Before Girl

I feel as though I've waited a lifetime for Cal and Stella to have their moment on the page. At the end of this book, I feel my patience has been more than rewarded.I dropped everything to read this beautiful love story. I just want to read and experience this story all over again. Like a fine wine, I bet it will feel more complex and intoxicating with each subsequent sampling.In many ways Before Girl is classic Kate Canterbary, the female lead isn't looking for 'the one' but finds a way to be open to the inevitable fall. The male is growly and bitey but recognises the woman's absolute autonomy and agency over her choices. Even if it isn't always easy to reconcile caveman instincts with being a modern man.Maybe this is what I love the most about these stories, the men are never perfectly ok with women asserting their independence in matters of the bedroom.There is such a sexy, clever way of asking for, and the giving of consent in this book that I honestly don't know if I can ever read another book where consent is dubiously given. It is truly a masterclass of how a couple should negotiate a delicate bedroom scene. I swear I will take this lesson forward to help inform my reading.This book was exquisitely written and it cements my belief romance writing has been enhanced by having Kate Canterbary decide to turn her considerable talent to the genre.

Finally Cal gets his story. From obsessing over the woman he sees it the park every morning, a slight accident and everything falls into place. Stella is living her best life and men are colour coded into her daily diary. She doesn’t want a relationship, a future with any man but too late, Cal has her heart. A great read.

Absolutely loved Before Girl! Cal and Stella are both such fantastic characters! I found them both believeable and extremely relatable, I think for me it was refreshing for the hero and heroine to be early forties and mid thirties.They both have extremely demanding jobs that they both love!They both know what they wanted and went for it. In Cal's case he had been admiring Stella from afar until one day he ran into her literally!I love that one minute Cal is all growly and then the next minute all tongued and shy!I loved seeing Stella's family who she clearly loves, her Mum and Dad were so funny!It's always nice seeing some of my other favourite characters from the Walsh series. I can't wait to get my hands on Stremmels book, maybe we had a we glimpse into who his HEA will be!

I first met Cal Hartshorn whilst reading the Walshes series. I absolutely loved him, and wanted to know more about him and the woman who had caught his eye. I love his commitment to his work and his friendships with his fellow surgeons. However, I did not enjoy my time with him during the first half of this narrative. I found that the second part of this book, once his relationship with Stella changed, was worth persevering for. I am pleased that I didn’t stop reading as their story definitely grew on me. I just didn’t like Cal’s personality for a while after initially meeting Stella.I do adore Stella. I love that the author gave us a curvy heroine who is successful, determined, ambitious and loves sex – and she isn’t afraid to show this.Overall, I’d say Before Girl is a good read. You may feel differently about Cal than I did…. I sincerely hope you do! I’m not sure if I’ll continue with this series, although I did love The Walshes so hopefully my thoughts regarding this book are a one off.Book borrowed and read via my KU subscription.

The actions of the characters in the first few chapters of Before Girl had me pausing, trying to decide whether or not this book was going to hold my interest and if I wanted to continue. Certain declarations pretty early on in the story, the insta love, insta lust, were a bit too much for me. However, although I felt the story took a moment to settle down, once it did I thoroughly enjoyed it.As a cardio surgeon and former Amy Ranger, Cal Hartshorn has found great success. As a man looking for love, not so much. He’s shy, sexy and a bit of a worrier. His worrying is supposed to be endearing but truthfully, I found it a bit irritating. For a shy guy, he can be awfully forward too, feeling anxious about making a move and then diving straight in for the kill in a rather awkward way. A scene in a coffee shop made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I thought it was a bit much, too soon and out of character for a forty something man. He’s a good guy, but these first chapters made him seem very odd.Stella Allesandro has a successful career as a sports publicist and is the opposite of Cal in almost every way. Certainly not shy, she’s decided that love’s not for her and is sticking with the more friends with benefits type relationships. I loved her character. She’s a sexually confident, in charge kind of woman, who doesn’t let her insecurities hold her back.After a rocky start, I’m not quite sure at what point this story turned around for me but I realised I was finding it hugely endearing and didn’t want to put it down. Maybe it was when Stella slowed things down, or when Cal stopped being so intense and trying so hard. It turned from fast and furious into more of a fun, sweet, slow burn, where we learnt more about the characters behind the chemistry. Stella’s family were a hoot and some of my favourite conversations were between Cal and his co-workers. The witty banter and use of clever phrasing had me laughing out loud. There were lots of cheeky little innuendos and hot sexy moments, which together with a little angst, made me glad I stuck around till the end.

Intente hacer que me gustara pero la verdad nada más no sentí simpatía por ninguno de los personajes, ni por el súper doctor cirujano cardio torácico, ni la súper agente deportiva, ni por la estrella del deporte que va en picada, nada nada

I very rarely leave a commentary on books I've read. But in this case, I just can't resist. Kate created the funniest, most wonderful love story I've read in a very long time!! So clever and well written. I just can't get enough. I'm reading Before Girl for the 2nd time 10 months later and am loving it even more than the 1st time around. Really Fab.U.Lous . Thanks, Kate !

At first, I thought things were a little weird because who does the things that the male character does (basically stalked her but I’m not naming who her was because you should read the story). The more I read on, the more I fell in love with these characters. The story was beautiful and eventually, became realistic. You get to feel their emotions as if it were your own. I wish we got a little bit more in the epilogue, but all in all, this was a really good story.

Oh my manbrick!!! This book is EVERYTHING I hoped it would be and SO MUCH MORE than I expected! Cal and Stella are now some of my most favorite characters ever, both individually and as a couple. This book was well worth the wait.Cal is shy and awkward; he’s growly and sweet; he’s an alpha male in the most unassuming way; he’s such a contraction of characteristics at times and that it makes him perfect. Stella is a kick-ass woman; she’s strong and in charge; she handles multiple balls in the air like a pro; she unapologetically knows who she is; she’s also vulnerable and sweet. She the kind of woman I want to be or at least be friends with. The two of them together are perfect. They both understand demanding jobs and accept that about each other. The chemistry is explosive and the heat can burn you from a mile away.Not only do you get this amazing couple, but you get a plethora of side characters to fall in love with. If you read Preservation, you will know the dynamics of the Hartshorn/Acevedo/Emmerling friendship. They are 3 doctors that work at the same hospital and have become a tight knit group. They love to give each other a hard time and you get lots of that in this book. You also get a little more of Stremmel, a new doctor that came on the scene in Thresholds. He’s so grumpy and it’s amazing. I only hope that we get his story soon. We also get Stella’s assistant who are like bickering siblings and a problem client that’s more like an overgrown child wanting attention. The three of them are fascinating. We also get a mention of a new doctor, that if previous books are any indication, hopefully that Easter egg will be in other books. Many times a secondary character is just a way to move the story along. A blip on a radar and someone you don’t think about later. These secondary characters are definitely no blip. They grab you by the shirt and scream in your face to pay attention to them. Even if we only get a small glimpse, they are so intriguing and well written, you want to know more.I know I’ve mentioned that some of the characters are in other books, but this is a complete standalone. You do not have to have read any of the other books to thoroughly enjoy this one. However, I have a feeling that you will want to go read the others after this one. This book should go immediately to the top of your TBR list. Wait…that’s not true. You should stop what you are reading right now and read this book immediately. Wait….still not true. You should stop all other reading until you’ve read every single one of Kate Canterbary’s books including this one, at least once. Yes, this is a book and an author who you will read over and over again. Once you’ve read them all several times, you’ll want to get the audiobooks so that you can listen to goodness as well.Get this book! Get it now! If I had won that $1.6 billion lottery I’d be giving everyone this book and all the books from this author. Everyone needs Kate Canterbary books in their life, and you most especially need Cal and Stella’s story in your life.

This was an awesome romance, with the perfect mix of laughter and spice. Must read for a feel good romance that makes me want to start taking up jogging just to find my own Cal 😍