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The Best Men #1
Der Plan des Herzens
Wenn ein rauer Football-Profi auf eine sonnige Historikerin trifft …
Nachdem Burke Barrett seine Profi-Karriere beendet hat, ist das Leben des Footballstars eine einzige Baustelle. Vor allem macht ihm der plötzliche Tod seines besten Freundes zu schaffen, der ihm ein uraltes Haus hinterlässt.
Das Letzte, was er nun noch gebrauchen kann, ist Charlotte Cunningham. Charlotte mit den ewig langen Beinen und einer nervtötenden guten Laune. Auf Wunsch seines besten Freundes soll die Restaurierungsexpertin darauf achten, dass das historische Haus originalgetreu renoviert wird.
Zwischen Charlotte und Burke fliegen die Fetzen – und sprühen die Funken. Als beide die Spannung nicht mehr aushalten, schlägt Charlotte eine unverfängliche Beziehung vor. Sie würden sich ja ohnehin niemals verlieben. Doch wie so oft hat das Herz andere Pläne …
Nachdem Burke Barrett seine Profi-Karriere beendet hat, ist das Leben des Footballstars eine einzige Baustelle. Vor allem macht ihm der plötzliche Tod seines besten Freundes zu schaffen, der ihm ein uraltes Haus hinterlässt.
Das Letzte, was er nun noch gebrauchen kann, ist Charlotte Cunningham. Charlotte mit den ewig langen Beinen und einer nervtötenden guten Laune. Auf Wunsch seines besten Freundes soll die Restaurierungsexpertin darauf achten, dass das historische Haus originalgetreu renoviert wird.
Zwischen Charlotte und Burke fliegen die Fetzen – und sprühen die Funken. Als beide die Spannung nicht mehr aushalten, schlägt Charlotte eine unverfängliche Beziehung vor. Sie würden sich ja ohnehin niemals verlieben. Doch wie so oft hat das Herz andere Pläne …
428 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 932 reviews
August 3, 2023
4.5 stars
the storyline contrasted between two distinct paths that blinded harmoniously together.
first, we had the romcom renovation plot stereotyped by a grumpy male lead and a full of life and passionate female main character. i loved how their push and pull dynamic rotated around verbal jousts, a frustrating sexual tension and a plain and simple difference of taste because it builded and then highlighted the opposite attracts chemistry with brio.
Second, Burke's thoughts and life were suffocated by a grieving atmosphere throughout the storytelling. due to some anterior trauma, he struggled to confront his emotions and couldn't properly mourn the loss of his best friend. It was interesting to observe that despite working on himself a lot to exteriorize his pain Charlotte and the domain-they were renovating- played a crucial role in his healing process.
overall, it was a pleasant and quick read. I devoured and enjoyed once more being transported by the plume of K.S., punctuated by intelligent expressions and an opulent vocabulary. moreover, I loved being immersed in another sports romance written by this author where the male main character, a former professional sport player, was not depicted in the most cliché and womanizing way again!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher/author for providing the arc in exchange of an honest review!
~•~•~
randomly checking my NetGalley and finding that i have an arc i literally forgot about part 45678
❛ If I kissed her, I’d never recover.❜
the storyline contrasted between two distinct paths that blinded harmoniously together.
first, we had the romcom renovation plot stereotyped by a grumpy male lead and a full of life and passionate female main character. i loved how their push and pull dynamic rotated around verbal jousts, a frustrating sexual tension and a plain and simple difference of taste because it builded and then highlighted the opposite attracts chemistry with brio.
“Make a home with me here, Charlotte […] Because it wasn’t a place I was missing. It was you.”
Second, Burke's thoughts and life were suffocated by a grieving atmosphere throughout the storytelling. due to some anterior trauma, he struggled to confront his emotions and couldn't properly mourn the loss of his best friend. It was interesting to observe that despite working on himself a lot to exteriorize his pain Charlotte and the domain-they were renovating- played a crucial role in his healing process.
"I missed him. And my heart felt even more than hurt. It felt something bigger and scarier than that. It was still his. And I had to figure out what I was supposed to do with that."
overall, it was a pleasant and quick read. I devoured and enjoyed once more being transported by the plume of K.S., punctuated by intelligent expressions and an opulent vocabulary. moreover, I loved being immersed in another sports romance written by this author where the male main character, a former professional sport player, was not depicted in the most cliché and womanizing way again!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher/author for providing the arc in exchange of an honest review!
~•~•~
randomly checking my NetGalley and finding that i have an arc i literally forgot about part 45678
September 29, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ I genuinely loved the beginning but it kinda fell short for me the last 1/3 of the book
July 4, 2023
I love a good grumpy, taciturn hero and an upbeat but determined heroine, but these two need therapy
This book was a good depiction of both along side a good dose of renovation porn and a tiny dose of football. A well written story that had a great deal of feels in it, but be warned there is a lot of grief in this and both characters are laden down with a significant amount of childhood trauma. This isn’t a light sports romance, it’s a heavy story of a man overcoming a lifetime of emotional abuse and the recent tragic death of his best friend and a woman struggling with attachment issues and grief of her own.
Overall I liked the relationship between the two mains here and it felt very realistic. But often I felt like the hero was too broken and the heroine was often required to deal with his lack of emotional intelligence. This is a little too much reality for my romance I think. I don’t love the idea of a woman having to do all the heavy emotional lifting in a relationship. She had issues too but he rarely helped her with them and even in the narrative her trauma was not often addressed.
This might be a personal preference thing, 2023 seems to be the year of the actualized man for me: the male character who can process his emotions, get therapy and not burden his woman with them and hurt her constantly because of them.
So this was quite good and well written overall but in terms of personal preference, it was a little too sad and the hero a little too broken for me to love love it.
I would have loved if these two had gotten therapy though, they totally needed it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
This book was a good depiction of both along side a good dose of renovation porn and a tiny dose of football. A well written story that had a great deal of feels in it, but be warned there is a lot of grief in this and both characters are laden down with a significant amount of childhood trauma. This isn’t a light sports romance, it’s a heavy story of a man overcoming a lifetime of emotional abuse and the recent tragic death of his best friend and a woman struggling with attachment issues and grief of her own.
Overall I liked the relationship between the two mains here and it felt very realistic. But often I felt like the hero was too broken and the heroine was often required to deal with his lack of emotional intelligence. This is a little too much reality for my romance I think. I don’t love the idea of a woman having to do all the heavy emotional lifting in a relationship. She had issues too but he rarely helped her with them and even in the narrative her trauma was not often addressed.
This might be a personal preference thing, 2023 seems to be the year of the actualized man for me: the male character who can process his emotions, get therapy and not burden his woman with them and hurt her constantly because of them.
So this was quite good and well written overall but in terms of personal preference, it was a little too sad and the hero a little too broken for me to love love it.
I would have loved if these two had gotten therapy though, they totally needed it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
October 9, 2023
a very well written romance that i just didn't totally connect with. i think maybe it was the characters? there was a LOT of work done here to flesh out the characters' grief and that was done very well. but the characters themselves felt a little cardboard to me. the humor also just a touch generic.
i think this can and has worked for a lot of people but it's kind of forgettable for me.
i think this can and has worked for a lot of people but it's kind of forgettable for me.
January 8, 2025
3.5 stars
I enjoyed Burke and Charlotte’s story premise and love Karla Sorensen’s writing, but I struggled to feel a connection between these main characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold my interest as much as I’d hoped. I liked this one, but I didn’t love it.
I enjoyed Burke and Charlotte’s story premise and love Karla Sorensen’s writing, but I struggled to feel a connection between these main characters. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold my interest as much as I’d hoped. I liked this one, but I didn’t love it.
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Connor Crais & Vanessa Edwin
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 9h 53m
June 12, 2025
The Best Laid Plans is funny. I like it very much. The characters are likeable and quircky. Charlotte especially.
Miss Sorensen also put the supporting characters right in the center. I feel like these supporting characters help shape the main character development.
4 stars
Miss Sorensen also put the supporting characters right in the center. I feel like these supporting characters help shape the main character development.
4 stars
July 30, 2023
Definitely some mixed feelings about this, but it really shined whenever it "felt" like a Sorensen romance. It's a solid series starter that has me excited about future couples that were introduced, and I liked a whole lot of the elements. We've got a grumpy football player, the project manager he can't stop bickering with, tons of forced proximity, a home renovation, and an emotional undercurrent that added some weight to the story. I loved the moments when our couple were working on the project, butting heads and growing closer as they built something together. It's always fun to read home reno romances, and the context behind this one made it all the more interesting. That was the strongest part for me, paired with the roommates situation and all that proximity. Where I struggled is with the "no strings" vibes that became prominent midway through - these two simply refused to open up to each other, and I found that very frustrating to read. But there was a lot of good stuff going on, and it was enjoyable overall.
The story follows Burke, a pro football player who was forced to retire early. He's been adrift recently, particularly following the death of one of his closest friends. That friend left him an old home with the hopes that Burke would renovate it, and Burke can't wait to be done with the project. He has no desire to work on a renovation project, and he just wants to be able to move on and enjoy his retirement in peace. So when the beautiful project manager ropes him into being involved with the design plans, Burke isn't overly enthusiastic. He begrudgingly moves into the older home with Charlotte and oversees the project with her, which creates all sorts of tension between them. But they're both aware that they are entirely wrong for each other, and that causes trouble of its own.
So I love Sorensen's work and I was super excited to dig into this new series. I also love a bunch of the tropes at play - grumpy hero, home reno, bickering that's really bantering, all that good stuff. And this started out strong for me. I liked the setup of the series with each of the friends inheriting something different, and I'm intrigued about how that's all going to play out. I also really loved the forced proximity and the tension between these two. However, I generally associate Sorensen with deeper feelings and slow, torturous burns, so the no strings/kinda-friends with benefits storyline wasn't my favorite. Burke was definitely dealing with a lot of grief and unresolved feelings, so he didn't go into their relationship in a healthy place - and it felt that way. Their relationship didn't feel particularly healthy for most of it, so I couldn't get caught up in the swoons. There were some great moments and a ton of potential, but it started to lose me somewhere along the way. This ended up somewhere between three and four stars for me, but I am very excited for more from the series, so I'm choosing to round up my rating.
The story follows Burke, a pro football player who was forced to retire early. He's been adrift recently, particularly following the death of one of his closest friends. That friend left him an old home with the hopes that Burke would renovate it, and Burke can't wait to be done with the project. He has no desire to work on a renovation project, and he just wants to be able to move on and enjoy his retirement in peace. So when the beautiful project manager ropes him into being involved with the design plans, Burke isn't overly enthusiastic. He begrudgingly moves into the older home with Charlotte and oversees the project with her, which creates all sorts of tension between them. But they're both aware that they are entirely wrong for each other, and that causes trouble of its own.
So I love Sorensen's work and I was super excited to dig into this new series. I also love a bunch of the tropes at play - grumpy hero, home reno, bickering that's really bantering, all that good stuff. And this started out strong for me. I liked the setup of the series with each of the friends inheriting something different, and I'm intrigued about how that's all going to play out. I also really loved the forced proximity and the tension between these two. However, I generally associate Sorensen with deeper feelings and slow, torturous burns, so the no strings/kinda-friends with benefits storyline wasn't my favorite. Burke was definitely dealing with a lot of grief and unresolved feelings, so he didn't go into their relationship in a healthy place - and it felt that way. Their relationship didn't feel particularly healthy for most of it, so I couldn't get caught up in the swoons. There were some great moments and a ton of potential, but it started to lose me somewhere along the way. This ended up somewhere between three and four stars for me, but I am very excited for more from the series, so I'm choosing to round up my rating.
October 16, 2023
2.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise.
The Not-So-Good: The ending. Why not have his dream come true??
The Bad: The conflict. It was super annoying and even a little confusing. I also thought the romantic chemistry was lacking once they started their arrangement.
Overall: I really should've trusted my gut with this one. I wasn't all that invested when I finished the sample, and I should've just moved on. I struggled a good bit to even finish this. I know lots of readers will love this, but it simply isn't my cuppa.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Charlotte and Burke's story. Burke finds out that he inherited his best friend's grandparents old house when he and his wife die unexpectedly. Burke was recently forced into retirement after an injury in professional football and he isn't all that thrilled to take over the falling apart historical home. Charlotte was working with Burke's best friend and wife to historically restore this home and she'll do just about anything to keep her job. They butt heads but form a friendship of sorts that turns into a FWB situation. There is some heavy baggage for them both to work through, some sexy times, and some interesting side characters...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Charlotte and Burke's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. It did feel slow at times but I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they butt heads at first.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5 stars. Burke. I liked him alright until the conflict.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Charlotte. I liked her strength and smarts.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in an alright place that I would call a HFN ending but I'm sure others will be fine calling it a HEA
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise.
The Not-So-Good: The ending. Why not have his dream come true??
The Bad: The conflict. It was super annoying and even a little confusing. I also thought the romantic chemistry was lacking once they started their arrangement.
Overall: I really should've trusted my gut with this one. I wasn't all that invested when I finished the sample, and I should've just moved on. I struggled a good bit to even finish this. I know lots of readers will love this, but it simply isn't my cuppa.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Charlotte and Burke's story. Burke finds out that he inherited his best friend's grandparents old house when he and his wife die unexpectedly. Burke was recently forced into retirement after an injury in professional football and he isn't all that thrilled to take over the falling apart historical home. Charlotte was working with Burke's best friend and wife to historically restore this home and she'll do just about anything to keep her job. They butt heads but form a friendship of sorts that turns into a FWB situation. There is some heavy baggage for them both to work through, some sexy times, and some interesting side characters...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Charlotte and Burke's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Alright. It did feel slow at times but I never skimmed.
Instalove: No, they butt heads at first.
H (Hero) rating: 2.5 stars. Burke. I liked him alright until the conflict.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Charlotte. I liked her strength and smarts.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in an alright place that I would call a HFN ending but I'm sure others will be fine calling it a HEA
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
July 1, 2023
2.5 stars
*I have received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchanged of an honest review.
Grief. There's so much grieving in this one. Heck, I was expecting just some straightforward home reno plot. But the heaviness of these characters really threw me off the loop.
Anyway, good things first. The home renovation plot! I'm a sucker for that. I love the whole process of ripping things apart, restructuring and the choices that come with it. Paint colours? That's a turn on. Backsplash tiles? Oh ho, now we're getting serious. Breaking walls? We're getting married.
Oh and, the Burke's PP scene. This woman has balls. That whole scene is just *chef's kiss*. Though I have to admit, considering the outcome, kinda brilliant. I have an excellent PP skills. Might want to whip that one out.
Next, this quote:
Can I get a man like this irl please????
And now, onto the things that didn't work that well for me. In the first half of the story, I can't help but notice how it felt a little formulaic at times ---> referring to the progression of their relationship mainly. I would've liked it better if things flowed more organically and did not fell into these pre-designed tropes-hole.
Also, the home reno plot wasn't exactly the center of this book. It was the grief. Oh guys, the grief. It hang upon all of us. These people need therapy. Stat. The grief is not bad, but sometimes it feel a little suffocating. I didn't get that head-clearing moment, the resolution moment, in this. You know that feeling, that liberating feeling as you find your first step away from the burden clinging on your ankle. But hey, that might be only me.
All in all, I think it was an okay book actually. It might be my expectations vs reality kinda situation. You just need to adjust your expectation, and you might enjoy this more than I do.
*I have received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchanged of an honest review.
Grief. There's so much grieving in this one. Heck, I was expecting just some straightforward home reno plot. But the heaviness of these characters really threw me off the loop.
Anyway, good things first. The home renovation plot! I'm a sucker for that. I love the whole process of ripping things apart, restructuring and the choices that come with it. Paint colours? That's a turn on. Backsplash tiles? Oh ho, now we're getting serious. Breaking walls? We're getting married.
Oh and, the Burke's PP scene. This woman has balls. That whole scene is just *chef's kiss*. Though I have to admit, considering the outcome, kinda brilliant. I have an excellent PP skills. Might want to whip that one out.
Next, this quote:
A woman's ownership of her pleasure was ultimately her responsibility. But when she trusted you with it, her comfort level become yours... It wasn't something to be weaponized, something to hold against her...
Can I get a man like this irl please????
And now, onto the things that didn't work that well for me. In the first half of the story, I can't help but notice how it felt a little formulaic at times ---> referring to the progression of their relationship mainly. I would've liked it better if things flowed more organically and did not fell into these pre-designed tropes-hole.
Also, the home reno plot wasn't exactly the center of this book. It was the grief. Oh guys, the grief. It hang upon all of us. These people need therapy. Stat. The grief is not bad, but sometimes it feel a little suffocating. I didn't get that head-clearing moment, the resolution moment, in this. You know that feeling, that liberating feeling as you find your first step away from the burden clinging on your ankle. But hey, that might be only me.
All in all, I think it was an okay book actually. It might be my expectations vs reality kinda situation. You just need to adjust your expectation, and you might enjoy this more than I do.
July 8, 2023
this was a solid romance: it was written well, the characters were really likeable & the storyline was interesting. but why do couples in romance books always get married after a few months? 🚩 🚩 🚩
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2023
4,0 ✨✨✨
June 24, 2023
KARLA SORENSEN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!
Gosh, this was so cute and heart tugging.
I loved the love, the characters and the storyline. I’m an absolute sucker for shy, quiet heroes that disguise as grumpies and the sunshine heroine who loves to get to know him and push his buttons. Karla delivered a precious romance once again!
Gosh, this was so cute and heart tugging.
I loved the love, the characters and the storyline. I’m an absolute sucker for shy, quiet heroes that disguise as grumpies and the sunshine heroine who loves to get to know him and push his buttons. Karla delivered a precious romance once again!
October 5, 2023
Mild spoilers
Very sad about this only being 3 stars. I was looking forward to this for months 😭 this is the first Karla Sorensen book that I couldn’t connect with. I didn’t like either Charlotte or Burke, they were both annoying in their own ways. There seemed to be a lot more of telling rather than showing in this book compared to her others. Not sure if it’s just because they were renovating a house and she needed time to pass but I found it very hard to see how they could’ve developed feelings when we only see them together a few times.
I got really irritated by Charlotte getting upset every time Burke didn’t jump for joy at the signs of having to shell out a bunch of money. She didn’t know he was paying for it all out of pocket but she also didn’t know how much was in the trust left for the house (which seemed odd as the project manager shouldn’t she have had a budget???) Also the fact that she kept crying over Chris and Amie was weird to me? They were clients that she probably only met a few times?
I usually LOVE Karla’s men but Burke didn’t fit the bill. He was a coward. I would’ve liked to see more of him speak his inner thoughts, it would’ve totally changed his character for me if we got just a tiny bit of vulnerability outside of his grovel at the end. He didn’t even make the first move 😭 Charlotte had to be the one to bring up the no strings attached arrangement and he ran home to Florida every chance he could when he started feeling too much.
Their friendship was the best part of this book. They should’ve stayed friends, I don’t see how they developed feelings even after starting their arrangement. They never broke their rules. Never kissed, never shared a bed, only ever oral & hands. They never blurred lines until the day before he “breaks up” with her. He’s gone for weeks then “grovels” 🙄 with a PowerPoint and (finally!!) some pretty words.
Very sad about this only being 3 stars. I was looking forward to this for months 😭 this is the first Karla Sorensen book that I couldn’t connect with. I didn’t like either Charlotte or Burke, they were both annoying in their own ways. There seemed to be a lot more of telling rather than showing in this book compared to her others. Not sure if it’s just because they were renovating a house and she needed time to pass but I found it very hard to see how they could’ve developed feelings when we only see them together a few times.
I got really irritated by Charlotte getting upset every time Burke didn’t jump for joy at the signs of having to shell out a bunch of money. She didn’t know he was paying for it all out of pocket but she also didn’t know how much was in the trust left for the house (which seemed odd as the project manager shouldn’t she have had a budget???) Also the fact that she kept crying over Chris and Amie was weird to me? They were clients that she probably only met a few times?
I usually LOVE Karla’s men but Burke didn’t fit the bill. He was a coward. I would’ve liked to see more of him speak his inner thoughts, it would’ve totally changed his character for me if we got just a tiny bit of vulnerability outside of his grovel at the end. He didn’t even make the first move 😭 Charlotte had to be the one to bring up the no strings attached arrangement and he ran home to Florida every chance he could when he started feeling too much.
Their friendship was the best part of this book. They should’ve stayed friends, I don’t see how they developed feelings even after starting their arrangement. They never broke their rules. Never kissed, never shared a bed, only ever oral & hands. They never blurred lines until the day before he “breaks up” with her. He’s gone for weeks then “grovels” 🙄 with a PowerPoint and (finally!!) some pretty words.
October 5, 2023
A Karla Sorensen book with even more sex? I'M THERE, BITCHES!
I love this author and she rarely writes a book that I don't love, but sometimes she skirts right up to the edge of steam and then backs away a bit. But THE BEST LAID PLANS went for it and I loved every steamy second.
And, even better, that steam comes with what this author always excels at; writing likeable-but flawed-characters, adding a lot of feels (but not enough to wreck you), and telling a story I cannot stop reading.
THE BEST LAID PLANS was an easy 5-star rating for me. Burke and Charlotte are chemistry and banter and so much banter. I fell in love with them from their unforgettable meet cute until the very last page.
Listen up, you NEED to add this book to your TBR immediately. I loved it!
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: recent death of friend, orphaned child
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
I love this author and she rarely writes a book that I don't love, but sometimes she skirts right up to the edge of steam and then backs away a bit. But THE BEST LAID PLANS went for it and I loved every steamy second.
And, even better, that steam comes with what this author always excels at; writing likeable-but flawed-characters, adding a lot of feels (but not enough to wreck you), and telling a story I cannot stop reading.
THE BEST LAID PLANS was an easy 5-star rating for me. Burke and Charlotte are chemistry and banter and so much banter. I fell in love with them from their unforgettable meet cute until the very last page.
Listen up, you NEED to add this book to your TBR immediately. I loved it!
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: recent death of friend, orphaned child
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
👇🏻𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘👇🏻
INSTAGRAM | YEAR OF SMUT CHALLENGE
October 19, 2023
On paper this has everything to make the perfect romance for me but I felt there was an unbalance between tropes and the chemistry between the MCs. Their interaction felt forced and the grief permeating the whole story almost overpowering the romance. It was a nice read but a bit too heavy and contrived for my liking.
Read
August 29, 2024DNF
I mean if your idea of romance is going to a funeral then binge watching HGTV and antique road show then give it a go….
I mean if your idea of romance is going to a funeral then binge watching HGTV and antique road show then give it a go….
September 18, 2023
Grumpy ex-football player Burke has his life changed when he finds out that his best friend and his wife passed away. To his surprise, his best friend left him an 1800s home in need of restoration. With that home comes restoration expert, Charlotte, who’d been hired by Burke’s best friend prior to their death.
He wants no part of the house, but that changes when he sees the property…and meets Charlotte handcuffed to the entry stairway (lmao). These two don’t start off on the right foot. But, as the restoration progresses, Charlotte and Burke realize that, on top of the intensity of their attraction to each other, they make a good team.
I loved everything about this book. Charlotte and Burke both have reasons for being closed off to love and putting themselves out there. They have awkward moments where they aren’t sure how to express themselves, and I found that very relatable. The restoration and them being roommates was the perfect backdrop to bring them both out of their shells. It showed them the best and worst in each other, and how they could rely on each other even then.
Watching Charlotte and Burke fall in love felt like a warm hug. It felt natural and gave me all the feels! This author does raw emotions and relatable characters in a way that always leaves me coming back for more! I can’t WAIT for the next book!
TROPES: ex-football player (hero); historic restoration expert (heroine); romantic HGTV-vibes; slow burn; roommates/forced proximity; hilarious banter/situations; mental health rep (panic/anxiety attacks shown on page)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death of loved ones; grief; parental neglect
He wants no part of the house, but that changes when he sees the property…and meets Charlotte handcuffed to the entry stairway (lmao). These two don’t start off on the right foot. But, as the restoration progresses, Charlotte and Burke realize that, on top of the intensity of their attraction to each other, they make a good team.
I loved everything about this book. Charlotte and Burke both have reasons for being closed off to love and putting themselves out there. They have awkward moments where they aren’t sure how to express themselves, and I found that very relatable. The restoration and them being roommates was the perfect backdrop to bring them both out of their shells. It showed them the best and worst in each other, and how they could rely on each other even then.
Watching Charlotte and Burke fall in love felt like a warm hug. It felt natural and gave me all the feels! This author does raw emotions and relatable characters in a way that always leaves me coming back for more! I can’t WAIT for the next book!
TROPES: ex-football player (hero); historic restoration expert (heroine); romantic HGTV-vibes; slow burn; roommates/forced proximity; hilarious banter/situations; mental health rep (panic/anxiety attacks shown on page)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death of loved ones; grief; parental neglect
July 21, 2024
3.5 stars, and worth reading.
My first book by Karla Sorensen and I will be reading more. After an excruciating start, this just got better and better until it took a nose-dive at the end, then recuperated a little. But Burke, the MMC, really needs therapy, happy ending or not.
I almost DNF’d at 20% and it was entirely the author’s fault. Burke was such an unremitting irascible asshole that I was done with him. Yes, he was dealing with the recent deaths of an overbearing father and an invaluable friend, but at that point it was unclear that his sourness was grief and not just a chronic attitude. He was just plain nasty to Charlotte during their first encounter, again for no discernible reason.
But I skimmed a little and stuck with it and the reading experience got markedly better. Slowly a more sympathetic picture of Burke emerged and I found myself as interested as Charlotte. Charlotte, by the way, was a doll. Smart, pleasant, passionate about her work, and eventually passionate about Burke, she had made no plans to fall in love with an emotionally lost ex-football player with no interest in house restoration or books or old furniture or putting feelings into words so it took her awhile to figure out that she had done exactly that, in spite of her Power Point presentation to the contrary.
Things were progressing nicely. So nicely, in fact, that Burke got scared. Then came the blankety-blank “I must hurt you to save you from me” plot device, which is the most offensive and overused relationship blocker in Romancelandia AND ONLY ROMANCELANDIA because in the real world it’s unheard of. In the real world men hurt women all the time, but it’s never in a misguided effort to save them. Burke was a monumental dick to Charlotte and she forgave him because of some Hallmark tripe about forgiveness and a phony-cute Power Point presentation when she should have beaten him with a stick. Also because, I guess, love. Whatever.
My first book by Karla Sorensen and I will be reading more. After an excruciating start, this just got better and better until it took a nose-dive at the end, then recuperated a little. But Burke, the MMC, really needs therapy, happy ending or not.
I almost DNF’d at 20% and it was entirely the author’s fault. Burke was such an unremitting irascible asshole that I was done with him. Yes, he was dealing with the recent deaths of an overbearing father and an invaluable friend, but at that point it was unclear that his sourness was grief and not just a chronic attitude. He was just plain nasty to Charlotte during their first encounter, again for no discernible reason.
But I skimmed a little and stuck with it and the reading experience got markedly better. Slowly a more sympathetic picture of Burke emerged and I found myself as interested as Charlotte. Charlotte, by the way, was a doll. Smart, pleasant, passionate about her work, and eventually passionate about Burke, she had made no plans to fall in love with an emotionally lost ex-football player with no interest in house restoration or books or old furniture or putting feelings into words so it took her awhile to figure out that she had done exactly that, in spite of her Power Point presentation to the contrary.
Things were progressing nicely. So nicely, in fact, that Burke got scared. Then came the blankety-blank “I must hurt you to save you from me” plot device, which is the most offensive and overused relationship blocker in Romancelandia AND ONLY ROMANCELANDIA because in the real world it’s unheard of. In the real world men hurt women all the time, but it’s never in a misguided effort to save them. Burke was a monumental dick to Charlotte and she forgave him because of some Hallmark tripe about forgiveness and a phony-cute Power Point presentation when she should have beaten him with a stick. Also because, I guess, love. Whatever.
October 4, 2023
The Best Laid Plans is the first book in a new series by Karla Sorensen and this one was a lot of fun! I grabbed this on KU but it does come with the read and listen feature, so I listened to the audio!
✨small town
✨grumpy/sunshine
✨former football player hero
✨sassy home renovator heroine
✨slow burn
✨forced proximity/roommates
✨opposites attract
Burke is a retired football player, who is still mourning the loss of his best friend when he learns he’s been bequeathed his friend’s dilapidated house that they were historically renovating. He knows how much the house and project meant to his late friends so he decides to finish the project for them before selling the house. He meets Charlotte, the renovator they were working with, and their meet cute was something else. 😆 Charlotte finds out that the new owner of the home might be selling, so she handcuffs herself to the staircase to show her passion for the project and the house.
Burke and Charlotte even end up becoming roommates, to work on the project and always be around, Burke says he’s moving in the carriage house with her on the property. This one is definitely slow burn. I used to love home renovation shows and historically-accurate refurbs, so this one was fun. I will say the last third of the book did start to drag for me, but otherwise this was a great one and I’m excited if other people we met will be getting books as well!
✨small town
✨grumpy/sunshine
✨former football player hero
✨sassy home renovator heroine
✨slow burn
✨forced proximity/roommates
✨opposites attract
Burke is a retired football player, who is still mourning the loss of his best friend when he learns he’s been bequeathed his friend’s dilapidated house that they were historically renovating. He knows how much the house and project meant to his late friends so he decides to finish the project for them before selling the house. He meets Charlotte, the renovator they were working with, and their meet cute was something else. 😆 Charlotte finds out that the new owner of the home might be selling, so she handcuffs herself to the staircase to show her passion for the project and the house.
Burke and Charlotte even end up becoming roommates, to work on the project and always be around, Burke says he’s moving in the carriage house with her on the property. This one is definitely slow burn. I used to love home renovation shows and historically-accurate refurbs, so this one was fun. I will say the last third of the book did start to drag for me, but otherwise this was a great one and I’m excited if other people we met will be getting books as well!
June 22, 2024
“Check your stupid spreadsheet.”
“My spreadsheet is not stupid,” she said hotly.
"You’re right,” I conceded. “I actually love that spreadsheet, especially since it’s about to prove me right.”
This book had me swooning!!! The way these two constantly were bickering, you just knew the tension was building into something epic! And Karla did not disappoint! This book was perfectly spicy and absolutely swoon worthy!
“You’re my partner in this,” he said. “So no matter how much we bicker, or how much we disagree, I will always have your back.”
I absolutely loved Burke. He was so deliciously grumpy! And with Charlotte's quick wit, this book had be chuckling so many times while they bantered back and forth! Karla always does such an incredible job pairing her FMCs and MMCs. These two fit together so well!
“No one deserves forgiveness, Burke. That’s why it matters so much. None of us deserve grace for our mistakes, but if you love someone”—my voice trembled—“you give it anyway.”
“My spreadsheet is not stupid,” she said hotly.
"You’re right,” I conceded. “I actually love that spreadsheet, especially since it’s about to prove me right.”
This book had me swooning!!! The way these two constantly were bickering, you just knew the tension was building into something epic! And Karla did not disappoint! This book was perfectly spicy and absolutely swoon worthy!
“You’re my partner in this,” he said. “So no matter how much we bicker, or how much we disagree, I will always have your back.”
I absolutely loved Burke. He was so deliciously grumpy! And with Charlotte's quick wit, this book had be chuckling so many times while they bantered back and forth! Karla always does such an incredible job pairing her FMCs and MMCs. These two fit together so well!
“No one deserves forgiveness, Burke. That’s why it matters so much. None of us deserve grace for our mistakes, but if you love someone”—my voice trembled—“you give it anyway.”
October 7, 2023
This was a really wonderful grumpy + sunshine romance. It starts off pretty heavy (please check CW’s) and there are somber moments throughout, but ultimately it’s an uplifting novel.
Things to look forward to:
- forced proximity
- opposites attract
- touch her and die
- found family
- small town
- a new appreciation for PowerPoint
- fantastic secondary characters (Can Tansy please get her HEA next with a certain builder? I’ll also take one for a newly single dad surly Brit and his co-guardian)
- super sweet epilogue
I had both the audio and ebook for this one, but the narration was so phenomenal that I found myself mainly listening to it. Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin might be my new favorite narrating duo. Their voices complemented each other so well and wow can Connor Crais bring the heat! I’m also a little embarrassed to admit how much Vanessa Edwin’s male voices work for me LOL.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 4 stars
CW: death of loved ones (drunk driver related, past), death of parent (past), grief, panic attack (on page), strained relationship with parent (past), appendicitis (secondary character), emotionally abusive ex (secondary character, past), divorce (past)
*Read and listened via Kindle Unlimited*
Things to look forward to:
- forced proximity
- opposites attract
- touch her and die
- found family
- small town
- a new appreciation for PowerPoint
- fantastic secondary characters (Can Tansy please get her HEA next with a certain builder? I’ll also take one for a newly single dad surly Brit and his co-guardian)
- super sweet epilogue
I had both the audio and ebook for this one, but the narration was so phenomenal that I found myself mainly listening to it. Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin might be my new favorite narrating duo. Their voices complemented each other so well and wow can Connor Crais bring the heat! I’m also a little embarrassed to admit how much Vanessa Edwin’s male voices work for me LOL.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 4 stars
CW: death of loved ones (drunk driver related, past), death of parent (past), grief, panic attack (on page), strained relationship with parent (past), appendicitis (secondary character), emotionally abusive ex (secondary character, past), divorce (past)
*Read and listened via Kindle Unlimited*
October 5, 2023
This is the first book to her new series and it was so good. It’s on KU and you can listen to the audio for free. I highly recommend listening to the audio the narrators were amazing!
January 25, 2025
Spoilers ahead, 2.5*
Burke's life has done a complete 360, he's been injured and forced to retire from football, he's relocating to live closer to his sister and worse of all his friend Chris and Chris' wife Amie have died. As Burke struggles to cope under the crushing grief he receives word that his friend has left his grandparents crumbling historical house to him. He drops everything to see the house his friend loved so much and meets Charlotte.
Charlotte was in the process of helping to restore the beautiful mansion when the owners died. She loves the house and those she and Burke can't seem to agree much she manages to convince him to carry on with the project.....but months of living in the same house pushes the sexual tension between them to the forefront, but can two broken ppl find forever together.
**********
I'd really love it if this author could just do 2 things
1) Give her heroes some emotional intelligence..... Burke was dealing with a lot of things and he just buried all his feelings. From his past with his dad, his failed marriage and now the death of his friend he really needed to heal. I felt like the h was helping him along and he never reciprocated that.
2) The third act breakup 🙄 every single time!!!!!! For stupid stupid reasons!!!! Burke needed to grow some damn balls because he was an emotional coward. They'd already spent so much of the book avoiding discussion their growing feelings then he pulled that bs move for such a shit reason!!!!! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!????
Ughhh
I was enjoying this mostly until that stupid unnecessary conflict. The h was kind and spunky with a bit of hurt too. I liked her. I loved them together and their banter and arguing and general cuteness. The secondary characters were all pretty good too but these two definitely needed to have a serious conversation about their feelings before they did. Another thing this author does is have the h be the one moving the relationship forward but Burke was already acting like an emotional cripple I'd have liked him to be the one to offer that step.
Anyways again I love the writing style, what would usually have been a boring book for me didn't happen because I enjoyed every word(until the foolish foolish conflict)
All in all I enjoy this author's writing even when the mcs piss me off
******"
No cheating
Non manwhore H
He'd been divorced and was celibate a while
h hadn't been in a relationship in some time
We never meet the ex wife
Death and grieving of loved ones
Burke's life has done a complete 360, he's been injured and forced to retire from football, he's relocating to live closer to his sister and worse of all his friend Chris and Chris' wife Amie have died. As Burke struggles to cope under the crushing grief he receives word that his friend has left his grandparents crumbling historical house to him. He drops everything to see the house his friend loved so much and meets Charlotte.
Charlotte was in the process of helping to restore the beautiful mansion when the owners died. She loves the house and those she and Burke can't seem to agree much she manages to convince him to carry on with the project.....but months of living in the same house pushes the sexual tension between them to the forefront, but can two broken ppl find forever together.
**********
I'd really love it if this author could just do 2 things
1) Give her heroes some emotional intelligence..... Burke was dealing with a lot of things and he just buried all his feelings. From his past with his dad, his failed marriage and now the death of his friend he really needed to heal. I felt like the h was helping him along and he never reciprocated that.
2) The third act breakup 🙄 every single time!!!!!! For stupid stupid reasons!!!! Burke needed to grow some damn balls because he was an emotional coward. They'd already spent so much of the book avoiding discussion their growing feelings then he pulled that bs move for such a shit reason!!!!! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!????
Ughhh
I was enjoying this mostly until that stupid unnecessary conflict. The h was kind and spunky with a bit of hurt too. I liked her. I loved them together and their banter and arguing and general cuteness. The secondary characters were all pretty good too but these two definitely needed to have a serious conversation about their feelings before they did. Another thing this author does is have the h be the one moving the relationship forward but Burke was already acting like an emotional cripple I'd have liked him to be the one to offer that step.
Anyways again I love the writing style, what would usually have been a boring book for me didn't happen because I enjoyed every word(until the foolish foolish conflict)
All in all I enjoy this author's writing even when the mcs piss me off
******"
No cheating
Non manwhore H
He'd been divorced and was celibate a while
h hadn't been in a relationship in some time
We never meet the ex wife
Death and grieving of loved ones
Did Not Finish
October 8, 2023DNF at 9%. Feeling super picky but I don't like that she is super caught on this house.
October 3, 2023
I always love stepping into a story by Karla Sorensen. She writes such rich characters with deep connections.
I know I am in for more than a smut fest and I am really going to FEEL something. That was the case here with Charlotte and Burke.
The story also looks at grief from the perspective of a friend. I feel like that doesn't happen as often as in romance. So that was unique as well.
I also enjoyed the set up for another book in the series. Which seems to be a guardian as a single parent romance.
I recommend this if you like HGTV vibes, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine and slow burn romance.
4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
CW: grief
I know I am in for more than a smut fest and I am really going to FEEL something. That was the case here with Charlotte and Burke.
The story also looks at grief from the perspective of a friend. I feel like that doesn't happen as often as in romance. So that was unique as well.
I also enjoyed the set up for another book in the series. Which seems to be a guardian as a single parent romance.
I recommend this if you like HGTV vibes, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine and slow burn romance.
4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale
CW: grief
October 6, 2023
Oh how I needed this book! It’s a 2023 Top Read for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burke and Charlotte’s love story was just what my heart and mind was looking for. Complex characters who felt genuine and a connection that was built over time. Two flawed people who didn’t see their true worth until the other one showed them. I loved the supporting characters and the backdrop of the small town. If you’re looking for a character driven, sweet and sexy story then this one’s for you.
I received an arc of this book.
Burke and Charlotte’s love story was just what my heart and mind was looking for. Complex characters who felt genuine and a connection that was built over time. Two flawed people who didn’t see their true worth until the other one showed them. I loved the supporting characters and the backdrop of the small town. If you’re looking for a character driven, sweet and sexy story then this one’s for you.
I received an arc of this book.
September 16, 2024
I love love love this series. It packs such a punch and gives butterflies all over the place. I read them out of order, but I loved seeing the Michigan/OSU rivalry again in this one and glimpses of Liam. Burke and Charlotte were perfect together and the tension building was palpable. I hope there is a book about his sister... she deserves it.
October 11, 2023
A very slow burn. Emotionally charged. Their banter was fun and one of my favorite parts of this book.
✓ Enemies to Lovers
✓ Opposites Attract
✓ Grumpy/Sunshine
✓ Forced Proximity
✓ Slow Burn level 80%
✓ Former NFL player
✓ HGTV Worthy Home Restoration
✓ Dual POV
✓ Enemies to Lovers
✓ Opposites Attract
✓ Grumpy/Sunshine
✓ Forced Proximity
✓ Slow Burn level 80%
✓ Former NFL player
✓ HGTV Worthy Home Restoration
✓ Dual POV
June 25, 2023
3.5 stars
The Best Laid Plans is a light and easy, low angst read with characters you can't help falling for! Burke and Charlotte have great chemistry and develop a good connection with each other but it got dragged by the end. There's a lot of family dynamic and football, and in true Karla Sorensen form.I can recommend this if you like a opposites-attract romance, where the characters go through rough patches, but come out at the end stronger than they went in.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Best Laid Plans is a light and easy, low angst read with characters you can't help falling for! Burke and Charlotte have great chemistry and develop a good connection with each other but it got dragged by the end. There's a lot of family dynamic and football, and in true Karla Sorensen form.I can recommend this if you like a opposites-attract romance, where the characters go through rough patches, but come out at the end stronger than they went in.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2025
Charlotte and Burke
MF Romance
Former football player / happy-go-lucky historian
Forced Proximity
Grumpy / Sunshine
Spice - 1.5/5
Story - 3/5
MF Romance
Former football player / happy-go-lucky historian
Forced Proximity
Grumpy / Sunshine
Spice - 1.5/5
Story - 3/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 932 reviews