorce. All she wants now is her dog, she wants nothing more from her husband. When Hunter is asked to take on a case as a favor, he had no idea what he was walking into. Now he has to figure out a way to navigate this minefield and hope that there is a way to come out of this case on the other side with hopefully a chance to make Riley his, but as he is her husband's lawyer, it may be too late.

This was a good read, with some drama and some really hot sexy times. I did feel like it dragged just a wee bit in the middle, it felt like some of that was just filler and a bit unnecessary. I give this 4 stars.

Hunter and Riley have known each other, and flirted with one another, for a year. Riley was married during this time but unhappily married and she knows the day is coming where she will file for divorce. Hunter is a playboy who falls for the heroine yet sleeps with other women while still flirting and craving Riley during that time. Thing is, the woman he has lusted over for a full year was married and Hunter didn’t know. Riley fell for Hunter when he walked into her Pub and they flirted with one another for that year but things with south when he finds out he is her estranged husband divorce attorney. This is such an angsty read, full of passion, and twists and turns. Hunter and Riley were two people who had fallen for each other but they were damaged souls yet they couldn’t help the pull they felt towards one another. Riley’s ex is a huge jerk and I so wanted to see him get his comeuppance. I sort of wished that Hunter kicked him to the curb when he realized that he was Riley soon to be ex instead of keeping him on as a client. So I was a bit steamed over Hunter and his actions there but as the story goes on, we get to watch as Hunter and Riley interacted and oh my, the chemistry is strong and intense between these two.  Also, there are so many awesome support characters in Leading the Witness  that I cant wait to see who Ms Fernando writes next in this series. 

My Rating:  4.5 stars ***** 
“I received an advanced copy of this book from the author at no cost to me."

Leading the Witness is the fourth book in the Conflict of Interest series by Chantal Fernando. I had been looking forward to Hunter and Riley’s story since Seducing the Defendant and this has become my favorite book in this series. 

Hunter has been flirting with Riley seen the first time he walked into her bar “Riley’s” but with Riley being married Hunter has just been her customer/friend. When Hunter walks into mediation with his new client, he is surprised to find out that the soon-to-be ex-wife is Riley.  Now, how long will Hunter wait till he asks Riley out?

I love all the characters in this series; it was great to see everyone and get a little surprise from Kat and Tristan. At times the secondary characters stole the story and the bantering between Kat/Hunter and Jaxon/Hunter was hilarious. Here’s hoping Yvonne will be getting a book of her own

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.
(As posted on Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read Blog - post scheduled to go live 4/17/18 at 9am EST)

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.

** will go on blog and Amazon etc on release and during blog tour**

Hunter and his associates stumble upon a local pub and quickly become regulars. Imagine his surprise when one of his divorce cases, involves Riley McMahon, the owner of said pub, that he's admired from afar since she's always been unavailable.
While trying to keep their distance so the case isn't affected, they have to fight their growing feelings, while trying to keep Riley safe when past secrets are revealed and danger hits close to home. A wonderful read and I will definitely be revisiting this story again!

Leading The Witness was a solid book. The characters were enjoyable and the storyline was great. It was different than what we normally get to read and the chemistry between the two characters was palpable. The writing was solid as well but I felt as if I was missing something from the book. Or I guess I'm just used to reading such over the top storylines that I didn't fully appreciate what was being offered here.

You know I knew there was a reason why it took me so long to read and review this book. I found a little slower than I normally like. I did not like the heroine (Riley) I liked strong heroines not bitches. Then there was Hunter again with a manwhore. I read, put down, picked up, put down again the only reason I finished was I kind of hoping it would get better it didn't..There was too too much drama with OW..

Leading the Witness is the fourth novel in Chantal’s Conflict of Interest series and it does not disappoint. We all know who Hunter is because he is featured in the first three novels, but Riley was introduced in the second novel. When they first meet Hunter and Riley are intensely attracted to one another but there is something in the way of them acting on their attraction. Hunter is funny, honest, sexy, and has dirty mouth that would put you into a lust induced haze. When he meets Riley though there is something about her that brings out his sweet, alpha side that begs to be nurtured. When Riley meets the crew from the law firm she is in the middle of a divorce and getting her new pub off the ground. When her divorce starts becoming to messy to handle and her soon to be ex-husband gets a new lawyer the situation starts to fall apart for parties involved. The new lawyer is Hunter and when he finds out that Riley is the other party involved he is so angry at her for not coming to him for help. Hunter does not let the ex-husband issue stop him from trying to help Riley. When Riley finally becomes a free woman, Hunter is there working in charms to get what he wants most and that is Riley. They take us on a world wind journey of their intense relationship. Riley still has her past to work through before she can have a future with Hunter. 

This novel is about getting a second chance at having love and giving your heart to the right person. You will find a group of friends that will help you in your times of need and be there for all your ups and downs. I love that there is not a lot of drama controlling the book and it flows from each scene with ease. The characters are full of life and love that will turn anyone to mush.  I love that I got to see another side to Hunter and that he isn’t who I thought he was from previous books. Chantal did an excellent job on Hunter and Riley’s story and it shows me why I am such a big fan of hers.

I've been anticipating Hunter's book since this series began.  Something about this character just called to me and it wasn't just the numerous tattoos and glorious beard.  He is this kick butt lawyer that should be jaded by all the family law cases he takes on but, somehow has retained his ideals.  He's still fun, open minded, and believes in romance.  All those things wrapped up in a very sexy packages makes for one hell of a character.

Riley was a character I instantly fell in love with.  She was this perfect blend of independent but, also soft and open.  I was never really sure how she would react to any given situation which made for a really great read.

With two amazing lead characters I wasn't sure how the supporting characters would stack up but, I shouldn't have.  They added depth and a whole lot of humor to the story without overshadowing the original storyline.  They really rounded out the book and made it that much better.

This is by far my favorite in this series  and my only complaint is I wish there was a little more drama.  Everything ran so smoothly I was just waiting for something to spring up and take everyone off guard and while complications arose they were settled so quickly that it detracted from the overall feel of the story for me.  I'm use to major drama from this author and it just wasn't there.

Releases APRIL 17 2018!
Okay you guys, Netgalley and the Publishers have been so amazing and has let me review all the books in this series so far. I receive them through Netgalley in exchange for and honest review. 
So If you haven't read my other posts for the books in this series let me share them with you now before you continue on with this one.
Breaching the Contract
Seducing the Defendant
Alright so now that you are caught up let's get on with this one.
Leading The Witness follows Hunter Blaze who is a one of the most talented Lawyers at his firm. His latest client just happens to be the "soon-to-be-ex " of the girl he has fallen for. He never even knew she was having a troubled marriage and feels like his whole world is about to be flipped upside down. Secrets are revealed and now Hunter is having a hard time keeping his client happy as well as his "friend". So does Hunter do right by his client or his friend? You will find out in this steamy read.
What else can I say? I loved it! 
I mean is there a way to take out the jerky, egotistical, narcissistic, and spiteful ex-husband out of the book? I mean that would make this so much better. I suppose his character is important for Riley's character building, but hey a reader can wish right? 
Other than that I loved the two characters Hunter and Riley. I thought they were great and the buildup for them was right too. 
One thing that kind of threw me off for a bit was the fact that this whole book kind of existed because Hunter was the divorce attorney for Riley's Ex. Therefore He and Riley shouldn't have contact with each other, etc. It just seemed like this did not last long at all. It felt like their time apart was very brief therefore the buildup and suspense was lacking for these two characters. 
So yeah, Again I think Chantal has hit another series out of the park.

~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.

Hands down, the concept alone was beyond epic. I loved the whole idea of divorce lawyer falling in love with the clients ex! Hunter has always had a spot in my heart when I first see him in this series. And this story is by far my fave out of all of them. The sass of Riley is epic as well. I was swooning and giggling the whole time reading this one! I really love how this whole story played out! Once again a brilliant read from Fernando! This series is one of my faves!

I really liked these characters and how their relationship developed. I appreciated that Hunter really liked Riley, but that he never acted on those feelings because he thought she was married. Imagine Hunter’s shock when everything he thought he knew about Riley changes.

Riley, I really liked Riley. I liked how she wanted to make her own way and didn’t want to ask her friends for help. Soon, everyone knows what’s going on with Riley and they are all there to support her, even Hunter. 

This was the first book that I have read in this series and I didn’t feel lost at all. I will be going back and reading the other books in this series.

Book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Leading the Witness was my first book by Chantal Fernado.  I have not read the other books in the series but this book worked as a stand-alone.  

The hero, Hunter, is a divorce attorney.  He has spent the better part of a year crushing on Riley, the owner of a bar, where he hangs out.  They have developed a friendship and yet there are parts of themselves that they keep from each other.  Hunter is shocked when he takes on a new client and discovers that Riley is his new client’s estranged wife.  Suddenly he is put in the uncomfortable situation where he cannot lookout for Riley’s best interests.

In general, I thought the writing was really good. There was great character development and I thought the plot was compelling.  My only concern was that the problem that was keeping Hunter and Riley apart wrapped up really quickly—about halfway through the book. I felt like the book dragged after that and there were some odd plot developments to try and keep the momentum going (like details that came out of nowhere and didn’t seem to fit.)

First, let us look at the cover…okay, now onto the book. I have read three of the four books in this series (skipped booked three) and this book is by far the best of the series. Of course it is, it has Hunter and Riley. I loved both of these characters. Most of the time I end up loving the male character and the female character could be likeable or not. Hunter is almost perfect – he is kind (works pro bono cases helping women), a family man (even though he does not think of himself that way), a hard worker, kind, flirty, sexy, yummy and well the list could go on. Riley is also kind, a great friend and flirty. So why not five instead of four stars? The lack of conflict in the book. The conflict (like in the second book) ends pretty quickly and then about fifty percent of the book is their day to day life. Now, I know why that had to happen in this book. It would be wrong for it not to be that way but I still like a bit more conflict. That is just me. But the day to day life is so sweet and romantic. I think it is a perfect end to the series.

I wish the reader had been told where in the world this book was taking place. If the story takes place in Australia, then perhaps some of the situations described might be legitimate. However, in the U.S. had an attorney found himself in circumstances described he would have needed to disqualify or recluse himself from representing either party because a conflict of interest existed. The terms lawyer and attorney are used throughout the book, while in Australia the terms barrister and solicitor are more common, lawyers and attorneys are terms used in Australia. The book talks about a review board. Both Australia and the U.S. have Bar Association review boards. The terminology does not define the local, so we are left to wonder. The story is entertaining and aside from questioning the ethics of Hunter Brayze, the hero appears to be a tame character. The leading lady is a strong woman and admirable for her grit. The word ‘f - - k’ is used as a casual adjective far too often. Some readers might find this objectionable.  The use is unnecessarily since there are many adequate words in the English language that would work just as well. Sadly, there is the use of graphic sex scenes that add nothing to the plot or character development. If, however, the reader is not put off by the language and the graphic sex, then he/she will find the book enjoyable.

Another fantastic book in this series.  i loved this one and actually felt like I could be there with them.  I love the way this author writes, she makes you feel all of the emotions.  This was such a great book, many decisions were made that were wrong, but i the end it all works out.  You will have to read to find out the story.  This is a really good read.

"Only the strong can forgive." 

I'm really enjoying this series. I've become really attached to the Conflict of Interest characters and look forward to catching up with them as each new book in the series is released. They are a tight-knit group who have each other's backs, but they also have a sense of humor and give each other a hard time. Their witty banter is highly entertaining. And I must say, they're as talented in the bedroom as they are in the courtroom which makes for a very sexy read.

Hunter...sigh. ❤️ Let's just say that he looks very sexy in a suit, and even better out of it. Riley might be married, but she's not blind. Any woman would admit that, "He's the type of man songs are written about. Books are dedicated to. Movies are made with fucking Jason Mamoa playing him." He caught her attention the first time he walked into her Pub and he's kept it ever since. What? She can't help seeing him when he comes in with his co-workers to have lunch a few times a week for the last year, right? That group of lawyers has become loyal customers and good friends. She trusts them, but that doesn't mean she takes advantage of their friendship by asking for favors. Nope, they have no clue she's in the process of getting a divorce, at least not until her future ex-husband is already Hunter's client.

What a dilemma that ends up being for Hunter. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that the woman he's lusted over for the past year was married to that jerk? No wonder she wants to divorce him! But, he's already committed to representing him. Why didn't Riley talk to him and ask for help? He'd much rather have been her lawyer and would have enjoyed crushing the idiot she was divorcing. But his hands were tied. He couldn't discuss the case with her and he couldn't warn her about what her asshole husband was planning. The only good thing to come out of the situation was that at the end she would be divorced, and he planned to make her his.

This story got me riled up and her ex-asshole had me glad that #KindleThrowing wasn't a crime or I'd have been serving time. But you can bet I'd be hiring #HotHunter to defend me if it was. I'd like to get a good look at those tatted arms when he rolls up the sleeves of his white shirt...more sighing.

There are so many awesome support characters in Leading the Witness that I can't imagine the author not continuing this series and allowing us to spend some more time with them. Are you with me? The line forms here...