4.5 starsWhat a lovely book!!! I loved, loved, loved this one!!!I wanted to read a medieval historical romance with Highlanders, so I picked this one up, because it's written by Kresley Cole and I love her Immortals After Dark series. Well, this is not a medieval HR, lol. It is set in 1856, I don't know how I missed that, but I decided to stick with it and I'm glad I did!If you read other reviews, you'll see that most readers didn't like the characters. It's true that they weren't the most likeable H/h ever for the first 1/3 of the book, but did I care? Nope! They had amazing chemistry from the beginning and the bickering and enmity between them that spoke for the attraction simmering beneath the surface made this such an enjoyable read! “She weighed no more than a feather as he lifted her, but he teased her, saying, "You weigh more than you look.""You are weaker than you look," she immediately whispered.” And that's only for 1/3 of the book anyway. When they finally started getting on well with each other, the book got even better.I have to admit I have a soft spot for besotted heroes. I loved how much Court wanted Annalia but thought her better than him and that a woman like her would never stoop so low as to set her sights on a man like him. "I never want to see you with a gun in your hand, Anna." "Why not?""You were no' meant to," he said simply."What is that supposed to mean?"His gaze caught hers, and she saw his eyes were bleak. "It means people like me were put on the earth so people like you never had to do bad things and suffer from them." And when she did, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. What a sweet hero! "I'm starin' because you're more beautiful than I could ever imagine and it gives me pleasure tae look at you, all of you. I'm starin' because I never thought I would." Annalia was a great heroine, too. Strong, resourceful and so hilarious at times. I really enjoyed reading about this couple and how they went from this:to this:Kresley Cole is best-known for her paranormal romances. I could see the influence of her other genre on this book, but only in the best possible way in that the hero is extremely possessive. Loved it! The curse, which was the only "paranormal" element in the book, opened the way for the whole fated mate plotline that's common in paranormals, but otherwise this is truly a historical romance and it doens't seem out of place.Even though the love scenes in If You Dare are more frequent and more steamy than in any other HR I've read, they were handled well and I enjoyed them. They didn't happen early in the book, they didn't destroy the HR vibe of the story and they were tasteful. Kresley Cole is truly great in this, and the same applies to her paranormals.One complaint I have is that Olivia is such a great secondary character and I would love for her to get her own book (not going to happen, unfortunately). “Now you're just being silly. He's a mercenary- he's not going to go about penning love letters, and really, what would he write? 'Anna...love you...grrr?'" As for Court's brothers, I'm really looking forward to their stories. Ethan is the most interesting character, but Hugh's story has one of my all-time favourite themes, the I've-loved-you-for-years. I expect this series to be an amazing reading experience.
2.5Wow, where to begin. Okay, obviously, at the beginning. If this book weren't written by Kresley Cole, one of my absolute favorite authors of all time, I would not have finished it. About page 65 or so, I hated the heroine's idiocy and thought our Alpha male hero was just a jackass rather than an Alpha. I am glad I finished it because around page 250 or so I began to like the book. Why such the gap? I can't be sure, but I feel like our idiotic heroine and our jerk of a hero became two separate characters. And not in the good "Oh they've grown" kind of way, in the "Am I sure this is the same book? Same names, yep, same title, yep. Okay same book."So, with all this not really liking or caring about our people, why the decent rating you might ask?Well, it's really a 2.5 star, but since goodreads doesn't give it halfsies I added a half star for Kresley's witty dialogue. She is the only author who can write an historical romance during the Victorian era of all times, and use current snarky sarcasm in her witty banter and PULL IT OFF!! So, well done, KC, well done.By the last hundred pages plus, I found some amazing lines from Court that I just loved, and they are so typical KC,"I never want to see you with a gun in your hand, Anna." "Why not?""You were no' meant to," he said simply."What is that supposed to mean?"His gaze caught hers, and she saw his eyes were bleak. "It means people like me were put on the earth so people like you never had to do bad things and suffer from them."The first time I actually saw who Court really was.Next, Annalia was naked in front of him, and getting shy because Court was staring. I loved how again we see a glimpse of the real Court, who feels he doesn't deserve her and would never see her."I'm starin' because you're more beautiful than I could ever imagine and it gives me pleasure tae look at you, all of you. I'm starin' because I never thought I would."My favorite one, isn't really all that fantastic or romantic, but I loved how Court sees himself. He's telling her why he can't stay in her room with her, since she's safe now."I might do something we'd both regret.""Why do you think I'd regret that?"She saw his shoulders stiffen, his hands clench. "You doona know me, Anna." As he shut the door behind him, she barely heard him mutter, "If you did, you would no' waste your interest in me."I think with the snarky but sassy heroine and the Alpha male, and the fated mates, I can see Kresley Cole entering her flow as far as what she uses in her IAD series. But here, it drove me nuts.So, I liked the book after about 2/3 of the story, and at that point I would definitely have put this book off if it weren't a KC.
What do You think about If You Dare (2005)?
I hated the heroine in this one. Hated her! She was the worst heroine I've read about so far. Prejudiced, haughty, opinionated...The only saving grace was the obvious love she held for her brother, willing to do anything to save him, although that one safely landed her in the TSTL pile.The entire book was a bit silly, if you ask me. The heroine kept ending up in one mess after another, and for a person so "educated" and of "so elevated rank", she didn't appear to have any brain cells at all.The hero was your typical monosyllabic, acerbic, towering, glowering etc. brute, but unlike the rest of his hero-mates out there, he was a bit more on the Neanderthal side of the block, topped with complete lack of social capabilities and utter inability to act as a normal human being. When brutes such as him meet their intended they tend to soften and develop some communication skills, beside conking the woman with a club, but Court was as much of a brute after he met her than he was before.The plot was all over the place, as well. After the initial perilous situation wore off, all the later attempts at rekindling the suspense provided more of a comic relief than anything else. For such skilled and ruthless assassins those Rechazados did a really lousy job if you ask me.And then, there's the curse. Judging by the prologue I was sure I'd get a gripping historical paranormal romance, instead the blasted curse was only mentioned sporadically and when it was the only thing that explained some stupidity the hero did or said.And I hoped the first book (actually a novella) was a fluke about me not being able to relate to the characters. I was completely detached from Court and Annalia as well, not to mention their romance...The author could've done a good service to her readers if she didn't make her such a idiotic virgin (I hate when that happens - a virgin, yes, but why ignorant as well?) and him such an overbearing ass.The only thing that saved this book for me were the few, yet satisfying, humorous passages. They made me laugh - out loud - and that's always a good thing.
—Mojca
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, and I was only half way through the book when I stopped.
—Monica
Courtland MacCarrick is nothing but a highlander who is dangerous.. well at least that's what Lady Annalía Tristán Llorente eventually tells herself. But when she first finds Courtland lying next to the riverbank bloodied and injured she can't help but get him back to her house so that she could take care of him. However, once he wakes up she instantly regrets that decision.Courtland is cold to her and takes over her house. Annalia is prejudiced of all highlanders, because she has been told that they are a rough and dangerous type of people. But Court only makes it worse by treating her without respect. He also is attracted to her but is trying to maintain his distance because he is thought to be cursed (along with his two brothers).Court has other business to attend to, like keeping Annalia safe since it's his fault that her brother is currently being held prisoner. Court was hired by General Reynaldo Pascal to clear out the town of people so that he could take over. Not only is Pascal holding Annalia's brother hostage, but he's using him as a bribe so he could marry Annalia. Court must now rescue the brother and save Annalia (since he is in love with her). But can he do all this and still remain unattached to the woman he loves?This book was entertaining. Court was such an interesting character that obviously hid his feelings from everyone around him and Annalia saw through him. It was interesting to watch him struggle with his control when he was around Annalia and to watch how she reacted to him. I am excited for the next books in the series.
—Jess
