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Dylan Steadman has never seen his stubbornness as a bad thing. It’s always been easy for him to make up his mind and stick with it. It’s why he works a lot, why he doesn’t need to make time for a girlfriend, and why he recently decided to move across the country for a new job. His brothers and sister are happily settled, and now that all eyes have turned on him, he needs a change. He does not need a relationship, and moving to Colorado lets him breathe. What he didn’t see coming was Kat, the much-too-young-for-him employee at his new restaurant.

Kat Perry doesn’t have a family. She doesn’t even really have friends, but that’s by her choice. Her new manager, Dylan, has all the things that she should avoid; the muscles, the eyes, the smile and the kind of white-knight syndrome that she doesn’t know what the frick to do with. Dylan should be easy enough to disregard since she’s managed to hold people at arm’s length her whole life, especially when a relationship is the very last thing she wants.

But she can’t ignore him, not when he befriends her, and definitely not when they tap into combustible chemistry that threatens to burn down everything around them. So instead of fighting it, they come to an agreement- just friends with a bunch of benefits on the side. Easy, right? Not exactly.

Especially when the heart gets involved.

**This is the first standalone book in a spin-off series from the Three Little Words series. Dylan is featured as a secondary character in the previous series, but it's not necessary to read them first. This book is 70k words long with a mild/medium heat level.**

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

964 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read

About the author

Karla Sorensen

44 books5,062 followers

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5 stars
624 (27%)
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830 (36%)
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583 (25%)
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45 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,413 followers
January 1, 2019
3.5 stars

Color me surprised, but despite my less favourite trope (virgin h in her mid 20s), I enjoyed this book a lot.

Good hero. Very kind man.
He adopted a dog with 3 legs, so it was clear I won't click less than 4 stars 😍.

The heroine was awkward and had her issues, but she wasn't a doormat. Funny, sassy, but at the same time timid and a bit weird.

The conflict itself left some room for doubt, but he groveled and it's my weakness. They shared the 'guilt', but he did what a real man would do -
If a woman makes mistake, a man apologises 🤣😂🤣 Awesome!

Garrett, the next hero, wasn't a pleasant character. Still going to read his book. As long the heroine is not a wallflower, I can deal with a clown 🤡
Profile Image for  Leo (Queen of the Rants and Spoilers).
1,148 reviews91 followers
June 30, 2016


Hero: 3 stars I mean how often we get a hero who's not a manwhore?
Heroine: 2 stars she's insecure, she has a fear of commitment, and can't really function with a normal family.

I was actually happy when I started reading this book it's been a while that I read a book where the hero is NOT a manwhore don't get me wrong he wasn't a saint but he didn't have time for women or relationships since he was a workaholic. This book is not insta love is a SLOW burn and I MEAN SLOW. They don't sleep together until 80%.
They become friends first the hero did not want a relationship and the h didn't know what she wanted so they talked about not labeling their relationship and they became friends with benefits. The h was closed off person she was awkward she was lonely she didn't have family her parents died and she was a foster child she didn't trust anyone she didn't even wanted to meet the H's mother and sister so when the H's sister told her that the H had a knight in shining armor complex she runs mind you I didn't read in any part in the book that he was trying to save her so when the H runs after her they sleep together the next day she kicks him out because he told her that he's falling in love with her but she doesn't want to fall in love with him so she pushes him away 2 weeks has passed and the H starts to grovel i don't even know why when he wasn't the one who did her wrong she's the one who should've grovel. At this point I started skimming because I was ready to be done with this.

HFN ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
4 ⭐'s

So, I read Tristan's book first and when I was finished, I just knew I had to read Dylan and Kat's story. They are just so sweet together.

But to be honest, I wasn't sure how they were gonna work out. Kat is so awkward that it's hard to read sometimes. She's grown up in foster homes and doesn't know how to "act" around any type of caring relationship...family or friends.

I think this is what Karla Sorensen does so well. She can write imperfect characters like nobody's business. Their insecurities make you ache inside. *Shivers*

Luckily for Kat, Dylan has a lot of patience and he needs every last bit of it!

It was great getting to know the rest of the "Bachelors" as well. Garrett's story is up next. I'm looking forward to meeting who will sweep him off his feet but there's one part I'm definitely not looking forward to. 😭
Profile Image for CeCe.
3,622 reviews108 followers
July 1, 2016
I could not finish it. The hero's POV, Dylan, had a feminine tone.

From Dylan's POV (inner monologue - an example):
"Oh no. No no no no. That couldn't happen. If I didn't come clean soon, I'd be sobbing into someone's mashed potatoes." (Loc 145)

Dual POVs are hard to write. Sometimes it is better to just write in one POV.
Profile Image for Kandi Steiner.
Author 85 books15k followers
June 15, 2016
You know what I love? Taking a chance on a new author and realizing you've just found a sparkling diamond in the middle of a rocky dessert. This was my first Karla Sorensen book and I am HOOKED. I'm already begging for the next books in this series - and just for the record, dibs on Tristan! :P But seriously, this book guys... THIS BOOK. Okay, let me try to wrangle my words here.

First of all, I have to talk about the writing. Holy cats with sweaters on Karla Sorensen can WRITE, y'all. I was immediately sucked in, immediately rooting for both characters, immediately picturing the life they were living. Sorensen paints such a beautiful picture of Colorado but not only that, she illustrates her characters so vividly that I swear I can STILL see them when I close my eyes. I mean, Dylan? HOLY HOTNESS. And Kat? Well, let's just say she's pretty much the most adorable heroine I've ever read. Loved them both hard!

Now, I knew going into this book that it was "low" on the heat factor - meaning there wasn't going to be descriptive sex scenes. But you know what? I DIDN'T CARE. I honestly didn't. The angst, the pull between the two of them, how hilarious they were, their adorable moments of honesty - THAT was what made this book so amazing to read. And you know what? The steam didn't disappoint me - it really didn't. In fact, I felt like it was PERFECT for this book.

What I loved most about Dylan is that Sorensen perfectly set up what is sure to be one of my favorite series. I'm already jonesing for everyone's stories (especially Tristan) and I can't wait to get back with the crew. So, write faster, Sorensen! I'm ready! <3

Dylan was a laugh-out-loud romance that had me smiling from the first page to the very last sentence. Five give-me-more stars!

Merged review:

You know what I love? Taking a chance on a new author and realizing you've just found a sparkling diamond in the middle of a rocky dessert. This was my first Karla Sorensen book and I am HOOKED. I'm already begging for the next books in this series - and just for the record, dibs on Tristan! :P But seriously, this book guys... THIS BOOK. Okay, let me try to wrangle my words here.

First of all, I have to talk about the writing. Holy cats with sweaters on Karla Sorensen can WRITE, y'all. I was immediately sucked in, immediately rooting for both characters, immediately picturing the life they were living. Sorensen paints such a beautiful picture of Colorado but not only that, she illustrates her characters so vividly that I swear I can STILL see them when I close my eyes. I mean, Dylan? HOLY HOTNESS. And Kat? Well, let's just say she's pretty much the most adorable heroine I've ever read. Loved them both hard!

Now, I knew going into this book that it was "low" on the heat factor - meaning there wasn't going to be descriptive sex scenes. But you know what? I DIDN'T CARE. I honestly didn't. The angst, the pull between the two of them, how hilarious they were, their adorable moments of honesty - THAT was what made this book so amazing to read. And you know what? The steam didn't disappoint me - it really didn't. In fact, I felt like it was PERFECT for this book.

What I loved most about Dylan is that Sorensen perfectly set up what is sure to be one of my favorite series. I'm already jonesing for everyone's stories (especially Tristan) and I can't wait to get back with the crew. So, write faster, Sorensen! I'm ready! <3

Dylan was a laugh-out-loud romance that had me smiling from the first page to the very last sentence. Five give-me-more stars!
Profile Image for 1-Click Addict Support Group.
3,749 reviews490 followers
June 8, 2016
Aww, I gotta say, I'm feeling all...feelsy at the moment. And it's all Dylan's fault.

Well, okay, not fault, but that book—and that kind and HOT man—are responsible for my smile. Because I just put this book down, and it was oh, so cute.

Seriously, adorable. While not strictly a small-town romance, Dylan gave off those vibes, with its charming characters and sweet storyline. And since I LOVE small-town romance, that made this book exactly my kinda book.

I'll admit that there were occasions when the male POVs came across a little softer in their words than I would have liked or expected, but the overall fun, funny and flirtiness of the rest of the book more than made up for that. And, of course, let's not forget those feels.

I really liked both Dylan (mmm, Dylan *swoon*) and Kat. In particular, Kat, actually. She was realistically damaged from her past—nothing crazy or OTT. Just a girl struggling to be herself—to accept herself—because of her history, and that made her very relatable, and occasionally, somewhat heartbreaking.

Not to mention very quirky and likeable. Just like the rest of these characters. As the first in a new series—and the first book by this author I've read—Dylan lays a strong foundation. I may not always have been 100% convinced about the Bachelors of the Ridge, but I did enjoy much of their banter and I am convinced I'm going to need more from them. ASAP. ~ Beth, 4 Sprite stars
Profile Image for Jos.
1,837 reviews141 followers
June 13, 2016
4 Solid Stars

I had read this awhile back and can't remember much details BUT I do know tat I enjoyed out very much!

Merged review:

3.5 Stars Good

OK, now I realize I may be in the minority and as much as I liked, I just didn't love it.

The writing was good and the premise of this story is what made me fall in love BUT it was the execution that sort of fell short. The characters, Kat and Dylan, yes, I liked them but had a real hard time to connect and invest with them. I guess the story and characters lacked some depth for me if that makes sense????

Anyways, it was a good, sweet read but just didn't knock my socks off either!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,914 reviews6 followers
April 2, 2017
1.5 stars

This story was a little all over the place. You have the H who doesn't have time for a relationship. He stays celibate since he doesn't use women. I really appreciate that. Then you have the h who has issues. She was raised in foster care and doesn't know how to have a relationship so she's convinced herself that she doesn't want one. She doesn't need the H and definitely doesn't want to need him either. They decide to be friends with benefits. Despite the fact that the H doesn't have meaningless sex and the h is a virgin they both agree to this arrangement. Wha? I'm so confused.

Now I have to preface the rest of this review by saying that I don't generally like this kind of plot since someone inevitably gets hurt. Well, surprise, surprise...someone does. And then the H all of a sudden decides that he does want to have a real relationship....which makes no sense. The h gets scared, pushes the H away, but he never gives up on her. Even with how annoying the h was, I still have to give this story 1.5 stars since the H was so great.

The writing was engaging even though the H's pov was a little feminine. It wasn't overly sappy, but it was a little too sensitive. Not sure if that makes sense. I just couldn't get into this story. The actions of the MCs didn't always make sense to me. Plus the h was too annoying and I was very frustrated on behalf of the H.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kate.
848 reviews117 followers
October 8, 2020
2.5 stars.

I usually like Karla Sorensen's stuff but I regret to report that this was Meh™
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,313 reviews362 followers
Read
January 4, 2020
DNF.

I'm bored, super bored.

Wasn't keen on the premise of every girl he meets hitting on him, come on ladies let's do better then that it's now 2020.
Profile Image for Anjie.
873 reviews42 followers
March 21, 2020
I think I'm just being nice by giving it 2 stars. I was just so disappointed because I think that this book was set up to go really well. Even when I saw the reviews, I thought, well this book screams me but alas, it did not. It was boring for the most part. I actually liked Dylan. He was pretty cool. Family man and he's sweet and caring. He wasn't the problem. Kat was! Ughhh! I think with her foster home background, we were supposed to sympathize with her and like her but it did the opposite for me. She annoyed me so much and from someone who had to experience such hard things in life, you would think she would be more mature. She wasn't endearing in the least. She freaked out over the most stupidest things and I don't take that lightly because I get anxiety over social situations as well but you know I also chin up and woman up. That alone made her seem years more immature than her 24 and even more immature for Dylan. I think it would've been better if it was explained why she was the way she was instead of just saying she was in a lot of different foster homes. I think it just didn't meet my expectations because I was thinking this sounded almost like a book I read before that I absolutely loved (Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score). She was also a foster kid but she was abused in her foster care and has actual reasons to act the way Kat did in this book.

Also why call it friends with benefits when ya'll don't even have sex. That's some crappy benefits is all I'm saying.


UGHHH ok I had to come back and edit my review because it just pisses me off. I was going through the book to let my 2 stars settle in and UGH I just got angrier because she does not deserve Dylan. He has done nothing for her to doubt what he was telling her or to not trust him. He was literally there for her the entire book and supporting her. Not once did she do anything to be kind to him. It felt very one sided. It was like she just wanted the benefits to get over it and she just plain out pissed me off. Then when he told her he was falling in love him, she treated him like trash. Like this guy trusted you with his feelings and you treat him like trash, you treat him the way you fear people would treat and that right there is disgusting and unforgivable. If I was Dylan's friend, I would've told him to ignore the shit out of her because that's all she deserves. He shouldn't have been the one to fight for the relationship. She needed to be the one to beg for forgiveness. I'm so sick of men begging for forgiveness when they DID NOTHING WRONG. The woman needs to put on her big girl pants and swallow her pride. Accept she was wrong and win the guy back. It's the 21st century. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHH! If I was his group of friends, I'd dump her too. Lol I sound like a big jerk but seriously Dylan didn't do anything wrong. I don't even feel like reading the rest of the series because I'd read about her stupid character in the other books and that alone causes me to go into a rage. ALL THE EXPLETIVES *End Rant*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tiffany Kimbrell.
105 reviews21 followers
June 5, 2016
*sighs* This book just makes me happy. It has all these feels! I actually giggled out loud while reading it. Which of course had me receiving some odd looks from my husband. And I swear Dylan made me swoon so hard. He is so perfect! Kat made me want to pull my hair out and grab her in for a hug simultaneously.
I absolutely fell in LOVE with Dylan and Kat. I enjoyed this book so much! It is a sweet Romance that will have you falling in love. This does NOT end with a cliffhanger. It is full length and is a MUST read! Seriously! SO GOOD! I give this 5 of 5 stars and Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Jo.
1,921 reviews17 followers
October 30, 2016
KAT is a foster kid but nothing happened on her, no sexual, physical abuse, but she still had her things. She is afraid in relationship, she is alone in her whole life since her parents dies, KAT is alone whoever, wherever she is.

Dylan, a man with a warm heart, move out his home to somewhere new, not because special reasons or heart broken, just the time he needs to out there, maybe it's the time he meets KAT. A decade gap not the problem, since KAT's hurt that needs extra, older, patient to care.
Profile Image for Michal.
766 reviews65 followers
November 4, 2018
Dnf 65%

While the hero was painted as the handsome masculine alpha guy (he was kind of cool I liked him), she was described as a mousey, short, flat and boring kind of heroine. Short hair, no curves at all and playing hard to get to the distance. Very cold sometimes.
65% to the story and she had a tantrum because he touched her knee in front of his friends.
They've barely even kissed at this point let alone hot and heavy times.
No thank you.


Profile Image for Laiza.
656 reviews9 followers
December 7, 2018
Well the 🐶 Leonidas stole my ♥
977 reviews36 followers
August 11, 2023
Karla Sorensen knows how to hit in the feels. I absolutely loved this story! It felt so soft, Dylan and Kat made such a great pairing. I loved how Dylan did not give up on Kat. Kat's feelings hit close to home a couple of times, I'm glad that she learned to embrace her happiness.
Profile Image for Lily.
480 reviews22 followers
November 4, 2019
Probably closer to a 2/2.5 star rating, but I'm being generous because I did very much enjoy the first half. And in general, I enjoy Karla Sorensen's writing. And after loving the first two books in the original series, I have a soft spot for the Steadmans.

However, the second half of this book left a lot to be desired. I don't mind angst and conflict when I can understand it, but it didn't make sense to me here. There was no real reason that they couldn't be together. They were both single, they liked each other, and there was nothing stopping them from starting a relationship.

Dylan said he had no time for a relationship, but he didn't have much of a life outside work. And she worked too, so it wasn't like she was gonna be sitting around all day waiting for him, so I don't see the problem.

And as for Kat, I think I would've understood her better if she had talked more about her feelings. Because to a certain extent, I could sympathize with her situation. She never had any meaningful relationships or friendships in her life, and she was left with insecurities about herself because of it. But she never clearly stated what her issues were regarding their potential relationship. She would just freak out and have a tantrum and start yelling at him.

Her feelings were all over the place. At the beginning, when she first started hanging out with the guys, she was worried that they (especially Dylan) would get sick of her. But then when Dylan starts showing how much he cares for her she freaks out? It didn't make sense to me, and I wanted to throttle her by the end. The last 20% was painful to read.

I really liked Garret, though, and as long as his love interest is not as annoying as Kat, then I'm really looking forward to his book.
Profile Image for Alyssa Hoffman.
128 reviews4 followers
January 29, 2020
I hate to say it, but don't start here.

The only reason I gave 3 stars instead of 2 is because of the author. I adore her stories. I adore her characters. But from the start I struggled with this book.
I can't say that I liked any of the characters, and I found each of them to be lacking in their own way. I've come to expect a strong female in Sorensens stories. Kat is not up to par in my opinion. A read a few reviews prior to downloading, and one comment did warn about Kat being so hard to embrace that they couldn't get past chapter 7. They weren't lying!
I'm a quirky, awkward person, but Kat had me cringing at times! The age difference, the internal dialogue, the chemistry...it just wasn't there for me. I'm sympathetic to the why and the how of Kat, even Dylan, but it still didn't work.
I did finish this book, and plan to go on with the series, but man I hope the others in this series perk up, because this just wasn't a good read for me at all.
If this is your first Sorensen book, maybe set it aside and go for one of her other series or stand-alones! She is fantastic, and this book does not do her justice.
Profile Image for Hana.
26 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2016
DNF at 20%.

i'm not sure what it is about this that made it so boring. Probably how slow the story is? Which would be.. a little weird considering i do like slow burn romance... when done the right way. I want it to be entertaining and i want to feel the chemistry between the characters which doesn't have to be physical/romantic. And the characters should be likable/entertaining/intriguing. On this one though, the characters are boring but my main problem is Dylan. He just doesn't have any appeal to me and i found myself scanning his POV cause i want it to be over and the female MC (who's name i already forgot) can't even save this for me cause she's pretty boring too.

unfortunately, i don't think i'll be trying to continue this next time.

Profile Image for Jennifer Wyk.
Author 28 books1,429 followers
March 27, 2017
I went a little backward with my reading and started with Cole. Normally I have no desire to go back and read the starters in the series but I couldn't help myself. And I'm so glad I did. Karla has quickly become one of my go-tos and I can't wait to see what she does with the rest of the men in the series.

I loved that this story was about so much more than just sex. There was SO MUCH relationship and heart and love. I did feel at times that Dylan's voice was a little feminine however it didn't take aaay from his character. It added depth and understanding to him.

I would highly recommend this entire series to anyone who loves a sweet, funny and romantic story. Well done, Karla, welllll done. :)
Profile Image for ★Ruth★.
1,467 reviews
January 26, 2022
Incredibly sweet

This was such a lovely read. I adored this couple and am keen to read the rest of the guys stories!
Profile Image for HappyKT.
1,074 reviews6 followers
August 26, 2021
3.5 stars. I'm a big Sorensen fan but this one fell short for me.

A man leaves his close knit family for a job opportunity and ends up finding the love of his life.

Dylan is 34 years old and content with his life in Michigan around his big, loving family. When a job opportunity arises, Dylan decides he needs to try something new and moves to Colorado. His first day at work, Dylan meets Kat, a beautifully awkward girl who he can't forget. When an unexpected opportunity arises to see Kat outside of work, Dylan embraces it. Because of his personal rule about dating coworkers as well as the 10 year age difference between them, Dylan seeks out a friendship with the girl in which he is enamored. Kat is an orphan with a long list of what she sees as issues. From social anxiety, to crippling insecurity, Kat doesn't have a guideline for how to handle her feelings for Dylan. Thinking friendship with benefits is the answer, the two begin seeing each other. New experiences leave Kat feeling lost and the need to push Dylan away to protect her growing feelings, leaving Dylan hurt and unsure how to help her.

Ok. I wanted to love this book bc I legit respect this author. And this story is a good one, it just didn't resonate with me. I struggle with love stories where people can't get out of their own way to achieve their own happiness. Knowing Kat's background in the story, it is completely understandable for her to struggle. I just don't enjoy to reading it. Dylan is a great protagonist and you find yourself cheering for him to get things right. Overall the love story felt like there was some plotline opportunities left ignored and the 10 year age difference was a little uncomfortable mainly due to Kat's emotional immaturity more so than days on a calendar.
Profile Image for Ashley Monette.
651 reviews7 followers
March 7, 2018
This story was really very sweet. I wasn't all that invested in the characters or the story. It was easy to read and quick to get through but something was just missing for me. I felt like Kat was acted very different then I expected her to given her circumstances. She was a virgin and yet the morning after she threw up walls at Dylan and basically told him that he meant nothing to her and they were just friends with benefits. I felt like I could relate to her at the beginning of the story but as it went on, I found myself very confused by her actions.

Dylan was pretty swoon worthy. He was sweet, patient, and understanding. He would have been truly perfect if he had a splash more bad boy to him though. Because he was 34 and I think Kat was about 23, I felt kind of weird about the relationship. I felt like the age difference just kind of sat the wrong way with me. To be honest, it made me slightly uncomfortable. I still feel like I know little to know information about either characters even after I have finished the whole book.

I also was shaking my head at the epilogue. Kat had moved in with Dylan yet when Garrett made the mention of Dylan proposing, Kat was horrified. That really had me scratching my head. She had agreed to try to have a relationship for the first time in her life with this man and she was horrified and terrified at the thought of him proposing to her. I just didn't understand why she was with him at that point if the thought of marriage bothered her that much.

Overall the story was cute and had a happy ending but I didn't enjoy the story enough to reread it or continue on with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tammy.
1,597 reviews2 followers
Read
October 29, 2020
Dylan spends all his time working or hanging out with his huge extended family. Now he thinks it's time to try something new by moving away from his hometown and his huge family, so that he can work fewer hours and maybe find the time to meet someone he can build a family of his own with. Only, now that he's in a new place, with a new job, and meets a girl that he's inexplicably drawn to, he says he doesn't want a relationship, because he works all the time. Well, okay then.

Kat was raised in foster care and doesn't really know how to do relationships, certainly not a romantic one with a man. So she proposes that they try a friends-with-benefits kind of thing, even though she's never even had sex before. She's shy and timid, but tries to flirt and tease, only to have Dylan essentially. kiss her on the head and tell her goodnight. Doesn't seem like an effective way to get to the 'benefits' part of their friendship.

I love Karla Sorensen's writing (especially her Wolves and Ward series), but this just DID NOT do it for me. It was a little all over the place and kind of boring and I never really felt like I was connecting with the characters, or like I understood why they made the choices they made, so I gave up on this one and DNF@51%. I'll most likely try the other books in this series at some point, because I know this author does get better as she goes, but it may take me awhile to pick it back up.
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