I'm a huge Karla Sorensen fan, and as is true for anything that she writes, this story did not disappoint.

What stood out most was the character development of both Ruby and Griffin. Each of their arcs was significant and distinct, while being dependent on the other.

4 ⭐️

4.5/5 stars!

This book was such a surprise for me considering the tropes (not a usual fan of playboy x inexperienced), but I shouldn't have expected anything less from Karla Sorenson.

The amount of development and depth from both main characters in this book is what truly shined through for me, which led to a more impactful relationship and romantic progression.

Ruby started out as quite the mystery, but as you learn more about her experiences and fears, things make sense and it makes it that much more exciting to see her fight her fears and do things she's scared of all while staying true to herself. I just want to wrap her up in a big hug!

Griffin, what a hot hot man, has to be the bigger of surprises though. Anyone who knows me and what I enjoy reading about knows I am not into playboys, they normally just give me the ick. Griffin, though, defies the odds, though, as he made the book so enjoyable and was just all around swoon-worthy. His insecurities are something he also had to fight, in which he did to be a better man for Ruby.

There relationship feels like a third character because of how much it grows and evolves, it was so great to read and made me wish it was real because I am SO invested (lol). Wish there could be a whole another book with the rest of their lives.

"Happiness-true joy-was soaking up the tiny moments we had with each other, seeking contentment in living everyday life with a person we loved, no matter how long that might be. Forever wasn't long enough, not if we had another fifty years, but even what I'd had with her was the best time in my entire life."

My first book by this author, and I loved it! The characters and story were compelling! Can’t wait to read more!

3.5 Stars

Lessons in Heartbreak is book 1 in Karla's newest Series The Kings. It's centered around a quiet and shy librarian Ruby, and a popular hotshot football player Griffin. They are childhood neighbors who are reunited after years of not seeing each other.

The one was a slow start for me. I struggled a bit to connect with either character, and I feel like their connection could've gone a lot deeper than what it did. This also spanned over a two-week time period, so I definitely feel like things could have progressed farther had they had more time together. There were parts of the storyline that I wasn't a biggest fan of either, but overall I enjoyed the premise of this story and things definitely picked up by the end.

LESSONS IN HEART BREAK BY Karla Sorensen
The King's Book #1
Griffin and Ruby's story
Tropes: friends to lovers, forced proximity, sports romance
This book was an instant love for me. The connection between Griffin and Ruby was beautiful and swoon worthy! Watching Ruby bloom into a more confident self because of Griffin was pure heaven. The banter between them was natural and funny at times. This was definitely a heart warming romance and I really look forward to more of Ms. Sorensen's King's series!

I really wanted to love this because the premise was so good! And while I do think Karla is phenomenal with writing complex, intriguing characters you want to root for, I just found the plot boring.

This book was the slowest of burns, but that is what we love Karla for.
Chronic Illness, friends to lovers, professional athlete, spicy lessons, found family.

Lessons in Heartbreak is a romance between a shy, awkward librarian and the very hot football player who used to be her childhood neighbour. Overall, a cute outing between the characters, but only if you can really suspect the disbelief between thinking he would fall for her. Her acceptance of "oh he would never fall for me" to was way too rapid to be believable for me. Worth a library read.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Griffin is a playboy football player who is sent to the mountains to stay out of the spotlight while his agent works on getting him signed with another team. There he meets the librarian who he knew as a child. They end up more than friends but each one of them have issues to work through. This was a great romance book.

I loved this so much that I really hoped I'd get an audio copy but I'll happily spend the money to hear this book again. Shy librarian meets playboy. How can you possibly say no?

Infinity stars for this one. We get Ruby who is shy, wears cardigans, loves books, stays home most of the time, awkward, no confidence, but so loyal and honest and fun. (So basically I see myself in her!) Then enter her old neighbor Griffin. Except he's no longer the boy she remembers, he's this beast of a man that just wants someone to believe in him, but is stuck labeled by his past.

You do not understand how thoughtful this man was. He was EVERYTHING to Ruby and for Ruby. This author took you for a deep dive and forced you through every range of emotion while reading. At one point I gasped so loud (and probably said a few choice words 🫣) while fighting a losing battle with tears, that both of my kids were asking what was wrong.

You have to read this. I need a physical copy for my shelf. I also need the author to write a book about Liam pronto. Please and thank you.

This smalltown, childhood friend's book was wonderful. The banter between Griffin and Ruby was fun to read.
Ruby is the town's librarian who is afraid of getting her heart broken. Griffin is from her childhood and a pro football player.

When their paths cross because Ruby needs help there is no denying the chemistry they have!

📖 ʟᴇꜱꜱᴏɴꜱ ɪɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋ – ᴋᴀʀʟᴀ ꜱᴏʀᴇɴꜱᴇɴ
🎧 ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ: ꜱᴀᴍᴀɴᴛʜᴀ ʙʀᴇɴᴛᴍᴏᴏʀ, ᴀɪᴅᴇɴ ꜱɴᴏᴡ
🗣️ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʏᴘᴇ: ᴅᴜᴀʟ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (ʀᴜʙʏ ᴛᴀᴛᴇ & ɢʀɪꜰꜰɪɴ ᴋɪɴɢ)
⏱️ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ʟᴇɴɢᴛʜ: 10 hrs and 23 mins
ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴɢꜱ, ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1

"Lessons in Heartbreak" by Karla Sorensen just SLAYED me! 🎧 If you're into those super swoony small-town romances with a killer slow burn and all the feels, you NEED this book in your life!

This story centers around Ruby Tate, our shy, never-been-in-a-relationship librarian in her thirties, who bravely decides to hire an escort to get over her intimacy fears. But plot twist! Instead of the escort, her childhood neighbor and now famous pro football player, Griffin King, shows up! What?! Griffin, with his "player" rep, secretly admires Ruby and volunteers to help her in the "friend zone." Watching him give her "lessons" in confidence and dating, while their friendship deepens into undeniable chemistry, is pure magic. Karla Sorensen crafts characters who are so real, dealing with their own pasts (like Ruby's medical history and Griffin's family drama), making their journey to trust and love incredibly beautiful. You'll be rooting for them SO hard!

🎧 And the narrators?! Samantha Brentmoor and Aiden Snow were phenomenal. Samantha perfectly captured Ruby's vulnerability and growing confidence, and Aiden brought Griffin's charming, slightly notorious, but deeply protective vibe to life so well. Their dual narration pulled me right into their heads, making every emotional beat feel authentic. Such a fantastic listen! 🤩

If you're craving a forced proximity, opposites-attract, sports romance that delivers on all the feels and a truly satisfying HEA, stop what you're doing and grab this one! It’s everything you want in contemporary romance.

Tropes: Small Town Romance, Sports Romance (Football!), Slow Burn, Forced Proximity, Opposites Attract, Childhood Acquaintances, Good Girl/Bad Boy (sort of!), Friendship to Lovers, Healing Hearts.

4🌟 — So. Much. Heart. Obsessed!

#LessonsInHeartbreak #KarlaSorensen #TheKingsSeries #AudiobookReview #SportsRomance #ForcedProximity #OppositesAttract #SlowBurn #RomanceBooks #Bookstagram #AudiobookLover #MustListen #BookRecommendation

GodDAMN this book is good. Karla Sorensen is a one-click author for me and this book was swoony, steamy, 5-STAR magic!

I loved these two and their shared childhood memories. From their funny reconnection to the last page of this book I was hooked!

SPICE LEVEL: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive sex scenes, may have harsh language.
CONTENT WARNING: heart disease, non-fatal car accident
FEELS: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.
POV: Dual - M/F - 1st Person

I really liked the flirtiness of this book! Ruby is so sweet and just the right amount of awkward to identify with. Griffin is a sweet man who basically stood by Ruby, helping to build her up so that she became who she needed to be to be with this hockey player. I have to admit that I was a little late to the game and ended up having the opportunity to read and listen as part of the KU experience and I loved the opportunity to live through this book with Aiden Snow and Samantha Brentmoor narrating. I smiled a lot through this story and just having the auditory magic bring it to life- perfect. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the arc, and sorry life got in the way of a timely review but thank you all the same!

Aahh Ruby and Griffin were easy to read. Loved the banter between these two.

Ruby is a good girl, shy librarian and has trouble in the dating field. She pays an escort to teach her to be more confident and help her secure decent dates, but then Griffin walks in. It's all fun and games from there. Ruby doesn't know Griffin is a big time playboy football player that's hiding out in her town.

I felt so much for Ruby and I just loved how Griffin was patient with her. How he let her lead and made her comfortable.

I love this author's work. She always has a good backstory to the characters and this book wasn't any different. I can't wait to read more of her.

Ruby and Griffin got 4,25 stars

Ruby is a librarian who isn’t comfortable dating so she is convinced by her best friend to hire an escort aka dating coach. She believes that she is meeting her dating coach but after some awkwardness she realizes that isn’t the case and instead it is Griffin, her childhood neighbor and professional football player.

Griffin is facing some changes both when it comes to his career and his personal life. When he finds out about Ruby’s situation he is more than willing to be her teacher however she teaches him so much as well.

At first glance Ruby and Griffin are complete opposites, but they couldn’t be more perfect for each other. He helps her emerge from her cocoon and shows her she is perfect just the way she is while she sees the man he is beneath his public persona and that man will have you smitten. Their journey is romantic and finds the perfect balance between humor and emotion.

This story is so cute! A shy librarian wants some help in the dating department, her old friend, now a famous football player happens to be in the right place at the right time. He helps her with dating tips while he takes so,e time off to recover from his life. Loved the banter between these two. Super cute friends to lovers story.

This book was such an incredible read. The writing was done so perfectly. From start to finish I couldn't put this book down. The chemistry the characters have is off the charts. This is a book you need to get your hands on. The plot is great and well planned out. There is so much of this book that I loved but I don't want to give anything away. I look forward to the next book from this amazing author.

Thank you netgalley and the author for the ARC!
3.5 stars
Karla is an auto read author to me and I did enjoy this book! The FMC is a librarian who is wanting to up the steam level in her life. The MMC is the bad boy previous next door neighbor who is happy to help with the FMC steam level issues.
This was a quick easy read with some emotional elements. It reminded me of RS greys Make Me Bad that I loved. I think if you haven’t read a lot of of this trope you’ll enjoy this one a lot and if you’ve read a lot of this trope you’ll still enjoy the ride but won’t be obsessed.