Title: The Best Laid Plans (The Best Men Book 1)
Author: Karla Sorensen
Hero/Heroine: Burke & Charlotte
Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Home Renovation, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity,

tw/cw: death of a friend, death of a parent, grief, mention of divorce,

✨the good ✨

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a Karla Sorensen book, yet I don’t know why. She has the ability to write an amazing story that pulls you in right from the first page. She also knows how to write a grumpy hero, and Burke was the grumpiest.

After a devastating loss, Burke finds himself the owner of a dilapidated house in desperate need of fixing up. Along with it comes a sassy and determined project manager who is determined to see the renovation through. When I say the banter was full on bantering in this book, I’m not lying . Burke and Charlotte were such opposites, yet you know what they say, they just seem to attract.

This story addressed a lot of tough topics such as loss, grief and a disruptive childhood. Burke and Charlotte had both dealt with their fair share of loss, and it was both heartbreaking and wonderful in equal measure seeing them learn to deal with their losses and finding comfort in each other.

The family dynamics were incredible in this book and I loved seeing Burke grow into his role as a doting uncle. His sister, Tansy, definitely needs her own story, she was amazing and constantly gave Burke shit, which was her right as a little sister to be fair. Charlotte’s relationship with her aunt and her boyfriend was also wonderful, and it brought the biggest smile to my face.

Wonderful and engaging story with some immensely likeable characters, The Best Laid Plans was such an incredible book. Now I need to read Liam’s book, there’s definitely a story there.

✨ the bad ✨

Not a goddamn thing.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.

✨overall thoughts: some of my favourite tropes wrapped up in one wonderful story, loved this
✨ 3rd act break up: yes
✨ heat level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A super sweet romance! I thought it was very well written and I loved the overall setting and vibes. I liked the characters but felt they were a bit cookie cutter and not memorable, they could've been fleshed out better. The grief of these characters took over a lot of the book, and while that's an important topic to touch upon, I wanted a bit more lightness. I still plan to continue reading the series and look forward to reading more from Karla Sorensen!

The first book in The Best Men series. I have enjoyed all of Karla Sorensen’s book and this was no exception. The characters were likable and it had a good romantic story with a plot. I hate when there is no plot! Lol I also love a good grumpy/sunshine trope.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

The Best Laid Plans is a really enjoyable read about Burke and Charlotte who are thrown together by circumstances beyond their control when they have to renovate the property Burke has inherited from his friend. There's an intense push and pull between Burke and Charlotte throughout the book as they navigate their circumstances and the attraction they have between them. There's a strong theme of grief in this book but it was nicely done and I loved the growth both characters showed from beginning to end.

This book was amazing and I wasn't able to put it down once I started reading it. The chemistry between these two was amazing that you can't help but fall in love with these two. Add this book to your TBR and you won't be disappointed.

KARLA SORENSEN - THE BEST LAID PLANS

REVIEW:
If you know me, you'd know that I adore Karla's work, I was esctatic to receive three ARCs in a row by her! I must admit, I went into this story almost blindly, as I read the synopsis and by the time I started the book completely forgotten about it. But fear not, I was not in the slightest disappointed by this turn of events.
Karla is one of my favourite authors when it comes to the best sport related stories, in my opinion. Her characters are well-rounded, their development fleshed out, the romance is romancing and I almost want all her heroes to come sweep my off my feet.

Burke and Charlotte's stories are both centered around redemption of some kind. They were both burned professionally, Burke even had some unfortunate personal matters that darkend his heart quite a bit. Charlotte was whimsical AND professionally really assertive.
Their contradicting personalities provided the most eventful banter, kept the story moving and their encounters were equally fun and emotional.
I loved how step by step, Charlotte was able to crack Burke's outer shell, and how they both learned to work as a team on the jobsite as well as in their friendship, then later during their romantic endeavours.
And who knew Burke could produce this amount of groveling and expressing feelings this big of a way, when one first met him!
I wholeheartedly recommend starting one of Karla's series, you won't regret it!

I love Karla Sorensen. I’ll read anything she writes but I’m saving them as I get closer to completing her backlist. I loved this book. I laughed out loud. I sobbed. Charlotte and Burke are excellent characters. This book is heavy with emotion and grief but also so hopeful and full of joy. It really makes the reader think about life, making the most of the time you are given, and cherishing your loved ones. I can’t wait for Liam’s book this summer!

4:5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this book with no clue what it was about or the tropes and I had such a good time!!

Burke was such a grumpy character at first but you could immediately have sympathy with him for everything hes gone through.

Charlotte is the sunshine character and I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of Burke and Charlotte, their relationship was so fun to watch develop🥰

The grief in this book was portrayed so well and I felt like you could really understand that people handle these things differently!!

I loved the side characters and I really hope Liam and William both get their own books👏👏

“I know that the thing I do best is the way I love you”

y’all. when the meet cute includes handcuffs and the grumpiest of grumps, you better get comfy and prepare for a binge! 🤭

oh my lard, Burke is one cranky, broken but entirely misunderstood man. and Charlotte is the feisty female to see his grump and raise him sweet & stubborn sass. with a decades old farmhouse to reno, these two opposites are begrudgingly joined at the hip until slowly, the dislike simmers into kinda like into really like into I want you’s and I need you’s and MINE. 🫠

the pacing is perfection and, oh my heart, when this man finally lets himself fall and FEEL…unputdownable and unforgettable. in fact, Karla’s signature on any love story is the ability to simmer you with so much heart and heat that you blink up only to realize you’re basted, invested, and more than halfway done!

your best laid plan?? skip the TBR and read them right this second! 🫶🏻

𝘁 𝗿 𝗼 𝗽 𝗲 𝘀 :
🩵 grumpy x sunshine
🛠️ small town
🩵 opposites attract
🛠️ slow burn
🩵 Fixer Upper vibes

I was presently surprised with this one! I have a love for any novel that has any renovations happening in it, so this one was right up my alley. I LOVED the heroine and he family and being handcuffed to the stairs by her family was hilarious, there was quite a bit of laugh out loud moments which is typical of Karla's book so I throughly enjoyed. I could easily go back and re-read this one on audio as i' sure it would be a hoot!

Oh this story. It was emotional, in the best ways. I laughed and cried and absolutely could not put it down. Burke was so broken. Seeing him open up and laugh and feel free was beautiful, and Charlotte, with all her quirks and habits, was so relatable. I truly loved this story! I’m hoping for Tansy and William next! 🤞🏼

This is a good book. The two main characters are Charlotte and Burke. Charlotte is a project manager. Burke is a retired NFL player. Burke’s best friend and wife dies in an automobile accident. They leave Burke a house in Michigan. Burke goes to the house to check on it. It needs a major renovation. Charlotte had been hired by the best friends before their death. There is an instant attraction. They bicker back and forth. They each have issues but together they work it out and fall in love.

It has a good story line and build up of the characters.
It’s definitely a slow burn with some playful tension. I liked how it took its time and was paced out in terms of storytelling and how the characters gave in eventually. It was a fun read by the author.

Burke and Charlotte’s story was full of emotion. Burke goes through so much in this book. He had to adjust to his NFL career being over, the death of his best friend and his wife and inheriting their historical house in Michigan that needs restored.

The story really follows Burke’s grief process and how he handles everything from being his sister’s support system even if the house is across the country to how he handles honoring his best friends while restoring their house that had meant so much to them. These two were so well matched. Charlotte is exactly who Burke needed at that pivotal time in his life. She handled him so well and I enjoyed watching them slowly fall for each other even if they didn’t realize it.

This book made me feel so much. My heart broke for Burke so many times. He had to deal with so much but in the end he was able to figure it out with Charlotte and start a new chapter in his life in love in the house they had restored. The contractor they hired was a fun side character seeing their attraction and relationship before they did. I loved all his little comments. It brought some levity to a somewhat emotionally heavy book.

This book had a slow-burn romance with healthy doses of wit and humor and some much appreciated angst.

Karla Sorensen can write a dang sports romance yall. She is a one click / auto-buy author for me and just keeps getting better. I loved Best Laid Plans and can’t wait for the next release! Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc!

Another amazing book from Karla Sorensen. She manages to capture the characters emotions perfectly and really gives you protagonists to root for.

Karla Sorensen is one of the best at writing sports romance and The Best Laid Plans did not disappoint. The chemistry, the banter, the meet awkward is all perfection. Burke is broody and rough on the outside but full of cinnamon roll on the inside. Charlotte is sunshine and passion and doesn't run from a challenge. They collide in the best ways during a renovation. I adored this book, the audio is amazing. It'll leave you happy and feeling full of butterflies.

Two characters full of childhood trauma, current loss and grief. A story so realistic written that it had you feel with the characters and could relate to them.
A broken hero and his emotional failures. A woman determined to make things work.
When Burke loses one of his closest friends he didn’t think that this would lead him to Charlotte.
His friend left him a house that he hoped that Burke would renovate. Enter Charlotte. Burke isn’t very fond of this idea. But Charlotte doesn’t let him off the hook that easily.
So she includes him in this project. He lives with her at the house while overlooking the renovation together.
That creates tension, and problems. They see each other at their bests and worsts and bring them out from beyond their walls.
This is a slow burn with all forms of emotions.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.