Sweet Revenge

by Anne Mather

"I want to leave, and I'm going to!"

Toni continued her protest determinedly. "I don't know what kind of person you think I am, or what you think you can do to me. But you can't make me stay here!"

The Conde smiled. With his looks, his money, and his castle in Portugal, he could usually make anyone do anything he wanted.

"You tried to deceive me," he said smoothly. "Now you will remain here and be punished. And afterward—who knows? You may find yourself wanting to stay..."

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Portugal, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

189 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1973

About the author

Anne 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.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old skool story of an English governess heroine being thrown out of the household in Portugal when the husband makes a pass at her. They haven't paid her and won't give her references. Her first encounter with the aristocratic hero is when he hits her (lightly) with his car as she is running away from a guy whose trying to pick her up.

Then the heroine runs into an old friend who is in Portugal to introduce his fiance to his grandmother. The fiance ran off and now he's stuck. He convinces heroine to go to their villa as his fiance.

And coincidences of coincidences, the owner of the villa and the friend's uncle is the hero. Turns out the hero is a widower with sulky 13 year-old daughter who asks insolent questions and hates the heroine. The hero is insulting at every turn. The heroine almost drowns thanks to the daughter. The kindly grandmother is kindly and clueless.

There's also an OW who remembers the h from her governess stint - and the hero puts it all together to label the h a gold-digger. He propositions her to be his mistress and she is horrified.

The hero's nephew is dispatched to England, the H's daughter starts to like the heroine, they go on a tour of Portugal and have a marvelous time. The heroine is falling in love with the H. Then the OW shows up to pour poison in the h's ear.

The h flees to England and promptly finds a nannying job. The H eventually tracks her down. He's in love and wants to marry her. HEA.

Lots of fun descriptions of Portugal and the early 1970's clothes. H wears a gold medallion swimming. Heroine wears a-line mini dresses with peter pan collars.

[Naksed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Anne Mather's older books when she still wrote heroines with a backbone (despite their youth and lack of world experience) and older heroes who are besotted and totally sexually entranced by the free spirit heroine from the start (despite all their arrogant and haughty blustering). The OW was deliciously evil and had a number of entertaining catfights with the heroine, who stood up to her. The fang-toothed viper never had a chance with the hero who didn't even look at her much less see her, and even less with hero's 13 year old daughter, who was firmly in Camp Heroine (which bodes well for their future as stepmom and stepdaughter). The OM (hero's nephew) is a nonentity. Setting is Portugal. The hero is 1) a Conde 2) a race car driver, and 3) scarred. In other words: JACKPOT!

[Jacqueline J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another one down on my quest to read the first 100 HPs. This one is numbered 3 and was written in 1970. It took place in Portugal so it had that going for it. But there really wasn't much flavor of Portugal. It wasn't one of those that almost qualify as travel guides.

This thing was all messed up and not in a good way. The plotting made virtually no sense at all. The heroine was a ninny. The hero told her he was going to keep her on his estate to make her pay! And then went off and left her for days. Why didn't she just walk off to the town and catch a ride to the nearest train station? Conversations didn't quite make sense. And the hero and heroine spent almost no time together.


The thing I liked best was the description of the clothing. It was all so hip for the late 60s/early 70s. I felt like I had seen all the clothing on Laugh-in back in the day.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that this read was very simplistic and would be liked in general by all ages, teenagers and up. However I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I would. For some reason the whole kidnapping thing, didn't work for me in this novel.

[Edita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaunas žmogus negali būti vien tik blogas.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read all of Anne Mather’s earlier books and liked most of them, and loved a lot of them, but this was a real dud. It’s all over the place. The heroine is fluttering then forthright and then vapid as can be. The step daughter is rude and confrontational and then overnight is adoring and pleasant. Only the hero remains arrogant, cold and unappealing for almost the entire novel - until his young heroine is found and his lust will be quelled. At no point did I think he had fallen in love with her and she came across as too air-headed to have any sustained emotion. Fast forward ten years and this is another wife that will be ignored and lost.

[RomLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I want to leave, and I'm going to!"

Toni continued her protest determinedly. "I don't know what kind of person you think I am, or what you think you can do to me. But you can't make me stay here!"

The Conde smiled. With his looks, his money, and his castle in Portugal, he could usually make anyone do anything he wanted.

"You tried to deceive me," he said smoothly. "Now you will remain here and be punished. And afterward—who knows? You may find yourself wanting to stay..."

[Miss Demeanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

HP #3
Published: May 1973

Location: Portugal

Tropes:
Castle
Widower Hero
Scarred Hero
Revenge Plot
Fake engagement (not between H/h)
Age gap
Annoying stepchild
Gothic castle
Injured Heroine
Governess

Heroine: Antonia “Toni” Morley, English

Hero: Conde Raoul della Maria Estrada, Portuguese

Rating: 2.5/5

A real let down since I liked the synopsis. I like a good castle setting. Pretty much everyone here is unlikable aside the hero who still had moments. Francesca is annoying. Paul is a moron. Toni goes along with all this for some reason. Raoul’s ‘revenge’ is bizarre. Lots of smoking. Too much time is spent on set up (like 100 pages) between Paul and Toni when we know that Raoul is supposed to be the H. I think retooled this story could’ve been a lot better.

[More Books Than Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skipped part of the middle as I cannot stand the self righteous “I’m going to punish you” blather when the wannabe punisher has zero right over the punishee.
Parts I did read were good with a suitably evil unscrupulous OW.

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like it. Np.

[April Brookshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but I wish the hero and heroine would've spent more time together. She's with his daughter more than she's with him. And what was up with everyone smoking constantly in the book? I wouldn't have been surprised if 13 year old Francesca had lit up.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antonia innocently becomes part of an attempted swindle, and now Count Raoul plans to carry out his "Sweet Revenge". She flees from is castle in Portugal to the security of LONDON....But Raoul, used to having his way with women, finds her.

[Michelle Robinson]

another teen read probably would reccomend to anyone today

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Lynn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was in my mum's collection and was an early Anne Mather novel I discovered and enjoyed. I loved the location and the chemistry between the two main characters.

[Ily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story again describing beautiful places in Portugal (not much), aristocrats and their arrogance... i wonder if there are still duque r conde in Portugal...