New Release Review – Overkill by Sandra Brown #NetGalley

Overkill, Sandra Brown, Suspense Thrillers
Overkill, Sandra Brown, Suspense Thrillers

New York Times Bestselling Author Sandra Brown has been a must read author for me since I can’t remember when. I want to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Overill.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Buckhead. Atlanta. I know the area and love when a book takes place in a location I am familiar with. And football? Are you ready for some football, because I am.

Zach was an MVP Super Bowl quarterback, emphasis on was. He had been booted from a sport he loved and he had no one to blame but himself. Rebecca was a party girl. Again, emphasis on was. He hadn’t seen Rebecca since their divorce.

Zach made a quick exit from the Cayman Islands to her hospital room. He felt her need to control his life, when he was told that he had power of attorney over her medical decisions if there was ever a time she couldn’t make the decision for herself. I can’t imagine having to make that call. I guess I would ask myself, ” What would ? want?”

State Prosecutor Kate Lennon arrives at his secluded cabin to let him know that the man responsible for Rebecca’s vegetative state is being released from prison. She wants to put him back where she thinks he belongs, but she needs his help to do it.

Richy Rich Eban, the man who, along with his three friends, had nearly killed her. He had served two years for what he had done to her. It ticked me off when I read two years (way to tick me off, Sandra), then I almost saw red when I ‘saw’ what his father gave him as a get out of jail ‘gift’. Despicable people and it is his father’s fault for the way he is, though Eban made his own choices, and continues to do so after his release.

I would be so angry….Who do they think they are? Eban, is he a sociopath? Psychopath? Or just a rich ‘kid’ that feels entitled, because he never had to be accountable for his actions. I say through the BOOK at them all. I would feel the same if it was a poor person that had committed the act. I love when I see them knocked down and watch them plead for mercy.

I love books like Overkill by Sandra Brown. The characters came across as authentic, faulty, arrogant. I was empathetic with Zach, not wanting to be the one to make the decision. Would I have been more angry than he was? You bet. But, then I wonder if it was because she was his ex and they had no connection any more. It is so real. I feel the vulnerability. I even discussed with Mr Wonderful about getting video cameras for the house right after finishing it. LOL

Very well done, Sandra. I read it in one day. I love romantic suspense and Overkill hit all the buttons. AND I loved the epilogue, a little something extra is always appreciated.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Overkill by Sandra Brown.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.

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, a brilliant 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 on a new charge: murder.

It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed 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. 

ABOUT SANDRA BROWN

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Pinterest YouTube

MY SANDRA BROWN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Hiding From The Truth by A B Medley @XpressoTours

Hiding from the Truth
AB Medley
(Finding the Truth Series, #2)
Publication date: August 16th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Secrets don’t keep.
Lucy’s are life-changing and dangerous.
Her darkest one is an abusive ex who will stop at nothing to control her, leaving only a smoking ember of who she used to be.
She thinks she’s alone in the battle to get her life back.
Then she meets Tate.
The one man who seems to tear down every defense she’s built around her heart.
The problem is…he doesn’t want a relationship and she wants it all.

Tate’s no stranger to secrets, but he’s content until he meets her.
At first sight, he’s enamored by Lucy.
But the more he discovers, the deadlier her truth becomes.
Now he’s determined to keep her safe whether she wants his help or not.
Suddenly—the ice around his heart is melting, leaving him helpless to fight his feelings for her.

Can they overcome their pasts and the real danger they face to give love a fighting chance, or will they keep hiding from the truth?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

EXCERPT:

He steps toward me and hesitates. “Call me if you need me…or anything at all. I’m not
sure I want to leave you after the night you’ve had.” His blue eyes bore into mine, searching for the truth. A truth I’m not willing to tell just yet. “We’re still going to talk. You need to tell me what happened.” His features harden as if he’s masking anger.

“Tate—” I start but he cuts me off by closing the space between us and brushes the back of his hand over my cheek.

“Don’t overthink it, Lucy. You’re safe here with me. You can trust me.” I swallow against the burning in my throat as I try to stifle the urge to cry. This man is out of his mind if he thinks I can trust him. I trust he won’t physically hurt me, but emotionally is a different matter altogether. Not to mention, he doesn’t need to get in the middle of my mess. He barely knows me.
He drops his hand and walks away. I stay still, my feet planted firmly on the hardwood. Rocky jumps down and sits at my feet, as if sensing my pain.

I lower to my knees, and he licks my cheek. “Thanks, Rocky. I can trust you can’t I, buddy?” I scratch him behind the ears again. His tail thumps the hardwood as I hear my phone beep. I check it and almost drop it. My dad, well Steve. Why is he texting me? I quickly check the message.

Dad: Hey Lucy. I just talked to your mom. Can I call you?
Me: Sure.

Almost immediately, my phone rings. “Hello?”

“Hey, honey. Your mom told me what happened. Are you okay?” He sounds like he did before he left. Why does he care now? I don’t get it. I’m getting whiplash from all the men in my life.

“I’ve been better, but I’ll be fine…always am. You taught me I had to be,” I say hoping he’ll feel even the slightest bit of remorse for how he left me.

“I’m sorry, Lucy, truly. I’m coming home to see your mom—and you, if you’ll let me.” I reach for the bed to make sure it’s there to catch my weight. When I drop onto it, I can’t stop the angry tear sliding down my cheek. I won’t let him hurt me again, and facing him, especially now, is not something I’m sure I can do. I swallow and compose myself enough to answer.

“I don’t know. I’m trying to process literally everything in my life right now. You walked out on me and didn’t look back. What do you want? I don’t understand why you want to see us.”

The line goes silent for a few seconds. “Lucy, we need to talk. All of us.”

“Whatever. I have to go.” I hang up before he can say anything else, lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in shock for a few minutes before deciding to shower and call it a night. I get everything in the bathroom ready and take a quick shower. When I get out, I wipe the steam from the mirror and see the fading bruises on my arms and even my inner thighs. I have one on my ribs too.

I lean in closer and examine my face. When I look myself in the eye, I don’t recognize the woman staring back at me. She’s weak. She’s haunted, beaten, and battered as much on the inside as the out. She doesn’t know who she can trust. She’s lost her spark.

Who am I now? Am I Steve McCree’s daughter, the one who wasn’t enough for her dad? Am I Rhett Davis’s daughter, the one claimed to be cherished but kept secret? Am I Phoebe McCree’s daughter, the woman who stepped out on her husband and got pregnant? The woman who lied to keep her family together, but lost it anyway?
Am I the girl Taylor tore down piece by piece and left broken? My whole life is full of secrets and lies and broken dreams. Where do I go from here? I don’t know any of the answers, but I do know—hiding the truth is killing me.


Author Bio:

A.B. Medley lives in Tennessee with the love of her life and two sons. Her husband stole her heart when she was sixteen and their relationship is one of those meant to be love stories you find in magazines and novels.

She is a dental hygienist who loves to read and has always dabbled in writing. When she’s not making people’s smiles shine, she enjoys belting out songs with her boys, dancing, raspberries, baseball, and anything vintage. Like any proper Tennessean, Sundrop is her drink of choice.

She loves her family and friends fiercely and believes in always chasing your dreams.

Deception in the Truth is her debut novel—but now she’s hooked, and there’s more to come!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney @GoddessFish @CWhitneyAuthor

The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney

GENRE: Historical Mystery

BLURB

Rural Michigan, 1934.

During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.

EXCERPT

Sunday, August 19, 1934

Having no choice, I began climbing the exterior ladder that ran up the height of the silo. I got up five or six rungs before my fear of heights kicked in. My body started shaking and I willed myself not to look down. I kept putting one foot above the other. The towel around my wounded right arm had loosened and I let it fall to the ground, not wanting to remove my other hand from the rung.

Every step required my mind telling my arms and legs to move. My hands were jittering and I could hardly grip the ladder. You can do this, I told myself. You can. You can.

“Keep going.”  His voice was piercing.

I willed my feet to move up the ladder. My body convulsed. I was about five rungs from the top when I stopped. Reason told me I needed to quit shaking and get my body under control or I would fall. Then it occurred to me. He’s not going to push me into the soft silage. He’s going to knock me off the top of the ladder down to the hard earth.

Dried flower on concrete stone surface background. Flat lay, top view, minimal style concept. Greeting card or web banner mockup for wedding anniversary, birthday, womens day.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.

  • Author’s website:  https://www.charlottewhitney.com
  • Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Whitney/e/B001KCTFWQ
  • Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CWhitneyAuthor
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-whitney-8235463a/
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWhitneyAuthor
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlottewhitney65/
  • BUY LINK: https://amzn.to/3y7RLcQ
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chance of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!