A review by allingoodtime
The Best Laid Plans by Karla Sorensen

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. 
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