The Matador

by Barbara Faith

"YOUR HUSBAND MAY NOT LIVE!"

For years Megan had lived in fear of those words. She loved the Mexican matador Ricardo Montoya, but as his wife and the mother of his infant daughter, she hadn't been able to bear to watch him risk his life.

So Megan had taken their daughter to the United States, and Ricardo had thrown his passion into his dangerous art--until it nearly killed him.

Now Megan came to share the difficult days of recovery with Ricardo, believing that he could no longer enter the ring. She let herself fall in love with her handsome, passionate husband again--encouraged him to forge deep bonds with the child he had never known. Then Ricardo announced his return to the ring. And his need for Megan's support. . . .

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

Barbara Faith de Covarrubias was born in Cleveland, raised in Detroit, and lived in Miami for fifteen years. While in Florida, she took night courses in Spanish and writing.

She worked for several years in public relations and wrote fiction in her spare time. Finally the desire to spend time in Mexico won out. On arriving there, she was instantly charmed by the country and planned to be very serious about completing her first novel. To Barbara Faith this included no dating.

However, the nexy day she was introduced to Alfonso Covarrubias, a retired matador. She couldn't pronounce his namd and she didn't know anything about bullfighthing, but she did know she was in love.

They married and lived for several years in Mexico before moving to Chula Vista, California. Barbara credits her husband for giving her the courage to continue writing. Her novels, The Moonkissed and The Sun DAncers, have been popularly received. She has written more than 40 romance novels as Barbara Faith (her maiden name) from 1978 until the day of her death. She won a RITA Award in 1982.

Reviews

[ANGELIA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good, and you sure learn a lot about the sport of bullfighting! (I can't say I approve of it, but it was fascinating, nonetheless.) Those last scenes in the book, you feel like you're really in the crowd at the bullring, watching the matadors perform!

As for the H and h, I liked them both, even when I wanted to shake them both for spending five years apart when they loved each other so much! I had to take away a star in my rating because of the stupid decision they made regarding their daughter. When the h leaves Mexico to go back to Miami and takes their two-year-old with her, the H said it was better for her to grow up not having to feel divided by two countries and cultures, so the h should raise her by herself, and she agrees. WHAT????? How does that make any sense? All it did was make their daughter (seven years old in the story, as the years before are told in flashback) wonder why her daddy and grandparents never came to visit or she didn't visit them? Didn't they like her? Did she do something wrong? It was so STUPID!!!

What would have happened if the H hadn't been badly injured in the bullring (the reason the h returns to Mexico)? Would he never have seen his daughter???? It was just ridiculous.

The conflict between the H and h was because of his dangerous profession (but also one that was part of his family's heritage), the times he got hurt in the ring, and how upsetting it was for the h. Although she married him knowing what he did for a living, their whirlwind romance/marriage (as well as her being only 21) didn't give her much chance to really think it all through. He was young too (25) but knew his path in life and wasn't going to change it. It became a case of her thinking if he really loved her, he'd quit bullfighting and him thinking if she really loved him, she'd understand that he couldn't. Though they loved each other so much, they were both being selfish.

It didn't help that the H's father resented the h and didn't think the H should have married a "gringa" who didn't understand their ways. His attitude was one of the reasons she decided to leave.

During the five years, he continued bullfighting, winning many awards, and having casual affairs to try (unsuccessfully) to get over the h. Meanwhile, she was running a small hotel by the ocean as well as renting out a fishing boat and making a good living, while dating sometimes, but not sleeping with anyone. She never got over the H.

For a time, while the H recuperates, he stayed in Miami with the h and got to know his daughter, then they both admit they never stopped loving each other and she agrees to go back to Mexico for good, though nothing has changed, except that father and daughter now have a close bond. (This kid's a real riot, she puts some fun in the story.) Both the H and h realize they made a big mistake by keeping her away from him and his family. (Well, DUH, I could have told you guys that!!)

Back in Mexico, while the h knows she'll never leave the H again, she still isn't happy about him continuing as a matador, especially since the injuries left some weakness in his legs, yet his pride won't let him quit.

Gradually, they both come to understand more of how the other feels, and how they each, in their own way, had been unfair.

I like the way things got resolved, though the ending does seem a bit abrupt. There was no OM or OW in the story, it was all about the career conflict.

Worth checking out!