Customer Reviews

Petals on the River

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

A student of mine recommended that I read Petals on a River. I didn't like the first 10 pages. It's what my female friends would call a "chick" novel. At any rate, after about the 10th page I became mesmerized by it. Woodiwiss' writing is so vivid, I forgot I was reading a book and felt more like I was watching a movie. For example, I found the description of the cuts, pain, and healing of the leg irons so vivid, pictures emerged in my head. I found much of the novel like that. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss creates pictures in my head.

This is definetly not one of her best, but I think it captures Kathleen's feel quite well. Her books are breathtaking, riveting, and fanciful, not excluding "Petals on the River". The characters are a bit two-dimensional and fake for my taste, but I was still intrigued. The plot line was different, considering the main characters were living in the same quarters from day one, and how she managed to keep them from making love until 3/4 of the way throughout the book is a phenomenon. Keep it up, Kathleen, I will always read your novels, whether they are one or five stars!

Well, that's basically how I felt after finishing _Petals on the River_. The story was great, I loved the characters, and the setting was a nice change from England or Scotland. Although it was a well written book, towards the end, I was starting to get a little bored. But, this taste of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is enough to have me looking for more. I started reading her books with _The Flame and the Flower_, and I will definitely be snatching up her books in the future.

Shemaine O'Hearn had the perfect life. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, she came from a loving family, she was beautiful, and she was betrothed to the heartthrob of England. This all changed when the whim of an overjealous grandmother had her captured by a theive taker and carried to America on a convict boat. Shemaine knows that her life will never be the same, and all she can hope for is that a kind soul will take some pitty on her and that she will be sold into indentured servatude to a nice family or person.

In the town of Newport Newes lives Gage Thorton, a man haunted by his past. A year ago, his wife died, leaving him with a son to take care of. And, even though Gage loved his wife dearly, there is supiscion in the town that he killed his lovely wife. So, when the convict ship, the London Pride, docks in the town's port, he is desperate for a nursemaid for his son, and maybe some company. As soon as he sees Shemaine, he knows that he must have her, no matter the cost. She can educate his son and provide him with some company.

Shemaine is at first wary of her knew job, but soon settles into it nicely. Andrew, Gage's two year old son, is a complete doll, and Gage is the kindest, most handsome man she has ever met. The two get along famously, and a love blossoms between them. But, awful gossip and lies threaten to rip the two apart. Can they survive?

Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is really a great author. Some people complain about her purple prose, but I think it makes her books fun to read, and it is easier to imagine the historical setting that way. Her use of adjectives really brought the book to life, and you have no trouble picturing the drama in you head. Gage and Shemaine were the type of heros and heroines that I love reading about. Yes, they were perfect, so what? The whole point of romance novels is to get lost in them and to wish that someday you could be like that too. It is nice to read about people who don't have to lather on makeup to look decent. Shemaine was the woman we would all like to be. She's kind, loving, and she has a spine. When she sees something that is not right, nothing can stop her from fixing it. Gage is the man we all want. He's handsome, understanding, and doesn't let his pride get in the way of telling the woman he loves how he feels. So, all in all, _Petals on the River_ is a book that you should take the time to read. Although it does get slow at times, you will be happy you read it after you finish it. I know I am.

This book is where I first noticed the decline in quality of writing good love stories by Ms. Woodiwiss. Purchase and read "A Rose In Winter" by Mrs. Woodiwiss to understand what I mean. "A Rose In Winter" had plausible characters(meaning for a story with historical setting it was believable-believable behavior and speech of the characters, AND it was just a great love story). "Petals in the Whatever" is not intrigueing. Reading about a widowed farm boy-WITH A KID- who purchases a SUPERMODEL as a bride who learns to be content to make the farm boy biscuits and gravy is a tough story to swallow, and it's boring.

Petals on the River was not a bad book but it was certainly not the best written by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. The two main characters tend to gush over each other WAY too much and that gets really boring really fast but it had a semi-decent story to it. I would recommend reading the Flame and the Flower, A Rose in Winter and the Wolf and the Dove first. The stories are better and the characters aren't as annoying. Read this one after those only if you have nothing better to do.

Twenty-five years ago I was given The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss...and I fell in love !!Such descriptive writing..you could almost be there. Each successive book was eagerly awaited, and Ms. Woodiwiss became my scale upon which all other authors were compared.Her new book, Petals on the River, has renewed my faith in this authors writing. She is back, and back on track with the style, the characters and the story line that all her true admirers will relate to. Shemaine and Gage are delicious characters, both caught in a situation that leads to interesting conclusions. Throughout the story there are elements of suspense, romance and humor. There is also a very enjoyable and surprising "visit" from characters from one of Ms.Woodiwiss' previous books. Do yourself a favor..READ THIS BOOK..it's terrific!

I used to be a fairly loyal KW fan, but I won't take the chance that she'll write another book this bad. I couldn't finish this. The plot was unbelievably predictable and the heroine was so unbelievable perfect that I found her unbelievably boring.

It was hard to believe that this was a Woodiwiss book. I made it only half way through and gave up. I had just re-read "Shanna", her very best book ever, and was expecting more from this author. Actually, the reason I did buy this book was because of one of the reviewers mentioning she re-introduced Ruark Beauchamp. The characters (not the Beauchamps) are uninteresting wimps, totalling boring! Save your money. I did not like this book at all. Not what you would expect from Kathleen Woodiwiss.

It is very rare that I can't finish a book, but I couldn't finish this one - it put me to sleep! The heroine was so dull that I wanted to shake some personality into her. I kept thinking that if I read a little further, I might start enjoying the book, but alas, no luck.

I love romance. This was not it. I thought that the story line was slow, and predictable. It was all I could do to finish it. This is the first book I've read by her, and doubt I will read another.