She’s seen too much.  And a chance reunion is her only hope for survival.

Witness to a murder. No passport to go home.

Mia Jones never expected to run into Jack Brannon in the middle of nowhere. Their affair years ago left her heartbroken, but now Jack is her only hope.

The Law Enforcement Park Ranger thinks his eyes are playing tricks on him when he spots Mia at a local diner. He’s even more surprised when he learns she’s in hiding—and why.

Determined to keep her safe and bring a killer to justice, Jack takes the woman he never forgot on a road trip in search of answers…and the ultimate retribution.

~Standalone~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Witness Protector
Series:  Standalone
Author:  Jude Bayton
Published:  January 27, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Romantic Suspense
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Witness Protector is a standalone title by an author with an impressive backlist, but new to me.  Frankly, I love adding new authors to my reading lists, and I’ll be looking into Ms. Bayton’s backlist soon.  And this is her Harlequin debut, so a lot of firsts to celebrate… including an intensely suspenseful romance for Mia and Jack, who have a history that at their first meeting in a decade Mia is desperately trying to hide.  Only when the terror she’s running from rears its ugly head again will she reluctantly turn to Jack with the truth she’d just denied.  Mia witnessed something horrific, something she shouldn’t have seen.  Now, she is on the run, literally, for her life, because if she’s ever found, death is the only way to silence her knowledge.

I enjoyed Mia and Jack’s second-chance, intensely dangerous romance.  It’s well-written and intense, with enough danger and suspense to keep me flipping pages and fully engaged as I watch this couple find not only safety but also a way back to each other.  Jack’s character growth was the stronger of the two.  There are issues in his past that he simply needs to let go of, for the guilt he carries is unnecessarily destroying his future.  The villain here is vile, and the danger to Mia is very real.  If that sounds like your kind of Romantic Suspense, then you’d enjoy Witness Protector.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon