Enemies to lovers ✔️
Slow burn ✔️
Forced proximity ✔️
Renovation theme ✔️
Grumpy/sunshine ✔️
Emotional themes ✔️

Best Laid Plans is a heavier book than normal for Karla Sorensen. The heavy themes aren’t necessarily bad though. They’re powerfully emotional and I found myself crying several times. It’s astounding when an author can evoke that kind of emotion.

Burke Barrett inherited a dilapidated home from good friends immediately after he retired from a pro football career. His new life is in Florida but the house is in Michigan. Burke crosses paths with Charlotte Cunningham who was hired to restore the historic house to its former glory. The two initially clash and their tastes are completely opposite.

As the two grow closer and begin to understand each other you see their personal issues come up. Burke is trapped in grief and past issues leading him to be completely closed off. Charlotte is terrified of emotional hurt and has walls up. Can they overcome these issues?

Charlotte is a spit fire and their banter was fun to read. She was able to see through Burke’s closed off, grumpy exterior to the man underneath. Burke was dealing with a ton of emotional baggage but he too was able to see Charlotte and her emotional walls for what they were and respect them. As a Michigander & UM alum, I loved reading the beautiful way Traverse City and University of Michigan was depicted. I could feel myself in that stadium with them. It was a perfect moment.

Despite the more emotional themes, I enjoyed this book. I loved reading their emotional journeys individually and as a couple. And Karla’s writing really packed an emotional punch. It was a true rollercoaster of emotions.

Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake & Karla Sorensen for this ARC opportunity.

I think I have read most of Karla Sorensen's works and have thoroughly enjoyed them. Always a good plot and the books flow really well. I enjoy her writing style and I was really looking forward to a new series and a new book from her. That being said this book seems totally different than what she has written before. It still has your great characters and their connection but this book was less about sports romance and more about dealing with emotions. I wasn't prepared for that but did still really enjoy the book. I'll be honest, there were definitely times the emotion got to me and I got a little teary eyed.

So this book follows Burke and Charlotte. Charlotte is easier to unravel than Burke by far. She is basically a historically accurate restoration designer of old houses. She has lost her mother and her father is not in her life since the divorce of her parents. She never had a great example of a loving relationship other than her hippie aunt and her live in boyfriend of ten years. Burke on the other hand is an enigma. He inherited a historic house from his friend and former teammate who passed away young. It was a shock on both counts and Burke doesn't know what to do with this legacy that was left to him. Recently retired from football due to an injury he just wants to sit on a beach in Florida with his family who has been neglected due to his career. His mother died young and his father put all of his own dreams on Burke to be a football superstar. He is emotionally stunted to say the least.

Him and Charlotte have a love/hate relationship to begin but slowly begin to understand each other and connect. Burke doesn't want any of this though and neither does Charlotte. But over the course of fixing up the house and arguing about tile and pain colors, they both begin to find themselves a bit with the other.

So definitely a much more emotionally charged book I feel than some of her previous books. Still a great read.

The way I loved this book!!! Karla can do no wrong and I loved every minute of this book. This was beautifully written with so many emotions tackled throughout, the largest being grief. Burke struggles with the loss of his best friend and the fact that he was left this property that needs more work than he can fathom. Charlotte is the project manager for the renovation of this property and they butt heads immediately and so much throughout. But the banter was top-tier, the tension between them was amazing and when they finally gave in, it was explosive! Neither one wanted more than a fun fling, but they found so much more along the way. The side characters were fun and I even loved the renovation aspect, how much care Charlotte put into her work, and her love of historical properties. This was just such a good book and I can't stop talking about it!! Thank you to Montlake, Karla, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was more emotional than I expected, and I just loved it. I've read quite a few of her books before, but this one struck differently. I enjoyed how complex both Burke and Charlotte ended up being. I loved that the house was such a central part of everything. I try not to cry when I'm reading, but that letter towards the end was just too much. I really hope there is another book coming because I'm not ready to let these characters go quite yet.

Karla Sorensen’s Best Laid Plans is a forced proximity, opposites attract romance between a retired football player and an enthusiastic, historically conscious restoration project manager desperate to restore the building she was hired to renovate.
Burke is a grumpy retired football player desperate to get to Florida to commence his retirement following a bad knee injury which ended his career. His sister, niece and nephew are in Florida so it was a given he would retire there. Unfortunately, an estate lawyer tells Burke that Chris, his best friend left the entire property to him after they passed away unexpectedly. The property was falling apart but it had remained important to Chris and his family therefore no matter how grumpy and frustrated Burke gets; he knows that he has to fulfil the couple’s wish if not for himself then for their surviving daughter.
Charlotte is a highly successful historian that has a special interest in historically rich properties that she’s hired to manage through their restorations. Chris and his wife hired Charlotte to restore the property, so it was as historically accurate as possible. After their unexpected deaths, Charlotte was left reeling. Not just from their deaths but also the loss of the property and what it meant to her.
Therefore, when Charlotte and Burke meet, they don’t really hit it off but agree that the restoration is important and surpasses their dislike of one another.
This was definitely a slow burn with loads of tension, cute moments and toe-curling romance. I loved this. It showed the challenges you face when grieving, the realities of being a woman in a male dominated field and in general that falling in love isn’t as negative as Burke and Charlotte made out.
I love Karla Sorensen’s writing and her balance between amazing romance and highly emotional scenarios is amazing and I look forward to reading more from her!
Thank you for the eARC!

Thank you Karla Sorensen & net galley for the ARC!

I adored Burke and Charolette so much. My heart just ached so much for Burke! Charolette had me laughing with the banter. Charolettes aunt & her boyfriend not boyfriend were amazing side characters!!!!
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait to see what comes next with this family!

“The wrong person for me in so many ways but absolutely the only fucking woman I'd ever wanted like this.”

Well well well LET ME TELL YOU!!! Burke and Charolette chemistry is off the charts! This was a book I stayed up all night {sorrynotsorry}…

Burke is a retired football who is recently mourning the loss of his best friend when he gets some unexpected news. Does he continue his best friends dream or does he get rid of it and move on?

Charolette is a restoration expert who loves all things family history. She loves to look into things and find the real charm and what makes things special. She also loves a good PowerPoint 😏

When they have to work together to restore an old home; will they be at each-others throats or will it be a perfect harmony? They have an end date for the project but will it get complicated?

This grumpy/sunshine trope got me out of my book slump. Thank you at Karla for my paperback ARC! 🤍

I love a grown-up romance. I love a grumpy/sunshine romance trope. I love home renovation. So this book hits all the marks for me. Karla Sorenson wrote a beautiful love story with a real weight and depth. Both of our romantic leads are suffering from childhood trauma that are preventing them from finding and accepting the happiness they deserve. I’ve been a long time fan of Karla Sorenson, and I think this might be one of her best books yet!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love Karla's writing. She has a way with words that warms my heart and makes it sing.
This is the story of Burke and Charlotte. This is the story of a house renovation. This is the story of grieving. It is the story of self discovery. It is a story of love in all its forms and of facing your greatest fears and hopes.
This story was mesmerizing and heart warming from the first page until the end, and it left me with the most infectious smile.
I highly recommend this book because it was heartwarming and sweet and just the right amount of spicy. I loved loved loved this story ❤️

Burke and Charlotte are the epitome of opposites. He’s quiet and gruff, and she’s outgoing and light! They butt heads constantly, but underneath all of that back and forth is an attraction that they can’t deny. And when they finally give in, all I can say is WOW. That chemistry certainly translates in and out of the bedroom.

This book was packed full of emotions. Neither Burke nor Charlotte have had it easy, and this book was heavier (in a great way) than I was expecting. There were a few moments that had me outright sobbing in my chair (trust me, you’ll know when you get there). There were funny moments and steamy moments. But there were also moments of such tenderness that were beautiful to read.

I adored this book and the supporting characters and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake Publishing and Karla Sorensen for the opportunity to read The Best Laid Plans.

GET THIS BOOK! I honestly don't know what to say. Retire NFL star Burke inherits a dilapidated house and Charlotte is there to piece him and the house back together. They don't know that their past traumas will only draw them together in the end. I can so much but I hate to give spoilers!

3/5 Spice
HEA

The Best Laid Plans is a highly emotional story of finding love, healing, and peace when you least expect it.

The push and pull between Burke and Charlotte could be felt through the pages. Burke is a lost soul trying to figure out what he really wants in his life. You could feel his pain and grief. It broke my heart! But when he would open up to Charlotte, it was so beautiful. These two are opposites in so many ways, but the same when it counts. I love how they interact with one another. The banter and sweet moments helped to balanced out the heavy ones. Their families bring so much more depth to this already deep story. Their path to their HEA isn't easy, but it's perfectly them. Grumpy Burke and sunshiny Charlotte help one another heal and grow.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book. It had a rocky start for me though. I didn't completely gel with how they started their physical relationship. A lot of the build up to it was told rather than shown and it felt like it just happened out of nowhere.

I much preferred the second half of the book where they started to catch feelings. It was only then I started to enjoy the story. The third act conflict was nothing new but I did love the emotion the author brought to her characters.

Pet peeve alert! The book description is written in 3rd person but the book is written in 1st.
The story itself was good,but I didn’t connect with the characters. Almost too much grief for me.

Tropes/Themes:
-MF contemporary romance
-Grump x Sunshine
-Retired Football Player x Historical Restoration Expert
-Grieving hero (his best friend Chris and his wife tragically died in a car accident, leaving a young daughter behind)
-Forced proximity (house restoration project)
-“Who hurt you?” hero
-Mental health rep (grief, panic attacks)
-Slow burn
-Dual POV
-Book #1 in a new interconnected standalone series

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

This latest release from Karla Sorensen was a solid read! It focuses on Burke, a retired football player who inherits a house renovation project after his friend’s tragic death, and Charlotte, the historical renovation expert assigned to the project. I had so many of my favorite tropes that blended together so well. I loved the HGTV vibes and the Michigan setting. The side characters were delightful (especially Burke’s sweet little niece and nephew). Burke and Charlotte were complete opposites but compliment each other nicely. I’m already excited about future books in the series with all of the possible setups we got here. I’d say the spice level was pretty comparable to that of Karla Sorensen’s backlist. The romance (both physical and emotional) was very slow burn and took a while to flourish/come to fruition.

I will say though - Grief and the house renovation project itself really took the forefront of the book over the actual romance. That’s not necessarily a critique since both topics were handled very well and contributed a lot to the relationship development, but it’s definitely something you’ll want to know before diving into it (especially if you’re looking for a more romance-heavy book).

All in all, this was a super solid romance to close out the summer and am excited to see what else Karla Sorenson comes up with!

CWs for loss of loved ones, grief, panic attacks depicted on page, parental neglect/unfair expectations

The Best Men, #1

Burke Barrett was a former Dallas football player who retired after an injury. His best friend died and left him an old dilapidated house in Michigan.
Campbell House is a late 1800's property that meant a lot to his friend Chris, as his grandparents had owned it when he was younger. It has been neglected and needs total restoration.

Charlotte Cunningham is a restoration expert and the project manager that Chris and his wife had hired before they died.

Burke doesn't want to be there or really have anything to do with this house. He is grieving the loss of his friend. He feels obligated to fix this house up but he wants to sell it and move on.

He and Charlotte butt heads right off the bat on this house. She wants to make sure that it's done right for the time period and also done the way Chris wanted it. But there are still so many decisions to be made and that just irritates Burke more. Why can't Charlotte just make the decisions?

Can the two of them work together to get this done? This chemistry between them will turn into something more and are they willing to risk it?

4 stars

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!

Burke and Charlotte are on fire. The banter and chemistry jumps right out at you. So sweet and funny. Ms. Sorensen is a phenomenally creative writer and she did NOT disappoint! She brings characters and places to life. The Campbell house sounds amazing and I would love to be friends with Charlotte and her Aunt Daphne.

This is an incredibly well written book by this author as usual. I love the way Karla Sorensen writes emotions and feelings. The amount of grief and loss was just a lot for this season of life. Still a lovely romance, I just think I needed to be in a more emotionally open place.
This is an example of it’s not the book, it’s the reader.

I’ve read Ms. Sorensen’s work before and I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read by her, but I have to say this one was a bit different and really exceeded my expectations. Yes, it’s the grumpy hero and the girl full of sunshine, but it’s much deeper and more emotional than that. I really enjoy a slowly developed relationship like Burke and Charlotte’s. Their characters were well developed and had depth that I sometimes find lacking in many contemporary romance novels lately. I get insta-love, but sometimes I just want to read the courting and “getting to know” each other part of a romance–the parts that make you “feel” their attraction for each other. For me, it’s makes for a much more enjoyable and emotional read. This book also deals with grief in a realistic and organic way that I really appreciated. I would most definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something a bit different in the contemporary romance genre. I’m grateful to have been given an opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book for NetGalley.