Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Three Weddings and a Kiss |
1995 |
Buy |
| Married at Midnight |
1996 |
Buy |
Birmingham Family Saga Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| La llama y la flor |
1972 |
N/A |
| The Flame and the Flower |
1972 |
Buy |
| Three Weddings and a Kiss |
1995 |
N/A |
| Beyond the Kiss |
1996 |
Buy |
| A Season Beyond a Kiss |
1998 |
Buy |
| The Elusive Flame |
2000 |
Buy |
Kathleen E. Woodwiss Standalone Novels Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Wolf and the Dove |
1974 |
Buy |
| Shanna |
1977 |
Buy |
| Ashes in the Wind |
1979 |
Buy |
| A Rose in Winter |
1982 |
Buy |
| Come Love a Stranger |
1984 |
Buy |
| So Worthy My Love |
1989 |
Buy |
| Forever in Your Embrace |
1992 |
Buy |
| Petals on the River |
1997 |
Buy |
| The Reluctant Suitor |
2003 |
Buy |
| Everlasting |
2007 |
Buy |
The Gamblers Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Then Came You |
1993 |
Buy |
| Dreaming of You |
1994 |
Buy |
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss changed the course of romance publishing with The Flame and the Flower in 1972. Before her debut, romance novels were primarily short category books. Woodiwiss wrote a long, richly detailed historical romance and convinced Avon Books to publish it, creating a template that thousands of authors would follow. The book was a massive bestseller, and Woodiwiss remained one of the genre’s biggest names for the next three decades.
Her novels are set in various historical periods and feature heroines caught up in dramatic circumstances, from the English countryside to the American frontier. The Birmingham Family Saga follows multiple generations of a family, while standalone novels like The Wolf and the Dove, Shanna, and A Rose in Winter became classics of the genre. Woodiwiss wrote with a level of historical detail and emotional intensity that set a new standard for romance fiction.
She published steadily until her death in 2007, with Everlasting being her final novel. Her influence on historical romance is hard to overstate. The genre as it exists today, with its emphasis on historical settings, strong heroines, and lengthy narratives, owes much to the path Woodiwiss carved with her first book.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Kathleen E. Woodiwiss written?
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss has written twenty books across four series.
What was Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's first book?
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s first book is La llama y la flor, published in 1972.
Why is Kathleen E. Woodiwiss considered a pioneer of historical romance?
Her 1972 debut The Flame and the Flower was the first single-title historical romance published as an original paperback by a major publisher. Before Woodiwiss, romance novels were much shorter and less explicit. She proved there was a market for long, sweeping historical romances with detailed settings and passionate love scenes, opening the door for an entire genre.