Review: Provoke

Friday 10 January 2014
Provoke Provoke by Missy Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 of 5 stars!!!!

I’ve not had read of any Missy Johnson books before so when Provoke was announced as a new release I had to jump right in and I am so glad that I did. This book blew me away. I didn’t know what to expect from the book or the author and the synopsis didn’t prepare me for the ride Provoke took me on.

The story is about two main characters, a Prosecutor called Leeta, and local bad boy, Mace. Mace has a troubled and tragic past and tries to find justice for the horrors that his family have beheld. Leeta is a beautiful Prosecutor who has fallen for Mace having seen behind his reputation and family connections. Together they have a love and a passion which is threatened by the secrets that Mace has kept from Leeta. Mace loves Leeta with such a sweet tenderness that you feel it in your heart. You can only hope that their relationship and love for each other will survive the hurdles that it faces.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he said, cupping my face with his hand. I closed my eyes, my body weakening at his touch. He swept a strand of hair away from my face as his eyes gazed deeply into my eyes.
Sweetness aside, Provoke is also extremely sexy and Mace and Leeta cause sparks to fly whenever they are together, and even when they are apart!
We were miles away, only a phone connecting us, and we were on the verge of orgasming together. It was impossible to put into words how intimate this moment was.
Provoke started out relatively lightheaded as Leeta prepares to introduce Mace to her parents for the first time. The story then introduces a fun character in the form of Tim, a colleague and friend of Leeta’s, and his cat, Marcus. All ok and enjoyable so far but then the dark side of the story hits you and propels you into a completely unexpected tale of abuse. A further character in the form of Leeta’s ex-fiancĂ© is also introduced and who becomes an unexpected ally for Mace. Ben has a dark side which is hinted at but is not expanded upon in more detail.

By 33% through I questioned how dark this book was going to be but I persevered and I am so glad that I did. Although running a disturbing background story, this book offers so much more and Missy Johnson did really well not to sensationalise the horrific nature of Mace’s family experiences.

I read this book pretty much non-stop from that point and I have to say I loved it and would willingly recommend it to others. My 5 star ratings are based on whether I would want to read a book again and although I loved this book it doesn’t fall into that category. That said, it meets all other criteria I ask for in a 5* read.

Reader Note: This is a stand-alone book with no cliff-hanger and it has a HEA.



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