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Fight for Love
She had come to take his inheritance. Natasha Ames wasn't surprised that Jay Travers resented her presence on his family's Texas ranch. Not after she learned that his grandfather, who had met Natasha on a trip to England, had left her half of his property in his will. Natasha didn't know why the shrewd old Texan had made such a bequest to a virtual stranger, but she was determined not to leave until she found out. It wasn't easy living with Jay's hostility — especially when Natasha found herself falling in love with the harsh rancher.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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94 people want to read
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,131 books671 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 1, 2017
What a strange story. I don’t know where to start, so I’ll just list the main elements.
There is an inheritance as match-making plot. A elderly Texan leaves half of his ranch to the English heroine who was his tour guide in London.
There is a guardians of children subplot. The heroine is named the guardian of orphaned pre-teen twin girls along with the hero in the Texan’s will. PJ uses them to explain all the back story about the family and their uncle (the hero) to the heroine.
There is the virgin heroine is a gold-digger/skank trope. The hero thinks the heroine was his grandfather’s mistress
There is a mild revenge plot by the heroine who decides to play up to the hero’s low expectations so that she can revel in his grovelling later.
There is a shop till you drop shopping trip in Dallas and designer name checks. How many silk dresses does one heroine need?
There is a kidnapping and forced marriage.
There is eyebrow-raising language: “No one holds a grudge like an Indian.” “They were speaking Mexican.”
There is the patented PJ neurotic heroine™, but she is so delusional and contradictory that her many, many bouts of unconsciousness, nausea and wooziness take on metaphoric significance. (Ie: She is sick with love and can only survive in this strange new world if healed by the hero)
The heroine thinks she is some sort of part-Russian daughter of the soil whose soul longs for adventure. The most adventurous thing she does is to drive her car into a boulder. I don’t think she’d last too long out in the real world. She suffers sunstroke within 24 hours of arriving in Texas. She eats nothing, but drinks gallons of coffee. When she has a few sips of brandy she is drunk and insensible for over 24 hours so that the hero is easily able to kidnap her and fly her to Mexico for a forced marriage.
The heroine was supposed to be this modest woman who hid her great wealth behind the pain of losing her parents at 16. But she brags about where she bought her designer dress to the wannabe OW and buys a Mercedes to annoy the hero.
She claims she wants a family, but she keeps contemplating leaving because of her attraction to the hero and doesn’t think how that will impact the twins.
There is a hero who does a 180 in the course of a few pages. Aside from knowing his views on women and his love of cattle breeding *smirk *, the hero is a bit of a cipher. So his ‘I love you’ after sex felt as fake as the Texas ranch PJ dreamed up.
And that’s about it – there’s a wannabe OM that reminds the reader that the whole inheritance/guardian thing really makes no sense. There’s a lot going on – so this is an entertaining read, at the very least.
There is an inheritance as match-making plot. A elderly Texan leaves half of his ranch to the English heroine who was his tour guide in London.
There is a guardians of children subplot. The heroine is named the guardian of orphaned pre-teen twin girls along with the hero in the Texan’s will. PJ uses them to explain all the back story about the family and their uncle (the hero) to the heroine.
There is the virgin heroine is a gold-digger/skank trope. The hero thinks the heroine was his grandfather’s mistress
There is a mild revenge plot by the heroine who decides to play up to the hero’s low expectations so that she can revel in his grovelling later.
There is a shop till you drop shopping trip in Dallas and designer name checks. How many silk dresses does one heroine need?
There is a kidnapping and forced marriage.
There is eyebrow-raising language: “No one holds a grudge like an Indian.” “They were speaking Mexican.”
There is the patented PJ neurotic heroine™, but she is so delusional and contradictory that her many, many bouts of unconsciousness, nausea and wooziness take on metaphoric significance. (Ie: She is sick with love and can only survive in this strange new world if healed by the hero)
The heroine thinks she is some sort of part-Russian daughter of the soil whose soul longs for adventure. The most adventurous thing she does is to drive her car into a boulder. I don’t think she’d last too long out in the real world. She suffers sunstroke within 24 hours of arriving in Texas. She eats nothing, but drinks gallons of coffee. When she has a few sips of brandy she is drunk and insensible for over 24 hours so that the hero is easily able to kidnap her and fly her to Mexico for a forced marriage.
The heroine was supposed to be this modest woman who hid her great wealth behind the pain of losing her parents at 16. But she brags about where she bought her designer dress to the wannabe OW and buys a Mercedes to annoy the hero.
She claims she wants a family, but she keeps contemplating leaving because of her attraction to the hero and doesn’t think how that will impact the twins.
There is a hero who does a 180 in the course of a few pages. Aside from knowing his views on women and his love of cattle breeding *smirk *, the hero is a bit of a cipher. So his ‘I love you’ after sex felt as fake as the Texas ranch PJ dreamed up.
And that’s about it – there’s a wannabe OM that reminds the reader that the whole inheritance/guardian thing really makes no sense. There’s a lot going on – so this is an entertaining read, at the very least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2016
Re Fight for Love - PJ must have had a recent trip to Texas back in 1988 when she wrote her books that year. Once again we get a journey to Texas PJ style with FFL.
This time it is an unsuspecting English heiress who finds herself the unexpected beneficiary of an older acquaintance's death. She met him a year before the story began and showed the rather misogynistic old gentleman around various parts of London for a week after she came to his assistance when he had a spot of trouble.
The h is an orphan whose beloved parents died when she was 17 and left her very wealthy from the sale of their experimental Cheshire cattle farm that she couldn't run. Sadly the farm was sold that had been in the family since the writing of the Doomsday Book, but the h got a very nice lot of lucre out of it. Still, the h misses her rolling Cheshire hills and the green grass of home with little cows running around. Currently the h lives and works for a Bond Street gallery in London and when the book opens, she has just been notified that she has to go to Texas to hear the reading of the previously mentioned acquaintance's will.
The h thinks she has been left some little memento or bequest and quits her job with her fortune hunter boss to go see the Big Plains of Texas - she doesn't read the tutorial on Big Hair tho- and that may be one of the reasons she has so much trouble. It is really hard to trust someone who doesn't understand the value of a teasing comb and bonus buy giant sized Aqua Net.
So the h arrives all ready to explore the Heart of Texas, she plans on stopping off in Dallas and doing some shopping - for some reason PJ went way overboard on the clothes this time, barely a chapter when by without a mention of Harvey Nichols, Harrods or that the Princess of Wales shops where the h bought her outfit - I think PJ was trying to compete with the Galleria, tho I like Northpark Center myself. However the shopping idear is nixed when a very angry man and two cute little twin girls show up to whisk her off to the family homestead ranch.
The h is amazed at the hostility the man is showing, he turns out to be the grandson of the man she helped in London who named her in his will and it appears that the angry man is REALLY angry with the h. She has no clue why, but accepts his hospitality as the will reading is to be done on his ranch and she absolutely delights in meeting the adorable but manipulative plot moppet twins.
The twins are orphans themselves and Angry Man's nieces. It seems their mum was an English transplant Vegas Showgirl who married the H's brother - they had all kinds of marital troubles and were on the verge of divorce when they both died in a car accident. It seems Angry Man's grandfather absolutely did NOT APPROVE of the twins mother - she was a good time girl gold digger tart and that was all he had to say about it.
When the h arrives at the ranch, it seems everyone but the twins are very against her being there and the h has no idear why, she just knows that it is a very icy and resentful reception. Tho she can't help but think of ways to redecorate the Classic English Ladies' Boudoir room she is shown to. She feels it would look much better in the Santa Fe Hacienda Ranch style.
The h soon finds out that AM's grandfather left her half the ranch and guardianship of the twins, provided she lives on the ranch for six months of the year. The h can't understand why and really doesn't understand when the H calls HER a gold digger and accuses the h of being the grandfather's mistress. The h is gobsmacked further when the H offers her two million dollars to sign away her portion of the inheritance. The h doesn't need the money, she has more than that after the sale of the family farm, but she is curious as to why a man she barely knew would leave her such extensive property and partial guardianship of two children.
Then the H makes her really angry with his very verbose and bitter tirade about tarty women who sell themselves to anyone with a bagful of cash. (Here is where it gets a bit confusing, the h asks why the H would assume she slept with his grandfather - he answers with why else would the grandfather have left her half of everything? Later on the H implies the grandfather called her his mistress, but the H specifically said that the grandfather refused to explain why he was leaving the h part of the ranch. So technically the grandfather just did it and the H made assumptions which the h later on questions but in fact PJ never says the grandfather called the h his mistress.)
Anyhows, the damage is done and while the H may be part Native American, the H is part Russian and that leads to some fiery temper moments - plus the h is a redhead to boot. She loses her mind and challenges the H and decides to stay. That may be hard for her to do tho, cause the H apparently holds a mean grudge based on his ancestry and the h is no slouch in the tirade department, plus the housekeeper doesn't like her either. The h does settle in on the ranch tho, and spends a lot of time with the plot moppets.
Then we all get a trip to Dallas for the h to buy a Stetson and a Mercedes convertible and the twins to get new clothes and the H to see his potential OW who ran off and married a richer man when the twin's mother put a spoke in the OW and the H's relationship. The twins hate the OW, they are afraid she will dump her current hubby and come after the H again and send them off to boarding school.
The housekeeper eventually comes around to liking the h and the H is throwing some mean remarks and punishing kisses in, especially after the h neglects to tell him she bought the Mercedes with her own money. The twins take up matchmaking which the h goes along with when the OW and her hubby show up for dinner. The h is suitably mean to the vicious OW, especially when she makes a special trip to poison the h's potential relationship with the H by telling the h that the H was in love with the twins' mother.
It isn't true, the H hates all women equally, cause all of them except the twins and the housekeeper are gold digging tarts and Harlots of Babylon only out for the main chance and don't want real men for themselves. (The H was kinda a big baby, whining about how no lady liked him for his fine cattle breeding mind and the way he filled out his Wranglers, he insists they only want him for his money and his name.) The h by this time has come to appreciate the filling out of those Wranglers far more than she does his money she doesn't need and his name which she doesn't care about, she likes his cattle breeding plans, he dad was the same way and it will give them something to talk about when she isn't admiring the rear view. She decides she is in love with the H.
Then she gets drunk and the H roofie kisses her and hauls her drunk tail to Mexico to get married. The H was getting worried when the h's ex-employer showed up ostensibly to check on her and propositioned her instead. The twins thought she was going to run back to England and mentioned the grandfather's money and the H leapt into action. When he found her drunk on his grandfather's brandy, he kissed her a lot and she passed out into his arms, he threw her in his little Cessna and high tailed it across the border and held her up while she slurred her yes to the wedding vows. The h wakes up the next morning hung over and married. The H is mean again and tells her he had to marry a cheap tart to protect his interests. Everyone but the H and the hung over h are thrilled and the h is moved right on into the H's room - which is at least decorated in a style more to her liking.
The h is still in recovery, so when the H comes to bed that night and starts in on the roofie kisses, she doesn't put up much of a fight. The kisses get intense and the then the H dumps her like a hot potato and says some more uncomplimentary things that really hurt the h's feelings. More importantly the H lit a fire that the h can't put out, so the next day she decides to take herself off in her new Mercedes and go home.
Then she wrecks her car trying to miss a rabbit and the H tracks her down. He loves her no matter who or what she did in the past - tho he reserves the right to be really horrible to her about it when the mood strikes - he still isn't letting her go. They are married and he is going to make the best of it. The h is thrilled he loves her back and then she asks him about the sleeping with the grandfather. The H says he doesn't care, he wants her bad and the h fesses up that she is still virgo intacta. She figures the grandfather was actually trying to match-make between her and the H. She also confesses she is really rich in her own right. The H is overjoyed and with a battle cry of "This is for Grandad!" the h and H adjourn to a line shack for the lurve clubbing HEA to give the shade of the grandfather the long anticipated great grandson.
This book was okay. The H was pretty mean in his words, but then again he did lose half of his livelihood to a virtual stranger, so it was understandable. What isn't so understandable is that the H was so adamant the h was a tart. She did not dress like one, act like one or even have big hair and a full application of Mary Kay cosmetics for most of the book. She was wonderful with the twins and even the housekeeper caught on to the grandfather's manipulations faster than the H did.
This is PJ tho and if the H hadn't been horrible then we would have no HPlandia outing, so if you can tolerate the overt misogyny and somewhat implied racial bias of "alien blood making people do outrageous things" this isn't a terrible story and sorta funny in the H's mad Mexico marriage scheme with a totally smashed h.
This time it is an unsuspecting English heiress who finds herself the unexpected beneficiary of an older acquaintance's death. She met him a year before the story began and showed the rather misogynistic old gentleman around various parts of London for a week after she came to his assistance when he had a spot of trouble.
The h is an orphan whose beloved parents died when she was 17 and left her very wealthy from the sale of their experimental Cheshire cattle farm that she couldn't run. Sadly the farm was sold that had been in the family since the writing of the Doomsday Book, but the h got a very nice lot of lucre out of it. Still, the h misses her rolling Cheshire hills and the green grass of home with little cows running around. Currently the h lives and works for a Bond Street gallery in London and when the book opens, she has just been notified that she has to go to Texas to hear the reading of the previously mentioned acquaintance's will.
The h thinks she has been left some little memento or bequest and quits her job with her fortune hunter boss to go see the Big Plains of Texas - she doesn't read the tutorial on Big Hair tho- and that may be one of the reasons she has so much trouble. It is really hard to trust someone who doesn't understand the value of a teasing comb and bonus buy giant sized Aqua Net.
So the h arrives all ready to explore the Heart of Texas, she plans on stopping off in Dallas and doing some shopping - for some reason PJ went way overboard on the clothes this time, barely a chapter when by without a mention of Harvey Nichols, Harrods or that the Princess of Wales shops where the h bought her outfit - I think PJ was trying to compete with the Galleria, tho I like Northpark Center myself. However the shopping idear is nixed when a very angry man and two cute little twin girls show up to whisk her off to the family homestead ranch.
The h is amazed at the hostility the man is showing, he turns out to be the grandson of the man she helped in London who named her in his will and it appears that the angry man is REALLY angry with the h. She has no clue why, but accepts his hospitality as the will reading is to be done on his ranch and she absolutely delights in meeting the adorable but manipulative plot moppet twins.
The twins are orphans themselves and Angry Man's nieces. It seems their mum was an English transplant Vegas Showgirl who married the H's brother - they had all kinds of marital troubles and were on the verge of divorce when they both died in a car accident. It seems Angry Man's grandfather absolutely did NOT APPROVE of the twins mother - she was a good time girl gold digger tart and that was all he had to say about it.
When the h arrives at the ranch, it seems everyone but the twins are very against her being there and the h has no idear why, she just knows that it is a very icy and resentful reception. Tho she can't help but think of ways to redecorate the Classic English Ladies' Boudoir room she is shown to. She feels it would look much better in the Santa Fe Hacienda Ranch style.
The h soon finds out that AM's grandfather left her half the ranch and guardianship of the twins, provided she lives on the ranch for six months of the year. The h can't understand why and really doesn't understand when the H calls HER a gold digger and accuses the h of being the grandfather's mistress. The h is gobsmacked further when the H offers her two million dollars to sign away her portion of the inheritance. The h doesn't need the money, she has more than that after the sale of the family farm, but she is curious as to why a man she barely knew would leave her such extensive property and partial guardianship of two children.
Then the H makes her really angry with his very verbose and bitter tirade about tarty women who sell themselves to anyone with a bagful of cash. (Here is where it gets a bit confusing, the h asks why the H would assume she slept with his grandfather - he answers with why else would the grandfather have left her half of everything? Later on the H implies the grandfather called her his mistress, but the H specifically said that the grandfather refused to explain why he was leaving the h part of the ranch. So technically the grandfather just did it and the H made assumptions which the h later on questions but in fact PJ never says the grandfather called the h his mistress.)
Anyhows, the damage is done and while the H may be part Native American, the H is part Russian and that leads to some fiery temper moments - plus the h is a redhead to boot. She loses her mind and challenges the H and decides to stay. That may be hard for her to do tho, cause the H apparently holds a mean grudge based on his ancestry and the h is no slouch in the tirade department, plus the housekeeper doesn't like her either. The h does settle in on the ranch tho, and spends a lot of time with the plot moppets.
Then we all get a trip to Dallas for the h to buy a Stetson and a Mercedes convertible and the twins to get new clothes and the H to see his potential OW who ran off and married a richer man when the twin's mother put a spoke in the OW and the H's relationship. The twins hate the OW, they are afraid she will dump her current hubby and come after the H again and send them off to boarding school.
The housekeeper eventually comes around to liking the h and the H is throwing some mean remarks and punishing kisses in, especially after the h neglects to tell him she bought the Mercedes with her own money. The twins take up matchmaking which the h goes along with when the OW and her hubby show up for dinner. The h is suitably mean to the vicious OW, especially when she makes a special trip to poison the h's potential relationship with the H by telling the h that the H was in love with the twins' mother.
It isn't true, the H hates all women equally, cause all of them except the twins and the housekeeper are gold digging tarts and Harlots of Babylon only out for the main chance and don't want real men for themselves. (The H was kinda a big baby, whining about how no lady liked him for his fine cattle breeding mind and the way he filled out his Wranglers, he insists they only want him for his money and his name.) The h by this time has come to appreciate the filling out of those Wranglers far more than she does his money she doesn't need and his name which she doesn't care about, she likes his cattle breeding plans, he dad was the same way and it will give them something to talk about when she isn't admiring the rear view. She decides she is in love with the H.
Then she gets drunk and the H roofie kisses her and hauls her drunk tail to Mexico to get married. The H was getting worried when the h's ex-employer showed up ostensibly to check on her and propositioned her instead. The twins thought she was going to run back to England and mentioned the grandfather's money and the H leapt into action. When he found her drunk on his grandfather's brandy, he kissed her a lot and she passed out into his arms, he threw her in his little Cessna and high tailed it across the border and held her up while she slurred her yes to the wedding vows. The h wakes up the next morning hung over and married. The H is mean again and tells her he had to marry a cheap tart to protect his interests. Everyone but the H and the hung over h are thrilled and the h is moved right on into the H's room - which is at least decorated in a style more to her liking.
The h is still in recovery, so when the H comes to bed that night and starts in on the roofie kisses, she doesn't put up much of a fight. The kisses get intense and the then the H dumps her like a hot potato and says some more uncomplimentary things that really hurt the h's feelings. More importantly the H lit a fire that the h can't put out, so the next day she decides to take herself off in her new Mercedes and go home.
Then she wrecks her car trying to miss a rabbit and the H tracks her down. He loves her no matter who or what she did in the past - tho he reserves the right to be really horrible to her about it when the mood strikes - he still isn't letting her go. They are married and he is going to make the best of it. The h is thrilled he loves her back and then she asks him about the sleeping with the grandfather. The H says he doesn't care, he wants her bad and the h fesses up that she is still virgo intacta. She figures the grandfather was actually trying to match-make between her and the H. She also confesses she is really rich in her own right. The H is overjoyed and with a battle cry of "This is for Grandad!" the h and H adjourn to a line shack for the lurve clubbing HEA to give the shade of the grandfather the long anticipated great grandson.
This book was okay. The H was pretty mean in his words, but then again he did lose half of his livelihood to a virtual stranger, so it was understandable. What isn't so understandable is that the H was so adamant the h was a tart. She did not dress like one, act like one or even have big hair and a full application of Mary Kay cosmetics for most of the book. She was wonderful with the twins and even the housekeeper caught on to the grandfather's manipulations faster than the H did.
This is PJ tho and if the H hadn't been horrible then we would have no HPlandia outing, so if you can tolerate the overt misogyny and somewhat implied racial bias of "alien blood making people do outrageous things" this isn't a terrible story and sorta funny in the H's mad Mexico marriage scheme with a totally smashed h.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2015
This heroine explains why I hate outspoken, feisty heroines. She used another man for her own means, let the hero think she was a hold digging whore, fed him more reason to think so, and even after he confesses his love for her (which, btw, I absolutely hated - he thinks she's a tramp and falls in love with her anyway? And is begging her to stay with him?) - and after he confesses his love, she asks him, you love me even though I slept with your grandfather? Ugh. Hated her!
2 stars because the first 60% of the book was perfect, and I actually loved the heroine before she went too far. As I've always said, there's a very fine line between feisty and bitchy, and this heroine didn't only cross it, she fell indubitably over the cliff.
2 stars because the first 60% of the book was perfect, and I actually loved the heroine before she went too far. As I've always said, there's a very fine line between feisty and bitchy, and this heroine didn't only cross it, she fell indubitably over the cliff.
July 15, 2019
Jay was so mean to Natasha for most of the book. So when he declared his love near the end I just found the turnaround difficult to believe in. I know the Romancelandia subtext is that the crueler a hero is to the heroine, the greater his love supposedly is. But what a bunch of hogwash! There still needs to be some hints of tenderness underneath the cruel veneer. Otherwise I'm going to be doing a lot of reading between the lines, which makes me wonder if I'm reading the same book the author intended to write. Anyway, I couldn't understand what Natasha saw in Jay besides his looks and wealth. They literally spent most of the book bickering: Jay would accuse Natasha of being a gold digger, and she would go along with it because of that oh so deadly sin, pride. Rinse and repeat!
Good points
1. Jay expressed remorse and asked Natasha for forgiveness.
2. Jay's nieces and their machinations were too cute. The author definitely seemed inspired by the old movie "The Parent Trap" with this subplot.
3. The epilogue.
This is one book where the title fits it to a T. It's a bitter fight to the end for these two "lovebirds".
Good points
1. Jay expressed remorse and asked Natasha for forgiveness.
2. Jay's nieces and their machinations were too cute. The author definitely seemed inspired by the old movie "The Parent Trap" with this subplot.
3. The epilogue.
This is one book where the title fits it to a T. It's a bitter fight to the end for these two "lovebirds".
January 15, 2024
Some of these tropey PJ books that just miss the mark. First off there is suicidal internal monologue for days before the book gets anywhere. The h was a turn off. I prefer sweet and sassy but the h here was hot headed and driven in a bad way. She seemed a bit of a feminist if anything and didn’t sell her real life role of the past - a farm girl.
The h is actually loaded, thanks to her parents leaving her a farm at their death which she has sold off. The h works in an art gallery, she’s 25 and wears sky high heels. She briefly makes the friendship of an older American man for a week who rants to her about his failing sons and grandson who didn’t toe the line and his cattle ranch business stands still.
Now sometime or months later this man has passed away and left half of his ranch to the h. The h is summoned by the lawyers to fly to Texas and claim her wealth. The h initially plans to play surprised and grateful but changes colors horribly.
Instead of acting virginal and just a bit stupid, she instead crosses daggers with the dead man’s grandson who obv hates her and thinks her a gold digger. The h doesn’t do anything to convince him otherwise and given the golden opportunity of being paid her share in millions of dollars, instead chooses to just stay back at the ranch and be in the H’s hair.
The h is also a bit showy and not at all the laidback soft spoken farmer girl. She could’ve been more inhibited in talking back to the H or putting him and his suspicions in place. The H also has two outspoken nieces who say the most random unkind things and the h enjoys this.
The h needs a ride so instead of asking the H to pick/drop her she instead walks into a Benz showroom, talks to the men there and then her bank in the UK and has them wire her money and she then has herself a new Mercedes. Like whoa woman. Calm the f down. You think a man like that will be attracted by your money or your masculine wiles in arranging for yourself a brand new car. Why not also arrange for yourself a man. Totally hateful behaviour.
At this point I really couldn’t see how the h was a better candidate at deserving the H than the other trollops that he apparently hung out with.
I’ve read better from PJ and I just dragged myself thru this book here hoping for pigs to fly and they didn’t as expected. Pass.
The h is actually loaded, thanks to her parents leaving her a farm at their death which she has sold off. The h works in an art gallery, she’s 25 and wears sky high heels. She briefly makes the friendship of an older American man for a week who rants to her about his failing sons and grandson who didn’t toe the line and his cattle ranch business stands still.
Now sometime or months later this man has passed away and left half of his ranch to the h. The h is summoned by the lawyers to fly to Texas and claim her wealth. The h initially plans to play surprised and grateful but changes colors horribly.
Instead of acting virginal and just a bit stupid, she instead crosses daggers with the dead man’s grandson who obv hates her and thinks her a gold digger. The h doesn’t do anything to convince him otherwise and given the golden opportunity of being paid her share in millions of dollars, instead chooses to just stay back at the ranch and be in the H’s hair.
The h is also a bit showy and not at all the laidback soft spoken farmer girl. She could’ve been more inhibited in talking back to the H or putting him and his suspicions in place. The H also has two outspoken nieces who say the most random unkind things and the h enjoys this.
The h needs a ride so instead of asking the H to pick/drop her she instead walks into a Benz showroom, talks to the men there and then her bank in the UK and has them wire her money and she then has herself a new Mercedes. Like whoa woman. Calm the f down. You think a man like that will be attracted by your money or your masculine wiles in arranging for yourself a brand new car. Why not also arrange for yourself a man. Totally hateful behaviour.
At this point I really couldn’t see how the h was a better candidate at deserving the H than the other trollops that he apparently hung out with.
I’ve read better from PJ and I just dragged myself thru this book here hoping for pigs to fly and they didn’t as expected. Pass.
November 18, 2011
She had come to take his inheritance.
Natasha Ames wasn't surprised that Jay Travers resented her presence on his family's Texas ranch. Not after she learned that his grandfather, who had met Natasha on a trip to England, had left her half of his property in his will.
Natasha didn't know why the shrewd old Texan had made such a bequest to a virtual stranger, but she was determined not to leave until she found out.
It wasn't easy living with Jay's hostility - especially when Natasha found herself falling in love with the harsh rancher.
My god what a weird book,Jay's grand-father tells Jay that he slept with Natasha(it was a lie) and so he is leaving halfof the ranch for her in his will,Jay is always rude,mean,cruel,abusive towards Natasha,Forces her to marry him cause he hates her and is angry and bitter and always resents her,he always humiliates her taunts her and even rapes her,Natasha is a virgin she is quiet shattered and shamed and Jay feels the barrier but thinks my god what a actress this woman is and even says it on Natasha's face and goes to sleep
Natasha decides to leave him and even decides that she has nothing to do with the inheritance but as she drives her car breaks down 50 miles from the ranch then she stays there in the car Jay comes and shakes her saying why she went away .he has decided whatever her past,does'nt matter how many men she has slept with but from now on she is his only(he has a nerve eerrhhhhh!!!!)
Natasha says she was a virgin,he becomes happy n all and everything is all right and it was never revealed why his grandfather said that lie and then in the end Natasha says Grandfather was match making my mouth was left hanging open
off course there is this other woman who also keeps taunting and hinting Jay-herself are lovers and wanted to marry if she had not come
Natasha Ames wasn't surprised that Jay Travers resented her presence on his family's Texas ranch. Not after she learned that his grandfather, who had met Natasha on a trip to England, had left her half of his property in his will.
Natasha didn't know why the shrewd old Texan had made such a bequest to a virtual stranger, but she was determined not to leave until she found out.
It wasn't easy living with Jay's hostility - especially when Natasha found herself falling in love with the harsh rancher.
My god what a weird book,Jay's grand-father tells Jay that he slept with Natasha(it was a lie) and so he is leaving halfof the ranch for her in his will,Jay is always rude,mean,cruel,abusive towards Natasha,Forces her to marry him cause he hates her and is angry and bitter and always resents her,he always humiliates her taunts her and even rapes her,Natasha is a virgin she is quiet shattered and shamed and Jay feels the barrier but thinks my god what a actress this woman is and even says it on Natasha's face and goes to sleep
Natasha decides to leave him and even decides that she has nothing to do with the inheritance but as she drives her car breaks down 50 miles from the ranch then she stays there in the car Jay comes and shakes her saying why she went away .he has decided whatever her past,does'nt matter how many men she has slept with but from now on she is his only(he has a nerve eerrhhhhh!!!!)
Natasha says she was a virgin,he becomes happy n all and everything is all right and it was never revealed why his grandfather said that lie and then in the end Natasha says Grandfather was match making my mouth was left hanging open
off course there is this other woman who also keeps taunting and hinting Jay-herself are lovers and wanted to marry if she had not come
May 27, 2018
"Fight for Love" are a entertaining romance where the heroine gets half of the hero`s inheritance,which the hero is a ruthless Texas Cowboy...
As everyone says Natasha Ames and Jay Travers fight throughout the whole story.I just love the way they hated to love each other,and somehow Penny created a uniqe chemistry between them.The twins were really cute too,and i just love the way they gossiped about Jay`s life to Natasha.
What i don`t get is why Penny published this book AGAIN with another title:"A Scandalous Inheritance".Have seen that she has done it with many of her old stories.Well any way,this was a very enjoyable read,and i adore the Harlequin covers.!
As everyone says Natasha Ames and Jay Travers fight throughout the whole story.I just love the way they hated to love each other,and somehow Penny created a uniqe chemistry between them.The twins were really cute too,and i just love the way they gossiped about Jay`s life to Natasha.
What i don`t get is why Penny published this book AGAIN with another title:"A Scandalous Inheritance".Have seen that she has done it with many of her old stories.Well any way,this was a very enjoyable read,and i adore the Harlequin covers.!
August 9, 2015
If you like Diana Palmer (and I do) you will love this book. It's about as close as you can get to it without it being her. The story is good but the twins are great. I love that the heroine gets the upper hand with the hero and the evil other woman. Bravo Penny in the sky! Job well done.
May 16, 2023
Bare 3. Idk, sometimes PJ (like CM) knocks it out of the park and sometimes they just seem a bit...basic? I wish I could analyse it better. There's a two dimensional element to the characters and the story, I think. The angst feels strained rather than gut wrenching. Anyway, both writers can fair make a story motor along so who am I to judge.
June 9, 2021
Marrying the innocent heiress
Natasha Ames wasn't surprised that gorgeous Jay Travers was less than pleased to see her at his family's Texas ranch. Not after she learned that his grandfather had left her half of his property in his will.
Innocent Natasha didn't know why the shrewd old man had made such a scandalous bequest to a virtual stranger, but she was determined not to leave until she found out.
Though it wasn't easy living with commanding, ruthless Jay. Especially when he insisted on tying Natasha to him…as his wife!
Natasha Ames wasn't surprised that gorgeous Jay Travers was less than pleased to see her at his family's Texas ranch. Not after she learned that his grandfather had left her half of his property in his will.
Innocent Natasha didn't know why the shrewd old man had made such a scandalous bequest to a virtual stranger, but she was determined not to leave until she found out.
Though it wasn't easy living with commanding, ruthless Jay. Especially when he insisted on tying Natasha to him…as his wife!
July 21, 2015
Cute love story. I especially liked the heroine.
July 26, 2018
This is classic Penny Jordan from 1987: a red hot, brooding, sexy (albeit flawed) hero; a likeable (if slightly inarticulate heroine); stunning locations; and a slightly bonkers plotline which leads to a very unlikely love story.
The premise is as follows:
Natasha (our heroine) is living her life as a secret millionaire, passing her time by working for a pittance in an art gallery (where her main duties and responsibilities seem to be ‘look elegant’ and ‘flirt with her slightly repellent boss who has clammy hands’), whilst hiding from the world that she’s got over £2m in the bank. One day whilst out in London she prevents an elderly Texan from falling under a bus and then spends the next week showing him around the sights of London. A year later, she hears from the Texan’s solicitor – he’s died and left her a legacy. Obviously, Natasha doesn’t need the money, but she’s a bit sick of being groped by her boss and never being able to slob out in her jeans, so she heads off to Texas to find out what it is. When she gets there she meets with the open hostility of Jay Travers (owner of a Texan ranch and guardian to twin girls) and Natasha has apparently just inherited half of the ranch and guardianship of the girls.
Yes, it’s bonkers – but bear with it – it gets worse before it gets better. The story then follows the usual ups and downs – Jay is horrible to her throughout the novel, accusing her of sleeping with his grandad to get her hands on the ranch. At the very beginning, in the face of open hostility, Jay offers to buy her out for another £2m but Natasha refuses, mainly (she tells herself) because she doesn’t want to lose touch with the twins (who she’s only just met, mind). At a low point when Jay has been particularly horrible to her, Natasha drinks some brandy which has been left in her room and then passes out before waking up to find she has been kidnapped and forcibly married to Jay in Mexico. There’s a brilliant moment when Natasha wakes up and realises what has happened: “For a man who had just kidnapped her and forced her into an unwanted marriage, he seemed remarkably unconcerned.” So does Natasha for that matter. Now anyone else would have strong words to share with Jay about his conduct here before heading off to the nearest police station – but not Natasha, oh no. Being British and all (stiff upper lip and all that) she just rolls with the punches and hardly complains at his treatment of her. Which is interesting.
In fact, the whole novel is interesting for what it does on a literary level (although the story is crackers). There are several points in the story where Natasha openly admits that if she had read the plot of her own love story in a novel (just as we are doing), she would have dismissed it as unbelievable (just as I’ve done) but, by baring the device like this and openly acknowledging the story as a bit far-fetched, Jordan makes it more believable. As Nancy Miller argues, “In a true story, as in ‘true confessions,’ the avowal would be believable because in life, unlike art, anything can happen; hence the constraints of likeliness do not apply.” So by forcing us to acknowledge that (although it’s only a story), this is the story of Natasha’s own real life, Jordan forces us to acknowledge that anything can happen in life, so it’s not all that unlikely at all. That’s a very clever use of the Russian formalist theory that exposing the mechanics of how a story is constructed can render it into true art.
What makes it more credible is the underlying poignant reason that the heroine does allow the hero to abuse her so much. She’s lonely. Desperately lonely (hence spending her annual leave showing an elderly Texan she hardly knows around London and fixating on the twins as the family she might never have). Having lost her parents at a young age, Natasha has been forcibly uprooted from the Cheshire countryside to London – a place where it’s all too possible to be utterly devastated by loneliness (a crowd is not company and all that).
These very human and natural emotions go some way to explaining why Natasha behaves as she does. She literally becomes the heroine in her own life story, even taking recourse to pretend fainting (and it is pretend – Natasha recovers the moment Jay accuses her of fainting for effect) in order to get the hero to ‘rescue’ her and also using inactivity (i.e. doing nothing) in order to prove the hero wrong about her sexual morality and make him feel just ashamed enough of himself to change his ways and convince himself he can’t live without her. By doing nothing and taking the line of least resistance, it is actually Natasha who tricks Jay into kidnapping her and forcing her into an unwanted marriage (poor old Jay) by dropping tantalising hints about how she might marry someone else (thus he’ll then have to share his ranch unless he acts and secures her for himself).
The fashions in the novel are brilliant (Natasha spends quite a lot of time wearing dresses after the style of Princess Diana (another very performative heroine in British culture) and again (as in quite a lot of Jordan romances) cars get a look in too – This time the heroine buys herself a red Mercedes convertible (Mercedes - the choice of supervillains and authoritarian regimes everywhere – you may have noticed that all the Commanders in the TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale are all driving Mercs), although she doesn’t get much opportunity to drive it. The first time she does so, she crashes it into a rock and requires ‘rescuing’ by the hero again. Who would have guessed it?
Next, nearly everyone in the story is of mixed race heritage. Natasha comes from Russian lineage. Jay is part-Native American, part English himself. By forcing the characters together and to acknowledge their love for each other, the book serves the purpose that Amira Jarmakani (in “The Sheikh who Loved Me: Romancing the war on terror”) argues for – it addresses global conflict and makes an argument for world peace through the power of romance (In 1987, I seem to remember that the relationship between Russia and America was at another low, with the countries in the grip of the cold war still.)
So, all in all, as you can see – this is a very odd romance. However, it is a very literary romance which uses all the tropes and devices of good romantic fiction in order to advance the story, get the reader to accept the (slightly ridiculous) plot and ensure that we can take as much pleasure in the happy ending as Natasha. This is a brilliant example from Jordan’s corpus for students of the genre.
The premise is as follows:
Natasha (our heroine) is living her life as a secret millionaire, passing her time by working for a pittance in an art gallery (where her main duties and responsibilities seem to be ‘look elegant’ and ‘flirt with her slightly repellent boss who has clammy hands’), whilst hiding from the world that she’s got over £2m in the bank. One day whilst out in London she prevents an elderly Texan from falling under a bus and then spends the next week showing him around the sights of London. A year later, she hears from the Texan’s solicitor – he’s died and left her a legacy. Obviously, Natasha doesn’t need the money, but she’s a bit sick of being groped by her boss and never being able to slob out in her jeans, so she heads off to Texas to find out what it is. When she gets there she meets with the open hostility of Jay Travers (owner of a Texan ranch and guardian to twin girls) and Natasha has apparently just inherited half of the ranch and guardianship of the girls.
Yes, it’s bonkers – but bear with it – it gets worse before it gets better. The story then follows the usual ups and downs – Jay is horrible to her throughout the novel, accusing her of sleeping with his grandad to get her hands on the ranch. At the very beginning, in the face of open hostility, Jay offers to buy her out for another £2m but Natasha refuses, mainly (she tells herself) because she doesn’t want to lose touch with the twins (who she’s only just met, mind). At a low point when Jay has been particularly horrible to her, Natasha drinks some brandy which has been left in her room and then passes out before waking up to find she has been kidnapped and forcibly married to Jay in Mexico. There’s a brilliant moment when Natasha wakes up and realises what has happened: “For a man who had just kidnapped her and forced her into an unwanted marriage, he seemed remarkably unconcerned.” So does Natasha for that matter. Now anyone else would have strong words to share with Jay about his conduct here before heading off to the nearest police station – but not Natasha, oh no. Being British and all (stiff upper lip and all that) she just rolls with the punches and hardly complains at his treatment of her. Which is interesting.
In fact, the whole novel is interesting for what it does on a literary level (although the story is crackers). There are several points in the story where Natasha openly admits that if she had read the plot of her own love story in a novel (just as we are doing), she would have dismissed it as unbelievable (just as I’ve done) but, by baring the device like this and openly acknowledging the story as a bit far-fetched, Jordan makes it more believable. As Nancy Miller argues, “In a true story, as in ‘true confessions,’ the avowal would be believable because in life, unlike art, anything can happen; hence the constraints of likeliness do not apply.” So by forcing us to acknowledge that (although it’s only a story), this is the story of Natasha’s own real life, Jordan forces us to acknowledge that anything can happen in life, so it’s not all that unlikely at all. That’s a very clever use of the Russian formalist theory that exposing the mechanics of how a story is constructed can render it into true art.
What makes it more credible is the underlying poignant reason that the heroine does allow the hero to abuse her so much. She’s lonely. Desperately lonely (hence spending her annual leave showing an elderly Texan she hardly knows around London and fixating on the twins as the family she might never have). Having lost her parents at a young age, Natasha has been forcibly uprooted from the Cheshire countryside to London – a place where it’s all too possible to be utterly devastated by loneliness (a crowd is not company and all that).
These very human and natural emotions go some way to explaining why Natasha behaves as she does. She literally becomes the heroine in her own life story, even taking recourse to pretend fainting (and it is pretend – Natasha recovers the moment Jay accuses her of fainting for effect) in order to get the hero to ‘rescue’ her and also using inactivity (i.e. doing nothing) in order to prove the hero wrong about her sexual morality and make him feel just ashamed enough of himself to change his ways and convince himself he can’t live without her. By doing nothing and taking the line of least resistance, it is actually Natasha who tricks Jay into kidnapping her and forcing her into an unwanted marriage (poor old Jay) by dropping tantalising hints about how she might marry someone else (thus he’ll then have to share his ranch unless he acts and secures her for himself).
The fashions in the novel are brilliant (Natasha spends quite a lot of time wearing dresses after the style of Princess Diana (another very performative heroine in British culture) and again (as in quite a lot of Jordan romances) cars get a look in too – This time the heroine buys herself a red Mercedes convertible (Mercedes - the choice of supervillains and authoritarian regimes everywhere – you may have noticed that all the Commanders in the TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale are all driving Mercs), although she doesn’t get much opportunity to drive it. The first time she does so, she crashes it into a rock and requires ‘rescuing’ by the hero again. Who would have guessed it?
Next, nearly everyone in the story is of mixed race heritage. Natasha comes from Russian lineage. Jay is part-Native American, part English himself. By forcing the characters together and to acknowledge their love for each other, the book serves the purpose that Amira Jarmakani (in “The Sheikh who Loved Me: Romancing the war on terror”) argues for – it addresses global conflict and makes an argument for world peace through the power of romance (In 1987, I seem to remember that the relationship between Russia and America was at another low, with the countries in the grip of the cold war still.)
So, all in all, as you can see – this is a very odd romance. However, it is a very literary romance which uses all the tropes and devices of good romantic fiction in order to advance the story, get the reader to accept the (slightly ridiculous) plot and ensure that we can take as much pleasure in the happy ending as Natasha. This is a brilliant example from Jordan’s corpus for students of the genre.
September 20, 2012
Whoa. I know the hero who (completely incorrectly) despises the heroine but can't keep away from her is a common trope, but ick. He thinks she's the lowest of the low - believes on no evidence at all that she slept with his grandfather (!). Huh? And yet he still wants to make out with her? Obviously, in the logic of these books, her true personality is attracting him subconsciously. Riiight. I just didn't like "our hero" at all - I'm sorry.
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September 28, 2012It was interesting and I didn't like the way Natasha was treated by Jay but it was worth it in the end true love always prevail lol...
May 29, 2023
Aw I loved it. OK so it had some pretty infuriating moments (girl just TELL HIM THE TRUTH, seriously the amount of times she could have rubbed his face in it and didn't was maddening) buuut in the end I gotta love me a Penny Jordan drama fest. He did apologize at the end, I wouldnt go so far as to call it a proper grovel but in vintage category romance this is the best you're gonna get.
October 25, 2020
This was one of my best penny Jordan novel ..
January 30, 2021
Quarantine reading. Quick fun read. Author overused the word chimera. Other than that I can’t complain. I like these older simple romance novels
March 17, 2021
3.5/5 η βαθμολογία μου!
Παλεύοντας για την αγάπη - Penny Jordan, Συλλογή, 968
Παλεύοντας για την αγάπη - Penny Jordan, Συλλογή, 968
January 2, 2017
Natasha met the grandfather of Jay during his trip to England. She saved him from accident and the elderly man became firm friends with her. Something she never thought anything more of - until she received word that he had died and left her an inheritance. Out of curiosity she goes to Texas to see what the man has left her - only to be shocked by the terms of the will. Even more shocked is his grandson Jay who immediately assumes his grandfather had more that a friendship with Natasha and accuses her of tricking the old man into leaving her an inheritance by sleeping with him. Living with Jay is not easy - especially when you add two kids to the mix and the inconvenient fact that Jay has fallen for the woman he believes stole his inheritance
June 4, 2016
3 1/2 stars, the story had potential however it was way rushed at the end, to be precise the whole "i love you " from the H came at the last 10 pages of the book.
I was a little disappointed that we only got into the H head (point of view) once or twice and it was only to say "“She did not deserve either his compassion or his consideration”
If you like your Harlequin Heros caveman style (like me) then you will enjoy this one.
PG 12 just one sex scene and nothing with details.
I was a little disappointed that we only got into the H head (point of view) once or twice and it was only to say "“She did not deserve either his compassion or his consideration”
If you like your Harlequin Heros caveman style (like me) then you will enjoy this one.
PG 12 just one sex scene and nothing with details.
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