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Burning Inheritance
He had never believed in her
Isabel Ashley, a successful model, had no desire ever to see Alex Seton again. Throughout a disastrous marriage to his cousin, which ended in divorce, Alex had been hostile, believing she was unfaithful and interested only in money.
Years later when his grandmother's will inexplicably left shares in the family company to Isabel, Alex was delegated to persuade her to sell.
With his skills as a lawyer, Alex argued convincingly. But Isabel found herself distracted by her feelings. Underneath her bitter resentment lurked a familiar attraction to the arrogant Alex.
Isabel Ashley, a successful model, had no desire ever to see Alex Seton again. Throughout a disastrous marriage to his cousin, which ended in divorce, Alex had been hostile, believing she was unfaithful and interested only in money.
Years later when his grandmother's will inexplicably left shares in the family company to Isabel, Alex was delegated to persuade her to sell.
With his skills as a lawyer, Alex argued convincingly. But Isabel found herself distracted by her feelings. Underneath her bitter resentment lurked a familiar attraction to the arrogant Alex.
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 10, 1987
2 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mather
799 books360 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
March 23, 2023
The best thing is the title.
I don’t even know where to begin to list the chauvinist things and the slut shaming I’ve read in this book.
- double standard. It’s ok for the hero to sleep around, while the heroine has to be celibate.
- double standard. The hero paws the heroine when she’s engaged to his cousin but it’s her fault, not the hero, because she didn’t smash his head.
- sexism. The heroine is a model which is not a profession but basically a way to make money taking off her clothes.
- sexism. The hero believes the heroine when he finds out she’s a virgin. He would never have believed her otherwise.
- fantasy. The heroine is 25 yo model, divorced and she is still a virgin. With the amount of beef models have around them, either she’s a nun or she’ from some confession that prevents women from being with men. At all. I don’t think models are promiscuous but they are sane snd beautiful women around sane beautiful men so this mean they must at some point be attracted to someone. Sadly sex is something dirty and only men have needs, according to the author, so the heroine must stay celibate until she finds the right man for her, who is the one she will agree to have sex with. Not for her pleasure, but for his, because she loves him. Arrrghhhhh.
- spineless heroine that doesn’t defend herself, and doesn’t take action against her ex husband and father in law.
Basically the heroine was engaged to the hero’s cousin when they met, he was attracted to her and instead of trying to woo her he decided to slut shame her and maul her. Then when she asked him for help when her ex accused her of infidelity he rejected her brutally.
He moved on with his life and the heroine didn’t move on, because she was the most clueless model of all, no boyfriends at all, no dating, until she received an inheritance from her ex grandmother, some shares of their company.
The hero tries to bribe her and accusations aplenty again…
And kissing and mauling …
He had a casual bed partner until almost the end of the book, even if he admits he was unable to have sex with her after meeting the heroine again after 4 years.
Of course he understands his mistakes when they have sex since she’s a virgin, then he ghosts her for one month.
At that point the heroine has left the city for the country and eventually the hero turns up to declare his love and finds out she’s pregnant.
Oh, best moment was when he says he lost seven years pining for her. Really?
It didn’t look like it when he was happily screwing his gf.
I’m done.
I don’t even know where to begin to list the chauvinist things and the slut shaming I’ve read in this book.
- double standard. It’s ok for the hero to sleep around, while the heroine has to be celibate.
- double standard. The hero paws the heroine when she’s engaged to his cousin but it’s her fault, not the hero, because she didn’t smash his head.
- sexism. The heroine is a model which is not a profession but basically a way to make money taking off her clothes.
- sexism. The hero believes the heroine when he finds out she’s a virgin. He would never have believed her otherwise.
- fantasy. The heroine is 25 yo model, divorced and she is still a virgin. With the amount of beef models have around them, either she’s a nun or she’ from some confession that prevents women from being with men. At all. I don’t think models are promiscuous but they are sane snd beautiful women around sane beautiful men so this mean they must at some point be attracted to someone. Sadly sex is something dirty and only men have needs, according to the author, so the heroine must stay celibate until she finds the right man for her, who is the one she will agree to have sex with. Not for her pleasure, but for his, because she loves him. Arrrghhhhh.
- spineless heroine that doesn’t defend herself, and doesn’t take action against her ex husband and father in law.
Basically the heroine was engaged to the hero’s cousin when they met, he was attracted to her and instead of trying to woo her he decided to slut shame her and maul her. Then when she asked him for help when her ex accused her of infidelity he rejected her brutally.
He moved on with his life and the heroine didn’t move on, because she was the most clueless model of all, no boyfriends at all, no dating, until she received an inheritance from her ex grandmother, some shares of their company.
The hero tries to bribe her and accusations aplenty again…
And kissing and mauling …
He had a casual bed partner until almost the end of the book, even if he admits he was unable to have sex with her after meeting the heroine again after 4 years.
Of course he understands his mistakes when they have sex since she’s a virgin, then he ghosts her for one month.
At that point the heroine has left the city for the country and eventually the hero turns up to declare his love and finds out she’s pregnant.
Oh, best moment was when he says he lost seven years pining for her. Really?
It didn’t look like it when he was happily screwing his gf.
I’m done.
August 18, 2016
Re Burning Inheritance - Every once in a while AM does a book with mostly the male POV, which needless to say is very unusual at this point in HPlandia but BI does a fairly good job of it and for once AM leaves the incest/wrecky mama cheatin' drama off the plot.
The story starts with the H being cozened by his uncle to approach the h for her shares of the family pharmaceutical firm - the H's beloved grandmother left the h her shares in her will - it amounts to 30% of the company and the charter says that any business decisions have to have the support of 75% percent of the voting stock. In a normal family business, this wouldn't be a big problem - but in this case it is. Cause the h is despised former wife (also know as the Harlot of Derbyshire) of the H's cousin and his uncle (who was her father in law,) totally hates her.
The H has his own reasons for not feeling the lurve for the h, or more exactly he is totally obsessed with her and has wanted her badly since he first met her. However she was his cousin's girl and wouldn't give in to his caveman-hair-dragging-handsy-forced-seduction attempt- she burned him with an iron instead. And when he kicked the h out his car cause they were arguing while he was giving her a ride to the family estate, she made him crawl thru a hedge and a bog to get her back to his car to continue the journey.
To make things even worse, the cousin and the h split up and eventually divorced when she ostensibly cheated on the cousin with one of his friends. The H despises her for that, (mainly cause she wasn't cheating on his cousin with HIM.) He just can't get over the h rejecting his virile and manly self for some pasty faced school friend that that his cousin hung out with. The H calls her nasty names and a golddigger and tries to dismiss the thought of her from his life and his mind - but never quite succeeds and this goes on for several years.
Through a series of maneuverings and manipulations, the H gets coerced by his uncle into talking the h out of her shares. There is a series of spats and the feistier the h gets, the more the H thinks of swinging the lurve club mojo on her. Until finally, serious doubts occurring to him about just what actually went on in his cousin's marriage to the h, he gives into his continual primal urgings and seduces the h in the family estate's pool conservatory - only to find out she is a virgin.
(The story is that the h married the cousin and he turned out to be playing for the same team. The h found out on the honeymoon, but the uncle wouldn't let the h get an annulment or a divorce from his son. He threatened to ruin the h's chances of getting a job anywhere in the modeling profession if she tried to leave and the h believed him. Eventually the h was divorced when the man she supposedly cheated with was actually blackmailing the uncle over his affair with the h's husband. The grandmother did not approve of the uncle's tactics or not telling the h what she was marrying into and so she left her the shares when she died as the h got nothing in the divorce settlement. The grandmother also figured out the H was obsessed with the h and wanted to throw them together.)
So the H and h spend the rest of afternoon lurvin it up and then the H leaves the country for several weeks. He never calls the h and HP rule # 5 kicks in - virgins always get preggers at the first at bat - so the h quits her modeling career, leases a cottage in the country and waits for her baby to appear. She believes the H did a pump and dump and figures if that is his attitude, she is better off without him - she still has the shares for a good income. She does love the H, so she is very sad, but he and his family have used her enough and she does't want to see any of them ever again - at least she proved she wasn't the Harlot of Derbyshire, tho come to think of it, her lack of tartiness may be what put the H off.
She is taking a bath one evening when there is a banging on the door. It is the H demanding entry cause it is storming outside, so suitably underdressed in a towel, the h lets the H in and the big reconciliation begins. The H meant to call the h, but he got caught up in events in South America and couldn't. Then when he got back the h had disappeared and her possessive boss wouldn't disclose her whereabouts for several months, he finally found the h by following the boss around and threatened to do grievous bodily harm if the boss did not give up the h's location.
The H wants to marry her, he has been in love forever and the uncle will accept her as the H's wife and he will have to be nice to her too. The H got stuck in South America because his cousin got involved with another blackmailing lover and the uncle had a stroke when it seemed his son's orientation was going to become public knowledge. The H had to get the police involved and then find some sort of care for the uncle. The cousin is going to live in San Francisco and the uncle needs the H to take over the company. The uncle is sick and desperate, so he will be amendable to whatever the H wants to do - which includes lurvin it up in an HEA marriage to the h. The h announces her preggerness and that she loves the H back and we are left with the stormy passions of the heavens above as the H and h reunite in basic ways for the big HEA.
This one wasn't too bad. The usual AM OTT crazy drama with mother/daughter/H love triangles and sneaking around for love affairs is missing too. Overall the story is fast moving and coherent with a fairly simple plot. The real prize in reading this one is that it is mainly from the H's POV and that makes it worth a go if you find it in your meanderings around HPlandia.
The story starts with the H being cozened by his uncle to approach the h for her shares of the family pharmaceutical firm - the H's beloved grandmother left the h her shares in her will - it amounts to 30% of the company and the charter says that any business decisions have to have the support of 75% percent of the voting stock. In a normal family business, this wouldn't be a big problem - but in this case it is. Cause the h is despised former wife (also know as the Harlot of Derbyshire) of the H's cousin and his uncle (who was her father in law,) totally hates her.
The H has his own reasons for not feeling the lurve for the h, or more exactly he is totally obsessed with her and has wanted her badly since he first met her. However she was his cousin's girl and wouldn't give in to his caveman-hair-dragging-handsy-forced-seduction attempt- she burned him with an iron instead. And when he kicked the h out his car cause they were arguing while he was giving her a ride to the family estate, she made him crawl thru a hedge and a bog to get her back to his car to continue the journey.
To make things even worse, the cousin and the h split up and eventually divorced when she ostensibly cheated on the cousin with one of his friends. The H despises her for that, (mainly cause she wasn't cheating on his cousin with HIM.) He just can't get over the h rejecting his virile and manly self for some pasty faced school friend that that his cousin hung out with. The H calls her nasty names and a golddigger and tries to dismiss the thought of her from his life and his mind - but never quite succeeds and this goes on for several years.
Through a series of maneuverings and manipulations, the H gets coerced by his uncle into talking the h out of her shares. There is a series of spats and the feistier the h gets, the more the H thinks of swinging the lurve club mojo on her. Until finally, serious doubts occurring to him about just what actually went on in his cousin's marriage to the h, he gives into his continual primal urgings and seduces the h in the family estate's pool conservatory - only to find out she is a virgin.
(The story is that the h married the cousin and he turned out to be playing for the same team. The h found out on the honeymoon, but the uncle wouldn't let the h get an annulment or a divorce from his son. He threatened to ruin the h's chances of getting a job anywhere in the modeling profession if she tried to leave and the h believed him. Eventually the h was divorced when the man she supposedly cheated with was actually blackmailing the uncle over his affair with the h's husband. The grandmother did not approve of the uncle's tactics or not telling the h what she was marrying into and so she left her the shares when she died as the h got nothing in the divorce settlement. The grandmother also figured out the H was obsessed with the h and wanted to throw them together.)
So the H and h spend the rest of afternoon lurvin it up and then the H leaves the country for several weeks. He never calls the h and HP rule # 5 kicks in - virgins always get preggers at the first at bat - so the h quits her modeling career, leases a cottage in the country and waits for her baby to appear. She believes the H did a pump and dump and figures if that is his attitude, she is better off without him - she still has the shares for a good income. She does love the H, so she is very sad, but he and his family have used her enough and she does't want to see any of them ever again - at least she proved she wasn't the Harlot of Derbyshire, tho come to think of it, her lack of tartiness may be what put the H off.
She is taking a bath one evening when there is a banging on the door. It is the H demanding entry cause it is storming outside, so suitably underdressed in a towel, the h lets the H in and the big reconciliation begins. The H meant to call the h, but he got caught up in events in South America and couldn't. Then when he got back the h had disappeared and her possessive boss wouldn't disclose her whereabouts for several months, he finally found the h by following the boss around and threatened to do grievous bodily harm if the boss did not give up the h's location.
The H wants to marry her, he has been in love forever and the uncle will accept her as the H's wife and he will have to be nice to her too. The H got stuck in South America because his cousin got involved with another blackmailing lover and the uncle had a stroke when it seemed his son's orientation was going to become public knowledge. The H had to get the police involved and then find some sort of care for the uncle. The cousin is going to live in San Francisco and the uncle needs the H to take over the company. The uncle is sick and desperate, so he will be amendable to whatever the H wants to do - which includes lurvin it up in an HEA marriage to the h. The h announces her preggerness and that she loves the H back and we are left with the stormy passions of the heavens above as the H and h reunite in basic ways for the big HEA.
This one wasn't too bad. The usual AM OTT crazy drama with mother/daughter/H love triangles and sneaking around for love affairs is missing too. Overall the story is fast moving and coherent with a fairly simple plot. The real prize in reading this one is that it is mainly from the H's POV and that makes it worth a go if you find it in your meanderings around HPlandia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2018
This wasn't bad, I just was distracted by the title, which of course made me think of an STD.
July 10, 2023
Read like a practice run. Quite disjointed. She, Isabel, a model, is divorced from the Hs cousin. The H, Alex, made moves on her (reciprocated) before the wedding and hates her because she married the cousin (who, unbeknownst to everyone, was using her as a beard). 6 years later they are reunited due to the family matriarch having left shares to Isabel in her will. This one was really no fun at all. He was a horror show to be frank, even before the black suede trousers and leather jerkin of the final scene.
May 27, 2021
He had never believed in her
Isabel Ashley, a successful model, had no desire ever to see Alex Seton again. Throughout a disastrous marriage to his cousin, which ended in divorce, Alex had been hostile, believing she was unfaithful and interested only in money.
Years later when his grandmother's will inexplicably left shares in the family company to Isabel, Alex was delegated to persuade her to sell.
With his skills as a lawyer, Alex argued convincingly. But Isabel found herself distracted by her feelings. Underneath her bitter resentment lurked a familiar attraction to the arrogant Alex.
Isabel Ashley, a successful model, had no desire ever to see Alex Seton again. Throughout a disastrous marriage to his cousin, which ended in divorce, Alex had been hostile, believing she was unfaithful and interested only in money.
Years later when his grandmother's will inexplicably left shares in the family company to Isabel, Alex was delegated to persuade her to sell.
With his skills as a lawyer, Alex argued convincingly. But Isabel found herself distracted by her feelings. Underneath her bitter resentment lurked a familiar attraction to the arrogant Alex.
August 14, 2012
The heroine and the heroes cousin were married and divorced. When the heroine was left stock in a will the hero was determined to bribe or buy them from her. He had always thought she was an unfaithful bitch, little did he know, he didn't know the half of it and the blame lies with his cousin. Soon hero and heroine can't help but give in to the passion and attraction that surrounds them.
January 26, 2018
Candente Legado (Spanish Version)
No sé que pensar. O está mal expresado, o tenemos aquí otra "virgen" con alguna experiencia sexual previa:
"Hicieron el amor varias veces y en los intervalos durmieron uno en brazos del otro. Después de sus experiencias con Chris supuso que era frígida, pero con Alex alcanzó el éxtasis una y otra vez. Su primera, e infortunada experiencia fue opacada por el placer que experimentó después."
Además de mi alergia a este tipo de heroinas, hay que sumarle que en el pasado, antes de casarse con su prometido, le fue infiel con el Héroe (Hubo besos, magreos... que si no llegaron a más fue porque los interrumpen) Ella le ruega después a Alex, el Héroe, que no le cuente nada a Chris, su prometido, y sigue adelante con sus planes de boda... Pese a estar mojando las bragas por Alex. Lo que podría considerarse como heroina-no-célibe. Porque tuvo previamente una conexión ya con él Héroe.
Lo peor es leer a esta tipa pensando en que, si no se había costado con Chris hasta entonces, era porque él quería esperar a la noche de bodas. Y digo que es lo peor porque, mientras, ella andaba suspirando y excitada por el Héroe, creyendo que en cuanto se revolcara en el lodo cuán cochinillo con su prometido, se le quitaría esa fijación por Alex. Ya.
No sé que pensar. O está mal expresado, o tenemos aquí otra "virgen" con alguna experiencia sexual previa:
"Hicieron el amor varias veces y en los intervalos durmieron uno en brazos del otro. Después de sus experiencias con Chris supuso que era frígida, pero con Alex alcanzó el éxtasis una y otra vez. Su primera, e infortunada experiencia fue opacada por el placer que experimentó después."
Además de mi alergia a este tipo de heroinas, hay que sumarle que en el pasado, antes de casarse con su prometido, le fue infiel con el Héroe (Hubo besos, magreos... que si no llegaron a más fue porque los interrumpen) Ella le ruega después a Alex, el Héroe, que no le cuente nada a Chris, su prometido, y sigue adelante con sus planes de boda... Pese a estar mojando las bragas por Alex. Lo que podría considerarse como heroina-no-célibe. Porque tuvo previamente una conexión ya con él Héroe.
Lo peor es leer a esta tipa pensando en que, si no se había costado con Chris hasta entonces, era porque él quería esperar a la noche de bodas. Y digo que es lo peor porque, mientras, ella andaba suspirando y excitada por el Héroe, creyendo que en cuanto se revolcara en el lodo cuán cochinillo con su prometido, se le quitaría esa fijación por Alex. Ya.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2021
When Isabel inherits shares in her ex husbands family business his cousin Alex is sent to get her to sell her shares back to the family. He is led to believe that she is a money hungry gold digger who cheated on her husband. But the more he is around her the more he finds out that she is not Of course he has fought his attraction to her since she was introduced to the family. His uncle has a lot to account for with his actions. She has plenty of reasons to be doubtful of his actions. But has felt drawn to him also. What happens when the truth comes out is the story line.
March 9, 2022
Good story but I wonder how he’ll act the next time she does something that looks bad. If he can spend six years calling her an unscrupulous trampoline tart because he tried to seduce her before she married his cousin and believed she had an affair (which to be fair looked all too likely) when she denied it and asked for help, I think he’s far too fast to set himself as judge
June 30, 2025
I have to say that I didn’t like everything especially the part when he told her you would take off your clothes if they paying you enough he was a red flag and toxic
But there was something I enjoyed the chemistry between them and how he was so obsessed with her I enjoyed the scenes especially in her apartment 🤭😁
But there was something I enjoyed the chemistry between them and how he was so obsessed with her I enjoyed the scenes especially in her apartment 🤭😁
November 4, 2025
"Ukryte motywy"
October 9, 2015
Is this an Anne Mather book , really !?!?!
No convoluted plot, no massive age difference between hero and heroine.
No forbidden relationship like step brother and sister. Ok , he is her ex-husband's cousin. But thats nothing, going by Anne Mather standards !
No I am not complaining, merely surprised. If you can forget who the author is, its just a simple thoroughfare gold digger romance plot.
She has divorced her ex-husband because of his inadequacies (again no prices for guessing right, its a standard ruse for Anne Mather). And his head strong dad's bull dozing.
But hero thinks she is a two timing gold digger. Of course, he has the hots for her even while she was married. But he stayed away.
Now that she is free, he is back. Using the inheritance bequeathed to her as a pretext. Then of course , after some passionate words and steamy sex, they realize their undying love.
Yea yea, I know I sound bored while writing the review. But to be fair, the book wasn't too drab. It had its moments.
OK one time read.
No convoluted plot, no massive age difference between hero and heroine.
No forbidden relationship like step brother and sister. Ok , he is her ex-husband's cousin. But thats nothing, going by Anne Mather standards !
No I am not complaining, merely surprised. If you can forget who the author is, its just a simple thoroughfare gold digger romance plot.
She has divorced her ex-husband because of his inadequacies (again no prices for guessing right, its a standard ruse for Anne Mather). And his head strong dad's bull dozing.
But hero thinks she is a two timing gold digger. Of course, he has the hots for her even while she was married. But he stayed away.
Now that she is free, he is back. Using the inheritance bequeathed to her as a pretext. Then of course , after some passionate words and steamy sex, they realize their undying love.
Yea yea, I know I sound bored while writing the review. But to be fair, the book wasn't too drab. It had its moments.
OK one time read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews