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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