The Best Laid Plans

The Best Men, Book 1

By: Karla Sorensen

Narrated by: Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A tough-as-leather football player. A happy-go-lucky historian. It’s love against all odds in a warm and emotional romance about found family, friendship, and the restorative powers of the heart.

Former Dallas football player Burke Barrett is weathering a lot of changes. He’s retired from football. He’s mourning the loss of his best friend. And now he’s been bequeathed a dilapidated house in northern Michigan he doesn’t want. To his surprise it comes with a long-legged, blindly optimistic renovation manager with big ideas for Burke’s inheritance. She’s passionate, irritating, and irresistible.

Restoration expert Charlotte Cunningham is used to rough exteriors. This surly client, with his stubbled jaw, towering physique, and inflexible attitude, is worth smoothing over. The attraction sizzles, and a proposal is in order: a romantic tryst to relieve the tension. No strings attached. A safe bet for both of them since Burke is prepared to renovate, sell, and move on.

A pet project with an end date. Does that go for love too? Burke must decide what he really wants and what he’s willing to risk. He should know by now that the best-laid plans can change in a heartbeat.

©2023 Karla Sorensen (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

wonderful

loved it .. beautifully done written.... loved the details of the old home design and architecture.

A lovable grump

After the death of his best friend, Burke Barrett finds out that he is now the owner of a dilapidated house in northern Michigan. Restoring the house to its historical glory had always been his friend Chris’s dream, not his. And the last thing Burke wants to do is deal with a long-legged, optimistic, beautiful project manager who is in charge of the restoration project. But the more time these to spend together the more Burke starts to wonder if maybe he’s found the place he has been looking for.

So freaking good!

There is so much beauty in this book. These characters show how grief can affect our lives and how healing can come in ways we might never expect. I was so happy to have picked this book up and look forward to more from this author, hopefully there is one about the other guy mentioned in the book!

Heartfelt story and narration.

Bought this because I like the narrators (Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin). Loved the story. Beautifully performed. Was my first book by Karla Sorensen. Looking forward to the rest of the series. (maybe Liam or William's stories?) Would really love for them to be narrated by Connor again. Cranky/grumpy Connor as Burke and British Connor as Liam were wonderful!

VERY ENJOYABLE

This was a very enjoyable listen.
The narration was well done.
The story flowed well from beginning to end.
Humor and Romance and Small Town Feels

Visceral emotional vocal performance!

This was my first Karla Sorensen book and I’m still reeling from the agonizing emotional topics that were revealed during the super slow burn physical affection between Burke and Charlotte. I was intrigued with the grumpy, taciturn, reluctant ex-football player who desperately wanted to run from his deceased friend’s last wishes. He was a hard man to like but his growing affection for the restoration project and his project manager shined through even when he was at his crotchety worst. I liked Charlotte immediately because of her outgoing personality and her intrinsic love of Campbell House and architectural restoration. This pair loved to bicker and their feisty personalities, snappy dialogue, and witty banter were quite entertaining. I had great empathy for Burke’s ongoing grief for his deceased friends and could understand his desire to constantly escape his overwhelming emotions. But the author’s stupid decision to delve further into more emotional agony by examining Burke’s relationship with his father totally turned me off. Burke’s unforgiving and callous disregard and outright cruelty toward Charlotte and his emotional cowardice destroyed this story for me. While I didn’t like the author’s storytelling decisions I won’t ever forget the poignant and visceral emotional performances of narrators Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin.

Really lovely story

This book was just lovely. Thoughtful and sweet, emotional and satisfying. The characters were complicated and layered with an interesting relationship.

Karla Sorenson has written another amazing book

I loved this book from beginning to end. it's a story of grieving, trying to find yourself and falling for the right person. I love Burke's relationship with his sister

A Must Re

My first book by this author and I can’t wait for the next one. The detailed story and characters made me feel like I was right there and I immediately fell in love with them. Love this book. The narration and reading were great.

Loved this story!

Beautifully written and I so loved the HEA and how the main characters came to terms with their past and what made them fall in loved. The narration was awesome!