Tgis is a story about healing, not fixing, and being seen even in our brokenness.
If you loved early 2000s romantic comedies, this book is for you. It has that familiar charm—the witty banter and soothing rhythm—but also a deeper significance that lingers in your heart.

Ruby is a heroine I instantly connected with. Her warmth, awkwardness, and determination to stay whole resonated with me. I felt her solitude and the pain of longing for connection without fear.

Then there's Griffin. He’s more than just a brooding hockey player or Ruby's unexpected love interest. I admired that he didn't try to fix her; he simply met her where she was, sitting with her in the darkness rather than pulling her out. Their chemistry built slowly through glances, jokes, and silence. This story is more than a romance; it delves into grief and the family wounds that linger.

Overall such a lovely book! Here's a quote that i really resonated with:
"that's what it was about. It wasn't just saying we loved each other—it was showing it.
Choosing each other, through all the hard."

Thanks to Netgalley amd the publisher for the ARC!

Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen is a swoony, slow-burn romance that beautifully blends humor, emotional depth, and heartfelt character growth. The story follows Ruby, a reserved and organized small-town librarian, and Griffin, her childhood neighbor turned NFL star, whose unexpected reunion sparks witty banter, smoldering tension, and tender moments that make their connection feel genuine and unhurried.

What I enjoyed most was how Sorensen skillfully balanced lighthearted moments with deeper emotional themes, particularly Ruby’s journey to reclaim her confidence and Griffin’s steady, supportive presence. Their dynamic of opposites-attract—her careful nature complementing his carefree spirit—felt authentic and engaging. The inclusion of well-developed secondary characters and a warm small-town setting added richness and charm to the narrative.

While the story unfolds at a deliberate pace, the gradual emotional evolution and meaningful communication between Ruby and Griffin made the slow build worthwhile. The heartfelt epilogues, especially the one set ten years later, provided a satisfying and touching conclusion.

Overall, Lessons in Heartbreak is a solid four-star read for fans of slow-burn, character-driven romances with humor, heart, and a touch of steamy chemistry. Karla Sorensen delivers a memorable start to her new series that leaves you eager for more.

✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟶𝚝𝚑, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!

Thank you so much to @karla_sorenson & @netgalley for the eARC copy of this book! 🫶🏼

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🩵 football romance
📖 small town librarian
🩵 childhood neighbors
📖 opposites attract
🩵 spicy lessons
📖 he falls first
🩵 open door romance
📖 dual POV

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: This was my first by Karla Sorenson & it most definitely will not be my last! I loved Karla’s writing & how it flowed so effortlessly, the in depth emotions that were portrayed on page, & the plot of a small town librarian who is learning how to be more confident/sexy & a playboy pro football athlete who steps up as a coach for these spicy lessons! I loved the character growth with both Ruby & Griffin so much. Griffin just wants to be taken seriously & Ruby wants to be seen as more of a confident & assure woman. They both support & understand each other even though people on the outside misinterpret their real true selves. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!

This was a great book. Karla Sorensen is always an auto buy author for me and this did not disappoint.

Love, laughter and tears…

I expected a rom-com and in many ways it delivered. Griffin and Ruby’s story was full of laugh out loud moments, sweet scenes and sultry thoughts (and actions). It had a deeper side too which, while unexpected, gave so much heart to their courtship. Second chances, family, and life affect us so much and this was definitely true as the main characters took their time to reconnect, find friendship and eventually love. My favourite parts have to be epilogues though – they seemed to capture the heart and the fun that they fought hard to find and keep…

3.75 ⭐

Tropes:
🏈librarian x football player
📚childhood friends to strangers to lovers
🏈"teach me"
📚opposites attract
🏈reformed playboy x shy librarian
📚slow burn

Ruby is somehow convinced to hire an escort to help her learn how to flirt and find a boyfriend, when who walks in but her childhood friend, Griffin (he was not the escort lol). When Griffin learns that Ruby's looking to get relationship advice, he steps in to help her out with absolutely no ulterior motives during the time that he is in exile after getting into a bit of PR trouble with his twin brother, who is also in the NFL, and also Ruby's former crush.

This book was cute. Definitely a good book for slow burn lovers that loveee a good tension and "will they, won't they." The chemistry was definitely there between those two characters and I was giggling on the inside when they finally got over their crap that there was no attraction to get together!! The plot at times felt slow and unnecessary to me, but overall a cute sports romance story.

Thank you to Karla and Montlake for the eARC.

Yes, Karla Sorensen has once again proved that she is a Queen of romance. Lessons in Heartbreak was incredibly fun, adorably sweet, perfectly spicy, achingly touching, and beautifully content. I heart Ruby and Griffin immeasurably.

I loved this one so much!!! I was hooked immediately and didn’t want to put it down! Luckily I had the audio so I didn’t have to! This was a one sit read/listen for me! I loved Ruby and Griffin so much!! This book had me laughing and feeling all the feels! It’s one of those books that you find yourself getting attached to all the characters and saying goodbye is so hard. Especially because you don’t know if you’ll get to see them again! I do love that there were two epilogues. If you’re in the mood for a sports, opposites attract romances are your jam make sure to pick this one up!!

Received an arc and alc for a honest review.

Argh!!! This lady never fails! I swear each book I read of hers is my favourite!!!

This story has charm, chemistry, beautiful insight, humour and such a wonderful message that I just couldn’t put it down…I was so sad to leave Ruby and Griffin!

Both Ruby and Griffin have so many layers to their characters and I really appreciated how the more we read the more we got to know and understand both of them. Ruby is a little prickly, a lot shy and you would think a little timid when we first meet her….but oh how wrong first impressions can be… she is full of surprises. Her best trait is how she becomes Griffin’s fiercest supporter.

Griffin has a goofy almost childlike energy, he needs to be doing all the time and his aim is to be the life and soul….but again as we read along and get to know him with Ruby there is so much more depth and pain within this giant heart of a man.

I strongly recommend this story, there are some surprises and some moments that really made me think, some wonderful humour and this authors ability to capture human nature and idiosyncrasies is so insightful. Those quiet moments between couples that mean so much, the small conversations that we share that connect us, the quirks and mannerisms that give so much richness to a story….this lady nails it!

I can’t wait to meet the other King brother now….

Lessons in Heartbreak is the kind of story that gives you all the swoony tension of a slow burn romance, while also hitting you right in the chest with emotional depth. The setup is pure gold—Ruby, the sweet small-town librarian, decides to take charge of her personal life in a big way. But when her "escort" turns out to be none other than Griffin, the broody ex-football star and her childhood neighbor? Yeah, that twist had me grinning. Their chemistry is instant but layered with history, hesitation, and just enough awkwardness to make it feel so real. I laughed out loud at their banter more than once—Ruby’s quiet sass and Griffin’s dry charm are a match made in romcom heaven.

But what really got me were the quiet, tender moments. Beneath the flirty lessons and stolen glances, there’s so much heart in how these two broken, guarded people slowly open up to each other. Ruby’s growth was beautifully written—watching her push past fear and embrace vulnerability was so relatable. And Griffin? He’s the kind of hero who makes you believe that patience and kindness are the most attractive qualities a person can have. The emotional payoff when they finally let their guards down? Chef’s kiss.

I just finished this book and now I don’t know what to do with myself. Honestly, I’m a little speechless at how perfect it was.

Ruby and Griffin knew each other as kids but you wouldn’t exactly say they were friends. Ruby now spends her days surrounded by books but there’s a part of her that wants to experience normal intimacy. Griffin is determined to help conquer her fears but this would be risking heartbreak for both of them.

First of all, I laughed my way through most of their story. Ruby and Griffin’s banter was top notch. These two were so fun and I could not get enough. Then the author lowered the “boom” that I was not prepared for. I loved how Griffin stepped in and made Ruby feel safe in her own skin. She saw past his “public persona” and saw the kind soul he really had. Ruby’s story broke my heart so it made me emotional to see It all play out.

Also, I may have squealed when my favorite character by this author showed up. I loved that for me. Another thing I loved was Griffin’s friend, Marcus. He was hilarious and had me laughing out loud. Seriously, every word of this book was perfection!!

The librarian and the sports star. A fun read, I liked how it was told from both points of view. She is expecting a male escort, but when she makes a mistake and finds Griffin instead what will happen. Some emotional parts when you find out about her past.

Lessons in Heartbreak is the first book in Karla Sorensen’s newest steamy romance series, The Kings. It’s an opposites-attract, small-town character-development romance. It contains sex scenes and profanity.

30-year-old Ruby Tate is a tightly-wound, control-freak librarian in a small town in Colorado. Her only sexual encounter occurred when she was 20, and now that she has turned 30, she’s ready to try again. Her problem is that she is afraid of intimacy and cannot carry on a conversation with an adult male. In desperation, she hires a male escort from Las Vegas to serve as a dating coach. She is shocked when her childhood neighbor, Griffin King, shows up at the coffee shop instead.

33-year-old Griffin King is a professional football player who is staying at his agent’s vacation home for three weeks while the media frenzy settles down. He made an unkind comment about his twin brother, Bennett, to a reporter, which went viral. Bennett, “the Smart One,” retired from playing football to become a coach for a different team in the same league, driving a bigger wedge between them. Griffin hadn’t thought about Ruby in years but seeing her again ends his boredom with the small Colorado town.

Naturally Griffin dislikes the paid escort and offers to be Ruby’s dating coach. Ruby is more comfortable around Griffin, and feels more attracted to him, so she accepts his offer. As they spend time together and get to know each other, they both grow a lot. Griffin has a chip on his shoulder from being compared to his twin, yet he’s strangely attracted to Ruby, who is similar in personality to Bennett. Griffin really doesn’t know how to have a relationship off the football field, and he’s eager to grow as a person. While the story is set up for him to be the teacher, he may be the one who learns more as they fall in love.

Lessons in Heartbreak is an enjoyable weekend read, full of likeable characters in a Hallmark-esque small town. While the plotline is predictable, the author wrote the story in such a way that it feels fresh. Ruby and Griffin’s childhood memories add both depth to the story and relatability to their characters. The subplots in Lessons in Heartbreak elevate this above your average romance. Bruiser, Ruby’s wonderful dog, and the many colorful townspeople add extra richness to the story. The chemistry between Ruby and Griffin is off the charts! I’m looking forward to reading Bennett’s story next.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Montlake for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Karla Sorensen, Montlake, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If I love anything, it is a book with banter that will make me laugh and swoon at the same time. This book definitely delivered. But this was just all sunshine and rainbows. It touched on some sensitive topics, and it was done so well.

I really love how Karla Sorensen writes. It's like you are best friends with these characters and you feel what they feel. If that makes sense.

5 Star Review Lessons in Heartbreak (The Kings #1) by Karla Sorensen

This was a fabulous read and if it is anything to go by then Ms. Sorensen has a winning series on her hands.

This is Griffin King and small town librarian Ruby Tate’s story and what an entertaining story it was.

I fell hard and fast for Griffin, he is my idea of a book boyfriend but I was frustrated by the doubts he had about himself as did Ruby. It broke my heart.

The growth that both Griffin and Ruby went through in this book was heartwarming and I was cherished for them to get their happily ever after.

If ever a couple deserved to find love, it was these two. An emotional story that got to me on numerous levels.

Karla can do no wrong. She writes books that you fall in love with. Griffin and Ruby were everything. The banter, lessons in seduction, emotion and love came through the pages and I felt them all. Griffin fell so hard, I loved him. I can’t recommend these books more!

Thank you very much to Karla Sorensen and Good Girl PR for this eARC!

I enjoyed this book! It had a good mix of light-hearted moments mixed with heavier topics such as health complications and family issues.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the tension between the two characters! Never before have I felt tension from a handhold?! And this tension carried on throughout their relationship (both emotionally and physically). I also appreciated the emotional growth that both characters underwent.

However, I do have some critiques of this book. Firstly, I was frustrated by the reasons why they were not formalizing their relationship. On one level, I completely understand why there is this fear of relationships and the natural inclination to avoid falling in love. However, there was also a part of me that was frustrated by the lack of communication between the MCs regarding this reason. Instead, both were under the impression that the other didn't want a serious, long-term relationship. Additionally, the issue was not resolved because the characters worked through their fear; instead, a big event at the end of the book triggered the formalization of their relationship, which was frustrating.

Next, I was also frustrated that there was no real resolution, or at least some kind of ending, to the familial issues between Griffin and his brother. This was a significant issue throughout the book, and by not resolving it (or merely discussing the steps taken to address it), a key part of the story was left out. It is only in the epilogues that we hear about the relationship slowly being rebuilt.

As a side note, I'm also fully choosing to ignore the fact that their romance (before the inevitable third-act separation) happened over three or so weeks.

Overall, this was a good book that I really enjoyed, but not one I would gravitate towards for a re-read.

Tropes:
- Football romance
- Opposites attract
- Dating lessons
- Small town
- Nicknames
- Family issues
- Medical issues

stop it right nowwww, Karla!! 😍 I love when the bookish girlie gets the footballer!! gah I haven’t felt this giddy and the FEEL GOOD in such a long time. the accidental meet cute?? the TEACH ME?! ma’am. throw in the audio with Aiden Snow rumbling about librarian kink and Samantha Brentmoor slaying as the sweetest, awkward FMC?!? perfection. I NEEDED THIS. 😩🥰

t r o p e s :
•bookish FMC, footballer MMC
•opposites attract
•childhood friends to lovers
•TEACH ME
•librarian kink
•swoony and spicy!

Thank you to Montlake for a gifted copy!

If you haven't read Karla Sorensen, do it. Her backlist is phenomenal. This one? Wow, it was so special. Former neighbors who find each other later on in life, he was the twin she didn't like, and he's the playboy giving her lessons. 09 Yes, I said it - LESSONS! What's more? She's the buttoned up librarian. *squeals*

I loved the easing into the lessons, as well as the tension. And when they fell, ugh so beautiful. It was fun to see both characters relatively clueless to their feelings until later on while also seeing the love for each other in the little gestures. And my heavens how precious those littles gestures were. I'm still not over it. This is a great book if you need something happy, a little less emotionally taxing (I know, I was surprised too), and full of so much heart.

**Please protect your mental health, as the FMC does have prior medical concerns talked about on page.**

I absolutely love every book I've read from Karla Sorensen, and Lessons in Heartbreak is a prime example of why. This book was funny, emotional, and engaging with likeable characters and a good balance of sweetness and spice.

Griffin is on an agent imposed time out after a PR nightmare when an article quotes him talking trash about his brother. The small town he's sent to is the last place he expects to see someone he knows, but that's exactly where he runs into his childhood neighbor, Ruby. She needs help with relationships and dating, and after a misunderstanding he decides to help her. However, it isn't long before feelings develop and the two of them find their chemistry and connection is very real.

Griffin and Ruby are fairly opposite so it was fun watching them fall for one another. Karla did a nice job making them both relatable and interesting characters. The story and relationship development were nicely paced, and I loved the small-town setting too. This was a great start to the Kings series and I can't wait to see what comes next.