A controversial subject mixed with thrilling action and a dash of romance. You couldn't ask for more and this book delivered. What happened to Zach's ex-wife Rebecca so long ago that left her in a coma and why was her attempted murderer free after such a short time being incarcerated? Zach was left with the harrowing responsibility of whether to pull life saving measures from his ex-wife Rebecca. Why is someone stopping him from making this decision? What happens next will put many lives in jeopardy. A great story with lots of action and some spice mixed in.

This is the first Sandra Brown novel I have read. Her name came up when I was doing. google search for authors who might be attractive to people who enjoys Nora Roberts. When I saw it offered on NetGalley for an advanced read, I decided to take a chance. I was pleasantly surprised as this story held my interest from the prologue to the ending. The characters were well fleshed out allowing the reader to clearly visualize whose lives they were entering. The story centers around an ex pro football player, Zach Bridger, who is placed in the middle of a no win situation, a sadistic entitled playboy and the Assistant AG who rocks Zach's hermit style existence. The story is told with emotion and the multifaceted writing of the characters was skillful. This will not be the last Sandra Brown novel I read.

This was a perfect summer read!

I loved the way this pulled me into the deep emotional issue Zack faced deciding whether or not to continue life support in a situation he should have never been put in. While this is filled with lots of drama from the “villain” as well as another problem Zack was facing, for me it was truly about The Decision. So many variables at play in making that ultimate decision. I couldn’t help but put myself in his place and found myself going from one frame of mind to another. Despite his relationship with his ex, it would be a decision wrought with pretty much every emotion known to man.

I loved watching Zack and Kate come together and fall in love despite the rocky path they were traveling. Zack had enough alpha in him to make my heart smile although I admit, I would have loved to have seen more. I’m used to heroines that are lawyers being a bit too tough and go get ‘em, but Kate was not. She was dedicated to her job and determined to do what needed to be done but did not trample on anyone along the way.

This was fast paced and not really a mystery other than I never knew what the bad guy was going to do next. And what he did was quite a surprise. This was not the type of story to keep me on the edge of my seat although when I got to the “surprise by the villain” part, I was certainly doing so. However, it was a smooth read I found extremely enjoyable.

Sandra Brown's newest book Overkill to be released August 16, 2022.
Great way to spend a hot summer reading a delicious murder, mystery, thriller with a dash of hot steamy romance.

Thank you Grand Central Publisher, author Sandra Brown and NetGalley the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

Overkill by Sandra Brown focuses on Zach Bridger, a former celebrity quarterback, whose ex-wife, Rebecca, is in a vegetative state after a night of debauchery gone wrong. Zach, to his disbelief, found he was still her Health Care Proxy even after their divorce and was forced to make the decision to keep Rebecca on life support or to stop all care. Being in a terrible position, he left the decision up to Rebecca's parents and promised to continue to honor their wishes. Four years later, Eban Clarke, the man who put Rebecca in the vegetative state, has been let out of prison early on good behavior. However, Kate Lennon, a State Prosecutor has a plan to put Eban behind bars permanently but she needs to act fast before he leaves the country and she needs Zach Bridger's help to do it.

Overkill deals with some sensitive topics. It could be very hard for some readers to deal with the moral decisions that need to be made. It is heavy and at times I felt myself becoming slightly anxious for the characters who had to make this decision! It's not easy holding someone else's life in your hands, even harder when you need to make that decision for them. Clarke does a great job describing all the emotions that go on in this sort of situation without being overly dramatic about it.

Overkill is very plot driven, but also has some very dynamic characters. Zach and Kate are dealing with their own demons, but slowly falling in love with each other. Kate has to get over the picture she was fed by the media in regards to Zach's personality, and Zach has to get over the fact that he feels Kate is a young prosecutor trying to make a name for herself. Once first impressions are overlooked, the attraction is obviously there, but they both know it is immoral to act on it while such a tough decision needs to be made. Eban Clarke is also a very interesting character. Everyone loves a good villain and Eban fits the bill for this! He has no remorse but knows how to work the system. He definitely has a good case of "affluenza" thinking he can do what he wants without any consequences because he is invincible.


The one thing the author could work on is the description of her more intimate scenes. When reading parts that can already make a reader cringe, I found some of the descriptions to be a bit extra cringey. That's not to say the relationship wasn't adorable, it was and I was always rooting for Zach and Kate, it just didn't need to be as cheesy.

Overall, I really enjoyed Overkill. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for me!

Life and death decisions are hard to make as portrayed in this novel. I liked Zach's compassion and Kate's dedication to her job. Too much sexual content was the overkill for me.

Wow! This one really made me think, it revolves around power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and the difficult decisions we all must face.
Zach’s ex-wife is in a coma, her parents want her kept on life-support, since Zach has long been divorced from her he allows her parents to make the decisions and he walks away… Even though it’s been years since the divorce the one thing Rebecca has not changed is the fact that Zach is her power of attorney and health care proxy. Four years later the decision is again in Zach’s hands. This would be a difficult decision to anybody let alone an ex, let alone keeping someone in jail or not

I enjoyed this book and I recommend it

I have always enjoyed any book by Sandra Brown and this time once again she does not disappoint! I couldn't put this book down. It just reaffirms the belief about too much social media and no privacy. A once Super Bowl MVP quarterback and his gold digging ex wife come into the front pages and all over social media when she is found unresponsive at a bedroom at a lavish party. It's all downhill for Zach after this, It is a book I dare you to put down....ENJOY!

I did really like this book, until the very end. Its a story I can understand: sleazy men that get away with murder, friends that enable them, intransigent hypocrites and the people they victimize. I also understand cliches, the gorgeous good guy searching for the perfect woman, the driven woman who is swept off her feet.
Other than some obvious setups, the story moves quickly and we do have some compassion for our hero, as sappy as he may be.
Credulity is strained when the wrong people show up at absolutely the wrong time with way more stealth than we could expect and fight longer than they should. I could have lived with all of this up until the last sentence-
really? A shame, otherwise pretty entertaining.

This was my first book to read by Sandra Brown and boy was I in for a wild ride. This book had so many storylines going on at once that I thought it would be hard to follow, however it wrapped up nicely in the end. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and was a fast read. This book was a little too spicy for my likings at times. However, overall Overkill was spectacular!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc copy of this book to review.

Once again Sandra Brown does not disappoint. I know her books are always going to deliver a good story that keeps me reading. The character development in Overkill was good with a believable story line. There’s murder, scandal, sex and a little romance to keep you turning the pages. A great read that I would highly recommend. Thank you NetGallery for the ARC.

I’d never before read anything by Sandra Brown. But she’s so popular, and prolific, that I thought I’d give her newest a try. I found “Overkill” to be a novel built on an interesting premise, but with characters that were sometimes two-dimensional and a plot that seemed, at times, contrived. Nevertheless, there’s lots of conflict, tension, and romance and many, including devoted fans of Sandra Brown, may enjoy it.

Former NFL quarterback and Superbowl MVP Zach Bridger let fame go to his head and lead him into a very bad marriage to Rebecca—one that quickly ended in a bitter divorce. But not before Zach signed an agreement to make medical care and end-of-life decisions for Rebecca should she ever become incapacitated. Four years later, hard-partying Rebecca is sexually assaulted by sociopathic, spoiled-rich-kid Eban Clarke and two friends, which assault leaves Rebecca alive and able to breathe on her own, but with absolutely no cognitive ability.

Eban is tried for assault, convicted, and sent to prison for several years.

Rebecca’s religious parents can’t bear to let their daughter die. Acceding to their wishes, Zach moves Rebecca to a special facility at his expense where she receives the best of care. He remains her guardian but is steadfast in his commitment to honor Rebecca’s parents’ choice, even though Rebecca’s father hates Zach.

Now, several years later, Eban’s father bribes a judge to reduce Eban’s sentence and Eban is released from prison. But he’s not out of the woods. Kate Lennon, a beautiful, determined prosecutor with the State AG’s office, thinks Eban’s punishment is far too light. She approaches Zach and asks him to withhold treatment from Rebecca and allow her to die so that Eban can be tried for murder. Eban is determined and will do whatever is necessary, to stop Zach and Kate from making that happen.

“Overkill” clearly is a novel with lots of conflict, which is great for keeping readers turning the pages. For the most part, the main characters are likable. Although Zach is initially prickly and off-putting, he quickly becomes more engaging and even selfless and heroic, especially as his relationship with Kate develops. Kate is forthright, upstanding, and passionate (about both her work and, eventually, Zach). They’re the kind of people just about anyone would want to spend time with.

But likable does necessarily mean realistic or multi-layered or nuanced. And this is one area where I thought “Overkill” to be lacking.

Brown’s characters are either “good guys” or “bad guys.” They can be past “bad guys” who’ve turned into present “good guys,” or vice-versa, but, in the moment, each character is pretty much all-good or all-bad. The character of Eban is a perfect example. He hasn’t a shred of empathy or compassion or goodness. He’s completely self-involved and self-serving and doesn’t care who he hurts or how badly. And Zach and Kate are pretty much all-good (hot for each other, but pretty much all-good). Which means that, at times, the novel and its characters can sometimes seem not very realistic and not very believable.

And, at times, the plot seems contrived. For example, the explanation as to why Zach did not simply turn over legal responsibility for Rebecca’s care to her parents seemed very thin. Obviously, in order to keep the story going and Zach involved in the plot, it’s necessary for him to hold on to that responsibility. But his reasons for doing so seemed convoluted, confusing, and not very believable.

That being said, I thought Ms. Brown successful in showing some of the considerations surrounding end-of-life decisions for the completely incapacitated and how the question of whether or not to allow a loved one to die can affect friends and family in different ways.

A final word of warning for those who object to sex scenes, this novel has them. Nevertheless, I thought they were tastefully done.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Sandra Brown, and publisher Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC. The forgoing is my independent opinion.

The synopsis caught my attention and sounded super thrilling, but this book was not it.

This follows an ex-football star, Zach, after his ex-wife is declared brain dead after a crazy sexcapade.

Basically, the whole plot is going back and forth with the legality and argumentative side of taking his ex-wife off life support, he wants to, he has the say, but her father is completely against it because of religious reasons. The man who caused her condition, Eban, is released from prison early, and there’s a lawyer, Kate, who wants to get him back behind bars. Eban is a douche, and thinks he can do whatever he wants without repercussion. So basically, it’s just a game of is Zach going to pull the plug or not and is Eban going to go back to prison or get away with it, just in a very slow way.

This did not do it for me at all. I was really excited for this, but it completely fell flat. I felt like Sandra Brown was trying to do too much in very little time. It was not very “thrilling” to me either.

One thing that drove me absolutely insane was the use of words that I swear were either gibberish or completely made up. And it wasn’t just every once in a while. I found myself looking up these nonsense words constantly. It was a total turnoff.

I had high hopes for this, but unfortunately they weren’t met.

Book: Overkill
Author: Sandra Brown
Publisher: Grand Center Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Pub Date: August 16, 2022
My Rating: 2.3 Stars

I was a big fan of Sandra Brown ~ I read twelve of her novels and really enjoyed "Mean Streak" and "Low Pressure" but some of the others were good some not so good.

NF Super Bowl MVP and media fav Zach Bridger was married briefly to red carpet diva Rebecca Pratt but he hasn’t seen in some time. When he is notified that she is in the hospital and is ‘unresponsive, he is surprised that has been legally designated to determine her fate.

Story starts four years after this decision.

Certainly is an interesting cover.

Although described as a Romantic Suspense ~ it was a bit too spicy for me.
Not sure if my taste has changed or if Ms. Brown is targeting another audience.
I would love a Q & A with Ms. Brown - as I am curious regarding her reasons and inspiration for writing this story.

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 16, 2022

Zach, a former Super Bowl MVP quarterback learns he still has medical power of attorney for his ex-wife, Rebecca, of 4 years. When she is placed on life support after being assaulted, Zach is forced to decide whether or not to take her off life support. Add in the complication of ex in-laws who dislike him and are opposed to ending Rebecca’s life. When her attacker, Eban, is released from jail after a mere four years, Zach is approached by a state prosecutor who explains how Eban can be charged with her murder, but Zach must end her life support for that to happen. Like all Sandra Brown novels, Overkill is filled with twists and turns and of course, some romance! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great summer novel. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC 4⭐️

Man, I hate giving a bad rating to a book that NetGalley was generous to let me read. Having read Sandra Brown in the past, I was eager to start on this one, BUT it was beyond disgusting! Basically, it's about a group sex experience that left a pretty young girl in a forever coma. So the reader gets to hear the sickening details over and over till he finally learns what the final act was that caused the coma. The language used so many dirty words that you could never get me to repeat. and there were other sexcapades described, too. So I think it's safe to say the entire book was just about sex.

If you are one who gets turned on by something like this, then you might be able to get through it, but I cannot recommend it to anyone with a clean mind.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Grand Central Publishing and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Brilliant characters, a story you won't want to put down. Perfectly paced, a story that will stay with you well after you finish.

Every Sandra Brown book I've read has the same formula. Drop dead gorgeous man meets drop dead gorgeous woman. They might be antagonistic initially but by the end of the book they love each other. In between there is a simple plot and usually the "bad guys" are not drop dead gorgeous. If this were on a western TV show, the two leads would be wearing white hats and the others in black hats.
This book follows that formula, although the plot is almost unbelievable. Rebecca has been on life support for 4 years because of her father's wishes. Really? 4 years? And - the guy who put her there served 2 years in prison and was freed.
Not much plot, not much character development, but a lot of sex.
Sort of depends on what you like in reading a book.

This was an engaging quick read with a well paced plot and good characters but not as suspenseful as most of Sandra Brown's novels. Strongly recommended - Sandra Brown fans will not be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC.

Zack is a former football hero, a Super Bowl MVP who, after a contentious divorce was left as the holder of the Medical Power of Attorney for his ex. She, after a wild night of drink, drugs and illicit sex, was found to be brain dead. One of the three men she was with that night was imprisoned for her battery and is now being released. Kate is an attorney with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office who wants Zack to “pull the plug” and to retry this man for either manslaughter or her murder. Telling readers more will just lead to spoilers. The plot is gripping and will keep you reading! Thanks to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC for an honest review.