This book!!! Small town librarian and a pro footballer?!? Sign me up!!

I swooned over Griffin Ann’s Ruby’s banter and their chemistry was amazing!! This book was great, being a good mix of angst and spice with a heartwarming story. More please!

Holy moly, Lessons in Heartbreak was a delicious slow burn!

Griffin and Ruby are former childhood neighbors; now in their thirties, they run into each other while he's hiding out in the small Colorado town where she lives. He's in town for a few weeks to lay low after a media fiasco, and they cross paths again when Ruby mistakenly believes he is the escort she hired to help her get over her fear of being intimate with a man. Not the ideal reunion, but it was certainly a memorable one!

Ruby has had some health issues that have left her feeling isolated the past few years. She desperately wants to get past her fears of being with a man, but does not want to put herself in a situation where love is part of the equation. Deciding that he can do a better job than any escort, Griffin takes it upon himself to be Ruby's intimacy coach... and she ends up teaching him a thing or two in return.

While Ruby's vulnerability stems from her health issues, Griffin has deep-rooted issues of not being good enough that trace back to his lifelong rivalry with his twin, Barrett. Watching these two open up to one another through their movie dates and book talk was heartwarming. Having been burned by an ex, Griffin never expected that he could be the "forever" kind of guy, and Ruby has zero desire to get into a long-term relationship because of her past. So of course, when these two fall in love, the Big Feeling have them both running scared. Seeing who he is on the inside, not just the monster football player the rest of the world sees, softens up the big brute.

Ruby and Griffin's chemistry was electric. By the time they *finally* got together, I was on the edge of my seat... even though it was the most bittersweet moment of their situationship.

The two epilogues with this book were absolutely perfect, especially the one set 10 years in the future. I can't wait to read more in this series! As a longtime Karla Sorensen reader, I loved the cameo from Liam and Zoe, now that Liam and Griffin are teammates. I really hope that Lauren and Marcus have a book of their own coming — because I need more of those two — and look forward to seeing Ice Man Barrett fall in love as well!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and voluntarily left a review.

Karla Sorenson does it again… another beautiful book and how two people can fall in love regardless of their pasts. And how they learn to appreciate the little things in life and just take it one day at a time. Ruby and Griffin knew each other as kids and neighbors and now they reconnect. She’s the quiet librarian and he’s the pro football player. Both of their pasts are affecting them and wanting them turn to each other thinking they don’t deserve or want love… it’s just an amazing read

“To the friends in our life who know exactly when to push us past our fears”

Just want to start off by thanking #netgally, Karla Sorenson, and Montlake for the opportunity to ARC read this beautiful book.

Griffin and Ruby’s story starts off as your typical semi-fake dating trope where Ruby, the local librarian is more or less looking for some… dating help. In walks Griffin, former childhood neighbor and off the charts attractive football star. Griffin definitely wasn’t what she pictured when she set out looking for help, but the universe works in some mysterious ways sometimes.

The quick witted book worm and the charming football star. The usual, right? But this book was anything but typical. You get a twist about half way through that makes everything click into place and really adds a layer of depth to this story that I wasn’t expecting, but made me cherish it so much more.

This book is was LITERALLY THE SWEETEST MOST ADORABLE BOOK EVER. On a scale of 1-10, the cuteness factor was a solid 100. PLUS Ruby and Griffins level of communication throughout the entire book? Chefs kiss 💋
I absolutely adored that there was no real miscommunication trope in this book and all the books references we got were so beautifully placed. Plus these characters were funny and relatable. I honestly wish I could rate it higher than 5 stars.

Overall rating- 5✨
Spice- 3🌶️


Will be updating with my Instagram link when it posts tomorrow

Small town
Shy librarian
Sports 🏈
Childhood friend
Opposites
Player MMC
Spicy love lessons
Meet cute

Main characters
Ruby
Griffin

Ruby is a reserved librarian who is looking to spice up her nonexistent love life. She has been through a lot and her last relationship left a dent in her confidence. Her and her friend think hiring an escort would be a good start.
Griffin is a popular NFL star. He is outgoing and enjoys a good time. A few unfortunate quotes and his agent sends him to a his cabin in a small town until things cool down.

The story is cute and fun. The characters are likable. A nice flow burn as they explore the dynamics of their lessons. The funny and flirty banter and low drama make this an easy read. The side characters add comedy. I love that Grufgin gets to show Ruby his real self and not the playboy persona that the public gets.

Nice beginning to the 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.”

And here I thought I was in for a lighthearted romance! Ruby and Griffin’s story was funny yet emotional and definitely had some moments that had my heart aching. All Ruby was looking for was some much needed “experience” in her love life, but she didn’t bargain for her old childhood neighbor, Griffin King, to be the one to show her. His cocky nature was good for her in more ways than one 😉🤣

“One kiss and a little groping, and I was a fucking wreck.”

The banter in this book was top notch, a freaking warm muffin joke almost had me spitting my coffee out in my car while listening! The blatant flirting from Griffin had me grinning and I loved how in turn Ruby got Griffin to watch her favorite Jane Austin movies with her. Their love was sweet yet daring and sexy at times, a fun and flirtatious romance!

I will never pass up a Karla Sorensen book, and this one was no different!

I loved these two! Griffin and Ruby are definitely opposites in a lot of ways, and have some grumpy/sunshine energy (she’s the grumpy one). While they knew each other as kids, the way they reconnect is definitely unconventional, and embarrassing for Ruby.

Ruby feels awkward and unsure around men, so she hires…a professional… to help her get over some of that. When she’s sitting at the coffee shop waiting to meet him, in walks Griffin. They have quite the miscommunication before the actual guy she’s waiting for walks in.

Right away, Griffin wants to get past the awkwardness and develop a friendship with Ruby. And pretty quickly, Ruby ditches her “professional” and asked Griffin to be the one to help her work through some of her awkwardness. But if course, for as much as they promise it’s temporary and no real feeling need to be involved…real feelings definitely develop.

My favorite part of this book was the ways Ruby and Griffin open up to each other and build trust. They had a good foundation to build off of, once they both were honest with themselves and each other about their feelings. They had some big things to work through, but in the end, they proved that they could work through anything!

I have to add, I’m definitely intrigued about Barrett’s book already! I can’t wait to see more of Griffin and Ruby in book 2!

I am so grateful I could ARC this book, my first time reading anything written by this Karla. This author stole my heart in the first chapter! I laughed out loud at Ruby's birthday gift mishap and her hilarious fear reaction. Ruby's quirky personality vibes perfectly with mine. Griffin? Total golden retriever energy with a dash of spice! His adventurous niece and nephew stole the show - I'm seriously calling for a spin-off novella! A feel-good, laugh-out-loud read with a happy ever after that left me smiling.

When you’ve been immersed in one world for so long, it’s hard to think that anything else will demand your attention like they did, Griffin and Ruby did just that.
Both Griffin and Ruby had fears and vulnerabilities that just cracked your chest wide open. One of the most beautiful things was how easily each of them was able to read the other. They could see through the masks that each of them put up to protect themselves.
Setting out to change how they think of themselves and others perceptions, Griffin and Ruby come together in an unconventional way.
Once again Karla has created a world that I want to see more of and characters, main and side ones that I’m invested in.
I’m very much ready and excited to see where this next series takes us.

This is a beautifully written small Town Romance with Second Chance vibes. The story flows effortlessly through the connection between these two people who once knew each other as children. Their meet cute was wholly unexpected and wonderfully funny. It started their journey on a fun note. Which helped with the organic build up of their relationship. It never felt forced but rather seamless and inevitable. They helped to heal each other allowing the time needed for a relationship to build. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m not going to say much but definitely an excellent start to this new series by Karla.

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen was such a fun and charming read. This is a small town, sports romance with spicy lessons and opposites attract. What could possibly go wrong between a sexy, charming football player and a shy, sweet librarian and an unexpected mix-up. I truly enjoy reading anything this author writes. Here we have Griffin and Ruby. When Ruby decides she needs to start putting herself out there, what else is a girl to do but hire an escort, right? Griffin did not expect Ruby, but sometimes the unexpected is just what you need.

Griffin and Ruby knew each other as children and now, their attraction, connection and spicy lessons were everything. I loved seeing Ruby wanting to get out of her comfort zone and finding the confidence and safety she needs from Griffin. I also loved how caring and patient Griffin was. Their connection was genuine and heartwarming to read. This was a great start to a new series and I am so excited to see what comes next.

Happy reading!

"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!