Rating: 
Summary: did someone steal K. woodiwiss's name?
Review: i wish they offered a zero star rating option. There is no way that Kathleen Woodiwiss wrote this book unless it was a desperate attempt to overcome writers block. This was the worse book i've read in decades. I have all K.W's books but have found that i am more and more reluctant to spend the money to buy them as they seem to be getting progressivly worse.
Rating:
Summary: Baaaad... actually a 0 star book
Review: Katheleen E. Woodiwiss' downslide began with "Petals on the Wind", which (while a good book) was not up to her previous books' standards. Anything after that point has been unreadable. I thought maybe things had gotten better and bought this book - much to my regret. I can not read it, it is so bad. I have forced myself to read the first 70 pages, but I doubt I will finish it. Is Woodiwiss a pseudonym and someone else writing these novels? The writing is different. Please bring back the original author(s). I would rather re-read her first books than try and read another one of these fakes. The publishers are deluding the public by putting out these latest books with Ms. Woodiwiss as the author.
Rating: 
Summary: The Reluctant Suitor reviewed
Review: I am a huge K. Woodiwiss fan, having first read the book A Rose in Winter many years ago. I have picked up that book enumerable times since I first read it, and it still manages to capture me like no other romance book written. I have read all of her books, and keep looking for a book that measures up to the character development and scenes that A Rose in Winter did. I would like to see her write a book called the Reluctant Bride instead. I like to see the hero do the pursuing in a romance book not the heroine; when she captilates first it always disappoints me. I want to see her pursued to the ends of the earth and then give in. This book (Reluctant Suitor) just seemed like any other romance book, and I know that K. Woodiwiss can write so much better. I don't mind the details as long as I can connect with the characters and feel my pulse race when the hero is pursuing the heroine no matter the odds he faces. I realize this may sound more like a review for the Rose in Winter instead, and I guess it is. Read that book - don't give up on K. Woodiwiss, because her others are good but the Rose is the absolute BEST.
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.
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