Waking Up in Charleston

The Charleston Trilogy #3

by Sherryl Woods

Widowed mother of three Amanda O'Leary finds a helping hand in the form of Caleb, her church leader and eventual love interest.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Womens Fiction

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 25, 2006

About the author

With 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.

Reviews

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed like the author was trying to stuff too much in this one. We had the main love story with Amanda and Caleb, then there was the drama with Amanda and Big Max, the romance with the young couple, and finally the drama with the secret Big Max had been keeping all Amanda's life.

I found the romance between Amanda and Caleb to be kind of blah, the only drama was because of Big Max. I thought what was happening with the younger couple more interesting, but utterly predictable. As for all the things with Big Max, well Amanda is a bigger person than me, I don't know that I would be able to forgive him for everything he did.

[Cristina Barberis · Rating 4 out of 5]

La storia è molto intensa, Amanda è una donna forte, come quelle che amo, capace di cavarsela da sola, anche dopo la morte dell'amato marito e la montagna di debiti che lui le lascia, oltre a tre figli splendidi, con la propria prematura scomparsa. Orbita sempre più vicino a questa famiglia il pastore Caleb Webb, affascinante e combattuto prete che non esita ad essere sempre a servizio degli altri, poi c'è l'amato/odiato padre della protagonista e ci sono una pletora di personaggi molto ben descritti. Lo consiglio vivamente, ma con una unica grande riserva: ad un certo punto della narrazione, quando tutto si è sbrogliato e si potrebbe finalmente navigare felicemente a vele spiegate, non si sa perché l'Autrice tende a mettere ancora gli stessi ostacoli/dubbi/litigi/allontanamenti. Forse per far sospirare fino alla fine? Se una donna ha le idee chiare, tornarci su non ha senso, idem per un uomo. A parte questo è ben scritto e si legge piacevolmente.

[Esther Somorai · Rating 4 out of 5]

ISBN-13:978-0-7783-1326-7 Copyright 2006

I have only one issue that happened in this story that is totally inappropriate in this particular situation involving the character Caleb. It is so totally and completely out of character, that it pretty much ruined this wonderful, character-driven story that Sherryl Woods composed, why she did it, is beyond me. To ruin such a wonderful character is completely unthinkable...A Punch To The Gut. IF NOT FOR THIS, it would be a 5-star + read.

[Sherrie Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters but found the plot a little repetitive. Being a minister's wife myself, I wanted a deeper POV - to find out how Caleb felt about the conflicts of what he felt for Amanda and his faith, and how Amanda felt about the prospect of being a minister's wife when she was very low on faith. Despite that, I found it hard to put the book down, and enjoyed the read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first two books. This one seemed to take forever to resolve all of the problems. There was a lot going on!

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

No voy a mentirles, elegí este libro porque pensé que tenía una relación “prohibida” y #morbo, pero no. Encima el final es medio agridulce.
En realidad es un 2.5

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the end of The Charleston Trilogy. Thank goodness this is the only female character. I truly did not like in this trilogy. She was so uppity, high ‘n mighty, and highfalutin for somebody who needed charity and is living on a shoe string. I enjoyed the pastor. He was delicious and somehow managed to never be judgmental or condescending. The children did not annoy me. The grandfather, and all the other secondary characters were quite enjoyable. Overall I relished the time I took to read this trilogy. I just did not like the female protagonist.

[Anne-Kathrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the 2 first books. I like all the characters except Amanda who is the main female character. She acts like a spoiled brat most of the book and it just got so annoying.

[Kim Smiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book in this trilogy. I liked that every character came back from book one and two. I love Dinah, Cordell, Josh and Maggie. Along with Josh's mom Nadine and George as well.

This book is all about Amanda and her 3 kids. Caleb, the minister who had the house built for her by Josh and the congregation, has a thing for Amanda. What he has never told her though, is that he's been talking to her estranged father now for almost a year. He actually bought the land for her home, unbeknownst to Amanda. After he disowned her when she married, she tried to make peace when her husband passed away and he still rejected her. She wants nothing to do with him.

But now, things have changed. Caleb has noticed that Max is forgetting things and urges him to see a Dr. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. As he has always regretted turning Amanda away, he doesn't want her back for her pity.

So without divulging any of Max's secrets, Caleb starts encouraging Amanda to make peace, which doesn't go very well. It's hard being the one in the middle with all the answers to questions he can't answer. Not only that, but Max had another HUGE secret that I never saw coming as well.

There's also a side story about a young couple Caleb is counseling. Mary Louise and Danny are barely out of high school, Danny in college and she's pregnant. They want to get married but Caleb thinks it's a mistake at the moment. Danny looks petrified and wants to finish school, (he's going for restoration of historic buildings, etc). Everyone takes these two under their wing once Mary Louise realizes Danny isn't ready to marry and be a Dad. I like their story as well, but Caleb and Amanda's sure does get good.

My only complaint is that Amanda is as stubborn and pig headed as her father, which becomes annoying at times. Other than that, an enjoyable story.

[Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like sticking pins in your eyeball, you might like this book. It is soooo painful. Why Caleb likes Amanda is a mystery. She is bitter, overly-protective, short-sighted and just boring. Caleb is pretty likable until he bullies Amanda with the Ten Commandments to try to get her to do what he wants. Then he breaks Biblical laws with no regret, a true hypocrite. Big Max is a jerk. The kids are OK but they have terrible names. Who names their children Larry, Jimmy, and Susie in this century? The last time those names were given to babies was the 1940s. The poor dead husband is named Bobby, again a terrible name for a grown man, it makes him appear immature and irresponsible. You get very mixed messages about who he was, he may have been those things, it's hard to tell.

Unbelievably, I re-read this book and am updating my review. It would now be two stars. I only read it again because I just read the first two books in the series and wanted to see more of those characters. Unfortunately, a few of them reappeared, but the delectable Josh was sent to Atlanta and is never heard from. Boo hiss. After reading several Sherryl Woods books in a row I can see her pattern. She gives the main characters major parent issues and harps on them over and over again. All of her books could have been half as long, if the issues were mentioned when necessary and then let their solutions develop naturally . I'm moving on, as her characters should be.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: The Charleston Trilogy
Category: Contemporary Romance

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the best book in the series in my option. Seemed to ramble and spend too much time with overly wordy conversations.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, no, nope. This was to unrealistic and disappointing for me. So sad as the series started off on such a good note.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was fine just kind of slow and repeated over and over. Secrets that took forever to reveal. Not up to Woods usual readability.

[Regina M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main charactors drive me crazy . The word pride was used a thousand time. ugh

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

[Karen Rudicil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too repetitious…. book could have been much shorter. Predictable.

[Tamra Muir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of this author, but not this book. Plot was superficial & unrealistic.

[Stephanie Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two in the trilogy.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the first book that I've read by Sherryl Woods. She always writes real interesting stories. This one is no exception. Amanda is a widow with 2 children. Her father disowned her when she got married. He felt her husband Bobby wasn't good enough for his daughter. So father and daughter have no communication with each other for a long time. Bobby dies and Amanda is left grief-stricken and picking up the pieces. Years later she meets Caleb who's a minister. He's kind of like a go-between with Amanda and her father. He befriends Amanda. He determines for Amanda and her dad, Max to mend fences. But Caleb has secrets which Amanda learns later, which affected their relationship. Max also gets some devastating news. This piece of news really affects him in several ways. This story has quite a bit of twists and turns and surprises. I would have given it 4 stars if it wasn't for a bit of profanity. But I love how it all turned out in the end.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will never understand why some authors have some characters do things atypical from reality. In in a fiction world, if a certain character doesn't talk to another character for the entirety of the novel, its frustrating and unrealistic, especially the type of person this particular character is. Oddly enough, in a side story, the author alludes to a typical stereotype in life that was somewhat disappointing, substantially because the side story didn't go into much detail. Lastly, it was an odd ending for a three book series. Seemed like there was some unfinished stories and more to say or tell.

[Merle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roller coaster story of a family with everything except trust. Amanda has been rejected, left alone and is still standing. She and her three kids are now living in the house built for them by the church and its volunteers. Her wealthy father disowned her whenever married whom he considered to be the wrong man. Now he's showing signs of an illness that will have him forget all his memories. The minister trying to help all of them is Caleb, who has secrets of his own. This a tangle and 5here are a few more subplots to winnow through.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet romance...actually, three romances all told. Danny and Mary Louise are side characters, but I really began to admire Mary Louise for her determination, spunk, and good sense. There's Max and the love of his life. And, of course, the main characters Caleb and Amanda. Caleb's a minister so you know this is going to be a G-rated read. A very NICE story with good characters.

[Margaret May · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was ok. Story was of several different people. Daughter and father who had problems. Minister was trying to smooth problems with them and love them both. A young girl who gets pregnant and loves father but doesn’t want to spoil his dreams. All comes together in story.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish. This books plot was completely clear from the foreshadowing in the previous two and the first 20 pages. Not engaging enough to keep reading when I could predict exactly what was going to happen.

[Geneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last of the Charleston Trilogy, Waking Up in Charleston was a heart warming story about a strong woman who survived adversities with the help of friends and eventually family. Should have been a series, too many left stories out there to write about.
Good reading Sherryl Woods.

[william casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book..

This is a fast read. All the characters are very interesting. The fact of the book had a turn of events i was not expecting. Finished this book in about 5days. I love this authors everyone of them.

[Kathleen Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read by Ms. Woods. Got a little sad when uit came to Big Max and his condition as my Mother suffered with it as well. Really enjoyed all the characters from first two books being in this one as well.

[Deborah Kerns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice read, lots of stubborn people, having a hard time talking about their feelings but realizing it's what makes for better relationships. The story was good and I love an ending that can make you smile through tears.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the different stories in the book and how they all came together. Very sweet and sentimental.