The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss

The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss

Synopsis:

This is a romance novel set in the 1800s. It is one of the first modern romance novels. It is about Heather Simmons, a seventeen-year-old orphan living with her Aunt Fanny and Uncle John in an English cottage in the countryside. She is treated by a servant by her aunt.

Heather’s Uncle William Court comes to visit and offers to take Heather to London and tells her he can get a job as a teacher at a school for young ladies. However, he plans to sell Heather to a brothel. William Court attempts to force Heather to sleep with him, but Heather fights back against him and accidentally stabs him and thinks she killed him and runs away.

Heather runs into the streets and meets two seamen who bring her to meet their captain Brandon Birmingham. Brandon believes Heather is a prostitute and sleeps with Heather. However, after he finds out that she was a virgin, he offers to make her his mistress.

Heather declines his offer and escapes from his ship and goes back home to her aunt and uncle. She finds out that she is pregnant with Brandon’s child, and he is forced to marry Heather. Brandon takes Heather back to his southern plantation, and eventually they fall in love, and Heather gives birth to Beau.

Review:

I very much enjoyed this book and love the character of Heather and also loved reading about how Brandon and Heather’s love grew over time.