Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but certainly not the best
Review: I am also a fan of Kathleen Woodiwiss' books, and this was not her best. Many people have mentioned the confusion over the hero's eye-color, but there was something else that bothered me- When Cerynise is being thrown out of the house by Alistair, she questions the will, saying it was written prior to her coming to England as Lydia's ward, and that certainly Lydia must have updated the will after such a big change in her circumstances. Then on the boat, when Alistair attempts to claim her as his ward, Cerynise said that Lydia's will made no provision for her guardianship to be transferred. So did she see a new will or didn't she? Also, they got WAY too intimate immediately after this "marriage of convenience"! There was no tension or longing. I also believe the misunderstanding between Cerynise and Beau was too easily resolved. On the whole, it was too contrived. I expect a certain formula with romance novels, but this one was definitely not up to Kathleen Woodiwiss' standards.
Rating: 
Summary: Must be written by a ghost writer
Review: I have to agree with the first couple of reviews I read. After reading the first few chapters, I checked the date, thinking this must be one of the first Woodiwiss books because I've read others and they were great. But the date was fairly recent. So I think this must have been written by a ghostwriter. Besides the inconsistencies already mentioned, I found the organization poor. Chronologically, the other is jumping all over the place to explain herself. I also got really sick of hearing about his "manly needs" and her "womanly loins". In addition, in the middle of some action, we have to stop and get a 2 paragraph description of what the character was wearing. Not to mention the fact that the main female character hasn't been developed at all. She's supposed to be a gifted painter but we don't get any insight at all into this - but instead have to deal with her tears and remorse throughout the whole book. The only thing she really seems to have going for her are her looks. This is an incredibly boring book and I wouldn't even bother getting it from the library. There are too many other good books out there and not enough time to read them.
Rating: 
Summary: Elusive Flame Does A Disservice To Woodiwiss!
Review: Woodiwiss has written some of my favorite romance novels. The Flame and the Flower, Petals on the River, and The Wolf and the Dove are wonderful. Each of these novels not only tells a great story but gives us a peek at what life might have been like during those times.The Elusive Flame is a nice title and, like many of the elements of this book, doesn't really seem to belong to this story. A better title might be, The Flame and The Flower, 25 Years Later. Not only is the story a sloppy rehash of The Flame and the Flower, it is irritating. Where was the editor? Throughout the book the author describes Beau Birmingham's eyes as either green or blue?! On page 38, Cerynise first sees Beau and his "eyes of deep emerald green." On page 40 "his blue eyes twinkled" and so it goes throughout the book. The biggest bloober, however, was on page 336 when Beau was grilled about his appearance with another woman and he was referenced as Jeff! Finally, the author overused the words "portal" and "orb." All of these irritations could have been eliminated with better planning and editing. Save yourself some money and irritation. Get Woodiwiss' other books. Pass on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Is there a ghost writer for Kathleen Woodiwiss???
Review: This book caught my attention because it was a sequel to The Flame and the Flower and I bought it hoping that it would be up to par with Woodiwiss's earlier books. After reading only 3 chapters, I concluded that there must be someone else writing for Woodiwiss. This story was predictable and laughingly coincidental. Cerynise runs alone through London ending up at the seedy wharf and just HAPPENS to meet a nice man who just HAPPENS to know a sea captain that just HAPPENS to be Beau who just HAPPENS to be her childhood sweetheart. Later on the ship, Beau becomes really ill and has sex with her without knowing it? Now, this would perhaps be believable if he was stone drunk, but SICK??? I didn't even finish the book. Don't waste your time on this one unless you are looking for a book to criticize.
Rating: 
Summary: Review for The Elusive Flame
Review: When Cerynise Kendall went to Beau Birmingham's ship to set off for Charleston, she didn't know what she was in for. With her guardian's grandson after her she needed help to escape. Beau married her and it was to be a marriage of convience, but that isn;t how it turned out.
Rating:
Summary: The Elusive Flame
Review: I, too, found this one a tad lukewarm. I am not fond of too many sequels and rarely read them. The Flame and The Flower was my second romance novel ever,and, though written in a very different era than the 90's, I found it captivating. Today's romances have taken drastic turns. We don't like "weak" heroines any more than we like abusive heros. The Flame and the Flower has a place on my first edition-all-time-favorites shelf, and is dusty and falling apart from use. I put The Elusive Flame in the "donate" box. Save your cash, and get this one from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: MUCH better than the first
Review: It's my opinion that "The Elusive Flame" was MUCH better than "The Flame and the Flower". I'm glad that Beau didn't inherit his father's bad habits of raping young women mostly. Beau had enugh testosterone in him to keep me interested and enough feelings and sweetness to make me love him completely. And Cerynise was so much more lively and interesting than Heather! As much as I loved Heather, I love Cerynise more. The story line is much the same, but with enough twists to keep you guessing. I would love to follow this family up through today, they will never die for me. I definately plan on reading "A Season Beyond a Kiss." now. If you liked the Flame and the Flower but found it lacking, or didn't like it at all, I think you'll like this one a whole lot!!
Rating:
Summary: Woodiwiss is one of my favorites
Review: Woodiwiss is one of my favorite romance novelists, and this trilogy is what turned me on to reading romance novels. Though I would recommend reading them out of order - The Flame and the Flower first, then A Season Beyond a Kiss, and this one last. It will make more sense chronologically. As for the story itself, I thought it was wonderful. What I love the most about Woodiwiss' books is that you get to see the couples spend at least half of the book together, knowing that they love each other, instead of just the last pages. I would highly recommend The Elusive Flame for both romance buffs and new comers.
Rating:
Summary: The Elusive Flame
Review: I loved this book! It's as simple as that. When I first saw it I thought it was one of those boring romance novels, but decided to read it anyway because I'd never really never read an actual romance novel. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Beau and Cerynise were such wonderful charaters. I could feel their tenseness near each other, their frustration, and their sadness. I cried when it seemed they wouldn't figure themselves out, when they were so perfect for each other. Of course, they did, and I think the book started to flourish after that. I can only hope one day I can know the love that Cerynise and Beau share. I certainly am glad I read it.
Rating:
Summary: still loves woodiwiss
Review: I just got to read the book, and i really liked it. My favorite fictional book is, hands down, The Flame And The Flower, and, of course, no book written will ever be as good. So going in to this, I didn't expect it to be even close. I was delighted that it was, indeed, close. Alot of my feelings are due to the fact that Heather and Brandon were included often, as well as the other Birminghams. I will always love the characters of Heather and Brandon Birmingham. I was really worried that this sequel might include one or both characters having passed on, or doing so in this book. Thank goodness Ms. Woodiwiss didn't do that to her loyal fans. I hope that she will continue this saga, and keep Heather and Brandon alive in the continuation. I had hoped that the next book (Season) would be about all of these characters, but, am understanding, that it is actually backdated to Jeff and Raelynn's new marriage. I think that story should have come first. So, I will wait, with much hope, that Katleen E Woodiwiss will continue from this point. By the way, did anyone catch the "blooper" ? On page 336 in the paperback edition, in the second to LAST paragraph, Beau is mistakenly called Jeff. Otherwise, this was a wonderful book. I look forward to Suzanne and Brenna's love stories!!!!!!!!!
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