The dual-narrative centers around Ruby, who was a reserved and well-intentioned child and carries that reserved energy into adulthood. Her reluctance to venture beyond her comfort zone keeps her from truly experiencing all that life—and romance—has to offer.

A surprising encounter—and a slightly awkward situation—leads Ruby to reconnect with her childhood neighbor, Austin King. Seizing the opportunity, Ruby boldly asks Austin to help her shed her fears and embrace the excitement of building her confidence around men.

What starts as a mutual agreement rooted in shared childhood memories gradually evolves into a deep, affectionate bond laced with desire. The steam scenes are fire. You can almost feel the heat off these two characters.

I find a lot of romance novels are too short and lack plot development but this one was nice and long with a lot of meat to the story. Austin and Ruby were able to support one another which depended their connection. This is the first novel in a series about the King brothers and I definitely want to check out the next one.

Every time I open a Karla Sorensen book, I know I am in for a great time, and that's exactly how it went with Lessons in Heartbreak.
This story has everything that I love: layered characters, angsty and breath-hitching moments, charming secondary characters, and most of all, protagonists who work through their fears and hangups to find their happiness.
Ruby and Griffin's story went in directions that I was not expecting, which made for a great all-the-feels ride. Plus, the author peppered this one with enough crumbs that made me immediately add the next book to my TBR.
Karla Sorensen writes the most wholesome, make-you-believe-in-love, feel-good romances, and I cannot recommend her books enough!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. I was expecting a quick fun read, and this book over delivered. There was depth and side-characters who give actually good advice, and character growth, and unexpected twists.
While I was worried Ruby was going to be an autism caricature, this was very much not the case and I was happy to see how she developed and grew as the story went on. I was sold on Griffin from the get go and loved him even more as we learn more about him. The chemistry and banter between the two was the perfect balance, and crafted a fun book that pulled on the heartstrings.
I will happily be looking into Karla Sorenson's backlog and reading more in the future.

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen was one of those reads where from the start I could picture myself in the main character. Ruby's shy and quiet nature resonated with me. The writing was descriptive, which made it easy to picture the setting and fully visualize the characters in each scene.
I also appreciated the structure of the book - the chapter lengths were nice, making it a comfortable and enjoyable read without it feeling overwhelming. One of my favorite components of the book was the dynamic between the two main characters. On the surface, they seem completely different, yet as we get to know them on a deeper level we see they struggle with similar emotional struggles. I also liked that they book had an actual plot and the characters grow within it. That said, the ending did feel a bit weird with the car accident - I think the ending could've been written differently. Overall, this was a heartfelt read and I would definitely recommend.

Wow… I got this as a net galley arc and was hooked from the start! Normally I have time to sit a binge books but work and life was busy this week and I didn’t have time to sit and read in one sitting. Every time I had to stop reading my mind stayed with this book! So sweet and endearing… The tension and anticipation amazing! Loved this book from start to finish!

I've been a loyal fan of Karla's for years. Logan Ward is one of my top book boyfriends. So I was beyond excited to see that she was writing another sports romance but this time featuring a timid librarian who wants to get out of her shell. This one was pretty slow to start but I did eventually get into it. Their banter was pretty great, I loved that she didn't fall at his feet like he was so used to. But I didn't really feel the chemistry between them? I'm okay with a slow burn as long as I can feel the tension building but in this case I didn't really see it. It was much more emotional than I was anticipating and I thought she handled it well. Just not my favorite from hers. And because I can't help myself - it bothers me when a book is marketed as a sport romance but it's the offseason and we never once see the MMC playing said sport.

I have read some of the authors' previous work. Lessons in Heartbreak was a little hard for me to folllow at times. The pace of the story was a little slow to compared to Ms. Sorensen's other books.

This book 🔥 😍

The chemistry between these characters was off the charts and drew me in from the start but the depth & vulnerability in the character development was perfection 👌

If you enjoy romance, you definitely want to read this one!🙌❤️👏

Ugh first off, the cover is gorgeous! I knew I was going to love this right off the bat. There’s just something about Karla’s books. Highly recommend!

What an amazing read! Griffin and Ruby were such an amazing couple and I loved their dynamic. I thought that they did a great job of contrasting each other bringing out the best in each other. The ensemble cast made the story better and I enjoyed the conflicts that arose between the characters. I wish that we had spent a little more time hashing out thr relationship between Griffin and his brother, but I did like the amount of time we spent with Ruby and Griffin.

4 stars

Ruby needs advice on her love/sex life, but lives in a small town without a ton of options. Her friend encourages her to enlist professional help, but she mistakes her hot childhood neighbor Griffin for said professional. Griffin is a professional football player in need of an image improvement. Ruby and Griffin have an instant connection and teach each other a lot about life and love. I really appreciated the characters journeys over the story and getting to see multiple glimpses into the future.

I usually really enjoy the dating coach trope, but feel like the use of a Las Vegas sex worker as the intended coach was unnecessary and didn’t add to the plot. love. There were a few tear inducing moments during the book that had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you Karla Sorenson and Montlake for providing this ARC via NetGalley. Comments and opinions above are my own.

#LessonsinHeartbreak #NetGalley

Another fun read from Karla Sorensen! Fans of her work will enjoy this new title and series filled with witty banter, fun tropes, and steamy scenes.

The second Lessons in Heartbreak hit NetGalley, I immediately requested it. I mean, a dating coach trope (which is criminally underused, by the way)? AND Karla Sorensen writing it? Sign me up.

This book was everything I wanted and then some. Karla’s signature blend of emotional angst, tender moments, and genuine character growth is on full display here, and I felt every bit of it. Ruby and Griffin’s story is heartfelt, sweet, and painfully relatable in the best way.

Ruby is one of the most relatable FMC I’ve ever read. Her struggle with trying new experiences, her anxiety, her determination to push herself outside her comfort zone all hit so close to home. And Griffin? Griffin King is a literal dream. Patient, kind, funny, and devoted in a way that had me melting. He sees Ruby, truly sees her, and loves her wholly.

Their love story isn’t rushed. It grows naturally, built on trust, friendship, and deep emotional connection. There’s tension, vulnerability, and some truly beautiful moments that had me on the verge of tears. (Okay, I might have cried more than once.) Especially the scene where Griffin finds out about Ruby’s secret. He was so kind and patient and loving and I just FELL for him in that moment. The extended epilogue? Absolute perfection. It gave me everything I didn’t even know I needed and cemented this as probably my favorite Karla Sorensen book to date.

Read if you love:
✨ Childhood neighbors to strangers to lovers
✨ A swoony NFL player with a soft side
✨ Mistaken identity
✨ Lessons for dating/flirting
✨ A quietly strong FMC navigating fear and love
✨ Banter, chemistry, and all the feels

Lessons in Heartbreak needs to be on your radar! I adored this book from the first page to the last, and I’m already anxiously waiting for more from this new series of interconnected standalones.

Thank you to NetGalley, Karla Sorensen, and Montlake for the eARC.

I found this to be a very light read! There were certainly some dramatic and emotional elements on both characters' ends, but at the end of the day it was an easy read to get through. Even though it is nearing 350 pages, it sort of felt like a novella to me- mainly because the majority of the book takes place within a 2 week period. While I do appreciate the multiple epilogues that allowed us to see into various points of the future, I think having the book take place in that short of time frame made the love story seem a little less vast than normal to me. The side characters- mainly Lauren and Marcus- positively added to the story! I hope Griffin's relationship with his brother is explored more in his brother's book which is presumably coming next? While I wasn't blown out the water by this, it was still enjoyable enough and I will recommend it to whoever I think may like it. Karla Sorensen is an auto read author for me, no questions asked! Thank you to Montlake, NetGalley, and Karla for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 3.5 Stars

This romcom pumps the heart each breath.

Lessons in Heartbreak is truly one of a kind. Karla created a beautiful dynamic between a playboy, a shy girl and Jimmy the Hooker.

The first three lines of the story had me laughing off my butt so hard that I cried and reread. Are rabbits better than dogs? Ruby decides quickly.

The book interweaves with romance from the 1800s to present day. How intimacy can be light, yet so powerful.

Ruby asked Griffin to “teach me how to make a man want me." He helps her with confidence, banter and heart. Ruby helps Griffin see the man he really is and not what everyone or himself even knows.

There are scenes where your spice seeking eyes go up and down with a comedic sigh..

Ruby finally sees confidence in herself and is brave for what she needs.

New rule, naked Tuesday. I am in!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this early copy for Lessons in Heartbreak. This was a fun, easy read about reconnected childhood neighbors whose lives went in opposite directions. Ruby was relatable with her fear of commitment. I love when a strong man is brought to his knees by a little woman and Griffin did not disappoint.

This was a great time and I would definitely recommend to others!

I loved this book. It wasn't too long that it was intimidating, but I didn't want more when I finished. It was paced incredibly well and I loved the characters! Griffin was especially lovable! Ruby was so sweet and it had my favourite tropes (Childhood neighbors to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, (a little!) slow burns that make you crazy!

Overall, it's a quick easy read and I recommend it to all. Thank you, Netgallery for the arc!

The moment I saw Lessons in Heartbreak on NetGalley, I had to grab it because it automatically checked off two big boxes for me: 1) a dating coach trope? Obsessed. 2) It’s Karla Sorensen—need I say more? And let me tell you, this book was EVERYTHING.

Ruby, our sweet, anxious librarian, and Griffin, the unfairly charming (and currently scandal-ridden) NFL player, were childhood neighbors who reconnect in the most chaotic way possible—Ruby mistakes him for the escort she hired to help her get comfortable around men. (Cue the awkward hilarity.) But what starts as a hilarious mix-up turns into something so tender and real, I nearly cried multiple times.

Ruby’s struggle with fear and self-doubt? Relatable. Griffin’s unwavering patience and love? Swoon-worthy. Their chemistry? Off-the-charts electric. And that extended epilogue? Pure, heartwarming perfection.

Sure, some moments felt a little familiar—but who cares when the emotions hit this hard? Karla has a way of making even the simplest love story feel personal, like you’re right there with the characters, rooting for them.

If you love:
Ꮺ Childhood neighbors-to-lovers
Ꮺ Grumpy/sunshine with a twist (Ruby’s secretly the strong one)
Ꮺ Slow burns that make you ache

…then Lessons in Heartbreak is your next favorite read. Sweet, steamy, and packed with emotion—I’m already counting down to the next book in the series!

Final thought? Read it. Devour it. Fall in love. 💖

(Huge thanks to NetGalley & Montlake for the ARC!)

3.5 star. This was a cute read. I liked the emotional aspect woven into Griffin and Ruby’s relationship. Overall, a fun, quick read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

3.75⭐️
ARC REVIEW!!!

This was a very cute fluffy book I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were all great and very entertaining Ruby and Griffin were so cute I loved them from the beginning the banter straight off was perfect I knew it would be a fun read. There were definitely some cliche moments but it still made for a great book. I hope that we get a Barrett book next I would love to read his story!! Overall very cute and fun I would definitely recommend!!!!!!!