The Reluctant Suitor
Written by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Narrated by Lynn Redgrave
4/5
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About this audiobook
Lady Adriana Sutton has long adored Colton Wyndham, to whom she has been promised by an agreement of courtship and betrothal since childhood. As a young girl, she was wounded by Colton's stubborn refusal to comply with his father's wishes and by his angry departure for a life of adventure and danger in the British army.
No longer the plain tomboy Colton had spurned, Lady Adriana has blossomed into a much desired beauty. Yet the only man she desires is the decorated hero who has finally come home to his rightful title. Arrogant and seductive as ever, he remains averse to the idea of their betrothal, in spite of his growing desire for her.
Forced into a courtship with this spirited woman, Colton's heroic heart is moved by her charm, grace and sensuality. But a secret from his past may doom their burgeoning love ... even as the treacherous schemes of a sinister rival threaten to steal the remarkable lady from his arms forever.
Performed by Lynn Redgrave.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
(1939 - 2007) Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, creator of the modern historical romance, died July 6, 2007 in Minnesota. She had just turned 68. Her attorney, William Messerlie, said that she died after a long illness. Born on June 3, 1939 in Alexandria, Louisiana, Mrs. Woodiwiss was the youngest of eight siblings. She long relished creating original narratives, and by age six was telling herself stories at night to help herself fall asleep. At age 16, she met U.S. Air Force Second Lieutenant Ross Woodiwiss at a dance, and they married the following year. She wrote her first book in longhand while living at a military outpost in Japan. Woodiwiss is credited with the invention of the modern historical romance novel: in 1972, she released The Flame and the Flower, an instant New York Times bestseller, creating literary precedent. The Flame and the Flower revolutionized mainstream publishing, featuring an epic historical romance with a strong heroine and impassioned sex scenes. "Kathleeen E. Woodiwiss is the founding mother of the historical romance genre," says Carrie Feron, vice president/editorial director of William Morrow and Avon Books, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers. Feron, who has been Woodiwiss's editor for 13 years, continues, "Avon Books is proud to have been Kathleen's sole publishing partner for her paperbacks and hardcover novels for more than three decades." Avon Books, a leader in the historical romance genre to this day, remains Mrs. Woodiwiss's original and only paperback publisher; William Morrow, Avon's sister company, publishes Mrs. Woodiwiss's hardcovers. The Flame and the Flower was rejected by agents and hardcover publishers, who deemed it as "too long" at 600 pages. Rather than follow the advice of the rejection letters and rewrite the novel, Mrs. Woodiwiss instead submitted it to paperback publishers. The first publisher on her list, Avon, quickly purchased the novel and arranged an initial 500,000 print run. The novel sold over 2.3 million copies in its first four years of publication. The success of this novel prompted a new style of writing romance, concentrating primarily on historical fiction tracking the monogamous relationship between a helpless heroines and the hero who rescued her, even if he had been the one to place her in danger. The romance novels which followed in her example featured longer plots, more controversial situations and characters, and more intimate and steamy sex scenes. "Her words engendered an incredible passion among readers," notes Feron. Bestselling author Julia Quinn agrees, saying, "Woodiwiss made women want to read. She gave them an alternative to Westerns and hard-boiled police procedurals. When I was growing up, I saw my mother and grandmother reading and enjoying romances, and when I was old enough to read them myself, I felt as if I had been admitted into a special sisterhood of reading women." New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, a leading voice in the women's fiction arena, says, "We all owe our careers to her. She opened the world of romance to us as readers. She created a career for us to go into." The pioneering author has written 13 novels over the course of 35 years, all New York Times bestsellers. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's final literary work, the upcoming Everlasing, will be published by William Morrow in October 2007. "Everlasting is Kathleen's final gift to her fans," notes Feron. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, who was predeceased by her husband and son Dorren, is survived by sons Sean and Heath, and numerous grandchildren.
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Reviews for The Reluctant Suitor
21 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I enjoyed listening to this book, a true romance, not driven by lust like many romance novels. The characters were believable. The plot had many twists that made me wonder how the characters would overcome their dilemma. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy clean romance novels.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5favorite author - all time ! “Wolf and Dove” got me caught on romance at 21 and now at 70 and I still read them. I did like the earlier ones the best; however, more love, romance, character development. I preferred that to the graphic sexual segments - but then I am 70. Times have changed; great books do not.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I’m a 62 yr old Texas born male , I read The Flame an the Flower, Wolf and the Dove , when I was 16 , I loved your strong characters. I tried to read other writers romance books , but all were dull compared to yours. I just listened to two of your books on audio and was enthralled as I was nearly 40 yrs ago. Well Done
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I feel sorry for readers who see Kathleen Woodiwiss's name and pick up this book because Woodiwiss is considered to be the Mother of modern mass-market historical romance. This book is awful. First, and most problematic, the treatment of the female hero is abysmal. She is supposed to be a very capable young woman, but weak storytelling here finds her falling apart whenever the uber-masculine hero is around. Really? Do we have to do that old trope again? But even worse: she is sexually humiliated -- literally exposed -- at least three times before her wedding. Yuck. Are we really supposed to be entertained by this? And just when it finally seems like the couple has achieved their (unlikely) HEA, the last 150 pages turn very dark -- with murders, sado-masochism (and not the consensual safe-word kind), abuse, more humiliation of women, and just stupid, unnecessary stuff. In this book, the aristocratic class is presented as "normal" and "nice;" the servant class is presented as simple or even stupid, with much of their dialogue written in phonetic dialogue, and the evil villains coming from the merchant class and working class. Offensive. The entire novel is also hopelessly overwritten, with stilted, convoluted constructions at the sentence level, and a fundamental lack of pace in the plotting. The first SCENE takes like three chapters and 70 pages. The first DAY of the story takes us to about page 130. In all, there is about 200 pages of actual story in this 580 page novel. I hope I've convinced anyone who might be tempted to read this novel that it's a waste of time. Not recommended. -cg
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I do have to say that I was disappointed in this book. It didn't seem like the same author as all her other books. This would have to be the least favorite of all her books. I question if she wrote it alone.