Rating: 
Summary: What a bummer
Review: You know, I loved the Flame and the Flower, and couldn't wait to hear about Jeff! And it was a dissapoitment...I didn't like his wife either. I've gone back to read the Flame and the Flower again and hope to regain some of that ol' feeling!
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad
Review: This was definitely not the best KW book ever but it was not totally bad either. I was delirious to find a new KW book on the shelves and snatched it up immediately. As I was in the middle of reading Ashes in the Wind for about the 30th time, I waited until I finished it before starting this one. I was quite disappointed in the first one-third of the book as there was no conflict and no action. For a while, I was beginning to think it was just a "mutual admiration society". But things do pick up and there is conflict and action, albeit a little late in the book. Don't give up on it, it does pick up toward the end although it does not live up to the first two books in this series. And although it continuously refers to events that happened in The Flame and the Flower, I found the references awkward as if she were trying too hard to remind you that this was a sequel. I'll probably read it again in the future but I don't think I'll cherish it as much as Shanna or Ashes in the Wind or other KW books.
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh. So bad. Kathleen, what were you thinking?
Review: After being completely disappointed with "the Elusive Flame" I wasn't sure I was going to read this one. I shouldn't have wasted money buying this one. I agree with all the negative reviews I've read here... I'm only commenting because I ABSOLUTEY HAD TO LAUGH at the part where Jeff is in church with my favorite Birminghams, Brandon and Heather. It is THERE that Jeff notices that Beau's eyes had changed from the GREEN of his BIRTH to Heather's blue eyed color! HOW RIDCULOUS! An OBVIOUS attempt by Woodiweiss to "explain" Beau's shifting, everchanging eye color (sometimes they're blue, sometimes they're green) in "The Elusive Flame!" Kathleen must be reading our reviews here and elsewhere - and that's how she chose to explain the obviously bad editting job of Elusive Flame? Give me a break! Since when are babies born with green eyes, only to have them change to vivid blue at the age of three? Only in books with sloppy editting! I am NEVER, EVER reading another one of her new novels. I'll stick with my warn out copies of "Shanna" and "Flame and the Flower". Kathleen has lost her touch.
Rating:
Summary: I REALLY wanted to like it...
Review: Like many of the Amazon member reviewers, I have read Kathleen Woodiwiss since high school. I had always thought that "romance" or "historical" novels were stupid and boring, but Woodiwiss developed interesting characters and, good or evil, you cared about what happened to them. I hadn't seen anything from Woodiwiss in quite some time and then found "Petals". Okay, she's a little rusty. Then I found "The Elusive Flame" and while I didn't hate it, I thought I should have been more interested in Beau and Cerynise than Brandon and Heather. Still giving her the benefit of the doubt, I pre- ordered "Season Beyond a Kiss" after finding out it was the third of the Birmingham books. I liked the idea of the book being about Jeff and Raelynn...he was a favorite from "Flame and the Flower" and I was intrigued by the reference to them in "Flame 2". She should have left them as a reference or given them a story. I was confused from the beginning. Why did they marry? Who was the woman that accused Jeff of fathering her child? Was my copy of the book missing chapters...even though it started at Chapter 1! The villian(s) were weak and uninteresting but only slightly more than the main characters. I found myself skimming through, looking for Heather and Brandon again. Their brief mentions were more satisfying than the pages and pages of nonsense surrounding Jeff and Raelynn. Kathleen, I'm willing to give you another chance. But re-read your early works and take a lesson from yourself in storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: Can I edit KW's next book?
Review: Where to begin? Despite it's serious flaws, I really loved THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER (see review #57 under TFATF)and had hoped and prayed that Woodiwiss had redeemed herself by wising up about rape and other issues of consent within the context of romantic fiction. Alas, while she has clearly made an effort her continued referrences to marital rape make light of a serious problem. While, I don't expect 19th century characters to internalize contempory standards, Woodiwiss is a contempory writer speaking to contempory women (and young girls) and they deserive better. Furthermore, as the decendent of Southerners who unfortunately bought and sold slaves, I find both appalling and embarrassing Woodiwiss' treatment of the servants (it is implied that the Birminghams don't own slaves and that's fine). They come across as contented underlings living each day with only the goal of serving their "betters". Please. She gave Hatti so much more dignity and believablity in the first book. Is Woodiwiss a card carrying Klan member or has she been living in complete isolation these last few decades? It's not about political correctness (I loved TFATF, remember) or even writing for a multicultural audience. It is about not insulting the reader's intelligence. It's been along time since I read TFATF but I am sure the writing was better. Not great, just better. Plot and character development appear to have gone straight out the window in favor of wordiness. Ms. Woodiwiss might want to consider setting aside her Thesauruas and just saying what she means. I lost count of how many times she used the workd "Orbs" but "eyes" would have done just fine. While some reveiwers criticize the explicit sex, I found it's context pretty unbelivable. Once again, plot and character development. I could have cared less whether or not they ever had sex again because I just didn't give a darn about Raelynn. I lost interest in Jeff because he lacked the promice shown in TFATF. We only see hints of it in his interactions with Brandon, Heather and Farrell. Finally, I can only assume that this book went to press unedited for grammatical errors and anachronisms. The problem is that I'm sure it was edited. Someone either just didn't care or doesn't know how to do his or her job. Frankly, I think the fans of TFATF deserve a rewrite of Jeff's story. He had wit and charm in the original book.
Rating:
Summary: A Season Beyond a Kiss
Review: Kathleen Woodiwiss was my favorite author for many years. Her earlier books are marvelous. I was introduced to the world of romance novels with Shanna, truly a work of art. However, I was unable to even finish her last two books. I think I got through 18 pages of this book and realized I was never going to be able to finish it. What a shame. I would give this 0 stars if it were possible.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but?
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, but not as much as the previous Birmingham stories. I was a little let down by having to read this "out of sequence". In my opinion, this should be read between Flame and the Flower and The Elusive Flame. I think it took a while to really be able to get absorbed in this one, and some other reviews are correct - the villain isn't so much a villain. Still, I didn't have any trouble finishing this and will most certainly continue to add KW books to my collection.
Rating: 
Summary: A Season Beyond a Kiss
Review: I thought the book was very good, however I felt as if I something was missing. The author kept referring to things that had previously happened to Raelyn and Jeff that I had not read about. I have all of the previous books Ms. Woodiwiss has written about the Birminghams so I felt as if there was a book I had missed and I kept looking for another book to fill in the gaps - however I never found one.
Rating:
Summary: What's happend to Kathleen?
Review: I really wish I had read other reviews before purchasing this book... what a disappointment, I could barely finish it. I'm a long time K.W. fan and can't believe how her writing has changed. Seems like with this book and Petals In The River she is relying on old plot lines from previous books. I found the relationship between Jeff and Raelynn totally unbeliveable and very frustrating as a reader. I really hope that K.W. or her publisher check these reviews. I won't jump to buy her next book - I'll check it out at the library first!
Rating:
Summary: Surprised by negative reviews
Review: I hadn't read Woodiwiss in a long time. I read this book intwo days. Then, I logged on .....................................to find other Woodiwiss books. I was surprised at some of the reviews. I was especially surprised with the comments about Jeff's weaknesses being Raelynn's strengths and her weaknesses being his strengths. This is how my husband and I are - we compliment each other. I feel this makes for a good, strong marriage. One picks up where the other leaves off. Jeff and Raelynn go through hard times and remain together. Isn't this how it is supposed to be. Personally, I enjoyed this read. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic or maybe I enjoyed it just because . . . . . .
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