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ronnieex's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was amazing. I love forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine so this was perfect and the audio was so well done. This was my first with narrator, Connor Crais and I will be looking for more of his.
I'm not a huge fixer upper fan but it was really interesting to see the love and attention to detail put into a historical one. Charlotte's passion was evident throughout the book and it was fun to read her and Burke bickering over details.
I love books where a character is dealing with grief. The way Burke was going through the loss of one of his best friends was so well written. I appreciated that neither the author nor the other characters tried to rush him through it. It made me tear up a couple times. But I was equally glad for moments of levity with Charlotte and her aunt as well.
Forced proximity always brings the steam and I love how things evolved with these two from convenience to more. These two had amazing chemistry.
This one is available in Kindle Unlimited as a read/listen.
I'm not a huge fixer upper fan but it was really interesting to see the love and attention to detail put into a historical one. Charlotte's passion was evident throughout the book and it was fun to read her and Burke bickering over details.
I love books where a character is dealing with grief. The way Burke was going through the loss of one of his best friends was so well written. I appreciated that neither the author nor the other characters tried to rush him through it. It made me tear up a couple times. But I was equally glad for moments of levity with Charlotte and her aunt as well.
Forced proximity always brings the steam and I love how things evolved with these two from convenience to more. These two had amazing chemistry.
This one is available in Kindle Unlimited as a read/listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Grief
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a new-to-me author and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Burke has a lot of grump, but since this is a dual-POV story I never got too upset with him. He was going through a lot and even the most well-adjusted person would have struggled with their emotions. Charlotte isn’t an over-the-top sunshine type, but she is generally a nice and cheerful person unless you happen to be Burke. These two definitely get off on the wrong foot and just rub each other the wrong way. Possibly because they make each other feel things they want nothing to do with.
Being a Michigander, I always love reading books set in my great state. When it comes to the peacefulness of sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan (or, as in this case, one of the bays on Lake Michigan), nothing can compare. Knowing Burke was looking for peace and a slow-paced life, I knew where he would ultimately end up.
Once Charlotte and Burke finally give in to their chemistry, they don’t go the route you would expect. I ended up loving that aspect of their relationship. Seeing them both holding something of themselves back because of their fears gave an added layer of depth to the characters and their relationship. You just know once they cross those invisible and unspoken lines things are going to get even more intense.
The relationship Burke has with his deceased best friend, the way he is always trying to do what his friend would want, and remembering how much Chris brought to his life, is a huge part of my having sympathy and patience with him. Luckily, he also had a unique and touching grovel that kept him in my heart after he messed up yet again and in the biggest way yet.
The center of this story is a historic home being left to Burke when his friend dies. I can only imagine the next book in this series will focus on the man the same friend trusted to raise his now orphaned daughter. The little snippets we got of him and the situation he is now in have me beyond curious to see how it all plays out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Sexual harassment
thebookishvirgo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was given an E-Arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Best Laid Plans by Karla Sorenson is about Burke Barrett, a football player who was forced into retirement after a knee injury. After inheriting a house from his best friend after his tragic death, Burke finds that he will have his hands full with renovating the house to its original glory, especially when he meets Charlotte Cunningham, the expert in charge of the renovation.
I have to say I picked this book because I thought it would be a fun and light romance read for summer. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and plot. This book deals a lot with grief, from both characters, and how Burke struggles through it was truly heartbreaking at times. I enjoyed the banter between him and Charlotte as a way to relieve some of the sadness and it was fun to see how the two of them grew closer over time. Charlotte was fabulous and I loved her passion for all things antique and the house itself. The side characters, like Tansy and Daphne, were great as well. Sorenson does a great job of inserting them at just the right time without overdoing it or their own stories getting in the way of the main story.
The ONE thing I would have liked to be seen handled differently was Burke’s anxiety. The way it was presented seemed very sudden and out of the blue. There are numerous times when the story discusses Burke’s dad or Chris that it could have been brought up and it wasn’t. I feel like this is important to note since we see very little books addressing anxiety in male main characters so when it is it needs to be done the right way, and not made to seem like it was just thrown in just because. Overall, this was a great book and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future! I definitely recommend it!
I have to say I picked this book because I thought it would be a fun and light romance read for summer. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and plot. This book deals a lot with grief, from both characters, and how Burke struggles through it was truly heartbreaking at times. I enjoyed the banter between him and Charlotte as a way to relieve some of the sadness and it was fun to see how the two of them grew closer over time. Charlotte was fabulous and I loved her passion for all things antique and the house itself. The side characters, like Tansy and Daphne, were great as well. Sorenson does a great job of inserting them at just the right time without overdoing it or their own stories getting in the way of the main story.
The ONE thing I would have liked to be seen handled differently was Burke’s anxiety. The way it was presented seemed very sudden and out of the blue. There are numerous times when the story discusses Burke’s dad or Chris that it could have been brought up and it wasn’t. I feel like this is important to note since we see very little books addressing anxiety in male main characters so when it is it needs to be done the right way, and not made to seem like it was just thrown in just because. Overall, this was a great book and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future! I definitely recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
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