If You Dare (The MacCarrick Brothers Book 1)

I read this series backwards and I'm glad I did that because the third in the series is just charming but if I'd started with this one I'd have never gotten to the third. This book irritated me to no end.

(Spoilerish) The heroine hates, and I mean hates, the hero for the entire first half of the book. Not just pretends to hate him while secretly desiring him but hates him all the way to the bone. It is really hard to enjoy a book when for the first 180 pages the lead character is spitting, cursing, insulting, despising, and then trying to escape the hero no matter how much danger it lands her in. She tries to escape him over and over until she finally gets herself shot rather than stay with him. This is romantic?

Then one day out of the blue she decides that he is not so detestable as the reasons she hates him turn out to be rather false. Fine, then she'll just fall in love with him. Just like that. But once she wants him? Then he remembers the curse he is under and starts avoiding her. Frustrating? Oh, yes it is. I almost pitched the book at that point but I'd paid good money for it so bore down and finished it. I'd rather had my money back.

I'm really sorry to write a bad review as Kresley Cole has written many good books that I've enjoyed thoroughly. Unfortunately I can't say that for this one.

In all honesty, I thought I was picking up another oh so sexy Scottish werewolves story by Kresley Cole. It had the feisty princess Annalia and the oh so rugged manly alpha mercenary Courtland, but I thought when was the werewolf thing gonna kick in? Then I flipped the book over and read the back to find out it was a historical romance. I avoid them like the plague, but I loved this one and will buy the others in the series.
SYNOPSIS:
Courtland is marked for torture and death by General Pascal. He washes ashore and is rescued and nursed back to health by Annalia.
Courtland is a man of extreme honor. When he finds out his enemy Pascal wants to marry Annalia against her will and that Annalia is going along with the forced marriage to save the life of her beloved brother, he reacts in fury. Gathering all his mercenary gang, he steals Annalia kicking and screaming from Pascal.

Pascal sends killers after the Scottish mercenaries and his intended bride. Lots of danger, drama and passion abound in this book.

Meanwhile in a delightful sub plot, Annalia's brother is rescued by Pascal's daughter who demands a high price for his freedom. He must agree to marry his rescurer.

There are many erotic scenes of Courtland barely restraining himself from taking the virgin Annalia as he pleasures her in several scenes within an inch of her life, but he refrains from demanding her virginity even though they traveled all through France alone together for days.

OPINION:
It's a good book and may have turned this die hard historical romance hater into a fan. I didn't even mind the werewolves absence, but did have a good laugh over my mistake. Apparently you can never go wrong with a Kresley Cole novel.

I am a new reader of Kresley Cole, but I find that she has went to the top of my list in authors! I kept putting this book off to the side, then one day I decided to take the chance on reading it. I found that I loved this book and read it withing two days (sadly work got in the way or I could have done it quicker). Well, once I was done with that book I was hungry for more. I ended up reading book 2 "If you Desire" and book 3 "If you Deceive" in a 24 hour period! What is three hours of sleep going into work when you got a good book! Yes I did have a book hangover but it was well worth it!!
Our heroine is Lady Annalía Tristán Llorente who finds our hero, Courtland MacCarrick badly beaten and near death. Anna is a little put off that he is a Highlander as they have been hired guns for the area by the evil General Reynaldo Pascal. But her soft heart overcomes the fear of taking him in. Court is a hard fighting highlander who thinks that him and his brothers are cursed, which has affected his life and keeps him from getting close to a lady. This starts our story of love over coming the hardships of fighting and how love can overcome a curse! Be warned that this is a true historical romance as the men are hardcore men where they like to protect their ladies...and the love scene are pretty dang hot!! I hope you enjoy this book too!!!!

As always, Kresley Cole does not disappoint!

The heroine was so likeable and had so much fiesty-ness that she just came off as incredibly bad-ass. Well, as bad-ass as a young lady in the early 17th-19th century can be.
The male lead in this book was so hot, you almost wanted to smack the heroine in the head just so she could wake up and smell the Scottish sexiness that was within her grasp. God.

I did feel like a good portion of the novel was spent on them fighting each other and that there wasn't so much developing romance. I didn't really feel like the novel was progressing at the pace it needed to be until the second half of the novel and then it just got sooooo deliciously good.

The ending was perfect along with the twists. The characters were definitely likeable. For those who have read this novel, I gotta say I like Olivia more this time around. She's a spunky one. :-) I also liked how the novel didn't revolve around the MacCarrick's curse. It was just kind of there, in the back of everyone's mind and only became relevant when it needed to be. Love that! So very often, there are stories where a curse or tragedy takes over the entire story and it hinders everything about it. But not this one, thank you!

I can't wait to continue on with this series. Overall, such a great story!

Like fog up the computer screen kinda steamy. The chemistry between Anna and Court, you can totally see why they are fated.
I also appreciated the realness of the story. I an honestly say that this is the first book I've ever read where the virgin losing her virginity does not have such a good time. That's realistic, since the first time is not very pleasant. Usually romance novels keep it fluffy and I hate that.
Being a fan of Kresley Cole's vampire story and another romance I read, I had a feeling that I might like this one too. It's her writing that I enjoy. Such an ease of flow that keeps you reading, no matter the plot or setting.
Lots of romance fans will eat this one right up! Has the hot couple with opposites attracting, some action and super graphic x-rated action, and even a 'happily-ever-after'. What could be better than that?!

Wish I would have paid attention to the few negative reviews before buying the book but there were so many positives that I was fooled. Not sure what these people have been reading if they think this was a four or five star book. This was one of the worst written, shallow and incredibly stupid books I have ever read. I will never trust another by this author I don't care if most say the second and third were better. I wouldn't trust another one for free. The style of the writing was terrible. First of all, it didn't seem period, to the time. It didn't seem like it should take place in the mid 19th century. Maybe the early or mid 18th. Also the language used was too modern, too today. Secondly, sorry but exotic, Spanish and Italian heroines never seem to work for some reason in historical romance. It is very rare that it works. The heroine reminded me of a flightly, ridiculous, little twit and maybe more of a gypsy then a lost Princess which was also stupid. I hated everything from the fake setting, of the mountaintop village to the odd mix of the Scots with these French/Spanish people whatever they were. It was ridiculous. It was shallow, the dialogue was just awful. Couldn't stand the heroine and the dumb Scottish accent that would come and go on the hero was so bad I cringed!! I could go on and on. Took forever to get into the romance. Stay away from this author. Read Elizabeth Hoyt, Sophie Jordan, Tessa Dare, Lisa Klyepas, Liz Carlyle. There are countless others that write excellent historical romance.

This is my favorite historical romance book series. Courtland MacCarrick and Annalia Lorente are the definition of opposites attract and I know that's what Kresley Cole likes to do with her characters and it makes things exciting. She's this hot, sexy, little piece while he's the tall, dark, and handsome Scottish tough guy who ends up having to keep her safe, against her will of course. Then, the heat gets turned up and things get explosive in this book. Definitely worth the read, half a dozen times in my case. You won't regret reading this book, and there's two more in the series, which means two more extremely hot guys, and girls, to gush over. I just love it!

I've read this book several times now and I know I will several more. Annalia is a descendent of royality and it's her lineage that attracts her evil fiancée, General Pasccal. Pascal has ordered Courtland killed and after he narrowly escapes, he washes ashore near Annalia's home. Finding him injured and out cold, she and her horse drag him back to her home and nurse him back to health. When Courtland finally awakens, he sends word to his team to meet with him, where he will then kidnap Annalia. Annalia will not be deterred though. She must get to Pascal and wed him in order to save her brother's life. At every turn, she fights with Courtland and tries to escape which only puts her in danger and in need of rescue. Once her life is threatened, does she finally realize the true danger she is in and begins to rely on Courtland to keep her safe.

Annalia is quite obstinate throughout a lot of this book, but Courtland was ever patient with her. He could have given up on her many times, but his feelings began to grow for her and he stayed by her side. They start off as enemies who fight at every opportunity but throughout the book, you get to watch them become friends than lovers. Their relationship was a slow build which I love. No instant I love you's or and no immediate sex scenes. I prefer this premise over the latter, so this story, along with it's gripping action as they try to outrun the bad guys, was a homerun for me.

Courtland MacCarrick is a mercenary in Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees. When he goes rogue, General Pascal puts a hit out on him and he barely escapes an assassination attempt unscathed. Annalia Llorente finds the Scottish mercenary half-dead beside a river and against her better judgement, she brings him to her ancestral home in the mountains. She's instantly attracted to Courtland and is shamed by her feelings for him. Court is drawn to the Castilian beauty and wants her for his own, but a family curse prevents him from claiming any woman. When Court discovers that Anna is Pascal's finance, he kidnaps her and brings her to his family home in England. His brothers, Hugh and Ethan, warn him against his growing feelings for Anna but he can't let her go. But will the feisty beauty accept him for who and what he is?

This was my first novel by Kresley Cole and I was a little disappointed with it. After reading all the rave reviews, I was eager to get my hands on this book but it didn't live up to my expectations. Court came off as overbearing and overly possessive throughout the novel. He would say something cutting to Anna then expected her to do what he wanted. I know this is typical in this genre, but Court was portrayed as a good guy so I couldn't understand why he was that way with Anna. Early in the story, his cousin said that Court had never been that way with a woman before (making cruel remarks). I would've expected a man in his 30's to have a little more control over his temper than Court did. Especially for someone who had been controlled up to that point. Even though he could be overbearing, there was a protective, tender side to him that I loved. We got to see that aspect of his character more as the story wore on. There were flashes of that side to him early in the story, so I didn't completely dislike the character despite his cad-like tendencies.

Anna was a very unsympathetic character throughout the majority of the story. Even though she had legitimate reasons to distrust Courtland, her constant insults and attempts to escape became grating after a while. She lusted for Court but she was unwilling to admit to any feelings for him because of his background. She snubbed him because he was a Scot and treated him like he was below her. I know that would've been common in that time period, but it still made it difficult to root for them as a couple. She didn't even begin to warm up to Court until page 200 or so. By then, I began to lose interest in her character and the romance itself. However, I continued reading because I wanted to see how everything would turn out and I was enjoying Cole's writing despite my grips with the heroine. Once they got to England, the story took a turn for the better. Even though Anna's attitude toward Court did a total 180, it still improved the tone of the story. Her character also developed more in the latter half of the story. She realized she was wrong to insult Court's heritage and she stopped talking to him as if he were dirt beneath her feet. I wish her ephiany had come earlier in the story. The first half of the book was wasted on assassination and escape attempts.The second half of the novel was vastly better than the first half. Everything seemed to flow better and the story had more depth after Anna fell in love with Court. Prior to that, it seemed like Cole had a difficult time bringing these characters together in a genuine way.

I didn't know how to rate this book since there were elements to it that I loved, but there were also a lot of things that were problematic for me (as I mentioned above). If the novel had had the same tone throughout, I think I would've loved it more than I did. But the hatred Anna felt toward Court took away from the story for me, even after her feelings toward him changed. There aren't a lot of romances that can successfully pull off that theme and this wasn't one of them. I already purchased If You Desire (Hugh's story) and If You Deceive (Ethan's story) so I plan to read them since I did enjoy Kresley's writing style. Hugh was featured in this novel and I enjoyed his character as well as his backstory.

Kresley Cole's "If You Dare" is a historial romance centered around a rogue Highlander with a family curse that prevents him from having a baby or falling in love. Obviously, the curse is the big foil for our hero, but his other obstacle is the dainty "lady" who fights off his advances. OK, she only fights them for the first half of the book. But I digress.

*PLOT SPOILERS*

Our heroine, Anna, finds our hero, Courtland MacCarrick, beaten and nearly unconscious on the bank of a river. She saves him and nurses him back to health. When he recovers, he is drawn to her, but fights it. She looks down on him; he thinks she is a priss. Sparks fly. Anna finds out her brother Llorente has been kidnapped by the local evil warlord, Pascal, and she had to marry the warlord to save her brother's life. She makes the sacrifice. MacCarrick saves her but it's an unwilling rescue because Llorente's life depends on her. Pascal sends henchmen to track her down and MacCarrick fights to keep her safe. Over time, their building attraction becomes too much to fight.

WHAT WORKED:
As with all Kresley Cole books, the sex scenes were H-O-T. Once we got there, wow.

I'm also a sucker for Cole's written Scottish brogue. Again, hot.

WHAT DIDN'T:
It took way too long to get to the good parts. Anna was a stuck-up bitch for half the book. One of the best things about Cole's writing is her ability to hook me from the beginning. A Hunger Like No Other had me invested in the couple by the beginning of Chapter 2. Not so much, here.

OVERALL:
I liked it. Didn't love it. I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Little things got in the way of my enjoyment of If You Dare - the Scottish accents were annoying, and the prose style kind of rough/awkward at times. Bigger issues also got in the way - like the heroine's hatred for the hero for half the book and the acts of stupidity to which this drives her. Instead of fueling the chemistry between the hero and heroine, her hatred and crazy antics killed it. As did her abrupt about face when she decides that she loves him and realizes she has no reason to hate him. Besides some hot love scenes, there's not much by way of romance in this book. The hero was ok, nothing special - a gruff mercenary who falls for the heroine almost instantly but keeps holding back, first because he doesn't think he's good enough for her, and then because of a family curse. The slightly paranormal aspect of If You Dare was another thing I wasn't too crazy about - it seemed tacked on, a contrivance that provides one more obstacle between the hero and heroine. What with the random, vague curse, an evil dictator type who's role is negligible - he wants to marry the heroine, (who happens to be royalty,) an order of assassins that pop up every now and then to try and kill the heroine, and siblings who wait around taking up space until it's their turn for their own book, the plot of If You Dare is very loose and underdeveloped, and things never come together well enough to create a clear picture of either the characters or their relationship.

Proud, haughty and at first bigoted and unlikable, Annalia finds injured mercenary Courtland MacCarrick and against her better judgment takes him to her mountain home in Andorra to recuperate. Annalia's country is under siege from a wicked man, Pascal, who hired Court and his fellow Scots as mercenaries but has now turned against them. Court almost died at their hands.

Anna detests Scots and she lets Court know this almost every time she speaks with him, she is, in fact, hateful and the things she says would probably make anyone with Scottish heritage cringe a little. Court is angered by her but also desires her. He must wait for his men at Anna's home so he puts up with her prejudices and recognizes that he has the upper hand physically, as all the men have left the village to fight against Pascal, including Anna's older brother Aleix.

When her brother is captured, Pascal demands that Anna become his bride or her brother will die. Pascal discovers that Anna and her brother are the last of the Castile royal line. Anna decides to wed Pascal but she is saved from marrying the disgusting man by Court who kidnaps her. She is terribly ungrateful about this because she believes her brother will die. She almost gets herself and others killed trying to race back to Pascal all the while screaming how much she hates Court.

Little does she know that her brother has escaped thanks to Pascal's beautiful daughter Olivia. She has offered her assistance only if Aleix agrees to marry her.

Pascal's assassins are hot on the heels of Court and Anna. While on the run Anna sees a new side to Court and this is where I really began to like her, mainly because she saw past her own prejudices and snobbery. Court softened toward her and became protective of more than just her person but also of her feelings. These two have intense passion and these scenes are very well written along with their private intense feelings.

I liked this novel and would have given it four stars but for a couple of problems. Firstly, I did not like how the reader is introduced to Aleix and Olivia and then poof they are suddenly married and we didn't get to go on their emotional journey. Are they in love, how is Aleix handling all the old feelings about his first love? Are they getting their own book? Also, I really did not like how the leads treated each other in the beginning of the book. Both were really unkind to each other. But kudos for the setting, Andorra is certainly not a usual locale, and I liked the whole soldier of fortune circa 1850, also unusual.

I read the "If" books in reverse order and must say that if I had started with "If You Dare", I may not have been interested in reading the two later books. Which would have been a real shame since "If You Deceive" is fantastic.

"If You Dare" was not a bad book. It was just not a great one.

Firstly, there was too much importance placed an a paranormal plot device. The same element was featured in the later books as well. The difference is that those books featured other, more realistic conflicts. The barrier to love in "If You Desire" seemed thin and lacked dramatic impact.

The protagonists in this book also spent too much time traveling for my taste. I am not a fan of road romances. They are rarely done well and robbed the reader of the chance to see the characters in their natural habitats.

The writer did the reader a great disservice by introducing great secondary characters and then putting them on the back burner. I loved the character Olivia(more so than the heroine) and thought she and Aliex deserved their own story-or at least a bigger chunk of this one.

The book had many fine points, but lacked focus. While I am not sorry I read it, I would not do it again. I can only give this book a marginal recommendation.

I'm not a big reader of historicals and normally don't care much for novels where the hero and heroine argue a lot, but this is one of those rare books that overcame my normal likes and dislikes because it was so darn good.

I won't go into the plot (it's rather complex to be summarised) but I would like to write a bit about the characters and what makes them special. The hero, Court McCarrick, is rough, tough and not exactly well-mannered. His sexy Scottish accent is brilliantly written by Kresley Cole. Although Court wasn't always nice to the heroine at the beginning, his actions were understandable because he felt so vulnerable around her and unworthy. Annalia is a really good heroine. She is strong and clever without being shrewish, and she deals with Court very well.

One of the best aspects of the book is that both the hero and heroine become better people and learn a lot about themselves. Court discovers he has a tender side and is capable of love, whereas Annalia realises she has a narrow view of the world and should ask for things rather than give orders. The second half of the book is when the characters really come into their own and start to forge a true relationship - so don't be put off by the bickering between the couple at the beginning.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I will be sure to re-read it many times in the future. Some of my favourite scenes were where Court tried to defend and protect Annalia againt almost impossible odds. He never hesitated to put his life on the line to save her and was incredibly brave. What a man!

I don't know why I'm even surprised that this book killed me.

Uh...hello? Whose the author on the cover again?

Oh, yeah. And it's Kresley writing a Scottish man. One with three brothers.

One that took a Spanish girl and rocked her world FOUR times in this damned book!!!!

Yes, I'm happy that she's little and Spanish and therefore I can pretend that was me. But still.

-_- I want one for myself. In real life. I want him rough, and hard, and out of control like this man was between her thighs!

*Growls*

And like I said, he has two more brothers.

Kresley's brand of sexy and funny is all over this book. A definite must-read.

As in, now.

A handsome, overbearing Scottish mercenary with a deadly curse and a passionate, hot-blooded Castilian beauty with a family scandal come together in an intense story of desire while fleeing from treachery. The beautiful Annalia Elisabet Catherina Tristan, daughter of the Llorente family lives with her brother Aleix high in the Pyrenees Mountains, where the evil General Reynaldo Pascal is holding Aleix as blackmail so that Annalia will marry him. He has already taken over the Principality of Andorra and wants the beautiful Annalia for her Castilian blood so he can claim more power and direct connection to the throne of Spain. Little does he know that Court MacCarrick, the hired Scottish mercenary would turn against him. When attempts at killing Court fail, it is Annalia who discovers his unconscious body and takes him to her home in the mountains to care for him. Upon awakening he discovers immediate desire for his beautiful healer and soon comes to discover her connection to Pascal. Annalia is disturbed to discover an attraction to Court as well, but remembers how her mother's passionate nature resulted in her being banished from the honorable Castilian family in scandal. They both fight against this attaction and their deep passions, as Annalia wants nothing to do with another one of the many barbarian Scots who have come to her land to hire on with Pascal and Court does not desire the complications of a woman, as a deadly family curse hangs over the MacCarrick's that states any woman the MacCarrick men fall in love with, death follows. When Annalia requests Court's help in rescuing her brother and he refuses, she has no other alternative but to go to Pascal and agree to the marriage. It is then that Court decides to rescue Annalia and Aleix both. But when the rescue attempt for Aleix fails and Annalia is shot, Court has no choice but to protect her and flee alone with her. It is Olivia, Pascal's daughter that eventually rescues Aleix. Upon the escapes Pascal sets his assasins called Rechazados upon them all and as Annalia and Court race to London and then onto Scotland to safety of his family, Aleix and Olivia follow. While on the run Annalia and Court's desire builds and they come together in many passionate encounters. Once in London they both realize they love each other, but Court is reminded by his brothers of the deadly curse and he comes to the hurtful realization that if he wants Annalia to live he must let her go. Eventually everyone comes together to fight off the evil Rechazados and Pascal, but it is the MacCarrick curse that is left hanging over everyone. The story ends with the discovery of the missing lines of the curse and what the MacCarrick brothers will do with this information is going to make for interesting sequels to this passionate trilogy. If You Dare is an excellent start to the the exciting adventures of the MacCarrick Brothers. If You Desire and If You Deceive are two further stories to look forward to.

Give this book a chance. I admit for some reason the first 50 pages I almost put it down because I didn't like Court or Annalia, but I love this author so I trudged through a couple more pages and finally the story sucked me in. Court is a mercenary who just terminated his contract with a local tyrant who in turn decided to terminate Court. Annalia is sheltered,spoiled, rich with royal blood running through her veins, and a brother captured by the local tyrant. So in an attempt to free her brother she agrees to marry the villian. Court then rescues her before she can but she doesn't see it as a rescue so she spends quite a bit of the time trying to get back in order to save her brother. Court wants Annalia for himself but doesn't think he's good enough and oh yeah there's this pesky curse that his family can't seem to buck. Very entertaining read this goes on my keeper shelf!

Everything you could want from a romance. Fierce funny strong delightful heroes. Witty dialog, beautiful setting. Loved it. Perfect pacing. Only drawback, abrupt ending. Not too abrupt but I would have loved more. Or maybe I just didn't want this to end.

I've mentioned before, but will again, historical romance usually is not a genre I enjoy. This book was an exception. I found this to be delightful. The heroine was strong willed. And I really enjoyed the chemistry between the hero and heroine. No insta-love etc. The plot moved fast, and it was a complete story. I'm a happy camper. I would have preferred a more in depth epilogue but I was still overall quite pleased. I'm likely to check out more of the books in this series.

No need to reproduce plot so here's the skinny...this book is hot! Annalia is a bit sassy to say the least and Court MacCarrick is the sexy man/beast of a Scot. Basically she saves him, he's a little put out by that since he's a "manly man" and then they fight a great deal. She thinks he's hot but is repressing her sexuality because she basically thinks her mother left her as a child because of her "passions" for another man so she denies those feelings. Court is also denying his feelings because of some family curse which makes him think he's basically a death wish to Anna. The characters were so funny, they really reminded me of a husband and wife with the way they fought. Can't wait for Hugh's story! I'm ordering it for my library tomorrow!

If You Dare offered me suspense, love, and sensuality that put me in a spin. Court and Anna's relationship is anything and everything but simple. Court was badly battered when she found him by the river and his attraction to her as he healed kept him in a constant state of arousal. Their ventures into heavy petting are riveting and when they finally become lovers, the scenes are incredible. Cole writes so well, the reader feels like an integral part of the story. I just could not get enough. This is a book I can read and reread so that I savor all of its richness. Perhaps Court attracts me because he is 6' 6" and a warrior, he's a man's man who has great control and courage. Anna realizes his value as the story moves along then she sets her hat for the man she wants.

Courtland MacCarrick has been working as a mercenary, selling his (and followers) skills of intimidation and warfare to the highest bidder. When General Pascal, whose ambition is to take over the Spanish throne, decides not to pay Courtland, Pascal orders him killed instead. Barely escaping with his life by falling backwards into the river, Courtland is found on the riverbank, miles down stream by an angel.

Only Lady Annalia Llorente isn't an angel when it comes to dealing with Courtland, a giant Highlander she knows is probably fighting for the man she detests: Pascal. Healing him, she hopes that he would give her aide. Attracted to each other, Courtland can't help himself when he end ups mocking Annalia who, desperate to save her brother from Pascal, agrees to a marriage contract that has more ramifications than she or Courtland know!

Kresley Cole has written a very action oriented story spanning the European continent as well as London. I love travel stories! There is plenty of action because Courtland (Court) kidnaps Annalia from Pascal who in turns puts a death warrant on her head so its all he can do to keep her alive. Henchmen pop up everywhere to try and kill them!

However, despite the fact that the novel is fast paced because of the constant danger, I really got tired of Annalia and Courts relationship. They are attracted to each other, but he doesn't want to "take her" because as a Highlander he's not good enough for a Lady, blah, blah, blah. Annalia wants to save her brother and is bound and determined to escape from Court blah, blah, blah. By the time our couple stops bickering enough for Annalia to realize she loves Court, I'd sadly, lost interest in them as a couple. Each character was interesting in their own right but they didn't work as a couple for me, so in this case serious opposites attract.

What kept me reading is Court has a curse upon him (and his family): never to marry, or know love. This is my own fault, but I really thought this meant he was also several hundred years old or something. After finishing the story, I don't think so, I think he is what you would expect of a Highland hero.

IF YOU DARE is an interesting story, but it doesn't fall into the category of books I had to read in one sitting. Give it a shot if you are looking for a book to read when you are dealing with interruptions!

Annalia didn't need Courtland MacCarrick, but she wanted him! The man was stubborn, aggressive, and deadly - and she wanted him! Forever, Annalia hated her mother's adulterous ways, she hated her mother's uncontrolled passion - but now she understood! Inside her heart, she understood! For now, shamefully Annalia Llorente "lusted" for a man - the ruthless Court MacCarrick. Quietly she wondered, why him? Why this fierce Highlander who sold his soul for money? Why this man who killed and maimed for gold? Why this man?

Courtland MacCarrick admitted she had him tied in knots. He couldn't think straight when she was near. Yet, they could never be lovers! Unfairly, Courtland MacCarrick carried a family curse! He would never be free to love a woman. He, the hardcore mercenary, could never give Lady Annalia Llorente a life!

Kresley Cole's IF YOU DARE is reminiscent of Johanna Lindsey in her heyday. This is the stuff of romance fun - a tough, sexy hero and the little lady who brings him to his knees. Kresley Cole's hero sprouted enough "ayes, doonas, and dinnas" to tantalize her reader forcefully. My, my, my . . . this hero and his husky brogue created enough desirable magic to pull the reader straight into IF YOU DARE. Moreover, Cole's heroine, Lady Annalia Elisabet Catherina Tristan Llorente, is simply wonderful. She is loveable, sympathetic, and exquisite - the stuff of romance fantasy! More important, as a heroine, she has that irresistible quality that makes the reader cheer for her eventual happiness. Nicely done Kresley Cole and yes, this reader will be checking out your next entry in this robust series - IF YOU DESIRE.

Grade A

MaryGrace Meloche.

If you like historical romance you will like this novel. Court's desire for Annalia is almost immediate, although she thinks Court is a brute. But once the steamy sexual desire for each other starts the story really ramps up. The story is good, interesting and accurate historically. I liked it, and I read tons of historical and paranormal romance. I've read all of Kresley's books; this is one of my favorites, it's not boring. I like the personalities of the characters. In my opinion I would recommend it.

I picked up this book since I love Cole's IAD series and have to say I was pretty disappointed - I would give it 2.5 stars. I read this while on a road trip to Dalls so it helped to pass the time but I don't think I could've gotten through it if it wasn't the only thing I had to do. It still has the same romance and small paramnormal twist with the MacCarrick's curse and all. Unlike the IAD series, I just didn't seem to be drawn in or want to keep reading. It was very easy to put down for me. Anna is quite frustrating throughout the whole store and is unnecessarily cruel to Court, even though at some times he does deserve it. Most of the times he just bullys her into doing things, which is also somewhat agitating to read. Also, I thought the ending could have been wrapped up more nicely. It just came to a halt and the book was over. I hate when authors do that! I guess I need some kind of happily ever after picture. I will pick up the next book in the series only because it seems to have gotten better reviews.

When Lady Annalia Llorente finds a brawny Scotsman near the river by her home, she's almost tempted to leave him there. The Scottish mercenaries have recently invaded her Andorran home to help a rogue general who has hopes of claiming the Spanish throne. Knowing the death and torment that the Highlanders have brought to her land, Annalia wants nothing more than to leave the huge man to his fate. But her good breeding and excellent manners demand that she bring the man to her home and nurse him back to health. So she does.

Courtland MacCarrick has been marked for death by the general in question and his winding up in an Andorran river is the result of his escaping a pair of killers determined to end his life. When he wakes up in the home of the gently-bred Andorran he can't help but fall for her. But the MacCarrick family has been cursed since before Court was born and he knows that he can never give Annalia the life that she deserves. Still when they are forced together due to their joint efforts to escape the general and find themselves alone as they travel across Europe, the curse is the furthest thing from his mind and make Annalia his is an offer too tempting to refuse.

This is the first of Kresley Cole's historical novels that I've had a chance to read, and after enjoying her Immortal after Dark series, I can't say I was too impressed with this one. First of all, I thought the relationship between Annalia and Courtland was completely implausible. I'm used to the hero and heroine being on the opposite end of some dispute in a historical romance, but in this one Annalia really hated Court for the entire first half of the novel. And this isn't even one of those childish I'm seventeen and my uncle the duke is making me marry you type of hates, but a real genuine I can't freaking stand the sight of you type of hate. It made it difficult to believe their love scenes and even harder to accept when they finally did get together.

Second, I didn't really like the hero. Sure it was lovely that he wanted to protect her and the fact that he risked his life for her time and time again was charming and romantic. Part of the problem was that I just wasn't buying the whole idea that he'd live his life based on a curse that no one could even finish reading. It just didn't seem to have much to back it up and the fact that the last two lines were obscured just made it clear that there was a chance for this guy to find love if he'd look for it. And also, it seemed that Courtland's bark was a lot worse than his bite. He was constantly talking about how he'd hurt someone or fight with them, but you never really saw him take any action until about the last 50 pages. Overall, after having just loved another Kresley Cole book, this one was a disappointment. I'd recommend Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series beginning with "A Hunger Like No Other" in lieu of this one.

This book has it all! It has a very likable Hero and Heroine, great secondary characters, a tightly woven adventure story that is very fast paced, and sizzling HOT HOT romance scenes that are very passionate. Even the ending was the most satisfying ending I've read in a romance in a long, long time. Wow, GREAT book!! "If You Dare" is a great adventure story that unites two very different people into a deeply passionate romance. Though the romance takes time to build, by the time it does it becomes sizzling. Court (our hero) is a solid HE-MAN. There is nothing soft or wimpy about this guy. Love him!! Though all romance novels have the predicable "happily ever after" ending, this one makes it really hard to guess HOW they are going to make it. The dilemma they face is based on their love for each other, which just tugs at the heart. I am very impressed with Kresley Cole's writing. I now have all her other books on rush order so I can start devouring them this weekend.

I read the third book, If You Deceive, before this book. I love it, but I REALLY loved this book. Court is such a sexy, funny hero. I love when the H/H start out antagonistic towards each other, and then end up falling in love. The sex scenes were also way hot. The only minor complaint that I have is that the heroine seemed to go from hating to being intrigued by Court rather abruptly. That kept me from giving it five stars. However, it was still an awesome read and I would highly recommend it. I am sure that I am going to read it again so I can savor it some more!

This is the First in the MacCarrick Brothers Series about an ancient family curse that dooms all male members of the family if they don't find their for chosen mate and bind his body, heart and soul with her. This story is about the youngest brother, Court (Courtland) who is a mercenary by trade in the hopes of freeing his land from debit. The year is 1856 and in a small country on the boarder of Spain and France, Court gets involved in a political power struggle. Unfortunately he chooses the wrong side and almost ends up dead. After some quick thinking and sly maneuvering, he escapes his captors and is found by one of the local ranch owners. She takes in to her house to heal, only to learn that he is the enemy. But the Bible says "Love Thy Enemy" and that's just what happens. After being kidnapped, dragged to London, through France twice and home again, she still wants him. Especial once she finds out that she's his key to releasing him from the curse. This book started off extremely slow, but once I finally got into the storyline it picked up speed till the end just flew by. I think Cole could have done better at overall character development, but the two main characters, Court and Anna, were pretty well grounded. The storyline didn't hold my interest well (the war in Spain and Andorra). As books go it was OK, but it's not something that I would personally read again nor do I think I'm interested in continuing on with the series.

I thought Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series was good, but I very much enjoyed reading this historical of hers. Court was perfect. He was rough and ready, reminding me of Cade from her paranormal series. Anna and Court's relationship is slow to build in typical Cole fashion, but I felt connected to these two characters throughout the whole book.

I'm not a huge historical romance reader. I dislike the formal English setting, with the balls and precise manners. But I love historicals with fierce Scottish men and this book delivers!

This is a unique highlander novel that I am happy I picked up. Started slow, but became interesting very quickly. Cool plot, nice details, and easy to follow. Hero is perfectly savage, heroine is gracefully solid, and all the characters are steadfast. The intimate scenes (and those leading up to) were well-written. Fabulous light read. I usually prefer my novels with a lot of suspense and action, but as a strictly "romance" novel, it was good.

WOW! what a wonderful surpise in reading this book. I saw it had good reviews and I wasn't disappointed. I had to laugh at myself when my grip on the book was turning my knuckles white during some of the sensuous scenes. As you can tell I thought this story was very good. Good characters, good story line and good writing. I highly recommend this book and I am off to read the next one in the series. I hope the other 2 are as good?

This is the second Kresley Cole book I've read, and I have to say that I'm really enjoying her style. She gets straight into the meat of the story but the plot is always well fleshed out. I thought she did a great job of keeping the story moving but still making it believable. This is definitely steamy historical romance (as the cover indicates!) but it is not the stereotypical cheesy stuff. Really really entertaining. A fun little vacation in my house!

I am not going to describe the book, this has already been done. I am not a huge fan of highland books but I believe Kresley Cole pulled this off. The story was compelling and the characters believable. As a huge fan of her IMMORTALS AFTER DARK books I was pleased with IF YOU DARE. I thought it was a steamy book well worth the read and I will be checking out IF YOU DESIRE.
I do recommend this book.

"If you dare" is such an interesting book...somewhat different from my usual style but I trusted the author and decided to try it out...and wasn't disappointed!

The Scot, McCarrick initially appears to be a borish, somewhat uninspired mercenary with a one track mind (money). But with time, it seems there's more to him than meets the eye. He is a tortured soul, cursed not to find love in his lifetime. He is therefore wary when he starts having feelings for Annalia. Again, one of those male machismo books....McCarrick is not too different from other heroes in romance novels.

Kudos to Kresley for this rather entertaining book. She managed to do the unthinkable: make scottish brogue sexy!

Ms. Cole has taken a different direction for her third effort and as a result we've left the high seas, and this book is set in the country of Andorra. This was fun as not many books are set in this small country and the history that it has is not only unique but interesting.

Annalia is a strong woman that has much to loose. Her small country has been put right in the middle of a military conflict and her family lines have made her a political pawn. Her brother is being held by her enemy Pascal. Pascal wants to rule and he knows that his claim will be made all that more strong if he marries Annalia since she is a descendant to the Castilian line of Spain. Annalia wants to live a quite life and is concerned about the fate of her brother. One day on the way home from a walk she happens upon a beaten man. Recognizing him as a Scot she takes the chance and brings home the severely injured man. If he turns out to be the mercenary she thinks he is...she will simply kill him herself if he brings harm to her small holding in any way shape or form. What she doesn't know is that Pascal has turned on Court and he will do all that he can to prevent him from succeeding in his quest.

Court MacCarrick's family has been cursed. He has turned to the work of mercenary in order to fill his coffers. When Pascal orders him killed he does the only thing he can in order to survive. He jumps to his "death" into a river. Washed downstream he is saved by an "angel" only this angel has a sharp tongue and seems to be a bit of a shrew. Still this does nothing to tame the attraction that burns between them despite how badly Annalia would like to believe otherwise. The devil in Court though will not give quarter to the beautiful sharp tongued Annalia and he drives her to lengths that he can't understand in order to save her brother from the evil Pascal. Court takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps Annalia before she can sacrifice herself to Pascal in marriage hoping to gain the release of her brother. Together these two people work towards the same end, protecting Annalia and her brother while at the same time bringing an end to Pascal and his evil ways. Will Court and Annalia be able to bring an end to Pascal and will they accept their attraction or will pride stand in the way?

This was a good read that was kept from being great due to our main characters. I had problems with Annalia and her attitude throughout the read. Although she is a strong character she rubbed this reader wrong. Her actions at times seemed more petulant and spoiled than well thought out. Prejudice kept her from seeing Court in any true light. Court on the other hand at times was no better. He would bait Annalia which in turn kept the spiteful behavior going. I had to put this book down several times due to sheer frustration. Still it was fun to read a book set in a location that for the most part is overlooked in historical romance fiction. For that alone I give Ms. Cole high marks for "thinking outside the box" and using her creativity. In the end I admit to not really caring what happened to these two characters. Their stubborn nature took away from the romance of this read. Secondary characters are colorful and plentiful and help to deflect some of the ridiculous actions taken by Court and Annalia. Overall this is a fair read. Come to this book with an open mind and you the reader should do fine.

Official Reviewer for [...]

Draws you in on page one! I picked this up on a whim and found it to be fantastic!

I have not read much historical romance lately because they don't seem able to "grab me" anymore. So I have been sticking with contemporary. Nor do I usually write reviews. Hopefully, that is enough to indicate how much I enjoyed this book.

I would strongly recommend "If You Dare" and I will be looking for more by this author. Enjoy!

This is my first Kresley Cole book and won't be my last. I liked the tension between the main characters and I even like the small side story of her brother and his own little romance. Had REALLY HOT love scenes. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

This is no ordinary steamy romance novel. For Kresely Cole is no ordinary writer. She is witty, and sharp. Her books pop with fun and are highlighted by the sort of sex scenes you bookmark to read over and over. She is charming and her characters are even more so. She doesn't write the cardboard cut outs so popular in romance novels the genrea over. In If You Dare the characters act and react as complex humans and not a man and a woman standing in to seeing a story from point a to point sex. Kresley Cole is an amazing new writer and If You Dare is an amazing book!

I enjoyed this book so much that I am now looking for the rest of the series and any other of her books. I found this book so engrossing that I had to delay dinner and stay up late to finish it in one day.

Love the book...story, characters! Could not put it or the two folowing books down until I was finished (or unless I HAD to). It made me sad when the story was over but was SO happy that Court, Hugh and Ethan were able to break free of the family CURSE and find happiness. Always the BEST ending!!!!

This is the first of a trilogy about the MacCarrick brothers who have feared an ancient family curse all their lives and resisted lasting relationships with women until that ONE comes along who wont be denied. Filled with suspence and sexual zing between the characters from the beginning.

I usually like Kresley Cole's writing but this is really bad! The heroine is completely unlikeable and there's zero chemistry with the leading man. The story is stupid & the ending predictable. This is a huge disappointment for a good writer. Don't waste your money.

This book, If You Dare by Kresley Cole, was very entertaining. It was filled with romance, suspense, seduction, steamy love scene, and it's funny. I would recommend it to anyone who likes these things mixed into their historical romance story. I can't wait for the next book "If You Desire" to come out!

I USUALLY DO NOT READ SI-FICTION AND HAVE NOT ENJOYED THEM IN THE PAST. BUT I FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE CAPTIVATING WITH MORE ROMANCE WITH A GOOD DOSE OF FICTION THROWN IN. COURT AND ANNALIA TOOK YOU ON A JOURNEY OF SUSPENSE AND ADVENTURE AND LOVE. I HATED THAT IT HAD TO END WHEN I FINISHED THE BOOK BUT I LOOKED FORWARD TO IF YOU DESIRE.

If You Dare was one of the best romances I've read in a long time. Court MacCarrick is sinfully sexy and Anna is not one of those nauseatingly perfect heroines I've been reading a lot lately. The sex scenes were sizzling!! Overall, I highly recommend it and can't wait for the next in the series.