REVIEW: The Best of All by Karla Sorensen

The Best of All by Karla Sorensen: Zoe and Liam never liked each other, but they always put aside their differences for their best friends. When their best friends pass away unexpectedly, the last thing Zoe and Liam expect is to have joint custody of their friends’ 3 year-old daughter, Mira. When Liam originally takes himself out of the equation, Zoe tells herself that she doesn’t need him. She’s surprised when he shows up on her doorstep on a hard morning offering his assistance. As the two of them learn how to take care of Mira, they learn how to support each other as a family unit.

As a complete story, I loved this book. I was engrossed in the characters and their journey. Zoe had been through hard times already and questioned herself. Her divorce was something that we heard about often, but you could see how she wanted to be more than that.
Liam had hidden demons throughout the story. As the book went on, we learned more about him and why he reacted to things the way he did. The way his relationship bloomed with Zoe and the way he learned to trust her made him so endearing and you rooted for him the whole time.

There were two things that threw me when it came to this book. The first was how much I felt the cover didn’t relate to the story at all. I felt like the book was going to be a lot steamier when looking at the cover. It built up to the spice but kind of ended there. I always judge books based on their covers and this one went in a completely different direction than I thought the cover was going to take me.

I also felt like the end of the story was very abrupt. I was hoping to be able to see their relationship come to fruition besides a little epilogue tying up the loose strings. It felt like there should have been a little bit more story after the final few chapters before going on to the epilogue.

Book Info:

Publication: July 16, 2024 | Montlake | The Best Men #2

He’s commitment phobic. She believes in happy endings. The twist of fate that binds them is a surprise they never saw coming in a bittersweet romance about instant family—and not-so-instant love.

A decade-old animosity is the only thing Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine have in common. Until their mutual best friends pass away and they’re appointed co-guardians of the trusting couple’s precocious toddler, Mira.

Liam is committed only to professional football. Relationship-wise, he’s even better at defense. Still wrestling with a tough childhood, he’s not cut out to be a father. Why his late best buddy believed in him, Liam has no idea.

An optimistic romantic, Zoe has always dreamed of a fairy-tale life. But even though Liam’s biceps make her dizzy and she can’t stop thinking about his lips on hers, he’s not exactly Prince Charming. With or without that brooding Brit, she is determined to make good on her friends’ last wish.

Forced into a predicament they never expected, Zoe and Liam are discovering things about each other that could scorch through boundaries, warm hearts, and change minds. And best of all, with their shared love for a pint-size surprise like Mira, they might just turn a house into a home.