THE BACKUP PLAN

Author: Sherryl Woods ISBN: 0778321495 3/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: MIRA

Every woman needs a backup plan... And no one knows that better than foreign correspondent Dinah Davis, who's spent years wriggling out of international hot spots. Now she's come home to South Carolina's Low Country to hook up with the dependable man who long ago promised his devotion. But instead of finding the safety she's seeking, she winds up in the arms of his black sheep brother. Cordell Beaufort would go after Dinah himself if the opinionated debutante weren't so much trouble. But when Dinah lets down her guard long enough for Cord to see the real woman, he starts to wonder if his judgment wasn't just a little too harsh. Maybe there's a reason he can't stand the thought of Dinah traipsing down the aisle with his brother. Cord was the last man on earth Dinah would choose, but it seems fate has other ideas. Turns out even the very best backup plan can take an unexpected twist.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Before I get into the one thing that bugs me about Sherryl Woods' THE BACKUP PLAN, I must tell you that everything else about it is right on target. The author does a fabulous job of describing the South Carolina setting with all its heat and class. Her characters are lively and compelling in the many storylines visited here. I truly am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.

That being said, the heroine in this book, Dinah, made me want to smack her. On several occasions. I realize that she goes through some seriously difficult situations, and no one can guess how they might cope with such stress. I also realize that if it wasn't for her "backup plan" there would not be a book. Realizing those things does not make my desire to smack her any less.

Dinah is the most selfish character I have ever had the chance to read about. To actually believe that someone would wait ten long years for you to make up your mind about marrying them, is complete and utter B.S.! I find it most difficult to wrap my mind around the concept. Imagine waltzing back to your home town after your success in a highly publicized world comes to an end, and searching for your old pal that followed you around like a puppy dog through high school. Also imagine that you were never really boyfriend and girlfriend, that instead, he was devoted to you and desperate for you to return the emotion. Now imagine that you exploited that devotion and asked him to wait for you, while you traipsed off to New York to become a famous anchorwoman. When you feel like it, or something bad happens, you expect to be able to charge right into his life no matter what else he has planned, and hold him to the marrying deal. Again, I want to smack Dinah for that absurd and, quite frankly, mean idea.

Another example of Dinah's screwed up view is, everyone that loves her and wants to help her deal with her post-traumatic stress disorder, she won't confide in. Again, I know it's too painful for her to discuss the details, but to make them all worry and tip-toe about, wondering if she can ever snap out of it, is unfair. I was so glad when one of her friends finally tells her the truth about selfishness.

Maybe I am being too hard on Dinah, since I have never been in such a situation. Then I remember she made her ridiculous plan way before she had to live through such a horrible ordeal. Yes, you never know what kind of crazy things your mind is capable of. Also, it takes two, and the dumb boy, Bobby, agreed to wait, so it's not entirely her fault.

Either way, I still enjoyed this story and especially the hunky hero, Cordell. THE BACK UP PLAN is worth picking up in March.

Shannon Johnson