Birmingham Family

3 primary works

The Flame and the Flower

by Kathleen E Woodiwiss

Published June 1975

The extraordinary Birmingham Family Saga commences in The Flame and the Flower – it continues in The Elusive Flame and concludes in A Season Beyond a Kiss.

The Flower

Doomed to a life of unending toil, Heather Simmons fears for her innocence – until a shocking, desperate act forces her to flee… and to seek refuge in the arms of a virile and dangerous stranger.

The Flame

A lusty adventurer married to the sea, Captain Brandon Birmingham courts scorn and peril when he abducts the beautiful fugitive from the tumultuous London dockside. But no power on Earth can compel him to relinquish his exquisite prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed prize. For he is determined to make the sapphire-eyed lovely his woman… and to carry her off to far, uncharted realms of sensuous, passionate love.

A Season Beyond a Kiss

by Kathleen E Woodiwiss

Published 1 February 2000

This pioneer of the romantic fiction genre renews her grateful readers' acquaintance with old friends, the "Birminghams of The Flame" and the "Flower" and "The Elusive Flame" fame. This time it's Brandon's younger brother Jeffrey and his off-again, on-again marriage to beautiful English import Raelynn that captivates audiences. Circumstances - and a murderous villain - have conspired to separate newlyweds Jeff and Raelynn.Raelynn has been broadsided by the accusation that Jeff has impregnated a young serving girl and refused to acknowledge his child. Jeff, of course, vehemently denies the accusation, but Raelynn is unsure she can trust her handsome husband. Just when the young lovers manage to mend their quarrel, a pregnant Raelynn is horrified to discover Jeff standing over the body of the murdered serving girl with the murder weapon in his hand. Throw in a ruthless merchant with designs to possess Raelynn at any cost and a mysterious murderer with a secret worth killing for, and you've got a classic from veteran author Woodiwiss.

Elusive Flame

by Kathleen E Woodiwiss

Published 12 December 1961

Cerynise Kendall's beloved elderly sponsor dies unexpectedly, leaving Cerynise to deal with the woman's heir, Alistair Winthrop. As much as she dislikes Alistair - a difficult man to say the least - even Cerynise hadn't expected him to evict her from her home, which he does without a second thought. Cerynise makes her way to the London docks and finds that fortune has smiled upon her, for a ship captained by a childhood friend, Beau Birmingham, is in port. Beau remembers Cerynise very well and is determined to return her to her uncle's home in the Carolinas.But when Alistair appears and demands that Cerynise be turned over to him as his ward, Beau swiftly arranges a wedding and the two enter into an agreed marriage of convenience. Beau is well aware that he's committed himself to several months of torture, for he wants the lovely Cerynise with a driving passion that threatens to consume him. For Cerynise, the pretend marriage is both heaven and hell. Though she desperately loves Beau, she's sure that his love of the sea leaves no room for a real marriage.
Upon reaching Charleston, both Beau and Cerynise believe that they've left trouble far behind, but Alistair is not yet finished with this unsuspecting young woman who stands between him and a fortune.