Cover Image: The Best of All

The Best of All

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Member Reviews

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the early chance to read and review “The Best Of All.”

As soon as I finished “The Best Laid Plans” I knew I need Liam’s story and Karla Sorensen did not disappoint. This was a poignant follow up story and I loved reading Liam’s journey with both Mira, the toddler who tragically lost both of her parents, and Zoe, the woman with whom he shares guardianship. There was some humor and some tears as I was reading but I wholeheartedly recommend to readers of contemporary romance. 5 stars.

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This is what I call a palette cleanser read and I could not get through my reading career without books like this!
Light, fast-paced, good amount of spice, ticking all my favourite trope boxes and I could knock it over in a couple of days. Karla Sorensen delivers another solid romance novel that is predictable in all the best ways with "The Best of All" which is book 2 in The Best Men series.
You've got the grumpy commitment phobic pro-athlete with rippling muscles in Liam and the sunshin-ey hopelessly optimistic kind FMC in Zoe. A twist of fate forces them into a predicament they never expected and the close forced proximity causes both of them to feel what they have been denying for years. Whilst the writing is predictable and at times it feels like Sorensen is just filling time it's kind of why we love these books right? Slow burn, angst, miscommunication, it's all worth it when the heat erupts.

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Heartbreaking and sad but so so good at the same time. Finding love and redemption in the midst of grief is tricky to write but this was done so well. Five stars

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After reading The Best Laid Plans, I was super excited to read Liam’s story. I knew he would be perfection, as promised, he’s a grumpy ass 😂 but by the end of this book, I was absolutely in love with him!

Liam is a football player, playing by alongside his best friend Chris. Liam is grumpy and curses like a sailor, he never wants kids or a family. This quickly changes when Chris and his wife pass away in an accident, leaving Liam as one of the guardians of their 2 year old daughter Mira.

Zoe is recently divorced, she’s sworn off men because of her ex husband. She’s been taking care of Mira since the accident, after a meeting with an attorney, she finds out she’s one of Mira’s guardians along with Liam. They don’t get along well, so this is shocking news to them.

I loved Liam, he comes off as such an asshole at first, but deep down he’s not. He’s quickly wrapped around Mira’s finger, he would do anything for her, same with Zoe. Watching his relationship grow with both of them was beautiful, also seeing why he was so scared of getting close. I wanted to jump into the book and give Liam a hug 🥹

This book was absolutely beautiful, if you’re a fan of movies like Life as We Know It, you’ll love this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Montclake for the ARC!

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I haven’t read the first book of the series, however they can be read as a standalone. This was a cute romance and I did very much enjoyed it from the start. However, towards the middle it did fell a little flat for me, and that it was missing something. It’s a slow-burn romance but then I thought at the end it felt a bit rushed.
I did like how it ended that part was very sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a book I highly enjoyed. Its part 2 in two-part series but each book focuses on a different couple. This is about Liam and Zoe who don't know each other but are best friends with a couple who have died and left them as guardians of their young daughter. It was a beautiful story about accepting who you are and moving on. Growing and learning to love. Really an awesome story. I laughed, I cried, and I loved this story and the characters so hard.

There is only one thing I felt could be improved and that was it was too much of a slow burn. Things romantically only seemed to happen in the very last part of the book, and I wanted it a lot earlier. I wanted more romance, and I felt the romance was not enough but the story sort of overtook the romance than the other way around. I still loved the book and story, but I wanted to see the couple's romance more.

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I dove into this book with high hopes. Alas, I was kind of disappointed.. Although there was some pining, it fell a bit flat for me.. Slow burn and I didn't feel any sparks till past the 70%. I really wanted to see how their relationship would blossom and that's what kept me going.
This is not my first Karla Sorensen, it won't be my last for sure. Will I recommend it? Yes, but selectively.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts.

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Karla knocks it out of the park once again! I'm totally digging where she's taking the Best Men series with these two books. This one really digs into the nitty-gritty of human emotions, but it's balanced so well with humor. It's got everything – laughs, tears, and a slow-burn romance between two people who've been through it all. Liam? Oh man, he's a total keeper! Grumpy on the outside, but a softie on the inside. He and Zoe are like the perfect puzzle pieces, and their back-and-forth is hilarious. Seriously, I couldn't get enough of this book – laughing one minute, tearing up the next, and I loved every minute of it!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!

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I didn't feel a strong bond with the characters but it was a cute and fun read. It was your standard rom-com type of romance that gave you cozy feelings but also made you want to throw the book at times.

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Woooo! This was a great read. Found family and love. It was probably my favorite read of the month so far. I read it in one sitting. My heart felt squeezed the entire time! Need this for my shelf

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Karla Sorensen done it again!!

I love her writting and the way she builds up characthers and this book? IT WAS SO GREAT I SWEAR!!!

I loved the main couple and their chesmitry. They were everything and more!!

I lvoed the first one in this series but this one was even better if that's possible, I'm so ready to read more ffrom this author.

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I am forever a Karla Sorensen fan and will read any book she writes! The Best of All tackles hard topics in a sophisticated and sincere way. I enjoyed how Liam and Zoey navigated becoming guardians of Mira, while also exploring their own relationship.

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Well what a surprise, never read this author before but found myself reading well into the night. I laughed and cried (when I should have been sleeping)

Well written, will read more by this author would highly recommend!

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I knew this was going to be an emotional one, how could it not be, but dang did Karla knock it out of the park! Mira is the sweetest little girl and it just breaks your heart those few times she breaks down bc her parents aren’t alive anymore. Not to mention the grief Liam and Zoe work through.

Liam and Zoe, ohhhh the slow burn. Karla is pulling a Mariana Zapata on us in this one in the best way. I love Liam so much, I’m such a sucker for a grumpy, he falls first, cinnamon roll. And Zoe is amazing too. Their enemies (but not really) to lovers is so good. When he admits he wondered if she was his very own Hermione granger the first time he met her, oh my heart 😍

This is right up there with the Marriage Effect and The Bombshell Effect as my favorites of Karla’s.

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Great second in series book! I have read both books in the series but really enjoyed this one...it had a great storyline and a lot of emotion to it. Overall a great read.

Liam and Zoe have known each other for 10 years through their married best friends. There was always a little bit of animosity between the two. Liam could always get a reaction out of Zoe when no one else could and Liam is just a grump. When their friends pass away in a car accident and leave Liam and Zoe the sole caretakers of their little girl, things change in a hurry. Zoe is all in from the get go but Liam walks away. He isn't built to take care of anyone. or so he thinks because of his past. Eventually he starts to get more involved (definitely some guilt vibes) and Mira, the little girl, slowly knocks down the bricks around his heart. As Zoe and Liam co-habitat with Mira, some startlingly revelations come to light...like Liam had a crush on Zoe when they first met but she was engaged. Zoe always thought Liam hated her. Slowly Zoe worms her way into his heart also but Liam isn't prepared to be the man they need yet.

Very emotional, especially for Liam. Was good to have a male main character with such a background and issues. Good characters, storyline and overall book. Would recommend.

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What an all encompassing five-star read. This is number two in the best men series, but they can easily be read as stand-alone, they each feature a different couple affected by the death of two of their friends, but they don’t cross over so much that you would miss anything. Liam and Zoe have to do the unthinkable, and raise Mira as their own after they lost their friends, they have to be the strong ones for a tiny little bundle of energy. They way this story unfolds will envelop you into it, it will have you caring so deeply that when things go off course, you feel them in the pit of your stomach, when they have adorable little moments, even as simple as a hand on a cheek, they will warm even the coldest of hearts. This story is so well written, it makes me desperate to see what else I can devour by this author.

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First of all, for an almost three-year-old kid, Mira's unnaturally eloquent. It was laughable how she could express herself and her wants perfectly one second, and talking in broken sentences in the next one.
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To be honest, the first half wasn't that fun to read. There's a limit to how much a person can read how a grown man yells and growls his days away. Liam was really a stereotypical book grump, which I'm usually okay with, but when your best friend/brother, who has no family, dies along with his wife and turns out to write you as a guardian of his 3-year-old kid, you freaking step up.
I don't care that he had trauma about familial bonds, it was a moral compass thing to me. At the least he could take care of Mira occasionally to help Zoe. The fact that he offered to pay child support in exchange for freedom from his role was maddening.
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Zoe, on the other hand, was an interesting character. She had her shortcomings and she was okay with them, but what stood out to me was her openness. She was open about her feelings, struggles and how she wished to go forward with Mira. Her self-assurance reflected her upbringing as a therapist's daughter.
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The book kept going extremely slow until about two thirds in, they finally caved in to their attraction and they finally started acknowledging their connection.
Liam definitely started redeeming himself, he started asking for advice about his feelings, he was more open with Zoe, and don't let me start on the parts with him and Mira, turns out he was a giant cinnamon roll after all!
The last few chapters went from zero to hundred with how both of them couldn't take their hands of each other. No complaining here.
But honestly, I thought Liam needed more time to open up and actually be 100% in for a relationship. It was weird how everything turned to hearts and sunshine after he talked about his past. His development needed to be more fleshed out.
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The ending was nice and wholesome. They got their happily ever after and I got a good closure.
Overall, it's a nice book once you get through the first few chapters, after that point, everything starts to fall into place.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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Karla Sorenson does it again… another incredible slow burn of Liam and Zoe… it’s been a love hate relationship with them bc their best friends are married. Zoe is newly divorced, Liam is just playing football and they are thrown together by the imaginable loss of their friends. Where they are now the guardians to their daughter, Mira.
Liam’s past makes him not want to engage with anyone, but Mira, the sweet girl slowly opens his heart… Zoe is incredible through the book as her life has changed.
I loved all the supporting characters, how Zoe and Liam grew together for Mira, then together.. to find a happily ever after… it’s a beautiful book!

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Loved this book! This story really pulled the heartstrings. A grumpy Brit and a divorced woman who are always at each other’s throats become the guardians for the daughter of their best friends after a tragic accident. Zoe and Liam. Chris and Amie didn’t have have family to leave Mira to so naturally they chose their best friends. Liam and Zoe have to learn to become parents to an almost 3 year old while figuring out how to work together to make sure Mira has everything she needs. The anger and arguing turns to a slow burn for Zoe and Liam as they work through their grief, last issues, and learn to be a family.

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I really enjoyed this one! Karla is so good at weaving together sports and family and love, and she did so exceptionally well here. I really appreciated the way she had Liam grow through therapy and show that it's not a linear process and takes time.

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