This is the second book in this series and Dakota and Ryder's story.

I loved Dakota, she is a sweet and sassy, strong single mother to an adorable little boy. Ryder is her brothers best friend, the tattooed bad boy that has this front that Dakota can see behind.

This was a well written story that is quite the page turner filled with Friendships, family, love and steam mixed with suspense meaning you wont want to put this down. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

Take a grumpy ex-NFL player, add a dysfunctional childhood, the loss of his best friend and an inherited renovation project and no wonder Burke feels a bit lost. He has to try and finish the build that his late best friend and his wife started, whilst still grieving their loss and the loss of his career.

Charlotte is the historical buildings specialist brought in to help complete the job. She also has a fabulously quirky family - especially the aunty with a love of handcuffs! Now she has to work with Burke who's heart isn't really in any position to deal with all the questions flung his way.

I loved the way these two bonded over the ramshackle house. What begins as flatmates-for-convenience morphs into new friends and then into potential lovers. But the path to true love does not run smooth. Burke and Charlotte both have emotional baggage they lug around with them. They both think that they can be no-string FWB - fat chance!

The secondary characters are substantial and add to the growth of the MC's. Burke and Charlotte have a brilliant chemistry together - all snarky banter and biting insults, which kinds organically morphs into a shorthand all of their own - inside jokes and all. I enjoyed watching Burke struggle with his emotions - I felt he was much more relatable and realistic through his struggles.

The Best Laid Plans by Karla Sorensen is the first book in her new The Best Men series and I am all here for it. This grumpy/sunshine romance features Burke and Charlotte. Burke is a retired football player who just lost his friend and his wife and is inheriting an old family property they were restoring. At a loss and grieving, he has no idea what to do with the property. Enter restoration expert Charlotte. Their journey is emotional and touching and full of so many feels. It also deals with grief and loss.

Burke has been a bit lost after retiring while trying to find his new normal. This renovation is a dream come true for Charlotte, but the grumpy new owner, maybe not so much. Now they are working together, if not happily, to finish the project. The forced proximity, slow burn and trauma both characters carry will draw you in and keep you captivated from start to finish and you will cheer them on.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I liked Burke and Charlotte separately, but not really together or as a couple. That made this one not really work for me. And, I didn't really believe in their chemistry.

I am unable to recommend this title.

Karla Sorensen steps away from her current worlds to create a brand new space. And it works well. We meet Burke Barrett when he finds out that his best friend left him a run down house project when he and his wife pass away unexpectedly. What follows is Burkes journey to self discovery and next steps. Burke has recently retired from the NFL and he is floundering. But as you read the story, you find that he has been floundering quite a bit in his life. I enjoyed the arc of Burke and the building/rebuilding of the relationships with those around him.

Charlotte is a woman who loves the history of old homes. She was hired by Chris and Amie before they passed and is unsure of the direction this project is going to go now that they are gone. When Burke shows up in Michigan to bring Chris's grandparents house back to life. But their meeting doesn't go so well. Burke is a man with a fairly bad attitude about everything and Charlotte is a someone that see the good in so many things.

The storyline of this book flows well and covers months of time without mis-steps. The relationship between the main characters grows in a natural and organic way even with their friends with benefits situation that they enter.

The third act break-up works the way in which it plays out. And there is appropriate grovel needed. The side characters are top notch and blend this story in a way that works well.

Karla Sorensen never disappoints! Charlotte and Burke's story was very entertaining, and I also loved the home restoration aspect of it. The tension between them was palpable from their first meeting, and their grumpy/sunshine dynamic was so cute! I'm really excited to read more about this new universe and learn more about the rest of the characters, especially Liam 👀 So I hope he gets his book, as well as Tansy, Burke's sister.

Karla Sorensen is one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to dive into this first book in her new The Best Men series. From the very first chapters I was invested in the story and characters. Burke and Charlotte are one of my favorite couples she's written.

The story is emotional and heartfelt, but still with lots of humor, banter, and romance. Burke is not excited to find out he's inherited a house after his best friends pass away suddenly. When he gets to town, though, he finds Charlotte is the one working on restoring the house. They have a mutual attraction and chemistry that doesn't take long to turn into something more.

I thought the story was nicely paced with great character growth. It was a great kick off for the series and I can't wait to see what comes next!

I really enjoyed this heartfelt, emotional, slow burn romance. Burke has taken care of others, and now when he wanted peace, and a loving family, he was faced with completely someone else's dream, again. His best friend was gone and left him a family home across the country that was in desperate need of repair. He was always the football hero, but when it comes to restoring this historic home, he was at a loss. Throw in the beautiful, passionate, and irritating woman who is there to manage the restoration, and he is way out of his depth. Charlotte loved bringing broken things to life and seeing the joy it brought to others. After a rough start, she and Burke became a team, supporting each others decisions on the restoration. Burke the total opposite of any man she thought she would be attracted to, but he was exactly what she wanted, at least until this job was finished. They were so perfect for each other, as partners in and out of the bedroom. But as the end loomed closer, would they fight to stay together, or let each other go, breaking both their hearts. I loved the banter and the push/pull of emotion between Burke and Charlotte, and their chemistry was palpable. I also loved both of their families who were funny, supportive, and loving, and added so much heart to this delightful story.

Overall Grade: A

Tropes/Elements: grump/sunshine; forced roommate/proximity; renovation romance; found family; slow burn; former pro football player

Karla Sorensen’s The Best Laid Plans begins like a lamb and ends with a lion’s roar. There is a quiet to this story even in the midst of the banter between her MMC, Burke, and her FMC, Charlotte, a back-and-forth that highlights their burgeoning attraction. It’s about what’s not being said in Sorensen’s newest story, the words and feelings that can’t seem to be spoken which captivates me. And I have so many words and thoughts about this book that I struggle to bring any structure to this review. Let me just go where I want to go, and I hope you follow it and grab this book fast.

Karla Sorensen has always been able to craft chemistry. She’s not an overtly erotic author. She infuses attraction and $ex into her books, but she doesn’t grant us full access to all the details of those scenes. Instead, she develops the relationships between her characters so much so that, oftentimes, at least recently, her MMC and FMC don’t consummate or give in to their attraction until late in the story. For this reader, this pacing is impeccable as it holds the reader in its thrall. I never get tired of the burgeoning relationship because every moment seems to matter for the future of her characters. Her ability to grab her readers quickly and keep them engaged throughout the story is her strength. This is definitely the case with Burke and Charlotte. And it is necessary for the depth and gravity of this book’s story.

Now, here’s where I might lose people but it can’t go without mention because, aside from Burke and Charlotte’s story, their fight against their attraction, their coming together, the falling apart, and their happily ever after, the true genius of Sorensen’s The Best Laid Plans is its exposition and interrogation of grief. Yes, she lays this at the feet of Burke. She fashions his grief to be palpable for her readers, and she shows the futility of language to process loss through his characterization. It’s brilliant. Having recently lost a very good friend, I understand Burke and his messy grief process. It’s complex and uncomfortable and forever incomplete, and Sorensen captures this well.

But here’s where her capacity as an author shines: the house, the one that Burke and Charlotte renovate throughout the book, is a representation of the gravity of loss. The juxtaposition of a house seemingly dead being raised to life with the fixed death of one of his favorite people is profound. It’s chilling how Sorensen crafts this. How do you live life without that person? Sorensen uses the house as a metaphor for dying. Then, in the specter of that house, she underscores the message about living other people’s dreams, both Burke’s father’s but also Chris’s dream. For much of this book, Burke doesn’t even know how to dream, so Sorensen gifts him one with the house. The depth of development in this analogy is brilliant and impactful and emotional. You cannot read this story and not feel the gravity of life. She even illustrates the multiple processes of grief through both Burke and Charlotte. It quite honestly left me spellbound.

Add to all of that some keen stylistic choices that excited this reader. Chapters Thirty-One and Thirty-Two are my two favorite chapters because Sorensen uses repetition in these chapters to feel like punches to the gut. As Burke and Charlotte struggle to handle the loss of their relationship, the repetition underscores it. The intentionality of these choices supports my contention that Karla Sorensen is an intelligent, intentional writer. And more people need to read her stories.

The Best Laid Plans has a similar flavor to Sorensen’s former stories, but it also has its own voice. That voice is a reminder of the fragility of life. If you leave this book without hugging those you love a little tighter, you’ve missed the power of Karla Sorensen’s message and her provocative new story.

4 Stars
1.5 Chili Peppers

Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Slowburn

Dual POV

Please check trigger warnings.

This book deals with a lot of grief, but Karla does it in a way that is respectful and not overly done if that makes sense. Also, the character growth was amazing.

I loved the banter in this one. Charlotte and Burke know how to give it to each other and take it from each other. I loved it. This is a slowwwww burn, but it is worth the wait.

I really like the house restoration plot of this one. It obviously added so much more to the story

Thank you to Karla Sorensen, Montlake, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Engaging, found family, grief...

Burke inherits a money pit of an estate he does not want when his best friend, Chris and his wife die unexpectedly. Burke is newly retired from the NFL due to an injury, he'd divorced and moving to Florida. He's tired, grieving and a little bit broken.

Sunshine to Burke's grumpy, Charlotte is the project manager who is deeply attached to the estate and house Burke inherited. He sort of inherited her, along with the house. Charlotte has a bit of baggage, but is determined to see the house done right.

I really liked that Burke was a good man, not the sort for a fling, but he agrees to it because of Charlotte. He's loyal and does the right thing (whether he wants to or not).
Its a love letter to the property, to found family and to two people who are a little bit broken and need a bit of repair and fixing up.
Recommend.

This was a really sweet, forced roommate romance.

Burke’s life suddenly changed — from forced retirement from the NFL to suddenly owning a rundown house in Michigan after the death of his best friends. Unsure what to do, but knowing that taking on and owning a house in northern Michigan was not in his retirement plans, he goes to Michigan to see the house and figure out his next move. There he meets Charlotte, the fiery redhead who was hired by his friends to help restore the house honoring its historical roots.

Though it PAINED me to root for Burke because he went to Michigan (O-H!!), he was a broken man who needed someone to root for him. To put his needs and choices first. He always did things for everyone else and Charlotte just wanted to be there for him, not to fix him but to give him unwavering support and help him heal from all the pain.

Charlotte didn’t let him get away with being a grumpy asshole. She pushed him when he needed it but also recognized when he needed time to process. She wasn’t going to chase him but always let him know that she’s there for him.

The Best Laid Plans is the first book in a new series by Karla Sorensen. The story is about a retired NFL player, Burke, who has inherited a decrepit old house when his best friend dies in a car accident. When he goes to check out this property he meets Charlotte who had been hired as a restoration expert for the house project that has been left in limbo. There are sparks and banter from the first meeting.

One of the things I liked about this book, was that the NFL hero was not an ex ladies man who needs taming. I liked that he was the opposite of that. There is also a lot of attention given to his grief journey. While we read often about characters overcoming the loss of a parent, spouse or sibling, we don't see this scenario as much. I felt it was treated honestly and with care.

I loved the banter between Burke and Charlotte. They are a fun pairing from the beginning. I loved the slow burn and the satisfying conclusion to their romance.

My sincere thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Best Laid Plans and give my unbiased opinion of it.

This is the first book in new series for Karla and I am so excited for this series. Karla has and always will be a one click author for me. I am never disappointed with anything I read by her.

This book follows Burke and Charlotte who are the complete opposites, he is quiet and reserved and she is outgoing and fun. Burke had a lot of internal struggles, and you could feel his grief for the loss of his teammate and friend. I loved watching the change in him as he allowed Charlotte to pull him out of his shell and start to live again. The chemistry between the two when they finally give in was WOW, I could feel the heat coming of the pages! The writing is really well done, and Karla always does such a good job and at putting into words the emotions of the characters that you really feel them as you are reading. This was a great start to a new series, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

All the feels. Guys, just all the feels. Karla Sorensen just declared battle on my heart and I surrendered. Burke and Charlotte's story was so beautiful that I ended up crying. So many times I just stopped and left the book because I couldn't handle the angst. And it's coming from a romance reader who takes pride in being a hardcore angst lover. Grief. Healing. Redemption. Love. Loss. Passion. Regrets. Hope. It was an epic kaleidoscope of emotions coming from Karla Sorensen's heartbreaking writing.

Retired football star Burke Barrett finds himself in possession of a crumbling historical mansion that belonged to his recently deceased best friend who planned to renovate it. Burke doesn't want it. But he cannot just leave it. So he meets Charlotte Cunningham, the project manager in charge. Who is absolutely passionate about the house. Burke is torn and lost but the house gives him a sense of direction. And Charlotte is something else. But can a broken man fall in love?

So I am a goner for broken alpha. I love a man with a long list of issues, red flags, emotional baggage and vulnerability. I love when such a man still ends up being the best man around! Because they love the hardest and deepest but it takes a long journey of heartbreak, mistakes, hesitations, angst. And dear God, that's my favorite kind of journey. Burke fits the role of perfectly. Spent his life trying to fulfill his dad's dream, trying to repair the damages left by other people, trying to be a perfect best friend and now he is lost in an ocean of grief. He is grumpy and brooding and closed off and that makes me want to give him a hug. Like Charlotte wanted. She has experienced loss too but she had people to heal her. Her sunshine is something confused and enticed Burke. She is sweet and kind and loving with a side of sass. They started kind of enemies and then became reluctant housemates and then partners in the house renovation..all while the chemistry was building up and slowly burning from inside. All the forbidden unrequited tension...omg. The house kind of works like a mediator or an conductor or facilitator of their romance. Burke had a lot of healing to do but that didn't stop him from being a protective and secretly possessive alpha. I love that Charlotte didn't let him run with his complex feels completely. She is exactly the right combination of fierce and sweet that Burke needed. And she needed someone grumpy like Burke to pull her out of the comfort zone.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I’m writing this with tears all over my face because the ending to this book absolutely wrecked me. It is so freakin’ CUTE.

When a terrible accident kills two of his close friends in the blink of an eye, Burke’s life screeches to a stop. To his surprise, the married couple left him a fixer upper in their will and asked that he monitor the rest of the renovations on the dilapidated house. All he wants to do is sell the place, but he knows that would break everyone’s heart. Reluctantly, he agrees to fulfill his friend’s wishes, but the project isn’t without its challenges. He arrives to find a very flustered (and very pretty) renovation manager handcuffed to the stairs, begging him not to tear the place down. As if the project wasn’t complicated enough, the feisty red head in charge of the renovation drives him absolutely insane in more ways than one.

Charlotte envisions a whole life inside the house she’s working on. She spent countless hours dreaming up a magical renovation with the previous owner and was devastated to hear of their passing. All the house needs is some TLC, but first she has to convince the grumpy new homeowner to help bring that dream to life.

This book hurt in the best way. I fell in love with the house right along with the characters. I could envision is so clearly in my head as they transformed it from a house to a home. And my heart broke each time they realized this was only temporary.

I wanted to give all the characters a great big hug. Burke is a grump of a character, but he’s got so much going on under the surface. He hasn’t had an easy life, so reaching out and holding onto something purely for himself is foreign to him. He’s mean at times and complicated, but at his surface he’s a good man. He spends so much of the book struggling as the line between what he wants and what his late friends wanted starts to blur. Charlotte is such a sweet character. The way she loves her job is so admirable. I only hope I find work that makes me as passionate as she is.

They’re both such complicated humans. It was heartwarming watching them figure out that while it’s not easy to take care of everyone else, when the time comes that you need to do something for yourself, it’s so much harder. So when these two opposites dared to dream, my heart wanted to explode out of my chest.

I highly recommend this read if you need something cute. I was lucky enough to read an eARC, but will gladly go back and read this again someday. This feels like a comfort read, and it’s perfect for the holidays. It’s just got that magical vibe.

..I am an @karla_sorensen fan through and through. She is one of my favorite authors and she is the queen of interconnected sports romances. I always recommend her Washington Wolves series to readers who are just getting started with sports romance. If she’s written it, I’ve read it. I won the paperback and goodies from Karla and couldn’t wait to dive in!

I really loved this book. It’s grumpy/sunshine at it’s best. It’s hits a little different because of some pretty heavy topics, but Burke and Charlotte’s relationship build, romance and slow burn is what really sets this one apart. The house renovation aspect was fun, as were the side characters. I can’t wait to see who’s up next in this new series! If you’re looking for a sports romance that’s just a little bit deeper give this one a try!

Burke Barrett’s best friend and wife died in a car accident, leaving him the home they hoped to historically restore. They also left him the restoration expert, C. Cunningham, aka Charlotte Marie. He retired from football, bought a home for his sister Tansy and her twins in Florida and planned to retire there as well. He and Charlotte clash at every point…until they don’t. An awareness and attraction develop, as they communicate with banter and sarcasm. His sister was searching for a home for him in Florida, but now Grand Traverse, Colorado and Charlotte is even more tempting. An awakening for a hard playing football player and the passionate restoration expert that he just might be falling in love with. The engaging dialog between the two main characters (along with his sister), made this fast-paced romance a pure pleasure. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I loved Burke and Charlotte! Charlotte wants to Reno the bed and breakfast historically accurate. Burke wants to renovate the property quickly and move on. Sorensen gives great banter and her characters love story is a slow burn.

burke is grieving and lost after the death of his best friend and his forced retirement from the nfl due to an injury. his plan is to move to florida so he can sit by the ocean indefinitely, but his friend leaves him the campbell house, a run down 1800s mansion in michigan. the house comes with charlotte, a full of sunshine restoration expert already hired on to do the job.

they butt heads at every corner and seriously lack communication skills. but charlotte is patient and kind and burke begrudgingly goes a long with her. watching their relationship grow is as heartwarming as it is frustrating and the slow burn is so good. but the banter, and the power points, are my favorite.

karla’s writing painted pictures in my mind while reading this book. i could see every detail of every chapter so clearly. the undertone of sadness throughout the book adds so much weight to the story. and we are introduced to so many great characters, all with their own story to tell. this series is going to be so good.