"Interesting historical, but not as I hoped"
Courtland MacCarrick has been working as a mercenary,
selling his (and his fellow highlanders') 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 Courland, Pascal orders him
killed instead. Barely escaping with his life by falling
backwards into the river, Courtland is found 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 thinks, who
fights 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 it is all he can do to
keep her alive. Henchmen pop up everywhere to try to 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 had sadly, lost interest in
them as a couple. Each character was interesting in
his/her own right and story is a case serious opposites
attract, but characters did not work as a couple for me. What kept me reading is the curse upon Court 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. After finishing the story, I don't
think so; I think he is what you would expect of a
Highland hero. I also find the story of Court's brother
Hugh very interesting and am looking forward to reading
his story. 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! Posted February 23, 2006
Reviewed by Cynthia Eckert
Posted January 12, 2007
|
|
Can a Highlander steal his enemy's bride and make her love him?
High in the Pyrenees, a band of mercenaries led by Courtland MacCarrick wages war for General Reynaldo Pascal. When Court turns on the brutal general, Pascal orders him killed. Court narrowly escapes and exacts revenge by kidnapping Pascal’s exquisite Castilian fiancée. Noble heiress Annalía Tristán Llorente despises her towering, barbaric captor almost as much as she does Pascal. Her inexplicable attraction to the Highlander only fuels her fury. Yet 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. 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. If they survive, can this hardened soldier of fortune convince the only woman he's ever loved that she's meant to be his?
|
