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The Charleston Trilogy #1
The Backup Plan
It's finally time for Dinah Davis to go home. The world-weary correspondent wants to settle down with the sweet guy she left behind in South Carolina's Low Country. Instead, she's confronted by his black-sheep brother, and—despite her longing for serenity—sparks fly.
How can she possibly trade her perfectly safe backup plan for a risk-taking guy like Cordell Beaufort after all the dangers she's already faced? But to Dinah's dismay—backup plan or not—her heart has its own ideas.
How can she possibly trade her perfectly safe backup plan for a risk-taking guy like Cordell Beaufort after all the dangers she's already faced? But to Dinah's dismay—backup plan or not—her heart has its own ideas.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2005
1099 people are currently reading
2221 people want to read
About the author
Sherryl Woods
555 books4,522 followersWith two other careers to her credit before becoming a novelist and four states in which she's lived for extended periods of time, Sherryl Woods has collected friends and memories, along with way too much unnecessary junk.
"The friends are the only things I've brought with me through the years that really matter," she says. "I could probably live without one more chintz teacup, another tin-litho sandpail or another snowglobe, but I need those friends."
The theme of enduring friendships and families is always central to Sherryl's books, including her latest Chesapeake Shores series — THE INN AT EAGLE POINT, FLOWERS ON MAIN and HARBOR LIGHTS.
Author of more than 100 romance and mystery novels, Sherryl Woods grew up in Virginia. Over the years she had lived in Ohio and Florida, as well as California. Currently she divides her time between Key Biscayne, Florida and Colonial Beach, Virginia, the small, river-front town where she spent her childhood summers.
A graduate of Ohio State University School of Journalism, Sherryl spent more than ten years as a journalist, most of them as a television critic for newspapers in Ohio and Florida. For several years she also coordinated a motivational program for the more than 8,000 employees at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
Her first book, RESTORING LOVE, was published in 1982 by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy under the pseudonym of Suzanne Sherrill. Her second book, SAND CASTLES, under the pseudonym of Alexandra Kirk, was published later that same year by Bantam. She began using her own name when she moved to the Second Chance at Love line at Berkley Publishing. In 1986, she began writing full-time and also began her long career at Silhouette Books with the Desire title NOT AT EIGHT, DARLING, set in the world of television which she covered for so many years.
In addition to her more than 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition, she has written thirteen mysteries — nine in the Amanda Roberts series and four in the Molly DeWitt series.
When she's not writing or reading, Sherryl loves to garden, though she's not at her best on a riding lawn mower. She also loves tennis, theater, and ballet, even though her top spin has long since vanished, she's never set foot on a stage, and she's way too uncoordinated to dance. She also loves baseball and claims anyone who's ever seen Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" can understand why.
"The friends are the only things I've brought with me through the years that really matter," she says. "I could probably live without one more chintz teacup, another tin-litho sandpail or another snowglobe, but I need those friends."
The theme of enduring friendships and families is always central to Sherryl's books, including her latest Chesapeake Shores series — THE INN AT EAGLE POINT, FLOWERS ON MAIN and HARBOR LIGHTS.
Author of more than 100 romance and mystery novels, Sherryl Woods grew up in Virginia. Over the years she had lived in Ohio and Florida, as well as California. Currently she divides her time between Key Biscayne, Florida and Colonial Beach, Virginia, the small, river-front town where she spent her childhood summers.
A graduate of Ohio State University School of Journalism, Sherryl spent more than ten years as a journalist, most of them as a television critic for newspapers in Ohio and Florida. For several years she also coordinated a motivational program for the more than 8,000 employees at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
Her first book, RESTORING LOVE, was published in 1982 by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy under the pseudonym of Suzanne Sherrill. Her second book, SAND CASTLES, under the pseudonym of Alexandra Kirk, was published later that same year by Bantam. She began using her own name when she moved to the Second Chance at Love line at Berkley Publishing. In 1986, she began writing full-time and also began her long career at Silhouette Books with the Desire title NOT AT EIGHT, DARLING, set in the world of television which she covered for so many years.
In addition to her more than 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition, she has written thirteen mysteries — nine in the Amanda Roberts series and four in the Molly DeWitt series.
When she's not writing or reading, Sherryl loves to garden, though she's not at her best on a riding lawn mower. She also loves tennis, theater, and ballet, even though her top spin has long since vanished, she's never set foot on a stage, and she's way too uncoordinated to dance. She also loves baseball and claims anyone who's ever seen Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" can understand why.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
August 20, 2022
1.5 stars
Through sheer persistence I finished this audiobook. The narration was not the problem. The storyline was just plain weak.
Dinah, who is a self-professed 'brillant, talented, determined, courageous and top-in-her-field' war correspondent in Afghanistan, has PTSD. Understandable. Her solution? Resign. Good move. And move back to her home town to marry her childhood sweetheart that she hasn't spoken to, much less thought about, in 10 years. WHAT??? From this point on, I couldn't take this book with more than a grain of salt, and I hadn't even moved past the first 10% of the book. Unfortunately it didn't improve. Dinah proved herself time and again, to be self-centred, ignorant, stupid and completely unbelievable character. (Really, a war correspondent who is stupid would have died in the first week of their assignment.) In reality, I was more interested in her parents minor marital problems than in anything to do with Dinah and poor old Cord.
There really isn't any point mentioning any more of this plotline.
This was my first book by Sherryl Woods. I won't be going out of my way to read another.
Through sheer persistence I finished this audiobook. The narration was not the problem. The storyline was just plain weak.
Dinah, who is a self-professed 'brillant, talented, determined, courageous and top-in-her-field' war correspondent in Afghanistan, has PTSD. Understandable. Her solution? Resign. Good move. And move back to her home town to marry her childhood sweetheart that she hasn't spoken to, much less thought about, in 10 years. WHAT??? From this point on, I couldn't take this book with more than a grain of salt, and I hadn't even moved past the first 10% of the book. Unfortunately it didn't improve. Dinah proved herself time and again, to be self-centred, ignorant, stupid and completely unbelievable character. (Really, a war correspondent who is stupid would have died in the first week of their assignment.) In reality, I was more interested in her parents minor marital problems than in anything to do with Dinah and poor old Cord.
There really isn't any point mentioning any more of this plotline.
This was my first book by Sherryl Woods. I won't be going out of my way to read another.
October 4, 2014
Ok plot. Things could have been much more interesting if Dinah were a lot less selfish and self-centered, and more active instead of passive and running away from her issues (especially for someone who prided herself on being a strong independent woman).
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November 18, 2013Cheesy romance :)
May 5, 2023
I only picked this book because it was a free audiobook on Spotify and wanted to figure out how to use it, but it’s like a classic cheesy romance. No twists, no super crazy and interesting plot, it was just kind of boring and predictable. If it wasn’t free I probably wouldn’t have chosen to listen to it, but I wasn’t like dreading to listen to it either.
June 10, 2012
The first book in the Charleston Trilogy ... followed by FLIRTING WITH DISASTER and WAKING UP IN CHARLESTON. Loved the first book ... also greatly enjoyed the second and third. Wonderful settings and interesting characters. Typical of Woods, her characters are spunky, independent women who make others sit up and take notice. Not perfect, they have tempers, make mistakes, but keep working at life.
In THE BACKUP PLAN... Dinah's world as a famous news correspondent is threatened by a tragedy and accident abroad that has left her emotions ragged and her career affected. She takes a break to come home to Charleston ... thinking it might be time to cash in on an old backup marriage plan she had with a high school beau. She's shaken and needs a change ... that's for sure ... and she's lost her confidence and direction. Instead of falling into her old backup plan ... she falls instead for her high school sweetheart's brother ... And the book follows their unlikely relationship through a fun journey of twists and turns ... Plus introducing the characters to come in the next books in the series.
These books ... like most of Woods' romances are delightful - with rich, vivid characters, great dialog mixed with ongoing spunk and humor, and a picturesque setting that makes you want to head south to Charleston.
In THE BACKUP PLAN... Dinah's world as a famous news correspondent is threatened by a tragedy and accident abroad that has left her emotions ragged and her career affected. She takes a break to come home to Charleston ... thinking it might be time to cash in on an old backup marriage plan she had with a high school beau. She's shaken and needs a change ... that's for sure ... and she's lost her confidence and direction. Instead of falling into her old backup plan ... she falls instead for her high school sweetheart's brother ... And the book follows their unlikely relationship through a fun journey of twists and turns ... Plus introducing the characters to come in the next books in the series.
These books ... like most of Woods' romances are delightful - with rich, vivid characters, great dialog mixed with ongoing spunk and humor, and a picturesque setting that makes you want to head south to Charleston.
February 19, 2013
Like most books by this author, I didn’t care for this first book. I don’t know what it is, but the first book in her series’ are lackluster for me. It didn’t help that I didn’t care for Dinah, I thought she was selfish. Yes, I hated what she went through in her job, but it didn’t help me like her any better. Cord wasn’t that much better for me. He was supposed to be the big bad boy man, but he was more pansy than bad boy. I also didn’t care for the secondary romance. I will probably check out the other books in this series as I have the others downloaded, I just hope that the next ones will be better.
February 18, 2011
Dinah is a world famous war correspondent who suffers from a terrible loss when her camera-man, lover is blown up in a car bomb. After suffering from depression and PTSD her boss wants her to take a break or vacation or move to another assignment but she quits instead and goes home to Charleston to find Bobby. They had had a "back-up plan" 10 years earlier but he is now engaged and his brother Cord wants to protect him. Things go from there.
May 17, 2022
Story about female journalist suffering from PTSD after 10 years reporting in middle east.
April 4, 2013
For some reason I seem to have a different set of standards for one of these novels than others. The novels plot is so slow that I've fallen asleep while reading it (in broad daylight!) And this part if a trilogy? Lord! The author regularly has Dinah mention that an encounter with Cordell ought to be memorable and just so "hot" yet when we finally get there, it's a huge let down. I feel almost cheated. You would hope that the plot could save this book, but even the plot is amazingly dull - Dinah is suffering from PTSD and needs help getting over it. This isn't't what made it boring, it is the abrupt way in which this is handled. I can determine I will not be purchasing anything by this author in the future.
April 14, 2011
Good quick read if you're looking for a light romance. I read the Kindle edition - warning on that - there are quite a few transcription errors - spaces put into the middle of words all over. Also an entire section where the main characters go dancing and the word dancing has been swapped out for the word appointment in the entire book. "Are you going to tap appointment around the issue?" "What about appointment - wouldn't that be fun?". Otherwise cute book.
June 5, 2011
This was a fun book. I loved Dinah the main character and how she grew as a character throughout the story. The main male character, Cord, was super sweet and definitely was "hot". The relationship between Dinah and Cord was a bit frustrating at times, but eventually they figured out what was best for both of them. A fun summer read and would have been great for the beach!
October 3, 2011
Cute read. It was interesting to watch Dinah work through all of her problems. I think it was a fairly realistic perspective on the struggles someone might have after a situation like that. I loved her relationship with Cord and the way he pushed her & yet balanced it out with love & affection. Cute couple going on a journey of self-discovery.
June 4, 2014
Es war ok - aber für meinen Geschmack zu schnulzig. Habe es nicht durchgelesen. Nur Anfang und Schluss. Kann also kein objektives Urteil abgeben. Ich hab's halt nicht so mit diesen Herzschmerz-Geschichten von denen man zu Beginn schon weiss, wie sie ausgehen
June 21, 2021
I didn't like Dinah. Yes, she had a tragedy to deal with, but she was so freaking selfish that I couldn't like her. At least she eventually got her act together. I won't be reading any more of the books in the trilogy.
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December 24, 2014Miniseries: The Charleston Trilogy
March 4, 2018
I think I'm going to like this series, it's a little different than what I've read from her before, a lot of southern accents in this audio book.
Dinah came from a very well to do family in Charleston, and is now a 31 yr. old on the scene war reporter who has been away from home for the last 10 years. Stationed in Afghanistan, she has seen more horror than most. And most recently, a tragedy has left her scarred. Her bosses don't think she's doing the best job she can do anymore. They urge her to take some time off, to heal over this latest incident that she can't even talk about. But she jumps the gun and quits, deciding to go home and settle down.
She remembers Bobby Beaufort, a man she was involved with 10 years ago. He was comfortable to be with, and they made a pact that if neither one of them became involved w/ someone or married, they would. Now she thinks that sounds like a great idea.
Going home to her parents home, she finds that her parents marriage isn't all she thought it was. Her parents seem to lead different lives, which then starts a subplot from the point of view of Dinah's mother. She is restoring an old southern plantation, with the help of Cordell Beaufort, who is Bobby's brother. These brothers got a good education at Dinah's private school via charity. Cordell was always the tough trouble maker, but has now since made a name for himself. He and his brother are very successful. But Dinah's mother is lacking communication in her marriage. She often wonders if her husband is cheating. He shows no interest in what she does, the charities she organizes benefits for, or the restoration projects she oversees.
Dinah and Cordell have a fiery relationship. He refuses to tell her where Bobby is, (out of town working on another project) and gets her all fired up. While she is at his home, a thunderstorm hits and she immediately hits the dirt and has a panic attack. It's then that Cordell realizes she is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Even though she won't talk about it with him, her parents or her best friend Maggie, she definitely needs help.
Then begins Dinah's mother asking Cordell to spend time with Dinah, try to find out what happened and get her back to herself. Dinah is a stubborn woman, not even telling anyone she quit her job or what happened while oversees, so it's a tall order for Cordell.
Once she finds out what happened with Bobby, Dinah just doesn't know what to do with her life, but she does know she feels a growing attraction to Cord. The anxiety lessens when he's around, but the dreams and the thoughts that creep up on her are too much to handle.
Liked this story, liked the character of Cordell. I imagined him in my mind to be just like Darryl on "The Walking Dead" On to the next in the series!
Dinah came from a very well to do family in Charleston, and is now a 31 yr. old on the scene war reporter who has been away from home for the last 10 years. Stationed in Afghanistan, she has seen more horror than most. And most recently, a tragedy has left her scarred. Her bosses don't think she's doing the best job she can do anymore. They urge her to take some time off, to heal over this latest incident that she can't even talk about. But she jumps the gun and quits, deciding to go home and settle down.
She remembers Bobby Beaufort, a man she was involved with 10 years ago. He was comfortable to be with, and they made a pact that if neither one of them became involved w/ someone or married, they would. Now she thinks that sounds like a great idea.
Going home to her parents home, she finds that her parents marriage isn't all she thought it was. Her parents seem to lead different lives, which then starts a subplot from the point of view of Dinah's mother. She is restoring an old southern plantation, with the help of Cordell Beaufort, who is Bobby's brother. These brothers got a good education at Dinah's private school via charity. Cordell was always the tough trouble maker, but has now since made a name for himself. He and his brother are very successful. But Dinah's mother is lacking communication in her marriage. She often wonders if her husband is cheating. He shows no interest in what she does, the charities she organizes benefits for, or the restoration projects she oversees.
Dinah and Cordell have a fiery relationship. He refuses to tell her where Bobby is, (out of town working on another project) and gets her all fired up. While she is at his home, a thunderstorm hits and she immediately hits the dirt and has a panic attack. It's then that Cordell realizes she is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Even though she won't talk about it with him, her parents or her best friend Maggie, she definitely needs help.
Then begins Dinah's mother asking Cordell to spend time with Dinah, try to find out what happened and get her back to herself. Dinah is a stubborn woman, not even telling anyone she quit her job or what happened while oversees, so it's a tall order for Cordell.
Once she finds out what happened with Bobby, Dinah just doesn't know what to do with her life, but she does know she feels a growing attraction to Cord. The anxiety lessens when he's around, but the dreams and the thoughts that creep up on her are too much to handle.
Liked this story, liked the character of Cordell. I imagined him in my mind to be just like Darryl on "The Walking Dead" On to the next in the series!
January 3, 2024
Cordell and Dina are so cute!
Dina is a successful news report covering active war zones. Making her mark in the world she has all the southern manners and the uppity attitude to go with it. She is fiercely independent and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. After living through traumatic events she is left with PTSD and a required leave of absence. She gets the idea of returning home to make good on an old pack she made with her ex boyfriend. Only when she shows up she is met with Cord.
Cord meets her with the same smug overly confident attitude he had all those years ago. She came searching for his brother but found him instead.
She can’t stand him, but it won’t take long for him to wear her down, She had a lot of trauma to work through but she quickly comes to find that Cord is her rock and she went from hating him to needing him.
I loved the setting of this book in SC, i loved the snippets of her parents and their own issues they worked through. Maggie her best friend was great and i really loved that seeming professional help was written into the story. The narrator great!
Dina is a successful news report covering active war zones. Making her mark in the world she has all the southern manners and the uppity attitude to go with it. She is fiercely independent and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. After living through traumatic events she is left with PTSD and a required leave of absence. She gets the idea of returning home to make good on an old pack she made with her ex boyfriend. Only when she shows up she is met with Cord.
Cord meets her with the same smug overly confident attitude he had all those years ago. She came searching for his brother but found him instead.
She can’t stand him, but it won’t take long for him to wear her down, She had a lot of trauma to work through but she quickly comes to find that Cord is her rock and she went from hating him to needing him.
I loved the setting of this book in SC, i loved the snippets of her parents and their own issues they worked through. Maggie her best friend was great and i really loved that seeming professional help was written into the story. The narrator great!
October 27, 2018
The majority of The Backup Plan takes place in Charleston, South Caroline. Dinah Davis leaves her hometown as soon as she can and becomes an international TV war journalist. For ten years she is seen where the action of war and death occur until death comes too close for her to deal with. Dinah heads home to go through with her back up plan: marrying the man who had always loved her, and who agreed to marry her if she never found another man to love. Dinah knows she'd be safe with him. That never really works out for Dinah, but she does move forward, slowly, with her life. Her arrival home also cause changes in the lives of her family and friends, but in a good way. Dinah finds love, but really doesn't want to acknowledge it. She feels she has to return back to the war zone and again become the reporter she once was before she can marry and settle down. But will that decision result in another back up plan? It's a good love story, one I thoroughly enjoyed.
February 17, 2023
The only reason as to why I didn't give it five stars, is due to the sex scenes. Okay yes they had sex couple of times but it did the whole "fade into black" then come back feeling. We never got to read the action, some people might find it silly. Not me, I find that fun and interesting to the story, other than that the story is wonderful, it touches about how people can be affected and struggle to express events they had undergone in the past. I do like the talk about finding someone to talk to, lots of people tend to doge and keep it within themselves, this was a wonderful trip in recovery. Loved it, would recommend to people.
May 7, 2024
Set in the aftermath of September 11th, this features a war reporter experiencing PTSD after a violent event in Afghanistan. Dinah returns home to Charleston looking for safety - and an old marriage pledge - in the form of her high school boyfriend. Instead, she encounters his older brother. While Cord is no longer a bad boy, he's definitely not staid or safe and sparks fly.
There's sensitive discussion of journalists' experiences and risks on the front lines. In addition to tending to her heart, Dinah needs to work through her trauma overseas.
In some ways, this may feel a little dated; people are still using phone books!
There's sensitive discussion of journalists' experiences and risks on the front lines. In addition to tending to her heart, Dinah needs to work through her trauma overseas.
In some ways, this may feel a little dated; people are still using phone books!
February 27, 2021
The truth is I'm finding Sherryl's book not as enticing as many other HEA stories I've read (and I have read a lot). The love scenes aren't really all that steamy and their is not a lot of humor. They are good books, but she's going to need to find something she can excel at within her story telling (humor, sexy scenes, mystery...something); otherwise most( I know I will) readers will probably move onto other authors who have a knack at making you stay up late at night trying to get your HEA fix.
December 1, 2022
Dinah is an experienced and well known journalist in the Afghanistan war. Then something traumatic happens and she returns to the United States to a boss asking her to take vacation. Dinah wants to continue her work but goes home hoping to take up where she left off ten years ago with her boyfriend. Unexpectedly, she finds his brother, Cordell, instead. Against her better judgement she only wants what was hers in the past. Dinah finds that her heart is changing and follows it without knowing the outcome and thinking she does not want what becomes best for her.
July 16, 2018
Diana was going thru an early mid-life crisis resulting from trauma suffered while a news reporter in Afghanistan. Her back-up plan is to go home and reconnect with her old boyfriend and see if there is some spark left. Her boyfriends brother has other plans. I love how this story played out and liked seeing how Cord worked his way under Diana's skin. I will definitely read the rest of the books in this trilogy.
April 10, 2019
Dinah witnessed war up close and personal as a journalist overseas. After one horrific car bomb, she loses her edge and is forced to go home to Charleston to try to get better. She plans on getting with her old boyfriend and marring him but his older brother (Cord) puts a stop to that because he is already getting married.
Dinah and Cord strike up a relationship and she realizes that she can't go back to the war.
Thank goodness
Dinah and Cord strike up a relationship and she realizes that she can't go back to the war.
Thank goodness
August 4, 2020
I have loved books by Sherryl Woods for many years now. How I missed The Backup Plan I don't know, but I did find myself involved in Dinah and Cord's relationship. I liked his devotion to her as she tried to come to terms with the tragedy she had experienced as a reporter in a war zone. The minor characters also added to the story, and I hope they will get to have their own stories soon. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good love story.
May 28, 2023
Hometown girl leaves home and succeds on the world stage. Suffering a tragic loss, she quits her job as a high profile correspondent and goes home to Charleston, where her southern family doesn't know what to make of her now. To make it all crazier, she has two men at home, one of whom doesn't know she's there and the 9ther of whom has been silently in love with her for years. Lots of folks have their eyes opened in this story.
April 17, 2020
It's fun, it's flirty, that's all I ask for in this type of book. The heroine is stupid and selfish, I think that's a common denominator for this author. It makes the contrast to the perfection of the hero more stark, so you fall in love with him harder. If he could love this mess, maybe I'm lovable too. Great start to a series, I will read the rest.
June 23, 2020
I really wanted to love this book but Dinah was just an extremely annoying character. Her selfishness made her difficult to like and root for.
Another thing I found to be frustrating about the book was Dinah’s best friend going on a few dates with her therapist. This is completely unprofessional and not ok!
Another thing I found to be frustrating about the book was Dinah’s best friend going on a few dates with her therapist. This is completely unprofessional and not ok!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2022
Nulla da dire, il libro ha fatto il suo dovere.
Avevo bisogno di qualcosa per staccare la mente, qualcosa di leggero, e questo libro è caduto a fagiolo.
Una storia d'amore di quelle semplici, piena di cliché ma ben strutturati e senza essere esagerati. Mettici anche il colpo di scena e il passato che ritorna e boom, libro perfetto per la spiaggia.
Avevo bisogno di qualcosa per staccare la mente, qualcosa di leggero, e questo libro è caduto a fagiolo.
Una storia d'amore di quelle semplici, piena di cliché ma ben strutturati e senza essere esagerati. Mettici anche il colpo di scena e il passato che ritorna e boom, libro perfetto per la spiaggia.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews