omg this book is ven better on audio!!

I completly adored the first one but the second? I LOVE IT. Everything was perfect in the plot, the chemistry between the mail characthers was UNREAL and I truly can't wait to read more from this author - she nail it every single time!

4⭐️ | 2🌶

Tropes:
~ Dislike to love
~ Sunshiny book-loving FMC
~ Grumpy Brit MMC
~ Co-guardianship situation
~ Close proximity
~ Slow burn
~ Opposites attract
~ Dual pov

Review:
If you loved the movie ‘Life as We Know It’, then ‘The Best of All’ is a must-read!

I had the pleasure of reviewing both the ARC and ALC, which allowed me to enjoy the story through audio at work while annotating the ARC at home. This dual format review experience was truly enriching!

Liam and Zoe can't stand each other. However, it’s evident to us readers and their best friends that beneath their animosity lies passion. When they are unexpectedly left as co-guardians of their friends' toddler after a tragic car accident, Liam and Zoe are forced to completely change their lives, including living together and becoming parents; a journey that transforms their lives in unexpected ways.

Liam, a hero guarded by childhood trauma, fears loving anyone. Although he doubts he is the right person for Zoe and Mira (the toddler), his actions prove otherwise. He loves deeply and instinctively, even if he doesn’t realize it. Zoe, on the other hand, battles her own demons following a divorce that shook her confidence in finding the right partner again. Despite the slow burn, Liam and Zoe eventually find what they need in each other, both deserving it more than anything. They also become the parents their friends knew they would be, which was the most emotional aspect for me!

This book exceeded all my expectations! The slow-burn romance between Liam and Zoe builds with palpable tension, leading to moments of electrifying intimacy. The storyline, while heavy, is beautifully lightened by their developing love story. This book perfectly captures the essence of ‘it's always been you’, and with every layer revealed, I found myself falling deeper for the MMC. This story made me smile and cry, and its impact was powerful and lasting!

Listening to the audiobook added another layer of enjoyment. Samantha Brentmoor's performance was stellar, particularly her British accent for Liam, which blended seamlessly with the rest of her narration. Shane East also delivered a compelling performance as the conflicted Brit, bringing a lot of emotion to the story. The slow burn makes it suitable for listening at work, though be prepared for some emotional moments!

Overall, this delivers a heart-pounding romance filled with deep emotions and beautiful character development. It’s a story that sneaks up on you, leaving a lasting impression. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful and emotional love story!

Karla Sorensen is a go-to author for me and this book showcased exactly why. I loved Liam and Zoe's story so much. There were a lot of tears but it was so worth it in the end. I loved watching their relationship evolve and the love they had for Mira. The narrators were excellent - it was honestly a perfect performance!

I thought the narrators were great!!!!! The story reminded me of a movie that I can’t remember the name of lol. But it was very cute. I loved the sprinkle of spice. It was a great pallet cleanser for me. I will definitely be reading more from her

"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."

- Co-guardians
- Sports romance (British NFL player) x accountant
- Grumpy (him) x sunshine (her)
- Forced proximity
- It's always been you
- Slow burn
- No breakup
- 🌶️/5
- Dual POV
- Narrated by Shane East and Samantha Brentmoor (free to listen via KU)

Premise: Basically, the movie Life As We Know It. But make him a British NFL player who's always secretly loved you and the kid an adorable 2.5-year-old girl.

The Best of All has everything I want and crave from the perfect romance book:
- an extremely grumpy British MMC who's basically Roy Kent if he played NFL. His emotional depth and character growth were a highlight for me. We see him not wanting anything to do with Mira and Zoe, begrudgingly accepting them into his life, being a total cinnamon roll with Mira, and letting Zoe in one personal question and vulnerable moment at a time. It was a journey, and I loved every single second.
- "It was inevitable, I suppose, that this tiny little girl would be the thing to knock over the first brick, to shove through all the mortar and bindings keeping the bricks in place."
- an FMC going on her own journey who doesn't take Liam's sh*t.
- a freaking cute kid who says things like "I hold you" to a grumpy man 😭.
- a delicious slow-burn romance (think Mariana Zapata) brimming with tension and a dash of spice at the end. This also means no breakup! "You are a weapon of mass destruction, love." 🫠
- absolutely amazing audiobook narration. Hands down one of my top audiobooks of the year!

If you want a book that will make you laugh, tear up, and swoon, I need you to read or listen to The Best of All and thank me later.

When I tell you this book gives good grump, it really gives!! Liam is the grumpiest hero but he is no match for Zoe and Mira teaming up on him to melt his heart!

“Part of life is having to stumble through the shit when you can’t see the outcome. You don’t know how messy it’ll get, and you don’t always have a perfect plan.”

This story was heartbreaking healing all at once! Zoe was ready to do anything and everything to take care of little Mira after her best friends passed away tragically, leaving their daughter in her care. That is until their final wishes of shared guardianship are revealed with Liam, the man she can’t stand to be in the same room with let alone share custody of a grieving child with. But vowing to do whatever is best for Mira, Zoe sacrifices her sanity and embarks on what turns out to the best unexpected twist of fate in her life!

“Just because you two are in this situation with Mira doesn’t mean that real, beautiful feelings can’t blossom from such an unexpected place. Don’t let the unlikely nature of it keep you from the possibility of the kind of love and family you’ve always wanted.”

Grumpy, gruff, and stubborn are the perfect words to describe Liam, but once he let his heart finally open, he was absolutely charming! And it was oh so satisfying when he finally fell! His love for Mira, his little “ducky” was the sweetest and you know a hero is completely gone for the heroine when he plans the absolute cutest date! Zoe’s heart in turn stood no chance against her once supposed enemy, she didn’t need to be strong and guard her heart after all. And I of course loved the neighborhood ladies book club! They had no shame in ogling Liam and pretending he was all their book boyfriends come to life! Overall this story was sweet and charming and gave me that happily ever after feeling I crave! 🫶🏻💕

“It was always her, even when I tried to think about something, someone, anyone else. Always Zoe. It would always be Zoe too. There was no escaping it, even if I wanted to. I wasn’t sure I did anymore. I’d suffer the want of her for the rest of my life without complaint.”

Adored this book!

If you are a fan of the movie Life As We Knew It you have to read this book! Liam and Zoe are not friends but their best friends are married, so they constantly see each other. It is so clear though that under the dislike is so much tension and attraction for each other. When their best friends are in a fatal car accident they are both appointed as guardians of their friend's toddler. Their lives completely change as they take on the responsibility of raising a child together.
This book is full of so many emotions. The grief, love, tension, anger, attraction and so much more are palpable. I adored the development of Zoe and Liam's relationship. They both have past trauma that makes it hard to trust and open themselves up. But they are what each other needs and they grow into an adorable family with Mira.

Tropes:
💕Co-Guardianship
💕Hate to Love
💕Roommates
💕Grumpy Brit Hero
💕Sunshiny Book Loving Heroine
💕Football Sports Romance

I loved this book. It was a slow burn perfection. He’s grumpy and broody and she’s sunshiney. Forced together because of a tragedy, bound together by a two-year-old girl. Their love is epic, perfection and wonderful.

The writing was so good. The narration as perfection. Shane East and Samantha Brentmoor seriously nailed it.

Tropes:
Grumpy x sunshine
Slow burn
Football romance
A two year old little girl

The Best of All is a must read and listen! I loved the audiobook of this book. It was so fun and sweet to hear it all play out. the narrators were perfect and helped moved the story along with an emotional and sweet take. This gave me life as we know it vibes and it makes for the perfect sweet book. Fans of Abby Jimenez will love this book. Liam and Zoe can't stand each other but when life forces them together they must set their differences aside and find a balance and wave the white flag. This is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story with a guardianship/new parent take that I thought added onto their story perfectly. its steamy, sweet, emotional and the perfect romance to swoon over that will leave you feeling happy and soft inside afterwards. I highly recommend this book!

The Best of All, book 2 in the The Best of Men series, continues the grieving process for the group of friends that a deceased couple left behind. In this entry, we see Liam and Zoe becoming the co-guardians to that couple's little girl. I can't even imagine the situation they find themselves in. It is devastating.

I felt for the sweet little Mira, and watching her bring these two lonely souls together. I really found her to be the star of the show and I loved all the page time she got. Their care for her and love for her parents were shown in how they were willing to look past their dislike for each other and give her a great future. There were some moments that just broke my heart.

However, I didn't really connect with Liam and Zoe as a couple until right near the end. I know part of that was the agonizing slow burn but I also just didn't feel as much spark as I wanted to.

There were some great things about this novel, but I was left feeling a bit bereft in the HEA. I wanted more.

Frenemies to love
Close proximity
forced guardianship
grumpy/sunshine
he falls first
slow burn
sports romance
cinnamon roll hero
British hero


Audio review
Narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor, Shane East
Narrators were great as usual. I rsoiked the emotional scenes with Liam and his background story. The emotion was heartfelt.

After the deaths of their two best friends, Liam and Zoe have shared custody of the little daughter left behind. Zoe goes all in but Liam is not happy or accepting of the situation. It makes for an angsty situation.

This was a wonderful story. It was amazing watching Liam shed his grumpy exterior for baby Mira. You will definitely melt in the scenes he has with Mira. He call her Duck because of her love of ducks. They are too cute together.

The relationship between Liam and Zoe was definitely a slow burn. It truthfully started when they first met, before Zoe married her then fiancée. Liam fell hard. Now Zoe is divorced and they share custody of an adorable 3yr old. It was their time . I loved the questions to get to know each other. It add to the slow burn. Each question pulled off a layer to reveal the person underneath.

Great story with wonderful characters. The book club ladies were awesome and good for a lot of laughs.

"The Best of All" by Karla Sorensen is narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Shane East. It tells the story of two single adults unexpectedly becoming caregivers to an orphaned girl. The plot, while not unique, is made captivating by the narration.

The book follows the journey of Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine, who become co-guardians of their mutual best friends' toddler, Mira. Liam is a commitment-phobic professional football player while Zoe is an optimistic romantic. As they navigate this predicament, Liam and Zoe embark on a journey of personal growth, discovering things about each other.

The audiobook's highlight is the British twist brought by Shane East's narration and Samantha Brentmoor's smooth, bantery voice. Their performances add depth and charm to the story.

Despite the strong narration, the book falls short in some aspects. The slow-burn romance feels anticlimactic, as the story ends just as Liam and Zoe become a couple. Witnessing their journey as a couple or family would have been more engaging. Additionally, the lack of a solid connection to either of the characters makes it difficult to fully engage with their story.

Overall, "The Best of All" is a cute romance audiobook worth listening to, especially for fans of slow-burn stories and British accents. While the plot may not offer a unique twist, the narration by Brentmoor and East elevates the experience.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley to listen to and review; all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Forced Proximity, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, I wish there was more to the ending but I loved the male main character Liam! Trauma brought them together but together they have it all. This was so sweet I had teary eyes a few times! The ending is very fast and It left me wanting more of this couple!

This was a great dual POV, he falls first, grumpy/sunshine guardian romance that sees the best friends of one couple left to care for their toddler daughter when they both die in a car accident.

Perfect for fans of books like The godparent trap by Rachel Van Dyken, this was a slow burn, steamy pro-football player and recently divorced woman pairing that sees them both learning how to co-parent together.

I really enjoyed the emotional depth and mental health rep in this book as well and it was excellent on audio narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and sexy Shane East with his English accent! Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance audio for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This audiobook just was not for me. I hate that, because I was really looking forward to it! It just didn’t capture or keep my attention.

This was a cute romance with some great tropes, I was sure it would be a banger for me, but it was just lacking something. It fell flat, I didn't feel any connection to the characters or felt like the characters truly had a connection together. It was also way too much of a slow burn for my liking which eventually made me loose interest as nothing was truly happening. It was okay, just not my favorite. I am truly in the minority for this book though, I do believe a lot of people will enjoy it.

Rating: 4.75/5
Steam: 2.5/5
Warnings: parental abuse (in past), grief, loss of a parent, divorce

Thank you to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for this advanced listener copy, all opinions are my own.

Beyond excited to get this ALC to reread one of my favorite books of 2024. It is also the second time in 2024 that I have given a Karla Sorensen book five stars...what is she doing right now? Whatever it is, it's working wonders because her latest work is simply phenomenal. Perfect for fans of the film, Life as We Know It, or the Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken. This guardianship romance delivers on every front. With a perfect blend of raw emotion, tension, and humor, it was everything I didn't know I needed.

Liam was so grumpy and closed off, for good reason but to see this man open his heart was pure perfection. He didn't understand his feelings, he wasn't great with words but he showed up with his actions. He was in love with Zoe for TEN YEARS, waiting for his shot, pining for her and then he got the girl. This book was such a slow burn, you could see the relationship development and the tension throughout the story.

Zoe, on the other hand, embodies strength, kindness, and a fierce protective instinct as a mother figure to Mira. Her curiosity and spirited nature complement Liam, creating a dynamic relationship that unfolds beautifully throughout the narrative.

The intricate dynamics between Liam, Zoe, and Mira tug at the heartstrings, particularly the tender moments shared between Liam and Mira. Their bond is portrayed with such authenticity that it's impossible not to be moved, especially with her nickname duck.

I have discovered that Sorensen writes grief very well, the balance of humor and romance make these romances so real and raw. she captures the essence of human emotions. You can't help but laugh and cry throughout the whole thing.

Favorite Quote: "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."

✨️💚✨️Audio Book Review✨️💚✨️

Book: Best Of All
Author: Karen Sorensen
Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Okay ... okay. This dang book absolutely emotionally destroyed me.

Having a 3 year old son and reading about the struggles of this little girl and the main characters was so amazingly heart breaking and beautiful.

I loved this book so much and devoured the audiobook in one day.

My favourite part was: for the first date he takes her to a book store, pays to have it completely empty of people, and then buys her any book she wants. Yup.

You get:
• Sports Romance (Soccer)
• Reformed Play Boy MMC
• Enemies To Lovers
• Believes In Fairytales FMC
• Found Family
• Grumpy X Sunshine
• Forced Proximity

I am so excited to read more by this author! I highly suggest you pick this one up on July 16th through Amazon.

Hands down this audio was amazing!!! I love that I got to listen to Liam and his accent made me swoon hardcore. Honestly, this audio was just perfect and I loved getting to listen while I was taking a walk and sigh not from the heat of the temp outside but the temp within Liam and Zoe.

I mean just the blurb had me intrigued but what I wasn’t fully ready for was the massive rollercoaster Karla was going to take me on. This gave me all the happy feels and some very sad ones and not for the reasons you might think. Zoe and Liam have had mutual best friends in Charlie and Amie and when life takes a huge left turn, Zoe and Liam are not prepared for the new road they are on. Zoe has never understood the emotions coming from Liam from the moment that they met. In turn, Liam found it easier to push buttons than allow emotions to rule his mind. You see Zoe has always wanted the fairytale and Liam knew that fairytales didn’t exist.

What we get in this book is two people working through things the best they can. In doing so, they find that they have so much more for the other person than they realized. Yet, as those feelings come to the surface, so does everything else. Karla delivers in showcasing two people that have flaws and own them. They still work hard at their jobs and let’s be honest here, when Liam caves to those feelings, when the walls finally break down, we see this man for all that he is, and he is amazing. He has a romantic side he kept under lock and key. And Zoe, well this lady is the one to bring him to his knees and allow him to be who he is without asking for anything more than he is willing to share or give. They are the most perfect balance, and I loved every second of the story, even the tears. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read The Best of All.

Audio note: The audio is excellent! Samantha Brentmoor always gives stellar performances, and she was even better than usual here. Liam is British, and her accent for him blended seamlessly with the rest of her narration. As always, Shane East delivered a great performance as the conflicted Brit, infusing a lot of emotion into the story. I think this is the best I’ve heard him as well. At around 10 hours, this was a full-day binge, but I was fully engaged in the story the whole way through. It’s also a very slow burn, so you could probably listen to a good portion of it at the office… as long as you don’t mind tearing up in front of your co-workers, lol. It’s a powerful story, and one that is made even better by the audio. Highly recommended in the format.


------


With a torturous slow burn that finally snaps with the most electric kind of tension, a seriously swoony tortured hero, and a storyline that made my chest ache, this was even better than I expected. I liked the first book in the series, but my complaint was that it didn’t FEEL like one of Sorensen’s books, and this was the exact opposite experience. It had everything that I love about her work, from a focus on the slowly building emotional connection, tender moments, and hearty dose of swoon. I loved watching the dynamic between these two shift as they gradually opened up and got to know each other better. It’s a heavy storyline in a lot of ways, but it’s brightened up by a truly spectacular love story. This is “it’s always been you” done right, and I fell for the hero a little deeper with every layer that was revealed. It made me smile, it made me cry, it made me rub my chest with a burst of feels. This snuck up on me in the best of ways, and ended up being such a powerful romance - I loved it!

The story follows Zoe and Liam, two people who are still reeling from the deaths of mutual friends when their lives are thrown into chaos. Liam’s best friend left a young daughter behind, and for some inextricable reason he left her in the care of both Zoe and Liam - two people who have never gotten along. They’ve clashed from the day they met a decade ago, so becoming co-guardians to a little girl is the last thing either one wants, especially when Liam has always made it clear that he doesn’t want a family. But neither has much choice in the matter, and it’s not long before they’re living together and navigating guardianship. Spending time in close quarters threatens to expose the secret that Liam has been hiding for years - he never truly hated Zoe at all.

I knew from book one in this interconnected series that this storyline was going to be heavy, and it is definitely that. It made my heart ACHE sometimes, and the angst did something to my blood pressure. It’s a super slow burn, but there are these little breadcrumbs along the way that made the whole thing worth it. Liam is a complex character who needs to let down his walls before they have any chance of making it to the other side, and I adored the depth of his feelings. I’m not the biggest fan of “it’s always been you” romances unless the hero took that seriously - and I absolutely believed it here. Liam is a stubborn grump who refused to make his feelings known because of “reasons,” but it was incredibly fulfilling to watch him slowly lower his walls. And when those feelings were finally out in the open? It was the most pulse-pounding intimacy I’ve read in a long time, made even richer by the wait. This far exceeded my expectations, and might be my new favorite from the author.