The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary Series: Vital Signs #2
Published by Vesper Press on December 28, 2021
Pages: 340
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Romance
Amazon
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.
Angst: big laughs, big feels, no ugly crying.
In writing The Worst Guy, I truly think Kate Canterbary said, “I’m going to give you two of the most complicated, messiest characters I can imagine and make you fall in love with them.” If so, mission accomplished. I could not get enough of Sara and Sebastian.
This is a true enemies turned lovers story. Dr. Sebastian Stremmel, a top trauma surgeon, and Dr. Sara Shapiro, a talented reconstructive surgeon, are co-workers who seem to actively detest each other. The pair can’t be in the same room together for more than one minute without antagonizing each other. Their employer-mandated counseling sessions are laugh-out-loud funny, their banter is razor sharp, and they have some of the most explosive hate sex I’ve encountered. Sara and Sebastian are in their late 30’s/early 40’s, and I appreciate stories that prove you can still have steamy romance when you’re older.
Sara is such an intriguing character. She is the poster child for hot messes, but she is also kind to everyone—everyone except Sebastian, that is. I was drawn to every pound of her emotional baggage and mix of contradictions. They add depth, conviction, and passion to the storyline. Her numerous idiosyncrasies—Croutons for snacks, anyone?—are also appealing.
Sebastian has his own less than stellar past. I grew accustomed to his excessive irritability, which I found rather endearing. People-ing is hard work, and as a fellow introvert, I identified with his anti-social tendencies. I also became addicted to Sebastian’s barbs towards Sara, which are both creative and hilarious.
Kate Canterbary knocks it out of the park with The Worst Guy. She defied all my expectations by delivering an irresistibly poignant, witty, and sexy story. I will continue to treasure these remarkable characters.
Recommended for fans of:
Enemies to lovers stories
Forced proximity
Doctors
Older characters
Picky eaters
** I received an early copy to voluntarily read and honestly review. **
Download The Worst Guy today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited.
About Kate Canterbary
Kate Canterbary doesn’t have it all figured out, but this is what she knows for sure: spicy-ass salsa and tequila solve most problems, living on the ocean–Pacific or Atlantic–is the closest place to perfection, and writing smart, smutty stories is a better than any amount of chocolate.
She started out reporting for an indie arts and entertainment newspaper back when people still read newspapers, and she has been writing and surreptitiously interviewing people—be careful sitting down next to her on an airplane—ever since.
Kate lives on the water in New England with Mr. Canterbary and the Little Baby Canterbary, and when she isn’t writing sexy architects, she’s scheduling her days around the region’s best food trucks.
I can’t wait to read this one! I just downloaded it this morning. I will probably start it later this week. I’m glad it was a 5 star read for you.
I know you’re a Kate Canterbary fan. I hope you enjoy it.
Your review has set a high bar for the book. I am definitely looking forward to reading this. I didn’t realize the connection to Before Girl and that he was that Sebastian. Lol.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it. Happy New Year.