September '09 BotM: If You Dare by Kresley Cole

[Kathleen]

Please post comments and discussion here for the September '09 Book of the Month:

If You Dare (MacCarrick Brothers, Book 1) by Kresley Cole

[Sam]

I didn't dislike this book but did really like it either. It left me sort of blah! Put it this way, I clicked on this link and said, "Oh yeah, I have to read this for GiGi's Company." and then realized I read it this past weekend. It's Wednesday now. Probably won't pick up any more of this series

[Gina]

I'm only a couple of chapters in. Hasn't really caught my attention yet, I'm afraid...

[Gina]

I didn't have to force myself to read it, but it could have been better.

I found the plot wasn't original enough to warrant rave reviews. The characters, although I liked them, weren't original either. Even the whole 'you cannot stay with me, I'm cursed' didn't seem original to me either.

However, I liked how Court and Annalia interacted with each other and the rest of the cast. Antagonizing one minute, sweet the next... and the action scenes were okay. I ended up reading the excerpt of Hugh's book, and I think I may pick it up, just to see where the story leads. But for me, 'meh' is the only feeling I've got.

3 stars

[Colleen]

I am giving it 3 stars. I only hve 45 pages left, so I will finish it today.

I agree Gina and Sam, the book was just alright. I have to admit my friend was over when I was reading the steamy parts so that added to the attraction of the story ;)

The part that I liked best is that the author kept reminding people that being small does not mean being weak. Sometimes big guys forget this fact. Just being small does not mean you want or need protection.

This book was a quick easy read.

[Kathleen]

The story of Courtland MacCarrick and Annalia Llorente had the potential to be a great historical, but fell short of its promise. It was very typical and cliche filled--with a brawny Scot and a petite, but feisty, heroine. The story is set in the tiny country of Andorra, nestled high in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Brownie points to the author on location. In was set in the 1830's, not a Regency or a Medieval, more brownie points for the time period. Most authors of historicals would have you convinced that their were only two time periods in history and any interesting story has to be set in the British Isles. Regrettably the story itself was just sort of average. It took me the four days of the Thanksgiving break to read this book and I set it aside many times. Some problems in the start of the book include needing a better explanation of why Court was being tortured and thrown off the bridge in the opening scene, too much prose and too little dialogue between Annalia and Court, and not enough information on daily life in Andorra. I don't have a better picture of this small country now, than I had before I read this novel. Not sure if I will read the sequels in this series. There was a great deal of promise in this novel and perhaps future novels in this series will improve. I need to think on it before dashing out to acquire the sequels. I concur with the other raters and am giving this book three stars.

[Kathleen]

For those interested, the other two books in the MacCarrick Brothers Trilogy are as follows:

If You Desire, Book 2, Hugh MacCarrick and Jane Weyland's story.

If You Deceive, Book 3, Ethan MacCarrick and Madeleine van Rowen's story.

[Gina]

I am interested in reading If You Desire, all because I stupidly went and read the excerpt for it at the back of If You Dare, LOL! I won't be running out to get it, but I'll be putting it on my list of books to look for when I go to Sudbury in May.