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Verdict: An action-packed aviation romance written by a real pilot: after an emergency water landing, airline captain Kerri Sullivan falls for flight attendant Janine Case — who is hiding from her abusive ex-husband to protect her daughter. Readers love the flying detail and the rescue drama; many found the romance rushed and the story overstuffed.
Best for: Aviation fans who want a high-stakes adventure with a protective single mom.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.2/5 — a 3.76 Goodreads average across 99 ratings and 4.4 stars across 98 Amazon ratings; StoryGraph has too few reviews to count)
Tropes: Workplace (airline crew), survival, single mom, domestic abuse escape, forced proximity, instalove.
Flight to the Horizon is Julie Tizard’s 2020 contemporary lesbian romance from Bold Strokes Books, following her debut, The Road to Wings. Captain Kerri Sullivan has a perfect life — except for a woman to share it with.
It holds a 3.76 average across 99 Goodreads ratings, with 60% of them four or five stars, and 4.4 stars across 98 Amazon ratings.
What Is Flight to the Horizon About?
Flight attendant Janine Case is beautiful but aloof. On a flight to Hawaii, an unexpected kiss sparks attraction — and then Kerri is forced to make an emergency water landing, and both women survive a harrowing rescue.
Kerri wants to follow her heart, but Janine is hiding a dark secret: she’s on the run from her abusive ex-husband and will do anything to protect her daughter.
What Works in This Book
- Authenticity: Readers praise the realistic cockpit and aviation detail.
- Action: The water landing and rescue keep readers on the edge of their seats.
- Hawaii: One reader loved the snorkelling trip and setting.
- Themes: One reader highlights its look at women proving themselves in a demanding field.
Book Synopsis
A pilot, a flight attendant and a plane going down.
Surviving the water is one thing. Escaping the past is another.
My Review
The first act is genuinely thrilling, and Tizard’s expertise makes the emergency feel real. Janine’s fight to protect her daughter gives the single-mom thread real urgency.
But reviews are split. Several readers say the author packed in too much without developing it, the romance is clichéd and fast, and the later chapters lose momentum. One was troubled by Kerri’s anger issues, a couple call the writing elementary, and one mentions an abrupt ending.
My honest note: Read it for the flight, not the romance.
| Element | In Flight to the Horizon |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Kerri Sullivan (airline captain) & Janine Case (flight attendant, mom) |
| Core tropes | Airline workplace, survival, escaping abuse |
| Setting | Commercial aviation, Hawaii and the Pacific |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 207 pages (Kindle edition) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Domestic abuse, plane crash, peril |
How Spicy Is Flight to the Horizon?
Moderate; the adventure takes centre stage.
Domestic abuse and aviation peril are central to the plot.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you love planes and action with your romance. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want a slow, nuanced love story.
In short: Great flying, bumpy romance.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 30% five stars, 30% four, 28% three, 7% two and 4% one — notably mixed.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Aviation detail first. Second, action. Third, setting. Fourth, themes.
What readers argue about and complain about: An overstuffed plot, above everything. Second, the rushed romance. Third, writing quality.
The comparison worth making first: Drawn to the Enemy, another single mom protecting her child from danger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the aviation detail realistic?
Readers say yes — the author draws on her own experience as a military and airline pilot, and aviation fans love the cockpit detail. Others found it a lot.
Is there a plane crash?
Yes. Captain Kerri Sullivan has to make an emergency water landing on a flight to Hawaii, followed by a survival-and-rescue sequence readers call gripping.
What content warnings should I know?
Janine is on the run from an abusive ex-husband to protect her daughter, so domestic abuse is central.
Is the romance convincing?
Divisive. Some loved the chemistry; several critics call it rushed, clichéd or lacking spark.
Is Flight to the Horizon on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.
If You Loved Flight to the Horizon, Read These Next
Try Drawn to the Enemy or When You Least Expect It. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Flight to the Horizon sets out to combine aviation drama with a romance about escaping abuse, and the flying delivers. What holds it back is a crowded plot and a thin love story. For aviation fans. Check Flight to the Horizon on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Flight to the Horizon ranks as a fair single-mom pick — thrilling, uneven.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ 3.76 average across 99 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 60% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ Too few StoryGraph reviews to count
- ✓ 4.4 stars across 98 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ Instant attraction
- ✓ Clichéd for some
- ✓ Protective
- ✓ Rushed
Characters ★★★☆☆ 2.9/5
- ✓ Captain Kerri
- ✓ Guarded Janine
- ✓ Anger issues
- ✓ Brave mom
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Aviation expertise
- ✓ Too much packed in
- ✓ Elementary for some
- ✓ Detailed
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Peril
- ✓ Abuse
- ✓ Survival
- ✓ Hope
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Not the focus
- ✓ Romantic
- ✓ Adult
Ending ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ Abrupt for one
- ✓ Resolved
- ✓ Standalone
- ✓ Less tense
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 207 pages
- ✓ Aviation nerds
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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