We made it. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we are coming to the end of the first Ripped & Ravished Book Club, Francesca (Under the Covers Book Blog) and Becky (Too Stupid to Live Podcast) cover Chapters 9-10 of The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, and the last two chapters feel like the book suddenly swerves into an entirely different genre with an epic finale.
We finally get the long teased romance payoff (yes, that probing scene, Becky clocked the exact page), plus the most chaotic party in Charleston, peak jealousy, and the book's ultimate talent: miscommunication as a lifestyle. Then the story goes full gothic romance meets slasher: blackmail, bodies turning up, a surprise reveal, and Heather's London past crashing back into the present.
We also talk about what actually works here (tension, suspense, and the feeling that Woodiwiss was writing from pure author freedom and desire rather than market formulas), what still doesn't, and why this book remains such an important artifact in romance history, even if it's complicated to "rate" with modern eyes.
Catch up here (and watch the video of this episode): https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/the-flame-and-the-flower-review/
Content warnings: discussion includes rape/forced seduction, coercion, violence, murder/death, blackmail, and misogyny. Please take care of yourself.
What's next: We're not done with Ripped & Ravished, coming up, we'll be talking with romance authors who loved this book when it first hit, and what it's like to revisit it now. And of course announcing what is our next read for March/April.
Timestamps
00:00 Why It Feels Original
00:25 Podcast Setup And Warnings
01:39 Final Chapters Reaction
02:17 Horse Ride Flirting
06:39 Party Jealousy And Louisa
08:41 Assault Trope And Gothic Vibes
12:45 Miscommunication And Consent Tension
21:47 Upstairs During The Party
28:23 Chapter Ten Serial Killer Twist
29:02 Whodunit Clues And Blackmail
31:13 Louisa Murder Suspicions
31:43 Doubt and Confession
32:39 Heather Blackmail Spiral
33:50 Romance Meets Suspense
35:10 Explosive Final Chapters
36:24 He Knew All Along
37:36 Accountability and Consent
41:41 Female Pleasure Awakens
42:52 Can You Rate This
54:55 The Bath Obsession
59:38 Publishing Then vs Now
01:03:00 Why Readers Want Original
01:07:16 Wrap Up and Next Steps
Links to join the book club + resources
Ripped & Ravished Book Club hub:
https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/bodice-ripper-book-club/
Sign up for the book club newsletter:
https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ripped-ravished
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss Author Guide:
https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/kathleen-e-woodiwiss-author-guide/
Romance Evolution through the Decades (1970s):
https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/history-of-1970s-romance-novels/
1970s Romance: Iconic Romance Novels:
https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/1970s-romance-novels/
Follow Becky / Too Stupid to Live Podcast:
https://tstlpodcast.substack.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/too-stupid-to-live-romance-reviews-%245-and-under/id1141770521
https://open.spotify.com/show/2rhn2BiyPFDZNMXIHxi2jC
https://www.instagram.com/tstlpodcast/?hl=en
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