The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary is live!
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Blurb
Eight weeks of forced proximity is a long time to hate someone you’re trying not to love.
Sebastian Stremmel doesn’t need another headache. He has enough of his own without Sara Shapiro, the noisy new reconstructive surgeon, stomping all around his surgical wing with her chippy, chirpy cheerfulness.
But Sebastian doesn’t usually get what he wants.
No one gets under his skin like Sara – so much so a heated “debate” and an exam room left in shambles later, they land themselves in eight weeks of hospital-mandated conflict resolution counseling. Now they’re forced to fight fair…which quickly leads them to playing dirty when no one’s looking.
They know it’s a mistake.
They promise themselves it will never happen again.
They swear they got it out of their systems.
They didn’t.
Author’s Note: Grumpy/recovering people-pleaser sunshine. Introverts attract. Enemies-to-lovers in the workplace. Banter, bicker, and button-pushing foreplay. Don’t tell the friend group, get jealous when the friend group tries to fix her up.
Heat: rip her clothes off before you get the front door open.
Review
5 grumpy-ass stars!
Aaahhhh, Sebastian Stremmel. Fans of Kate Canterbary’s will be very familiar with the grumpy, broody trauma surgeon, and we have been waiting for his story for a very long time. I am so happy to say that this book was worth the wait. It was everything I was hoping for and more – a laugh-out-loud funny enemies-to-lovers romance that is super sexy with SO much heart and emotion. It’s a gorgeous love story with great characters, and I loved it!
Stremmel has appeared as a side character of a number of Kate’s books, and though this one can easily be read as a standalone, be aware that it ties in to Before Girl (Cal & Stella), The Spire (Nick & Erin) and Preservation (Riley & Alex). Those characters all appear in this book, and as a long-time fan of Kate’s, it was awesome to catch up with them and see them interacting so much with Stremmel and Sara.
Stremmel has always been an entertaining character, and here as the hero of his own book, he is absolutely awesome! He’s a grumpy, antisocial bastard, and he knows it, and the chance to get inside of his head is fascinating and so freaking funny.
I wanted to live in a world of pear-shaped women and wear those thighs as earmuffs every night. Every damn night.
Wanting it didn’t mean it would ever happen.
The primary reason for that was the gaping hole where my interpersonal skills should’ve been.
His grumpy demeanour extends to his job at the hospital, and things come to a head when he has a run-in with plastic surgeon, Sara Shapiro. Sara is almost as antisocial as Stremmel, though hers comes from a very different place and she is more an introvert than antisocial. But she’s a feisty one, and when the two of them are put into 8 weeks of therapy to help them sort through and resolve their issues, it doesn’t start well.
“Can we just raw dog this thing and move it all along? My father hasn’t been in my life on a consistent basis, my parents divorced when I was four, and I haven’t felt anything since then. Shap, you’re on deck.”
I deposited my devices back into one pocket beside the color-coded notecards I used to prepare for my cases, and grabbed this afternoon’s snack from the other. “I feel plenty of things but I’d rather intellectualize those feelings and bottle them up until they explode.”
What it does do is put these two fiery personalities in one place at the same time and force them deal with each other, and that leads to all kinds of fireworks, and the most hilariously entertaining (and steamy hot) sex scenes.
“I still hate you.”
“Trust me, I know.” I settled between her thighs … “You’re the fucking worst.”
This is some of the funniest hate sex I have ever read!. These two have wicked chemistry, and the banter and bickering doesn’t stop when their all naked and sweaty, and I was laughing out loud at their constant arguing.
I tossed the condom to her belly. “Take care of that.”
She tossed it back. “It’s your dick. Do it yourself.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered to myself, throwing it back and hitting her square on the forehead. “I’m so tired of talking to you.”
“Yeah, same. When are you going to shut up?”
This isn’t a case of people being secretly in love with each other but hiding it. These two literally hate each other. The problem is, they can’t keep their hands off each other, and it’s so freaking entertaining watching them try to deal with that fact.
Most of the time, I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat. That I wanted to do this while fucking her didn’t improve the situation.
I was in trouble because I couldn’t stand this woman, though I’d fall apart right now if I couldn’t have her again.
And, of course, as they are forced to spend more time together outside the bedroom, things start to get complicated. Feelings start to develop, and that leads to all sorts of confusion for two people who never really saw a relationship on the cards for them, and who have no clue how to deal with their changing emotions.
Fuck my life.
No, seriously, just fuck my whole life.
I couldn’t go another round with Sara. Not tonight, not this weekend, not ever. I was not capable of managing all the things she stirred up inside me while also being a semifunctional adult. I could do Sara or I could do life, but definitely not both.
It’s a fantastic journey for both of them, and as much as I enjoyed their constant snark and bickering, when we start to see the softer side of both Stremmel and Sara, my heart melted. It’s real, and it’s true to the characters, and it shows so much growth as they begin to open themselves up to the possibility of something more.
“I want you to trust me enough to let me hold these pieces of you. I like looking after you.”
Reflexively, I said, “I don’t need looking after.”
He rolled his head against the back of his chair to stare at me, his eyes as dark as night and his pout infinitely kissable. “Yes, you do.”
And OMG, the swoon! Who would have thought that Stremmel could bring the swoon? But if there’s anything better than a grumpy asshole, it’s a grumpy asshole in love, and as these two begin to open up to each other, there is so much emotion, and the romance is absolutely gorgeous!
“No one will ever love you the way I do.”
They do have challenges to overcome, and the drama brings wonderful intensity to their story, but doesn’t overwhelm it. Again, it’s real, and it’s relatable, and I love how they deal with it. These two truly get each other, and seeing them realise that for themselves and then find their way through the drama and heartache to a happy ending is a beautiful journey.
“I don’t need the words. I already know what I need to know. I just need you to choose me.”
This book owned me from the moment I picked it up. It’s funny, sexy, heartfelt and emotional, and it’s one of my favourite books from Kate. Stremmel and Sara are fantastic characters, supported by a wonderful side-cast that bring so much to the story, and I honestly loved every moment of it!
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Vital Signs
A spin-off from the Walsh Family series
Before Girl (#1) (Cal & Stella)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
The Worst Guy (#2) (Sebastian & Sara)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
About the Author
USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
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