Overtime

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming, a terrific read
Review: A great fast paced story for anyone who loves sports, not just football. Well written with believable characters. "Overtime" is difficult to catagorize, it's a thriller, a sports story, and a romance. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful, and existential parable-style story
Review: Co-written by Brian Hill and Dee Power, Overtime is the engrossing novel of four friends separated by time, distance, and even death, who reach ever so slightly beyond reality to send the game of life into overtime. Troubles in business, a dream of playing football for the Green Bay Packers cut cruelly short just before it can be achieved, and the loss of all that is familiar are transformed into an emotional and heart-wrenching challenge of being poised on the edge. Overtime is an enthusiastically recommended, thoughtful, and existential parable-style story.

Rating:
Summary: Playing High Stakes Games: Overtime
Review: Dan Wilson at 42 has all the appearances of success as CEO of Wilson Industries located in Scottsdale, Arizona. But his personal life as well as his family business have taken their respective hits lately and he feels a bit depressed. Wilson Industries is a conglomeration of various companies in several diverse fields and some of the individual pieces have taken some serious setbacks.

Half a country away, Kelly McClusky senses the end is near for her charity in Brookstone, Wisconsin. Her brainchild, Second Life Center, dedicated to those less fortunate in memory of her deceased love Mark Reid is having severe financial problems. Like Dan and his situation with the family business, her charity has been her sole existence for many years and the idea that it is all crumbling is emotionally devastating.

Along with their financial problems as head of their respective organizations, they share a common past. Twenty years ago, Dan was the star quarterback, Kelly was the beautiful head cheerleader, and Marl Reid was the flashy wide receiver. Then, the magic for all of them died when Mark smashed into a tree and the old friends drifted apart. That is until a letter, which had been undelivered for over twenty years, finally makes its way to Dan bringing about a multi month cathartic process.

Against a backdrop of Packer Football and Venture Capitalism, this novel tells the story of Dan, Kelly and others at a pivotal moment in their lives. In each case, the person is being pushed to the edge by forces not of his or her control and finds a way to survive the abyss and discover what truly matters.

As first time novelists, Brian Hill and Dee Power have written a novel heavily vested with their love of Packer football, past and present, as well as their experiences on the business world regarding venture capitalism. As in other first novels, the in-depth characterizations as well as sheer number of characters tend to be a bit excessive at times and the dialogue is a bit unrealistic at times. However, these are minor quibbles and may reflect more on reviewer preferences than on the actual novel itself.

Driven by extensive multiple characterizations, this novel begins slowly as events begin to spiral out of control and take their toll on the characters involved. As the novel moves forward and gradually picks up the pace, the characters involved rely on their own untapped inner strength and prove that once again, David can take on Goliath and not only win, but enjoy doing it.

Rating:
Summary: Overtime Scores a Touchdown
Review: Greed, love, power, revenge. Tales as old as time. And yet, in the wonderfully-written Overtime, these themes come across as fresh and new. In the very capable hands of Brian Hill and Dee Power, all threads are seamlessly woven into the fabric of a story that both intrigues and entertains.

The story focuses on the relationships of four friends over the years. Dan Wilson was the golden child of his high school football team. Now, he must save the company built by his grandfather from a hostile corporate takeover by one of the meanest, most fun-to-hate villains in recent memory...

...The many strands to this tale effortlessly come together as the story propels the reader along...The characters were extremely well-developed, the descriptions were bountiful and original and the dialogue was realistic. I found myself rooting for each of the characters, hoping they would find what they most needed in their lives.

Whether you are a football fan or not, there is something for everyone in this book. Football becomes a metaphor for life; winning and losing are part of the game, but the power of belief is paramount to success. Goodness and honesty are rewarded, while love finds those who seek it. And in the end we are shown that life should be lived to the fullest each day while we discover there are still miracles in this world.

I found this book to be uplifting and enjoyable. I did not want to put it down until I had the satisfaction of knowing what happened to each of the characters. I was not disappointed and I would not hesitate to recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a tale well told.

Reviewed by Nancy Machlis Rechtman for Betsie's Literary Page

Rating:
Summary: great relationship drama
Review: In the late 1960s, Brookstone, Wisconsin college football star Mark sent a letter to his friend quarterback Dan the day before he died in a car accident. Dan received the battered letter two decades after Mark mailed it. The letter will motivate him and his team against unsavory opponents.

Dan is the CEO of a multi-million dollar business that he made successful applying the same approach of gauging the odds that he used playing football. He also treats his employees as if they are his offensive line protecting him from opponents. His Chief Financial Officer, Charlotte Anne loves Dan. His best friend company attorney Mike believes he is the dependable water boy, but secretly loves Mark's former fiancée Kelly. She, blaming herself for Mark's death, "married" his ghost by dedicating her life to making sure Mark is remembered.

The opponents are venture capitalist Gerald and investment-banker Terrance. They see an opportunity to steal the company and find a mole in Stuart, vice president of marketing.

Meanwhile the Green Bay Packers coach tries to motivate his team to play with heart for the pride of a special city and heritage.

OVERTIME is a great relationship drama that uses a football team play to get out its message that real friendships enable an individual to overcome the seemingly impossible. The storyline uses football as a parable of life: that it is worth the risk to play one last time when friends and family serve as your offensive line. Though the bad dudes have no redeeming qualities, the good guys and the coach are well rounded characters turning this into more than just a simple novel for sports fans.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: ALL GUTS AND GLORY
Review: Overtime is a fun read, a fast moving book about Green Bay Packer football and about life. The story begins and ends with a dream, the first shattered and the second fulfilled. An inseparable group of college students find themselves celebrating the success of one of their own, a small town boy, who was drafted by the National Football League to play for the Green Bay Packers. Mark Reid was indeed a Packer but a Packer who was never to play as his dreams, and that of his friends, was cut short by an accident that claimed his life before the season began. All of his friends lived with the guilt that they could maybe have prevented Mark's death.

Then, the unthinkable happened and one of the group, a now successful businessman, Dan Wilson, received a letter from the past. Through a circuitous chain of events, Dan received a letter written by Mark on the day before Mark died twenty years ago. Initially afraid to open the letter, Dan eventually did and found that Mark had not committed suicide and had not run away from his fiancée, but was embarrassed because he had been cut from the football team. His letter indicated that he needed to move away and start a new life.

The letter also contained a promise that the group of friends had made to each other. They were to meet again in 20 years and help each other out no matter what happened. They were, after all, a team. When the letter arrived, Dan was CEO of a failing company which was ripe for takeover by an unscrupulous lonely businessman. Dan was supported in his company by his best friend from college, Mike Thornton who had become an attorney, and Charlie or Charlotte Anne, his financial advisor. Mark's old fiancée was out of the picture as she remained back in their hometown re-living Mark's college career as a football player and serving as the enthusiastic cheerleader on the sidelines. Mark's letter caused Dan to re-unite with this cheerleader, Kelly McCluskey, and offer his support. Through tough and tenuous times, Kelly's dreams were also shattered as a foundation she established in Mark's name to help the downtrodden was also falling short of funds. Mark's letter caused this group of friends to re-unite back in Wisconsin as promised by the commitment made 20 years previous.

The meeting between friends was contentious as they had been apart for so long and because they carried such guilt with them. As time passed, though, the friends re-united in their struggles to get a second chance.

This story, partially a love story between friends once lost but now together again and partially a tale of teamwork as the means to success, uses real anecdotes from Green Bay Packer football history to tell its tale. The power of sticking together as a team and the power of fans to reinvigorate their legendary team demonstrated how success is a product of "finding your way through the darkness and onto a team." In this book you see Mark Reid's dream re-lived through the play of another young football player just as you see the groups' dreams re-lived through the reacquisition of their once failing company. Everyone in the book is given a second chance, to play their life in overtime, to see how legends are made. Every Packer fan must read this book as well as others interested in understanding how teamwork helps the business world succeed.

Rating:
Summary: ALL GUTS AND GLORY
Review: Overtime is a fun read, a fast moving book about Green Bay Packer football and about life. The story begins and ends with a dream, the first shattered and the second fulfilled. An inseparable group of college students find themselves celebrating the success of one of their own, a small town boy, who was drafted by the National Football League to play for the Green Bay Packers. Mark Reid was indeed a Packer but a Packer who was never to play as his dreams, and that of his friends, was cut short by an accident that claimed his life before the season began. All of his friends lived with the guilt that they could maybe have prevented Mark's death.

Then, the unthinkable happened and one of the group, a now successful businessman, Dan Wilson, received a letter from the past. Through a circuitous chain of events, Dan received a letter written by Mark on the day before Mark died twenty years ago. Initially afraid to open the letter, Dan eventually did and found that Mark had not committed suicide and had not run away from his fiancée, but was embarrassed because he had been cut from the football team. His letter indicated that he needed to move away and start a new life.

The letter also contained a promise that the group of friends had made to each other. They were to meet again in 20 years and help each other out no matter what happened. They were, after all, a team. When the letter arrived, Dan was CEO of a failing company which was ripe for takeover by an unscrupulous lonely businessman. Dan was supported in his company by his best friend from college, Mike Thornton who had become an attorney, and Charlie or Charlotte Anne, his financial advisor. Mark's old fiancée was out of the picture as she remained back in their hometown re-living Mark's college career as a football player and serving as the enthusiastic cheerleader on the sidelines. Mark's letter caused Dan to re-unite with this cheerleader, Kelly McCluskey, and offer his support. Through tough and tenuous times, Kelly's dreams were also shattered as a foundation she established in Mark's name to help the downtrodden was also falling short of funds. Mark's letter caused this group of friends to re-unite back in Wisconsin as promised by the commitment made 20 years previous.

The meeting between friends was contentious as they had been apart for so long and because they carried such guilt with them. As time passed, though, the friends re-united in their struggles to get a second chance.

This story, partially a love story between friends once lost but now together again and partially a tale of teamwork as the means to success, uses real anecdotes from Green Bay Packer football history to tell its tale. The power of sticking together as a team and the power of fans to reinvigorate their legendary team demonstrated how success is a product of "finding your way through the darkness and onto a team." In this book you see Mark Reid's dream re-lived through the play of another young football player just as you see the groups' dreams re-lived through the reacquisition of their once failing company. Everyone in the book is given a second chance, to play their life in overtime, to see how legends are made. Every Packer fan must read this book as well as others interested in understanding how teamwork helps the business world succeed.

Rating:
Summary: A trilogy of gridiron tales
Review: OVERTIME, BLEACHERS and AROUND ELVIS, all use football as either a core or the backdrop to their central stories of life and love. Of the 3 this is by far the weakest offering---though BLEACHERS wasn't far behind. It reads like WALL STREET goes VARSITY BLUES. The tapestry of the 2 disparate stories in this novel was never woven properly so that each storyline is an intrusion on the other and leaves you trying to find how we went from the boardroom to the 50 yard line at the Packers game.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming, a terrific read
Review: RebeccasReads recommends OVERTIME as an elegant adventure about honor, loyalty & memories. If you are a football fan, want to find out what sets the Green Bay Packers apart from all other teams in the NFL, & enjoy corporate dastardly deeds, this one will tickle your toes.

Rating:
Summary: best so so
Review: this here book promese alot but you get very little from it nice egounh read but nice a p and j sandwhich is nice see she has a new book coming out claiming she knows the book beisness and has a big to do in some mag to but i have to wonder if she got taken in by publishamerica and cannot beat em then can we trust what she says not in publishamericas camp or the absoult write eater just trying to help those folks who been geting hurt by them publishamerica folks