As the summer heats up, so do Annie's unexpected feelings for Jake and her love for the land. A phone call from New York forces her to choose between the past and the future.

Book I (May Hollow Trilogy)

Review originally published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
Book provided by author for review

Annie has the world at her fingers. Literally. As a flight attendant with seniority, she gets to travel the global skies and spend time in gorgeous places. Like Rome, a special favorite destination. She's got a small circle of great friends, and a boyfriend who seems a dream come true. Then everything falls in pieces at her feet. The airline's purchased by another, and her job disappears. Too Perfect Boyfriend Stuart turns out to be, quite literally, too perfect to be true. Stranded in New York City without an apartment, what's a girl to do? Run home. Back to Kentucky, and the farm she grew up on.

After the bustle of life in the City, and the adventure of flying around the world, Annie has a hard time adjusting to the quiet rhythms of rural Kentucky. But the quiet is just what she needs, and soon she finds herself settling into a comfortable routine, aided in large part by reconnecting with childhood best friend Jake Wilder and getting to know her grandmother better. Not only is Annie able to repair old relationships, but she uses the respite to get to know herself better - rediscovering old passions and dreams, as well as finding new visions for the future. Her soul settles, her heart finds rest. And when it's time to make big choices, Annie is able to make a decision that both heart and mind find more than acceptable.

Annie's story is one that could be any girl's - finding herself jobless and heartbroken, returning home and finding new dreams in old familiar places. I could relate to Annie. I love the Kentucky setting - it's small town Southern enough to be familiar, even if it's a couple states away from what I know. And the supporting characters? Beulah (grandma) and Jake Wilder (the best friend) are awesome. Not to mention Woody, Lindy and the rest of the population. A comforting, familiar read that I am so glad I picked up. ( )

Book Review & Giveaway: We’re participating in the Staying Warm/Keeping Cool Giveaway Hop. Just the name of this hop made me think about a novel I could get cozy with on a cold winter night. For that reason I’ve chosen Grounded by Angela Correll. When I read the publisher’s description of Grounded, it resonated with me personally but I also thought it was universal and timely given what so many people have gone through in the recent economic upheaval in the U.S. Layoffs seem to have been the norm instead of the exception for the last 4-5 years. In fact a friend said on Facebook just the other day that layoff season was approaching at her company, a phenomenon of the times.

This is a novel about finding what’s important to you in life, getting back in touch with your values. It’s about family, roots, and most of all about reinventing yourself – and that’s something we all have to do at some point in our lives. Although I’d classify it as contemporary Southern women’s fiction, I think it will resonate with most people no matter where they live or where they come from. And someone is going to win a copy in our giveaway! ( )

Annie is a flight attendant who grew up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky, but now lives in New York City. Annie was raised by her grandparents after her single mother died much too soon. After Annie's grandfather died, she focused more on her work and less on her grandmother back on the farm because the memories hurt too much. Then Annie loses her job to a airline buyout and finds out her boyfriend isn't the man she thought he was. With no where else to go, Annie decides it is time to go back to Kentucky and face her memories. Once she is there, Annie isn't prepared for what she feels and what lies ahead.

This is the author's first novel and she has based it on her own personal background of farming and promoting local food and resources. I found the story quite easy to follow and the characters appealing. Annie is a likable character and you genuinely feel sorry for her when events turn her life upside down. The story really kicks in gear once she returns back to her grandmother's farm and you learn all the history behind Annie's childhood.

The characters that live around the farm are funny, lively, and well developed. You could almost imagine each one of them in your mind. Beulah, Annie's grandma, was by far my favorite. Throughout the story, Beulah imparts wisdom and truth by sharing her values and her faith. As a woman who grew up during the depression, her farming and gardening methods are very important to the story and give it the basis for Annie's future in the story. A lot of the sayings in the story like "Hard work is hard on the body, but good for the soul" reminded me of my own parents and grandparents.

As a child who also grew up on a farm and yet doesn't currently live on one, this story reminded me of all the things I appreciate about going back home. The gardening, the canning, the horses, the sights and the sounds in this story all reminded me of home. The importance of farming takes center stage in this novel and will make you question where and how you get your food to feed your family.

The author adds a mystery character to the story that gives it a twist and keeps you guessing along the way as to her identity and reason for her secrets. Even though her story is minor, it offers a nice balance and intrigue to the rest of drama.

I think this is a great "weekend read" and a story that you could share with your grandmother! It will leave you feeling happy and nostalgic for family and home. ( )

As someone who is interested in sustainable living, and hoping to start on that journey soon, this was an intriguing read. Although that was not the focus of the book, these ideals are used by the main character to help refocus her life. As a Southerner, half raised by my grandparents doing many of these same things, I felt a real connection to Annie. I, too, went off and tried to make my way in the world, only to realize being back home was the only place I really wanted to be.

As Annie’s life seems to fall to pieces around her, she decides to move home and try to reconnect with the grandmother who helped raise her after her mother passed. Annie and her grandmother must now learn to live with each other without her grandpa as a buffer. Along the way, she also reconnects with her childhood friend, Jake Wilder, who has some serious life decisions of his own to make. Their connection rekindles some old feelings that make both of them rethink the future.

Their journeys offer insight into what is really important throughout this life and how our priorities can so easily be neglected along the way. It is a charming summer read that will not only teach you some family lessons, it will also teach a few about good ‘ole country living with a heaping helping of southern charm and hospitality. An excellent debut novel that will leave a warm feeling in your heart and make you wish you were sitting in a porch swing, drinking sweet tea, on a lazy summer afternoon.

Rating: 4

HEAT Rating: None

Reviewed By: Daysie W.

Review Courtesy of: My Book Addictions and More ( )