Just a Little Bet (Where There’s Smoke #2) by Tawna Fenske-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 26, 2020.

After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.

So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?

But between roadside burgers and late night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.

•••••••

REVIEW: JUST A LITTLE BET is the second instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult WHERE THERE’S SMOKE romance series (formerly known as Smokejumper). This is smokejumper / firefighter Tony Warren, and thirty-one year old, photographer Kayla Gladney’s story line. JUST A LITTLE BET can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspective JUST A LITTLE BET follows former lovers now friends smokejumper / firefighter Tony Warren, and photographer Kayla Gladney as they embark on a cross country journey to face down a number of Tony’s ex-girlfriends in an effort to understand why all of his relationships fail. Meanwhile, Kayla has been contracted to do a coffee table book of photography focusing on the burned-out remains of several forest fires so their journey together forces Tony to remember a painful past that is about to come full circle. What ensues is the rebuilding romance between Tony and Kayla, and the potential fall-out as Tony believes he is incapable of love or ever being loved, in return.

Tony and Kayla dated in the past. For whatever reason their romantic relationship fizzled and died but the embers remained hot and the palpable sexual energy continued to burn. But Tony’s dark past is about to rear its’ proverbial ugly head, and in the aftermath Tony struggles with his relationship to the woman with whom he had fallen in love. As Tony faced down the women from his past, Kayla offered support, sometimes pretending to be Tony’s new girlfriend. As their journey continues Kayla begins to examine all of her own failed relationships and comes to the conclusion that she and Tony were meant to be.

The relationship between Tony and Kayla is a former lovers to best friends to lovers, once again, relationship wherein our couple agree to a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship while on the road but the heart wants something more when Tony professes his love then everything begins to spiral out of control. Late night dinner dates and sunrise photography sessions pull our couple closer together but the past is about to intrude once again, forcing Tony to push Kayla away. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Willa and Grady (The Two-Date Rule #1), Kayla’s friend Aislin, as well as Tony’s best friend Leo , nurse Nyla, Tony’s mother Connie, and Kayla’s mom Patty, Tony’s brother Joel, and a string of Tony’s ex’s who let him know exactly how they feel.

JUST A LITTLE BET is a story of second chances, revelations, expectations and moving forward. The premise is heart warming and emotional; the romance is seductive; the characters are little bit broken, colorful and energetic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE TWO DATE RULE

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy