If you’ve ever seen your teenage crush ten years later, and he turns out to be a complete jerk, then you know how Molly Ward feels. The last time she saw Noah Griffin was the regrettable day that she decided to climb into his bedroom window and turn her unrequited crush into something more. That day was bad enough, but things are about to get worse. Noah has become one of the best football … of the best football players in the country, and he’s just landed on Molly’s front step.
As a new addition to the Washington Wolves roster, Noah’s presence is the key to Molly’s promotion in the front office.
The problem is, Noah wants nothing to do with Molly, and his surly attitude is making her job very difficult.
But he’s got another thing coming if he thinks Molly will be intimidated by one grumpy football player, no matter how much he hates being around her.
Once these two go head to head, their mutual dislike explodes into undeniable chemistry. But with what they have at stake, they just might detonate everything else along with it.
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First of all…how in the ham sandwich is this the first time I’ve read Karla Sorensen?
Second of all…I inhaled Focused! It combined a few of my favorite things…sports and steam and secrets and second chances.
There was something so endearing about Molly that I couldn’t help but root for her. I liked her spunk and kindness. How she loved and cared for her family. How she rocked her job. Even when it challenged her. Especially when it brought her face to face with her childhood crush, Noah.
Well Noah certainly grew up a lot in the years since they had their run-in. He is now all man, and a growly, broody one at that. He is known as ‘The Machine’. Seen as heartless and cold but Molly knows better. It took some time and a lot of patience and compassion to break through his mile high and thick walls but she did.
While it was impossible for Noah not to fall for her, there was more than one problem standing in their way. Their situation was tricky and complicated and both of them had a lot at stake. It was only a matter of time before their secret caught up to them. And when it did, things imploded in a major way.
But holy swoon city! Noah’s grand gesture, his play to win Molly back absolutely melted my heart. I’m talking belly flutters and smile that stayed on my face long after I finished reading, perfection. Focused is slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance at its finest.
OK, this is it! This is the second book by this fabulous author I have read I now I am going to be a life long fan and stalker!
Focused is the first book in the Ward Sisters series and it’s Molly and Noah’s story.
A brief and disastrous meeting in their past sets up their amazing meeting 10 years later.
Molly is a force, even with her past, she is well rounded, loves her family and is amazing at her job. Even with the grumbles of nepotism from her new boss she wants to prove she has what it takes to make her way in the Washington Wolves football world.
Noah is the definition of hyper-focused. He lives and breathes his football career, nothing will distract him from being the best he can be.
The relationship that develops between Noah and Molly is nothing short of miraculous and beautiful. Ms. Sorensen has a way to her words that pulls you into both of her character’s mindsets and makes you feel like you are there in the world they live in. It took courage for Molly to do what she did and I applaud her strength to fight for what she wanted and wouldn’t settle for anything less.
It was so swoony and adorable to see Noah have his “ah-ha” moment and the things he was willing to do to prove himself to Molly.
I cannot wait to read the next story in this series! I cannot wait to read all her stories! Get your hands on this, get your hands on all of her stories, I am getting ready to do that myself!
5 TOUCHDOWN STARS!! Wow, what a way to start my reading out for 2020. This is my favorite book by Karla Sorensen so far. Noah is so swoon worthy and Molly is perfection. The feels in this story are off the charts….they brought me to tears a couple of times….happy and sad. I could not stop reading this book, it is a re-read story for me. This is a MUST READ…..Grab it now.
What a beautiful heartfelt story!
Focused by Karla Sorensen is everything you love about second chances.
A story with depth. A emotional journey of finding out there’s more than just football. There’s more out there as long as you find someone you want to feel and experience those exact things with.
We watch as these two have their second chance. What happened as teens was just a building block for what happens when these two are reunited. These two fight it but you can only fight fate for so long. And what a beautiful ride Sorensen takes us on.
Once you start this story you won’t stop until the very end.
Highly recommended!!
*I was given a free advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest and voluntary review*
I have been waiting for this story for months and it did not disappoint! Molly and Noah are both strong characters and determined. Their past adds tension between them they they try to deny but can’t.
I loved watching their story unfold from their first meeting in the elevator which leads them to be enemies to the end when they are together in love. Noah begins the story as such a jerk while Molly tries to be her fierce and happy self but they become enemies with chemistry they both try to deny. Neither can see what is happening but the camera crew, that Molly is a liaison to and is filing Noah, they are witness to it all because their chemistry is undeniable to everyone who watches them but themselves.
They might be stubborn and think they are fine and don’t want to be around each other or they can forget about the other one but a pesky thing called love says otherwise.
UNTIL HER
I knew Molly’s story would be worth the wait. Learning about “the incident ” in Logan and Paige’s story was a heartbreak and a half. Feeling the remorse and loss in Focused made me love the impetuous teenaged Molly even more.
But teens grow up, Molly sure did. Still beautiful, but far less impetuous she still has a Noah problem. A big 270 (or was it 280?) pound problem. A cut muscles and rippling force of man-problem.
Be careful, it’s hard not to focus on The Machine. Oh and tissues are a strong suggestion!
And just so you know…Noah is not the H of romantic…nevermind, you’ll see.
This was my first book by this author, and I’m so glad I found this series.
Molly is the very essence of the phrase “never met a stranger” she has this ability to read people in a way that makes her empathetic, and genuinely kind. She is sweet with a touch of sass, and an incredible soul.
Noah is pretty much the opposite, everything inside of him has one focus, and that’s football when he’s not on the field he’s working on something to make his game better. He keeps his emotions barricaded inside his chest, and he’s gotten so good at it that at times he doesn’t even realize what it is he’s feeling.
Noah and Molly have a bit of history and it brings an extra level of tension between them from the start, but it’s undeniably clear that there’s more between them than either of them are ready to admit. The secondary characters added banter that made me giggle, and also some moments that tugged at my heart strings.
I adored Noah and Molly. Although they had a rough start they turned it into a friendship with witty exchanges mixed with heated stares. This had an exquisite blend of a tension filled slow-burn, witty banter, feels, and a family overflowing with unconditional love that I can’t wait to read more about.
I couldn’t possibly love Molly and Nathan more! Sorensen does enemies to lovers with absolute ease. I’m so invested in these characters, I’m rooting for them and wanting to crash family dinner. Looking forward to book 2!
Couldn’t read this fast enough! Anyone looking for a enemies to lovers should definitely check this one out. The characters are phenomenally written and the story is paced well and engaging. I loved every second of this story!
I really thought the book leading to this one would stay my favorite. However, this one really melted my heart. Molly and Noah were so damn cute together, and I am all about cute, adorable and sweet romance stories nowadays. They do have some brief history from the previous book, but you can still read this one as a stand-alone.
This is an enemies-to-lovers, second chance sports romance. The hero is grumpy, the heroine takes no shit from his grumpy self, the level of drama is just perfect, and the chemistry between the two characters is hot .
If you haven’t read FOCUSED by Karla Sorensen, I highly recommend you add it to your tbr list and get to reading asap!
NO SPOILERS!
Focused was a sweet, funny, swoony, and entertaining standalone sports romance, as well as a fantastic start to the Ward Family series!
Karla Sorensen did an excellent job with the storyline and characters. Her prose was lovely and she wove a romantic and swoon-worthy tale for Noah and Molly that I wholeheartedly loved. I was entertained from start to finish, and loved that Focused combined the sports romance, hate to love, and second chance tropes. Noah and Molly were absolutely wonderful, and I loved watching their romance unfold. It was sometimes an uphill battle, but totally worth it in the end, and I was happy with the conclusion.
Focused was an excellent kickoff to the Ward Family series, and I loved Noah and Molly’s sweet, funny, sexy, swoon-worthy, and entertaining story. Karla Sorensen did a phenomenal job with this standalone sports romance, and I can’t wait to read the next one, Faked!
Karla Sorensen has done it again. Focused is a brilliant and page-turning book, with mesmerizing and beloved characters.
A spin-off from her amazing Washington Wolves series, Focused tells the story of Molly Ward (Logan Ward’s sister from The Marriage Effect) and Noah Griffin, the Wolves’ newest player. They are so right for each other! But he is laser-focused on his football career and she needs to show her new boss that she is meant to be there.
Karla’s writing is effortlessly funny and witty, it simply flows. This book really made me laugh and smile. At one point, it was so full of emotion that I actually teared up. Focused is a must-read!
I love her books . I highly recommend this series
Hot. dog.
This, right here, is my particular brand of kindle crack. I am powerless to resist it and utterly consumed by it when I encounter it.
This book.
I was obsessed with it! It had the perfect amount of push and pull. The perfect amount of flirting and kissing and emotion. The perfect amount of heat and drama. This was my first Karla Sorenson book, y’all. And now I want to gobble up everything she’s ever written.
This was so good!
Noah and Molly had me hooked right out the gate. I loved their awkward, slightly traumatic history and the way they met again years later. I loved Molly’s upbeat personality and her offbeat charm. And I’m a sucker for a grumpy hero any day of the week – so it took nothing for my heart to wrap itself around Noah and his delicious, addictive, ooey gooey soft underbelly. I loved the way things played out in this story and how this unlikely band of characters drew Noah out of his shell and opened up his heart. There were moments that read like a movie to me – the descriptions so perfectly written that they flitted through my brain like I was physically watching them unfold. My heart fluttered and squeezed and completely took flight over how perfect these two were, and how much I absolutely adored their story.
Beyond the love story – I loved the family dynamic and I want more Ward stories like, yesterday. I loved the warmth and authenticity with which they were written – this isn’t a perfect family, but they have a lot of heart and I can’t wait to explore more of that.
I’m hooked! I want more – so much more! I don’t know why it took me so long to pick up one of these books, but it most definitely won’t be my last. This one got me right in my sweet spot and I cannot wait to see what else this author has in store for me!
I started this series in the wrong direction when I first discovered the Ward siblings and I have yet to stop my binge reading. I loved discovering new authors that writes sports genre and have become a fan of this author writing. She brings life to her character with the emotions that draws the reader in. I loved Noel and Molly’s character, they were likable and relatable with a sweet, steamy chemistry that I fell in love with. Drama, heat level and a HEA that makes my heart melt makes this a must read! I can’t wait to see what happens to the rest of the Ward siblings!
LOVED this!
Oh the feels in this one!
I experienced them all.
This story gave me everything.
After meeting 16 year-old Molly in The Marriage Effect, I couldn’t wait to dive into her story. She was such a lovable character – so impulsive – I knew 9 years later, she was going to be an amazing woman.
Grumpy, scowly Noah is sexy AF. He was Molly’s next door neighbor nine years ago. It was his window she snuck into. Her brother/legal guardian, Logan, was absolutely furious. Noah and his father ended up moving away and Molly was sure she’d never see him again.
Well…fast forward nine years and Noah “The Machine” has been traded, he now plays football for the Washington Wolves. So guess what? He has to see Logan…every day…because Logan is now Noah’s defensive coach.
AND he has to see Molly again.
Every day.
Let the tension & stress begin.
Happy-go-lucky, intelligent, wanna-fix-everything Molly is a very confident and lovable. When her new boss gives her a job that involves working closely with Noah, she’s convinced she can do it. Of course, she was shocked at first, but she’s sure she can remain professional and there will be no problems.
Noah is living with blinders on, missing out on life, family, love. He tries so hard to ignore all of Molly’s positivity and kindness and goodness…and the way her ass looks in yoga pants. He has zero time for distractions. He’s boring, doesn’t really have any close friends, and he’s fine with that. But, he does feel guilty for never seeing his beloved Grandma. He knows he needs to visit her more, but his career is important to him.
I love, love, love grumpy heroes. Especially when they glower and glare and sometimes can’t hold back their smirks and smiles because the heroine is so frickin adorable and awesome. That grumpy hero is Noah. *swoon*
It takes the huge-hearted Molly to show him what he’s missing. She takes apart The Machine little by little, piece by piece, until realization slaps him in the face and he sees what’s truly important and what makes him happy. The chemistry between these two was off the charts hot.
This story gave me smiles when I wanted them, feel-good butterflies when I needed them, and warm fuzzies when I least expected them. I’m always impressed with Ms. Sorensen’s writing and this book was another perfect example of that.
I loved this story so much! Have I said that yet?!
I dove right into Claire’s story (Faked) right after this one. You get a little snippet of her book at the end.
This is my first Karla Sorensen book and I can safely say it will not be my last. This book was everything I never knew I wanted. It was charming and funny and sweet. I loved the slow build of the relationship, seeing the tension build between Noah and Molly until it combusted in the most perfect of ways. I loved the supporting characters and I need them to all have books, and yes, I need to go back and read some of Karla’s earlier books to enjoy the characters that already have stories…especially Logan and Paige. I have some excellent stories ahead of me. Thank goodness for back catalogues. Karla’s writing is captivating. She pulls you into her world and introduces you to characters and situations that grab your full attention and won’t let go. I read this book in day, I don’t remember the last time I did that, I was just so engrossed in this story. I love that it had two characters that were at loggerheads to begin with and a touch of forbidden to it.
I gotta say I loved Noah and Molly together!! Molly has a way of getting him to open up and let the walls fall down! There was so many sweet moments in this book and most of it was caught on tape. Those amazon guys are sweethearts and have their best interests at heart! My only issue was the hate part… I get that they had a awkward moment back when she was 16 and he was 19 but I missed why we hated him so much… Oh well, this was a great book with a great group of characters. I laughed and swooned so many times in this book!
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book mostly because of how broody Noah was. Molly was so sweet and you couldn’t help but love her and the camera guys were so fantastic. I loved the turn that this book took. Noah was so focused on football that he didn’t have time for distractions. This happens a lot in books and I have to say, I really loved how this one was done because Noah was such a good man. Once he realized how he felt, he went for it. He didn’t hide his feelings or even try to fight them and it made my heart happy. I could see where the plot was going and it was adorable getting there. If you are looking for a light read with a good guy, pick this one up.