A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA!I’m totally over having my heart stomped six years ago. So what’s with the mule kick to the chest when I spot the girl who ghosted me?Turns out she’s not my teenage fling, but her twin sister—and she needs a fake date to her cousin’s wedding. I’m game, especially since Val fires me up like no one I’ve ever met. She’s smart and funny and sweet and is it wrong … sweet and is it wrong that I’m diggin’ this bogus boyfriend role?
As our make-believe romance melts into real-deal territory, things get hotter than a habanero on a bonfire. But what happens when her sister shows up?
Or worse, when I fall in love with my fake summer fling.
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A visit to the Ponderosa Resort!! For Bree’s wedding, her cousin Valerie comes as a guest and as her wedding dress designer. She is a twin. The less adventurous twin. She is mistaken for her sister by a man who was supposedly Vanessa’s first. A man who Nessa ghosted. Who’s he? Josh is in charge of all the adventurous things like white water rafting. And while he’s stunned to see the woman who ghosted him all those years ago, he is instantly drawn to Valerie in a way he wasn’t to Vanessa. So they band together to help Val survive this wedding and in the process discover maybe their fake dating doesn’t need to be faked after all. Funny, steamy, sweet, and tender. All the hilarity and hotness with that dash of human weakness you expect from Tawna. Floved it! I received a review copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This was a cute novella with varying emotions. Betrayal, fear, feelings of inadequacy, putting on a brave face, trying new things and letting go. Both Josh and Val are afraid. Each for their own reasons, but the fear is always there. I don’t know anyone who won’t be able to relate. Everyone has at least one fear; something that either humiliates them or causes them anxiety, or just unease. Whether it’s something from their past, something their hiding in their present or something they’re afraid will happen in the future. Fear is a powerful thing and this book brings that to life.
This series has been key in talking about things that most people avoid talking about. Bullying, always having to be perfect, feeling ashamed, fear and trust, and questioning who you are. Tough topics, but each has been addressed and resolved. I love this series for taking on these topics.
Every Ponderosa Resort book…okay, every Tawna Fenske book I’ve read, makes me laugh out loud. This one was no exception. I’m so glad Josh got his story, even if it wasn’t a full length book. But while short in length, it was full of fun, laughter, a few tears and so much sexiness.
Since I’m always honest, I did experience a bit of squeamishness that our heroine, Valerie, is the twin of Josh’s summer fling, Vanessa. You’ll need to read yourself to see exactly what that entailed…because this is a spoiler-free zone…but the idea of siblings, especially twins, “experiencing” the same guy/girl is not my favorite plot twist!
But I can definitely overlook that fact if the story is well-written and I’m totally smitten by the couple, which I completely was, thanks as always to Fenske and her writing. Great dialogue is a huge turn on for me. There’s nothing better, even the sexy parts! Shocking, right!?
While you can absolutely read Mancandy Crush by itself, reading the whole series gives a little more flavor to the secondary characters. And don’t we all want a little flavor to our romances!?
What a wonderful novella! I love the Ponderosa Resort series, and this is a cute addition. The main characters, Valerie and Josh, are adorable together. And while I’m not often a fan of relationships that develop so quickly, somehow it works with this couple. There are also cameos from some of the other characters from past Ponderosa Resort novels, and that’s always fun to see. (Plus, we got a glimpse of Bree and Austin’s wedding!) Fenske has a great ability to write realistic characters that you want to get to know, plus she adds some really awesome wackiness. And this book also introduces us to Valerie’s twin sister, Vanessa, whom I really hope will get a book of her own soon! The books in this series can stand alone, so feel free to jump in with this novella. But once you get a taste of Fenske’s writing and the amazing world she has created, you’ll probably want to binge the rest of the books, too!
I have really enjoyed the Ponderosa Resort series. This one is just a novella so it is a quick read. I think this is my favorite one. Valerie and Josh meet when Josh mistakes her for her sister. They end up enjoying each other’s company and have more than the fling they think they will have. I love all of the awkward situations the characters get into. This was a fun read.
Tawna Fenske mixes the sweet, sexy, and hilariously funny moments really well. I love the fact that we get to see Bree and Austin’s “Christmas in July” wedding and that we also get to meet new members of the Bracelyn family. This was in insta-fall between Valerie and Josh, who didn’t blink an eye at each other’s oddities and shortcomings. It had aww sweet moments, loud explosive sexy moments, and “this could only happen to me” funny moments that you just have to read. I always look forward to reading more of this series.
Mancandy Crush is a great fast paced novella to an awesome series!!
“But I’m not that brave. I’m not even brave enough to turn around, to steal one last look at him for my memory book. It’s better this way, easier to convince myself it was all a dream. Just a fling, nothing that should leave me aching and empty and sore all over. It’s best to leave quickly while I’m still in one piece. I can avoid getting too attached if I leave fast, maybe get on a plane tonight.”
Loved this! Recommend.
Every visit to Ponderosa Ranch is so fun and amazing!!!
Josh and Val shouldn’t have worked so well. He had a youthful summertime fling with sister. He’s adventurous while she’s afraid of everything. But the instant chemistry was out of this world.
I loved the Christmas wedding in July!! It was so fun and quirky that it made me wish I was a guest at this wedding in real life. I can’t wait for my next Ranch visit!!
Another fun read from Ms. Fenske.
Here we have Valerie and Josh; Josh had a short romance with Valerie’s twin sister years ago, where she up and left to never call again. Val had heard this story but never met Josh, so when Josh sees her and thinks she’s Vanessa, well, things get awkward, lol.
Anyway, when they get over that they agree to start a short thing while the wedding preparations are happening and more and more they realize things can be great between them.
I loved this story a lot, there are fun times, some misunderstandings (that don’t last long) and many swoons between these two. This was a short, lovely and funny read and a perfect addition to the series!
P.S.: I loved the announcements for future books at the end of this. <3 <3
*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for which I’m giving my honest opinion*
It’s been six years since he laid eyes on the girl who broke his heart. Thinking to give her a piece of his mind, he finds out it’s not her but her twin sister Valerie. Josh is now intrigued, and intends to discover her secrets. Valerie has her own heartbreak when she finds out her twin is dating her crush from a few years ago. Being at the Ponderosa Resort for a wedding, they are both involved and Val decides she needs an escort so her sister will back off. Now we have a wedding theme of Christmas in July, twins dating each other’s crush/fling, and obstacles that will make you laugh. Tawna’s humor in her writing is enough to keep you wanting to read to the end and her characters are great. Always a great time when you’re reading one of her stories. I’d highly recommend this book and any of her books to read.
Favorite Quotes:
“When you’re eighteen, it’s all hormones and lust and raw, carnal attraction.” “Sounds horrible. How did you endure it?”
I used to be afraid of sharks… I still am, but this was serious. I wouldn’t swim in the pool at the country club because of it… I was captain of my high school swim team, but I still sometimes caught myself checking the lanes for fins.
“I was so afraid of tornadoes that I wouldn’t drive past the trailer park on the south end of town,” I admit. “That’s where they always struck when I heard about them on the news, so it seemed smart to steer clear.” Josh lifts one sandy brow. “Didn’t you grow up in Maine? I didn’t think they had tornadoes there.” “They don’t.”
I used to worry that if I closed my eyes in the shower, an ax murderer would show up and kill me… I got a lot of soap in my eyes.
I don’t care if you have a thousand condoms and a meatball sub in there. I’m not letting you near that damn phone that’ll end up dialing your financial advisor or your parents or something.
My Review:
I eagerly zipped through this quick, mischievous, highly amusing, and delectably steamy installment of the cleverly humorous Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies series. The storylines were quickly paced, witty, and observantly insightful of relevant and difficult issues and emotional triggers many people face. I adored Josh and Val as a couple and their thoughtful and gentle concern for each other. The storylines were creative, entertaining, and progressed at speed. I giggle-snorted several times during Val’s well-considered list of best and worst ways of biting the dust, her mental catalog of unusual deaths, and her colorful and comedic confessions of irrational fears.
Any time you have an opportunity to visit Ponderosa Resort, such as in Mancandy Crush, Tawna Fenske’s latest, you should take it. Fenske’s trademark humor and creative shenanigans make for the perfect summertime read. New readers to this series will like the short introduction to the resort and the characters, while long-time readers will enjoy a brief return. Val and Josh are complicated characters that make for great story-telling. I’m still not sure what I think about Vanessa, so hopefully she’ll get her own book so I can figure it out. If you want Christmas in July, or just a good laugh, pick this one up.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novella.
I absolutely love this series and this one is so sweet and romantic in so many ways.
Josh has spent his entire life feeling less than others. Like he is dumb and no one really wants him. When he spots his teenage love that ghosted him he is not happy. When he finds out it isn’t his old love but her twin sister he is intrigued.
Valerie has spent her life being safe. Afraid of being hurt in one way or another so she isn’t one for taking risk. When her twin sister urges her to take some risks she decides to pretend to have a summer fling with the hot guy that her sister once spent a summer with. It doesn’t take long for the pretend to turn to real.
This revolves around Bree and Austin’s summer Christmas themed wedding. We have all the loveable characters from the previous books plus the new ones. I love this series and can’t wait for the next book. I received an early copy to read and review and give my honest opinion. I loved it and highly recommend it.
What a great book! I really enjoyed this book; from Josh and Valerie meeting, to mistaken identity, the ants and everything in between and culminating with Bree and Austin’s wedding. I also fell in love with Bree’s christmas in July wedding theme and all the christmas related food and drink and activities around that. I wanted to be there to be a part of the festivities. Josh and Val are definitely a great couple and I really liked how they were there for each other and how they talked about their pasts and were very understanding of each other’s limitations and I love how he finally won her over with his own rendition of the 12 days of Christmas, so perfect. My favorite line from this book, “I’m ready for anything,” I tell her. “Anything and everything.” This is a book I will definitely read again and again and it’s a great addition to this series. So excited to see what comes next.
Tawna Fenske delivers another must read. Absolutely loved this addition to The Ponderosa Resort series. Val and Josh were perfect together. From their first meeting until the last page, their chemistry had me hooked. My only complaint-I wish it was longer.
Looking forward to another visit soon. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
This was a great, quick read. Any time I pick up a Tawna Fenske romantic comedy I know I am going to have a smile on my face the whole time I am reading. This book did not disappoint. This Ponderosa Resort story focuses on a Bracelyn cousin who is visiting for Bree’s wedding. Valerie and Josh meet when Josh mistakes Valerie for someone else. After figuring out this mistake they become friends while fighting an attraction to each other. Of course it doesn’t take long before they stop fighting their attraction. Josh takes Valerie on several adventures that she was always to afraid to try, she had a few awful events in her childhood that caused her to overthink everything and be wary of trying new things. Josh is hiding something too because he is worried about how people will view him if they find out. He is comfortable enough with Valerie that he tells her and he likes that she doesn’t look at him as weak but as strong for dealing with his issue. Of course they have an issue that threatens their new relationship but Josh comes up with a grand gesture that shows Valerie how much he loves her because he really put himself out there for her.
If you have enjoyed the other books in this series, this will be another great read.
Valerie and Josh are both awesome additions to the extended Bracelyn clan – whom I love more and more with each new book in the series.
I love this line:
I am brave. I am fierce. I am—“I’m going to die.”
I hear ya, Val, I truly do!
And Josh’s life sounds somewhat familiar…
“I don’t need any help doing stupid shit,” he says. “I do plenty on my own.”
I also liked Vanessa, whom I was prepared to look at with squinty eyes because of her history with Josh. But I especially love the (twin) sister vibe between her and Val.
This novella has all the usual quirks, laughs, feels, and swoons – just like the other books in this series. <3