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houimk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Read within 24 hours. I was invested after the first few chapters, which rarely happens. Thoroughly enjoyed the romance and spice sprinkled throughout. Also, Trigger warning, there is a fairly detailed description of sexual assault towards the end of the book, but you could definitely skip over it and not be "lost" afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide
annies1's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. Excellent plot, decent character development and good narration.
ammartin216's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
jeanwatts's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’m not a HUGE crime romance reader in general but this one wasn’t bad. It was generic, a little forgettable, a lot predictable, but overall okay. I didn’t hate my time. But if I wasn’t driving across the country in a car with nothing to do, I wouldn’t have read this. It was an audio book to fill the time. I liked the book okay but I won’t recommend it or really read much more in this genre (unless I’m craving that police law investigator drama romance vibe)
The characters were well written and flushed out, although stereotypical. The crime was dramatic and there were a few twists. It held my attention but it lacked real shock or fast paced action. So the plot was okay but not memorable. The romance felt kinda out of nowhere. But also…I didn’t hate it. It was fun. Minimal steam. I nod my head in mild approval
It was just a book. Which makes it meh. Not hatable so no rants. Not amazing so no gushing. Just. Meh.
The characters were well written and flushed out, although stereotypical. The crime was dramatic and there were a few twists. It held my attention but it lacked real shock or fast paced action. So the plot was okay but not memorable. The romance felt kinda out of nowhere. But also…I didn’t hate it. It was fun. Minimal steam. I nod my head in mild approval
It was just a book. Which makes it meh. Not hatable so no rants. Not amazing so no gushing. Just. Meh.
erinkabez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
litwithleigh's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for the physical ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.
2.5 rounded up to a 3
SYNOPSIS
When Eban Clarke gets out of jail on good behaviour, former Superbowl MVP Zach Bridger is forced to make a seemingly impossible decision: pull the plug on his comatose ex-wife so Eban can be retired on murder, or let an abuser go free.
MY OPINION
The book didn't bother me but it didn't impress me. Literally nothing happened lmao. This is my first book by Sandra Brown and I didn't realize the romance element would be so prevalent. Most of the "action", if you could call it that, was about the sexual tension between grumpy Zach and Kate the prosecutor. The "thriller" component was mostly just rehashing the scenario again and again and again and ... you get it... until the final act. The only thrills that occurred were in Zach's pants every time Kate was in his line of sight. He was RELENTLESSLY horny.
Be warned if you are spice-averse, there is a solid amount of spicy writing. I mean the book ends with a literal orgasm. I'm not joking. He cream-pies her and then thinks "I'm saved." The end. So yeah. I'm not a regular spice reader (tbh I avoid it like the plague and I don't expect it in thriller/mysteries) but I learned plenty of new sexual innuendos for certain body parts such as: her sensitivity, cleft (*vomit*), thick column, that pleasure point, the soft giving femininity (*projectile vomit*) etc...
The characters were caricatures. Eban (WTF kind of name is this LOL looks like a typo) was the ultimate spoiled, forever-frat boy. Zach was the typical strong, silent, and sporty type you wouldn't be surprised to see shirtless wearing a cowboy hat on the cover of a harlequin romance novel at your local grocery store. And Kate was the delicate, determined, do-gooder lawyer who calls her father "daddy" like every southern belle should. No one had any depth, but it suited the vibe of the book so whatever.
I'm always a little thrown when characters have such robust and old-fashioned vocabulary that is a stark contrast to their personality. I admit my vocab is very limited to bangerlicious, banger, and other variants of said word, but I doubt small-town southern men in their early 30s are using folderol on the reg.
Anyways. Was my rating generous? Perhaps. But this book is clearly written for a lazy sunday when you wanna set your brain on auto-pilot or you wanna bring something to the beach that allows you to have one eye on your kid who for some unknown reason LOVES to eat sand. Yeet your disbelief out the window, sit back, and mindlessly wander through this Nicholas Sparks esque book.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: mindless read, didn't annoy tf outta me, learned some new words, straightforward premise
Cons: too much spice for me, literally ended with raw dog orgasm, repetitive at times, thrills/suspense equivalent to a tea cup ride at Disney
2.5 rounded up to a 3
SYNOPSIS
When Eban Clarke gets out of jail on good behaviour, former Superbowl MVP Zach Bridger is forced to make a seemingly impossible decision: pull the plug on his comatose ex-wife so Eban can be retired on murder, or let an abuser go free.
MY OPINION
The book didn't bother me but it didn't impress me. Literally nothing happened lmao. This is my first book by Sandra Brown and I didn't realize the romance element would be so prevalent. Most of the "action", if you could call it that, was about the sexual tension between grumpy Zach and Kate the prosecutor. The "thriller" component was mostly just rehashing the scenario again and again and again and ... you get it... until the final act. The only thrills that occurred were in Zach's pants every time Kate was in his line of sight. He was RELENTLESSLY horny.
Be warned if you are spice-averse, there is a solid amount of spicy writing. I mean the book ends with a literal orgasm. I'm not joking. He cream-pies her and then thinks "I'm saved." The end. So yeah. I'm not a regular spice reader (tbh I avoid it like the plague and I don't expect it in thriller/mysteries) but I learned plenty of new sexual innuendos for certain body parts such as: her sensitivity, cleft (*vomit*), thick column, that pleasure point, the soft giving femininity (*projectile vomit*) etc...
The characters were caricatures. Eban (WTF kind of name is this LOL looks like a typo) was the ultimate spoiled, forever-frat boy. Zach was the typical strong, silent, and sporty type you wouldn't be surprised to see shirtless wearing a cowboy hat on the cover of a harlequin romance novel at your local grocery store. And Kate was the delicate, determined, do-gooder lawyer who calls her father "daddy" like every southern belle should. No one had any depth, but it suited the vibe of the book so whatever.
I'm always a little thrown when characters have such robust and old-fashioned vocabulary that is a stark contrast to their personality. I admit my vocab is very limited to bangerlicious, banger, and other variants of said word, but I doubt small-town southern men in their early 30s are using folderol on the reg.
Anyways. Was my rating generous? Perhaps. But this book is clearly written for a lazy sunday when you wanna set your brain on auto-pilot or you wanna bring something to the beach that allows you to have one eye on your kid who for some unknown reason LOVES to eat sand. Yeet your disbelief out the window, sit back, and mindlessly wander through this Nicholas Sparks esque book.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: mindless read, didn't annoy tf outta me, learned some new words, straightforward premise
Cons: too much spice for me, literally ended with raw dog orgasm, repetitive at times, thrills/suspense equivalent to a tea cup ride at Disney
dana_yamaguchi's review against another edition
1.0
“When he came deep inside her, his soul didn’t shatter.
It broke free.”
-Zach Bridger, from Overkill by Sandra Brown
It broke free.”
-Zach Bridger, from Overkill by Sandra Brown
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Overkill by Sandra Brown has Zach Bridger, a former MVP quarterback, forced to make a difficult decision. His ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt has been in a coma after a night of overindulgence and abuse with bad boy, Eban Clarke and two of his friends. Rebecca left all medical decisions to Zach. Four years have passed since Rebecca became incapacitated and Eban is out of jail early for good behavior (and some arm twisting from his father’s lawyer). Kate Lennon, a state prosecutor, is determined to put Eban away for a long time. She can only charge Eban with murder after Rebecca has died. Kate visits Zach to see if he is willing to remove life support. Zach acquiesced to Rebecca’s parents four years ago. The Pratt’s put Rebecca in a long-term care facility where she is being kept alive by machines. Zach will need to decide what action to take while Eban works to keep his freedom. The blurb for Overkill made it sound like an exciting book. After reading Overkill, I have to wonder if the person who wrote the blurb read the book. The romance element overrode everything else. There is sexual tension between Zach and Kate. If you like stories that are steamy (this book is one step away from erotica), then you will enjoy Overkill. I found there to be a significant amount of foul language, sexual innuendoes, and intimate relations (consensual and not). I do not like reading about sexual assault. The ending goes with the rest of the book, but I found it a turn off. There is a distinct lack of action (except for what was happening in Zach’s pants). The story rehashed whether or not Zach should take Rebecca off life support. I understood the dilemma, but I did not need it to be repeated ad nauseum. The characters lacked development. I found the characters to be exaggerated. Eban Clarke is the spoiled rich frat boy who has no intention of growing up and behaving properly. Zach is the strong, sporty guy who broods and is rude. Kate is an eager, petite lawyer who wants to get justice (she is the type that men like Zach want to protect). I wanted suspense and action (there is some near the end). I thought Overkill was way too long (416 pages). You can skip chapters and not miss a thing. Overkill wraps up with a tidy yet steamy ending. As you can tell, Overkill was not my type of book. If in doubt, download a sample to judge for yourself. Overkill is a lackluster tale with the evil Eban, a persistent prosecutor, the robust quarterback, the devout dad, and a coma conundrum.
mstephens1996's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lmskikun's review against another edition
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0