This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. At first glance I thought this would be a steamy romance between a playboy football player and a small town librarian but it ended up having more depth than I expected. It highlighted a different kind of grief, a journey of recovery, self acceptance and love.

I loved the slow burn and gradual relationship they built. There was acceptance of each other, patience within their communication, and healing of physical and emotional scars.

The ending felt a little chaotic but I kind of just accepted it and liked how it turned out overall.

The audiobook was perfect. Honestly I’d listen to anything Samantha Brentmoor narrates. She kills it every time. First time listening to Aiden Snow and I have to say that man has the deepest voice I’ve ever heard. I was a bit shocked when I first heard him. I highly recommend this book in audio format.

Perfection!

I absolutely love Karla Sorensen's books! I loved this storyline, and the characters are easy to like! We get a sports, opposites attract, old friends to lovers trope that was charming and warm-hearted. There were times my heart squeezed, I laughed, smiled, and I teared up too! Loved their bantering. A wonderful read! Now I'm going to listen to it!

I have now listened to the audiobook, and it was perfection. I loved the narrators. Definitely favorites of mine. I could listen to them all day. Their voices are so smooth. They gave an emotional performance that had this audiobook rolling like a movie in my head. I wasn't ready ready for it to end.

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen
The Kings series #1. Contemporary romance. Alternating first person POV.
Ruby Tate has always followed the rules and exceeded her parents expectations. At thirty, she’s a respected small-town librarian with the right degrees and volunteering. She has friends but avoids intimacy. She’s just not comfortable with that. Wanting to get past her fears, she hires an escort thinking that’s the best way to avoid heartbreak. She mistakenly believes Griffin King is the escort when he sits at her table in the coffee shop. She remembers Griffin as the twin that was always teasing her when they lived next door to each other. At fifteen, she didn’t know how to deal with that. Even now, she’s not sure, but she’s ready to learn.
Griffin King is in town to scope out a potential football contract. He can’t believe he’s run into the shy Ruby again, and he’s happy to play the role of escort and teach her whatever she wants.

Swoony romance with innocence and a player mixing it up. Although Griffin doesn’t really come off as a player, but maybe that’s because he’s more or less, hiding out in a friend’s house. The two have chemistry left over from their teenage years and time hasn’t lessened the attraction. Sizzling banter and fun to make Ruby comfortable, this couple has all the vibes that make you want to keep reading. A bit spicy, a bit sweet, a whole lot of romance and love.
Alluring. It’s my first book by this author and I’m going to be looking at the backlist.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to keep.

4.5 Stars
I enjoyed this book so much! Griffin and Ruby were such a delight to read. I loved the opposites attract trope in this one. Ruby has her reasons for being shy especially when it comes to pursuing the opposite sex. When Griffin shows up in her small town it's a blast from the past. Griffin is so much more than what his reputation is giving him by the playboy title. Griffin gets so much more out of helping Ruby than he ever thought. Man I swooned when he started reading his library books and then the movies he started watching, but the most swoon worthy point is how he makes Ruby feel about herself. There is plenty of humor in this one. The banter between Ruby and Griffin is on point. Then things get quite hilarious when Griffin's teammate Marcus comes to town. I'm intrigued by the rift between twin brothers. I'm hoping we get Griffin's bother Barrett's story soon. Don't even get me started when Griffin is in uncle mode. Talk about swoon! Both Ruby and Griffin do some soul searching and healing. I was so happy for Ruby. She's been through a lot and to see all dreams she never though possible come true, beautiful. A must read!

A sweet, spicy romance featuring small-town librarian, Ruby, and big-deal football player, Griffin. Ruby and Griffin were neighbors growing up, but didn't run in the same social circles. Ruby feels like she's missed out on dating and intimacy, and needs someone safe to teach her. Griffin has been misunderstood and needs to shake his reputation. With Griffin in town for only a few weeks, this temporary match seems to meet both their needs. But what happens with the fake dates start to feel oh-so-real?
Ruby and Griffin were just adorable together! I especially loved how they took time to really 'get' each other, when so many others just overlooked them. Karla Sorensen writes small-town romances so well, and this is another satisfying story in her collection! Note: I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Summary:
Ruby is a small-town librarian who is ready to get some lessons in dating. Enter Griffin—a professional football player who lived next to Ruby when they were growing up. When Ruby tries to hire an escort for some “experience,” she ends up awkwardly enlisting Griffin to give her lessons instead. What starts as an innocent arrangement quickly becomes something deeper—but can they keep their feelings out of it?

Thoughts:
This book had such a fun setup with great character potential, but I’ll be honest—it was a struggle for me to get through most of it. It didn’t really click for me until I was about 75% in. The pacing dragged a bit, and I felt like something was missing emotionally in the middle.

BUT I’m really glad I stuck with it, because the ending was phenomenal. It tied things together in a way that made the journey worth it. Sometimes books don’t hit until the very end—and that was the case here.

Tropes:
🏈 sports romance
📚 opposites attract
❤️‍🔥 lessons in love
💔 emotional healing
🌻 small town

Loved this book! Griffin and Ruby couldn't be more opposite, but they end up bringing out the best in each other. Griffin is a pro football player who is in town to lay low and stay out of trouble. Ruby is the town librarian who is pretty buttoned up and lacks some experience. Turns out they knew each other when they were kids. As they spend time together their friendship grows and before you know it they are in love.

Amazing book!!!

I absolutely loved Ruby and Griffin! Their journey to a happily ever after was such a joy to read. The story was so well written that I couldn’t help but fall in love with both of them! 💙💜

Sometimes book can have all possible romantic tropes and still didn’t get place in my heart. Unfortunately that happened with Lessons in Heartbreak. That story reminds me of a fairytale and now I crave more realistic romantic books.
Maybe if MC had more personality that just “quiet girl with complex” and MMC was more than just playboy — it would stick out to me. But their story only left bitter taste with many “if” if they didn’t do that, if that scene was different. And that’s huge no for me in books

⭐ 4.5

And that's how you manage to have me laughing and crying over a book, Karla Sorensen no doubt that's why you're my favorite author!!!!

Ruby and Griffin's story was charming, it was explosive, it was tender, it was EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO READ, all those little moments left me wanting a thousand stories from them. Griffin is without a doubt a book boyfriend through and through, his personality found me and not to mention how he treated Ruby! Ruby undoubtedly became my new favorite, I just wanted to give this girl a huge hug and tell her everything was going to be okay.

The story is a quick read. It's beautiful with a touch of drama, just like this author's other books, and it will always be a pleasure to read.

I love it when Karla writes a new book... The way she will capture my heart from the first page and keep it going all the way until the end is the reason I adore her stories.
With the start of a new series, I always look forward to what kind of story we will get.
Karla gives us a story of finding love when you aren't looking for it and also some healing and self reflection for these characters as well.

Ruby and Griffin have such a sweet story, and they have so many moments that made my heart grow 3 sizes. Their connection from childhood helped cement that connection as well as fate. Ruby is a shy librarian with the biggest heart and so sweet. I loved the way she came out of her shelf in this book!
Griffin is a loud and risky football player who doesn't take much seriously.
These two together are the perfect balance and could not find a better pair than each other.

As always, when I finished this book, I was itching for more from Karla. I am so excited for this new series, and I already know it is a world that I will love.

Karla does these heavy hitting emotional stories so well, it is like it is her goal to make me cry when it is something I don’t do. Griffin and Ruby’s story was emotional and sweet but I was also really invested in the stories of the side characters and I hope we are going to see more from them.

Ruby is the sweet librarian with very little experience but a past that makes her afraid of the future. Griffin is the troubled football player with a bad rep. Ruby and Griffin knew each other when they were younger and now by chance are reunited while Griffin is temporarily staying in Welling Springs.

The way that Griffin falls for her was so sweet but Ruby is the one who was resistant to relationships. Griffin was so gone for Ruby and was trying to convince her to give him a chance. I’m obsessed with Ruby and Griffin. From their very first scene, their chemistry is undeniable. Their banter had me smiling, and their deeper moments? Pure magic. Will Ruby finally realize she deserves a chance at her own HEA?

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars

Okay, so the "I'll teach you" trope is usually not my thing… but of course Karla had to come in and make me eat my words. 😅 Ruby and Griffin's first interaction? Perfection. Literally hooked me from the moment they shared a page.

I loved that their chemistry didn’t have to be slowly simmered—it was already on a low boil and ready to explode in the best way. Watching them embrace the life they actually wanted to live felt so real and satisfying. And the banter? Hilarious. Sharp. Effortless. Every character brought something fun to the table, and the secondary cast had me low-key already planning my imaginary preorder for the next book. 👀

This wasn’t just a romance—it was a journey, and I was all in for every twist, spark, and laugh along the way. Karla, you’ve got me. Again.

Thank you to Karla Sorenson, Montlake, and Netgalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book, but found it a bit difficult to hold my attention for the first few chapters. However, once Ruby told her secret to Griffin the story held my attention all the way through to the end. After that the characters were shown with empathy, humor, and passion. I found myself rooting for their HEA.

What I thought would be a light, flirty read full of banter and teasing turned out to be so much more.

At first, I found it hard to take Griffin King seriously, and I wasn’t entirely sure if there was any real attraction brewing between him and Ruby. But then—everything shifted. There was a moment when the script flipped, and Griffin realized he was in over his head. That’s when it hit me: this character had layers, and I was hooked. I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

Griffin and Ruby take turns healing each other’s wounds, offering strength in moments of doubt, and pushing through challenges—together. Childhood neighbors with a shared past and an unexpected future. On the surface, they seem like opposites, but maybe they’re more alike than they thought.

And can we talk about the epilogues? Both were beautifully done, but that second one? It nearly wrecked me—in the best way. A life so full, despite all the fears. Truly unforgettable.

Falling in love with Griffin King is effortless. Griffin falling in love with Ruby is beautiful. Watching Ruby fall in love with Griffin is freedom.

The tension in this book is off the charts! The slowest of burns. However, the steam between Ruby and Griffin is melting more than the walls they've put up. Griffin is the jester, the good time, the twin you look to for fun. Griffin wants to be seen as more, but he doesn't believe he can shake the party boy image. Ruby is the opposite. The good girl who never steps out. No wild college parties, no string of men yearning for her. Just a quiet life in a quiet town. Until she mistakes Griffin for a reckless decision.

This is all the hallmarks of a classic Karla Sorenson story. I am excited for the next King book!!

This is one book you can totally judge by it’s cover cause the story is just as delicious!!

If you’re a sucker for a good girl, bad guy romance then this one is for you. Small town librarian “learning 😉” from the dirty talking player. That’s a definite yes for me.

Ruby and Griffin are the perfect example of opposites who absolutely attract and I devoured this book in one session with a huge smile on my face. Definitely recommend.

I absolutely loved your writing style and I flew thru this book. The witty banter had me hooked. The mouth on him was great lol Their chemistry and conversation flow was unmatched. I loved the shy librarian and sports guy combo. It got a tad bit predictable towards the end but overall it was a great read. Can't wait to read more from you and keep on writing!!

This book is a whole emotional experience. My goodness, this story is one of those that stays with you long after you read it. I loved the almost poetic nature of Karla Sorensen's writing, the way she weaves powerful imagery into every scene she writes is nothing short of magical.

Griffin and Ruby are both such wonderfully relatable characters and I loved going on their journey from friends to everything right along with them.

This story how we sucked in from the start. Ruby and Griffin are amazing and both have been through so much. Ruby is shy and reserved, but wants to break out of Rochelle and when you learn her backstory, your heart aches for her. Griffin may be a Playboy football player, but there’s something about the way he falls for Ruby and would do anything for her that just owns your heart. This is a must read.