Single Dad Dilemma is out today! Thank you to the author for the ALC.
I really enjoyed this! Single dad, neighbors to lovers, and an emotional slow burn as only Karla can write.
Barrett and Lily were both super grumpy which I love, but in sort of different ways. Barrett’s job as head coach to a football team leaves him with very little free time so he lives a very regimented life and doesn’t appreciate disruption, while Lily is a free wheeling nomad who constantly disrupts him. They’re brought together by Barrett’s kids and slowly find themselves turning into more.
I really liked Lily – she’s introverted, doesn’t really like people, and just kept needling Barrett. I love that the author regularly gives us non-sunshine FMCs.
It wouldn’t be a Karla book if it didn’t break my heart, so of course it did at times, but overall I love how they found the partner/love/home they both had been missing.
I did the audio on this one and really enjoyed it, especially Aiden Snow. He had the perfect taciturn kind of voice for this. CJ Bloom also did a great job, if not a little cheerier than the character called for.
Forever Starts Tonight is out now! Thank you to the author for the ARC. Oh my word, I loved this book so much. We’ve seen Poppy pine for Jax throughout the series and I was so excited for it to be their time to shine.Our girl has finally had enough of Jax avoiding her and decides to confront him once and for all. A drunken night together leads to an unintended pregnancy and the book follows the fall out from that. I’m an unapologetic accidental pregnancy lover and I loved how this story unfolded. (If you don’t love accidental pregnancy, that’s fine but no need to comment to tell me 🙃) It’s an emotional journey for the two of them, and I just loved how they went from avoidance to one night stand to so much more. Jax has some trauma to overcome but he wants to be there for Poppy, at least in support of the baby if he can’t be there for her romantically. His backstory made me cry and I felt like his struggle to open up to anyone was so believable as a result. Poppy was a really great character, we’ve seen her grow up throughout this series and always be there for everyone else so I loved that she finally got to stand on her own. She’s so loving and caring and just wants to find her own person like her siblings all have. I loved the Wilder family’s various reactions to what happened. Jax knocking up his best friend’s little sister caused quite a stir and I gobbled the drama up. They are also supportive and loving and just one of my favorite fictional families around right now. Overall I just really loved this! I laughed, I cried, I swooned. An easy five stars!
I really enjoyed this! This is book two in the series though I think it could totally be read as a standalone.
This follows Liam and Zoe, who are named co-guardians to their best friends’ daughter Mira after their best friends tragically pass away. Zoe is immediately there for Mira, moving her in and accepting this adorable toddler into her life. Liam struggled a bit more, he never felt he should have a family or children after his own terrible childhood so a lot of the growth in this story is his, to accept love and family into his life. I loved watching his walls eventually fall down, all due to the little girl who melted his heart.
Liam is a grump, football is his life and he doesn’t need any other distractions, especially living with the woman he’s pined for for a decade. The forced proximity works its magic and the sexual tension between the two of them was intense, though this is a sloooowwwww burn.
Zoe was an easy character to love, she’s wanted her fairy tale ending ever since she was a kid and though this certainly didn’t follow the traditional path I love that she found her HEA in that broody football player who has secretly had feelings for her for years.
Much like book one, this is a story of grief alongside the romance, though this one didn’t feel as heavy to me. Both Liam and Zoe (and Mira) were grieving the loss of their best friends but they had Mira to look after which helped keep them afloat. I’ve been looking for a good romance like Life As We Know It and this is the first one I’ve ever read that I thought really worked.
Promise Me This releases tomorrow! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another winner from Karla Sorensen! I love this world and this family and am always so happy to return. This is Ian Wilder’s story, the grumpy & slightly mysterious brother who’s mostly been in the background of the other sibling’s books. He’s back in town for good, settled down with a house and job at his family’s construction company, when suddenly his childhood best friend shows back up in town and needs a place to stay. He offers her and her daughter the spare rooms in his house and she reluctantly agrees. Harlow is a writer with a serious case of writer’s block and just needs a comfortable place to land for a while. Ian and Harlow were truly always just friends, from kindergarten on up but they fell out of touch after high school and are now rediscovering each other in their mid thirties. The close proximity of living together eventually works its magic and they start to see each other in a new light. When I say eventually, I mean WHEW it’s a slooowwwww burn but that just means the payoff is that much sweeter. I loved both characters, Ian is so grumpy with everyone in his life except Harlow, and even when he is she calls him out for it. I loved how they were each other’s person, they were such good friends first and they found comfort and a sense of home in each other. I loved how they both fought so hard not to have Feelings for each other and I loved when they had their fuck it moment. If you couldn’t tell, I loved it!
Happy Wednesday! Head Over Heels is out today I received an eARC in exchange for review and ordered the paperback as soon as it was available because, spoiler alert, it’s my favorite read of 2024 so far! This is book two in the Wilder Family series, between middle brother Cameron Wilder and the woman with whom he gets stuck on an elevator. Cameron and Ivy are strangers with an immediate attraction (I was sweating a little at their interaction) but are quickly rescued from their predicament, only for her to reappear in his life as a much needed client of his family’s construction company. The two are forced to spend time together as her family’s home is remodeled and soon their initial attraction sparks right back up again. I loved both characters separately and together. Cameron is the good guy brother, the nice one, the one who fixes all the problems.He’s just so capable and emotionally mature and GAAHHH I loved him. Ivy is much more reserved thanks to her upbringing and I love that we got a slightly icy heroine! Cold girls need love too and it was a delight to watch Cameron purposefully and masterfully melt some of those walls. Their small town boy/city girl opposites attract vibe was excellent and boy did they have a lot of chemistry! I loved being back with the Wilder family, whom we’ve met through both this series and another, though things have definitely taken a sad turn as their father’s health continues to decline. Anticipatory grief is a hard thing to deal with and I loved that Ivy could be there for Cameron, who’s always there for everyone else. Also I sobbed like a baby. This was such an excellent, sexy, emotional, heartfelt small town romance. Karla’s long been a favorite author of mine but I feel like she’s entered a new era with these past few releases and I’m so glad I get to go along for the ride!
The Best Laid Plans releases tomorrow, thank you Montlake for the ARC.
This was such an enjoyable romance! It was perhaps a little more grief heavy than I was anticipating, but I enjoyed how emotional it was.
Burke is recently retired from the NFL due to an injury when he gets the news his best friend has tragically passed in a car accident and left him his grandparent’s mansion which is in massive need of a renovation. All Burke wants to do in his unplanned forced retirement is relax with his family in Florida, so a stressful project halfway across the country doesn’t appeal to him.
The house comes with a project manager in charge of the renovation who convinces him to keep the house and oversee the reno in honor of his best friend who wanted the house returned to its former glory. Burke and Charlotte temporarily move in together in the carriage house on the property and immediately butt heads. I enjoyed the sparks and banter between them and their slow burn relationship. I also really enjoyed their families and the set up for the next book sounds great!
Overall it was a good read, I really enjoyed the setting and the home preservation and I look forward to the next book!
Whew can you believe this year is halfway done already? Like what?? 🤯
I’ve read 180 books so far this year (which I fully acknowledge is a silly amount) and here are my favorites so far! Ten 2023 releases and two backlist reads. The awesome thing is that I got to meet six of these authors this year (Lucy, Teagan, Abby, Karla, Sarina, and Christina Lauren) and hang out with book friends! How cool is that?
Let me know if we have any in common, or if none, let me know what your favorite read(s) of the year so far!
One and Only is out today! Thank you to the author for the gifted copy! I bought the couple cover as well, because it’s just so gorgeous and I am forever a sucker for a forehead kiss.
This is a slowwww burn marriage of convenience sports romance which are some of my favorite things! This is between Greer, whom we’ve met previously in her sibling’s books, and Beckett, a football playing single dad who will do anything for his daughter.
The romance between the two is a slow burn in the best way, the tension is immaculate. I loved how opposite they are – Greer is bold and outgoing and has no problem sharing her feelings, while Beckett is taciturn and more reserved – and I loved how they complimented each other. I loved the moments where you could feel fake become real. I loved each of their relationships with Beckett’s daughter Olive, and I loved Greer’s relationship with her family. I even loved Beckett’s respectful co-parenting with Olive’s mom.
I guess you could say I loved it all! It’s the kind of romance that reminds me why I love the genre. It’s heartfelt, a bit emotional at times (I cried, though to be fair I also cheered out loud at one point), full of humor and charm and I was so glad to be back in this world.
Definitely check this one out in KU if you are looking for a new sports romance to steal your heart!
Steal My Magnolia, an all-new heartwarming small-town romance from Karla Sorensen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!
My Take:
This was a sweet and straightforward romance with low stakes and low angst. If you’re looking for a sweet, old fashioned small town romance that won’t break your heart, then I recommend this one.
To me, it suffered from the lack of conflict or external struggles. There are no outside forces working against them, there’s no obvious conflict, it’s just two people who fall in love. They worry about external conflicts but the only actual problem is that they fall in love at different speeds.
Most of the book is Grady mooning over the fact that he’s in love with Magnolia and can’t tell her. It’s pretty far into the book before feelings are even acknowledged. It’s exceptionally slow burning … but not in a way where a ton of tension builds.
I loved the first book in the series, and I’m still excited to read the next!
Life lesson from Grady Buchanan: If you’re going to fall in love with the untouchable girl in town, don’t hire her as your only employee.
Even after he bungled the interview with Magnolia MacIntyre, he knew better than to hire her. The list of why it’s a bad idea is a long one.
Her father could ruin his fledgling business.
She is completely overqualified.
And he’s attracted to her.
What does Grady do? He offers her the job.
Magnolia knew better than to take it. Normally, she’d make the safe choice, and working for Grady is anything but.
He’s new in town–and entirely too charming.
Her dad will be furious.
She hates the outdoors and working for an outdoor adventure company is not exactly the right fit.
What does she do? She says yes on the spot.
Grady and Magnolia will have to prove to everyone in their life that they’re not crazy. And prove to each other that the list of why it’s a bad idea should be tossed out the window.
For these two opposites, sometimes doing the wrong thing is exactly right.
‘Steal My Magnolia’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Love At First Sight series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
There was silence on the other end. I pulled the phone away from my face to make sure I’d answered.
“Hello?” I said.
I heard a deep breath before she spoke. “Hi, I’m here, sorry.”
My head tilted to the side when I heard her voice. It was soft and low with the curling accent that I’d gotten used to in the past month and a half. But it … I shook my head … something about it made the hairs lift slightly on my arms.
“Did you mean to call my number?” I asked carefully.
Inexplicably, I found myself holding my breath waiting for her to answer.
“I heard you’re looking for help. Administrative help,” she clarified.
My head went back. “Did you?”
She was quiet for a second. “Small town,” she explained. “People talk.”
I laughed under my breath. “So I’m learning.”
It made me shake my head. The darknet had nothing on the Green Valley information pipeline. “So,” I continued, “tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“Of course.” For the second time since I picked up, she let out an audible breath. “I have my BS in Business Administration, an MBA from Vanderbilt, and other than college, I’ve lived in Green Valley my whole life.”
Scratching the side of my face, I glanced around at the horrific state of the office and tried to imagine someone with an MBA wanting anything to do with it. My face was bent in a grimace
“I’ve spent the past five years as an office administrator for my …” She paused. “For a local business, and I’m looking to change things up. Fresh start.”
I sat up slowly. “I can understand wanting a fresh start. That’s why I’m here.”
“I know. I, umm, I heard that. In town.” She stumbled slightly over her words, and I smiled. “I’m not very outdoorsy, and I know that’s what you’ll be doing, but I’m the most organized person you’ll ever meet. My label maker is my favorite accessory, and I have lists for my to-do lists. And I know every single business owner from here to Maryville.”
I laughed. “You sound like you’re already in your interview.”
She laughed too, and I grimaced when my chest tightened. It caused a strong enough physical sensation that I glanced down at my body, like it was separate from me somehow.
“I can come in and fill out an application, if you’d like,” she said.
I laughed under my breath. “If I had applications, I’d say yes.” I glanced around the mess surrounding me. “But … I’m not quite that prepared yet.”
“That’s also why you need someone who knows how to get an office up and running.”
“That’s true,” I agreed. “Can you come in tomorrow so we can talk a little bit more? Since I don’t have an application.”
“That would be great,” she said firmly. The stumbling was gone. I found myself wondering how old she was. What she looked like.
If I had a calendar, I would’ve glanced at it. But that was also buried in a stack of papers.
“How does nine sound? Do you need the address?”
“Sounds perfect,” she answered. “And uh, no, thank you. I know where to find you.”
I shook my head.
“Small town,” we said in unison. She laughed, and my smile took up my whole damn face.
“Then I’ll see you at nine tomorrow …” My voice trailed off. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m still working on my Southern manners.”
She laughed. My chest did that thing again. It wasn’t the heavy press of panic. It was a lightening. A lifting of whatever pressure I’d been feeling before she called.
She spoke slowly, like she was thinking carefully about her answer. “You can call me Lia.”
About Karla Sorensen
Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.
“Heartfelt, hilarious, with a dash of angst…Karla Sorensen shines with the perfect feel-good read!” –Author Catherine Cowles
Batter of Wits, an all-new funny and heartwarming romance from Karla Sorensen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!
My Take:
I loved this very cute and sweet book! Grace and Tucker are both awesome in their own right. I loved returning to the charming green valley and the Buchanan family.
I loved the twist on the Buchanan curse and wish her feelings from the beginning would have carried on a bit longer? I was enjoying it so much and felt like she changed courses pretty quick. It was still great though! Just would have enjoyed more sassy pants moments
Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?
That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.
When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.
It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.
The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.
Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.
‘Batter of Wits’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Download your copy TODAY or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
When I looked down, her hands were fisted on the countertop, shaking from the effort of keeping them still.
“I’d take a picture of that,” I told her, voice low and charged.
She tilted her chin up toward me. “Of what?”
In the low light of the apartment, her eyes glowed like melted gold.
“Your hands.” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I feel like they’re telling me something that I can’t figure out.”
Grace peered down at the fists she was making, and her fingers relaxed, the skin no longer white around her knuckles.
“What are they telling me, Grace?” I begged.
She ducked under my arm and I exhaled heavily. Without the heat from her body against mine, I took a second to get myself under control. When I turned, she was handing me her camera.
“Go ahead,” she said.
I tilted my head. “You want me to take your picture?”
Grace studied the camera, carefully removing the lens cap and pulling it up to her eyes. She aimed it at my face, and I wondered what she saw. If I looked like I was one thread away from snapping, because that’s how I felt.
I’d never felt like I was one quick step away from freedom, but here, I was. One nudge over the edge of the cliff, and she’d have me free falling without a parachute. I’d never, ever wanted it so badly.
When I heard the click of the shutter, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Can I see?”
She ignored me, pulling the camera away so she could look at the digital image on the back. Her lips curved in a secret little smile.
“What do you see?” I asked.
Her chest expanded on an inhale. “Frustration.” Her eyes met mine. “Want.”
Words lodged in my chest, and I couldn’t tear them loose.
I held my hand out and she passed the camera to me. With a rough swallow, I squinted at the tiny viewfinder once it was at eye-level. Grace came into my eye line, holding my gaze with such directness that I fought the urge not to throw the camera across the room simply because it was between us.
It was her turn to ask. “What do you see?”
My finger pushed the slick button on top of the camera, and her mouth curled in surprise that I took a shot.
I pushed the button again as she took a step closer.
“You’re not answering me,” she said lightly.
“Because I can hardly think straight when you’re looking at me like that.” My admission was rough and hard, out before I could stop it.
She took another step, within reach now, and one of her hands slid up my forearm.
One more picture, the sound of the shutter snapping between us like a shot.
Somehow, I set it down on the counter without smashing it.
“You can’t lie to a camera,” Grace said quietly, watching her hand on my arm before the other landed on my heaving chest. “It captures things as are they are, good or bad or ugly or beautiful.”
I slid an arm around her waist and tightened my grip until she was flush against me. My other hand pushed up the back of her neck and into her hair.
“This is insane,” she breathed, dropping her forehead onto my chest.
“No, it’s not.”
Grace lifted her head and pinned me in place. “Tucker, seventy-two hours ago, I hated you. You can’t tell me this doesn’t feel a little nuts.”
I couldn’t stop my smile. “You didn’t hate me. Not really.”
One eyebrow lifted. “Wanna bet?”
About Karla Sorensen
Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.
Romance Reviewed 