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Fire Meets Fire
Julia has inherited half of a property in Australia, but the other owner, Clint Staveley, does not want her there.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1977
10 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Anne Hampson
170 books153 followersAnne Hampson was born on 28 November 1928 in England. At age six she had two ambitions: to teach and to write. Poverty after WWI deprived her of an education and at 14 she was making Marks & Spencer's blouses at one shilling (5p) each.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
She retired when she married. Later, when her marriage broke up, she was homeless with £40 in her purse. She went back to the rag trade and lived in a tiny caravan. But she never forgot her two ambitions, and when Manchester University decided to trial older women she applied, and three years later had achieved one ambition, so set her thoughts on number two.
In 1969, her first novel, Eternal Summer, was accepted five days from posting and she soon had a contract for 12 more. From the caravan she went to a small stately home, drove a Mercedes and sailed on the QE2. From the first book, came over 125 more written for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette. Alan Boon (the Boon of Mills & Boon) and she came up with the title for 'Harlequin Presents' over lunch at the Ritz. She suggested to Alan that they have a historical series. He told her to write one - it was done in a month, entitled Eleanor and the Marquis under the pseudonym Jane Wilby. She has the distinction of being number one in Harlequin Presents, Masquerade and Silhouette. Many of "Presents" have been reprinted many times (some as many as 16) and are now fetching up to $55, being classed as "rare" books.
She has had 3 awards, one at the World Trade Centre where she received a standing ovation from her American fans, who had come from many states just to meet her.
She was retired, but in 2005 she wrote two romance and crime novels, both of which were published by Severn House.
She passed away on 25 September 2014. She has been written her autobiography, entitled Fate Was My Friend.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 8, 2018
Back in my naive youth, I thought it might be interesting to read all of Anne Hampson's books. They were so over-the-top and all over the place, and I'm still quite astounded that most of these were considered to be romances. However, it was simply too dark and it was beginning to mess with my head.
Anyway, with that goal in mind I ordered a print copy of Fire Meets Fire, a book not available anywhere, and definitely a lesser-known Hampson, before I threw in the towel, so I decided to read it because it was there and I paid for it. I mean, how bad could it be? An Anne Hampson novel that had disappeared into the mists of time couldn't, for example, contain a section where she offers to let him kill her if it makes him feel better after he breaks a shoelace, or where she wakes up in bed to find him and his pillow friend next to her and he bullies her into making coffee, only for both of them to mock her lack of skill. (These events didn't take place, but that's what I was dreading.)
The fact is that if I continued down the Hampson path, plotlines like the one I imagined above were inevitable. In this one, though, it's pretty garden-variety Crabby h meets Crabby H, lots of chauvinism, one bad shaking, lots of threatened taming of the shrew, an (honestly) surprising pretend engagement, and an eventual HEA. There was a redeeming note in that the h brought her wealthy, elderly, proudly cantankerous employer to live with her on the new estate that she shared with the H. She and her employer were a blast -- they really egged each other on, and I can only hope that when I am older, I will be encouraging young women to join me in not suffering fools gladly.
Anyway, with that goal in mind I ordered a print copy of Fire Meets Fire, a book not available anywhere, and definitely a lesser-known Hampson, before I threw in the towel, so I decided to read it because it was there and I paid for it. I mean, how bad could it be? An Anne Hampson novel that had disappeared into the mists of time couldn't, for example, contain a section where she offers to let him kill her if it makes him feel better after he breaks a shoelace, or where she wakes up in bed to find him and his pillow friend next to her and he bullies her into making coffee, only for both of them to mock her lack of skill. (These events didn't take place, but that's what I was dreading.)
The fact is that if I continued down the Hampson path, plotlines like the one I imagined above were inevitable. In this one, though, it's pretty garden-variety Crabby h meets Crabby H, lots of chauvinism, one bad shaking, lots of threatened taming of the shrew, an (honestly) surprising pretend engagement, and an eventual HEA. There was a redeeming note in that the h brought her wealthy, elderly, proudly cantankerous employer to live with her on the new estate that she shared with the H. She and her employer were a blast -- they really egged each other on, and I can only hope that when I am older, I will be encouraging young women to join me in not suffering fools gladly.
November 2, 2022
The cover is very telling. An apprehensive heroine looks back over her shoulder at a man who looks like he’s going to throw a riata over her. Behind her is the hero doesn’t look very big although he is and he’s wearing a hat two sizes too small for his head, not looking very threatening. But he is mean and has a nasty derogatory tongue in his head and throughout the book he calls this young girl all kind of names.
This is the best case of a leopard changing his spots that I have come across.
The h is feisty and holds her own, along with a trusty sidekick, but the H is the opposite of any outback station boss hero I’ve read about. I never did warm to him.
This is the best case of a leopard changing his spots that I have come across.
The h is feisty and holds her own, along with a trusty sidekick, but the H is the opposite of any outback station boss hero I’ve read about. I never did warm to him.
October 12, 2018
Loved this story and considered it to be a favourite of hers when a child.
pback-to-read
May 25, 2022Julia has inherited half of a property in Australia, but the other owner, Clint Staveley, does not want her there.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews