On This Page
Description
With If You Dare, Cole introduces a thrilling new romance trilogy featuring fierce Scottish brothers with dangerous lives, dark desires, and a deadly curse. Can he exact revenge? High in the Pyrenees, a band of mercenaries led by Courtland MacCarrick wages war for General Reynaldo Pascal. When Court turns on the evil general, Pascal orders him killed but Court narrowly escapes and exacts revenge by kidnapping Pascal's exquisite Castilian fiancée. Can she deny her passions? Lady Annalía show more Tristán Llorente despises her towering, barbaric captor almost as much as she does Pascal. Her inexplicable attraction to the Highlander only fuels her fury. But nothing will stop her from returning to Pascal -- for if she doesn't wed him, she signs her brother's death warrant, as well as her own. Can there be love between them? From the moment Court discovers that Anna's prim façade masks a fiery, brave lass, his heart's ensnared, and he dares to defy the curse that has shadowed his life -- to walk with death or walk alone. But Pascal vows that he'll hunt the two, never stopping until he's destroyed them both. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Why the heck haven't I seen this series before? I love Kresley Cole and thought I had read everything of hers.
The three MacCarrick Brothers are cursed. It's written in an ancient tomb called the Leabhar nan Sùil-radharc, the Book of Fates. It basically states that the three sons of the tenth MacCarrick will know no love, marry or have children. They are the last of their line and death and torment will come to those caught in their wake. It said their father would die young and he did. The last three lines can't be read because blood covers the words.
They wholeheartedly believe in this curse. One of them was engaged and his fiance died the night before the wedding. They no longer want to test fate.
Courtland MacCarrick is a mercenary show more who had a falling out with the man he worked for so the man ordered him to be killed by an assassin’s order called the Rechazados. Once the order is made, it cannot be taken back. They failed because Court threw himself over a bridge into a violent river.
Annalia Llorente lives in a small country between France and Spain called Andorra. Not much has ever happened there until a Spanish traitor named Pascal and his Rechazados and his Scottish mercenaries showed up. She cannot stand them so when she finds a badly injured Scottish man lying on the river bank, she questions her own judgement when she decides to help him.
Annalia is, in my opinion, an uptight, judgmental shrew. One of my biggest complaints about women being rescued by the hero is when they stupidly try to get away from them when they know a truly evil person is out to kill them or worse. Annalia did this so much that I was cheering for the bad guys to hurry up and kill her so Court could find another woman who wasn't such a spoiled brat.
I did like Olivia though. She was Pascal's jaded daughter who knew how to take advantage of certain opportunities.
I did end up liking Annalia but it took a long time.
Besides not liking a main character, I totally enjoyed the book. I have already purchased the next one.
www.paranormalromanceslut.com show less
The three MacCarrick Brothers are cursed. It's written in an ancient tomb called the Leabhar nan Sùil-radharc, the Book of Fates. It basically states that the three sons of the tenth MacCarrick will know no love, marry or have children. They are the last of their line and death and torment will come to those caught in their wake. It said their father would die young and he did. The last three lines can't be read because blood covers the words.
They wholeheartedly believe in this curse. One of them was engaged and his fiance died the night before the wedding. They no longer want to test fate.
Courtland MacCarrick is a mercenary show more who had a falling out with the man he worked for so the man ordered him to be killed by an assassin’s order called the Rechazados. Once the order is made, it cannot be taken back. They failed because Court threw himself over a bridge into a violent river.
Annalia Llorente lives in a small country between France and Spain called Andorra. Not much has ever happened there until a Spanish traitor named Pascal and his Rechazados and his Scottish mercenaries showed up. She cannot stand them so when she finds a badly injured Scottish man lying on the river bank, she questions her own judgement when she decides to help him.
Annalia is, in my opinion, an uptight, judgmental shrew. One of my biggest complaints about women being rescued by the hero is when they stupidly try to get away from them when they know a truly evil person is out to kill them or worse. Annalia did this so much that I was cheering for the bad guys to hurry up and kill her so Court could find another woman who wasn't such a spoiled brat.
I did like Olivia though. She was Pascal's jaded daughter who knew how to take advantage of certain opportunities.
I did end up liking Annalia but it took a long time.
Besides not liking a main character, I totally enjoyed the book. I have already purchased the next one.
www.paranormalromanceslut.com show less
If You Dare
3.5 Stars
Court MacCarrick and his brothers, Hugh and Ethan, are cursed never to know love or father children. As such, they feel they have nothing to lose and live their lives on the edge. Working as a mercenary for a warlord in Andorra, Court is double-crossed and left for dead until he is rescued by the beautiful if arrogant, Annalia Llorente.
The basic premise is entertaining and the hero is a sexy, scrumptious highlander (what's not to love) but the heroine almost ruins the book. Throughout the first half of the story, Annalia is prejudiced, elitist and TSTL! There are moments when I found myself wanting the villains to shoot her. She does improve somewhat in the second half, however, the damage to the romance is done.
In show more contrast, the secondary heroine, Olivia, is much more likable (even if she is the villain's daughter) and her romance with Annalia's brother has incredible potential but unfortunately takes a back seat.
Despite his somewhat Neanderthal-like tendencies (similar to Lachlain MacRieve in A Hunger Like No Other), Court is an admirable character caught between the knowledge that every woman he cares for will suffer and his need to love and be loved. He has the patience of a saint when it comes to Annalia and personally, I think he deserved better. Nevertheless, their chemistry sizzles and Cole definitely knows how to write a steamy sex scene.
The next two books are about Court's brothers and one can only hope that the heroines are an improvement. show less
3.5 Stars
Court MacCarrick and his brothers, Hugh and Ethan, are cursed never to know love or father children. As such, they feel they have nothing to lose and live their lives on the edge. Working as a mercenary for a warlord in Andorra, Court is double-crossed and left for dead until he is rescued by the beautiful if arrogant, Annalia Llorente.
The basic premise is entertaining and the hero is a sexy, scrumptious highlander (what's not to love) but the heroine almost ruins the book. Throughout the first half of the story, Annalia is prejudiced, elitist and TSTL! There are moments when I found myself wanting the villains to shoot her. She does improve somewhat in the second half, however, the damage to the romance is done.
In show more contrast, the secondary heroine, Olivia, is much more likable (even if she is the villain's daughter) and her romance with Annalia's brother has incredible potential but unfortunately takes a back seat.
Despite his somewhat Neanderthal-like tendencies (similar to Lachlain MacRieve in A Hunger Like No Other), Court is an admirable character caught between the knowledge that every woman he cares for will suffer and his need to love and be loved. He has the patience of a saint when it comes to Annalia and personally, I think he deserved better. Nevertheless, their chemistry sizzles and Cole definitely knows how to write a steamy sex scene.
The next two books are about Court's brothers and one can only hope that the heroines are an improvement. show less
This is an enjoyable story, especially if you like historical romances. Kresley Cole is a talented writer who creates heroines that come across as real women you can relate to . . . and heroes who are just larger-than-life enough that it puts a twinkle in your eye. It's not a perfectly written book, mind, as there are some negative points. Overall, though, it's a good beginning to a good romance series.
I first considered this book because it's set in the little-known country of Andorra. I was so appreciative of the novelty that I picked it up without really considering what the plot was. Happily, the damsel-in-distress-determined-to-save-herself storyline is entertaining, romantic, and even humorous upon occasion.
However, I must admit show more that I found hero Courtland MacCarrick a little . . . lukewarm. As this book starts off a series about three MacCarrick brothers, Court comes across as the younger, lesser brother. All of the characters in the book are admirably well-rounded, with both good and bad qualities. But Court's good qualities just weren't vivid enough to inspire more than a tepid response from me. At times he was even obnoxious without enough justifiable motivation. I found it a case of untapped potential. There could have been more to Court, but it never completely translated. His character needed to be developed just a little more, which, in turn, would have improved the somewhat dubious chemistry between him and heroine Annalia, who completely outshines him as an interesting character.
Court is decent, don't get me wrong, but he's not exactly the most exciting aspect of the book. Than honor goes to side characters (in this installment) Olivia and Ethan. Olivia is one of those characters who are so hateful that you've just got to love 'em. And Ethan, the eldest MacCarrick brother, has a whole lot of "mysterious" and "masterful" going on with him. Thanks to Ethan, I look forward to reading the rest of this series. show less
I first considered this book because it's set in the little-known country of Andorra. I was so appreciative of the novelty that I picked it up without really considering what the plot was. Happily, the damsel-in-distress-determined-to-save-herself storyline is entertaining, romantic, and even humorous upon occasion.
However, I must admit show more that I found hero Courtland MacCarrick a little . . . lukewarm. As this book starts off a series about three MacCarrick brothers, Court comes across as the younger, lesser brother. All of the characters in the book are admirably well-rounded, with both good and bad qualities. But Court's good qualities just weren't vivid enough to inspire more than a tepid response from me. At times he was even obnoxious without enough justifiable motivation. I found it a case of untapped potential. There could have been more to Court, but it never completely translated. His character needed to be developed just a little more, which, in turn, would have improved the somewhat dubious chemistry between him and heroine Annalia, who completely outshines him as an interesting character.
Court is decent, don't get me wrong, but he's not exactly the most exciting aspect of the book. Than honor goes to side characters (in this installment) Olivia and Ethan. Olivia is one of those characters who are so hateful that you've just got to love 'em. And Ethan, the eldest MacCarrick brother, has a whole lot of "mysterious" and "masterful" going on with him. Thanks to Ethan, I look forward to reading the rest of this series. show less
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 show more 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. show less
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 show more 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. show less
Ok - so this premise had some great components AND I like Court but I found Anna tiresome.
I keep reading Kresley Cole books hoping one will finally hook me in but I seem to be the outlier in all of my reading groups lol
I think her books have all the potential but they have the tendency to make me avoid reading.
I have the next book in this series - which I plan to read - but if that's a miss for me then I'm going to move on from KC and be happy for the folks that continue to enjoy her works.
I keep reading Kresley Cole books hoping one will finally hook me in but I seem to be the outlier in all of my reading groups lol
I think her books have all the potential but they have the tendency to make me avoid reading.
I have the next book in this series - which I plan to read - but if that's a miss for me then I'm going to move on from KC and be happy for the folks that continue to enjoy her works.
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 show more tomorrow! show less
I am so utterly disappointed by this book I LOVE Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series, but this series, OMG, I can’t even keep reading the first book, and I have read some bad books. The plot line seems forced, not only is an evil general after the two lead character but the lead male is cursed and the lead female doesn’t like him. Oh wait, after about half way through the book, she immediately and very oddly changes her mind after staying with him in the same bed overnight, drunk, at that. I haven’t even begun on the other plot lines, it completely ridiculous. I like a good highlander romance story as well as the next girl but I am sorry to say, with this book, I have lost like 4 hours of my life that will never return, show more and I was only half way through the book when I stopped. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Set in England
48 works; 1 member
Author Information
67+ Works 28,059 Members
Before becoming a writer, Kresley Cole was a world-ranked athlete and coach. Her first novel, The Captain of All Pleasures, was published in 2003. She writes paranormal and historical romance novels including the MacCarrick Brothers trilogy and the Immortals after Dark series. She has won several awards including the 2007 RITA Award for Best show more Paranormal Romance for A Hunger Like No Other and the 2010 RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance for Kiss of a Demon King. She also made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2013 with her title's Mac Rieve and Endless Knight: The Arcana Chronicles Book 2. Kresley again made the New York Times bestseller list with The Pllayer in 2016. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- If You Dare
- Original title
- If You dare
- Original publication date
- 2007-03-27
- People/Characters
- Courtland MacCarrick; Lady Annalia Tristan Llorente; General Reynaldo Pascal; Hugh MacCarrick; Ethan MacCarrick; Aleix Llorente (show all 10); Olivia Pascal; Lady Fiona MacCarrick; Niall; Vitale
- Important places
- Andorra; London, England, UK; Paris, France
- Epigraph
- No reason under heaven excuses bad manners.
--Lady Annalia Elisabet Catherina Tristan Llorente
Might makes right
--Courtland Eadd MacCarrick - Dedication
- For Ginny,
the sister I never had, because we've been best friends since preschool. And because I'm on the phone with you as I'm writing this and wish you were here. - First words
- Prologue: Carrickliffe, Scotland, 1838 Read from the Leabhar nan Suil-radharc, the Book of the Fates: To the tenth Carrick: Your lady fair shall bear you three dark songs. Joey they bring you until they read this tome. ... (show all)Words before their eyes cut your life's line young. You die dread knowing cursed men they become, Shadowed to walk with death or walk alone.
Ch. 1 The Principality of Andorra, 1856 "Yes, yes, very well then. Take out his heart." - Blurbers
- Quinn, Julia; Wiggs, Susan
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 731
- Popularity
- 38,415
- Reviews
- 26
- Rating
- (3.81)
- Languages
- 5 — English, French, German, Croatian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 4
