Out of Nowhere depicts the devasting fallout from a tragedy that is all too commonplace these days: a mass shooting. When single mom Elle is at a county fair with her young son Charlie shots ring out of nowhere. Chaos and confusion ensue and hot-shot corporate executive Calder is also caught in the crossfire. Calder wakes up in the hospital with an injury to his arm and is told he is lucky-but he starts to feel anything but. Elle, like others, face the reality that they have lost nearly everything. After meeting at the police station and another encounter at a support group for shooting survivors and bereaved family members Elle and Calder come face to face again with a common goal-find out why this happened and who was behind it which will put them in grave danger again-the shooter is still out there.

This book covers difficult, sensitive topics and Sandra Brown handles it well however it also feels like the romance aspect (which seems sort of out of left field given the situation) was more the point than the main theme. The action really picks up in the second half and readers will fly through to the ending. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.5 ⭐️

I will start this review out with 2 things:
1. Sandra Brown is one of my “auto-buy” authors.
2. TRIGGER WARNING: Mass in public shooting w/ the death of a child * the author does address this in the Author’s Note at the beginning*

With that being said, was this in my opinion Sandra’s strongest novel? No. Not particularly. I usually thoroughly enjoy the characters.

But now being a mother, I couldn’t see myself in her shoes with how quickly she was functioning after Charlie’s death. Granted the investigation pulled her out in having to go to the station and then the safe house. It also felt like she went 0 to 60 real quick with Calder, especially under the circumstances.

I didn’t start seeing the twist until the MCs started putting it together, which was towards the end so that’s always a plus in my book.

Will I continue to read SB books, yes. 100%. One book will not change my mind.

A complimentary copy was provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good read. Enjoyed it. I like to read Sandra Brown every once in a while. I enjoy the world she creates and the suspense in her books. The romance is a plus.

I love Sandra Brown and all of her books, however since having a school aged child, the school shooting really hit home for me, and I ended up DNFing this book, which was heartbreaking. I couldn't get into it and the main plot point of a school shooting was making me anxious.

Elle and Calder meet after a mass shooting that they both happened to be witnesses in. They form a relationship after the events of that day. But what they don't realize is that the event that happened that day is far from over. There is still someone on the lose that wants to hurt one of them, but who is it?

I enjoyed this book. It had an unexpected twist at the end. The perfect mix of romance and suspense.

#netgalley #noraroberts #outofnowhere

Elle is a single mother to a two year old son and decides to bring him to the County Fair for a day of fun. Calder is an executive that is dating the local news anchor that is covering the County Fair. Reluctantly he decides to go to support her. Once he arrives there is suddenly a mass shooting, Calder jumps to block the bullet from hitting Elle's son, saving him.

As time goes on Calder's outlook on life changes and Elle and Calder grow closer.

This was an action packed, sweet romance.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy for my honest feedback.

I liked the thriller part of this book. It had some interesting twists, and I didn't expect the ending. The romance part was, like one of the characters told the couple, weird. I just didn't buy into these two as a couple. I know a romance/thriller combo is Sandra Brown's niche, but I think this book would have been stronger as just a thriller. That said, I did read it quickly, and it kept me interested overall. received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you.

I liked the thriller part of this book. It had some interesting twists, and I didn't expect the ending. The romance part was, like one of the characters told the couple, weird. I just didn't buy into these two as a couple. I know a romance/thriller combo is Sandra Brown's niche, but I think this book would have been stronger as just a thriller. That said, I did read it quickly, and it kept me interested overall.

This one was heartbreaking at first. Elle takes her son, Charlie, to the fair, with her best friend and when Charlie has had enough and is near melt down they are leaving when gunshots ring out and she loses control of his stroller. She is knocked down and cannot get to him. Calder, a businessman who just finished a lucrative deal and the last thing he wants to do is meet his girlfriend/TV reporter at the fair but he buckles under and does and is pushing his way in and past a woman and stroller when gunshots ring out and tries to get everyone to take cover and stop the runaway stroller when he is taken down. Elle and Calder meet in the police station. They do not know that he is the man who sustained a gunshot that went through him and actually killed her son. Devastating. These two are paired up by the police and somehow they form a relationship. Elle does not blame him, he was trying to save her son, that is the only way she can look at it. As the story progresses we learn the killer did not commit suicide but is still at large. This is a twisted tale that will take you by surprise. It is fast paced and will keep you turning those pages so make sure you start this one early in the day.

A scary subject for all - mass shootings. I was apprehensive about reading this but I love Sandra Brown’s books so I gave it a try. Sandra addressed the situation with compassion. The story of Elle, Calder and the other survivors will always leave a mark on me. I can not imagine what it would be like to be in this situation . I just hope that I would be as strong as the characters in this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for ans honest review.

Not one of my favorites but I liked the characters. It just seemed like it dragged a little bit. But I am still a Sandra Brown fan

I liked the story, a mystery shooter into a crowd of people, and was surprised at the ending! There was a bit too much romance for me...just a personal preference. A quick read!

Another good Sandra Brown book. This can be a tough subject but I think it was well done. Many emotions through out.
At a Texas county fair, amidst carousels and a bustling midway, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them.

Also caught in the melee was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Arrogant, self-centered, and high off his latest career win, he’s frustrated and confused when he wakes up in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm. The doctor tells him that he was lucky—that as far as gunshot wounds go, he pulled through remarkably well. Others weren’t so lucky, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice . . . a goal shared by Elle.

Their chance encounter at the police station leads to a surprising and inexplicable gravitation to one another, but even as the attraction grows, Elle and Calder can’t help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain—especially while the shooter remains at large.

I love Sandra Brown’s books and Out of Nowhere was no exception. Fast paced plot that was a real page turner. I highly recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

A mass shooting at a county fair bring the survivors together, but they are still in danger.

As a fan of Sandra Brown, I was a bit disappointed in this book. Reading didn't keep me interested so I switched to the audiobook version. It was somewhat better. It tried to be suspenseful but didn't really get there. It tried a little romance, but it felt forced. Overall, it was just okay.

Spending 25yrs in public safety this is a hard topic dealing with an active shooter. It was nicely told and thought out. It’s not my favorite Sandra Brown book, but I love her book

I blame Sandra Brown for my sleepless night because I simply couldn't stop reading until I finished the book and knew what happened!! Red herrings, surprises, twists - this book has it all.

Sadly, the topic is very timely with all the mass shootings happening in the world now. I've always wondered what happened to the survivors and the people who were in close proximity - - how did the tragedies affect them.
This book addresses that as well as the hunt for the shooter. All the characters are interesting and believable. The plot is breathtaking in the action involved and the guessing game as to who was the culprit and why did they do it. The romance might have been a bit superfluous but it didn't hurt anything to be included and might be the favorite part for some people.

I usually guess the endings in mysteries but not this time. It blew me away!!

It's been a really long while since I've read a Sandra Brown book. I used to LOVE her books and read almost everything I could find by her, but it has been many, many years since I last read one of her books. I do not know if I outgrew her or what, but I feel like there was a group of authors that I read at one point in my life and then moved on - Danielle Steel, Jude Devareaux, Linda Howard, etc. So, I was thrilled to get to read this ARC and to see if I would be interested at this point in my life.

Short answer - Yes, I was. This story is original in the fact that it tackles a mass shooting right off of the bat. She does warn in the Foreword that this is going to be the storyline and then the book begins from there.

We get to meet the two MC's who are as different as night and day. One - the FMC Elle Portman- is an author of children's books who is a single mother to a 2-year-old boy. The other- the MMC Calder Hudson- is an arrogant, good looking, very successful consultant. Both of these two characters are present when a gunman begins to shoot and it affects them in different, yet similar ways.

I must admit that I wasn't sure where this book was going to go in the beginning, and without going into spoilers, let's just say that these two characters are thrown together - not by choice - because of circumstances beyond their control. What does happen, however is........intriguing.

The cast is filled with interesting secondary characters. There is Elle's best friend, a very successful businesswoman who is the opposite of Elle. Then there is Calder's fiancé, the extremely annoying yet successful reporter from the local news who is used to getting her way and doesn't mind who she hurts to get there. All in all, it makes for an interesting story.

I was curious if I would enjoy this book and am happy to say I did. The ending was on the verge of being too "out there". Honestly, if there was anything that wasn't up to par it would have been that, but I enjoyed the journey to get to that point, so I was willing to give it a pass.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Was disappointed in Out of Nowhere. A person has just had her child shot and die in a shooting and she feels immediate attraction to a person that tried to shield the child from the gunman! Totally unbelievable.

Another great one from Sandra Brown! I do think her books have changed since her early ones but if you’re new to her works then you probably wouldn’t even notice. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

This was really good! I have been a fan of Sandra Brown’s writing for a very long time and look forward to each new release so I was excited to have the chance to read her latest book. I was surprised to learn that this book dealt with a mass shooting but Sandra Brown handled the topic well as I trusted she would. The story took me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster since it was heartbreaking at times, and exciting at others, with just enough romance worked in to keep things very interesting.

My heart broke for some of the characters quickly after starting the book. Elle and Calder were both at the county fair when the shooting occurred and the danger may not be over. Everyone present when the shooting occurred lost something but Elle’s loss felt incredibly profound. Both Elle and Calder are committed to finding out who is responsible for everything that has happened. The story got very exciting as they encountered one dangerous situation after another while the police tried to find who was responsible for the tragedy. I liked the chemistry between Elle and Caulder and thought that they worked well as a couple.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Kyf Brewer did a great job with the story. I believe that this is the first time that I have listened to this narrator’s work and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up other books that he narrates. I found his voice to be very pleasant and thought that he was able to add just the right amount of emotion to his reading.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be quite the page-turner and I loved that the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. The story ended on a hopeful note which I also appreciated. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.