Rating: 
Summary: Too Much Prose
Review: This was my first Woodiwiss book and it might be my last. She was way too descriptive in her writing. I definitely need dialogue to keep me involved in the story. It was so hard to get past those first pages. The story itself wasn't great either. I didn't understand why Colton would all of a sudden desire Adriana and why she would be so upset with him. She was SIX when he left!! That was the most baffling thing. The way Ms. Woodiwiss wrote the story, it sounded as if Adriana was heartbroken that her teenage crush had left, but no, she was only a baby. It just made no sense. I continually skipped over all the parts with Felicity and Roger. Overall, this was a horribly developed book and I am glad I only borrowed it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely saddening how poor this is written...
Review: I'm on 252 pages of a 486 page Woodiwiss book, and I don't want to bother finishing it. This is the second time this has happened (I didn't finish Season Beyond a Kiss, and I barely finished the Elusive Flame). I don't know what happened to the author of Ashes in the Wind, The Wolf and the Dove and The Flame and the Flower, but I really miss her. I'm assuming her new editor at William Morrow was too in awe of Woodiwiss to actually edit this meandering story with poor character development, excessive internal prose and abrupt plot lines. There is probably a good story in there somewhere, but you will have suffer to find it. The internal musings of the characters stretch out for five to six pages, all while they are supposedly having snappy, witty ballroom conversations! I only have time to read a few books a month now, so I'm not wasting anymore on this one, and I won't bother lending it to my mother, a bigger Woodiwiss fan than I am. It will break her heart! I'll donate it to the library, so other romance readers won't waste money on this travesty.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely disappointed
Review: As an avid fan of Kathleen Woodiwiss, I was absolutely disappointed with her latest work. The first half of the book was a real sleeper. On more than one occasion I considered putting it down for good. However, I managed through it until the end where I was definitely let down. Most of the action takes place in the last 100 pages of the book and even that is fairly lame. This book certainly is not the same caliber as The Flame and the Flower (a master work which I have read countless times), Come Love a Stranger, A Rose in Winter, or Shanna. In my opinion, the author did not spend enough time developing Colton and Adriana. I felt they were both too shallow for me to really be involved. I hope her next book will be more like the Kathleen of old.
Rating:
Summary: Simply horrid
Review: I am a longtime fan of Kathleen Woodiwiss, huge fan of the Romance genre and librarian for 14 years so I say this with great confidence: I could not believe how awful this book was - even by its genre standards, this was simply horrid. The writing was unbelievably poor, the characters were childish, unrealistic and the descriptions throughout the book could be used in Romantic Times magazine's poor writing example column. Even the action scenes continually fail to hit their mark. I was trudging through the reading from the first chapter, hoping it would get better; but the constant reference to the bath scene and the repetitive references to her beauty were poor uses of technique. After the near-rape scene, rather than feel enraged or protective or even possessive of Adriana, Colton is still described as being lustful, ogling her and thinking of nothing but the sexual tension he had yet to satisfy. After practically being raped, our "hero's" reaction was so unbelievable, it was disgusting. I tossed the book after that and was incredibly sadden to have this particular author come crashing down from her pedestal in my book.
Rating:
Summary: Horrid!
Review: Is this supposed to be a parody of every negative thing that can be said about romance? If not, it should be. Perfectly ponderous prose. Cardboard characters whose often mentioned traits are more irritating than intriguing. A confused, convoluted plot line. The only thing "magical" about this book is how short-lived wolfhounds are bounding about at 18. Save your money. I wish I had.
Rating: 
Summary: "Grand, sweeping, and luxurious prose"
Review: Ten and six years ago, it was the dearest wish of Sedgwick Wyndham, Marquess of Randwulf, to betroth his son to his neighbor's youngest daughter. Colton would have none of it, however, and spoke strenuously against such a union. The chit is all gangly limbs, knobby knees, and big eyes, Father! he shouted in a temper, not knowing Lady Adriana Sutton and her kin were in the next room, and could hear every word. Refusing to let such life-altering decisions be made for him, Colton enlisted in His Majesty's army soon thereafter, and has since waged a heroic campaign against Napoleon, earning great honors and the esteem of his fellow soldiers. His father's death has necessitated Colton resign his commission, however, and return to Randwulf Manor as the newly titled marquess. He will soon learn that little has changed in his absence. Little, that is, except for Lady Adriana, whom is now a beauteous maid and as lovely to look upon as a goddess. Her demeanor is cool and aloof, though, and her ebon eyes still resonate with the hurt of a disillusioned child. Guilt pricks at his conscience, but Colton isn't fool enough to fall prey to mindless lust, or the tempting charms of the young woman he is honor bound to court for ninety days, as specified in the betrothal contract signed by Gyles Sutton and his father. The devil take it! Even from the grave, the late marquess is trying to exert control over his son. Colton will adhere to the contract's guidelines, but in his own good time. There's no denying Adriana is a prize, and much sought after...yet is Colton willing to sacrifice his freedom for the bonds of matrimony, and thereby fulfill his father's wishes like a lackey following orders? Or will he persist in stubbornly ignoring his own heart's urgings? Heralding the return of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's grand, sweeping, and luxurious prose to the romance genre is THE RELUCTANT SUITOR. Pride, prejudice, and the consequences of courtship are delved into with puckish delight, and obvious pleasure is taken in the traditional roots of this ever-expanding subgenre. Devotees of Ms. Woodiwiss's work will be well pleased with the flourishes, embellishments, and overall drama of the plotline -- or so I can safely presume. Ms. Woodiwiss, after all, is an author known for her florid styling and purple-tinted prose, both of which are present in this hardcover debut, but to a lesser extent than one would expect. Such ponderous phrasing can slow a reader down, and yet Ms. Woodiwiss should also be praised for the palpable texture of her narrative, and her skilled use of description. Oddly enough, pivotal points in the plot are scarcely and sketchily described in the author's haste to explore new conflicts. Much ado is made about Adriana and Colton's ninety days of courtship, for example, but when the time comes for Colton to woo his lady fair in earnest, readers must utilize their imaginations to fill in the blanks. There are also melodramatic and improbable plot developments that will raise more questions in a reader's mind than they answer -- and hint at an unpardonable inattentiveness. Apparently, Colton is too besotted with Adriana's uncommon pulchritude (which is worshipped ad nauseam), to pay heed to others around him. Superficialities, and the appeasement of his manly pride, are of greater importance initially. As for Ms. Woodiwiss's heroine, she's nigh perfect and the object of many an obsessed and moon-eyed suitor. In fact, Adriana is almost too perfect, too desirable, and too blessed with a bevy of graces to accept without raising a sardonic eyebrow. Still, Ms. Woodiwiss's leading protagonists epitomize the romantic ideals many of us hold in our minds, though we may be loath to admit it. And what would a romance novel be without a dastardly villain? Ms. Woodiwiss's arch nemesis is definitely mad, bad, and dangerous to know, the truth of which becomes clearer and clearer as the novel progresses toward a delayed climax, and two storylines merge into one. All in all, THE RELUCTANT SUITOR is a love story that trumpets passion -- for good and ill -- with rich, piquant, stimulating prose. If you have the patience and ability to appreciate a masterwork of fiction, and the desire to vicariously experience the ups and downs of a conflict-ridden relationship, this is the penultimate story for you! So sit back, relax, and let Ms. Woodiwiss lead you by the hand into an olden-style, romantic wonderland.
Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: I usually love Kathleen Woodiwiss' books and have been reading then for years but I was extremely disappointed in her lastest book. I found it very hard to get into reading this book. Usually I am swept away from the beginning of her books but this one was long, drawn out, and very hard to follow. It wasn't until about 250 pages in did the story finally get interesting but even then, it was lackluster. There were too many storylines and she took forever to explain such simple things! I felt like the first chapter when Adriana and Colton first met again lasted an entire year, not the 15 minutes is actually was! I truly hope that her next novel is comparable to her past books and not this one. It would be a shame to see such an excellent writer waste her talents on another disappointing book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than her last book but not by much
Review: This author will never compare to her earlier works of Shana and The Wolf and the Dove. She should just rest on the laurels of those books and not keep driving down her marketability by writing contrived drivel.
This book was only marginally better than her last and no where near the quality of earlier books. 'Nuff said.
Rating:
Summary: KW, I think I can help you . . .
Review: Does KW even read her reviews anymore. Her last three books have been dismall and while FATF was no literary masterpiece, and itself could use some additional editing, The Reluctant Suitor is so bad that I hardly know where to begin. But, can we not all agree that character and plot development would be a good start? I don't have any sense of what motivates any of these characters beyond sex, and even that is more complicated than KW would have us believe. Second, nothing really interesting happens in this story. A comparison with the FATF clearly illustrates the problem with RS. From the very beginning of FATF, Heather is caught in a web of deception, mistaken identity and fear, plagued by guilt over believing that she murdered her would-be rapist, and realizing Lady Hampton's prediction that the line between love and hate is "but a wit apart". Meanwhile, Brandon struggles to manage his guilt, anger and attraction to Heather, all of which challenge how he sees himself as a person. Subplots were forshadowed early in the book and more aggressively developed midway and tied neatly together at the end. Ultimately, we really do care about what happens to them (despite the now very outdated and frankly inappropriate erotization of sexual violence, now disturbing to me in a way it never was when I first read FATF at age 13). KW or whoever writes for her neglects to provide any hooks with which the reader can care about these characters, and if anything, by framing aristocrats and "nobles" more deserving and honorable than the "commoners" does nothing to engender our sympathy. Heather, Brandon, Shanna,Ruark and a host of her more developed character were neither impressed by or sought titles and if anything distained them.
Rating:
Summary: OMIGOD! (can't give zeros?)
Review: Couldn't even read this one. I'm sorry, but can it get any worse? I mean right away they start talking about sex and whatnot. I mean, you KNOW what'll happen, can't they at least make it interesting? And the author keeps on saying the same things over and over again. And then almost right after the two meet (and the girl grabs the guy in the crotch) they meet again, this time naked. There's no real foreplay, no imagination, it's all leading up the ultimate end which will be marriage while using the same words over and over and over and over again. EWW! Yes there are some good reviews. I only looked at them and thought well they liked it. Don't know why, it was absolutely insufferable.
Spend your money and time somewhere else, like ... Harry Potter ...
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