Deeply sensual, Cole writes a steamy romantic story! I wasn’t sure at first what I thought about the hero of IYD, Courtland MacCarrick, as he came off stubborn, hardnosed and a bit of jerk. And too, Annalia Tristan Llorente, the heroine, seemed too proud and bound by societal stricture- I just wasn’t sure how these two would ever get together.

But I soon found out they were more than they seemed, and that, as well as writing heated romantic scenes, Cole knows how to put depth into her Characters!

The story begins with an ancient Celtic curse that informs us right off the bat that none of the heroes in the The MacCarrick Brothers Series will have an easy time of it in life- especially with love. When Court finds himself falling for the beautiful woman who rescued him from certain death, he knows he should run- for her sake more than his own. But when he discovers Annalia’s own turmoil is intricately intertwined with his own, he knows he cannot leave her ... yet.

Anna detests the man she pulled from the river whom she suspects is a Scottish mercenary hired by General Reynaldo Pascal, the man scheming to take over her country and the one holding her beloved brother hostage. But good manners and good breeding dictate she give him aid- and besides, she’s not completely sure he is who she thinks he is.

When he proves himself to be a boorish lout, she knows her suspicions are true. She immediately demands he leave her premises. Naturally, the stubborn Court refuses, and thus begins a struggle that will take them from the machinations of a subtly evil dictator and will lead them down a path neither of them thought possible- of deep passion and fated love.

Historical romance doesn’t get much better than this! ( )

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. ( )

The heroine in the first part of the book was really annoying. The characters, as well as the story line did get better. It was a decent read but not outstanding I'd actually give it 3.5 ( )

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! ( )

When Lady Annalia found a beaten Scottish mercenary washed up on the shore of the river near her home, her first instinct was to shove him back in. However, even having heard the horrifying tales of the Highlander's vicious deeds, she was still unable to leave him to die.

Bound to be alone by his family's curse and desirous of no more than earning the money to pay off his land, Courtland MacCarrick is unsure what to make of his highborn savoir who appears fragile but has a temperament that belies her appearance. Despite her seeming hatred of him, and the fact she makes him crazy in return, when Annalia is forced into an engagement to her worst enemy Court is determined to save her, whether she wants him to or not.

I can honestly say that no matter what genre I'm reading by this author, she never has any trouble reeling me in and keeping me interested in her tales. This was certainly no exception at all. Scottish highlander tales, although popular, have never been my preference. But, knowing that I've always enjoyed Cole's stories in the past, I thought I'd give this one a try. It certainly was not a disappointment. I cannot comment on any historical accuracies, not being familiar with the time period and/or Scottish history myself, but everything seemed to flow well and it was quite believable to me. Court's brogue did seem to come and go a bit, but it wasn't too distracting to me. I am glad that the attitude between the hero/heroine changed when it did as I was getting a little (just a little) tired of all the animosity between the two. I enjoyed Annalia's character, no shrinking violet here but still with an appealing vulnerability. I certainly liked Court and how thunderstruck he seemed to be by his heroine. I was also very happy with the way the author handled her love scenes, steamy without delving into lewdness. Overall a book I am very happy to have read and I'm looking forward to the next of this trilogy. ( )