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Groundswell
EAT, SURF, LOVE. A butterfly flaps its wings in New York City . . . and a groundswell forms in Mexico. . . .
Sometimes the biggest ripples come from the smallest events. Like the day that Emma Guthrie walks into world-famous movie star Garrett Walker’s trailer. When she steps through the door, she’s a novice PA who’s just dropped out of college after losing her scholarship. When she walks out, she’s on her way to becoming Mrs. Emma Walker—wife of an A-list actor. Soon, Emma has made the transition from nobody to red-carpet royalty, trading jeans and flip-flops for closets full of Chanel and Birkin bags, swishing past velvet ropes to attend every lavish party and charity gala on both coasts. With her husband’s encouragement, Emma pens a screenplay based on her life, Fame Tax, which becomes a blockbuster sensation. Through it all, Garrett is her ally and her mentor . . . until their relationship is thrown into question by an incriminating text message that Emma discovers on Garrett’s phone the night of the Met Costume Institute Gala.
Devastated by her husband’s infidelity and hounded mercilessly by the paparazzi, Emma must flee New York City to get away from it all and clear her head. Her destination? A sleepy coastal town in Mexico where no one recognizes her and there is nothing but unspoiled beaches for miles. Here, she meets Ben, a gorgeous, California-born surf instructor, who teaches her about the healing powers of surfing, shows her the joys of the simple life, and ultimately opens her up to the possibility of love.
From Manhattan’s hippest restaurants to the yacht-and-celebrity infested waters of St. Barts, Katie Lee’s debut novel is an irresistible insider’s glimpse into a glittering world—and a captivating story about how losing everything you thought you wanted can be the first step to finding what you need.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2011
46 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Katie Lee
56 books38 followersKatie Lee is the food and lifestyle contributor for The Early Show and has appeared on Oprah, CBS Sunday Morning, The Rachael Ray Show, The Nate Berkus Show, and Iron Chef America. She writes a regular column for Cosmopolitan and has been featured in publications such as People, Vanity Fair, Food and Wine, Town & Country, and InStyle. She is the author of the cookbooks The Comfort Table and The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions. She lives in the Hamptons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
December 2, 2023
4 Stars for Groundswell (audiobook) by Katie Lee read by Coleen Marlo.
This dream come true romance soon turns into heartbreak. Emma runs away to Mexico to be alone, there she challenges her fears and meets the new chapter of her life.
This dream come true romance soon turns into heartbreak. Emma runs away to Mexico to be alone, there she challenges her fears and meets the new chapter of her life.
June 29, 2011
How in the world did this book get published? Because the author was married to Billy Joel?
Cliche story, vanilla characters, no surprise ending. I think it took me an hour to read it.
Waste of time, folks.
Cliche story, vanilla characters, no surprise ending. I think it took me an hour to read it.
Waste of time, folks.
July 3, 2011
I hate to give first time authors a negative score, because at least they are attempting their dream and writing a book, which is more than I've done. But this one was kind of weak. I was on the USA Today website and found a article about how this book might be a reflection on the author's unsuccessful marriage (for those of you who don't know, she was married to Billy Joel, the singer), and she denied it, but come on, there has to be some truth to it.
Anyway, it's about a small town girl who falls in love with a movie star who falls in love with her, they get married, then seven years later, she finds out that he cheated on her with her BFF (that's original), so she leaves him and goes to Mexico where she gets smitten with a surfer. Of course the book as a happy ending, but more than half of it was telling the story about how she and her hubby met. I guess I was expecting more on her journey to rediscover herself and move on with life after she finds out about her hubby. But really, there's only about 50 pages of that. There really wasn't very much emotion in this book. Like you know that she's supposed to be happy or sad or whatever, but the author doesn't really go into depth with the feelings, so that kind of helped make it a little flat.
Anyway, it's about a small town girl who falls in love with a movie star who falls in love with her, they get married, then seven years later, she finds out that he cheated on her with her BFF (that's original), so she leaves him and goes to Mexico where she gets smitten with a surfer. Of course the book as a happy ending, but more than half of it was telling the story about how she and her hubby met. I guess I was expecting more on her journey to rediscover herself and move on with life after she finds out about her hubby. But really, there's only about 50 pages of that. There really wasn't very much emotion in this book. Like you know that she's supposed to be happy or sad or whatever, but the author doesn't really go into depth with the feelings, so that kind of helped make it a little flat.
July 20, 2011
This book is totally CUTE. Hollywood. Slightly Shallow. Chick Lit. Great love story. Yes. This is THE perfect beach read. What girl hasn't dreamed of meeting a huge Hollywood star and have him fall head over heels for you? Here's the basic plot: Movie star meets small-town girl, love and marriage! HURRAY! Throw in a jealous best friend and a cheating husband Ummm, not so hurray....Add in a quiet beach resort and a super hot, amazing surf instructor...back to HURRAY!
Often in Chick Lit, the main character will just annoy me. They will make stupid decisions, act like a complete ditz or just generally be an irritating person. However, this wasn't the case in Groundswell. Emma had a good, solid head on her shoulders, and she wasn't swept up in being the perfect fake, stereotypical Hollywood wife.
The ending just made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Because seriously, a lot of endings lately have been cliffhangers and they just suck and make me crazy or they end up being terribly sad . Y'know I've had enough with the SAD. I've read countless books with the sad and forlorn lovers and the whining...Ohhh, the whining. Boo-hoo.....This ending rocked.
Katie Lee was actually married to a celebrity, Billy Joel. I read in an interview over at CBS that she had "The Paris Wife" on hold at the library. I love that she goes to the library! That's so cool! (I don't know why that's so exciting to me but, it just is!) Celebrity Wives, errr former celebrity wives use the library too! Anytime a celebrity writes a novel, I have to wonder how much it's a reflection on their life. (Perfect example: Lauren Conrad with the LA Candy series, REALLY NOW?)
The surfing part of this book really doesn't come in until almost the very end, so I don't know why the first line of the summary is EAT SURF LOVE. It really doesn't have a whole lot to do with surfing. (Unless, the finished copy is completely different from the eGalley I received).
This is a very cute love story (also YES, FINALLY a book that isn't part of a series) and a great beach read. If you're a fan of Lauren Weisberger or Emily Giffin, I'd suggest taking this one along on your summer vacation!
Judge a Book By It's Cover: Sorry to say, but I think the cover looks kind of cheesy. Why is there a diamond (a super gorgeous diamond, I might add) just randomly thrown on the cover? I would never guess from the cover what the book was about. The story inside is much better!
*Disclosure: I received an eGalley courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
Often in Chick Lit, the main character will just annoy me. They will make stupid decisions, act like a complete ditz or just generally be an irritating person. However, this wasn't the case in Groundswell. Emma had a good, solid head on her shoulders, and she wasn't swept up in being the perfect fake, stereotypical Hollywood wife.
The ending just made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Because seriously, a lot of endings lately have been cliffhangers and they just suck and make me crazy or they end up being terribly sad . Y'know I've had enough with the SAD. I've read countless books with the sad and forlorn lovers and the whining...Ohhh, the whining. Boo-hoo.....This ending rocked.
Katie Lee was actually married to a celebrity, Billy Joel. I read in an interview over at CBS that she had "The Paris Wife" on hold at the library. I love that she goes to the library! That's so cool! (I don't know why that's so exciting to me but, it just is!) Celebrity Wives, errr former celebrity wives use the library too! Anytime a celebrity writes a novel, I have to wonder how much it's a reflection on their life. (Perfect example: Lauren Conrad with the LA Candy series, REALLY NOW?)
The surfing part of this book really doesn't come in until almost the very end, so I don't know why the first line of the summary is EAT SURF LOVE. It really doesn't have a whole lot to do with surfing. (Unless, the finished copy is completely different from the eGalley I received).
This is a very cute love story (also YES, FINALLY a book that isn't part of a series) and a great beach read. If you're a fan of Lauren Weisberger or Emily Giffin, I'd suggest taking this one along on your summer vacation!
Judge a Book By It's Cover: Sorry to say, but I think the cover looks kind of cheesy. Why is there a diamond (a super gorgeous diamond, I might add) just randomly thrown on the cover? I would never guess from the cover what the book was about. The story inside is much better!
*Disclosure: I received an eGalley courtesy of Simon & Schuster.
June 22, 2011
Emma Guthrie went from being a nobody to the wife of famous actor, Garrett Walker. Emma was just an personal assistant helping on a film set. Garrett is the leading actor in the movie. It seemed that Garrett took a liking to Emma right away. Though, Emma did not accept Garrett’s invitations for a while. It was not long after Garrett and Emma starting dating that things got really serious fast. Before Emma knew it, she was Mrs. Garrett Walker. Now Emma has to contend with the paparazzi. After seven years of marriage, Emma discovers by accident that Garrett is cheating on her. Emma heads to Mexico to get away. There she meets sexy, surf instructor Ben.
This book was a nice surprise. I was kind of expecting the characters in this book to be self-centered and one dimensional. Instead, I found that I was rooting for Emma all the way. The part when she met Ben reminded me of Jan Porter’s Flirting with Forty book. It was fun, charming and I wanted Ben and Emma to get together. Though, Garrett cheated on Emma, I actually did not mind him as a person. I was amazed at how quickly I read this book. By the time I was ready to take a break, I was already half way through the book. Groundswell is a must read!
This book was a nice surprise. I was kind of expecting the characters in this book to be self-centered and one dimensional. Instead, I found that I was rooting for Emma all the way. The part when she met Ben reminded me of Jan Porter’s Flirting with Forty book. It was fun, charming and I wanted Ben and Emma to get together. Though, Garrett cheated on Emma, I actually did not mind him as a person. I was amazed at how quickly I read this book. By the time I was ready to take a break, I was already half way through the book. Groundswell is a must read!
Read
May 19, 2023I mainly skimmed for cheating parts,lol!🤷
Married 7 years to her movie star husband she discovers via a text that he's cheating with her close friend ,she then witnesses their passionate exchange. When confronted he blames her,lies and minimizes. When he realizes she is not buying it,he admits to others. It seems when she came unto her own,her dearth of fawning over him disturbed him.When they have a final confrontation, its clear he loves her in his own way,but his weaknesses and personality defects would persist. Meanwhile she had met someone new,had fallen in love with her surf instructor, pens a manuscript Groundswell.
Has been made onto film of same name.
Married 7 years to her movie star husband she discovers via a text that he's cheating with her close friend ,she then witnesses their passionate exchange. When confronted he blames her,lies and minimizes. When he realizes she is not buying it,he admits to others. It seems when she came unto her own,her dearth of fawning over him disturbed him.When they have a final confrontation, its clear he loves her in his own way,but his weaknesses and personality defects would persist. Meanwhile she had met someone new,had fallen in love with her surf instructor, pens a manuscript Groundswell.
Has been made onto film of same name.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2020
Katie Lee’s book has been on my TBR list for quite some time. Her writing style quickly draws you in as does the setting. Emma is your typical small town girl who ends up falling for a Hollywood icon. What ensues will break your heart but not surprise the reader. However, Emma is made of more than she thinks and turns lemons into lemonade. Hence the title of the book Groundswell gentle waves from a big storm. I hope we can look forward to another book from her.
September 12, 2011
Fluffy beach read -- rather formulaic but not eye-gougingly corny ... except for maybe the paragraph where Garrett and Emma each bring their three favorite movies to watch without telling each other their selections ... and they both bring 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' -- blech! Left this one at our rental for someone else to 'enjoy' on vacation.
By the way, author Katie Lee is formerly Katie Lee Joel, married to songster Billy Joel -- from what I know of their relationship (People & Us Weekly), this isn't exactly a 'reality into fiction' novel. But I do think Ms. Lee imagines herself much like protagonist Emma Guthrie -- small-town girl from Kentucky with big dreams who just happens to fall in love with a famous person who can make those dreams a reality. In her post Mrs.Joel-life, maybe writing a fiction novel was one of her dreams and just having been married to a big star made it possible. But I digress ...
By the way, author Katie Lee is formerly Katie Lee Joel, married to songster Billy Joel -- from what I know of their relationship (People & Us Weekly), this isn't exactly a 'reality into fiction' novel. But I do think Ms. Lee imagines herself much like protagonist Emma Guthrie -- small-town girl from Kentucky with big dreams who just happens to fall in love with a famous person who can make those dreams a reality. In her post Mrs.Joel-life, maybe writing a fiction novel was one of her dreams and just having been married to a big star made it possible. But I digress ...
June 4, 2019
This was ok, read because of who the author was.
June 6, 2023
i absolutely loved this book. the way she navigates time sets the story up to be enthralling, and kept me interested the entire time. i was captivated by the main character, and the growth in all the other characters - i found the story to be somewhat like a fairytale but with a twist. proving that while you have envisioned your life to happen one way, you never know what lies ahead. overall a great beach read & would read again.
December 4, 2023
There is supposed to be a book about a woman finding herself after her husband cheats on her. But out of the 240 pages, she doesn't find out about the cheating until page 185ish. Then, he doesn't go to Mexico until almost page 200. Spent more time reading about her life and wonderful courtship than anything. If give if one star but the first bit (50 pages or so), I enjoyed. I kept waiting for it to become good again until I reached that "well might as well finish it" point.
January 14, 2025
Meh.
Unfortunately, this book was boring and predictable. The character development was poor. The title of the book is somewhat misleading. The first 3/4 of the book helps to build to the point where you understand why it's called what it's called, but that build was boring, honestly. Being that it is authored by Katie Lee, I was hoping maybe a few recipes would have been thrown in, but no such luck.
Unfortunately, this book was boring and predictable. The character development was poor. The title of the book is somewhat misleading. The first 3/4 of the book helps to build to the point where you understand why it's called what it's called, but that build was boring, honestly. Being that it is authored by Katie Lee, I was hoping maybe a few recipes would have been thrown in, but no such luck.
May 16, 2017
As others have said it is a great summer beach book. No it isn't a deep in-depth novel. But I wasn't looking for that. I like books just for the fun of it sometimes so as not to think. Perfect light Hallmark movie type. If you are serious reader and want a book with depth don't read this but if want a beach book for fun highly recommend to drift off to fairytale land!
August 12, 2022
I bought this book because I like Katie Lee as a Good Network personality and I had heard it has been optioned by Hallmark for their summer line up this year. It took me almost a year to finally pick it up and read it. The previews for the movie are for a VERY different story. Ok book but it felt like an 80's romance novel.
July 10, 2024
Betrayal is a terrible thing. Emma is in shock as she watches her husband passionately kiss her best friend. What brought this about she asks. Wanting to escape from the eyes of the public she runs off to Mexico and decides to take surfing lessons. It doesn’t hurt that the surfing teacher or instructor is quite handsome and there’s a mutual attraction. Wanting to cast her previous life aside, she makes a life choice.
This is an easy read which I listen to on audible and also read portions of the book. Katie Lee has written a modern day fairytale with a twist. Coleen Marlo narrated the book. I did a good job. I personally marvel at the talent, the narrators have.
I gave this book for stars and enjoyed. It is the perfect book for when you want a quick read that’s enjoyable.
***SPOILER***
When she left those diamond studs on the pillow for housekeeping, I thought I’d scream. She must really have wanted to change her lifestyle. 🤣 Then again the studs represented the shedding of her old life.
This is an easy read which I listen to on audible and also read portions of the book. Katie Lee has written a modern day fairytale with a twist. Coleen Marlo narrated the book. I did a good job. I personally marvel at the talent, the narrators have.
I gave this book for stars and enjoyed. It is the perfect book for when you want a quick read that’s enjoyable.
***SPOILER***
When she left those diamond studs on the pillow for housekeeping, I thought I’d scream. She must really have wanted to change her lifestyle. 🤣 Then again the studs represented the shedding of her old life.
December 8, 2025
This book totally pulled me in. I loved the fairytale feel of the romance at the beginning and how the story gradually deepened as the main character grew. By the end, her journey feels beautifully earned, and the love she finds matches exactly who she has become. It all just unfolds in the best possible way.
July 11, 2018
Whole title/theme of the book revolves around 1/8th of the content; and yet the entire book is utterly glam and highly readable; the life we all want to live; the main character seems a bit loose to me though
July 23, 2019
This was just a mediocre book about a woman whose life is meaningless without men and it did not appeal to me. I stuck with it because it was a quick read, but it really was just a basic love story with descriptions of a rich celebrity's life thrown in to attempt to make it seem interesting.
October 14, 2022
I picked this book because it's being made into a movie. Its very different than I imagined and more of a romance novel than I usually read. I still enjoyed it, kind of like eating a candy bar instead of a healthy lunch. Not something to do all the time but nice for a change
January 3, 2023
It was a quick, fun read. Not much substance...but thats ok. I needed to just relax and see where it went. I will say, I can not believe it is being made into a movie...I can't imagine what they will do with it as there is not alot to the story. I was positively expecting much more from Katie Lee.
June 24, 2024
Lovely
I couldn't stop reading, this is such a good story which rings true. The characters are attractive and easy to like. I enjoyed the details about the rich and famous, they seemed authentic.
I couldn't stop reading, this is such a good story which rings true. The characters are attractive and easy to like. I enjoyed the details about the rich and famous, they seemed authentic.
June 24, 2024
Great quick fun sexy read!
I couldn’t believe how quickly this went! I read it in less than a day and enjoyed every minute of it!!! I’m much older than the protagonist but I learned a lot from her. May you enjoy this as much as I did!!!
I couldn’t believe how quickly this went! I read it in less than a day and enjoyed every minute of it!!! I’m much older than the protagonist but I learned a lot from her. May you enjoy this as much as I did!!!
July 2, 2018
Fluffy book with a mild plot. Enjoyable for what it is.
June 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. A fun quick read.
June 4, 2022
Sweet "Hallmark Type" story. Easy, quick, fun read. Coincidently being filmed now, shortly after reading. Can't wait to see the movie.
June 6, 2022
Loved this easy read! Finished it in one sitting. Can’t wait to see the upcoming movie too.
June 15, 2022
Audiobook- I like Katie on Food Network and it's becoming a Hallmark movie, so 👍🏼
July 15, 2022
3.5. It's going to be a sweet Hallmark movie.
September 10, 2022
Awful. Just terrible! Last time I take a reco from the Today Show! I am now dumber for having read this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews