A really good thriller/romance combo that kept me interested and had me reading through the night. The football references were a bit much sometimes (but Kate also called Zach out on it too in the book), but overall it was an engaging read, and I enjoyed it.

I have loved Sandra Brown since the very first time I picked up one of her books.

Overkill is once again a great read by Sandra Brown. You can always count on her to give you great characters and suspense.
The other thing I would have to say about this book is it could of done just as well without the detailed sex scenes. I think just alluding to the fact sex happened would of been just as well. For me the details of those scenes did not add anything more to the story.

I wouldn't have guessed what this book was about from the title, but after reading this story full of twists and turns, I get it and totally approve. I am a fan of Sandra Brown and this book did not disappoint. Fabulous characters and easy to root for "good guys."

Sandra never disappoints. I couldn’t see the twist coming, as usual. It was a fast paced book and I definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery.

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger is shocked to receive a call from the hospital about his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, who is on life-support following a violent assault. He hasn’t seen her since their volatile marriage fell apart five years earlier—why does he still have medical power-of-attorney? Zach must make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or pull the plug. Unable to decide, he walks away, and her vegetative state continues.

Two years later, Rebecca’s attacker gets an early release from prison. State prosecutor Kate Lennon is determined to put him back behind bars. But that would take a murder charge, and the only way to do that is for Zach to take Rebecca off life support. As happens in romantic suspense novels, Kate and Zach form an attraction. Blah blah, blah. The resulting sex scenes are completely unnecessary and passé. A hot former football player falls for a gorgeous, talented attorney. How cliché.

Overkill was my first Sandra Brown novel, and with its unique premise, intense plot, and surprise ending, I’ll likely pick up another one when the mood strikes. Some of the writing is awkward, though, especially the dialogue. This line was asinine: “Kate’s barefooted. Her feet must be cold. I know mine are. But I think you’re the one with cold feet, Cal.” Corny, right? 3.5 stars.

Overkill by Sandra Brown

DNF @ 15%

This is the second Sandra Brown novel I have DNFed this year. I hate getting into the heads of so many sleazy, disgusting men and that’s been the case in both of the books of hers I have abandoned. I can’t even stand the hero of this book. He’s horrible, mean, and has no respect for anyone but I really hate how he treats women in this book. They’re either pieces of meat or inconveniences to him. I’m wondering if maybe this author is not an author for me.

This is not my first Sandra Brown book so I was hopeful this would be more thriller than romance. Unfortunately for me it was the latter. Let me start by saying that this author knows how to write. That is a real compliment as it seems like in today's day and age this is become harder to find. My issue is that romance is not really my favorite genre. I do know that some of her books are more romance based so this may have been an oversight on my part.

Rebecca Pratt makes a poor decision at a party by going to a bedroom with three men. Many might think she is a whore but she she ends up in the hospital brain dead and her ex-husband has decision making authority as power of attorney things heat up. Years later Zach is contacted because the man responsible for hurting Rebecca is getting out of jail - what will Zach do?

There is a little bit of everything in this book but, while romance is not my favorite thing it was one of the aspects I enjoyed least - I just didn't feel a connection between them. Still enjoyable enough and I would certainly read her next book, no problem.

Overkill felt like overkill... this book was unbelievable I couldn't continue reading. The story was just way out there and didn't really make sense.

Almost four stars.

I have been a Sandra Brown reader for the last 20 years. There was a time when I devoured everything from her that I could find at the library, prior of ebooks, and I still love picking up her books many years later.

But I must admit that some books grab me more than others.

Overkill was a solid book, I just made the mistake of putting it down one afternoon, and in a blink of an eye it was weeks later and I just wasn't feeling it anymore.

But that is not the books fault, rather my own, because I'm going through one of the worst book funks I ever experienced. And sadly, even great books suffer during that time.

So, if you enjoy romantic suspense novels, if you enjoy drama free plots, mature characters, and some really great storytelling, don't wait to pick up her books.

I liked this book but at times I felt like it was going nowhere. The overall plot is good and the author hooked me with her details. At times it felt repetitious and I would skim ahead.

I usually really enjoy Sandra Brown books, but this one missed the mark with me. It started off strong, but went downhill from there. I know it's a book, but the believability of the plot was just not there for me, and that took away from the storyline.

3.5 stars rounded down!

Overkill follows former Super Bowl MVP Zach Bridger as he grapples with the idea of taking his ex-wife off life support so that her assaulter, Eban, can finally be brought to justice. As Eban catches wind of this idea, he plots to make sure that neither Zach, nor the district attorney Kate Lennon, can actually go through with this idea.

I think, unfortunately, where this novel lost me was with the premise. I didn't realize how we would already know who the killer was, and I really wasn't a fan of the subplot of romance. The end as well felt like a caricature of what would actually happen. It became very over the top and "super-villainy," which made the situation feel more outlandish and over-exaggerated than it needed to be. I do, however, think this book would appeal to a wide variety of people and I did think the writing was good. I would read from this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub. Date: September 27, 2022

The book’s genre reads mystery and thriller. If I knew the author, I would have known she is a romance writer. Romance is not a genre I care for. I like romance in a novel, but not the genre—the sort of book with a Fabio look-alike on its book cover—is not for me. I chose to keep reading because, in between the steamy love-making sequences, the beginning of the storyline held my interest. Zach Bridger is taken aback when he receives a phone call regarding his ex-wife, Rebecca. After a brutal attack, she is on life support. Despite their divorce, he still serves as Rebecca's medical power of attorney and doesn’t want to be. Zach’s love interest is Kate Lennon, a state prosecutor who wants to put the attacker back in jail. However, halfway through the novel, I lost interest because there was no plot or character development. In addition, the twist is not believable. If you like romance novels, you will like this if you don’t skip this one.

A life and death decision changes the path of Zach Bridger's life. His ex-wife never changed her will and he has the task of deciding her fate. Zach, a former professional quarterback, has moved on from one career to another and likes his privacy. Unfortunately that privacy is invaded by Kate Lennon, a state prosecutor. Kate and Zach must work together to find the path of justice.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought there was a lot of vague details that I would have preferred spelled out. I would recommend this book.

A thrilling conundrum of morals! The debate between life-saving measures and justice elevates Overkill to a Jodi Picoult bestseller! Excellent pacing and honest characters made this an enjoyable read.

This was a good sandra brown but it seems a lot of the suspense was missing. There was no secret of who the villain was and he was written like a stock villain. The book moved along at a good pace though

I enjoyed Overkill but thought the villain was overwrought and not so plausible, and in general it didn't seem to me as good as Sandra Brown's other work (a high bar).

Zach Bridger, of Super Bowl fame, had been divorced for years. He was stunned to be contacted as the emergency contact/medical power of attorney for his ex-wife Rebecca when she is place4d on life support after being viciously attacked. Zach chooses to turn over the tough decision to Rebecca's parents, who want to keep her alive.

Several years go by and Rebecca is still being kept alive by machines when her attacker is released from prison. Because he has served his time, he can't be charged with any further crimes, unless Rebecca dies. The local state prosecutor contacts Zach to convince him to 'pull the plug' so the wealthy criminal can be charged with murder. Zach wants the guy to be put away forever, but he is still struggling with the decision to remove life support. Eban, the attacker, wants to make sure Zach, along with the district attorney, survive long enough for Zach to make the decision that might remove him from his jet setting, country club lifestyle.

Recommended for fans of Sandra Brown and those who enjoy legal drama.

Zach Bridger once lived a life desired by many but obtained by a few. He was an MVP quarterback in the NFL, women threw themselves at him, he could do no wrong. That is until he married Rebecca, a beautiful partygirl who took her partying too far, ending with Rebecca on life support. While Zach’s life was never the same after that, some new developments threaten the tranquil life he has since built for himself. Eban Clarke, the man responsible for Rebecca’s condition, has been released from prison early, and Kate Lennon, a determined state prosecutor, wants to put him back where he belongs, but she needs Zach’s help. Meanwhile, Eban has gotten wind of Kate’s plans, and will do anything to stay out of prison.

I enjoyed Overkill; it has a few different things going on and they all come together well. The characters are honest and many are relatable. I loved Zach’s story; his fall and then quiet redemption intermingled with the narrative made for a great story. I also liked Kate; her tough determination mixed with her desire for true justice made her such a positive, strong character. While there were certain aspects of the ending that seemed inevitable, there were other parts that completely surprised me as well. Overkill is a gripping novel that I couldn’t put down. 

I highly recommend the thriller Overkill to any fan of the genre. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for gifting to me an electronic copy of Overkill, given in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the premise of this! A former super bowl MVP gets to be the power of attorney over his ex-wife, who'S in a coma. He then has to decide it hie's ready to a pull the plug" but doing so will put a man in jail for murder. Very readable and my mom liked this one, too!