A review by theavidreaderandbibliophile
Overkill by Sandra Brown

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.