Okay, let's be real for a second. I almost DNF'd this in the first fifteen minutes.
I picked this up thinking, "Sandra Brown? Classic romantic suspense. Perfect for folding three loads of laundry." But then the opening scene hits—a shooting at a county fair while the main character is there with her two-year-old son. As a mom who spends half her life scanning exits at Target, this triggered my anxiety in a major way. (Seriously, I had to pause it and go check on Sophie while she was napping just to breathe.)
But—and this is a big but—I didn't stop. Because Sandra Brown knows exactly how to hook you, even when you kind of want to look away.
The Voice in My Head
I usually gravitate toward female narrators for romance—give me Julia Whelan any day—so seeing Kyf Brewer on the dashboard threw me off a bit. He won me over in End Game too, where his delivery made even the quieter moments feel cinematic. I wasn't sure a male voice could carry the emotional weight of a terrified mom, but honestly? He nailed the vibe.
He has this gravelly, warm tone that worked perfectly for Calder, the "arrogant consultant" hero. You know the type—high-roller, full of himself, thinks he's invincible until he isn't. Brewer made him sound annoying enough to be believable but charming enough that you don't hate him. The female voices? Eh. They were fine. Not amazing, but not distracting enough to ruin the flow. He kept the pacing tight, which is crucial because if a thriller drags while I'm sitting in the school pick-up line, I'm switching to a podcast. I listened at my standard 1.25x speed, and it felt like a movie playing in my head.
When "Trauma Bonding" is the Whole Plot
Here's the thing about the romance—it's weird. But given the context, it kind of has to be.
Some reviews I read complained that the relationship felt awkward or rushed. And yeah, under normal circumstances, falling for the guy you met five minutes before a tragedy is a stretch. But here? It made sense to me. It's messy. It's that desperate "we survived" energy.
If you're looking for a cute, flirty rom-com to cleanse your palate after a long week, this isn't it. For that lighter vibe, I'd reach for something like Honeymoon Crashers instead. This is heavy. It deals with grief, survivor's guilt, and the hunt for a shooter who is still out there. There were moments where the "romance" took a backseat to the "please don't let the bad guy win" plot, and honestly, I was okay with that. The mystery part kept me guessing—I actually didn't peg the shooter until right before the reveal, which is rare for me. (Usually, I solve the crime by chapter four.)
Who's This For (And Who Should Run)
Listen if: You're a Sandra Brown fan who wants suspense with teeth, or you need something gripping enough to get you through endless errands. Skip if: You're triggered by mass shooting scenarios, especially involving kids—the opening scene doesn't pull punches.
Sitting in the Garage, Engine Off
This isn't my usual "comfort read." It didn't leave me with that warm, fuzzy feeling I get from a beach read. It was intense. But it was also gripping in a way that made me sit in the garage for an extra ten minutes after getting home from grocery shopping just to hear the end of a chapter.
If you're a Sandra Brown fan, you know the drill: solid suspense, decent twists, and characters you root for. Just maybe don't listen to the first chapter while you're actually at a fair or a playground. Trust me on that one.
