I was initially intrigued by the premise of this story, however, I was not aware that this was part of a series. My issues with the story therefore may be due to the fact I have not read any other books in the series. I was totally in to this story until about 40 percent. Things started getting repetitive and off track. I felt like I was being pulled down different tangents and getting further and further from the plot I had originally been interested in.

When Provoked by Eva Mackenzie is book one in the Quinn Cole Series.

What a fantastic read full of mystery and suspense.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns throughout… impossible to put down
Sharply written with characters that kept me engaged and wanting more.
Reading this was definitely time well spent.
I’m so excited this is a new series's.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Craven Ink Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Quinn Cole's life is spiraling after the murder of her daughter. Obsessed with finding the killer, Quinn will stop at nothing to get vengeance. When she finds some hate mail addressed to her crime writer husband, Quinn begins to investigate who could possibly want to seek revenge. As she tries to figure out her husband's secrets, Quinn gets pulled into a deadly web of secrets, lies, and danger.

I really love a good revenge driven character so I was intrigued right away with the summary. When I first started to read it, I was hooked right away and couldn't stop reading. But somewhere around the halfway point, I just lost interest. Some parts were repetitive, and it felt like there were so many sub-plots that weren't really integral to the story. I'm also a little bit iffy about our MC, she isn't as emotionally developed as I would have liked to see which made it hard to connect with and root for her. This is the first book in the Quinn Cole series so maybe the unresolved issues will be more clear moving forward.

Thank you to NetGalley, Eva MacKenzie and Craven Ink Press for this ARC!! Publication date was June 26th 2025.

Eva Mackenzie’s When Provoked is a gripping psychological thriller that wastes no time plunging readers into a whirlwind of secrets, lies, and chilling revelations. From the very beginning, the story commands attention with its chaotic energy and steadily escalating tension.

At the heart of the novel lies a devastating question: who is responsible for the death of a child? As the narrative unfolds, readers are kept in a constant state of doubt, unsure of who to trust or believe. The characters are layered and complex, each with their own motivations and buried truths, making it difficult to separate fact from deception.

Mackenzie skillfully crafts a web of suspense that tightens with each chapter, leading to a dark and unexpected climax. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story twists again, delivering a finale that is both shocking and satisfying.

When Provoked is a compelling read for fans of domestic thrillers and psychological suspense, offering a thought-provoking exploration of guilt, trauma, and the consequences of buried secrets.

This is a thrilling read.

When Quinns child is killed she becomes obsessed to find the killer and exact her revenge. But will her obsession be the end of her or will it satisfy her longing.

I loved this book and I cannot wait for book 2 as it does leave you wanting more and ends with a sense of unfinished business.

It is a well told read and I loved the twists and weaving thread.

well worth the reading time

I fully understand that this is meant to be part of a series so one or two plot lines left unresolved to leave you wanting more would be a good thing, but there were more that that and they weren't super gripping so it felt more like just an unfinished book than part of a series. There were also plot points that didn't make sense at all. It was a fast paced fun read (except for in the middle where I found it dragged a bit), but, ultimately, the loose ends ruined the book for me.

When I started When Provoked by Eva Mackenzie, I was hooked—the writing style and premise pulled me in right away. But halfway through, things unraveled. Scenes were oddly repeated, the plot became chaotic, and major threads were abandoned. Hallucinations, counseling, “Eve,” and “they” were introduced, then dropped. The romance with Sean felt inappropriate, especially so soon after her husband’s death. Emotional reactions were flat, and entire subplots, like the abusive ex, led nowhere. The book ended without resolving anything, and even for a series, it lacked the closure a first installment should deliver.

Quinn Cole's life is falling apart. After her child is murdered, she's become fixated on punishing the killer. But when she intercepts communications meant for her crime-writer husband, she dreads what secrets he's hiding. When she begins digging for the truth, the letters start to arrive, and she understands this person is not only desperate but deadly. While the sender's messages become more wrath filled, an ultimatum is issued, dragging Quinn further into a dangerous game of kill or be killed. Can she make the impossible choice of who will live and who will die?! Great read! This book had high suspense, murder, mystery, fantastic characters, and a few shocking moments! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was a great thriller with twists and turns. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Page tuner omgggg I flew through these pages I loved it so much when the characters of people that you can’t stand, that’s when you know the book is so good and I loved every minute of it I will recommend

I really enjoyed this book and I was pulled in right from the very start. It was a quick. easy and well paced read that I finished in one day. I did get a bit confused with some of the things that were happening that didn't seem to get resolved, but overall that didn't take away from the enjoyment

I was interested in the beginning however the additional subplots did not go anywhere and seemed unnecessary. I can see that there could possibly be a sequel and those subplots would unfold. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this novel, thank you.

The premise of this book is really good and I was excited to read it…. A well known author who is being stalked and his wife has intercepted his hate mail. But I found some of the sub plots were unnecessary and dragged out and it didn’t draw me in, in the same way as other books in this genre would. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Quinn is a grieving mother who wants revenge for her daughter’s murder. Soon after her daughter’s death, she realizes that her husband has been blackmailed by someone else who wants revenge for other reasons. Her husband was hiding something from her that led her closer to the killer.

I love revenge driven characters so I winded up loving Quinn’s character and the character that was sending the blackmail. It was fascinating seeing how multiple characters were at some point or another a suspect. I loved the way Quinn did her own research on everyone she suspected and the methods she used to uncover her husband’s secrets. I desperately wanted to know the full extent of what he was hiding and it blew my mind when Quinn figured out what Pete’s audios revealed. Pete’s interview audio revelations kept getting more and more twisted. I liked how freighting the blackmail letters were. I was not expecting it to end the way it did. It took a huge turn that I hadn’t seen coming. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest of this series. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started reading WHEN PROVOKED by Eva Mackenzie, I was all in. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing and the storyline definitely initially drew me in. But by about halfway through, the magic was definitely fading for me. Sections were literally repeated for no apparent reason, and the plot seemed to be going in way too many random directions. Too much was never addressed, or explained, or tied together. A big deal was made in the beginning about her having hallucinations in the recent past, and going off her meds…..then that was just dropped. She saw a counselor who she apparently was seeing since her breakdown….once, then that disappeared too. We never learn who “Eve” was or why she was important. We never learn who “they” are or why they’re after her family. The whole attraction to “Sean” while her husband was still alive and immediately following his death was just icky.

There is zero emotion from the MC when her husband’s partner/best friend is murdered, nor when her husband is killed. The whole backstory of her abusive ex went absolutely nowhere, then he is killed. So I’m not even sure what purpose any of that plot line even served. I kept reading thinking the author is running out of both ways and time to wrap things up in any way that made sense….and then it just ended.

I understand that this is apparently the first book in a series….but even still…any series I’ve read at least wraps up the majority of the current book’s plot, even if they keep a larger arc storyline open. The many other ones I’ve read (and enjoyed) could still be read as standalone, despite being part of a series. That didn’t happen here. AT ALL. I felt like it meandered in so many different directions, dropped a bunch of storylines never to be seen again, and resolved absolutely nothing.

Unfortunately this was a complete miss for me. I’m still giving it two stars only because I did enjoy the author’s writing style for the first quarter of the book.
⭐️⭐️

my heart was excited and tense all at the same time. i was gripped but also full of unease. but in the best way. because this book gave me all of that. and when a book of this genre makes you feel all those things you know you have hit on a goody. a winner. but one you will need light on(or off depending on who you'd keep awake with you reading this long into the night) and pillows close(just for comfort you understand.)
i was held tight to our character too. and Eva writes with such wizardry for the characters she has in her books. so you feel you know them. you care about them .you want them to be ok at the same time questioning them. in this book especially you really root for our main character but also you see her lines being blurred by her past and present pains. but oh you also understand them! boy do you.
Quinn was a warrior. she would stop at nothing to get to the end point. wherever that was. but i dont think she quite new it would take her where it does. and the psychological thriller that comes is just fantastic.
Quinn knows she needs justice. but with not knowing who to trust she must find it on her own. and become almost obsessed to do so.
a brilliant book. and i know i want to read anything that Eva does next. she is a sure talent in her genre. i cant comprehend the skill it must take to be this good!

I loved this book! I stayed up all night reading as I just couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what happened and I couldn’t go to sleep! I am totally speechless wow!

From the minute I picked it up I struggled to pull myself away I was hooked! There were SO many twists and turns it was amazing! My heart was pounding throughout! Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!

This was truly first-class thriller writing! I’d highly recommend this book it’s a must read when it comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!