I loved, loved, LOVED this book! Karla Sorensen has entered the "auto-buy" tier of authors for me. The characters were so delightful, with relatable issues that required work by the characters to move past. I also really enjoy when the female is the "grumpy" one in the grumpy-sunshine trope.

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen
Ok I don’t know about you but I’m in love with Griffin King. He was the absolute perfect book boyfriend. He was pretty perfect in every aspect and I hated that any one ever made him feel less than how amazing he was. I especially hated that it was as his own twin brother the one who made him feel so empty and insecure about himself. Then we have Ruby I hated that she felt so uncomfortable in her own skin. However her reasoning made complete sense why she would feel that way and it broke my heart. So I love that they reconnected as adults because they were both in need of each other without even knowing it. They were each other’s missing pieces and they didn’t even know it. I absolutely loved their journey and how much they cared for each other. Fear can be scary but love can overcome it all. Definitely a great story and I’m looking forward to what comes next.

This book had me hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. The connections and relationships in this book were amazing and the chemistry was on another level. Add this to your tbr list and you wont' be disappointed.

As usual, I devoured a Karla Sorensen book. Probably some of my favorite banter in a book by her ever. The way the they talked to each other added another layer to their chemistry. I loved learning more about the characters as the story progressed. It was serious but with the right amount of humor that it made for a very balanced and enjoyable story.

So much is going on in this story, the two main characters, Griffin, who is now a football star, and Ruby, the shy librarian, would not be a perfect couple, but they work. It also helps that they lived next door to one another while growing up, and they were able to work out some of those past issues. Griffin is also dealing with issues with his brother, who has stopped playing and has become a coach. He still feels less than because of past issues with his brother and those days in college. A good story about forgiveness and finally finding someone.

FMC Ruby is a rule follower and exceeds everyone’s expectations (a true Good Girl). She also loves her life as a small town librarian. She is 30 years old and just wants the elusive “more” from life. She has lots of friends, but no intimacy or romantic relationships. She decides to hire a male escort to help her overcome her fears and to teach her about romance. Enter MMC Griffin King who shows up to the coffee shop at the same time as Ruby’s scheduled meeting. Ruby mistakenly thinks Griffin is her escort AND she remembers Griffin as the boy who was her neighbor and teased her mercilessly. She had a crush on his twin brother, Barrett. Griffin is a pro football player in town to lay low and await a new contract. He his thrilled to run into Ruby again and more than willing to play whatever role she wants him to play and teach her whatever she wants. A swoony romance story ensues as does some terrific banter! The chemistry between these two characters is palpable and Ruby and Griffin have everything needed to make you eat up their story! I really, really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for more books in the series!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

•Griffin & Ruby
The Kings book 1

*I was provided an ARC of this book by the author and their promotional team

I said it once, and I'll say it for months to come, this is one of my FAVORITE reads of the YEAR!!

Ruby Tate is tired of being the shy, inexperienced, small town girl. As the librarian her little town in Colorado, the dating pool is "small"...if not, non-existent. Desperate to spread her wings, she signs up for an "escort" service to get some dating advice. In a fateful turn of events, instead of her assigned "date", she come face to face with none other than football royalty Griffin King. The two where childhood neighbors, but when Ruby and her family moved away during high school, Griffin forgot about the nerdy girl that used to watch him and his twin brother from her treehouse. The universe has thrown them together again, and Griffin cant help but be intrigued by Ruby Tate. When Ruby's "escort" plans go up in flames, she ask Griffin to fill the role of "dating advisor" before she could give it a second thought. Griffin happily accepts, but pretty quickly he's realizing that teaching Ruby won't be his biggest challenge, it will be trying to resist his attraction and developing feelings for her. Ruby has made it clear that she's not a safe bet when it comes to a long term relationship, and since Colorado will soon become Griffin's new home, he's not sure he can let her go knowing she's so close...

I love a good opposites attract, classic athlete/ nerdy girl story which Griffin & Ruby encompassed, but their story has SOO much more heart. Griffin King is the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC, and the way he continually showed up for and supported Ruby was my absolute un-doing. The little plot twist in the middle of the book had me in shambles, but I never rooted for a couple harder. I resonated so much with Ruby fear and hesitation to commitment so I admired her bravery in letting Griffin in. I laugh, cried, smiled so big, and kicked by feet in excitement while reading this book. It's the PERFECT blend of emotions and I cannot thank @karla_sorensen enough for a PHENOMENAL READ!

*available on KU

I absolutely adored this book. Ruby and Griffin just fit. There was no extreme over the top love it was a friendship that blossomed into a huge love. They learned from each other and grew personally. The side characters were absolutely wonderful. It all just felt right. Which I should never expect anything less from Karla. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book

Karla Sorensen delivers another winner with this one! Ruby Tate is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for—a shy, bookish librarian who’s spent most of her life playing it safe. When she accidentally mistakes her childhood crush, pro football player Griffin King, for the escort she hired to help her overcome her fear of intimacy, the resulting mix-up is total rom-com meet-cute. Griffin, with his easy charm and unexpected depth, is the perfect foil to Ruby’s cautious nature. What starts as an awkward misunderstanding quickly turns into a tender, slow-burn connection that had me grinning like a fool.

Sorensen excels at crafting characters who feel real—flawed, layered, and impossible not to love. Ruby’s journey from self-doubt to self-assurance is beautifully written, and Griffin’s playboy-with-a-heart-of-gold persona is balanced by moments of surprising emotional depth. I loved how they challenged one another with their respective long-time issues, but also made each other look to the future in different ways.

And yes, this book *did* make me cry—just a little—but in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars - Lesson in Heartbreak has so much heart, heat and just the right amount of humor, its darn near perfect. Childhood neighbors meet again as adults and Griffin isn't bored anymore and Ruby can't get away with letting life pass her by any longer. Reading these childhood friends reconnect and fall in love was really special.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lovely love story between a shy 30 year old librarian Ruby and her childhood neighbor now turned pro athlete Griffin. LESSONS of any kind are always fun but when it's built on underlying friendship and undeniable desire is HOT.

The characters were really good, the banter perfect and the love story to die for.

#LessonsinHeartbreak #NetGalley

This was a great start to The Kings series!!

The first sentence of the blurb is literally all you need to know going into this one.

I love how this story played out. These two got to know one another at a level they keep hidden from everyone else. I love how they each showed one another something in each of themselves they just never believed they could have.

I went into this book expecting one thing and got more and I love that. This is a wholly character driven story and I could not love either of these character more for one another.

Lessons in Heartbreak has all the feel good vibes we love in a romance book. Definitely grab this one!

This is a cute romance that starts with Ruby's crush on her twin neighbors Barrett and Griffin, and ends with her falling in love. Since the last time they saw each other she's had a difficult journey with her physical health and is afraid to trust anyone with the potential outcome. Griffin is the perfect match for her and I really enjoyed their love story from start to finish. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job voicing these characters.

“Sometimes it took the right person, seeing through your armor and knowing that what was on the other side was worth fighting for”

I have read the “teach me” trope before but god no book has ever done it this perfectly as this book. the fact that Ruby is not a 18 year old virgin but is a 29 year old with less experience and feels left out and wants to learn how to be more confident and seductive is a representation I needed to read. there is no other word but perfect for that rep.

Griffin's extrovert/sunshine-y and charming personality with that soft, kind and emotional heart was the perfect counterbalance to Ruby's shy, introverted and anxious self. yin and Yang that couldn't have been better. the emotional depth to both of them - Ruby's story and struggles and the King Brothers rivalry and Griffin's insecurities over it added so much more value to the story - it made the book one of those unforgettable ones. little tender moments are what makes this book special.

i didn't expect to love Marcus and Lauren so much but they were so cute ( and hot!!!). Every Barrett mention gave me more to anticipate. i can't wait for his book next!

What can a reader expect -
- sports romance
- NFl player × librarian
- extrovert MMC × introvert FMC
- the classic Good girl × bad boys
- fangirling over old classics
- emotional
- spice rating 🌶️🌶️

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen
The Kings #1

~ Thought provoking story that kept my interest from beginning to end ~

What I liked:
* Ruby Tate: only child, librarian, controlled, has trust issues, fears commitment, loving parents, good friend, community leader, wants to step out of her shell and experience life
* Griffin King: the “fun” twin, professional football player, talented, good friend, has a sense of humor, a bit of a tease, outgoing, open to new experiences, wants to help Ruby
* That Ruby and the King twins were neighbors when young and Ruby had a crush on one of them
* The nickname “Birdy” that Griff called Ruby and its origin
* Lauren & Marcus: good friends to Ruby & Griffin, attracted to one another, supportive, wise friends
* The meet cute in the coffee shop when Ruby and Griffin reconnect and the assumption Ruby makes…too funny
* The honest, open, mature communication between Ruby and Griffin
* That Ruby and Griffin bring out the best in one another and are better together than apart
* The growth both characters make by the end of the book
* The impact the books and movies Ruby suggested to Griff had on him and his teammates
* The backstories of Ruby and Griffin and how what happened in their pasts impacted them
* That the story had me researching to find out more about a medical condition
* Thinking about the idea one should grasp life with both hands and enjoy every moment to the fullest
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing that made me care and also feel a part of the book
* Knowing that Barrett’s story is next and that his children, Maggie & Bryce, will show up in that book, too ~ They were a handful but a fun part of the story

What I didn’t like:
* The rift between Griffin and his twin Barrett
* Thinking about how I would have coped if I had been in Ruby’s shoes when she was 24

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Karla Sorensen is always one of my auto buy authors. I have devoured every book she has written and this one is no different.

Obsessed with the slow build up between Ruby and Griffin. Ruby has done everything in her life by the rules and has avoided intimacy and relationships because of this. Griffin helps Ruby deviate from her safe path and experience things.

Highly recommend this book.

I absolutely adored this opposites attract sports romance featuring a pro football player hiding out at his agent's cabin and the local small-town librarian. Funny enough, they used to be neighbors as kids, but they reunite when they meet again years later, and she divulges some info she really would've rather not to him thinking he was someone else she was meant to meet. Griffin and Ruby's relationship changes wildly during the course of the book, and it's so much more than I even expected.

I couldn't get enough of these characters. Griffin's this charming, comical football playing MMC that wound up being even better than I could've hoped he would be. He wasn't just this predictable player; he was sweet, caring, and much deeper than I thought at first. And Ruby is this cute and clever heroine that's delt with a lot. While they might not seem suited to each other at the start (at least according to them), I loved seeing them evolve.

Also, the storyline unfolded perfectly. Their (re)meet cute had me giggling, and it just got better and better from there. The way it all developed and how their relationship grew sucked me in from the get-go, and overall it's just so well written. Sorensen never disappoints, and I'm so excited to see what else she has in store for us with this series.

Lessons in Heartbreak is a must read for any sports romance lover. It's fun, banter filled, and at times emotional, and I highly recommend it.

I wanted to like this but ultimately there were just too many tropes and I couldn’t get into the characters. On paper, they should have had chemistry, but I just didn’t feel it. I don’t know if it was me and it not being the right time to read it, or if it was writing, but this book was a miss for me.

Griffin has a reputation as a bit of a naughty boy. He needs to take some time away to straighten things out and help his football career. Ruby loves being a librarian in her hometown. Her problem is that she needs a love life. How do they end up coming together?

Griffin goes back to his hometown to get out of the limelight for a bit. He ends up in a confusing situation when Ruby assumes he is the escort she hired. I like that Griffin has a sense of humor and can roll with the silly. It was also good that the author gave him a twin brother and introduced an interesting backstory with them. I like that Ruby recognizes that she is struggling with the whole romance thing. I like that Ruby loves her hometown and is very relatable. The two of them were really cute together and I like how they get to know each other. There are side characters that help them along their journey. I am looking forward to finding out what the author does with some of the side characters.

This is a small town romance. This is kind of a second chance romance but not exactly since they went to school together but didn’t have much to do with one another. It is sweet and a little silly. It made me smile. I will read more from this author in the future.

I really don’t know how Karla Sorensen keeps doing it but I can always relate to her characters even though we are very different in so many levels.

In this case, Ruby is a 30-year-old librarian, a decade younger then me but still I could relate to so many of her feelings and thoughts.

Ruby used to know Griffin King back when they were kids but she has no idea he is a very famous football star so when they have a surprise meeting in her small-town coffee place she is mistakenly thinks he is someone else she is waiting to meet and she end up telling him very personal information about herself.

I don't want to give up too much information about the plot (as always, I read the book without reading the blurb so I could enjoy the plot and be surprised) but I will say that Lessons in Heartbreak will make you feel many emotions while reading it, it was funny, it was sad, it was heartwarming and it was sexy.

I loved the fact Ruby and Griffin had a prior knowledge from childhood and we got to read a little about them as kids.

Griffin's relationship with his twin brother , Barrett , are a big part of the story and it shows a different side of him. Ruby knew them in times when they were good friends but we soon learn about a big rift between them and we learn more about Griffin in the years before he met Ruby again.

Ruby has a past of her own that we slowly learn more about during the book and the more I learned about her the more I wanted her to have a happily ever after!



I loved the Easter eggs Karla gave us readers and how we got to meet characters from previous books, it's always fun for me to re visit fav characters. I also loved the secondary characters of Lauren, Ruby's best friend and Marcus, Griffin's old collage friend and now his new teammate.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Lessons in Heartbreak and I can't wait to read about Barrett.