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rachaelraimo's review against another edition
4.0
I went back and forth on rating this between 4 and 5 stars but the ending really made it go to 5 stars! This may be my favorite book from Sandra Brown so far. The villain in this book was so bad and evil and the heroes of the book were so good!
I went back and forth on liking Julie or not but I loved Derek from his first scene. Opposite of Derek, I hate Chreighton from his first scene, which I’m sure you’re supposed to. I just love how Sandra Brown builds up characters. I always have such a clear picture of who she is describing and I love it!
At times it became slightly predictable but other times were complete surprises. I think i will have to take a break from the book before ever rereading it because it was just ALOT. And really intense at the end. But yes, I loved it and will definitely reread eventually. I’ve picked up the “sequel” to this one and I’m so excited for it!
I went back and forth on liking Julie or not but I loved Derek from his first scene. Opposite of Derek, I hate Chreighton from his first scene, which I’m sure you’re supposed to. I just love how Sandra Brown builds up characters. I always have such a clear picture of who she is describing and I love it!
At times it became slightly predictable but other times were complete surprises. I think i will have to take a break from the book before ever rereading it because it was just ALOT. And really intense at the end. But yes, I loved it and will definitely reread eventually. I’ve picked up the “sequel” to this one and I’m so excited for it!
nams's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Good enough book but by far not as well-developed as Brown's other book. There was a plot twist I didn't see coming at the end pertaining the perpetrator, however, the "big" reveal later on was very predictable. Overall, the characters needed to be a bit more fleshed out. The idea of the plot was interesting but none of the characters was fully likable.
amydieg's review against another edition
3.0
All and all this was better than I had expected. The first 2 thirds of the book flew by, and more often than not I was genuinely creeped out by some of the goings-on. It hits a bit of a wall in terms of pacing when too much is revealed and then nothing really happens, but eventually Brown throws a nice curve ball and the excitement is back full force. The final revelation is somewhat strange (it feels both unnecessary and unlikely) but, coming so late in the story, it doesn't detract from the suspense and probably does enhance the romantic aspect.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Do you know what a smash cut is?' 'It's an abrupt edit. A sudden shift of scene. Used to shock the audience. Very effective. Lots of impact. It'll be like that. No one will see it coming. Especially her.'When Paul Wheeler is shot dead during an armed robbery, his lover Julie Rutledge is convinced that Paul's prodigal nephew, Creighton, is responsible for the murder. Creighton has a passion for movies and Paul's murder has all the elements of a blockbuster: family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress. Although Creighton has a rock-solid alibi, even his renowned defense attorney, Derek Mitchell, soon doubts the young man's innocence. The clock ticks down as Derek and Julie seek to learn if Creighton's fascination with movie murders is merely a bizarre hobby, or depravity. Has he begun re-enacting cinema's goriest scenes. . . .and, if so, who will be his unwitting co-stars?" (From Amazon)
A great romantic suspense novel that takes you on a twisty ride.
"Do you know what a smash cut is?' 'It's an abrupt edit. A sudden shift of scene. Used to shock the audience. Very effective. Lots of impact. It'll be like that. No one will see it coming. Especially her.'When Paul Wheeler is shot dead during an armed robbery, his lover Julie Rutledge is convinced that Paul's prodigal nephew, Creighton, is responsible for the murder. Creighton has a passion for movies and Paul's murder has all the elements of a blockbuster: family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress. Although Creighton has a rock-solid alibi, even his renowned defense attorney, Derek Mitchell, soon doubts the young man's innocence. The clock ticks down as Derek and Julie seek to learn if Creighton's fascination with movie murders is merely a bizarre hobby, or depravity. Has he begun re-enacting cinema's goriest scenes. . . .and, if so, who will be his unwitting co-stars?" (From Amazon)
A great romantic suspense novel that takes you on a twisty ride.
kurtwombat's review against another edition
2.0
There were a couple nice twists within this fast moving mystery romance but on the whole, too much romantic passion and not enough passionate mystery. The killer is as annoying as he is evil and obviously guilty from the get go. His habit of spouting movie quotes wears thin really fast—especially since the lines chosen are mostly over-played before appearing in the story (first line quoted is the box of chocolates line from Forest Gump—knew I was in trouble at that point). Every description feels like it is mundanely described twice as if that will make it more vivid instead of just using a clean fresh description. Maybe she’s just padding her word count. There are attempts to make you question who the killer is, but since the only other viable option presented is the romantic female lead, and you just know a happy ending is coming, so that limits the options really to one. I was practically praying for the irrational insertion of someone else just to make it interesting. The initial meeting and hook up of the romantic leads turns out to have occurred for such a ludicrous reason that I was angry for the rest of the book. Also frustrating that two adults who are supposedly at the top of their respective professional worlds (ace defense attorney and art gallery owner) seem to have the emotional maturity of twelve year olds. Especially frustrating is the male lead. Supposed to be the most sought after defense attorney in the country—which would seem to indicate a certain sharpness of mind—who loses any analytical ability the moment any distraction occurs. The conclusion does gather some steam…but by then I was just pushing through to finish it. Maybe I was creating my own steam.
amygibbs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I think the book overall is well written. My issue with it is the dog dies and horrifically and I am not ok with that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
bookish_rae_'s review against another edition
4.0
I went back and forth on rating this between 4 and 5 stars but the ending really made it go to 5 stars! This may be my favorite book from Sandra Brown so far. The villain in this book was so bad and evil and the heroes of the book were so good!
I went back and forth on liking Julie or not but I loved Derek from his first scene. Opposite of Derek, I hate Chreighton from his first scene, which I’m sure you’re supposed to. I just love how Sandra Brown builds up characters. I always have such a clear picture of who she is describing and I love it!
At times it became slightly predictable but other times were complete surprises. I think i will have to take a break from the book before ever rereading it because it was just ALOT. And really intense at the end. But yes, I loved it and will definitely reread eventually. I’ve picked up the “sequel” to this one and I’m so excited for it!
I went back and forth on liking Julie or not but I loved Derek from his first scene. Opposite of Derek, I hate Chreighton from his first scene, which I’m sure you’re supposed to. I just love how Sandra Brown builds up characters. I always have such a clear picture of who she is describing and I love it!
At times it became slightly predictable but other times were complete surprises. I think i will have to take a break from the book before ever rereading it because it was just ALOT. And really intense at the end. But yes, I loved it and will definitely reread eventually. I’ve picked up the “sequel” to this one and I’m so excited for it!
datoismyname's review against another edition
3.0
I won this book off of the Goodreads giveaway and I can say that I am really impressed. I usually read Young Adult books but i broadened my reading experience with Smash Cut. I really liked how the characters developed as well as the mystery and suspense. The novel really was a page turner. I was constantly trying to skip ahead to see what happened(I had to restrain myself). This novel is also a good one if you are a movie buff(like myself). All around Smash Cut was a great read.
ejordan24's review against another edition
4.0
This was another great book by Sandra Brown. I truly appreciate this autographed copy of Smash Cut by Sandra Brown which I received through a Goodreads Giveaway! It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat while I followed Derek and Julie on a wild roller coaster ride to find the killer in this murder mystery. I especially loved the twist at the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romantic, murder mystery to read.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
4.0
Really ended up enjoying this.
Frankly the lack of a the 5th star was because of the always picture perfect leads and the less than compelling beginning.
But towards the end it was all good.
Glad the distraction is done!
Frankly the lack of a the 5th star was because of the always picture perfect leads and the less than compelling beginning.
But towards the end it was all good.
Glad the distraction is done!