Book Review & Giveaway: Grounded

By Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

When flight attendant Annie Taylor is shaken out of her persistently on-the-go lifestyle due to a takeover at the airline she works at, she doesn’t really know where to turn. Gone is the jet-set routine that went hand-in-hand with layovers in Rome and stops in Hawaii. As quickly as her job has been snatched out from under her (although her boss promises to try and find a place for her in the newly reorganized company), she also loses her boyfriend. In a blur of emotion and uncertainty, Annie bolts from the city to her grandmother’s farm in Kentucky, where she is met with the business end of a shotgun. After her grandmother realizes that it’s Annie who has come sneaking into the house in the middle of the night, they set aside the reunion for the next morning.

 Fast forward a few days, and Annie sees nothing about the farm that’s worth keeping. It’s a money-losing proposition, and she tries to persuade her grandmother to see things her way, but Beulah refuses to budge. And as she starts learning more about the farm, and the family history behind it, Annie realizes that her grandmother might be right. With a dash of romance added to this novel that’s based in real human emotion, Grounded offers what so few novels do: real, homegrown advice, and characters that stay in your heart and your mind long after you’ve put it down. I was stunned to realize that this was Ms. Correll’s debut novel, and I can’t help but hope for a follow-up.

The writing in this novel was spot-on. The language never felt overblown or too flowery, but instead was realistic, resulting in good dialogue and believable situations. Ms. Correll’s use of descriptions was also absolutely bang-on, and never felt forced or ridiculous. The descriptions are woven so well into the story that without even realizing it, the reader all of a sudden knows how to can green beans, how to plant a garden so that not everything comes up at once, and how to serve up a good country dinner. Annie is never overbearing, and as she slowly becomes the country girl that she once was you really get to see her blossom in a way you just know she never had the chance to in the city.

Jake (Annie’s childhood friend) comes back to the farm as well, all grown up, and considering leaving his corporate lifestyle to get back to his roots and try his hand at farming. He has a girlfriend in tow, and I love the fact that his commitment, his loyalty, and his “good-guy” personality run so deep that he doesn’t take one look at Annie and forget all about his current sweetheart. (Seriously…any time I read a book and the love interest does this, I have to wonder how deep any of their feelings really go.) Jake is a wonderful foil to Annie’s initial character as he understands the city and how the corporate world works, but also sees the value in getting back to the land.

I honestly cannot say enough about Grounded. I absolutely adored this book. It’s already in the re-read pile! It was written from the heart and right from the get-go, you can tell. It pulls you in and makes you feel involved in the story in a way that not many novels do any more. My fingers are permanently crossed in the hopes of a follow-up novel. Even if it’s not a sequel to Grounded, I will definitely be first in line to grab Ms. Correll’s next offering. Well thought-out, and well written, Grounded was everything I look for in a book. I’ve recommended it to friends and family, and will be lending my copy out all over the place. This book is amazing, and you won’t regret picking it up.

Thanks to Angela Correll for the book in exchange for an honest review. She has TWO copies for some lucky readers in the US and/or Canada.

How to win:
In regards to the title of this novel, tell us about a time you were grounded as a kid/teenager. What was it for and how long did it last?

One entry per person.

Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win. Entries without contact information will NOT be counted.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends October 21st at midnight EST.

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