In 1854, high in the Pyrenees in the tiny country of Andorra, a band of mercenaries lead by highlander Courtland McCarrick wages war under ruthless general Reynaldo Pascal. Though Court is a cold-hearted merc, who was cursed years ago to "walk with death or walk alone," even he balks when he learns how vicious Pascal's campaign against the people of this region really is. He removes his men from the fray, demanding only to be compensated for the time they'd spent under the General's leadership, but the man refuses. This Scottish leader will exact his revenge-by kidnapping the general's exquisite Castilian fiancé and forcing her back to his highland home.
Annalía Tristán Llorente, staid, beautiful, a noblewoman to her toes, despises the fierce, barbaric highlander. Because of his cadre's skills, her own brother's resistance was crushed and he was imprisoned-only to be freed once Annalía weds the general. Distrusting Court's seemingly mercurial loyalties, she tells him nothing of her brother's imprisonment, allowing Court to think Anna is more mercenary than he, since she longs to return to the rich general to wed. With every mile further from her home, she plots to escape, hating the highlander more with each thwarted attempt, outrage bubbling in her every time he captures her in his powerful arms. Annalía's fury only increases when she finds herself attracted to the dark, commanding warrior. But if she succumbs and loses her innocence, she signs her brother's death warrant, as well as her own.
From the moment Court sees that Anna's prim façade masks fiery, passionate lass beneath, his heart's ensnared. He realizes he will never let her go, and for the first time he dares to defy the curse that has shadowed his life. Until it comes true when the general vows he'll hunt the two, never stopping until he's destroyed them both.
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.
