Reviews

Overkill by Sandra Brown

ammartin216's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.75

jeanwatts's review against another edition

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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. 

erinkabez's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense

4.0

litwithleigh's review against another edition

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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

dana_yamaguchi's review

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1.0

“When he came deep inside her, his soul didn’t shatter.
It broke free.”
-Zach Bridger, from Overkill by Sandra Brown

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

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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

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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

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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

thepagelady's review against another edition

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4.0

Book Review…Overkill by Sandra Brown

Zach Bridger is shocked to receive a call saying Rebecca his ex wife has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and despite their divorce has medical power-of-attorney. Four years later, Rebecca's attacker, Eban the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, the state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change if she were to die Eban could be retried for murder. Zach rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca and the end of his freedom.

Sandra Brown has always been one of my favorite authors. I never have a problem getting lost in the pages of her books and Overkill was no different for me! Brown has definitely turned up the heat in this one! But it fits perfectly with what's going on. The story is a thought provoking one. It definitely has you wondering what you would do if you were in Zachs shoes. For the most part it's fast-paced and at times intense. The bad guy in this story, Eban , was just pure evil but I think he was probably my favorite. Overall it's a great read in classic Sandra Brown style! Thank you Grand Central Publishing for sharing this book with me!

lawryn's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a bit interesting, but mostly fine. I liked the moral plot a lot though!