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Sweet torment

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LARGE PBK

241 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1978

6 people are currently reading
94 people want to read

About the author

Flora Kidd

136 books34 followers
Flora Mildred Cartwright was born on 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. The youngest of four children, Flora and her family lived in the same house until she was a teen. In 1949, she graduated from Liverpool University, where she met Robert Kidd, her husband. They moved to her beloved Scotland, where she began teaching, writing, and raised their four children: Richard, Patricia, Peter and David.

Flora Kidd published her first novel, Visit To Rowanbank, in 1966 at Mills & Boon. In 1977, the family moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where she continued her romance career with Mills & Boon until 1989, when she retired. In 1994, she published the first of the The Marco Polo Project novels, to support a project to build a replica of the 19th century ship Marco Polo.

Flora Kidd passed away on March 19, 2008 at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for *CJ*.
5,097 reviews624 followers
January 31, 2019
"Sweet Torment" is the story of Sorrel and Don Juan.

Our h is a physiotherapist, who is helping an accident victim Monica regain her strength. She is out on a skiing vacation with the patient's family, when she gets lost in a snowstorm and is rescued by a scarred stranger "Domingo", and whisked away to a cabin.
She is later returned to the hotel by him, when Monica's daughters recognize Domingo as Don Juan, a famous matador and bull fighter, and Monica's husband Ramon responds by firing Sorrel!
Soon Sorrel is explained the reason for the same by Monica: when Monica and Ramon get estranged after a miscarriage, Monica is introduced to Juan by their friend Isabella, and fancies herself in love with him. But when Ramon gets a whiff of the affair, and suspects Sorrel of being a mediator between Juan and Monica. Hence he lets her go.
Sorrel takes it upon herself to travel across the country to plead Don Juan to come back and clear the air. Instead, Juan decides to keep her!

Thus begins a tale of back and forth between a daredevil adrenaline junkie hero who is obsessed with the h, a h whose solution to every problem is to run away (I think she flees like 5 times throughout the book), passionate kisses, drama, and a sweet HEA. I liked the hero's family, and how the secondary story of Monica and Ramon was resolved.

If only the heroine was more mature and less filled with tantrums, this would have had a better rating. I didn't mind Juan at all- he was conventionally possessive, and never gave up on the heroine. It only took two near death experiences to get the heroine's brain to work though.

Safe
3.25/5
Profile Image for Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*.
620 reviews
April 5, 2022
Story/plot line was good..heroine was not..so immature, has tantrums, runs away at least 5 times. Hero..control freak..but not quite a dick cause he puts up with her..fast read..goes to Sarah. :)
Profile Image for Moriah.
Author 18 books86 followers
December 26, 2014
In Goodreads parlance, 2 is "It was okay" and 3 is "I enjoyed it," but this was somewhere in between.

It was written in 1978. I like ingenue heroines who are martyred, so I shed the requisite tears where I was supposed to.

But here's where one shouldn't read too much about things one knows a little more about than the author. Again, granted, this was in 1978 and the author didn't have access to the information we do now and just couldn't grok the bullfight. But.

* It was mentioned that the bullfight started in 10 minutes and the hero (a matador) wasn't dressed yet. *snerk* No, it takes anywhere from an hour to two to dress a matador and there's a whole ritual involved, with at least one valet to do it. Many of them take the whole afternoon and make an almost meditative time.

* It was mentioned that the matador swung a red CLOAK. No, it's a specially constructed red cape held with a dowel and a sword. Furthermore, they don't wear that as they enter the bullring for the first time and parade around it.

* They might do it differently in Colombia than in Spain but matadors wear gold braid, not black, although the author did get the pink socks right, but then, that's kind of hard to miss. Unless it was a Goyaesque bullfight, which it very well could have been, but THAT was not specified.

* The matador's hat isn't a tricorn. Never has been.

* There were other little details that were wrong that I won't go into.

I was being annoyed by the theme/implication that the hero got gored every time he had had an upsetting event in his life that involved a woman. I can't respect a matador who doesn't put that aside before he gets in the ring. The bullfight is its own reward. Later, he said it was coincidence, but I didn't believe him.

But otherwise it was standard 70s HP fare and yes, it was okay and I liked it, but the wrong (or irregular) bullfighting details annoyed me.
Profile Image for seton.
713 reviews323 followers
February 20, 2011
Despite a scarred matador hero, hero kidnapping the heroine, heroine slapping the hero, and other melodramatic elements, this wasn't an interesting read.

About 2.5 Stars upped to 3.
548 reviews16 followers
December 23, 2021
A British physiotherapist girl - timid, practical, rational approach to life, virginal (goes without saying). Presently employed with an English lady patient in Columbia!!

A Columbian bull fighter hero - brazen, highly volatile temperament, roguish reputation (again goes without saying!).

A match made in heaven , don't you think 😉

Their love affair is bound to be low on practicality and high on sexual drama.

The trouble between them is amply supplied by jobless, rich middle aged ladies who fancy the hero. The ladies spin crazy tales of adulterous affairs around the hero. Our puritan Brit is scandalized!

But he seems serious about her. Flirts a little, bullies a lot, and very quickly offers marriage!

The story ends when our sweet virgin tastes heaven in the arms of the hero. And decides she can't stay away from this paradise any longer. Ta da, all practicality thrown out of the window, nothing matters in front of raging passion you see !!!

Add a couple of bull fighting scenes , a couple of times the hero gets gored by the bull, simply out of his pigheadedness. And your potboiler romantic fiction is complete !!
364 reviews7 followers
January 20, 2021
"Γλυκό μου μαρτύριο", Φλώρα Κίντ, Συλλογή 22, έτος έκδοσης:1978

Η Μόνικα είναι ξετρελαμένη με τον Χουάν Ρενάλντα κι η Σόρρελ πηγαίνει να τον βρει, προσπαθώντας να τη βοηθήσει. Αλλά ξαφνικά, βρίσκεται μπλεγμένη σε μια παράξενη ιστορία που θα έχει πολύ σοβαρές συνέπειες για τη μετέπειτα ζωή της.

Το πρώτο βιβλίο της Φλώρα Κίντ που διάβασα! Η συγγραφέας αυτή, έγραφε για την αγάπη γιατί όπως και η ίδια έλεγε:"Γιατί η ζωή μου ήταν γεμάτη αγάπη!"
Profile Image for SassyLeg.
547 reviews
October 25, 2020
3.5 stars
Ott-possessive H that relentlessly pursues the poor h: misunderstanding, miscommunications, lack of self confidence (on her part....) and all the “good old” HP tropes.... a good writing style.
Profile Image for Sara.
271 reviews
April 24, 2018
This review may be a bit dry. I accidentally deleted the first draft I wrote, so I had to speed rewrite it before I forgot the plot.

The h ,Sorrel, works in Colombia for Ramon and Monica Angel as a companion/ physiotherapist to Monica, who’s a cripple. When she and the 2 children (apparently she’s also the nanny?) with their father Ramon, is at a skiing resort she gets lost and is rescued by the H. He brings her to a refugio, a kind of cottage. They end up staying the night since there’s a snowstorm. While the h tells him of her job and such, the H is not really forthcoming about who he is. The morning after, Sorrel is bending over the sleeping H when he wakes up and kisses her. As is usual in these older HP’s, she’s a virgin that has never felt a tingling in her lady parts before and reacts as those kinds of HP heroins, with outrage. Before they leave the H says that if she gets in trouble with her employer she should contact him. She asks how, when she doesn't even know his name. He answers that she'll probably find out before long.

When they get back to civilization the H disappears. But one of Ramon’s children recognizes him as the famous bullfighter Juan and innocently says that he's a friend of their mother, Monica. Ramon gets angry and accuses the h of colluding with his wife to set up the meeting and fires her. Monica says that she and the children met the H at a bullfight and she was instantly attracted. She then met him again at the same ski resort as the h met him later. Monica says that nothing happened. She wants Sorrel to go to Juan and ask him to explain to her husband. The h remembers what Juan said about contacting him, and agrees to go.

When she gets there she's meet by a young women called Inez. Inez says she is about to leave and Juan is out, but she can send for him. She then says that she's been there for six months and now the h can have a go. The h notices a wedding ring and assumes Inez is Juan's wife. When Juan finely shows up he refuses to follow her and straighten things out with Ramon. Instead he says he wants to keep Sorrel with him. She then asks about his wife and he says he doesn't have on. Now Sorrel assumes that Inez was his lover. He forcibly kisses her (as an old school Alfa H's does) she hits him with her bag and walks out. After wandering in the rain and dark for a while Juan comes by car and gets her. He asked her to, at least, stay the night. Later in her room, she discovers her bag is gone and she's locked in. Next morning she confronts Juan in his bedroom, but like any good Alfa male he subdues her with forceful kisses again.

During breakfast it emerges that Inez is Juan's sister. He asks her again to live with him but she doesn't want to just have an affair without love.
She tries to get away once more after breakfast. One of the workers is waiting in a car when she gets outside. She asked him where he's going and if she can get a life. Just when she has climbed in the car the H gets in with her. He says he's glad she's decide to join him at the bullfight he's about to participate in. She can't do much but tag along. In the car she asks him not to fight and she's cries with worry for him. He's dries her tears but says that he has to do it. When they arrive in the town where the fight will take place they go to a restaurant. The H once more tries to convince Sorrel of their mutual attraction. Eventually he loses his patience and says she will come and watch the fight and then they will go to the church next door and get married. The h is flabbergasted. At this point they have known each other 3 days. Juan explains that it was always his intention to marry her (he could have fooled me. All he kept saying was that he wanted Sorrel to live with him. No wonder a girl gets confused!)
Before she can get a word in edgewise she is introduced to the H’s aunt. The aunt seems to know about the wedding. She asks the still shocked h to kiss Juan for good luck. She kisses him tenderly and begs him to be careful. She’s a nervous wreck during the bullfight but sane enough to try to escape again during the cheering an celebrating after the fight. But the H catcher he at the airport.
In the car she continues to say she can’t marry him, tho she wants to, really. He seduces her into compliance with kisses. Drugged up on kisses she marries him docilely. But she is happy since she obviously loves him (at least it’s obvious to the reader).
But at the wedding party she sees a friend of Monica and Ramon. The friend says that Juan only married her to hide the fact that he still has a relationship with Monica. The h believes what she hears, even tho Monica herself has denied it. It feels like a TSTL moment from the h’s side, that she believes it.
The h locks herself in her room and tells the H through the door that she’s tired. When she wakes up the H is laying beside her. They end up making love. Afterwards, Sorrel confronts him with what she was told. He neither confirms or deny it, but shays she could try trusting him. Sorrel decides she can’t stay and goes to Monica and Ramon. They say that it’s not true. But now the h is angry with Juan because he didn't deny it and stays at Monica and Ramon. A couple of days (of bemoaning the fact that the H hasn't come for her) later she hears that Juan has been gored by a bull and realizes how much she loves him. She goes to him but he thinks that she’s only there out of pity. After she has convinced him of her love, he then confesses he loves her to. HEA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ANGELIA.
1,365 reviews12 followers
July 15, 2023
Once again, I'm giving a Flora Kidd book an extra star for background info; in this case, Colombia, its cities and countryside, as well as some of the customs and culture. The same goes for the history of bullfighting, and the place it has in society (not always easy for an animal lover to appreciate).

The story itself could have been better, as the h, Sorrel, though understandably a bit overwhelmed by the enigmatic H, Juan, went overboard when it came to running away, having made four attempts (one successful, the others thwarted) to escape from facing her feelings for a man whose country, culture, ideas and outlook on life seemed so different from her own, not to mention his dangerous profession.

For a woman who prided herself on being sensible, Sorrel more often acted TSTL, like when she fell for a married man (she's a physiotherapist and he was a patient of hers) and allowed herself to believe he and his estranged wife would divorce, then was thrown for a loop by their reconciliation. (This happens offscreen, so to speak, as Sorrel thinks about him in the beginning of the book, then he's never mentioned again.) While it wasn't an affair (not sure they even kissed), it was pretty unethical - as well as dumb - to get romantically involved with a patient.

Then, she shows more foolishness in believing the words of a troublemaking woman, Isabella, who not only causes problems between Sorrel and Juan, but almost wrecks the marriage of the SC, Monica and Ramon. These two were also foolish to be influenced so much by Isabella, and for all her conniving and manipulation, she doesn't get the comeuppance she deserves.

So much of this book was wasted time, which should have been devoted to Sorrel and Juan together. It would have been better if Ms. Kidd had focused more on Juan's career as a matador, which Sorrel wasn't happy about, and the effect it had on their life together. That would have made for a better story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for RomLibrary.
5,789 reviews
pback-to-read
June 7, 2020
She never expected such consequences!
"Now that you're here, I'm going to keep you here to live with me," Juan declared smoothly

Sorrell gazed at him in astonishment. He was not only immoral, he was crazy, she thought hysterically. Never before in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself being held under lock and key by a famous bullfighter!

But Juan seemed determined to keep her on his ranch in Colombia. Oh, why had she ever though, she could straighten things out by coming to see him? And how would she ever escape?
Profile Image for Diamond.
818 reviews
Read
July 18, 2013
مصارع الثيران

الوقت من ذهب ... اما وقت سوريل فهو من تراب ... مدلكة تعمل عند مونيكا المقعدة .
اعتقدت سوريل ان الحب ينبت بعيداً عن هذه المنطقة النائية ويقطفه فقط سعداء الحظوظ . وعندما التقت خوان رينالدا مصارع الثيران ، احست بأنها مخطئة . لكن رامون رب عملها وزوج مونيكا طردها من البيت حين علم بلقائها .
لماذا؟ قبل ان تغادر المنزل عرفت بوجود علاقة سابقة بين مونيكا والمصارع وان الحادث الذي اقعدها وقع لها خلال زيارة غامضة وسرية لمزرعته .
عندئذ ذهبت سوريل اليه ووضعت كلها امامه لكن خوان رينالدا اعترف ... ماذا قال لها وهل يمكن ان تكون الحقيقة غير ما توقعت ؟
Profile Image for Ali M.Marzouq.
220 reviews3 followers
November 3, 2017
أول رواية لي في عالم الومانسية ..
رواية بسيطة .. ممغطة الأحداث
جميلة
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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