Karla Sorensen

The Best Laid Plans by Karla Sorensen
The Best Men #1

Excellent introduction to a new series and a wonderful new-to-me author I will gladly read again!

What I liked:
* Charlotte Cunningham: Restoration Expert, loves old homes, guarded heart, honest, caring, feisty, isn’t afraid to express her feelings, attracted to Burke though it takes a while to admit it
* Burke Barrett: retired NFL player, had a difficult childhood, grumpy, loves his sister and sister’s children, takes care of others, takes a while to realize what his feelings are and how to express them
* The dynamics of the relationship between Charlotte and Burke and watching the romance develop
* Daphne: Charlotte’s aunt, hippie type in the past, in a relationship with Richard, a bit on the wild side
* Tansy: Burke’s sister, divorced, mother of nine-year-old twins Ford and Felicia, wise, loving, and has a good relationship with her brother, hope she gets her HEA and a book of her own
* Chris & Amie: good friends of Burke and Liam, deceased too early, bequeathed the Campbell House to Burke and their daughter to William – their presence is strong and felt throughout the book though they are never seen in person
* Liam Davies: football player, guardian of Chris & Amie’s daughter, Mira
* William: builder who focuses on restoring historic homes, would like to see him in a book of his own
* The Campbell House: Stunning once and will be again by the end of the book
* All of it except for…

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about the impact death has
* The way Burke’s father treated his children
* One of the entitled self-important builders that showed up before William arrived

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.

5 Stars… (more)

The Best Laid Plans is the first book in a new series by Karla Sorensen. The story is about a retired NFL player, Burke, who has inherited a decrepit old house when his best friend dies in a car accident. When he goes to check out this property he meets Charlotte who had been hired as a restoration expert for the house project that has been left in limbo. There are sparks and banter from the first meeting.

One of the things I liked about this book, was that the NFL hero was not an ex ladies man who needs taming. I liked that he was the opposite of that. There is also a lot of attention given to his grief journey. While we read often about characters overcoming the loss of a parent, spouse or sibling, we don't see this scenario as much. I felt it was treated honestly and with care.

I loved the banter between Burke and Charlotte. They are a fun pairing from the beginning. I loved the slow burn and the satisfying conclusion to their romance.

My sincere thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Best Laid Plans and give my unbiased opinion of it.… (more)