Out of Nowhere

Sandra Brown — 2023

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a fast-paced, emotional thriller where the lives of a young mother and a high-rolling consultant collide under devastating circumstances--culminating in a desperate manhunt that will change their futures forever. 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 cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they're about to head home, the unthinkable happens: 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.

Reviews

Lynn Braden@ftbooklover

Aug 13, 2023

After her infant son is killed during a mass shooting at a local fair, Elle Portman tries to pick up the pieces of her life, but she is also determined to get justice for Charlie. When he wakes up in the hospital, Calder Hudson doesn't remember trying to save Elle's son or anyone else but is consumed with guilt once he finds out that the bullet that went through his arm is what killed Charlie. The time that Calder and Elle spend together helping the police brings them closer together and exposes an attraction that neither of them wants but can't resist.

I have mixed feelings about the subject matter in Out of Nowhere. The author's note at the beginning of the story makes it clear that Sandra Brown felt a bit inadequate describing the feelings of the characters using only her words. Mass shootings are a difficult topic, but in the first part of the book, Ms. Brown does a good job bringing the reader into the story, detailing the emotions of the characters rather well. However, after a two month time jump that doesn't show any of the anguish suffered by the characters, the plot becomes formulaic and loses much of the realism that could have made this an outstanding romantic suspense story. Overall, Out of Nowhere is a decent romantic suspense novel that could have been so much more.