Rating: 
Summary: The Reluctant Reader
Review: I was surprised and pleased to see this book on a store shelf recently, and grabbed it immediately, having just re-read, for the nth time, my three most favorite romance novels of all time, "The Flame and the Flower", "The Wolf and the Dove" and the best of the three, "Shanna". I have also read Ms. Woodiwiss's other books and although they can't compare to those first three, they were all enjoyable to read. After the first few pages I wondered what had happened to the wonderful story telling that in the past would reel me in with the first few pages. This book is not just wordy, it is downright tedious and I had serious doubts about being able to continue. Trying to find some redeeming value in the main characters, I decided to flip ahead a little, hoping to give myself some incentive to continue. Unfortunately, there was nothing to endear me to these characters, and the sex scenes, handled so well in previous books, were simply laughable. "I have a horn but no saddle"? Puleease! I'll stick with re-reading her first three when I need a "romance novel fix".
Rating:
Summary: Not worth my time
Review: I absolutely love a good romance. I will even suffer through slow starts in the hopes that a book will improve. I put this book down and returned to it FOUR times, each time hoping that I would not get lost in the scenes that went on and on, FOREVER. Sadly, it was not to be. I didn't make it past page 100, nor will I attempt to do so again. My complaints? The prose that was stilted, the lack of character development, and the almost immediate fixation that Colton had for Adrianna's beauty and NOTHING else. My biggest complaint? There were a thousand and one references in those first 100 pages back to the when Colton knew Adrianna before he took off. The continuous references to the type person she was and her feelings for Colton and how his rejection affected her was simply ridiculous. She was SIX years old!!!!! True, there were hints at the person she would become, but not nearly to the extent that Ms. Woodiwiss dwells on this. It was tedious and very unbelievable.
Rating:
Summary: Is this the same author that wrote Shana???
Review: I normally read a book in a couple of days... this one took me almost a week. I kept reading and hoping it would get better but it kept getting worse. I dare say it is the worst book I've read. The ploy... very dull, not to mention the characters. I have a hard time believing this is same author that wrote so many wonderful books! What a dissapointment!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pedantic dialogue was the high point of this awful book.
Review: This is without a doubt the worst book I have ever read. The characters were all annoying. The interaction between the two main characters was stilted and unbelieveable. The hero focused on the heroine's appearance rather than her inner self. I would have given this book zero stars if I could have.
Rating: 
Summary: Completely enthralling.
Review: I am glad I didn't read any reviews before I started the book because I may have been influenced in my enjoyment looking for all the things supposedly wrong. If you have not read the book, don't be influenced and read it for yourself. This is the first book I've ready by Kathleen Woodiwiss and I plan to look for more by this author. I loved the story of Colton and Adriana. It was well worth the delightful hours I spent in Regency England.
Rating:
Summary: Clone Gone Bad?
Review: This couldn't be the same Kathleen E. Woodwiss who introduced me to romance novals with The Flame and The Flower and Wolf and the Dove. Although none of her later books measured up to those two, this one is a total loss. I couldn't take it after 50 pages. What a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Trying To Be Jane Austen
Review: This book is truly awful. I just wish I had read the reviews before I spent $7.99 plus tax on it. I have loved many of this author's previous works, so I assumed it would be safe to spend my money. I was wrong. I wish I could get my money back plus damages for having to read this muck. It seems to me she is trying for the style of Jane Austen, but failing miserably. Note to the editors of the book: Just strike every other word from the text and this book will make more sense than it does now.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Time and Paper
Review: I read pages 1-118, and was still reading a story about events taking place on THE FIRST DAY the protagonists are reunited. I flipped back to look where day 2 begins, it's not until Chapter 5 on page 140. I threw the book in the trash. The first romance novel I ever read was Shanna, and that compelled me to read The Flame and the Flower and The Wolf and the Dove. I can't believe this was written by the same Kathleen Woodiwiss. What everyone else has said here is true; the book is interminable.
Rating:
Summary: could be a textbook for poor writing
Review: I remember reading The Flame and the Flower as a girl. I don't know what has happened to this author since then, but the prose could be an advertisement for poor writing. Every verb had an adverb, every noun an adjective(or two), and the sentences are not merely "run-on" -- they gallop in a writing style so embellished it is ludicrous. But far from enjoyable. Don't buy this book, you'll never get through it.
Rating:
Summary: Lesson Learned
Review: So much for impulse buying. I needed a new book to read, and saw this. I have never read a Woodiwiss book, but thought I remembered good ratings on Amazon. So many words to say so little. I can only echo what others have written about the book. It is good to know I am not so far off the mark in my estimation of the quality of the writing. Many reviewers say her other books are much better, but I doubt I will ever find out.
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