"I knew two things right in that moment: Ruby Tate was so much sexier than she realized. And I was completely f*cked."

As a librarian and a sport girlie, I RAN to get this, and it quickly became one of my favorites of the year!

From their first introduction back as adults to the very last moments shown, I fell in love with them both. Ruby's a powerhouse; a bookworm in need of romance. She's insecure in herself, with everything going on in her life. And when Griffin comes back into her life, she gets the opportunity to turn it around.

And can we talk about Griffin? The way he instantly starts watching Jane Austen and regency films solely because Ruby loves them? Automatic green flag. The way they reconnect over an initial misunderstanding and it solely becomes the love they always needed.

This book healed me in so many ways. Mended my heart, made me laugh, made me cry.

I cannot wait for more in the Kings series, and I really hope we get Barrett's story.

Tropes:
Football player MMC
Shy bookworm librarian FMC
Childhood neighbors -> strangers -> lovers
Spicy lessons
opposites attract
sports romance

OUT NOW.

A huge thank you to Montlake, Karla Sorensen and NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

What a great sports romance!

This was a fabulous read. I loved Griffin and Ruby were great. The storyline was entertaining and a great mix of second chance, sports, and opposites attract that kept your interest. It was a fun read, and I definitely recommend it.

A phenomenal romance story between Ruby and Griffin. I could not get enough of these two. The tension and banter were off the charts.

The age old trope of playboy x good girl but with a twist. I loved that the author took this timeless trope and put her own spin on it. Our MMC, Griffin, was so much more than his reputation and I loved getting his backstory. It wasn’t that Ruby changed him but that she helped bring out the best in him. There was no changing of ways because what made Griffin such a great MMC was what Ruby loved about him. And Ruby’s character was so well done. She was the girl every first daughter, perfectionist and anxiety ridden millennial could relate to. I already said it once but it needs repeating - the tension and banter was so well done. I would get butterflies and giddy reading this book. I did not want to put it down.

Author Karla Sorensen writes beautiful romances, and that holds true for ‘Lessons in Heartbreak.’ However, as the title may indicate, this is a bittersweet book and my feelings about it are complicated.

This story has strong “A Walk to Remember” vibes. Ruby was a high-achieving kid who has turned into a pretty strait-laced, rule-following adult. But there’s a reason for that.

Ruby had a heart transplant when she was 25. Now, at nearly 30, she knows her life expectancy isn’t necessarily long so she doesn’t want anyone to get too attached to her. However, she does want to experience physical intimacy. Her former neighbor Griffin, now an NFL hotshot, is more than happy to help out.

This is where things get complicated. Obviously, these two fall in love, and this is a romance, so we know they’re going to have a happily ever after. But knowing their HEA may not be as long as we’d hope due to the life expectancy stats post transplant is heartbreaking.

However, as an incident in the book illustrates, no one ever really knows how much time they have. No amount of time is ever guaranteed to any living being.

And furthermore, everyone deserves a love story, including those who have had transplants, and I imagine it could be very hopeful and empowering for someone with chronic illness or a transplant survivor to read this story and see glimpses of themselves.

At one point, Griffin mentions researching and finding a man who had a heart transplant for the same reason at 17 who was alive in his fifties and thriving. A bonus epilogue is 10 years in the future, and the heroine is still thriving, so the story ends on a hopeful note.

Promotions for this book advertised it as featuring spicy lessons. But with a total of four sex scenes, those looking for a spicy read may want to look elsewhere. These lessons are really about being comfortable in your own skin and being comfortable with intimacy.

Karla Sorensen does it again. Lessons in Heartbreak had me cackling from the first chapter. Ruby and Griffin were childhood neighbors; she was always quiet and watching from a distance. Not much has changed; she's the local librarian now. Griffin and his brother were always busy practicing for one sport or another and went on to play in the pros. Griffin's in big boy timeout, sent away by his agent to lay low for a while after some unfortunate editing of an interview. A small mix-up at the local cafe throws them together in the best way, even if it's the most horrifying thing Ruby's ever been through.

When I say this book made me feel every emotion, I mean it. From Griffin realizing he loves her to Ruby's reason for rules, to that second epilogue (I mean, really, that's the best epilogue I've ever read), it was like a warm hug and gut punch all rolled into one book. The chemistry is perfection (shout out to chapter 16 for getting me through my wait at the DMV). Let's not forget Marcus and Lauren, the banter *chefs kiss* I adore them. A Cameo from Liam, always love to see little bits of other books! Karla Sorensen can do no wrong, and Lessons in Heartbreak proves that.

A small town shy librarian meet a playboy larger than life football player and well…..

Though it’s a plot only found in a romance novel, the author makes the character surprisingly relatable!!!

Football does take up some page time but actually it’s the beautiful relationship that developed so slowly through the book that was the main page turner. The characters falling so slowly yet deeply into each other whilst telling themselves something else

I loved the story and can’t wait for Barratt’s book now too

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Karla Sorensen football player and shy librarian who are unabashedly Jane Austen fans will win the hearts of her readers in Lessons in Heartbreak!

Football star and playboy extraordinaire Griffin King came off as irresponsible and always looking for his next good time. Yet beyond his outer persona there was a man of substance who tried to hide his hurt from people dismissing him by playing into their preconceived notions of him. Griffin was caring, perceptive and full of insight giving him far more depth than people gave him credit for.

Ruby Tate was serious and a rule follower. Introverted and afraid of being hurt or in fact hurting others she still yearned to know what it felt like to take chances in life. Ruby put on a tough face and had firm boundaries but that did not stop her from being vulnerable. Well loved by those she let close to her Ruby could not hide that she was worth loving.

Griffin and Ruby were two people whose outer appearances did not truly reflect who they really were. This pair had the ability to see beyond their exteriors and reach for the best in each other so it was no surprise they were drawn to each other. There was a mutual protective sweetness with a bit of challenge to this couple that created some charming interactions as well as some introspective understanding of each other. Griffin and Ruby did not hold back when together affording them a camaraderie that made it easy to be around the other. Their lack of restraint when together gave them the breathing room to be themselves and truly feel wanted.

Griffin and Ruby had a unique connection in that it was always there but evolved from acknowledgement to pursuit and ultimately actuality, making their story stand out. Th
ese two went from superficial to meaningful and their joy in opening up to things they each found important was lovely to watch play out. There were some hilarious moments that kept things light in the face of some underlying serious subject matter giving this work the grace to be embraced versus being engulfed in sadness. Glimmers of hope always showed up in this story where you least expected it and kept things from becoming tragic.

Karla Sorensen has beautifully well-rounded portrayals. This writer knows how to show caring and flawed all the while presenting her characters in a real and honest way. Lessons in Heartbreak was a story meant to be despite all the reasons not to be and readers will want to be with this couple for their entire journey!

Hilarious chaos & heartfelt growth!

From the moment these childhood neighbors reconnect, thanks to a perfectly chaotic misunderstanding, I knew I was in for a wild and wonderful ride.

✨ Forced Proximity
💘 He Falls First
🏈 Sports Romance

I devoured Lessons in Heartbreak on my Kindle in one sitting and immediately started the audiobook this morning when it was available (which I'm listening to as I write this.) Ruby and Griffin aren't your typical shy librarian and pro athlete. They challenge each other, grow together, and light up every page. Their emotional journey was worth every year, but often left a smile on my face.

This book easily lands in my top 5 reads of 2025 so far. Samantha Brentmoor and Aiden Snow's narration adds even more depth, and I already know this will be one of those audiobooks I revisit often.

Special shout-out to Ruby's BFF Lauren and Griffin's ride-or-die Marcus, they're the kind of hilariously loyal side characters that make you wish they were your real-life friends. A brilliant, promising start to a new series, and I can't wait for more!

4.25 stars

Oh man I loved this book! I’m always a fan of a good opposites attract dynamic and this one hit just right!

Ruby and Griffin know each other from childhood and the way they run into one another in adult is gold!
Griffin is playful and funny, but also so so sweet and Ruby deserves all of that in her life!
It’s a slow burn that’s for sure, but damn if that build up isn’t amazing and worth the wait because 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

There’s so many parts that just made my heart so happy! All the movie references? Gah! Anddd He reads books she recommends! Swoon! There’s moments that made me tear up and others I was laughing and things I didn’t see coming. The whole story was just so good and hard to stop reading!

Why did I decide to start this book right before bed?

This was definitely a “just one more chapter” kind of read. Karla really does it for me—I’m a huge fan of her books, and this one is no exception.

Ruby Tate was a good girl. Head down, following the rules, exceeding expectations… but was that really living? She was missing something—or maybe just missing the experience. Not selfish enough to want to keep it, but curious enough to want a taste. Which is exactly how she ends up in one of the most embarrassing situations ever: mistaking her walking Adonis of a childhood neighbor for the escort she hired. Oops. Did I mention he’s now a pro football player, only in town for a few weeks? That he seems to want to spend time with her? That he might be willing to help her with her little…experiment?

This could actually work.
As long as they don’t fall for each other.
…Ridiculous, right?!

Okay, let's start with the obvious: the Pride and Prejudice scene(s) had my heart hurting with bliss.

This book is pure comfort—the kind you think about long after you turn the last page. Every single moment between Ruby and Griffin was romance gold. They’re both so vulnerable, and watching them slowly gain confidence—start to believe they could have more, be more, see themselves through each other’s eyes—was everything. Watching them realize they deserve that kind of love? Perfection.
Who wouldn’t want a love like theirs?

3 stars

Ruby wants to improve her confidence to start dating after a difficult time and Griffin, an ex-neibourgh and current NFL player appears at the wrong-right time.

Karla Sorensen is a must read for me as she usually speaks directly to my heart. This time I didn't feel that strong attachment to the characters that is so common when I read her books.

I just liked the book. It has all the ingredients needed to be a wonderful read and as usual, it is really well written.

I loved hearing Liam again from The Best of All, he's such a great guy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐍 - 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊
🎉𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

Well, I've absolutely learned a thing or two about a book breaking my heart in the best of ways. Lucky me, it also mended the broken pieces.
Karla is one of my dearest and most loved authors. So much so I'm constantly stalking her socials for new book updates. As her reader I'm extremely lucky with her yearly output and ever growing catalog, each and every new story lulls me into a trance and makes me forget about the world.
So, I guess I had high expectations. Good thing they were met. I don't know if my review will be profound enough to describe this gem, so the short recommendation is this: I think you need to read Ruby and Griffin's story.
Here's why:
Ruby Tate has had enough. She's done with wishful dreams, with being afraid and being lonely in her own comfortable little world. After some serious past hurdles she's ready to tackle all the romance stuff. Purely physically, no emotions involved. What better way to do so than hiring an escort for help?
Griffin King has changed - but not according to his latest PR drama involving his brother. He feels restless being stuck with the role of a charming bad boy and nothing helps him untangle the mess he calls life. Being stranded in a quaint town with his childhood neighbor offers an opportunity he can't ignore, even if he is mistaken for a hooker.
Ruby is vary of the annoying man, but recognizes the opportunity to conduct her experiment with an expiration date. Griffin's easygoing, understanding nature is alluring, his body is captivating and his heart is golden. After awkward explanations and some hard truths are shared the pair take on Romance Lessons 101.
Too bad Griffin is overbearingly protective and more than possessive, right? He understands Ruby on an elemental level, offers no judgment, looks ridiculously hot and her dog is in love with him.
But past hurdles were scathing for a reason. As the pair navigate the syllabus, flirting becomes second nature, touching and holding hands are precious little moments and the entire Jane Austen catalog is the centerpiece of guys' night. Griffin finds a way to antagonize Ruby just enough to disarm her highest armor. But the romance course isn't supposed to end with falling in love. After all, the arrangement was not actually set up for that.
Ruby's past, behavior patterns and fears provided a lot of reflection for me. She was portrayed as timid, demure and someone who blends into the background, but as the storyline unfolded I realized how brave, strong and fearless she actually was. Griffin used humor, good looks and his people reading skills to hone and perfect the careless football god image, but inside he was the biggest puppy with an attentive heart. He was judgement free, handled Ruby with care and showed complexity in situations I thought he'd be one-dimensional.
The relationship from the first 'we meet again' was based on witty dialogue and banter. The layers of the characters were peeled back in the perfect pace, just enough to keep me on my toes and guessing different plotlines.
I can't say it better: this was a precious love story about two lost souls who found a connection, sparks flew and I... I just couldn't put this one down. It's a sweet but in some ways heartbreaking love story about not giving up on another and second chances at life.

I love a good small town librarian romance but when you throw in a pro football player, sex lessons and disability rep (she has a heart transplant) - I go absolutely bonkers. This was also EXCELLENT on audio narrated by two favs, Samantha Brentmoor and Aiden Snow. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ilsa Madden-Mills. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book gives The Matchmaker Playbook vibes when Ruby Fate needs help and ends up reconnecting with her childhood neighbor.

When the Pro Football player returns will the shy librarian find a way to come out of her shell? In a he falls first in this story that has a few lessons in love. Will the shy librarian find love when childhood neighbors reconnect as adults in this strangers to lovers story?

A case of mistaken identity, lots of banter, chemistry, and two people who will overcome their past to discover what it means to truly love someone in this slow burn small town romance with a bit of spice.

I look forward to reading more from Karla and am thankful to have discovered another new author.

I knew this was going to be “one of those books” from page one. One of those books that I am going to love both characters. One of those books that will have me up way too late reading. One of those books that will make me laugh, smile and swoon. One of those books that I won’t want to finish because I won’t want it to be over. One of those books that will leave me wanting the side characters to get their own book. And I was exactly right about all of it! Love love love Ruby and Griffin!

Karla Sorensen’s Lessons in Heartbreak is a charming, emotional opposites-attract romance where a shy librarian and a reformed playboy teach each other what love really looks like—and it’s a whole lot softer and sweeter than expected. This book had everything. A hilarious case of mistaken identity, awkward childhood history (she was the quiet girl in the tree, he was the loud neighbor who teased her), and the slowest of slow burns that felt earned. Ruby is a sweet, anxious librarian who decides it’s finally time to learn how to “date”—so she hires an escort. Logical, right? Until Griffin, now a pro football player, shows up at the coffee shop... and she mistakes him for her date. Oops.

From there, it’s one delightful mess after another—except under all the banter and awkward tension is a deeply emotional story about healing, trust, and showing up as your full self. Ruby’s anxiety and vulnerability are written with such care, and Griffin? Total softie in disguise. His playful front hides some major emotional baggage, including a complicated rift with his twin brother. Watching him slowly unravel and step into something real with Ruby was incredibly satisfying.

These two don’t just fall into insta-love—they build something. Hand-holding, gentle moments, quiet support… it’s all in the little things. And when those deeper emotional plot threads hit? They hit. You’ll be swooning one chapter and sniffling, or sobbing, the next.

Ruby and Griffin’s best friends—Lauren and Marcus—add so much heart and comic relief, and the epilogues wrap things up in the most satisfying way. Also, if Barrett (the twin) does get a book, I’m first in line.

Verdict: This might be Karla’s most emotional story yet, and it’s one of her best. Thoughtful, sweet, and surprisingly steamy—Lessons in Heartbreak absolutely delivers.

Thank you @karla_sorensen, @amazonbooks, @amazonpublishing and @good.girls.pr for the #gifted book and ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

If Karla Sorensen writes it, you better believe I'm going to read it & you better believe I'm going to love it. She has done it again with Lessons in Heartbreak. Griffin & Ruby's story had be hooked from page one. I swear I sometimes feel like she is purposely trying to make me cry every single time I read one of her books. Karla just writes top tier emotional roller coasters, apparently. ;) I wouldn't want it any other way though.

The love that you see grow between these two characters on these pages is so pure & beautiful. I found myself rooting for them immediately, but also wanting to yell at them to just tell each other how they felt a few times.

This book had so many of the tropes I'm currently loving: small-town (duh, you know I am forever in my small-town era!), good girl x bad boy (though, he's really such a sweet MMC IMO), spicy lessons, opposites attract (she's a super shy librarian and he's a playboy football player)....

It was also really fun to see an old friend from a previous book pop up in here. ;)

I highly recommend this book!

What a brilliant book this was. This book is an opposites attract, old neighbours and "friends" to lovers' story. Although the book has lots of laughs, it has an underlying sadness to it. And secrets that are hard to tell and reveal.

Why someone isn't living their life to the fullest is a huge part of this book, but it isn't my to speak of. Ruby is a librarian, and Griffin is an NFL star. They meet by chance and it's full of embarrassment but is so funny.

I really feel this journey is one that is full of ups and downs and a journey you need to go into and read for yourself. I laughed hard and cried just as hard.

This book is a huge recommendation from me. What a brilliant start to this series.

An emotional small town romance with great characters and lots of charm. I really enjoyed Ruby and Griffin’s story. Ruby is a shy librarian who wants to learn how to date and feel more confident. Griffin is her childhood neighbor and now a famous football player. Their reunion is unexpected and leads to some funny and touching moments.
I liked how their relationship grew slowly. The way they helped each other open up and heal felt real and natural. Ruby was easy to relate to with her anxiety and fears, and Griffin was caring and protective behind his playful side. Their chemistry was strong, and I loved the fun banter between them.
This book has a great mix of humor, heart, and romance. I laughed, smiled, and even teared up a little. It is a lovely story about second chances, love, and finding the courage to be yourself.

The audiobook narration was excellent. Samantha Brentmoor and Aiden Snow brought the characters to life with warmth, emotion, and charm.

Very grateful to the publisher @amazonpublushing and @briliance for my copies through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Karla delivered a tender, slow burn romance full of angst, witty banter, and great character growth. Lessons in Heartbreak was everything I could've hoped for and more. This story follows former childhood neighbors, Ruby Tate, a librarian, and Griffin King, a football player hiding out from a recent PR faux pas.

I LOVED Ruby and Griffin so much! It was wonderful to see their relationship blossom organically, and I ate up all the angst as they peeled each others' layers and faced their fears. Ruby was a loveable and relatable character who embodied the black cat vibes. She was the perfect grumpy to Griffin's sunshine. And Griffin? GAAAHHH! Playboy for sure, but he was so much more. He was patient, funny, and so loving, going above and beyond for others. I loved how Ruby and Griffin brought out the best in each other and formed a deep emotional connection.

Lessons in Heartbreak was heartwarming, witty, and had just the right amount of spice for the slow burn. I loved the vulnerability of the characters, bringing equal amounts of tearful and laugh out loud moments.