Oh, my poor heart... This story broke it to pieces and put it back together.

With the second book of The Best Men series, Karla really did so so good.

This is the story of Liam (along with his dirty mouth) and Zoe and Mira. It was a story that made me ugly cry the first chapters and then swoon every other page. It was a story about family, about finding your place and recognizing your worth. It is a story about connections, about love and family and friendship. It is a story about lust and soulmates.

Good God! Liam is my new book boyfriend with his English accent and big body and heap loads of insecurities and a huge heart. Just reading about him with Mira is so heartwarming. And him and Zoe? Perfection! Instant chemistry and physical attraction that just amplified along the story... Magnificent!

And Zoe, my brave Zoe is such an amazing counterpart for Liam... Such a beautiful soul that has been dealt some unfortunate cards, she is faced with a present from fate, what she always wanted, but at a very expensive price. So she puts on her big girl armor and takes charge of the situation. And, with the help of Rosa and her friends, she realizes that giving Liam a chance is the best thing for Mira and herself.

This is one of those books that I will recommend without a doubt, and with my entire heart and soul.

4.5/5⭐️
Zoe and Liam have always “hated” each other ever since they met through their friends Chris and Amie. When Chris and Amie passes on in a car accident, they entrust their daughter, Mira, into the hands of Zoe and Liam as co-guardians.

As a mum of two young kids, it was like reality come alive as I read the initial phase when they take over as guardians: the messiness, the tiredness, the tantrums. 😥

The forced proximity also finally allows Zoe to learn the truth – that Liam has never hated her. He was just trying to place a barrier between them as he was attracted to her right from the beginning (when she was unavailable).

The slow burn between them was lovely with lots of banter and care shown through their actions for each other and also cute Mira. I also loved the book club ladies and the friendship that Zoe shares with them.

"It is simple. You're the one complicating it. And if you're too chickensh!t to come hang out with a little girl who misses her dad, then I don't know what to tell you."

The Best of All is the second book in a series of standalones and it is pretty heavy with the topic of death, grief and having issues with a past that still haunts you. Combine that with an unrequited love and we have ourselves quite the doozy.

When the best friends of Liam and Zoe die tragically, they are the two individuals left with the task of raising their best friend's young daughter, Mira. Zoe immediately steps up to the plate and does whatever it takes for the little girl to have a sense of normality, but Liam fights it tooth and nail because he knows he's just not built that way to care for others.

Oh man, how I love an angry grump of a man that is just misunderstood. Heck, Liam wasn't really misunderstood, he just had some really big issues from his past that was going to haunt him until he could face those demons. But luckily, Chris (his best friend) knew Liam better than he knew himself and knew he was the man he would want to entrust his child to. I loved watching Liam battle his feelings and emotions not only for the man he thought he was, but also his feelings for a special little girl and for someone that he pined for for about a decade. You could feel the goodness in this man with his growly actions moreso than his words. He might have made it kind of difficult to connect with him initially, but it was those little things he did that endeared me to him. A beast of a man that was more of a lover and protector than he really knew.

And Zoe. That woman was a darn saint. She stepped right into her roll as a caretaker for Mira and tried to make that little girl's life filled with as much normalcy and love that she could. She upended her own life and even lost a man that she was dating for this little girl. She was the sunshine to Liam's grump. She was Mira's heart and soul after such a devastating loss, but she also was having a difficult time balancing her own life with no help. Luckily, she had a great neighbor in Rosa that lightened up her life just a bit when things got too dark.

This story may have started out tragically, but watching two opposites come together to raise a child that isn't theirs was something special. I immediately was Team Zoe because she was so selfless. And Liam? Well, initially I had issues with his reaction and his ability to just say no. But once that growly, grump of a man made a life-altering decision, I was excited to see what would transpire not only for them as a family unit, but to see how Zoe and Liam would change from frenemies to lovers.

The Best of All was a SUPER slow burn of a romance, but the forced proximity of living in the same house in order to raise Mira worked in their favor. The tension between them was low-level electric, but it simmered for a VERY long time and I would've loved to have seen them give in to their feelings earlier. But the way they worked together and the way they loved Mira in their own ways was magic.

Overall, this was a Solid 4.5 stars. Liam and Zoe (and Mira) were a perfect combo. I loved their family unit. The banter, the grumpiness, the book club ladies (I have a soft spot for the wise older characters that play important roles as a supporting character), and even Liam's teammates that pushed him when he needed it, they all added their moments to the overall arc of these story.

If you enjoy:
frenemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Co-Guardianship
Grumpy/Sunshine
SLOW BURN
Opposites attract
Sports Romance
Then I highly recommend this story of two people coming together to create their own happiness out of tragedy.

If you love enemies to lovers romance look no further than Liam Davis and Zoe Valentine’s story in The Best Of All (The Best Men #2).
Liam and Zoe may be enemies but when tragedy strikes they need to forget their differences for the sake of their late friend’s toddler, Mia.
When their mutual best friend passes away they find themselves appointed as co-guardians for Mia and nothing is going to stop them loving this adorable little girl but can they do it together……
Zoe is an optimistic romantic and Liam is a professional footballer who is committed to his career and it seems on the face of it they are complete opposites but we all know there is a fine line between love and hate and opposites attract so what does the future hold for this couple and Mia, one click this gem of a read to find out.
This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey and it touched me on so many levels, I swooned, I sighed, I smiled and I cried but in the end I was left grinning and that to me is a sure sign of a great read. I highly recommend this book to all romance lovers, you won’t be disappointed.

I really, really love this.
This book made me sad, made me laugh, made me tear up. Loved everything about it . It is the slowest of the slow burn romance, but it is soooo yummy.

They are just too perfect for one another.

Thanks for this ARC.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Spice: 1🌶️

Admittedly, this is one of the first books I've read by Karla and it will definitely not be the last! The plot was on point and captivating, filled with secrets, honesty, friendship, unconditional love and faith. The story literally had me in a chokehold!

From the very first encounter 10 years ago, Zoe and Liam have never seen eye to eye. With each of their best friends, Amie and Chris being a couple, they've had to civil at best.
However, that all changes when their best friends are involved in an accident. Zoe and Liam not only lose Amie and Chris' forever, but unexpectedly become guardians to their 4yo daughter, Mira.

To say this book is a roller coaster of emotions is an understatement. I really felt for Zoe and Liam, who have had to put their grief aside and join forces, to care for Mira. I loved seeing the gradual shift in Liam, in terms of becoming a better person. Whilst he had demons that questioned his capabilities of showing love and affection as Mira's guardian, I loved how Zoe and Mira managed to chase away his insecurities and gradually build up his confidence. Zoe was such a strong and resilient FMC, who literally the glue that held them all together. Despite the hardships she's had to overcome the past few years, she doesn't let that dampen her outtake on life and love itself. I was totally rooting for them and was so elated that Zoe finally got the HEA she totally deserved 💗

This book will definitely break your heart but ultimately mend it in the best way possible. Definitely not one to miss out on!

Thank you to Karla and Netgalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

I read The Best Laid Plans last year and had loved it. But there was a scene featuring this super brash British linebacker, and a sunshine girl - the the child they were both guardians to - that stuck in my head. So when I got a chance to read their book early and find out more about those characters that drew me in, I jumped at it.

📕 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The Best of All by Karla Sorenson

📙 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: The Best Men character series. Book 2.

📗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀: E-book ARC on Kindle.
Courtesy of NetGalley. 🆓 on KU to read & listen.

📘 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemporary romance

📔 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: Sports (football), grumpy/sunshine, grief journey, forced proximity, he’s loved her all along.

📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: After losing their best friends in a tragic accident, Zoe and Liam learn that they are both the guardian for the couple’s young daughter, Mira. As they are forced to work together, they’re also forced to confront a decade’s worth of tension between them.

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: This book lived up to the hype I had in my head for it.

From the prologue, I was hooked. Karla Sorenson is great at weaving deep emotions into her books, and did an epically good job creating both Zoe and Liam. From the jump I was attached to them, and their inner monologues were so romantic.

This was a slow burn - but done in such a way that I almost enjoyed the tension. Sure I was yelling “JUST KISS HER ALREADY” to my kindle by 70% but the payoff was all worth it.

Man, be careful on this one if you’re sensitive to a grief struggle, though. I cried several times, and I’m still a bit melancholy after finishing.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: 2.5/5 🌶🌶

📝 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲… You don’t have to read The Best Laid Plans first, but I definitely recommend reading both books. It’s such a good story.

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

4.5 ⭐️

Oh how I loved Liam and Zoe and little Mira! Their emotional journey was one for the ages. This book had me by my heartstrings the whole time. My emotions went on a beautiful journey of grief, loss and so much love.

Liam Davies is a grumpy, commitment phobic, British, tattooed football player. He, along with Zoe Valentine become guardians to their best friend’s daughter Mira after their friends are killed in a tragic accident. Liam wants nothing to do with being a father figure while Zoe jumps in head first. Zoe is divorced and her closest friends are The Golden Girls from the neighborhood. As they navigate through their grief and putting Mira first they also learn about themselves as individuals and as co-parents. Zoe also learns more about Liam and why he has such high walls in place and acted as he if he hated her. His story is actually heartbreaking and once he shared it with Zoe it was a pivotal moment for their story as a couple. There’s also nothing better than watching a man lose his heart completely to a child who adores him unconditionally.

This book was a slow slow burn but oh my, the pining and angst was next level. Once Liam finally gave into his feelings for Zoe he was all in and it was actual fire. I may have melted a little bit. This book is a companion book to The Best Laid Plans as both books characters were friends of the deceased couple.

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

Freaking amazing. Just like all Karla Sorensen books this was such a great freaking read.

Liam and Zoe suddenly thrust into a dual guardianship of their best friend’s daughter Mira. Despite how much the two quarrel they step up and become a family for little Mira. This book was not just about two people who take guardianship of a little girl but of how two people heal and find love.

Liam had the most epic transformation in this book. His story was so heartbreaking and watching him grow into the man he was supposed to be was beautiful. It really made the whole book.

Being adopted myself it always warms my heart to read about people like Zoe who love other peoples children just as fiercely as if she was her own.

100% recommend this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Thank you to the author for an arc of this book for my honest review

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of this book!

I really throughly enjoyed the ride of this book. I loved the dual POV and the fact that he was so gone for her from moment one. I liked the story starting off with some interactions pre- major life change and then continuing on after that. I loved the opposites attract and the random confessions he would let slip out of his mouth when he was so private other than that.
There was a fun group of older women featured as friendships that I enjoyed.

Overall this book was a big win for me and I love reading the authors stories!

I had to suspend belief for the conversations occurring with the 2.5 year old. So I think she should’ve been just a bit older to make that more believable.

This book is a slow burn! Kinda Mariana Zapata vibes- which I LOVE!

Steam level 3. Stars 4.

I loved this so much!! This series is quickly becoming my favorite from Karla!

The depth, the romance, the spice were all top notch.

This is one of those books that you simultaneously can't put down, but don't want to end. I just wanted to savor this story, it was that good. I was pumped to dive in when I realized this was Liam, the grump who got the kid. It didn't disappoint at all. I loved how much more to the story there was. I loved his little nicknames for Mira. How she loved him. It gets emotional, but it's also so sweet, so lovable, I can't even put better words to it. I absolutely loved it.

Oh my goodness, this book! Seriously, my heart was all over the place reading this one. I knew from the first book that this one would tug at the heartstrings and boy, did it!

Liam and Zoe are the godparents of this adorable little almost 3-year-old. Their best friends (Mira's parents) pass away in a terrible accident and with no family on either side, but with loving and trustworthy friendships with Liam and Zoe, they leave them in charge of raising their little girl.

Zoe is a romantic at heart and has always wanted a happily ever after and a family. But she's now divorced, grieving her best friend, and suddenly a single mom to a young girl who is still grappling with her parents being gone.

Liam, who is still dealing with demons from his childhood and other fears, is totally unprepared to co-parent Mira and really does not want to be involved. Especially with a woman he doesn't have the best relationship with (which is really his fault.) These two have had a difficult "acquaintance" since the moment they met, and however adamant they are that they won't be able to do this together, they do finally put aside their issues and learn to make it work.

I loved being on this journey with them. Moments of laughter and hilarious banter lighten the mood, as does sweet little Mira, all while the 3 of them learn to grieve and grow together. This unconventional little family was everything and I adored every minute of this book. Some moments had me kicking my feet from the sweetness and others had my eyes watery and my heart breaking. Liam and Zoe allowed themselves to be vulnerable and raw, but never let it get in the way of doing what was ultimately right by their friends and Mira.

Thank you to Karla and her team for the opportunity to read this early. Karla's books always seem to stick with me and I know this one will be no different!

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

While this is the 2nd book in The Best Men Series, it does read as a complete standalone. The first book is connected but follows a completely different couple. It is also amazing and I highly recommend checking out Burke and Charlotte's story in The Best Laid Plans. I feel like you could read the books in either order as they take place simultaneneously in the wake of the loss of couple Chris and Amie to a horrific car crash and their wishes change the lives of their closest friends. In this installment Liam is our hero, and as Chris' best friend he has been granted co-guardianship of their daughter with Amie's best friend Zoe.

Liam has never wanted a family, so not only is he grieving the loss of his best friend and two of the best people he has ever known, but now he has to come to terms with why they would put him in charge of their almost three year old. He is grumpy, broody, and he has some deep rooted issues that he isn't ready to face quite yet. Zoe on the other hand throws herself into taking care of Mira, she knew about the guardianship plans, so it came as no surprise to her, but she is also deep in her grief while taking on sole caregiver responsibilities of the little girl. Any parent knows that taking care of a toddler is tough with two parents, but when Liam refuses to help at first she is overwhelmed and forgets to take care of herself. As a mom, I related to that so much, it is easy to get lost in taking care of your family and forget about your own needs and self-care, even when you don't have extenuating circumstances like Zoe and Liam. After some thought, Liam decides to step up and help out. Mira instantly takes a shining to Uncle Liam, and despite his misgivings about not having a clue what to do with her he does just fine.

Zoe and Liam have been at odds for the decade they have known each other, turns out it was all a miscommunication and a wrong place wrong time situation. Now that they are forced to spend a lot of quality time together and play nice for Mira's sake, they find that they actually enjoy each other's company. Once they open the flood gates on the romantic feelings sparks fly and the chemistry between them is wonderful.

This book brought me to tears several times, so you are going to want to have tissues handy. Between the grief the characters feel over the loss of their friends, taking care of Mira, the issues they discuss about their past relationships both with their families and other partners, it is quite the emotional rollercoaster. The romance is a bit of a slow burn and it is more on the sweet side than the spice one. It takes Liam a long time to open up, but it is worth the wait when he finally does. His character development was excellent!

Overall, I loved this and I highly recommend it.

Karla Sorenson is the master of slow burn! Liam and Zoe get custody of their best friend's little girl (Mira). To say Liam was hesitant to take on this responsibility is an understatement. He was adamantly not going to get physically involved with Mira. He finally gives in and goes 100% all in. It’s cute the way he interacts with her. Liam and Zoe end up moving into their friends house so Mira is comfortable. By the time Liam and Zoe get together, I was so involved that I felt like I was the one orchestrating it. KS has a way of drawing me in that I don’t even notice until I have to very rudely come back to reality. Great storyline, relatable characters, and a fantastic end. I think I would have liked to see Liam take Mira to the Michigan football game since we got a hint of this interaction in The Best Laid Plans, but the story was great without it. Highly recommend!

This was a really good slow burn story. It was clear in their relationship that there's a fine line between love and hate. Zoe immediately stepped up after the death of her best friend to become guardian of their daughter, Mira. Liam had to grow into his role of taking care of Mira and trusting himself. Their romance and care of Mira develops throughout, but isn't full until the end. They make an amazing family!


*ARC courtesy of the author and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to thank the valued author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

“All she had to do—all she’d ever had to do—was simply be there. Stand there. Look at me. Breathe. That’s all it took, and I was desperately, impossibly inflamed.”
Liam Davies, Zoe Valentine and Mira were such an adorable trio. We learned of Mira and her parents tragic passing in the first book, The Best Laid Plans. However this is where we got to know the adorable Mira and her new guardians Liam and Zoe.

Liam and Zoe have known each other for a decade but have never been friendly. Always bickering and never wanting to be near each other but now they have co-guardianship of their best friend’s daughter and have to navigate this new life together.
“I wanted to be close to her. Wanted to see her smile. And I wanted to push her as far away from me as humanly possible, because proximity to Zoe Valentine was dangerous.”

There was so much tension between the two but they were just perfect together. I loved the push and pull and as we got to know Liam better it all made sense as to why he was the grump that he was. This was such a great story and I am so happy that Mira has such great guardians in her life after such tragedy at a young age.
Thank you @karla_sorensen for the ARC!
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “I could live off that sound, Valentine. Give me more.”

Karla will forever be a favorite author of mine for the very reason that she makes me love these broody men who play sports!
With this grumpy /sunshine, sports romance where they share custody of their friends child is such a wonderful read. You get all those fuzzy feelings when you read this story.

Liam is a grumpy Brit that you will hate to love. He has his walls so high that he lost track of them. But it is a beautiful thing to see those walls crumble one by one!

Zoe is a ray of sunshine with sass and a love for books. She is my hero! Her tenderness in this book melted my heart. Zoe is the glue for Mira and Liam!

There were moments when reading this book that I wanted to shed a few tears. But so many moments left me smiling and laughing. You get a little girl who loves ducks more than most things. And two people trying to navigate a new life they never saw coming.

I love anything Karla writes and will continue to fall in love with every one of her characters.

When the grumpiest British guy and the sunshiney girl get guardianship of their best friends’ little girl after their tragic death, there’s bound to be some drama ensue.

Liam and Zoe have had a very rocky relationship since they met 10 years ago. They always would pick at each other and honestly I thought Liam was a jerk most of the book. But then you start to see WHY he’s so closed off and does not want to be a guardian of the little girl. It’s more about his fear of becoming like his father more than his capability of being a great guardian.

I loved seeing his character growth over the book and how he started to really open up to Zoe and the little girl. When they went to see the child therapist together, it really shed a lot of light on him and I thought that part was so sweet.

You’ll like this book if you like these tropes:
Friends to lovers
Roommates
He’s always secretly wanted her
Shared guardianship
Grumpy/sunshine

Two people who have been on the periphery of each other's lives are thrown together when tragedy strikes their best friends. Liam Davies has always been less than pleasant with Zoe Valentine. He has his reasons. When they're named guardians of Mirabelle their lives descend into a little bit of chaos. Zoe jumps in with both feet doing everything she can for Mira, while Liam wants no part of it. Fortunately, Mira's adorableness and Zoe's sunshine are too much for him to resist.

I think Liam is the grumpiest MMC Karla has ever written. He's rough, and not just around the edges, you can feel his disapproval wafting off the page. He's one hundred percent sure that he's not fit to be a parent/guardian to anyone. Zoe is the complete opposite, she's determined, despite not being sure how she's going to make it; but she's doing the absolute best she can despite Liam initially abandoning her to raise Mira alone. The transition from "I'll never stay" to "I'll never leave" is heart-achingly sweet. Is there anything better than the biggest, grumpiest, most foul-mouthed man buying plastic duckies to help a toddler get over her fear of the water? No, no there isn't. This is also, quite possibly, the slowest burn in the history of slow burns. The tension, the interruptions, I thought I was going to explode with the anticipation. Two books in a row now Karla has made me cry, actual tears running down my face. Fantastic book, all the stars.