Flirting with Disaster (The Charleston Trilogy)

Unlucky-in-love gallery owner Maggie Forsythe is cleansing her wounds when her fiance Warren called the wedding off after the invitations went out. She is visited Warren, best friend Dinah and Dinah's husband Cord. They make an offer she cannot refuse - help with the building of a home for a needy local parishioner. Also on hand is Cord's foreman, Josh Parker. He is a rootless man who goes from job to job and lives in motels. When he and debutante Maggie meet, they are like fire and water. So you know that the sizzle will be good. He writes Maggie off as a bubble head, not realizing that she is quite an accomplished handy-gal herself, having renovated her gallery on her own. Neither wants to make the first move, but when his often married mother comes for a visit, she makes it her business to get the two together. That is when she is not driving the man opposed to the construction crazy. As Maggie and Josh rush to make the deadline and try not to fall for each other despite all their friends (and family) shenanigans, they suddenly have to look out for an abusive lover of a gallery employee hell bent on making Maggie's life hell. The story is another great southern fried romance as well as a great follow up to "The Backup Plan," with the main characters back playing pivotal roles telling Maggie's story, and soon to follow with "Waking Up in Charleston."

`Flirting with Disaster' by Sherryl Woods is fun southern romance novel. This novel tells the story of a stubborn woman who nursing a dose of embarrassment after her fiancé breaks it off two week before the wedding. Her friends talk her into helping out with church building project. She clashes with the handsome foreman for day one - but where is there is sparks there is fire. This is the second novel of the trilogy. I am off to read `The backup plan' for the first novel. The final novel `Waking up in Charleston' will due out May 2006.

Two weeks before their marriage, dependable Dr. Warren Blake dumps Maggie Forsythe. The Charleston iron magnolia flees her home, leaving her art and antiques gallery Images to be run by her employees, and hides on Sullivan Island. Her best friends Dinah and Cordell Beaufort and Warren arrive to bring her home. She hides from them the real reason she retreated that has nothing to do with humiliation but feeling that for whatever reason she is unlovable. Still they persuade her to help build a house for a widow with three kids. Heading the construction project is a reluctant Josh Parker who assumes that Maggie is cotton candy only to be surprised she is good with tools having renovated Images by herself. They are attracted to one another, but neither wants to ignite the spark as she fears rejection and he presupposes that a working stiff with a matriarchal hang-up is way beneath her level. When his mom comes out of nowhere and teams up with Dinah as matchmakers, neither one of the hesitant duet stand a chance unless they run away from love. FLIRTING WITH DISASTER is a strong character driven contemporary romance starring two wonderful protagonists and a powerful support cast with many facing complex problems. The return of the stars from the BACKUP PLAN augments the fine story line in which he and she both agree on two things: they want one another and they do not belong together. The social issues are deftly handled due to the powerful characterizations. Fans will appreciate this fine look at modern society in which it takes a community coming together to help parents raise children. Harriet Klausner