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Hell or High Water
"We can't sell it to someone like him!"
Helen had to admit the sale of their estate was necessary. She and her mother could no longer afford to keep it up.
But she couldn't agree with her mother that selling it to the popular writer, Jarret Manning, would be a good deal. Jarret was a stranger, a rootless jet-setter with no sense of tradition.
Yet Helen soon discovered that arguing over real estate was the least of her problems with Jarret. He threatened to come between her and her fiance, Charles. And he seemed likely to succeed!
Helen had to admit the sale of their estate was necessary. She and her mother could no longer afford to keep it up.
But she couldn't agree with her mother that selling it to the popular writer, Jarret Manning, would be a good deal. Jarret was a stranger, a rootless jet-setter with no sense of tradition.
Yet Helen soon discovered that arguing over real estate was the least of her problems with Jarret. He threatened to come between her and her fiance, Charles. And he seemed likely to succeed!
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Anne Mather
801 books361 followersAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2024
Very weird one. The virginal, haughty, prim and proper heroine, descendant of a long line of proud but now impoverished country squires, is obliged to take in the vulgar, uncouth Londoner hero as lodger in her historic, Queen Anne, countryside manor. Hero will live there during the summer because he needs a quiet, restful place to work on his novel after years of whoring and boozing around in the bright lights of the biggest cities in the world.
The heroine and hero engage in a long bickerfest that lasts for the entirety of the story. Then, out of the blue, hero declares his love for the heroine. He wants her to break up her engagement of convenience to her stuffy fiance of questionable sexualit. However, he himself doesn't want to put a ring on it. Heroine at first echoes Beyonce' sentiments on the subject of matrimony, but when the hero goes down a boozy spiral, she relents.
After the hero sobers up, he does propose marriage because he realized how miserable he felt at the thought of losing her and now it is the heroine who swears that a piece of paper won't signify when true love is involved. Heroine proves to hero that she really loves him by gifting her virginity to him without requiring a marriage license. Hero however insists on getting that marriage license because he doesn't ever want to lose her.
I didn't like this one because they were both big, fat cheaters. He had a steady girlfriend for six months and even brought her to the manor for a visit before she flew off on some modeling location. His callous justification for cheating on his girlfriend with the heroine is that he never loved the girlfriend.
As for our heroine, her wedding was three months away. Whatever jerk the fiance was, and he really was a pompous ass who gave every sign that he was a bitterly angry, closeted guy who was acquiring a wife to act as his beard, the heroine's cheating ways could not be condoned.
Other plot holes included the heroine's lifelong fear of horses being suddenly cured because she was able to get close to the hero's friendly horse. Yeah, we get the oh so subtle metaphor of the heroine's fear of stallions being just symbolic of her fear of sex but gee whiz, can we please make this subplot basically plausible? One does not get over a lifelong phobia in the blink of an eye.
I will probably remember this for the odd scene where one of hero's exes gets so enraged at him that she smashes his typewriter in the driveway of the manor and then steals his Ferrari to drive back to London. LoL I am not saying what she did was right, I am just saying I understand how she feels!
The heroine and hero engage in a long bickerfest that lasts for the entirety of the story. Then, out of the blue, hero declares his love for the heroine. He wants her to break up her engagement of convenience to her stuffy fiance of questionable sexualit. However, he himself doesn't want to put a ring on it. Heroine at first echoes Beyonce' sentiments on the subject of matrimony, but when the hero goes down a boozy spiral, she relents.
After the hero sobers up, he does propose marriage because he realized how miserable he felt at the thought of losing her and now it is the heroine who swears that a piece of paper won't signify when true love is involved. Heroine proves to hero that she really loves him by gifting her virginity to him without requiring a marriage license. Hero however insists on getting that marriage license because he doesn't ever want to lose her.
I didn't like this one because they were both big, fat cheaters. He had a steady girlfriend for six months and even brought her to the manor for a visit before she flew off on some modeling location. His callous justification for cheating on his girlfriend with the heroine is that he never loved the girlfriend.
As for our heroine, her wedding was three months away. Whatever jerk the fiance was, and he really was a pompous ass who gave every sign that he was a bitterly angry, closeted guy who was acquiring a wife to act as his beard, the heroine's cheating ways could not be condoned.
Other plot holes included the heroine's lifelong fear of horses being suddenly cured because she was able to get close to the hero's friendly horse. Yeah, we get the oh so subtle metaphor of the heroine's fear of stallions being just symbolic of her fear of sex but gee whiz, can we please make this subplot basically plausible? One does not get over a lifelong phobia in the blink of an eye.
I will probably remember this for the odd scene where one of hero's exes gets so enraged at him that she smashes his typewriter in the driveway of the manor and then steals his Ferrari to drive back to London. LoL I am not saying what she did was right, I am just saying I understand how she feels!
March 6, 2010
One of the better Anne Mather keepers. Plus cover has couple clinching more amorously than usual. SNOGGING!
January 25, 2021
Μια καλογραμμένη αισθηματική ιστορία από την αγαπημένη ΄Ανν Μάθερ! Μια ανελέητη πάλη, ανάμεσα στη λογική και το αίσθημα! Ποιος άραγε θα είναι ο νικητής;;;; Μου άρεσε παρά πολύ!!!!
January 22, 2014
i had a headache after reading this book, very long n rather monotonous. yet, i was absorbed. anne mather has got dat talent 2 keep u glued n guessing. but i was pissed off waiting 4 smthg 2 happen bet these 2. they shared more or less a platonic relationship. i guess dats bcoz helen was pure as the driven snow n really naive. it's not clear but i think jarett fell in love wid her at 1st sight, such a prim lil madonna she was !wid black hair however lol:p while i cud believe jarett was really in love, i can't think the same of helen. she left the impression of an immature, inexperienced girl who did cud not make up her mind. she was confused abt charles, abt jarett. it was quite sudden 4 me when she admitted she had fallen 4 jarett n it was after some 200 pages yet it was too soon !!lol:p i did enjoy the book but i still rate it 1 star bcoz i was very dissatisfied, it did not meet my expectations n i have no intention of reading it again :P
March 17, 2020
We can't sell it to someone like him!"
Helen had to admit the sale of their estate was necessary. She and her mother could no longer afford to keep it up.
But she couldn't agree with her mother that selling it to the popular writer, Jarret Manning, would be a good deal. Jarret was a stranger, a rootless jet-setter with no sense of tradition.
Yet Helen soon discovered that arguing over real estate was the least of her problems with Jarret. He threatened to come between her and her fiance, Charles. And he seemed likely to succeed!
Helen had to admit the sale of their estate was necessary. She and her mother could no longer afford to keep it up.
But she couldn't agree with her mother that selling it to the popular writer, Jarret Manning, would be a good deal. Jarret was a stranger, a rootless jet-setter with no sense of tradition.
Yet Helen soon discovered that arguing over real estate was the least of her problems with Jarret. He threatened to come between her and her fiance, Charles. And he seemed likely to succeed!
May 12, 2018
After this one popped up on my feed today and reading the last review i had to immediately check if i had it in my back catalogue and to my surprise I did!
For a change I was totally organised for Christmas so curled up in this corner to enjoy this one for a couple of hours and i'm glad I did.
The H was a total and utter womaniser but to be honest i couldn't hate him he seemed like a pretty nice guy who just hadn't found his "one" yet until our snobby h. She kind of did wrong by the OM until the point he hit her then even though he was unlikeable before i wanted to slap him myself.
While i enjoyed it i t left me anting to know more about the H and his stepdad, about Horatio the horse and the OM brother Vince who seemed like a great guy in need of a story of his own!
I did think it as pretty funny that it was the H for a change who went home to his pops to sulk about his lady love though he got totally drunk for days and wouldn't get out of bed. what a drama llama lol
For a change I was totally organised for Christmas so curled up in this corner to enjoy this one for a couple of hours and i'm glad I did.
The H was a total and utter womaniser but to be honest i couldn't hate him he seemed like a pretty nice guy who just hadn't found his "one" yet until our snobby h. She kind of did wrong by the OM until the point he hit her then even though he was unlikeable before i wanted to slap him myself.
While i enjoyed it i t left me anting to know more about the H and his stepdad, about Horatio the horse and the OM brother Vince who seemed like a great guy in need of a story of his own!
I did think it as pretty funny that it was the H for a change who went home to his pops to sulk about his lady love though he got totally drunk for days and wouldn't get out of bed. what a drama llama lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2026
Interesting. I’m not sure how to rate this because I felt like I was forgetting it as I was reading it. A mother and daughter need to sell their estate for financial reasons and a young writer shows up to buy the place. Obviously, the daughter hates the writer on sight, and he decides he wants her. She’s engaged to a turd and proceeds to be kissed by the writer while being disappointed by her fiancé. There are some horses and a thunderstorm…and then we have a happy ending. It was a bit strange. So much conflict. Conflict with her mom, conflict with the writer, conflict with her betrothed, conflict with horses and conflict with her boss. Blugh. Too much. I don’t know- spare yourself with this one. There’s no way this much fighting leads to a happy life. For 3¢, it was ok. Don’t spend more.
March 23, 2021
By the time I got to the midway point I gave up on the heroine had a little redeeming qualities.
May 5, 2021
She’s a haughty snob. And she cheats on her fiancé with the H.
The H sleeps around a lot, but other than that, he’s okay.
The H sleeps around a lot, but other than that, he’s okay.
July 10, 2023
Much ado about nothing!
A hopeless heroine!
A hopeless heroine!
August 13, 2012
I truly can't say too much positive about this book. For the hero seemed really abusive in all ways that I hate. I truly think he went about it in the wrong way and the book frustrated me to no end. I adored the ending and thought the book was well paragraphed and strongly written, however I didn't much enjoy the context.
April 11, 2016
It was your average Harlequin romance yada yada yada!!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews