Grounded

by Kate Forest

Biologist Julia won’t tolerate another frigid Chicago winter studying the frozen Great Lakes. But with every hour of her flight delay, her chance on a research voyage in Florida slips further away.

Jeremy must get to Florida to sever the noose-like obligations of his family's boating business so he can become curator of a Chicago museum.

Stuck in an airport, waiting out the snowstorm of the century, can two travelers headed for opposite paths find love while trapped in Concourse B?

Genres: Novella

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2016

About the author

Award winning author Kate Forest has worked in a psychiatric hospital, as a dating coach, and spent a disastrous summer selling above-ground swimming pools. But it was her over twenty-year career as a social worker that compelled her to write love stories with characters you don't typically get to read about. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, two kids, and a fierce corgi.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grounded by Kate Forest was a wonderful story about one young woman who thought she knew exactly what she wanted and a man who was where he wanted to be but was being pressured by his family to take over the family empire. These two crossed paths at the Chicago O’Hare Airport and their lives were forever changed.



Julia is a Biologist in Chicago and yearns to leave the cold. She is on her way to Tampa to interview for a prestigious graduate program. Jeremy has the job of his dreams with a promotion within his grasp at a Chicago museum but his Mother in Tampa is pressuring him to take over the family boating business due to his father’s recent passing. Jeremy doesn’t even like boats and does not want to be a part of the family business.



Julia and Jeremy’s flight is delayed and then canceled due to a huge storm system so they spend an unforgettable night together stuck in the airport making them both question everything.

“Before I looked up to the source of that deep rumbling voice, I knew I was home.”



I loved this one. Jeremy and Julia came into each other’s lives when they least expected it but perhaps most needed it. These two really stayed with me after I finished reading it!

[Rebecca M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, thoroughly enjoyed it!

3 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed this, 40 pages of lovely banter between strangers who meet in an airport, both at crossroads.
Somewhat short, somewhat clean, but a cute romance that put a huge smile on my face.
This is a new writer to watch, a fresh new voice in romance/chick lit. I loved her full length novel Interior Design and Other Emotions recently And highly recommend it. This is a great filler while I await her next novel.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

I shook myself. It was only natural to get turned on by a guy who buys your pastry.

He blushed. Jeremy, the over-confident art curator and son of a gazillionaire blushed.


My Review:

Grounded was a quick, enjoyable, sweet, and light and frothy read. The characters were adorable and highly relatable and the storyline was relevant and entertaining. Perfect for cleansing the palate between the more angsty and tautly intense books on your TBR, as this smartly written, pleasurable, cleverly observant, and well-detailed story left me with an amused smile and a relaxed sense of contentment. I quickly added Ms. Forest’s other book to my TBR.

[Ruth Zavitsanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella that offered a sweet romance, fun characters and a satisfying ending.

[Beth Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Stranded in O'Hare Airport most people are just wanting to get out of the frigid region for several reasons. When their flight is cancelled to Tampa, passengers must find alternate flights, if they're lucky or make alternate plans. A snowstorm makes leaving impossible. Julia just wants to make it to Tampa for an important interview. She's hoping to join the Marine Biology graduate program at the University of Florida working with Jonathan McBride on his research team. Jeremy is just hoping to convince his mother to take over as the new president and CEO of his dad's company, since his ambitions are not with the company. He wants to stay in Chicago and Julia just wants to leave. These complete strangers find a unlikely romance in their meeting at the airport, but will distance factor in? Do they even want to pursue something that could never be if all goes as planned?

From snowball fights, to searching for dinosaurs this couple seems to find the fun in their situation. Will they get what they ultimately want? What would that be exactly? I really enjoyed this short story. While I could see many ways that the author could have expanded this wonderful story, it did not take away from the enjoyment of what was there. I look forward to reading more from this delightful author!

[Debra Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grounded is a novella by the very talented author, Kate Forest. This is a short but, oh, so sweet romantic story. Julia and Jeremy are both waiting in the airport in Chicago for the flight to Tampa. When Julia finds out that the flight is delayed, due to mechanical problems, she kicks the flight chart's wall. This gives Jeremy his chance to speak to the pretty blue-eyed girl he's been watching. He takes her to Cinnabon for an early snack. She's anxious to get to Tampa and her interview at the University; and he's not so anxious to get to the signing of paperwork that'll make him head of the family corporation: Phillips Boats. Then, it begins to snow. Now.....it's not just a mechanical problem but a snow delay, too! The story's take-off. ........without the plane, begins.......It's an exquisite and delightful tale. You will continue to play out the ending, in your mind, long after you've finished reading it! I loved Grounded....and you will, too! This novella is appropriate for YA also. In March, Standing Up: Forest's next novel will be released. I can't wait!! Her fantastic first novel: Interior Design and Other Emotions, is an absolute must read, if you haven't read it, yet.

[Valerie]

If you are looking for a cute, quick romance to start your new year, you will want to pick this one up. In this book, we meet Julia and Jeremy who are unable to leave on their flights. They end up meeting one and another what they discover about one another is surprising on a lot of different levels.

If you are a person who believes that everything happens for a reason, then this might be the book for you. For someone who is a bit more realistic, you may not buy into the story as much. Thankfully for me, I am the former and I found the story to be witty and cute. I love chance meetings and this book represented that well.

I appreciated the opportunity to review this book.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute book.

I thought this was a cute feel good kind of book. I would definitely recommend this book to others and I will definitely read more books by this author.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short book on traveling to a place you think you want to go and going to a place you do not want to go. Due to weather two different people are stuck together at the airport. Different as can be they find a commonality that helps them decide what they want to do with their lives. They could have been grounded a few more days so the book would be longer, but I am glad I read it.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am honored to be sought out to read and review Kate Forest’s book, “Grounded,” and I was excited to start reading.

This is a story of two people, Jeremy and Julia, who meet by chance, and by fate, spend hours together stranded at O’Hare