Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Woodiwiss, Kathleen E. - COME LOVE A STRANGER (Avon - 1982) (3+)
Wealthy plantation owner, Ashton Wingate, and his new bride,
Lierin, are traveling by steamboat when a pirate attack results in Lierin being hurled overboard. He is still grieving her death three years later when his carriage accidentally collides with a traveler on horseback—a woman who strikingly resembles
Lierin. Ashton tends to the unconscious woman, marveling at the uncanny likeness and wanting to believe that by some miracle his wife had survived, although his mind registers doubt. When she awakens later with amnesia, in lieu of the answers he needs, his heart fills with yearning and hope. "Lierin" is instantly drawn to this tender, caring man, needing his steady reassurance and the shelter of his arms as she recuperates and battles to regain
her memory. She soon realizes she is in love with Ashton.
The couple's happiness is short-lived, however. Malcolm Sinclair arrives on the scene and claims that Lierin is his wife Lenore. Her father also pays her a visit, verifying Malcolm's claim. But shards of her memory begin to surface—dark and haunting, disjointed glimpses of the past she has blocked out, and she feels an overwhelming sense of danger. Who is she? What will become of her? The drama builds, but despite whatever truths are revealed, Ashton and Lenore (or is it Lierin?) know in their hearts they belong together.
Sexual tension takes a back seat to romantic suspense in this 1982 novel, but while the mystery element is intriguing, I thought the ending was too conveniently wrapped up. Even so, if you enjoy a dramatic love story, the sheer poetry of Ms. Woodiwiss' writing makes COME LOVE A STRANGER a satisfying read. ~June Folk for Bookbug on the Web
Woodiwiss, Kathleen E. - ELUSIVE FLAME, THE (Avon - 1998) (4)
Cerynise Kendall was a young girl when her father died and she
was sent to England to live with her new guardian, Lydia Winthrop, a wealthy woman who became more like a favorite aunt. Five years later, Cerynise is grieving over Miss Winthrop's sudden death when she is confronted by Lydia's nephew, Alistair, who claims to be sole heir of the Winthrop property. In a fit of jealous rage he literally throws her out of the house with nothing but the clothing she's wearing, forcing her to walk to the docks in order to find passage to the Carolinas, where her uncle will gladly welcome her home again.
Cerynise is so exhausted by the time she reaches the docks that she faints before she can board the ship. But fate steps in. A friend of the family happens to be the captain of the ship and he tends to the young woman, whom he recognizes as the daughter of his former teacher. Cerynise cannot believe her good fortune when she realizes her knight in shining armor is none other than the man who befriended her as a young girl—Beau Birmingham, whom she has loved for years. The captain has a weakness for beautiful women, however, so he is reluctant to give her passage to America. But later circumstances force Beau and Cerynise into a marriage of convenience—an event that is anything but convenient for our hero.
THE ELUSIVE FLAME offers you villains, in the form of Alistair and his crooked attorney; suspense, as Cerynise's life is threatened more than once; and passion, when a former friendship develops into a highly sensual relationship. This book also contains secondary characters with their own stories, as well as a visit with old friends from THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER. It was a pleasure to meet the next generation of Birminghams. THE ELUSIVE FLAME, a sequel 25 years in the making, is a richly developed, well-told story that proves Kathleen E. Woodiwiss can still hold her own in today's romance world. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Woodiwiss, Kathleen E. - FLAME AND THE FLOWER, THE
(Avon Historical - 1972) (5)
Heather Simmons is no more than a slave in her aunt's household, so when her uncle visits and mentions that he can get her a teaching job in a girls school, she sees a chance to improve her circumstances. But, in reality, he is planning to sell her to a brothel. Fleeing from his unwanted advances, Heather ends up on the docks and is discovered by a group of sailors, who escort her to their captain.
Captain Brandon Birmingham likes the ladies, but is married to the sea. He has decided, however, that this will be his last voyage because he feels it is time to settle down and marry. When the captain sees Heather he can't believe his good fortune. Assuming she is a prostitute, he is pleased at the prospect of spending the night with such a beautiful, desirable woman; but, of course, she is a virgin...and he gets much more than he bargains for. Following their lovemaking, the captain is called away on duty. He says he will return to her, but Heather escapes after he departs the ship. When he discovers she is gone, he searches until he finds her—quite surprised to learn she is carrying his child. Even though she fears Brandon and his lusty appetite, Heather realizes that she wants nothing more than to be held and loved by the handsome captain. He vows to never let anyone or anything take her away from him again. What began as simple lust turns to love and desire for the one woman meant to be his.
THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER is a beautifully written, sensual love story about two people who, against all odds, are destined to be together. I join other readers in applauding Ms. Woodiwiss for writing this landmark novel that took the romance world by storm in the 1970s. It is truly a classic. ~Robin Peek for Bookbug on the Web
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