5,0 sur 5 étoiles
FIVE 'CITRUS THROWING' STARS!
Commenté aux États-Unis 🇺🇸 le 12 décembre 2015
I have enjoyed each installment in The Walsh Series by Kate Canterbury, but The Cornerstone has moved right into the top position as my hands-down favorite of the series. I knew I'd enjoy it, but I wasn't anticipating just how much I would like it because, let's be honest, anyone who's read the series knows that Shannon is, um, well... she's difficult.
"I was the f***ing boss."
Shannon Walsh gives new meaning to the phrase small but fierce. She is a pint-sized powerhouse of a woman who, by her own description, tames lions for fun. An attorney running the day-to-day business side of the the family architectural firm, Shannon is the glue that holds it ALL together - the business and her brothers' lives. She's got a full plate managing Sam's medical and mental health, planning Matt and Lauren's wedding, handling the revolving door of assistants for the moody Patrick and reminding Riley on a daily basis to zip up his pants. She is in charge of it all for each one of her brothers. Dry cleaning, ordering suits, doctor appointments, hosting the holidays, and absolutely everything in between, she has so many balls in the air at any given time, it's no wonder that the woman just can't seem to ever shut it down and relax. Brusque, bitchy and bossy, Shannon is a five-foot-nothing, red-headed force to be reckoned with.
"You're a misogynistic meathead."
Will Halsted, a career Navy SEAL commander, is stateside for his sister's wedding - to a man he had no idea she was even dating - after nearly three years on the front lines leading dangerous operations hunting terrorists. He's meeting the Walsh clan for the first time at Matt and Lauren's wedding. Shannon is tasked with the assignment of keeping on eye on Will to prevent any potential kidnapping and interrogation attempts he may make involving the groom. Dealing with his "post-deployment horny," Will readily admits he does not like Shannon, but yet he is still very attracted to her, and thus a wedding hook up is inevitable. The sharp barbed insults the two of them hurl at each other only serve as foreplay, and they definitely set the tone for the rest of their dealings with each other.
"I knew this wasn't scheduled sex anymore."
Explosive chemistry and Will's uncanny ability to boss the bossy Shannon equates to more hook ups whenever he is stateside. For Shannon's part, the only time she can ever seem to shut down, relax and quiet her mind is when Will is ordering her to do so, generally while they're having sex. They add texting to the mix, and the witty, snippy banter doubling as foreplay continues. It's during one of their weekends away when Will confiscates her phone that all hell breaks loose at home, Sam implodes, and Riley lays into her upon her return about not being there when they needed her most that has Shannon deciding she has to end it with Will. Unfortunate timing given that Will is headed out on a long, radio silent deployment. Before he leaves he is able to deliver his parting shot to Shannon warning her that he'll be coming for her when he gets back.
"Someone had to make things easier on her, to lighten her load."
When Will finally comes back for Shannon, showing up unannounced at her apartment late one night, he has more than just a chilly reception from Shannon to deal with. He knows it's not going to be easy to win her back, but he also recognizes that this woman deserves to be fought for, to be won. While he's dealing with some major issues of his own, the only thing he knows for certain is that he wants to be where Shannon is, so he digs his heels in, determined to wait her out. Will a long-time-coming argument waged by hurling insults - and citrus - coupled with Will's never-ending, patient ability to manage Shannon be enough to end the war?
I positively loved this story. Shannon was a tough one to love, but Ms. Canterbary really peeled back this character's layers for her readers showing us what really made her tick. The beauty of this relationship was how Will just so totally got Shannon, how he understood what it was that she needed, and how he was the only person in her life able to give those things to her time and time again. As hilarious as their banter was, there were poignant moments, too. This is the Walshes, after all, and there is a world of pain that each one of them deal with relative to their childhood, the death of their mother and the horrid abuse at the hands of their father. There were several moments throughout this story when I could literally feel Shannon's relief at Will's mere presence, even when she was fighting it or refusing to acknowledge him. Will wanted nothing more than to give this woman a break, and he made it abundantly clear that in their relationship, he would be the one taking care of her, not the other way around.
As I've come to expect from the talented Kate Canterbury, The Cornerstone was exceptionally well-written and a fabulously developed story. It ticked off so many of my favorite things in a romance story with it's oh-so-smart humor, a patient and loving alpha male who was unmistakably in charge, a genuine love between the main characters and, of course, plenty of smoking hot sexiness. I enjoyed every minute of this book! I love the Walshes, I love this series, and I love Kate Canterbury! This, folks, is what contemporary, erotic romance is all about! Well done, Kate!
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