Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Worst Guy

SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD. Will be thinking about this book for the foreseeable future.

I was hesitant to pick this up — I've read "Before Girl" and it just didn't work for me — but I'm so glad I did.

Sebastian and Sara are enemies-to-lovers at its finest. They fight, they scream at each other every possible moment, they have mind-blowing hate-sex, y'know the likes (the smut in this was *chef's kiss*). But there's also so much caring, so much unwanted feelings for each other, so much "I didn't want to like you but here we are".

Sara's character, especially, spoke to me on so many ways — the people-pleaser, the oldest sister, the messed-up perfectionist — and reading about her really felt like someone lifted my therapy notes and printed them. The way she works through her relationship with Sebastian is also messy but it works so well and it's so refreshing to see a relationship where two people really have to work for it. They talk about their issues, their fears, their worries and they work through it together. No instant HEA but something so much more real and all the sweeter for it.

Can already tell this will be one of my 2023 favourites ❤

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thisreadingcorner's review

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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tostita's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Enemies-to-lovers is not my go-to trope, and hate-fucking is usually right out, but wow did this one work for me! I could feel the yearning deep in my belly — exactly the feeling I read romance for but don’t always find. Why did I sit on Kate Canterbary for so long? Thanks go out to the Bonkers Romance podcast for introducing me to this book.

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vasha's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a challenging book. It is an enemies-to-lovers romance of two characters who are in deep mental pain, and by chance discover that they are mutually good targets for venting by lashing out at each other. Sara and Sebastian's initial rage and hatred are all too real. They are equally matched combatants, and realize it after a while, after they've started having scorching hate-sex. Their pattern of fighting is a toxic one, though, and they have to try to convert negative commonality to positive commonality.

Looking for mental illness, psychiatry and therapy representation in fiction? Sara has a diagnosed disorder, and has a positive experience with treatment. After a big fight at work, Sara and Sebastian's boss requires them to attend conflict-management sessions together; the therapist (noticing that both of them already have experience with therapy and are pretty self-aware) mostly lets them find their own way to talk it out.

(Oh, and atheist represent! In one of the first real conversations Sara and Sebastian have they start finding common ground and one thing they have in common is that they attended religious schools that didn't suit them. At another point, a character gives Sebastian a pep talk that is the atheist version of inspirational.)

I don't know if I can believe in the HEA, though. They have such a LONG way to go at the beginning of the story, and they hurt each other so genuinely, that I don't know if they can avoid falling back into damaging ways after the end of the book.

That said, it's well written and full of details that make the world come to life. The main characters are surgeons and there's lots about their work in the book. (I've seen a comment from a medical professional that the depiction is right on the money.) I would give this book a thumbs up; my opinion of it is even improved by the fact that I'm conflicted and keep thinking about it.

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ourxstorybegins's review

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4.0

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marysbookinit's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

O M G. This book. Sara. Stremmel. Forced proximity. Enemies to lovers. This one hit me square in the chest. I don’t think I’ve related to a character in a book like I did to Sara. Kate Canterbary really did an excellent job writing how it feels to be a recovering people pleaser and someone who wants to take up as little space as possible. And Sebastian allowed her to take up space and be the loud, messy person she hides from others. It was a beautiful love story where the conflict felt real and deep. I loved this and will be checking out more Kate Canterbary!

**I do want to mention that there a couple of stray references to the pandemic. The story is post-pandemic but there are references to it.**

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brazenbookbabe's review

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A quick enemies to lovers, get it out of their system but they caught those pesky feelings instead.

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kmreads's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

3.25

I’m a huge fan of Kate Canterbary and her books. It was so fun to see Stremmel finally get his book! A medium paced book with enemies to lovers, grumpy and sunshine, with some heavy moments.

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