‘Twas the weekend before Christmas, when all through the North End
Not a Walsh had his life together, not even his friends;
The parties were planned by the foodies with care,
In hopes that Wes and Erin would soon find their way there;
The men were stressing over last minute shopping lists and plans,
While the ladies were busy with work and nesting and finding the right paella pans;
When out in … right paella pans;
When out in the dining room there arose such a clatter,
The Halsted dogs sprang from their beds to see what was the matter;
They whistled and shouted and called each other names,
While the secrets and announcements and surprises quickly came;
So onto another adventure they flew
With the sleigh full of Walshes, and the Commodore too—
As they continued arguing and clamoring around,
Down the road an unexpected visitor came with a bound;
But it wasn’t long until couples were all nestled snug in their beds,
With new memories of steamy holiday nights dancing in their heads.
more
It is no secret that I am a Kate Canterbary fan. I can probably (ok, definitely) take it a step further and say I am a Kate Canterbary fan-girl. And I’m proud of that fact. Every time I read one of her books, I sit in awe, questioning how so many people in the world can be unfamiliar with this amazingly talented woman and her phenomenal work. To call them simply books seems wrong. Because they are so much more than that. History lessons, discourses on family dynamics, architectural digests, insights into the art of male and female relationships and of course, every one includes Kate’s signature sexy times and shenanigans. And this episode of Walsh family drama provides all that and more. In Thresholds, we are given the opportunity to reconnect with each of the Walsh siblings, their significant others, and the friends and family members that make up their small, but fiercely loyal clan. And every word is a gem, and every chapter is a blessing and the book in its entirety is pure magic.
But I can not risk spoilers (and there are many), so I’m not sure how to accurately and meaningfully describe how I felt reading this book. I guess the best way I can put it is this:
Reading this book was like receiving a completely unexpected holiday package from an old friend. And when you sliced open the cardboard and pulled back the flaps, you discovered that the package was full of a multitude of wrapped gifts in a variety of sizes. And your joy only grew bigger and wider as you unwrapped each individual box to find all of your favorite things nestled inside. There were gifts in the box containing items that you had loved for years, and it gave you a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that this friend knew you so well, so intimately, that they would include these memories from the past. And then there were a ton of new, little surprise goodies that you never knew you wanted but that you loved instantly and it made you feel, almost impossibly, even closer to that old friend. Each layer of tissue paper you peeled back brought on another wave of glee, a surge of nostalgia, a rush of feeling. Some of the gifts brought you to tears, as gifts from those who know you well so often do. And some of the gifts had you laughing uncontrollably- that kind of deep, belly laughter that only surfaces in the presence of the best of friends, sharing an inside joke, or an undoubtedly inappropriate moment. Absolutely every emotion known to humankind was inside that box of treasures. And you were torn between opening every gift in rapid succession because you couldn’t wait to see what would be next, and parceling them out at the slowest possible pace in order for the wonder of the entire experience to never, ever end. Then, it happens, you reach the bottom. And see one very last box. This box is wrapped so very differently from all of the other boxes. It looks a little rough around the edges. Maybe as if it’s seen a thing or two, or is in need of some TLC. But you know, there’s no way this particular friend would ever send you anything that was not carefully planned, thought out to include every possibility and checked and rechecked an infinite number of times. So you open it gingerly. And… the box is empty. For a second, you panic. Was there a problem during shipping? Did the package get intercepted? Did you miss a crucial detail while opening all the other boxes? So you sit back, and think, and stare, and ponder all the possibilities. And then you come to the following conclusions:
1.You had NO idea this particular package was coming to you.
2.The package contained innumerable gifts that you can never properly express your thanks for.
3.The gifts provided you with memories to last a lifetime, and emotions that you will still be sorting out when the New Year is rung in.
4.You will be taking your time, in all likelihood multiple times, to go through every single gift again and analyze it, examine it and cherish it.
5.This friend will do right by you. And it may not be the “right” you expect, or imagine, but you have absolutely zero doubt that there is meaning to EVERY single gift in the box, even that very last one. And for now, you just need to sit back and enjoy the inimitable and precious gifts you have already received.
Thresholds is a holiday romance that acknowledges just how complicated the holidays can be. There are misbehaving family members, vulnerable partners experiencing their first holidays together, first-time parents struggling to reconcile parenthood with all the other pre-existing parts of their lives, world travelers trying to get home, and unplanned excitement of all kinds. And that’s just a list off the top of my head. Thresholds is a joy to read because, like all Kate Canterbary books, it is phenomenally well written, with beautiful turns of phrase and multidimensional characters. It is also hilariously funny and deeply, often tear-provokingly, moving. This book is a return to the Walsh family, so I don’t know that I would recommend reading it without having read at least one of the Walsh series books- but this is more because you would enjoy it SO much more having already met these phenomenal characters than because you wouldn’t get it or like it. For those of us who are Walsh fans already, Thresholds feels like the best kind of homecoming, where you see people you love and have missed and get to catch up on their lives. All the Walshes are here, with chapters dedicated to each of the couples, and there are some bonuses from characters we know and love who haven’t had books, including a hilarious episode about a “stray” who is invited to a family evening and misbehaves in an understandable and hysterically funny way. Thresholds has an unexpected and intriguing ending- because what would a Kate Canterbary book be without some unexpectedly delightful surprises?
THIS BOOK!!
How do I begin to summarize this treasure? Thresholds is an unexpected love letter wrapped up & delivered just in time for Christmas. It made me laugh, it made me swoon and it made me cry. It made my heart race in anticipation and ache with nostalgia. It is pure perfection, mixing equal parts breathtaking love with scorching hot sexy times and just a dash of suspense.
How can so much be packed in one book? Every chapter is from a different character’s unique perspective, so no matter your favorite, they are all given a voice. This gives us lucky readers a chance to revisit all members of the Walsh family in one big, heartwarming interconnected story.
As much as I love this book, I must state clearly that this is not a standalone. Do not jump into the Walsh books here! Instead, do yourself a favor & pick up “Underneath it All”, the first in the series & come back after you’ve caught up. You won’t regret it. Prefer audios? Christine Fox’s take on the men in this series is panty dropping, just saying 😉
Kate Canterbary’s writing makes me want to be a part of the Walsh family, partake in their shenanigans and dish over margaritas & pedicures. It makes me hope that the endless stories begging to be told will continue for years. What more can you ask from a series?
Let me start by saying if you are new to the Walsh family you should not start with this glorious book, please start at the beginning with Underneath it All…trust me its worth gokng back 8 books! However, for those that are well versed with Walsh history dive right in!
I love that this book brought some of the relationships full circle for me. You get to see some of the vulnerable sides of these big strong men. I have always loved how real these characters have felt and that is even more true in this book.
So, we get some POV from Judy and the Commodore and now I love them even more. Lol. We get a little new blood with some awkward and hilarious pick up lines. I saw that whole interaction in my head and was laughing outloud!
A Holiday party with lots of nip slips and a boozy gift exchange…sign me up!
This book is amazing, just like the rest of the series. Of course there is a tiny bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but at the conclusion of this book I really felt complete. Of course I feel lile these characters are family and I love them…so those are accurate feelings. (Don’t judge me folks.)
Seriously, download and read this one if you have read the rest. If you haven’t you are going to be upset at all the spoilers…you have been warned.
I love this author and I LOVE this series. Please, give it a read. You will NOT be disappointed
Oh my me! What a delicious holiday treat! I swear by all that is holy, every time I read a Kate Canterbary book my IQ goes up multiple points! Kate writes smart, smart stories with just the right amount of naughtiness! This book is a great catch up to all the Walshes, Halsteads and even a couple of new characters and if you are a member of her Facebook group, you know some of them already! Her use of multiple POV’s in every chapter just pulls you in and I was excited to see with each chapter who I would be listening to. I would highly suggest that if you haven’t read the previous novels from her you should before you read this story! I absolutely love how Kate teases you with tidbits of new stories with every book that she comes out with. She is one of the first authors I started stalking, but in a healthy, productive way, I swear! I cannot express how much I would recommend you to read her work, you will laugh, you will cry and you will fall in love with her words! This book is just one more stellar example of what a fantastic author Kate is! Thank you for your words Kate! Never stop writing!! Get immersed in her world! You’re welcome!
This is a MUST read for any fan of the series. (Read as you MUST have read the previous books) This is definitely not to be skipped. You need to add it to your eReader and just devour it.
I devoured this story in hours. Readers get the full holiday treatment of only what a Walsh Family Christmas can be. We hear from all our favorite family members and then some. Any fan of the series- this is an addition that CANNOT be missed.
For more obnoxious fangirling and all the reasons to read this book, check out my blog review at http://myownbookshelves.com
Oh.My.God……Kate Canterbary has blown my mind YET AGAIN. Just when I thought the Walsh family saga was over, she goes and drops a surprise 8th book and quite literally causes my world to tilt on its axis!!! This book is EVERYTHING!!!! The first thing you should know is that this book is NOT A STANDALONE! If you have not already read the Walsh series, first, WHY NOT?????? But beyond that, stop right here and go back to start the series from book 1 (Underneath It All) because there’s so much Walshy-goodness in this book that you will want to start at the beginning of the series so you don’t miss a thing. Thresholds is full of fan-freakin-tastic spoilers and references to past events that dedicated fans will rejoice and bow down to Queen Canterbary and her brilliantly clever mind.
Thresholds is told from MULTIPLE points of view. Yup, you read that right…..it’s not dual POV but multiple POV giving us a gloriously comprehensive story from the entire Walsh Universe, including JUDY and THE COMMODORE!!! GAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! If that isn’t the biggest, tastiest treat of all, I don’t know what is! The story takes place during the holiday season and there are shenanigans, growly boys, “shopping” adventures and parties as well as bombshells that will delight fans. There are moments you will laugh your ass off (one particular chapter literally had me howling with laughter!) and there are moments that you will get emotional and likely shed a tear or two. It all comes together into one perfect book that readers will absolutely adore. And with a few new in-depth character introductions, Canterbary has paved the way for possible spinoffs. I, for one, will be waiting with bated breath in hopes that they materialize. Because anything that Canterbary writes, I will read. Thresholds was a joy to read and, as with the rest of the books in the series, I am suffering from post-Walsh depression now that I’ve finished the last page. This family reunion was everything I could’ve ever wanted. Thank you Ms. Canterbary for making my holidays complete!
Let’s get a few technicalities out of the way….this is not a standalone. You need to have lived in the Walsh world to fully appreciate and enjoy this book. While most of her books are standalones, this one is definitely not. If you haven’t read any of the Walsh series…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!? Go right now and get them and start reading, or at the very least put on your holiday wish list. Kate Canterbary is one of the best, if not THE best, in this genre. Yes, I fully admit that I’m a serious fangirl when it comes to this author. I can’t get enough of her writing. She is one of the only authors that I will read over and over, and go to when I need some “comfort”. Her writing is smart, witty, and emotional on many levels. You get random history, a travel guide of Boston, architecture, science, music, and so much more on top of a great story. I feel smarter after every book. You need this author in your life!
THIS BOOK!!! THIS FAMILY!!! We get some of everyone in this book, plus a glimpse of some that have only been mentioned in passing previously. Fans have been asking for more and we definitely get more. There are shenanigans, surprises, swoons, and sexy times. All the boys are still growly and bitey and all the girls are still smart and sassy as ever. We get family “discussions”, laugh out loud antics, sweet moments, and so many feels. We just get MORE of everyone and it’s as amazing and wonderful as you’d hope. If that doesn’t entice you enough….we get more of Judy and the Commodore! That right there is worth it! While she gives us more….she still makes us want EVEN MORE! We get a taste of secondary characters from previous books in a way that already has me anxiously awaiting their books, or at the least crossing my fingers that she has a plan to write books for them.
This book is such an incredible gift from this author that I will enjoy long after the holiday, and a perfect addition to an already incredible series.
Rating -5+++
How do you even begin to review perfection? That is truly what this book is. For Walsh fans like myself, Thresholds is an epic Christmas gift. I have long been a fan of Kate Canterbary’s Walsh series, but she has truly outdone herself with this one.
As with all Walsh books, we get a good look at the whole family as we read, but Kate has taken it to a new level, giving us perspectives from each family member (even getting Judy and The Commodore) throughout the book. That’s right, we get chapters told by each of them! While we have the overall look at an epic Walsh Christmas, we get yet another peek into each of the characters’ lives and the struggles and successes they hold.
This book fulfills a few of my Walsh wishlist items (I know, I know my list is a bit long!) and leaves me with an even longer list than before. As always, the writing is smart and engaging in a way only Canterbary can pull off. The characters are true to form and the highlights abound. There were so many snort moments right along with the tears. It was funny, touching, and sexy all wrapped up in one perfectly wrapped present.
If you are new to the Walsh world, this is book eight in the series. You really need to go back and read the rest of the series before you get to Thresholds to truly enjoy it in all its glory, but trust me, that is a gift in and of itself!
My recommendation? Buy it, buy it now! You won’t be disappointed, unless of course you count the disappointment of it not continuing on forever…
Right after Thanksgiving, Ms. Canterbary gave us a surprise and early Christmas present. She announced Walsh #8. To say that all her readers were shocked was putting it mildly, me included. She kept this nice and quite. She wrote a blurb and she ran with it, and boy she didn’t disappoint. Let me just get this out of the way, if this is your first Kate Canterbary book, then we can’t be friends. I joke, but seriously, get on the bandwagon and start with Underneath it All. Also, if you start with Thresholds, well there’s lots and lots of spoilers so you’ve been warned.
Holidays with the Walshes is what I would have expected no less from this author. Full of laughs, loads of sexy times, some serious conversations, inappropriate pick up lines, some tears but most of all love. We even get a POV from Judy and the Commodore. Let’s just say, I know why Will is all about the spanking lol.
We get POVs from all the men and those were hysterical. Wait until you read them getting lingerie for their wives. We also get a few surprises regarding some of the relationships, no, not telling you, you have to read it for yourself.
We get some new blood.
Of course, author lady saves the best for last and has me patiently waiting for the story, but damn that was some ending.
Look, I can praise and preach and throw knives, but you all need to read Thresholds and get your Walsh fix right the EFF now!
Thresholds is an unexpected surprise book 8 in the Walsh family series and absolutely nothing has changed. Kate continues to give us deep yet funny, witty, beautiful characters who despite their idiosyncrasies have us all falling over each other to get just one more piece of them. If you haven’t read previous books, you might want to start there as this book will definitely contain spoilers to those other books (but they still can’t ever really spoil them because you WANT to read Kate’s words…every last one of them.) THIS MAY contain spoilers only if you have not read the previous books.
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Thresholds gives us a bird’s eye view of the “what happens after” the siblings have all seemed to have found their footing, their significant others, the life’s purpose. Is it smooth sailing? Probably not…life usually has a few pitfalls along the way.
It is difficult to tell you about the book without spoiling some wonderful revelations that are not in the previous books. But I can say that Shannon and Will have “extensive conversations”, Sam and Tiel find their “after baby” selves again, Patrick and Andy find themselves in tight quarters both physically and emotionally, Matt and Lauren find their groove, Nick and Erin fall more in love despite distance, Riley & Alex are definitely in the honeymoon phase still and Judy and the Commodore? Well they just love singing competitions. Shopping for Christmas gifts will never, ever be the same and family dinners are as they have always been, full of chaos and surprises and an ending that had me saying What the what? We also meet and learn about other characters that have me going hmmmmmmmmmmm.
An amazing story all around that as always leaves me begging for more.
Kate Canterbary your words slay me, I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. Thresholds is a holiday story about our favorite family, the Walsh’s. Shenanigans abound, as they only can when it comes to this family. I refuse to give anything even remotely spoilerish away in this review so just know Thresholds has all of the feels, every last one of them!! You really can’t go wrong one-clicking this book.
This is a Christmas present I actually want – a surprise story featuring my favourite fictional family written by my favourite author Kate Canterbary
Kate is better than Santa, giving us multiple POVs featuring all the Walshes and their special someones. We get what we all know and love from the Laydee Writer – shennanies, on point banter, growly bitey boys, epic level sassy women, super sexy times and even a few breadcrumbs for some new characters and stories…
This is my idea of the perfect holiday read and I cannot wait for Kate’s next book. Thank you Laydee Writer for this wonderful Christmas Gift
I can not tell you how excited I was to read another Walsh book. This book is not about just one of the brothers or sisters it’s all wrapped into one. I do have to say my favorite Walsh is still Riley, he’s funny and just plain hot!! I don’t want to spoiled anything so let’s just say this book is written at Christmas time and how the Walsh family celebrate, but if you’ve read any of the Walsh series you know something always has to happen.
This is the eight book in the series, while you could read it as a stand-alone I urge you to read the others first it will just give you more background on the family. This is one book I could not put down and it is so well written and keeps you interested from beginning to end. I do hope this is not the last we will see if the Walsh’s I just can’t get enough.
I’m not even sure where to begin. I found Kate sometime after the first four Walsh books had been written and published. I devoured them all in one weekend and waited very patiently for everyone after. The Spire (Book 6) is probably hands down one of my favorite books of all time. Everything Kate writes, I want to read. She has this magical gift for bringing these characters to life and into your homes.
This book was the best holiday gift one could ever imagine. It was an unexpected gift right before the holidays. I devoured every single word she wrote. Every letter, every sentence, every paragraph. This was like catching up with old friends while making a new one in the process.
I was prepared to feel sad at the end. Like saying goodbye to one of your very best friends. Instead, I felt everything BUT sad. I felt happy and overwhelmed and sated. I felt like I had been through the very best romp of my life and came out the other end, messy hair and glowing face included.
Kate, thank you for this world. For these characters, for Boston. I’m not sure I have words big enough, so I’ll just have to say thank you.
Now about Wes…..
Another epic book in The Walsh Series by Kate Canterbary! It was everything we never knew we wanted, yet everything we needed!! If you haven’t read books 1-7, do yourself a favor and read them first. This book has everything we’ve come to love from the Walshes. Growly boys, salty females, every beloved Walsh and their supporting cast. We meet some new characters along the way that have us wanting for more! I LOVED hearing directly from Judy and The Commodores POV a few times throughout the book.
To sum everything up without giving anything away, this book is the perfect Walsh update, wrapped up in a sparkly Christmas bow! Thank you Kate for surprising us with this book!
If I ever thought I couldn’t love the Walshes more Kate Canterbary has proven that wrong. As the song goes they are simply the best, perfect as is. This book was very much needed after missing ths Walshes so. I can’t say enough without being spoilery so I’m keeping this short. We are gifted with presents of heartwarming moments , shenanies and steam between the festivities from our favorite couples. Seriously these guys are made me swoon, want to squeeze them in
adorableness and just keep going aww. I could keep reading this gang till each one grows old and not be be sick.
This is definitely holiday Walsh style! Plus maybe a few other special guests. I love these guys did I say that already? All favorite couples are here and more goodness abound. Start of new chapters and all that come the new year ahead. Good holiday story with a fantastic family just awesome times. We get mini closure and bread crumbs too come (hopefully?). All in all just a superb holiday themed read!
Thank heaven for even numbers! In the acknowledgments of Preservation, Kate hinted that prime numbers are very unsettling, so the possibility that we would hear more from the Walsh family had me over the moon and hopeful. Well, I’m here to tell you that Kate came through with book #8 and Thresholds is AMAZING! We hear about what is going with everyone in the Walshiverse and their holiday plans, from multiple points of view. It is heartfelt, steamy and hilarious, all in one (some pun intended) package. We also get to get a brief glimpse into the lives of a few newbies, so get ready. Thresholds lived up to every expectation. 5 stars isn’t enough to rate this wonderful book.
*Since this is a book that is well into an established series, I HIGHLY recommend that you read the previous books first. Part of the allure of Kate’s books is the anticipation with each story as they progress through the series. Trust me on this. Read Underneath It All and you won’t want to stop until you’ve devoured every word of all 8 books.
I LOVE presents and since I had my head wrapped around that the Walsh series was over, this surprise story is an awesome early Christmas present!! If you haven’t had the immense pleasure of reading about the Walshes, this is not, I repeat IS NOT, the place to start! But do yourself a big favor and read the series.
From the first book, I have felt like a member of this family and because of that, I am so very happy and grateful that I get to spend Christmas with them. Told from the POV of all of the men, I loved getting back into their heads and seeing all of the off the wall things that only they can do. From Christmas shopping to throwing Christmas parties to setting up security, I was laughing hysterically from basically start to finish. But the Walshes wouldn’t be the Walshes if they also didn’t make you shed a tear or two. I’m excited about the secondary characters who were introduced and the future happiness for all of the Walsh clan. I still can’t wipe the smile off my face!!
I was so surprised by this release. I didn’t know it was coming. I read it, soaking up every word! Kate Canterbary is something special.
The characters she write are like friends, family even. You feel like you’re in the room with them. You feel what they feel. Every single moment.
I’ve been with the Walshes since book 1. I don’t remember how I found her, but I’m so fortunate I did. I don’t care if I’m the crazy, pervy girl that FEELS LIKE I KNOW THESE CHARACTERS!! I do!
Erin and Nick are my favorite, but the entire family is amazing. I mean, every group convo has me laughing.
I won’t give anything away … this book was just right. I’m so glad to have these pages to reread over and over
Thanks Writer Lady for your brain