Scan barcode
A review by romancelibrary
The Cornerstone by Kate Canterbary
4.0
We finally get to Shannon's book and I've been highly anticipating it since The Space Between. Shannon Walsh is a bitch boss, and I love her for it. Will is a Navy SEAL, also Lauren's older brother. Shannon and Will first meet at Matt and Lauren's wedding. Shannon was tasked with intercepting Will, and that's when they first hook up. They keep in touch for the next year and a half and meet up in secret whenever Will has some time off.
I will begin this review with a disclaimer that I usually stay away from military-themed books. It's a personal preference, for many reasons that I refuse to get into. When I do end up reading these types of books, I try to ignore the military politics as much as possible. There are a few things in this book that really pissed me off, like Shannon's jokes about "invading other sovereign nations"
Merged review:
We finally get to Shannon's book and I've been highly anticipating it since The Space Between. Shannon Walsh is a bitch boss, and I love her for it. Will is a Navy SEAL, also Lauren's older brother. Shannon and Will first meet at Matt and Lauren's wedding. Shannon was tasked with intercepting Will, and that's when they first hook up. They keep in touch for the next year and a half and meet up in secret whenever Will has some time off.
I will begin this review with a disclaimer that I usually stay away from military-themed books. It's a personal preference, for many reasons that I refuse to get into. When I do end up reading these types of books, I try to ignore the military politics as much as possible. There are a few things in this book that really pissed me off, like Shannon's jokes about "invading other sovereign nations" 🤡 Ms. Canterbary, I don't know you personally, but this is enough for me to dislike you. Military nonsense aside, the romance itself was really well done. Shannon's book is by far the best one in the series.
I love Will and Shannon's dynamic. It's not often I come across two Alpha characters paired together. Will enjoys getting Shannon all riled up and their banter is the funniest thing ever. I love that he encourages her to spend time away from her demanding family. He also encourages her to stop stressing, to relax, and to enjoy herself. Most importantly, he pushes her to do things for herself instead of continuously mothering her grown brothers. Will's annoyance with Shannon's brothers is one of my favourite thing about this book because it's something that I've felt since Underneath It All. I completely agree with Will that Shannon's brothers undervalue and underappreciate her for everything that she does for them. And I really wish we had a scene with Will and her brothers, where he straightens them out. But alas, that was missing.
Even though it is torturous, I love that Will and Shannon spend time away from each other and that part of their relationship develops via texting. Frankly, the other couples in this series are a bit too codependent. Will and Shannon having no choice but to spend time away from each other actually strengthened their relationship. Shannon herself says: "It gave me time to think, and though the distance from Will was hard, it was healthy." And I agree completely with that statement. I also love that Will and Shannon spend time away from the Walshes and they get to live in their own bubble, temporary as it may be. It was important for Shannon to prioritize herself and spend time away from her brothers.
What I love the most though is that we get to see Will and Shannon being domestic. That's so rare in romance novels that don't revolve around a marriage of convenience. It's so cute that Will lives with Shannon, cooks and cleans for her, goes with her to spin class, etc. I love that their story takes place during the span of a year and a half. This timeline gives us the opportunity to see many different sides of their relationship, including the domestic side. Will and Shannon may insult each other and throw limes at each other as a form of foreplay, but they are arguably the most mature couple in this series. I love the way they lean on each other. The way they understand each other. The way they care for each other. The way I swooned when he took care of her while she was PMSing.
The dreaded third act was well-executed for the most part. But again, we really needed at least one scene with Will and her brothers. I can't believe I was deprived of Matt's reaction! Come on!! The oddest thing about the third act was Erin subtly offering an olive branch to Shannon. It feels like it came out of nowhere, with no build up whatsoever. But I guess we will find out more in Erin's book. Will I be continuing this series? I don't think so...at least not now. Shannon was the only character I was truly interested in and now that she has her HEA, I'm good to go LOL.
I will begin this review with a disclaimer that I usually stay away from military-themed books. It's a personal preference, for many reasons that I refuse to get into. When I do end up reading these types of books, I try to ignore the military politics as much as possible. There are a few things in this book that really pissed me off, like Shannon's jokes about "invading other sovereign nations"
Merged review:
We finally get to Shannon's book and I've been highly anticipating it since The Space Between. Shannon Walsh is a bitch boss, and I love her for it. Will is a Navy SEAL, also Lauren's older brother. Shannon and Will first meet at Matt and Lauren's wedding. Shannon was tasked with intercepting Will, and that's when they first hook up. They keep in touch for the next year and a half and meet up in secret whenever Will has some time off.
I will begin this review with a disclaimer that I usually stay away from military-themed books. It's a personal preference, for many reasons that I refuse to get into. When I do end up reading these types of books, I try to ignore the military politics as much as possible. There are a few things in this book that really pissed me off, like Shannon's jokes about "invading other sovereign nations" 🤡 Ms. Canterbary, I don't know you personally, but this is enough for me to dislike you. Military nonsense aside, the romance itself was really well done. Shannon's book is by far the best one in the series.
I love Will and Shannon's dynamic. It's not often I come across two Alpha characters paired together. Will enjoys getting Shannon all riled up and their banter is the funniest thing ever. I love that he encourages her to spend time away from her demanding family. He also encourages her to stop stressing, to relax, and to enjoy herself. Most importantly, he pushes her to do things for herself instead of continuously mothering her grown brothers. Will's annoyance with Shannon's brothers is one of my favourite thing about this book because it's something that I've felt since Underneath It All. I completely agree with Will that Shannon's brothers undervalue and underappreciate her for everything that she does for them. And I really wish we had a scene with Will and her brothers, where he straightens them out. But alas, that was missing.
Even though it is torturous, I love that Will and Shannon spend time away from each other and that part of their relationship develops via texting. Frankly, the other couples in this series are a bit too codependent. Will and Shannon having no choice but to spend time away from each other actually strengthened their relationship. Shannon herself says: "It gave me time to think, and though the distance from Will was hard, it was healthy." And I agree completely with that statement. I also love that Will and Shannon spend time away from the Walshes and they get to live in their own bubble, temporary as it may be. It was important for Shannon to prioritize herself and spend time away from her brothers.
What I love the most though is that we get to see Will and Shannon being domestic. That's so rare in romance novels that don't revolve around a marriage of convenience. It's so cute that Will lives with Shannon, cooks and cleans for her, goes with her to spin class, etc. I love that their story takes place during the span of a year and a half. This timeline gives us the opportunity to see many different sides of their relationship, including the domestic side. Will and Shannon may insult each other and throw limes at each other as a form of foreplay, but they are arguably the most mature couple in this series. I love the way they lean on each other. The way they understand each other. The way they care for each other. The way I swooned when he took care of her while she was PMSing.
The dreaded third act was well-executed for the most part. But again, we really needed at least one scene with Will and her brothers. I can't believe I was deprived of Matt's reaction! Come on!! The oddest thing about the third act was Erin subtly offering an olive branch to Shannon. It feels like it came out of nowhere, with no build up whatsoever. But I guess we will find out more in Erin's book. Will I be continuing this series? I don't think so...at least not now. Shannon was the only character I was truly interested in and now that she has her HEA, I'm good to go LOL.