4.5 stars - one of my favorites of 2023

The subject matter is a difficult one, so be aware of the trigger warning (mass shooting) and read the author's note at the beginning of the book. The story took on a different angle than I initially expected. Characters are well-developed, flawed, and relatable. Relationships develop at a realistic pace/manner.


The reader is kept on the edge of their seat throughout the entire story. There's an unexpected twist that keep you guessing until the end. The author dig deep into human nature and their resilient nature. While the subject matter is a dark and challenging, Brown handles it tactfully, and hope still shines through. The reader feels the emotional roller coaster that the characters are on. This is a story that will likely stay with readers after the final page is turned. A key theme is that life is a gift. Each moment is precious, and none should be taken for granted.

An emotional rollercoaster filled with turmoil, determination and non-stop drama! Unputdownable says it all when it comes to how quickly the plot of this story draws you in and has you unable to stop turning page after page to see what's going to happen and what could possibly come next in this chaotic whodunnit filled with pain, loss and healing. Great story telling of a really hard subject matter.

Elle Portman is a kindhearted character who loves hard and wears her heart on her sleeve when dealing with empathy for others. I felt deeply for her quandary and wanted to see her receive whatever comfort would aid her most.

Calder Hudson is a changed man after living through the destruction they suffered and watching him grow into a more empathetic man was a wonderous thing to witness. He turned out to be one of my favorite characters.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful read that will keep you guessing even when you think you might have it figured out. The camaraderie throughout is comforting, and the bits of romance woven throughout help brighten the gloom of the circumstances well.

Mass shootings unfortunately occur too much in the world right now, and I really appreciate Sandra Brown writing this book in ways we can all relate to in some way.
Whether you've lost someone, knew someone, or have just seen it on the news, mass shootings effects us all.
Elle and Calder come together in this book, because of a mass shooting. Without giving spoilers, I will say their love blooms from tragedy.
The shooter is not done, though, and they find themselves fighting for their lives. When I got to the end of this book I was not only stunned, but my emotions were so overwhelmed. I not only felt grief for these characters and victims, but I felt grief for us all. Amongst the grief there was hope. Hope that we can all overcome the tragedies like Elle and Calder did.

Out of Nowhere could be a tough read for some. It deals with a mass shooting and the aftermath. However, It is told respectfully and with heart.

I have read many Sandra Brown books and always like them. Her writing style is easy to read and flows right along.

Although heartbreaking at times, I couldn't read fast enough to figure out who the shooter was, why they chose the location and what their motive was.

I felt the victims and survivors pain right along with them. This one sucked me in right from the start.

Do not skip the author's note. She explains how the book came to be and how it was such a difficult task writing it.

A fantastic book about an awful situation.

Thanks to netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy.

I was a little afraid to read this book due to the subject matter. It’s very intense, especially the shooting and right afterwards. I was very sad after Charlie’s death, it didn’t seem fair peculiar when you get to the end and hear the confession of the killer. I did like that the two survivors were able to get past it and find each other. The whole story is captivating, I had trouble putting it down. It was worth getting past the fear. #OutofNowhere #NetGalley

This book blew me away, it’s so fantastic. I literally couldn’t put it down. I knew I’d be gutted because there’s a mass shooting. I cried so hard plus I loved how I stayed on edge too. Loved how quickly Calder falls for Elle. They were great together and seemed to understand each other. We get both points of view but also the killer’s. Wow, what a shocker, I was really surprised by the plot. Sandra Brown’s books just keep getting better and I often re read them. I really loved how Calder figures out what he wants to do and that they get a very happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I highly recommend this book.

Read the trigger warnings on this one first. It deals with a mass shooting, which is so prevalent in our society today, and the tragedies and pain that come from it. Elle was such an interesting character, and I felt terrible for her. Calder is a mystery and I wondered about him throughout until the reveal about his background. I found the shooter’s POV a key to the story, and was shocked by the outcome. I love this author and can’t wait for her next book.

I'd like to point out that this book may be triggering if you or someone you know have been victims of guns and/or have experienced loss. Before getting into the story, the author's note caught my attention off the bat. The note was incredibly respectful and very touching; I couldn't have worded it any better myself.

Within this book we get three POV's
- Calder Hudson, a powerful consultant for the corporate world
- Elle Portman, a single mother and a children's book author
- The shooter

Calder is driving to the fair to meet up with his girlfriend who is a news reporter. The fair is the last place he wants to go after work, considering it is almost an hour away, but he was in no mood to have to argue later with her. Calder gets to the fair literally right before the shooting takes place.

Elle takes her kid, Charlie, to the county fair but is having a hard time containing her cranky two-year-old son. As they are about to leave, gunshots filled the air.

This is where Calder's and Elle's worlds collide.

The shooting led to many injuries, and sadly, deaths. Everyone handles trauma differently, and for Calder and Elle this tragedy actually brought them together in more ways than they expected.

I don't want to give much away, simply, just pick this one up. I most definitely cried. The author did such an amazing job of taking the bold topic of mass shootings and created this heartbreaking but also beautiful story, while simultaneously being gentle and respectful. In a world where mass shootings have become the new normal, this book couldn't have came out at a better time.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and the author for this ARC!
Pub date: 08/01/23

Great story. The story has a lot of hard moments and I was in tears for a good chunk of the first few chapters. The book does come with a TW of a mass shooting and I also thought the explanation in the front was insightful. The characters are colorful and make you feel their emotions. There are multiple levels of grief and connections throughout the story. There is some romance and great friendships that develop and are on display. The ending surprised me and was brilliantly done. This was a fantastic book and gripping story.

Was so excited to get this book…..love her books. This is about a mass shooting at a fair and how the victims deal with it. Bit plot twist was is random? Kept me reading and wanting to know how this would end. Didn’t see the end coming. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

Ms. Brown never fails to write an intriguing story and she worked her magic with the truly heartbreaking results of a mass shooting.

I felt every emotion of this suspenseful story that’s full of twists and turns. It’s a subject that we hear about all too often and I was unsure about reading the story. I was overwhelmed with sadness and felt such empathy for all those affected by the shooting.

Learning more about Elle and Calder, you can’t help but wonder why – why a shooting at that day/time/location? Was it just random or was someone targeted? I couldn’t stop reading and ‘flipping’ pages on my Kindle as fast as I could. The reporters, while doing their job, are just atrocious and one reporter, in particular.

This is a tense, fast-paced, emotional story and I was left thinking of the horror of such an experience along with resilience of the two main characters, long after the end of the story. I couldn’t move on to another book for a few days, as I kept thinking about all of the aspects of the story.

While this story is one that not everyone would prefer to read, I highly recommend anything Ms. Brown writes and I’m always looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

Another great Sandra Brown book and topical to today. Good characters and their interactions. Will keep you wondering who did it until the end

At a Texas county fair, a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them. Children’s book author Elle Portman was at the fair with her two-year-old son Charlie, who was one of the shooter's victims. Also at the fair was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Calder, also a casualty in the mass shooting, survived, and woke up confused in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm. As the investigation into the shooting ensues, Calder, Elle and the three other survivors are called into the police station for their statements. Calder and Elle have an immediate spark, but 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 really enjoy this author's books. They are always a perfect blend of thriller with a dash of romance. This subject is a hot button issue, with all of the mass shootings that are in the news all over the U.S. on a more and more frequent basis. The author did an excellent job combining the fear of the shooting, with the aftermath of the pain and suffering for the victims to make it feel real. There were a lot of twists and turns to keep me guessing and the attraction between Calder and Elle to top it off. This is the perfect read for anyone who loves a twisty psychological thriller. Keep in mind the subject matter, if this is in any way a trigger for you though,

A solid 4.5 stars! Sandra Brown has been an author I have read for years and this book didn't disappoint! The subject matter did get a bit tough at times and could be a trigger for those who've experienced loss or trauma. As always her writing was descriptive and really draws you into the story. The twists and turns keeps you guessing and the ending was great - quite the surprise! I very much recommend this book to those that love romantic suspense (with warnings for triggers) and like to be kept guessing. I received an ARC of this book and thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide my review and comments. All comments are my own.

Elle Porter is visiting the fair with friends and her two-year-old son Charlie. After a day of fun and a fussy toddler, Elle is headed for the crowded entrance to go home when gunfire breaks out. In the panic, she loses her hold on the stroller. Calder Hudson is ready to return home and celebrate a work win with his live-in girlfriend, a reporter for the local news. Instead he's forced to meet her at the fair. He's just entering the park when he hears gunfire. He urges everyone to get down, but then he sees a runaway stroller and in trying to save the child he's shot. Suffering from survivor's guilt, he kind the therapy group and meets Elle. He strangely drawn to her, but how could anything happen between them after they met under such tragic circumstances?
I've been a big fan of Sandra Brown for a long time and I loved this book after the initial heartbreaking start. It's full of action, drama, surprises and a little bit of romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. An ordinary day of fun at a fair and just before the big concert at the fair starts gunfire erupts. Leaving people wounded and some killed. Elle is a survivor of this terrible tragedy and deposit his best efforts Calder tried to save her son but he was unable to. An unimaginable tragedy struck but who was behind it and what was the motive? Elle and Calder are determined to find out especially since the police seem to be stalling.

Thank you so much NetGalley, the publisher and amazingly talented author for my ARC!

Oh, the emotion! The beginning was a little hard to take, but by the end, I could feel Elle's strength and perseverance. Calder just wants to celebrate the end of another job, but his girlfriend is at the fair to do an interview. He doesn't want to go to the fair but decides to go anyway. Elle is with her friend and her two-year-old son. There is quite a crowd when Elle and Charlie are leaving, and Charlie is getting a little cranky. As she is nearing the exit, Elle hears a gunshot. The man next to her goes down. Elle is knocked down and Charlie's stroller get away from her. Just as a man starts to knock over the stroller, another man grabs for it. After all is said and done, Charlie is dead and so many people are hurt. The suspected shooter has committed suicide. Or has he? Calder and Elle's lives become intertwined and eventually they end up running for their lives. Will they ever find Charlie's killer? Will they ever get past the tragedy and move on? That twist at the end was great. Loved this story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown that I read and reviewed.
This book was so freaking good that it blew my mind I am still struggling with what to say about it. From the first things that Sandra Brown said about why she was writing the book until the very last sentence this book had me captivated.
At first I was not sure how I was going to feel about a book about a mass shooting with one of the main victims being a two year old child but the way Brown told this story from all the sides it really makes you think. I loved how the mother of the child handled everything and how things turned out for her. I don’t want to give anything away, but this book was truly amazing.
I really wish there was an option to give more than five stars. Needless to say Out of Nowhere gets five out of five stars!

Holy cow…this book was quite the ride. It was sad in places, but totally loved it, for a variety of reasons! I can’t say much past the synopsis, but you’ll be turning the pages quickly with this one.

Elle Portman is a single mother of two-year-old Charlie, and a burgeoning author of children’s books. She has taken Charlie to the county fair, but he’s getting cranky, his stroller is getting heavy, and they are about to leave as gunshots ring out.

Calder Hudson was driving home from a particularly good day at work, hoping for a nice dinner with champagne. Instead, his girlfriend and local news reporter, Shauna Calloway, begged him to come join her at the fair. Being in a hot, sweaty crowd is the last thing he wants, but he decides to appease her. This completely changes everything in his life, as he gets there just before the shooting (which was difficult to read, so if that is a trigger for you, I’d sit this one out).

When the shots are finished, many are wounded. Some are dead. These people now all share a bond, but not a bond like Elle and Calder found. In a thrilling book steeped in tragedy, we also find ourselves in the middle of a smoldering, steamy and sexually-charged relationship between the two. They both know how weird it seems, but neither of them care enough to stop. Is it survivor’s guilty, a co-dependency, or true love?

The voice of the shooter is also present in this book, and it was creepy as hell. I didn’t guess the ending whatsoever, and I was considering just about everything. The final few pages were a bit abrupt, as was the last line, but the ending overall was quite strong. This book was so suspenseful and thrilling, but it was also thoughtful, well-written, timely and bold. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Sandra Brown and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 31, 2023.)

Great!

Another winner by Sandra Brown, I really enjoy her stand-alone novels, and this is a really good one. The topic of random public shootings, unfortunately so commonplace these days is timely. A tragic shooting leaves Elle without her precious 2 year old son, and many others dead or injured. She doesn’t know why it happened, but when the police have no leads after two months, she and others are willing to help.

Calder Houston, one of the survivors and someone who was trying to protect Elle’s son, is also questioned by police. Coincidentally he’s also in a relationship with a media journalist who is always chasing the big story. This could be a problem for everyone.

I liked the way the story was crafted, I was sure I knew the killer 69% in, but then came another twist and diverted me away. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing, good character development and some open door adult activities for spice. Recommend!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.