2.5 stars ✨

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to. I have picked up one Karla Sorensen book before and dnf’d around the 60% mark as I wasn’t engaged. I don’t write off an author after not enjoying one of their books but now might be the time to say goodbye as their writing style isn’t for me.

From the 40% mark onwards it felt a little rushed and the emotional and gut punch moments just didn’t hit. They felt very surface level and a little cliche. As did the characters.

Giving characters trauma does not make them complex or deep, they can still be surface level. Additionally, I felt that the connection between the main characters themselves was too instantaneous for my test. I prefer a slow burn.

Nonetheless, I kept reading for the humour (and the dog) as the banter was very entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Ruby is waiting for someone and Griffin remember her and goes up to her while Ruby misunderstand the greeting as the escort she hired feeling humiliated and angry because Griffin just let her spill her guts out she leaves. Griffin goes after her. They made a deal where Griffin will help Ruby with her shyness and insecurities. where they are world apart they have so many things in common as Griffin is in the spotlight as a profesional
athlete. Ruby is a librarian.
They spend their time together and they find a connection that they know they cant denied.

Karla Sorensen has done it again! Ruby and Griffin were so cute together, and I loved the way their relationship evolved. The attraction they had for each other only grew stronger as the pages went by. The story was also very entertaining, and the secondary characters were a great addition. The tension between Griffin and his twin brother Barrett also caught my attention, and I hope they'll make up in the next book, which I'm already looking forward to reading!

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen is the phenomenal start of the King Series.
This was my very first book by this author and definitely won't be my last one!

Ruby Tate is a librarian and not that experienced when it comes to men. Hiring an escort to get more comfortable with all the dating stuff is her best friend's advice.
But little did Ruby expect to meet a guy from her past. Griffin King was always loud, weird, and so annoying. Well, that was him as a kid. But now?
He's this sexy, charming, irresistible man.
A professional NFL player, no escort. Ooops.

OH MY GOODNESS.
HOW MUCH I LOOOOOOVED THIS STORY!
I'm a crying mess right now! This epilogue broke me, but then the second epilogue gave me the full rest. O.M.G.!!! 😭😭😭😭

Well, right from the beginning, I fell in love with Ruby and her best friend Lauren! Their banter was just ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!!
And of course, I instantly felt this connection to Ruby because I work in a library too!! 😁
She's a shy, organized, and intelligent young woman. But... she wants more experiences when it comes to men.
This leads us to the first encounter between Ruby and Griffin: after all this time, they see each other again, and it was brilliant! OMG! I LAUGHED SOOO MUCH! 🤣🤣🤣
That was even the moment I fell in love with HIM! I just couldn't resist his charm! 🫠🫠🫠
It was even more entertaining and interesting that Ruby could resist him, although he tried his very best! FABULOUS! 😄😄
But besides all the great banter and sizzling chemistry, their storyline got really emotional and serious, too. Honestly, I didn't expect it... but these intense emotions gave their love story so much more depth. 💗 Absolutely wonderful!

I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT RUBY AND GRIFFIN! He falls first and so hard, they have such an intense chemistry, there are SEXY times and funny moments!
But OMG, there were these little moments that me swoon soooo much too! I can't tell you too much about it.
Just read this wonderfully written love story.
I can't wait for more in this series!

Ha! And I've got to check out all the other books by Karla Sorensen!

Thanks a lot to Karla Sorensen and Montlake for this ARC via NetGalley.
This is my honest review in my own words.

It's a fun, sexy story and I really liked the characters

Small town librarian, Ruby, is tired of being the clumsy, inexperienced one. She hires an out of town escort to teach her, and she's surprised to see an old childhood neighbor and mistakes him for the escort. Griffin is a pro-football player in town hiding out at his agent's house for a few weeks. He's surprised to see his old neighbor. .

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I really liked Lessons in Heartbreak. This is not a cookie cutter romance book. It delves into a subject I haven't seen covered before in any of the thousands of books I have read previously. This book is a bit slow at first, but please stick with it, it is worth it! Thank you so much Karla Sorensen and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Griffin and Ruby were adorable. You can tell from the blurb that there are the “love lessons” trope is at play here, but this book went so much deeper than that. We’ve all seen the movies where the couple spends a few weeks together and it doesn’t take long for those feelings of love to break through because when you know, you know. That’s exactly what happened here.

The two weeks Griffin and Ruby spent together were about quality over quantity. They truly got to know each other in a way that they hid from others. Griffin confronted some hard truths about himself, his past and career as an NFL player. Ruby likewise tapped into her fears surrounding love and why it was hard for her to truly live life to the fullest. They brought out the best in each other, and I was rooting for them to take a chance on love together, and it was so gratifying when they did! The epilogues were beautiful as well, and I have a feeling Griffin’s twin brother, Barrett, may be getting a book!

SN - I totally got Maxton Hall/James & Ruby vibes from some of the couple’s interactions/a few scenes in the book. I was very happy to see in the acknowledgements that the author loved and was partially influenced by that series!!

***5 Stars***

I’m going to be absolutely honest and admit that the cover was the lure here. Yes, I’ve read the author before and enjoyed her books, but that cover…I didn’t even read the blurb, I was all “Yes, please, gimme” but I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Griffin and Ruby’s journey to their HEA.

I ended up adoring Griffin and Ruby. Griffin is larger than life and doesn’t always think before speaking and acting, but he is also charming and, once you peel back those layers, a genuinely good man. Ruby may be a wallflower, but she definitely isn’t a doormat. I loved watching as she came into her own and owned all that she was ~ the good and not so good ~ and became stronger for it. Their journey definitely started out on an awkward foot, but I loved how they pushed each other to look at themselves in a different light and grow in ways neither thought was possible. They had some great bantering and I enjoyed watching the chemistry between them grow they longer they were together and am really happy that they got their HEA.

I honestly couldn’t put this baby down. There are some deep moments/situations that happen or are mentioned in the book ~ one which I hope is fully dealt with in the next one ~ but they gave depth and understanding to who the characters are. As for the supporting cast of characters, I loved Lauren, Kenny, Marcus, Maggie and Bryce and am definitely looking forward to getting my hands on Barrett’s book!

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Happy to report that Karla Sorensen never misses. I feel like the only sports romances I accept lately have been those done by her because I just love what she does with her characters and their stories. They are real, they are funny and deep, they have soul and heart. And not many authors manage that lately. First of all I loved how Griffin was and stayed unapologetically himself. Ruby might have been the one to help him change and be ready to be serious but we got lovely glimpses of him doing the change and realizing a lot of things about himself even before she came back into his life. He made me cry on several occasions and I just love a man who can make me do that. Ruby (inspired by Maxton Hall Ruby SAY LESS) made me feel so seen and we do not have the same story but we have a lot of things in common so seeing her free and getting what she wants was the best. This book had some gasp-inducing twists and kept me on the edge of my seat while also giving amazing side characters who made me laugh and brought a lot to the story overall. Special shoutout to men watching Jane Austen movies and to those epilogues!

“Ruby, you just got yourself a teacher.”
A new Karla Sorensen series and I’m already in love! Griffin King and Ruby Tate were neighbors as children. They weren’t friends but Ruby would always watch Griffin and his brother play sports in their yard. Then Ruby and her family moved away and she rarely thought of the King brothers. Now fast forward a decade and they have a very unlikely and embarrassing chance encounter.

Ruby was such a strong and independent woman who just wanted to try and live a little. After spending her entire life as the responsible person she was ready, just a bit terrified and had no idea where to start. Griffin is in Welling Springs waiting for his new football contract to be signed and has nothing but time on his hands to assist his little “birdy”.

Ruby and Griffin were the perfect pair to start off this series.
“I will love you through every sunrise and every sunset because we’ve already missed too many. Do you understand me? I’m not going anywhere.”

I also loved Lauren and Marcus as side characters and I hope we get to see glimpses of them in the next book!
🔥: “You’d be good for my health, Griffin. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Good lord this was a great book! Devoured in a single sitting whilst I neglected real life (sorry husband and kids).

Ruby is a smart and loveable librarian who isn't living life to fullest. Her bestie (Can we get a Lauren novella please?) decides she needs a dating coach to find confidence and feel desirable and in walks childhood acquaintance Griffin - a charming confident footballer put on hiatus after some bad media. Griffin decides to help Ruby while he is exiled and the sparks FLY.

I don't normally like a "Love lesson" trope but I knew that Karla would have a fresh perspective. It was a little uncomfortable at the beginning but the plot moved quickly and I was easily immersed.

Man on man I loved these characters, especially the banter with Ruby giving as good as she got and the flirt game Griffin brought. I really enjoyed watching Griffin and Ruby's relationship develop and the emotional depth build in their relationship.

This book made me snort giggle, cackle with delight and end up a crying mess for these characters. I wasn't expecting to need tissues with how lighthearted the first half was but boy did I need them by the end. All up in my feelings after this book.

5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC.

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen absolutely lived up to its name—and I loved every second of it. This was my first time reading anything by Sorensen, and it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing is heartfelt, raw, and emotionally rich in all the right ways.

I hadn’t read a “dating coach” trope before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect—but wow, I didn’t realize how amazing it could be. The dynamic was fresh, layered, and so compelling. Sorensen handled it with depth, humor, and just the right amount of angst.

The emotional journey of the characters felt real and earned. I was completely invested from the first chapter and found myself both laughing and tearing up throughout. This story isn’t just about romance—it's about healing, growth, and finding the courage to love again.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes:
💙librarian heroine
🏈football player hero
💙sports romance
🏈spicy lessons
💙childhood neighbors
🏈dual POV
💙 banter

I absolutely adore Karla's books and writing and this was no exception. Karla has this slow burn, emotional, chemistry in all her books that always delivers such a heartwarming story. This is Griffin and Rubys story.

Ruby is one of the most relatable FMC that l've seen from Karla in a while. She's a bit on the innocent and naive side of things. She is well organized, a planner, smart, reserved, and a suffers from inexperience and anxiety.

Griffin, our MMC, is a famous NFL defensive player and completely misunderstood. He is seen as this adult who is never serious, an overgrown playboy who refused to settle down. He's the opposite of Ruby but he's the perfect person for her. He's patient , charismatic, caring and not only thoughtful but the way he genuinely cares for ruby makes you swoon.

Together Ruby and Griffin just worked. On paper they were complete opposites but their genuine friendship, feelings and banter was great throughout the story. Now it was a bit of a slow burn as their story and chemistry developed and I think the side characters like Lauren and Marcus added some witty moments to the story but all in all a solid book from Karla Sorensen

Let me preface this by saying I love Karla’s books and I can’t wait for the next one. That being said, I was disappointed in this one and I totally think it a me issue. I went in expecting a light, fun, teach me how to not be awkward around men, storyline and from page 1 it was much more serious and intense than I was expecting. That’s totally a me issue, so set your tonal expectations accordingly. There were also some tropes that I just don’t love in it but that’s also a personal preference, I know many others will be drawn in by those same tropes. Ruby was too timid for me, she has her reasons but I struggled to relate, maybe if her main reason had been revealed earlier I might’ve had an easier time but I think our personalities are just too different. But the ways I struggled will be things other readers totally get and identify with!

I did enjoy Griffin and his storyline! He’s such a sweetie and I love a “bad boy” with a secret heart of gold. His friend Marcus was a delight too. I wouldn’t be mad if we got a novella or full novel even with his and Lauren’s story. They are a hoot. Sometimes you just don’t connect with a FMC and that’s ok, I loved all the other characters and storylines.

I love a new spin on an old trope, and Karla Sorensen always does it up right. I was smiling from this couple’s introduction, and the story surprised me in the best of ways. Sure, the love lessons aspect is present, but it’s much more a story about a carefree man who finds himself falling for a careful woman, just as she’s decided to be a little bit wild. I loved that our hero was thrown off his axis, and I also loved that the lessons storyline evolved in an unexpected way. I was genuinely surprised by some of the subplots, and the story kept me on my toes. First and foremost, however, the characters were great together, and I was eager to see them find their way towards happily ever after. Another win from Sorensen!

The story follows Ruby, a librarian who usually lives vicariously through books. When a risqué birthday present forces Ruby to confront the reality that she’s never experienced the best parts of sex and dating, she decides to hire an escort to help her feel more comfortable putting herself out there. She’s not planning on hitting the sheets with the guy, she just wants his help. So when her former neighbor shows up at the appointment, Ruby isn’t sure what to think. She hasn’t seen Griffin since they were teenagers, and he was always a bit of a chaotic pest at the time. Now a pro athlete taking a break from the spotlight, Griffin is beyond intrigued to discover all the reasons why Ruby felt the need to hire a professional. As he steps in instead, Griffin grows closer to Ruby in a way neither expected.

The start of a new series, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from these characters, but I really enjoyed what I found. For reasons I will not explain, Ruby hasn’t been living life to the fullest, and she’s looking forward to the opportunity to get out of her comfort zone. Though she hasn’t seen Griffin in years, she’s more comfortable around him than most men, and that allows her to open up more. I loved that Griffin was so patient and supportive. He’s a little wild and carefree, but he’s beyond steady with Ruby. Neither expected to fall during their lessons, so I loved watching them form an emotional connection that runs deeper than anticipated. It was great to see them both learn to love themselves more along the way, and the story goes in some emotional (potentially triggering) directions. It was a refreshing surprise, and an excellent series starter for sure.

Karla! Seriously, what do you put in these books? I could not put this one down! This was full of tropes I love so I expected to like it, but it was so freakin adorable, I was kicking my feet and grinning the whole time!!

Bad boy football player Griffin is banished to his agent's house in a small town in Colorado while his agent tries to clean up his latest mess. While in town, he runs into Ruby, whom he recognizes as the bookish neighbor girl from his youth. But trust me when I say this "meet-cute" is absolutely hilarious, even if you may get a little secondhand embarrassment on Ruby's behalf.

Once she gets over her embarrassment, Ruby comes up with a proposition for Griffin. She asks him to be her "teacher" so she can open up more around guys and start dating again. We all know how this goes, though!! These two were SO cute together. I adored how Griffin started picking up books and movies just because she liked or recommended them. Can we also talk about his buddy Marcus? He was SUCH a fun character and I loved his dynamic with Ruby's friend, Lauren.

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. I truly enjoyed every minute!!

Thank you to Montlake and Karla for this ARC!

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen, published by Montlake is book one in the Kings Series.
Griffin and Ruby know ech other since childhood. They lost contact but now at ages 30 and 33 they run into each other again.
The sports star who has to lay low after a medi scandal and the shy librarian. At first sight they haven't much in common, but they're clearly attracted to each other.
A witty and fun read, opposites attract, small town romance at its finest, 5 stars.

Karla always has such a way of telling a story that makes you obsessively need to keep reading. Playboy MMC and shy FMC, but done in a way where you believe the MMC is really over that life style and she’s the one he wants.

This was a great book!
Ruby and Griffin are so very different but still complement each other perfectly. I really liked that they were childhood neighbors. So even if they never been friends, they knew each other to some extent.

I loved Griffin with his cool, charming playboy outside but caring, beautiful inside.

This story had a twist that I didn't see coming but in a very good way. It made it exceed my expectations.

I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Karla Sorensen for the opportunity to read to this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 20th, 2025

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DNF this book at 25% I really wanted to dice in fully but lots of personal dislike and reasons, I just could not get myself to go on and I even tried to leave it and come back and that did not work at all. I am not one to force myself to read a book I do not enjoy.