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A review by thanys_thoughts
The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2.0
This is a tough book to review. It's considered a classic, and beloved to several people and I can see why. It inspired a lot of historical romances which is what led to the historical romance we have today. However in a modern context, this did not age well. At all.
This review will contain spoilers.
All the CWs: death of a parent (mentioned), emotional abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, attempted sexual assault, murder of assailant, rape, accidental pregnancy by rape, marriage to rapist, slut shaming, fat shaming, racism.
This is about Heather and Brandon. Heather's father has died and she lives with her uncle and abusive aunt basically as a servant. In a series of events, Heather is sexually assaulted in London, accidentally murders her assailant, runs away, is mistaken for a prostitute, and then is raped by American ship captain Brandon. This happens in the first 10% of the book.
When she learns she is pregnant she is forced to marry Brandon, her rapist. And he takes her to live with him in the Americas where he is a plantation owner in South Carolina. Heather and Brandon eventually start to care for one another and fall in love with each other.
I can see why this is considered a classic and a favorite. The writing is gorgeous and captures the historical setting of London and South Carolina so well. There's so many familiar tropes that are so popular in today's modern historical romance (marriage of convenience, one bed, accidental pregnancy), but there's also tropes that we rarely find in romance today. Raping was a more common trope between the alpha hero and the virtuous, virginal heroine who couldn't be seen enjoying her first sexual experience, because that would make her unvirtuous. It is interesting to see how far romance novels have come, but in a modern context this book is a whole lot of cringe.
As far as my own enjoyment of the book, I enjoyed the writing and certain parts. However, I disliked the characters and the whole romance between them was tainted due to the nature of how their relationship started. This is barely a 2 star for me. I wonder if I had read this book when I was younger, if I would have a different view point of it.
This review will contain spoilers.
All the CWs: death of a parent (mentioned), emotional abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, attempted sexual assault, murder of assailant, rape, accidental pregnancy by rape, marriage to rapist, slut shaming, fat shaming, racism.
This is about Heather and Brandon. Heather's father has died and she lives with her uncle and abusive aunt basically as a servant. In a series of events, Heather is sexually assaulted in London, accidentally murders her assailant, runs away, is mistaken for a prostitute, and then is raped by American ship captain Brandon. This happens in the first 10% of the book.
When she learns she is pregnant she is forced to marry Brandon, her rapist. And he takes her to live with him in the Americas where he is a plantation owner in South Carolina. Heather and Brandon eventually start to care for one another and fall in love with each other.
I can see why this is considered a classic and a favorite. The writing is gorgeous and captures the historical setting of London and South Carolina so well. There's so many familiar tropes that are so popular in today's modern historical romance (marriage of convenience, one bed, accidental pregnancy), but there's also tropes that we rarely find in romance today. Raping was a more common trope between the alpha hero and the virtuous, virginal heroine who couldn't be seen enjoying her first sexual experience, because that would make her unvirtuous. It is interesting to see how far romance novels have come, but in a modern context this book is a whole lot of cringe.
As far as my own enjoyment of the book, I enjoyed the writing and certain parts. However, I disliked the characters and the whole romance between them was tainted due to the nature of how their relationship started. This is barely a 2 star for me. I wonder if I had read this book when I was younger, if I would have a different view point of it.