Good read. Kept me guessing but I don't know that I loved it. I enjoyed it but some parts felt too technical for my taste.

TJ does it again! I read both by audio and reading and personally felt I could follow the abundance of characters better by audio than reading. I really liked that this was less airplane centered like her first two and instead what happens after an airplane event. It shows TJ can step a bit outside her comfort zone. Loved it!

T.j. Newman is back again with another disaster thriller. I love this authors ability to plunge you into a situation that you would never imagine finding yourself in and makes it believable.

I absolutely adored Falling and Drowning, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Newman’s newest release. While this book definitely delivers the drama and suspense we’ve all come to expect from Newman’s novels, it was by far my least favorite of the three.

This story opens up with the “worst case scenario” when a pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in rural Minnesota. Instead of following the passengers on the flight and awaiting their fate, we know right away that all the passengers perish, and instead this is a story about trying to avoid a disaster of global proportions in the aftermath.

I think the main thing that lost me a bit was that a lot of the details about the nuclear energy and the potential disaster went over my head. I didn’t realize before reading this book how much I had no idea how nuclear power works. 😅 Though Newman did a good job explaining what it all meant, it did go over my head and I found it hard to really follow what was going on throughout the action of the book.

My favorite part of the book was the glimpses we got into the community and the ways that people would reach out to help a neighbor in a crisis. I found those parts to be hopeful and uplifting and perfect to offset the drama of the rest of the book.

Overall, this book wasn’t a huge hit for me but I will definitely keep reading whatever TJ Newman writes.

I loved this just as much as Falling. Excellent, gripping books that grab you right from the beginning.

Great book!
Very graphic at times, especially at the first of the book.
Constant action, I became very anxious at times while reading it.
I would and will recommend to others.

I loved TJ Newmans previous books Falling and Drowning. I couldn’t wait to see what she did next! When I found out her newest book was focused on a plane crashing into a nuclear power plant that was all I needed to hear! I live about 50 miles from a nuclear plant so I have always been a bit intrigued. Newman did in fact give us almost every worst case scenario. I enjoyed this books so much! Action packed. Tragedies and triumph. It was like watching a 90s blockbuster. My only criticism was the ending which seems to wrap up rather quickly. 4 stars! Can’t wait for the next one!

TJ Newman is so freaking talented. I bet there are quite a few people kicking themselves in the ass for passing on her. Her latest—Worst Case Scenario—is a little different from the previous books but no less stressful. Worst Case Scenario spends less than 1% of the book inside the plane. All that’s good, bad, and ugly; the soul-crushing despair and beauty the book has to offer occur after the crash. Having Hollywood stalk her is a testament to her talent and she shows no signs of slowing. The rope-a-dope she pulled wasn't very nice, though.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for an advanced copy of Worst Case Scenario via NetGalley.

I'll just say it—I'm a huge TJ Newman fan. I read "Drowning" on vacation in one sitting, and since then, I knew I would read anything she published. Worse Case Scenario is a slight departure from Newman's previous work, which all had to do with the intricacies of how things could go very, very wrong on the inside of an airplane. An airplane is involved in this book too, but it's not the site of the drama—rather, after a heart attack takes out the pilot and a passenger plane hurtles into a nuclear power plant, various citizens of a small town have to prevent utter, world-altering catastrophe. Newman's pacing is breakneck, and her research is impressive. She clearly puts a lot more time into figuring out the exact way a disaster would unfold than about 80% of her thriller writer peers. I enjoyed this book immensely, but it did seem to end very quickly—I'd have loved about two more chapters of denoument, and explanation of what actually happens in the wake of a near-catastrophic event. I assume deadlines prevented Newman from that kind of wind-down, and I don't really blame her publishers. If Newman was my author, I'd want her putting out as many books as quickly as possible. It's honestly wild they haven't been picked up as the premise for a movie or TV show yet. I'll be waiting on tenterhooks for her next thriller.

This book was fast paced, action packed and I loved it. I've purchased 2 other T.J. Newman novels about airplanes and she does not disappoint (I even picked one for book club and it was a huge hit).

A plane crash is a tragic, unfathomable event. A plane crash into a nuclear reactor is the worst case scenario. As workers try desperately to contain the radiation and avoid a nuclear meltdown, the nearby town is dealing with the aftermath of the crash. Impossible decisions will need to be made and not everyone will make it out alive.

TJ Newman tells these stories of unimaginable tragedy, complicated fixes, and impossible decisions like no one else. The suspense is perfectly timed as the scenario unfolds. The children in the story and the potential long term impacts of radiation exposure hit a little too close to home for me. Newman's story telling is so realistic that I felt like I was in it. Another top notch thriller from Newman!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC of Worst Case Scenario.

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman is a heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Newman’s ability to create tension and high-stakes drama is unmatched, as she plunges us the reader into a world where every decision can mean life or death. The characters are well-developed, each bringing their own complexities and emotional depth to the story. Newman masterfully blends action with human vulnerability, making the characters’ struggles feel real and relatable. The pacing is perfect—fast enough to keep the momentum going, but not so rushed that it sacrifices character development or plot intricacy. One of the standout elements of this book is its immersive nature. The vivid descriptions make you feel as if you’re right there with the characters, experiencing the same fear, urgency, and determination. Newman’s background in aviation adds authenticity to the technical details, making the scenarios not only believable but utterly captivating. If you’re a fan of high-octane thrillers that captivate you from the start and holds you in a death grip and that keep you guessing until the very end, Worst Case Scenario is a must-read. It’s a roller-coaster of emotions and excitement that will leave you breathless and eager for more until the very last page. Many tears were shed and I endured alot of stress while reading. I loved this better than falling.

This book had me in the edge of my seat! I could literally feel my heart beating out of my chest at certain moments! Action packed with great characters! Another winner from this author!

For those looking for another gripping plane story, you might need to pivot a little. A plane sets up the plot for this one, but it all unfolds on the ground in the aftermath of an event.

I was on the edge of my seat and more than once I was yelling at the book. I really connected and felt protective of one of the characters.

There is tension from the start and the action just kept going, but I would say the characters, their actions and their character really stole the show for me. There is no shortage of characters and I had moments where I had to step back and take a moment to get them straight, but over all I really was entertained by this one. A true summer blockbuster read.

I struggled a little with the narration on this one, but it was really me. Joe Morton narrated the audiobook and with every word he said, it was Papa Pope talking. I was a huge Scandal fan and not a fan of his character. So I was a little tense listening to this for a reason other than the story and it was due to my uncanny ability to remember voices and not getting his previous character out of my mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

If you enjoyed the first 2 books you'll love this one. All 3 can be read as standalone books.

The suspense will have you at the edge of your seat.... don't read on a flight....

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! What do you get when you cross a pilot having a heart attack while flying a plane and a nuclear power plant? You get the Worst Case Scenario by T. J. Newman. This fast paced, suspense novel will keep you on the edge of your seat. It got my heart pumping within the first two paragraphs. Every time I felt my body relax, a turn of events would get it racing all over again. A well written, intense novel that I would highly recommend to others.

T.J. Newman opened the book by saying that he asked pilots what they feared the most and one replied crashing into a nuclear power plant, thus this book was born. When a pilot has a heart attack while flying a commercial airliner, it crashed into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, This becomes ground zero and the setting of this story. As firefighters and nuclear safety personnel work together, their goal is to prevent a world wide disaster. If they can not prevent a melt down or explosion, this would be a Level 8 nuclear disaster, worse than Fukushima and Chernobyl.

Oh my goodness, this book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. This is a book that you have to go in cold. I am not going to share anymore about the story itself, just how it made me feel. With my limited knowledge of what a nuclear disaster could do to the world, I am now wondering why we have nuclear power points, knowing that this type of thing could happen. I was frightened for the people in the story, especially the children. There are heroes in this story, some that were willing to give their lives to save everyone. The main characters were well developed throughout the story, as we learn about their pasts and what brought them to where they are. The townsfolk pull together to help people in need, and ordinary people take charge to keep everyone informed. It reminded me a bit of what happened during 9-11. This is a jaw dropping, can't put down story that I highly recommend. I have enjoyed each of the thrillers written by T.J. Newman and this was her finest. I can't imagine what she could follow this up with.

I have very quickly become a fan of T.J, Newman. A friend recently recommended Drowning, which was edge of my seat, heart pounding and riveting and when I saw that Worst Case Scenario was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say T.J Newman didn’t disappoint. I think that it was a very different premise from the other book I read, with less emphasis on the passengers and more on the impending doom that is created when a “worst case scenario” situation arises. I was hooked from the first chapter of Worst Case Scenario. I hate flying, so it doesn’t do anything for my anxiety…but T.J. Newman captivates you from the first sentence. There is a lot going on when the worst thing that can happen on a plane is not only the pilot having a heart attack but the plane ends up crashing into a nuclear plant in the heart of America. It seems like such a far fetched concept, but is it really? This could impact not only the passengers on the plane, those in the town but also catastrophically impact the entire world.

T.J. Newman has created a world that you are simply a part of, and the character development is so well done that you will be crying by the end of the book (no spoilers - it’s just big emotions all around…you know, worst case scenarios and all). This was a quick, well written thriller that not only focuses on the personal disasters and stories of those affected by this catastrophe but also the impact that one seemingly small event has on the rest of the world. The way this was written and unfolded had me invested and stopping everything in order to find out what was going to happen next. As sad as a catastrophe is, this was a well written and entertaining disaster, that seemed to be very well researched and explained.

Thank you to NetGalley, T.J. Newman, and Little, Brown & Company for the eARC of Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman. Publication date for Worst Case Scenario was 13 August 2024. If you haven’t already, grab your copy today…audiobook or print - both compelling and heart pounding.

Wow 4.5⭐️. What a treat!! TJ Newman and Joe Morton made this story an auditory experience!

I was hooked from the first chapter and before I even realized I was at 70%. The book opens with a commercial flight heading nose first in to a nuclear power plant.

These types of books always run the risk of sounding far fetched as some authors don't do the correct research. Not here. Every moment/page of this book sounds/feels real. On the flip side, some novels like this also run the risk of becoming boring with too many technical details. I definitely did not experience that here. I'm sure the author's experience as a flight attendant helped.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I would definitely check trigger warnings here. The book was fairly gruesome in parts. Lots of death (obviously) and heart wrenching stories. I don't know how much more of Connor's storyline I could take. I was on edge of my seat the entire book!

Thank you @netgalley and @HachetteAudio @LittleBrown for a copy of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman was a stressful and entertaining read. It kept me hooked, I got invested in the characters, and I cried a few times. The scenario here is far fetched but it didn’t matter. If you’ve enjoyed her other novels, you will enjoy this one.