The Worst Guy (Vital Signs, #2) (2024)

4 Mutual Hostility Stars ⭐

The dislike and antagonism is real. Two surgeons who happen to work at the same hospital, live in the same apartment block and share a similar friendship circle, Sebastian and Sara can't stand each other. And it takes one confrontation that goes too far and lands them in 8 weeks of conflict resolution counseling.

"Now, Sebastian," she started, clearly enjoying his misery, "where is Sara from?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Hell, probably."

I winged the pineapple at him hard. He had to stumble backward to catch it.

"And Sara," Milana said, "where is Sebastian from?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say a defective condom."

Taking unprofessionalism to whole new level, watching Sebastian and Sara attempt therapy is almost hilarious until it has the affect it's supposed to. Stripping away the facades to reveal the truth. A woman who has struggled her whole life to be perfect thus the raging bitch personality and a man that hides his feelings behind an arrogant prick persona.

Since there is a fine line between love and hate, both Sebastian and Sara can't comprehend how they find themselves naked and having the best sex of their lives. Angry, dirty sex that will put the most annoyed person in a better disposition. A gateway to a relationship neither planned.

"I really don't want to like your puss* as much as I do but it's made out of demonic magic so I'm helpless here.".

This author writes the best multidimensional characters and her natural humour and zero f*cks for politeness are reflected beautifully in her stories. The Worst Guy was amusing but contained depth that made you hold your breath in parts. You can't go wrong with this! 💜

I WOULD RISK IT ALL FOR SEBASTIAN

I’ve read a few books by Kate Canterbary in the past and I liked them a lot! But you should know that I struggle with binge-reading an author’s backlist, so I’ve never fully explored all her books. The Worst Guy dropped at the end of December and I decided to read it because I thought the cover was hot and the premise sounded really really good. I ended up INHALING it and then immediately tried downloading all of Kate’s books on to my Kindle even though KU has a limit. Boo!

Sara and Sebastian are both doctors who work at the same hospital and the two don’t really interact as much because they can’t stand each other’s presence. When a confrontation leads to them having to take part in mandatory conflict resolution with a therapist, it forces them into proximity. Maybe, just maybe, there’s some underlying attraction underneath all that animosity?

ANYWAYS, this book was so good and really, most of my enjoyment came from how obsessed I became with Sebastian Stremmel. TBH, I was like that no thoughts, head empty meme except I had one and ONLY one thought: “I would risk it all for Sebastian”. WHICH IS TRAGIC IF YOU ASK ME because fictional character and all. He’s a completely grumpy bastard with cat energy. He has friends and likes their company, but he needs to approach and not the other way around. For the most part though, he’s antisocial and thinks he’s the sh*t (WHICH HE IS IMO). He’s also kind of a dramatic irritable baby at times too, but it’s all part of the charm, I promise.

Sara really is his perfect match because she’s one of the few people who challenges him. She’s as antisocial as Sebastian is but for completely different reasons. She’s a recovering people-pleaser who’s grown up in a an emotionally toxic household. Her family messed up with her body image and this has led to an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. In the book, she’s recovering from it, but it’s also done irreversible damage to her psyche as well as her body (in the form of IBS). Even things we take for granted like going out to eat with friends is challenging for her. Sara is a powerhouse though and I just really loved her and her hot mess self.

I will tell you, this has to be one of the truest enemies-to-lovers I’ve read in a contemporary setting because I could sense all that dislike between Sara and Sebastian and I believed in it. It’s just so fun watching them bicker, taunt each other, and push each other’s buttons. And it’s even more fun when it all explodes in the form of some very hot org*sms. The sex was FIERY HOT and made me realize how much of a hoe I am for hate-f*cking. It’s intense and very passionate AND there’s use of toys, my friends! The chemistry really is top-notch and I was LIVING for all of it. It’s the kind of romance that had me kicking my feet in the air like a happy baby, because ugh so good!

And I’m just only talking about all the external aspects of their relationship. It’s even better when they start to open up to each other. Let me tell you, it’s a journey to get there and they are both so confounded by their growing feelings. There are points when you’ll ask yourself are these two stubborn knuckleheads ever going to accept their emotions for each other. But it’s in the quiet, softer moments between Sara and Sebastian that I knew they were perfect for each other because they saw each other for who they were.

The Worst Guy is one of the funniest and swooniest romance books I’ve read. I’m so excited to have fallen so head-over-heels in love with Kate Canterbary and I can’t wait to read more from her. Enemies-to-lovers fans who love two grumpy characters, this one is for you!

Content notes: on-page sex, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, brief mention of the COVID-19 pandemic, emotional abuse, toxic parental relationships

Relationship disclosure: None

I have been thinking about The Worst Guy pretty much all the time. This romance does the work. it hit me in all the right emotional places - some that hurt a little, some that made me go, hm yes, and some that made me just yell YES.

Stremmel and Shapiro are down right MEAN to each other when they first interact on page for the reader. There's animosity, and it is clear this has been brewing for awhile. Having the dual POV for this story was truly vital, but even in either character's POV you could sense the place of not meanness a lot of the comments were coming from.

As someone who truly has a big, snappy mouth sometimes I appreciated seeing these honest moments that weren't delivered well. That's me sometimes. And sometimes my Sagittarius comes out hard. So I guess that spoke to me in this work.

Also the slow, tiny ways Stremmel demonstrates that he's stupid over Shapiro (from the raisins, to the listening, to the constant thoughts about her hair), I just loved it so much.

Again, this isn't a coherent review, but I've not read anything else that really captures so much of what I love in contemporary romance as this book.

Full review to come, but this hit all my anticipated happy places and more. I've been desperate for Stremmel's book since he was a grumpy babe so many Canterbary tales ago.

CW: eating disorder, in the past, side effects of in the present (discussed). medical procedures, character is sick on page, emesis (on page)

How do I love The Worst Guy? Let me count the ways.

From the sorting of croutons into their different flavors, to the hand at the small of the back, to the smashing of both exam room glass and characters' expectations, foam jousting swords to the heart, pastel pink glasses and teal green velvet chairs, pacing in front of tropical resorts, I Love Yous by actions and words, group chat hijinks to help with the grovel, doctors who say don't doctor me, sick bed scenes, cheerleader fantasies come to life SO MUCH MORE.

I just love this book. I listened on audio, the male narrator was really good, the woman narrator was okay and I settled into her. Her main voice was great, the side characters didn't always work for me.

after my now fourth re-read (it might be more because sometimes i just read a scene or three), i am still firmly in love with this contemporary romance. truly great character work that hits every emotional beat that i want in a mid-heat contemporary. these two are perfect for each other; all their jaggedy parts line up, and I love watching them spin the pieces around until they click in like a korok puzzle in Zelda Breath of the Wild (the girls who get it, get it). Truly hate f*cking at its finest that turns into soft love.

The Worst Guy has got to be of the best enemies with benefits turned lovers I’ve read in quite awhile. Sara and Sebastian are pretty damn amazing in that department. The pushing , the banter and the slowly building tension which then turns into one hell of an explosion and release. Wow. Chef’s kiss.

It was meticulously and flawlessly executed.
I really liked how they slowly but surely turned into something more which entailed vulnerability, letting one another in and being more vocal and honest about their feelings and current situation. I would’ve liked if Sara came to that conclusion sooner cause there were parts that dragged. But it’s a minor thing. The steam was spot on all because of insane chemistry between Sara and Sebastian.
The whole ensemble was terrific. There was a feeling of togetherness and support between this group of friends and I felt it.

The Worst Guy was such a fabulous and entertaining story. The humor meshed so well with the seriousness. A wonderful surprise.

4 Tornado Stars

Well finally, I have found a book that I loved. Yayyy!

This book was totally my jam. My type of romance: Funny and hot with in-depth characterization and talented writing.

Some books of Kate CANTERBARY are my cuppa but some are not. She is either a hit or miss writer for me but I must say that even the books of hers that I didn’t like had always a high quality with talented writing. She is no simple writer; whatever she writes, she writes in an extraordinary way.

*********************************************

Well, let’s now talk about this book, THE WORST GUY, which is now my second favorite book of hers, the first runner being THE BOSS IN THE BEDSHEETS.

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This book has two interesting or let’s say unique characters as in most of Kate Canterbary’s books: One antisocial and grumpy hero who loves to hate everything 😊 and one little fierce woman as the heroine who has quite a lot of psychological issues despite her looking all strong and composed on the surface. Deep down, she is too wounded, too fragile and scared of quite a lot of things. He is no different. He is also another wounded soul. His father left them when he was 4 years old and now as an adult, underneath all his grumpiness, he needs to be seen, chosen and loved.

I loved both characters but definitely loved Sebastian more than Sara because Sara made me angry towards the end with her indecisiveness and prolonged fear of everything good. She came to her senses in the end but still Sebastian is my man 😊

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Both characters are doctors and she is 39 while he is 42 years old.

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The book is great with detailed character development and extraordinary writing. I am normally not a fan of monologues but here even the monologues are fun or interesting. I loved being in their quirky minds.

The dialogues are great, too. Sometimes fun, sometimes emotional, sometimes hot, but never boring or dull. It definitely has many "laugh-out-loud" moments.

I also loved the transition of their relationship from being enemies to lovers. The beginning is great fun with their smart banter full of hate and their crazy sex sessions to let the frustration go. Soon, they get addicted to each other and their chemistry is insane. All their intimate scenes are heart-throbbing.

After a while, emotions and deeper feelings emerge and things get complicated and scary.

It is all well written and done.

As I said before, Ms Canterbary has a unique way of telling stories and it always has depth. If you haven’t read from her before, this book or The Boss in the Bedsheets might be two awesome choices to start with.

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Rating

I am deducting 0.5 star for Sara’s behavior towards the end. She annoyed me when she upset Sebastian. But later, she made it up to me and him, so we’re all good 😊

And there is nothing else I didn't like to make me deduct any more points. And I am rounding it up to 5 stars easily because this book made me happy and I finished it with a smile on my face and all the warm and fuzzy feelings in my heart.

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Writing

Extraordinary.
Entertains you.
Touches you in many ways.
Makes you think.
Makes you feel.

*

It’s a long book with 371 pages. It is written in dual point of view.

*

Although the hero of this book is told to have appeared in some previous books of hers, I read it as a stand-alone and had no problem with it.

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Safety

Totally safe.

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Warning

As I said before, this book was my jam. It was really my cuppa in ways more than one. However, its ending may not be for everyone. It definitely has a HEA but in its own way.

I am really fed up with “all the same, all the same” endings of romance books: There is always a marriage proposal or the marriage itself with kids. That rarely changes. This book is not like that at all. It has its own happy ending with our lovers being together. I loved it. They didn’t need traditional things because they both are very untraditional characters.

Although I loved the ending to this book (with the bonus epilogue that the writer sends by email), I am putting this as a warning here because I know that some readers NEED “a marriage & kids” kind of ending and become upset when they can’t find it.

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Here are some of my favorite QUOTES from the book.
I hope they will give an idea about the type of book it is and you’ll more easily decide if you are into it or not.

"Now, Sebastian," she started, clearly enjoying his misery, "where is Sara from?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Hell, probably."
I winged the pineapple at him hard. He had to stumble backward to catch it.
"And Sara," Milana said, "where is Sebastian from?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say a defective condom."

***

"I'm going to pull your hair," she said. That seemed like enough of an invitation to get rid of the panties.
"Go for it," I replied, pushing her thighs apart and running my knuckles down the center of her. I already knew she was going to taste like heaven. The scent of her alone had me growling into the silky smooth of her leg, teeth bared. "Strangle me for all I care. If I die, I die."

***

"Here's what we're doing now. Come here. Scoot back unless you want me dragging you and you know I will. Give me that ass. That's my dick hunter, right here, good girl." I pressed a hand between her shoulder blades as I stationed myself at her entrance. She was still throbbing and wet like a waterfall. "I really don't want to like your puss* as much as I do but it's made out of demonic magic so I'm helpless here."

***

I blinked up at him, shocked but also a bit impressed by his ability to cram that much destruction into a couple of minutes. It was remarkable in its messiness. I almost admired it, as someone who was also known to engage in tragic messiness—not as the woman with whom he was making the mess.

***

A growl sounded from the other side of the table. "Could you—"
"Probably not, no."
"If you'd just listen to—"
"But I'm not going to," I replied. "Accept that I am doing it this way, even if your way is better, quicker, more nutrient dense, peer reviewed, and morally righteous. I've made my choice."

***

"This is for me," I said, my fingers finding the wet between her thighs.
"No, it's for me," she fired back. "That you happen to be involved is coincidental."
I pushed my fingers inside her. "You're addicted to my coincidences."
"You're such an asshole," she groaned as she tightened her hold on me. "It's a real tragedy that this fine piece of machinery came attached to you."
"Tragedies all around." I tossed the condom to her belly. "Take care of that."
She tossed it back. "It's your dick. Do it yourself."

***

"That's why I can't leave."
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. "Because you hate everything?"
"Yeah. I hate it all so thoroughly that I'm sure I'd never find anywhere else to hate with such completeness. Without all of this resentment, I'd be empty inside."

***

“I know you, Shap. You have a plan of attack lined up. You're going to show him your non-sociopathic, non-feral side. Pretend you don't rip off heads just to remind everyone you can. Before you know it, you'll have him lulled into some nice, hollow complacency. The story writes itself. You'll have matching gold bands and a pair of semi-sociopathic children. Then you can tear his guts right out of his belly and he won't even see it coming. Horror ever after. Just what you've always wanted."

***

Of all the ways I'd ever touched her, I'd never touched her like this. Never without the intention of stripping her down, taking everything she offered. It was strange, this feeling. I couldn't explain it but I couldn't let her go either. I had to do this, I had to hold her—even if it was awkward and uncomfortable.

If I had to categorize it, I'd say this was what a pulmonary embolism felt like. I was reasonably confident I wasn't experiencing an embolism but there was something thick and deadly and new pulsing behind my sternum. There was a quick kick to my heart rate and my head felt fuzzy as my chest cinched again, and I couldn't decide whether I'd feel better if I let her go or held her closer.

***

This wasn't a toxic cycle. There was no getting her out of my system, not when the only thing I required in this life was to know what Sara looked like when she woke up and what she felt like curled around me in the middle of the night, and what she liked to do when she wasn't busy screeching and whether I could keep her with me for the rest of my time on this earth.

Did I have the language to articulate any of this? Not at all. Did I assume I had a bit more time before I had to learn that language? f*ck, yeah. Did I have any hope of getting through this night with my vital organs intact? It was anyone's guess. With that tragedy in mind, I yanked her by the waistband into her bedroom and relieved her of her clothes while she rambled about apartments.

***

He bit a mark into the side of my breast before yanking my face down to his and kissing me hard enough to steal my breath. Whatever inhibitions I had left, that kiss shook them free. I was burning from it, from the absolute heat of him all around me.

Though the thought had never once crossed my mind before, I knew this was what it felt like to be branded. To be claimed. To be such a f*cking mess and still surrender myself to him for safe keeping because I knew he would do exactly that.

***

"Make choices that scare you. They're the best ones."

***

I wanted to show her off tonight. Stand in front of all of our friends, loop my arm around her waist, say, "Do you see? This one's mine." At the same time, I wanted to barricade us behind locked doors and under cozy blankets, press her hand to my chest, and say, "Do you see? This one's yours."

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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.

“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."

“I still hate you.”
“Trust me, I know.” I settled between her thighs … “You’re the f*cking worst.”

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?"

Most of the time, I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat. That I wanted to do this while f*cking 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.

f*ck my life.
No, seriously, just f*ck 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.

“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."

“No one will ever love you the way I do.”

“I don’t need the words. I already know what I need to know. I just need you to choose me.”

5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, the dreaded DNF (90%) so close to the finishing line: let this speak of my disinterest for the main couple and my lack of involvment about the story as a whole.

Neither Stremmel nor Shapiro sold me on the enemies to lovers premise, as for enemies to become lovers there has to be equal enmity, passion, chemistry, in my opinion. And for the record I do enjoy the enemies to lovers (E2L) trope, this one wasn't to my liking is all. The antagonism has got to lead me somewhere, generate angst, you know? Here they just made me feel miserable and also apathetic? At least to their supposed "romance".

The main characters have been lashing out at each other so strong, so often and for so long, I’d have rather see them finding someone else.

I did enjoy—albeit too little too late— the gentle, caring, affectionate gestures from the hero but it still wasn't enough to make me digest the prickly and unpleasant dynamic between him and the heroine.

I did like the fleeting moments Sebastian and Sara would lower their guards enough to share significant and real emotions, enabling a barely there trust between them. Sara's confidences about her eating disorder and how Sebastian reacted to the information was really pleasing but not enough to balance the constant head butting between them.

I've loved many Canterbary's books, this one is not one of them, I didn't hate it, just indifferent to it and that's disappointing because of course I wanted to love The Worst Guy but I have to accept this one wasn't for me. All this to say it might work for you, especially considering how so many of my Goodreads friends enjoyed this one.

More reviews and book talk at :

You can find me here too ☞

Dear Kate,

Thank you.

I spent 100% of my time reading The Worst Guy feeling some kind of something and roughly 93.2% of that time LMFAO, so thank you.

HOLY f*ckING BALLS, thank you!

Until next time,

I know I have an unpopular opinion, but the first half of this book was just exhausting. Some of the bantering between Sebastian and Sara was funny, but at times it was just OTT. I should also admit that Enemies to Lovers is not my favorite trope, so that also could be it.

The second half of the story was much better for me. Sebastian and Sara started to actually communicate with each other, and there was so much more to Sara then we knew. Sebastian was sooo swoon worthy, I just adored the heck out of him.

So you see my dilemma, I don’t know how to rate this one. I’ll go with 3 stars for now, but after I think about it for a while, I may come back and change it.

[ 2 stars ]

"We don't have much experience with asking each other questions. We don't talk, okay? We fight about nothing and have angry sex and say mean things instead of doing anything normal or healthy or professional."

this book in one sentence:

Read this for the first time well before I had Goodreads. Have reread multiple times. I adore every page of this book.

The Worst Guy
(Vital Signs #2)
Written by: Kate Canterbary

In the last days of 2021 the best thing happened to me. I read The Worst Guy and by the end I had a new #1 read. So Kate, I’m sorry Jasper and Linden have been bumped to #2.

For a while now readers have met Sebastian Stremmel in the worst of situations, mostly hitting on Walsh sisters or Walsh wives. Now we find out who Stremmel really is. Using five words or less, Stremmel is dependable, a leader, cheerleader competition lover, revered in medicine and lonely. So very lonely, heart breaking lonely….see the theme here. Yes he has problems!

His current problem is Sara Shapiro, a reconstructive surgeon who can damper Stremmel’s day without even trying. So when a curtain is pulled, a rod falls on a tray and the tray heads for a window….glass flies and “couples therapy” is what the Chief of Staff orders.

Fellow readers if you think you’ve read grumpy growly in the past, hold on tight because these two are going to set your world on it’s side. The more that comes out the more we see how damaged both Sara and Sebastian are. They’re exactly who and what events made them the grump and tiny tornado. For two people who supposedly don’t like each other, the after therapy shenanigans cause the fogging of windows, the trails of clothing, buttons that fly, pillows are thrown (on the floor) and dear lord Riley Walsh is privy yet again to something no brother or friend should see.

This book makes you laugh, I mean out loud, slap you leg, wipe the tears from your eyes laugh one minute and the next minute tears from the heart because of how broken these two are. In my mind this is Kate’s best couple yet! It took time for us to get them but because of that time we got Sara and Stremmel and all their growly, screechy love.

3 stars. Lots of parts that I really liked, but also many I wasn’t too thrilled about.

First, let me just say that I’m a sucker for a doctor in romance. I loooove me some smart MCs, and doctors are always up there. This book was scoring some major points for me right from the start for that reason alone. Once the story got started, I really enjoyed the back and forth animosity between the H&h. I liked their angry therapy sessions and I really enjoyed the hate sex that followed.

The story really was going very well… until it seemed to just lose steam. At some point towards the middle of the book I was just bored by the storyline. It seemed a little overly verbose and it went from somewhat humorous to a very serious tone. I was hoping that the author would eventually get the story back on track, but it just didn’t think that every happened.

The heroine drags out some bs reason for a separation from the hero for WAY too long. I mean, can we say contrived AF? There was a very weak reason given for the heroine’s actions, and that made me really irritated right at the end. What’s even worse? There was no epilogue!!! 😵😵

Safe, no virgins, no clue about heroine’s past, I believe hero was written as a manwhor* in previous books (??) but he seemed to not be one anymore, no scenes with om/ow, no ow drama, very mild om drama, no cheating.

Really wanted to love this one because a few people have been just GUSHING over it, but I had several issues with it and sadly forced my way through most of this.

First and foremost the enemies to lovers vibes were not at all believable (give me an actual reason why they hate each other so much) and their verbal sparring was a bit over the top and took up WAY too much of the book. The first sex scene also cones out of nowhere and had me rolling my eyes big time.

I did like the few moments we had that showed some actual feelings starting to develop but it was just too off balance. I didn't believe their romance at all.

Probably my favorite part was the hero talking about his thoughts on the Chronicles of Narnia he started reading as a way to escape from the trauma of the hospital. So....there's that considering this is a romance and I just truly did not care about these two.

The writing was solid so I'd like to try more from this author but this one was a bit underwhelming.

Ana Huang's Twisted Hate is MUCH better and more satisfying in heat and romance than this.

CW: eating disorders, medical issues from eating disorders, body dysmorphia, general hospital procedure descriptions and scenes

4-5
The thing that I love most about this author’s books is the same thing that sometimes leaves me a bit, well, baffled. The characters are just so sharp and witty and clever and have such a profound sense of their own selves and use expert level metaphors appropriately and I’m here absorbing all the clever and trying to grasp the point they’re actually making. The struggle is real. Bottom line,I’d love to be their friends as they’re all so witty and warm and have the best bants but I fear I’m the wrong side of dim for them. True story.

Sigh.

Anyway this is grumpy Seb and Sara’s story. Both of them are mature professionals with a rich seam of personal baggage and parental issues to mine. There was also plenty of heated hate smut which was a delight.

It could probably be read as a standalone but to get the full back story and so max enjoyment I’d read the rest of the series first.

Loved it. Recommended.

I generally prefer my romances to be less antagonistic than The Worst Guy, but I still enjoyed this read and liked seeing two flawed people find love with each other. I really liked that both main characters are surgeons who are respected and excel in their profession, even if they were critical of each other professionally at times. I also thought the premise that they had a work conflict that resulted in essentially couples therapy for co-workers was amazing. Aside from their work personas, Sara (h) and Sebastian (H) both had challenging family backgrounds that resulted in complicated interpersonal relationships for each of them. Mental health (including recovery from an eating disorder) also plays a role. The book did a nice job of including scenes of them at work, interacting with their friend group (which they shared interestingly), time with each other (forced and non), and alone time. This was a very character-focused story, which I think this author does very well, even if some elements of these characters were frustrating. For example, I wanted them to be making strides earlier in the process in opening up with each other and leaving the fighting and hate sex behind. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama (tiny scene of friends trying to fix the h up with om but it was really just among a group) and neither were virgins.

Both Sara and Sebastian set up boundaries with others and at times pushed people away. Vulnerability was really difficult for each of them, which led to them not always responding to the other well in a vulnerable moment. Still, there are some very funny scenes, even in the midst of them hating on each other. Some included great details like Sara's love of geeky shirts and Sebastian following cheerleading. I loved the times with them not fighting and instead connecting, like Sebastian needing to care for Sara after sex, Sara wanting to be there for him during a low moment, and an extended time when they were able to push everything else away and just be together. I did think Sebastian was more caring than Sara and it bothered me that she didn't reciprocate as well, even if it was clear that her mental hang-ups were harder for her. There are plenty of steamy times and they were well-written.

There were also plenty of side characters, most of which are from other books by the author. This does standalone completely though since no major background of the side characters affects these main characters. The friend group was fun and supportive, even when Sara or Sebastian didn't want them to be. I was a little lost on one of the friend's "helpful" stories. It was clearly meant to be deep and profound, but I was just confused.

This book does include a brief separation, which I did not like (but I rarely do), and I thought the ending was more HFN even though they're in love and together. It felt kind of abrupt to me and I wanted another chapter after they resolved their conflict. There was no epilogue, although an author's note at the end indicated that a bonus scene could be downloaded so maybe that scene provides more of the HEA feeling. This wasn't my favorite of the books I've read by the author, but it was solidly entertaining and I shed a few tears at times so it definitely hit some strong notes and emotional ones.

Second read. I loved this even more the second time around.

Take an emotionally stunted man who uses grouchiness to cover a soft, vulnerable heart and a woman who is letting her inner bitch out after hiding it for years under a people pleasing exterior and you get FIRE. These two are HOT.

Why do I love a story about two people who shout at each other and then angry f*ck? I think it’s because I like the idea that you could shout everything you usually hold inside for politeness and protecting other people’s feelings… and even though you’re not trying to be nice, that person falls in love with you anyway.

I’m big on consent and their first time is a little iffy. He pretty much hauls her to him and kisses her and initiates in a really aggressive manner. However, she accepts it and then they throw each other around and are both really aggressive in the bedroom. So, for whatever reason (probably because I am in his POV when it happens), I absolutely am with them and don’t hesitate to enjoy myself.

He’s emotionally stunted and has been hurt and left by those who should have loved him. He definitely falls for her first when she doesn’t realize he’s being sincere. So, that leads to a third act pause (it didn’t feel like a breakup to me because they’ve not been clearly together) where she needs to evaluate what’s going on and how she feels. It made sense to me because he is so brash and yelly that when he gets all soft and squishy, it’s a bit of a surprise.

There are no OW or OM. Tho there is some jealousy.

She’s recovering from disordered eating due to some childhood (and ongoing) difficulties with her family, especially her dad. We get a cameo from him later in the book.

Sebastian is surprisingly sweet and caretaking. He notices what she wants and needs and accommodates her. She doesn’t have to tell him directly about things, though he does ask for more information on her needs. I thought it was so cute to see him tuck her in after their angry sex and give her a glass of water or pick out raisins from her trail mix.

The fighting in this book and the banter are top notch. There is the funniest scene with them physically fighting in bubble suits that seems so immensely satisfying. They are surrounded by supportive and loving friends. It sounds like those include couples from other books (that sadly, I could not enjoy).

This is a special book and one I intend to read over and over. I am glad because sometimes your opinion can change from the first time you read a book. But this time, when I listened to the audiobook, I enjoyed it as much, if not more, than the first time, when I read the ebook.

First read. This one called up so much emotion! I love this enemies to lovers/enemies with benefits story. I love the intensity of their relationship and all the names they called each other. Also, I love that they’re in such a supportive friendship group. Both of them are freaking fantastic!

I have no idea how to rate this, so I won't. Let me start by saying that I hated the first quarter and that the idea of a 42 yo watching college cheerleaders? Gross. If not for the fact that I didn't sleep in 3 days and couldn't bother to start another book, I would have dnf'ed it.

What happened is that I pushed through in an exhaustion haze with no expectation whatsoever and I was the first surprised when I realized that somewhere along the way, things had changed : I cared very much about the characters and was very invested in their well-being? So baffling. So maybe the switch from hate to love was a bit sudden on Sebastian's side, but was it though? I don't know, and I don't care honestly. The Worst Guy is a true enemies-to-lovers with lovable assholes as main characters WHO MADE ME CRY, the little sh*ts, so. I simply cannot hate it, no matter how genuinely terrible the beginning was (in my opinion anyway). Don't hold it against me if you hate it though, the impact exhaustion has on my brain and heart is real 😂

cw for eating disorder, on-page sex, body dysmorphia, brief mention of the COVID-19 pandemic, emotional abuse, toxic parental relationships

This was a disappointing DNF for me. I loved the Walsh series and Stremmel has been on my radar for a while. I know this is billed as an enemies to lovers and I have to tread carefully with that trope. I find these characters to be really, really mean. They have lots of hate sex and I was just not invested enough to care. They don't have a nice conversation until around the 60% mark. I kept reading to about 75% but I decided I just didn't believe in their connection. It felt a little like the stories of yore when people would say "oh that boy just picks on you because he likes you" and I hate it. Even when Stremmel is being nice to Sara he calls her a tiny tornado, a demon, and refers to her multiple times as a screech owl. It felt rude and uncaring and I could not get in to it at all.

CW: character with previous eating disorder and body image issues.

4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely adored this book.
Kate Canterbary put together two messy, complex and challenging characters in a way that was an absolute pleasure to read about.
An enemies to lovers story with more than a severe case of hostility and dislike.
That these are both mature adults with professional careers ( surgeons...different specialties) just made it better for me...a fabulous read.
I fell in love with both Sara and Sebastian .❤
A delightful and delicious read.

hot doctors falling in love will always be my thing. if you love greys and enemies to loves, then this is a must read

dnf
too boring
too much inner thoughts..

didnt like

Brb, ripping my face to shreds! Author crawled into my brain and wrote my every thought, feeling and emotion. I HATED IT!

RTC

This took awhile to hook me in, but it gets better and better as the story progresses. These two are absolute FIRE together, so the first half is scorching with some serious sexual tension and some great fan-worthy scenes. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of sex with "no feelings," and this stayed in that zone for much longer than I'd like. I love little breadcrumbs along the way that clue the reader in on deeper feelings at play and those are largely absent. This couple truly didn't like each other for a long, long time and I honestly wasn't sure why they were so determined to keep it that way. Once they finally started to let down their walls, this transitioned into a deeper, more emotional read, and I loved the complex, intimate feel. So it was a 3-star start and a 5-star finish for me, with a final rating somewhere in between.

The story follows Sara and Sebastian, two surgeons who work in the same hospital, different departments. Sebastian is a moody jerk most days, so it was no surprise when he got into a shouting match with another doctor - though it's surprising that it was with Sara. While Sara is a reformed people pleaser who is nice to most, there's something about Sebastian that makes her want to fight back. After the incident at work, Sebastian and Sara find themselves in mandated counseling sessions. Things get heated at each session, so the two start working out that frustration in the bedroom. They may not be able to stand each other during the day, but Sebastian and Sara certainly fit together perfectly when their bodies are doing the talking. But the toxic cycle has to stop at some point, so Sebastian and Sara have to decide what they'll be to each other by the end.

So let me address a couple of things before I go any further. One, there are a few mentions of the pandemic at the start of the book, and I know some readers are wholeheartedly against that. They're brief, vague, and only at the beginning, so keep that in mind. Two, there are no mentions of this being part of a series, but it clearly is. There are a LOT of characters to keep track of in the friend group, and it was a little off-putting. You can certainly read this as a standalone, but it would've been nice to know going in. Three, disordered eating is a major part of the story. If that's a trigger for you, know that it's a huge part of the book.

My favorite part of the book is probably Sebastian. He's a grump who knows when he's putting his foot in his mouth, but can't seem to stop once he's started. I loved the little acts of kindness and his softer side, though the man is also a beast in the bedroom. He's got an intensity to him that I enjoyed, and if he'd softened towards Sara sooner (or she towards him), then this could've been really great. There are small moments of softness, but the transition felt very abrupt. Sara, well, I liked Sara. She had a lot going on and she frustrated me, though I understood her hesitation to move forward. There's a little bit of miscommunication but no real OW/OM drama, and I appreciated that these two stayed focused on each other throughout. They may have had a toxic, hate sex-filled relationship going on, but they knew there was something right about each other. If you love an enemies with benefits style relationship, then there's a good chance you'll love this one. I loved a lot of it, but there were definitely things that bugged me. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this steamy romance.

4.5/5

Screeching at how much I loved this and will probably never stop thinking about it😭❤️ Picked it up randomly but absolutely devoured it. The banter in this was SO good and the chemistry between Sebastian and Sara was PERFECT, my goodness🔥Their dislike for each other was so mutual because the hilarious insults and fights had me cackling at 3am. Not to mention how they’re SO well matched for each other. And then came the random swoon worthy and heartfelt moments that blew me away. Sebastian’s confession was everything🥹

Both Sebastian and Sara were so well written and they were such realistic characters with the backgrounds that made them who they are. I was not expecting to relate to them on so many levels but this book really hit home for me. It might be my new comfort read. The last 15% was a bit annoying and the book had some minor flaws but other than that, I loveddd everything else and how it ended. Adored that they’re both badass and hardworking surgeons and I wish there were more books like this where BOTH leads are doctors! Anyway, I’m officially obsessed with Sebastian Stremmel, this beautiful grump who has a permanent place in my heart (of course, right next to Dr. Jacob Maddox from “Yours Truly”).

This was my first book from Kate Canterbary and I can’t wait to read her other stuff. The other side characters were great, so I might just start on Alexandra’s and Cal’s books. And I would certainly LOVE a book about O’Rourke because he was so hilarious 😭✋🏼

Quick(ish) Review 4.5 Stars (with one caveat)

I can always tell how much I love a book by the highlights. When I realized I made 90, well, I definitely loved it, with one HUGE caveat. But let's suss out all my feels, because that's what I do with these rambling reviews. So buckle up, buttercup.

The Good (and there's alot): Sebastian Stremmel is a mensch, a man who can find alot to complain about and certainly not scared of making someone mad. Right now, though, he's at a crossroads. Languishing, if you will, from a sense of ennui. What gets his juices flowing, however, is a good fight. And when he comes up against Dr. Sara Shapiro regarding a patient, sparks fly, glass literally shattered and romance happened.

This enemies-to-lovers romance is solidly written, with characters who are both deeply damaged by their parents in different ways (who isn't, really), and both found different methods to handle their emotions - Stremmel's a grump of the first order and Sara's a hot mess express, picky and prickly (which, ngl most of my favorite heroines are little cactuses), but both are brilliant and that's the joy I get from a Canterbary tale - the characters are never one-dimensional, and the banter is always top notch. Sara and Stremmel are ordered to attend counseling together, which leads to some delicious scenes where they bicker, banter, and eventually get to see behind their defensive postures to realize and appreciate their similarities. Their chemistry is pretty explosive and I loved how their hate sex was truly fueled by their bickering - before, during and after.

For fans of Canterbary's earlier books. you'll definitely know the cast of characters involved in this story, and some intriguing new folks make their debuts. I cannot step away from this without stating that I've had a longstanding silly battle with my blogmates Michelle and Rachel as to who has laid claim to Stremmel first, since we're all longtime readers of the Canterbary books and have done joint reviews on occasion. Since I didn't read the ARC, but am reading this after release, I can now say - neener, neener, he was always mine! I knew Stremmel's grumpy outer layer hid a soft heart, but it's protectiveness that's bumped him right up to the top of the chain of my Canterbary BBFs. I love him and I think Sara's perfect for him.

While I'll say that I struggled a bit with some things (more on that later), Sara's health issue is dealt with responsibly, not brushed aside or magically cured, and I appreciated that it wasn't something that was just in the past. Having said that....

The Bad (kinda): I'm going to start with whether this works as a standalone. I think it can, to an extent, but the group friend here is pretty expansive, and a new reader could get lost keeping track of the relationships, because the supporting characters aren't fleshed out thoroughly for the new reader. Sara doesn't really have a confidante/friend, which while understandable, still keeps her as an island within the story, for the most part. My main concern is the core of Sara's issues center around disordered eating, which is a trigger for me. Now, I always go into a Canterbary book blind, so this is on me. I'm not sure I would have been eager to dive into this if I had known about Sara's backstory. The hints begin in the first half of the book, but there's ALOT more towards the back half and I struggled to stay immersed in the story, for my own mental health. Trying to objectively step back, I can see that the writing is detailed and is necessary for Sara's journey, but it's not something I would have usually dealt with well. Also, once the story shifts to a remote location then returns to Boston, slows down and found myself putting it down more than plowing through. And the ending is pretty tame, even if it's sweet. Didn't hate it, but I did want something more, I think. My feelings are still up in the air on this, so I reserve the right to change my mind. My immediate reaction is more of a Hmph, than a sigh.

The Bottom Line: While this did trigger me, the writing is responsible, and the story is strong. I think there's ALOT here to love, and I would say if you're a fan of enemies to lovers, this trope is done well here. As long as you're good with the issues of disordered eating being featured in this story, you may really love it.

Doctors falling in love is my new weakness

4.5/5

🎶The best part of waking up is romance in my books🎶

Are you looking for an Enemies-with-Benefits romance? Where the FMC is a bad*ss and the MMC is smitten for her? And where the MMC sees toys as teammates?

You're in the right place.

I saw the author make a video about this book on TikTok and I knew I had to read it right away.

I related HARDDDD to the characters in this book.

Just a few things I related to:
- Recovering from disordered eating ✅
- Narcissistic Parent(s) ✅
- Body Image Issues ✅
- IBS/Irritable Bowel ✅✅✅
- Perfectionist/Good Girl Mentality While Growing Up ✅
- Constantly Feeling Inadequate/Imposter Syndrome ✅

The way these two went back and forth, the freaking BANTERRRRR. I was CACKLING out loud so much. I loved how their banter didn't just go away all of a sudden but kept up during the entire book.

ALSO, SEBASTIAN HAS THE MOST ADORABLE PET NAMES FOR SARA. I WANT TO BE SOMEONE'S TINY TORNADO AND SCREECH OWL, PLEASE.

Both of these characters had backstories that made them relatable, explained their current misgivings, and ensured that the reader could truly understand why the characters acted the way they did.

I loved how Sebastian and Sara were HUMAN. They had flaws and faults. They struggled. They made mistakes. But they both acknowledged each other's humanity, always.

This love story is so beautiful. I honestly rooted for them from the start. The way their enemies-with-benefits-to-lovers storyline played out, I was just so captivated. I wish that they're was a bit more spice, I even highlighted a passage that summarised a spicy scene instead of ✨ fleshing it out✨ and I was quite sad we only got a summary.

This could have easily been a five-star read for me if there had been more BIPOC characters. I'm sick of "pale" main characters in every romance novel.

ALSO, I really loved the intro + trigger warnings that the author put! It was well-written and easy to find.

Overall, I recommend this book and I hope to read more books by this author.

I'm struggling with how to rate this one because the writing was great, the story was interesting and far more complex than the cover or blurb would lead you to believe and the H Sebastian was the perfect mix of grumpy asshole, co*cky, funny and perfect 😂 with a side order of filthy talking and sprinkling of praise kink which who knew was my jam??

So what's my problem? My problem is the prickly h. It's my kryptonite in romance books and I can deal with sassy but once they cross the line into constant attack mode I get annoyed and Sarah was too much for me. The last hour of the book I wanted to strangle her and tell her off. She's got issues I know and I understood in a way where she was coming from on some issues but largely she just annoyed me and I didn't think she deserved Sebastian in the end. Not with everything Sebastian did for her, I feel like she treated him horribly.

I think for most people this book will be a hit and it covers some really interesting and often not talked about topics in romance books. Add to that, that both leads are not cookie cutter characters in the slightest which is a great thing (just in my case one of the cookies was made with no sugar and someone added salt)

5 “Big D*ck energy” stars for Sebastian!!

That’s it! I vow to catch up on Kate’s backlog by the years end. I read the Walsh series and I got sidetracked after that. This book has brought me back to the land of the living. That’s the magic that Kate possesses though. She can flat out write some flawed heroes with mouths so dirty and action to back them up. Sebastian is the grumpiest grump I’ve read in a long time. Usually a grumpy hero is paired with a sunshine heroine, but not in this story and I loved every delicious detail of these two and their journey.

There are not enough words to describe my love for this book, but I’ll try.

•Sebastian loves thick women and I’m here for it.
•He gets excited about watching cheerleading competitions. That part when he found out a particular skill Sara had was chefs kiss!
•He’s got such a mouth on him. I’d give him anything he wanted.
•These two were pure fire between the sheets and out of them.
•The heart that was poured into these characters and what made them tick was just as wonderful as the scorching hot scenes. That’s the beauty of KC.

I love these two so much and I’m sad to be finished. Now I’ve got to read about Dr. Cal and his lady love!!

i’m mad cause this book had such potential 😤 the author’s writing it’s too confusing for me