Grounded

Title: GROUNDED

Authors: Neta Jackson and Dave Jackson

Publisher: Castle Rock Creative (previously published by Worthy Press)

June 2014 (previously published in May 2013)

ISBN: 978-0982054475

Genre: Women’s fiction

…. But hope may be just across the street.

Grace Meredith is a beloved contemporary Christian recording artist whose career-and personal life-hits unexpected ­turbulence. She feels grounded-in more ways than one.

Grace's ­fiancé, bothered by her outspoken stance on purity and her near-constant travel, has broken off their relationship. Exhausted and unable to continue her current concert schedule, Grace returns home to Chicago, where she is soon stranded in a major snowstorm. Facing new questions about her future and her faith, Grace finds herself connected for the first time with the residents of her neighborhood. What she discovers in these unexpected relationships could change everything.

Welcome to the Neighborhood The first in the Windy City Neighbors series, GROUNDED is an uplifting, contemporary story about ordinary people wrestling with the spiritual and practical issues of real life. The series employs the innovative storytelling technique of "parallel novels," each with its own drama and story arc, but whose characters' lives become intertwined and affect one another. GROUNDED welcomes you to Beecham Street-a typical, isolated American neighborhood that might just be a place of hope.

GROUNDED is the first book in the Windy City Neighbors series. I have read the third book in the series, Penny Wise, but not any of the others, so when the fourth book Pound Foolish came up in my pile to review I decided I better play catch up. 

I absolutely loved GROUNDED. I have enjoyed most of Ms. Jackson’s previous books (Yada Yada Prayer Group etal) but didn’t enjoy Penny Wise as much as I usually like her books. Grace is a hurting character who made mistakes as a teen and is trying to share a message to save other teens from her mistakes—but when the whole concert tour is based around her engagement, everything goes bad, from her fiancé breaking up, her agent dumping her off on another agent, a bad cold and voice strain, a horrific experience on a flight, and a Chicago blizzard…  Wow.  

I really connected with Grace and I loved her new agent. I hoped Grace would be able to get settled while she was grounded and I couldn’t help but keep reading to see what happens with her and her career.

I do not have book two in the series, Derailed, but it seems the books are mostly stand-alone, though set in the same neighborhood. I will be reading the fourth book in the series, Pound Foolish) later this month. 321 pages. Available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.