The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, published in 1972 by Avon Books, is the first modern "bodice ripper" romance novel.

It revolutionized the genre featuring a deep plot, an independent heroine, and intense physical passion.

Heather Simmons (The Flower), a young, innocent, and mistreated girl on the run from a life of toil and danger finds refuge in the arms of a virile and dangerous stranger, Captain Brandon Birmingham (The Flame), leading to a passionate love affair.