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Witness Protection

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After witnessing an execution, a resourceful young woman attempts to disappear while being pursued by a hitman and a handsome federal agent.

A helicopter pilot, Jackie Remus, reluctantly agrees to go on a date with one of her clients, but her date is unexpectedly cut short when she witnesses a man being murdered. After narrowly escaping with her life, she is placed into protective custody. When the safe house is breached, Jackie makes a daring escape from both the hired killers and the handsome FBI agent, who wants to return her to protective custody. With a little help from her sly and crafty friend, Monroe, Jackie is convinced she can disappear until the trial. While on her journey to meet with her friend, she solicits help from a few shady but lovable characters along the way. Although she manages to stay one-step ahead of the hired killers, the federal agent remains in hot pursuit. Will Jackie reach Monroe before she’s captured by the FBI and returned to protective custody? Or will the hired killers silence her first?

Witness Protection is a romantic thriller with some scenes of violence, mild gore, moderate foul language, and intense sexual situations. Holly Copella books do not contain graphic sex scenes.

229 pages, Audiobook

First published October 7, 2015

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Holly Copella

62 books48 followers

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5 stars
327 (57%)
4 stars
170 (29%)
3 stars
52 (9%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Monica (is working the heck out of  .
232 reviews79 followers
March 10, 2021
This is a weird review because, while I found Witness Protection to be corny, cartoonish (unrealistic characters, dopy dialogue and overdone fight and chase scenes) and sloppily written (lay for lie, repeated incorrect preposition use and other cringy diction errors) it was just what I needed.

I was looking for a fast paced, action packed and nail-biting “woman on the run” story and kind of hit pay dirt with this one.

Of course, my first impulse, upon coming across the "handsome FBI agent" in the blurb was to pass this one by but, all in all, I'm glad I decided to give it a try.

Jacky Remus is a pilot with a painful past , and when we meet her, she's flying the governor and his silent, stone-faced...assistant to a fundraiser at a library/governor's mansion (the author seemed not to be able to decide which one it was).

The flirty governor manages to talk her into heading out with him after the event and, arriving early for their date, she happens upon some dirty business in the bowels of the venue.

Two murders and One cartoonish (there’s that word again) improbable fight/flight/shootout scene later, Jackie is on the run from her would be date and his goons.

All manner of Hijinx and chaos ensue as an inexplicably skilled (she’s an expert markswoman and is well-trained in hand-to-hand combat) Jacky works with her network of shady, quirky and certifiable pals to evade her would be killers and the “handsome FBI agent” who is determined to drag her back into protective custody, whether she likes it or not.

If you’re not in the mood for romance, not to worry; for the most part, it’s all sexual tension and innuendo for most of the story.

None of that gooey dialogue or alfhole protectiveness in this one, well, not much.

If you’re like me and couldn’t care less about characters’ sex lives , you’re in luck; while the author follows through on the steam she promised, said steam is little more than an easily skimmable fade to black.

Now, this is in deed a four-star review, so I won’t get into everything that is wrong with this book.

Suffice it to say that if you’re not looking for especially polished prose, solid world or character -building, consistent plotting or realistic scenes, Witness protection is a nice bit of comfortable action coated in a nice layer of fluff for you to rest your mind on. Four stars.



Profile Image for Seon Ji (Dawn).
1,051 reviews275 followers
January 4, 2017
++SPOILERS++

This is my first romantic thriller and I will definately be reading more, especially by this author.

Thank you Trish for your awesome review of this book which compelled me to give it a try!

This is a great plot driven, action packed story with lovable 3 dimensional characters. I especially liked MC Jackie who was tough as nails, intelligent, sexy, and witty. What really made her character was the ever proper Holden who was her perfect match. They complimented each other perfectly. There were some times I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue and the tricks Jackie would play on Holden.

To my romance reader friends, there is a romance, but it is secondary to the story. The romace is well written and cleverly woven into the plot. The sex is all "off camera" but there are some very intense sensual scenes which I enjoyed. I usually prefer more spice in my story, but I also don't mind "clean reads" as long as ther is something like sweetness or play. This one had little to no sweetness.. mainly play between Jackie and Holden which eventually (at about 80%) turned into something more serious.

I lowered a star because I thought there was too much unbelievability about the almost invinceable abilities of the MC's. I also couldn't understand why Jackie didn't shoot Dexter when she had amples chances. Instead she relies mostly on round-housing him which does little to keep him down for long. I also didn't grasp at first why Jackie kept avoiding Holden in the beginning. I think it should have been made clear earlier on that she was trying to keep him safe.

Lastly even though the story was fast paced, I didn't feel any urgency or fear for the MC's. I guess because they were so invincable. I was confident that they would get out of any situation that came at them.

Overall I really liked it, would recommend to others, and will definately consider more books by this author.

Safety:

H & h - experienced. Both celibate for a long time. Only the h's past is shown to the reader.
OM/OW- OW-No OM- not really Remember this is not a typical straight up romance so yeah Jackie kisses Zach to hide in a crowd but thts the only reason, not out of love.
Cheating-No
Cursing-I think so, don't remember
Sex-Off camera
Violence-Yes
Abuse/torture-no but Zach's deeds are suspicious. Nothing known or detailed, only implied.
ILY's-I honestly don't remember.
Marriage-No
Baby-No
Hea - yes

Profile Image for Liz.
455 reviews25 followers
June 8, 2018
Romantic thriller w/ a seriously kickass heroine

That was amazing. The amount of romance is like 10% and all sex scenes were fade to black. So just stop reading now if you've lost interest.

But this heroine was seriously kickass! She fights and escapes the H like a freaking pro. I will say she always outwitted and SLIGHTLY emasculated the H. But I was okay with that! So many books where the H always has the upper hand or tries to control the h, it was refreshing to read about a woman who always saved herself.

When I read the description and some reviews for this book, I thought, well that's the whole story! But this book is jam packed with action, witty banter and sexy SEALs (it was a bit of a reversed harem).

Safety:
H seems to have been celibate a while
h slept with one of the SEALs previously, and oddly kissed everyone on the mouth
No OW drama. No OM drama (except for kissing noted above)
Profile Image for Michelle Strommen.
1,107 reviews18 followers
April 10, 2019
This book was very enjoyable. Jackie was a kick butt character. This was funny and suspenseful. The chemistry between Jackie and all the characters was hilarious. So excited there are more books in this series.
Profile Image for Trish R..
1,772 reviews58 followers
December 15, 2016
Great read.. Kick-ass heroine..

Picture this: A guy walks up to you in a closed library, he’s handsome as all get out, he’s sweet and funny and you flirt with each other, he gives you his card and tells you to call if you ever need anything and you spend a few minutes having sexual thoughts about him as he walks away. A woman behind you sighs romantically and refers to him as “dreamy” (and I’m thinking this is the hero) and in a few minutes they’re both dead! What..The.. Hell? I absolutely hate it when an author gives you a few minutes to get to know someone really nice, grow to like them, and then kills them off. I have no idea how many times I thought about Harris and Vicki throughout the rest of the book. It was somewhat ruined for me with that bit of crap happening. I can’t read anything else by this author. Melinda Leigh did that same thing in Hour of Need and I was soooo pissed off at that book, just like this one. If you’re going to kill people off that’s fine BUT don’t let us get to know and like them first. AND THEN she did it again later on in the book. It definitely lost a star because of those two things. As much as I liked the story I couldn’t wait for the book to be over because I worried about whether or not she’d kill Holden off.

That being bitched about let me tell you that Jackie will, without a doubt, kick your ass, and make funny sexual remarks to you, and make you laugh at some of the goofy things she says. I loved her. She was one tough chick. With the killers after her, and the FBI (Holden) after her, to protect her, she was plenty capable of staying hidden and taking care of herself. The one bad guy, Dexter, she totally kicked his ass while the guys stood around watching. Monroe said it was good “therapy” for her.

I loved Jackie’s father’s old SEAL teammates: Monroe, (crazy) Zach, Ross, Beck, Gil and Kirk. They were all about protecting her from the killers, too.

So, there was an erection mentioned a time or two, for Jackie to make fun of, because of the way they came about. However, there was no sex. Once it started it was fade-to-black. There was swearing and the F-bomb was used 7 times.

As to the narration: He was damn good. His men had sexy voices and the women sounded like women, and he read with terrific emotion. I would definitely listen to Tim Lundeen again.
Profile Image for Dani Digital Art.
11 reviews
January 28, 2016
The second book from Holly that I have the pleasure to read!
Action, suspense, adventure! Holly has built an universe of memorable characters, which makes you want to have them as part of your family. The main character does not lack anything, it's perfect! I couldn't stop to read, I ate this book! And I'm a proof that this book can be loved by women, mainly, decided and confident women. I just loved her main character Jackie, her bravery, courage, and always well written, fight skills. It's a delight to see her in action! Her fellows SEALs, makes me want a second book with the whole team working together again. Hot moments are delightfully subtle and a perfect complement to the wonderful romance that develops between fights, action and tension!
I loved!
Profile Image for Jim.
197 reviews3 followers
March 2, 2022
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/witness-pro...

This is one of those books where the cover feels at odds with the synopsis: “After witnessing an execution, a resourceful young woman attempts to disappear while being pursued by a hitman and a handsome federal agent.” Having read the book, the reality sits somewhat uncomfortably in the middle. It might have been better if the author had committed to writing either an action novel or a romance; the combination of them here is awkward and clunky. Naturally, my preference was for the former. But it seems that every time the book got into a rhythm there, the heroine would start lusting after one (frankly, close to all) of the male characters, and the energy would be derailed.
Profile Image for Connie.
159 reviews89 followers
December 4, 2015
An action book that just won't quit!

Wow! This book was a stunner. Action and humor on every single page. I couldn't stop reading it.

Jackie is the pilot daughter of a Lieutenant Commander Navy Seal. He has certainly raised her right. She knows how to defend herself, said with a laugh. She witnesses a couple of murders ordered by the Governor.

Holden Falcone is the FBI agent sent to question her and place her in Witness Protection under the watchful eye of the U.S. Marshals. She escapes and he follows.

Which will catch her? Holden or the bad guys?

You can probably guess, but it is well worth the read. So much fun!!


270 reviews1 follower
February 4, 2020
Meet Jackie Remus. She is a helicopter pilot and accepts a date with one of her clients. She goes to meet him and arrives early. Things begin to go horribly wrong. She sees an execution and is chased for execution because she saw what happened. She escapes, agrees to testify and goes into witness protection. But the safe house is breached. She takes off on her own and calls her father’s old friends for protection. Meet ex-Navy Seal Team Whiskey Tango Foxtrot . Ex- Seal team members, FBI and hitman! What can possibly go wrong? This is a suspense story with lots of snarky moments that made me laugh out loud! I highly recommend this book! A great read!
2 reviews
May 8, 2017
Holly COPELLA, keep on writing!!

This is one of my all-time favourite, by HOLLY COPELLA . THIS BOOK keeps you wanting never to put it down. Holly has you wanting to be in Witness Protection. I have recommend this book to my Friends and Family that read.
Profile Image for sheila.
566 reviews
December 9, 2017
Wow

It's full of action and fun. She's tough. Smart. Sexy. Holden is a boy scout. He's dogged in his chase. And very private about sex.. And her daddy's seal team..... More please.
Profile Image for Becky Claxon.
2,205 reviews18 followers
November 10, 2017
This book was so exciting and kept me on my toes. I loved it! Jackie Remus flies the governor into an airport for a a meeting at the library that used to be his old governor mansion. He asks Jackie to meet her there at 9:00pm for dinner. She ends up getting there early and runs into Harris Benton and FBI agent who is going into the library. Jackie ad a librarian go by a secret room where they see the governor telling his henchman to kill Agent Benton. The thug shoots Benton, but Jackie is able to help get him out of the basement where they are trying to get to his car. The thug kills Benton and Jackie runs into the librarian while trying to get out of the library. Unfortunately the librarian gets killed too, but Jackie makes it out and takes off in the agents car. She was hit by a bullet too and ends up wrecking the car, but making it to the hospital to be operated on. She meets Monroe Falcon of the FBI where she tells him what happened. She ends up in protective custody where Marshall’s are watching her. There is a leak in the system and the henchman comes after Jackie.

I loved reading about how Jackie gets away from the bad guys and the FBI with the help of her Dad’s old Seal’s team. There are some crazy guys that were on his old team, but they all love Jackie and would do anything they can to protect her. Monroe was a straight laced by the book guy, but had some bad boy to him hidden away. I just love the intrigue, betrayal, living by your wits, and the hunky Seals and FBI agents in the story. I strongly encourage you to read the book.
490 reviews9 followers
March 25, 2020
Fantastic, fabulous, superb. The action starts in chapter one and doesn't stop until the very end. I can't remember if or when I have read such a gripping book. I had trouble putting it down even to make myself something to eat and was terribly sad to see it end.
The characters were stupendous. I loved Holden's description of Jackie as "Houdini with a black belt". It was most fitting and if you read the book you will agree that it perfectly describes her. Holden himself was great as the cold, understated FBI agent. And the Navy Seals, "Par excellence". You will fall in love with each and every one of them, particularly Zack, who is a hoot. But Monroe is right up there with him, except not so comedic.
The story itself is poignant in that it is not too far fetched in today's world. It takes you all over the U.S., points out the rather thankless and dangerous jobs our law enforcement men and women do, whether it be, the Police, the FBI or the U.S. Marshals. I know I learned a lot in reading it and have a much more appreciative view of them than I had before.
This is a book you don't want to miss. This author has carved her way into my list of favorite authors and I look forward to reading more of her work, which is hopefully as great as this one.
3,071 reviews13 followers
August 14, 2024
“Witness Protection” features Jackie Remus playing a role in the style of Jason Statham/Lara Croft.
She is the sole witness to a double murder, carried out by Governor Lyle Kempton and his henchman.
Taken into witness protection she soon discovers that the 'protection' is far less than 100% successful.
With the body count mounting Jackie is in the wind, relying on incredible fighting skills and a multitude of experts from her military background.
She even has time to fit in a mostly muddled romance along the way.
The writing is bad and the editing is notable for its absence – I can't recall a book which so often switched tenses gratuitously.
Normally I'd be ticking a single Star but “Witness Protection” has one thing going for it – it is a good adventure, so good I mostly just didn't get annoyed (too much) by the errors.
It moves along at breakneck speed and I read it the same way.
One character stood out, Zach. Described as “a frightening creature”, he seemed as normal as most of the others. If the idea was to provide someone like Mad Murdock (The A-Team) it just didn't work.
3 Stars.
Profile Image for Milinh.
24 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2018
This book was very very cute. I plan on reading more by this author. Here's the good: There is a kick @ss heroine in this book. A few hot alpha males. A great storyline. And some extremely funny laugh out loud moments. It could have come across as cheesy, but it didn't. The bad: In the beginning when she sees the FBI agent Harris for the first time, they never introduce themselves to each other. The author immediately tells us his name. I had to flip back to see if I missed something. The same with the librarian. Speaking of the librarian, why woukd she offer to show Jackie the secret room if they just meet? That was a little questionable. And I didn't like Agent Holden Falcone's personality very much. At first he was likeable,but then he became bland. I didn't feel the sparks/heat between them. And last and least the word lustful was used to much. She/he gazed at him/her lustfuly. All that aside, I can not wait to read more by this author.
288 reviews1 follower
December 19, 2020
Never even heard

of Holly Copella before I found this book. I read to fast and get too involved, in the story (if it's a good one, which this was) to notice any spelling or punctuation problems. This story and plot went very fast and was both exciting and fun. It didn't delve into any detailed gore or bad language. I couldn't stop reading, until I finished the book. I was so involved, I couldn't look away, for fear I would miss something important! I would most definitely recommend this book. I've had it in my library for a couple of months. I at first thought it was a routine story of being in witness protection, blah, blah. It was so much more! I am so glad I finally read it!
Profile Image for Kim.
701 reviews10 followers
November 10, 2017
I obtained this free e-book from Amazon and I am voluntarily writing a review. Jackie is the grown daughter of a widowed Navy Seal Commander. She is working as a private helicopter pilot an is currently flying the Governor to a fund raiser. Not into the rich socialite scene she declines and invite to the fund raiser but accepts an invite to dinner afterwards. Arriving a little early she witnesses the execution of an FBI agent ordered by the Governor and carried out by his second in command hitman. She agrees to testify against the Governor so justice is served and now only has to stay alive until the trial.
Profile Image for Tracy T..
1,023 reviews24 followers
February 4, 2017
This was a decent story. It kept my attention to keep listening. (audible review)

I liked Jackie a lot, she kicked butt, and had a lot of spunk. No crybaby heroine here. This wasn't much of a romance but that was okay.

The story line and plot was good. Fast paced, action, shootouts, fighting, murder and mystery. The story flowed very well from beginning to end.

As for the narration, it was very good. The narrator did a good job on the female voice and read with emotion. I would listen to him again for sure.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,604 reviews21 followers
May 5, 2018
Okay Story

I liked the story line and might read other books by this author. I have to be honest and say that I almost stopped reading after a few chapters because it seemed that the heroine “lusted” after each of the male characters she ran into and I didn’t know for sure whether or not the story would go beyond that premise. I ended up finishing it. There were quite a few repetitive phrases throughout the story that were rather annoying along with some other errors, but I kept reading.
Profile Image for Joan.
2,797 reviews101 followers
December 11, 2018
I didn’t actually finish this one; I got tired of it and abandoned it. The story has a lot of potential; the plot seems clearly structured; but it just seemed to bog down in detail. The writing style was very awkward in places too. Examples: “...at the front desk within the lobby...”. “...remaining three officers assailed upon him...”. “...got out of the back seat from one of the cars.” “...usually never both.” These were numerous structural errors that should have been corrected in a good editing as well.
1,343 reviews4 followers
October 26, 2019
A woman who has witnessed a crime and been placed into protective custody is almost killed several times while at safe houses decides she's better off on her own than where loose lips can get her killed.

After the FBI and the Marshals Service argue about who has custody of her she ends up with three Marshals guarding her, and they all end up dead just hours before the new shift is due to come on. There's a leak somewhere and the FBI agent involved is determined to keep her in his control.
Profile Image for Linda Goudreau.
123 reviews
August 4, 2017
Good beginning series......

Holden and Jackie sure had a rough beginning. Meeting the rest of the crew at the end of the story did not give us enough info on them, wish we had had more. Ross and Zach, I think are going to my favorites. Such a good bunch of guys with Jackie added, awesome. Holly Copella , you write a good, action filled thriller. Glad I found you!!!!! Thanks, Amarillo Turtle
Profile Image for Will Decker.
Author 23 books17 followers
April 20, 2018
Wow! What a KA heroine. And the supporting characters really support the action. Cleanly executed plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat while making you feel like you're an insider on the joke and the joke is on the bad guys. I just wish the hot romantic scenes had been half as well painted and choreographed as the action scenes, that would have made this book a real standout for me. But hey, that's just me.
109 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2018
Great story! Full non-stop action. One of those rare books that are hard to put down because you know your mind will keep you awake wondering what's next. The only negative comment would be that several actors were referred to by name, or "'so-&-so'said" but the reader has no reference to how the names were known. But there are only a few of these "where did they come from" moments and the story is good enough to pull you past this.
43 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2019
Never a dull moment!

I liked everything about this book. Well done! It’s one of the best mystery books that I’ve read in a long time! It was interesting and kept my attention, had just enough violence, just enough mystery, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I especially like how the witness could bring down even the toughest with her martial arts skills. Sad that I finished it...
1,039 reviews
February 27, 2021
Action Packed and fun read

Was my first book by the author but it won’t be my last. I saw this book for free and decided to take a chance. I loved Jackie, she had confidence, was able to take care of herself and just did what she had to to survive. Holden was the perfect person to complement her personality, he was a rule follower and gave her some structure and she made him laugh.
474 reviews3 followers
April 7, 2019
Fantastic Book

This author is so talented in how this thriller was i produced to reader. Jackie is a terrific woman who learned well from her dead after and his SEAL team. Having Golden added to story and his relationship with Jackie added to storyline Zack and Monroe part of SEAL made book hard to put down. Will follow this talented author
Profile Image for Barbara.
409 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2019
Fast paced suspense!

Fast-paced action and suspense follows our heroine from page one. With more than one hero, all tough and tender, they’re kept busy trying to keep the heroine alive. Sinister bad guys, a killer storm, and double-crossing good guys keep you guessing until the last page.
2,511 reviews6 followers
March 15, 2019
I don’t even know where to start! Awesome story! Jackie is a beautiful, sexy, super kickass witness that her dad’s retired SEAL team and the FBI are trying to protect. The bad guys are REALLY bad with contacts literally everywhere. This book has it all: great dialogue, cool plot, humor, romance, and a literally crazy, unbalanced good guy. You’ll love it!
Profile Image for Joy Lobel.
118 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2019
FANTASTIC!!!! ! SUPERB!!!!! ! ********

I absolutely loved this book. It shows how crooked some government officials really are and how careless the witness protection program actually may exist. This book is well written with clean love and at times so hysterical I laughed out loud. I want to read every book this author writes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews

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