The Five Date Challenge

Jackson Hole #10

by Cindy Kirk

Will love be the winner?

Josie Campbell grew up surrounded by doctors possessing a fierce dedication to the practice of medicine. That’s why fun-loving Josie has never even been tempted to date anyone in the profession. Then again, she’s never met anyone as intriguing as neurosurgeon, Noah Anson.

Captivated by Josie’s free-wheeling spirit—and her total lack of interest in him--Noah is determined to win the beauty’s heart. Noah has never met a situation he can’t control or a woman he can’t charm.

When Noah asserts that he can win her heart in five dates, Josie can’t resist the tempting challenge. By Valentine’s Day, it’s Noah who has lost his heart to Josie.

The end is in sight and Noah pulls out all the stops. Failure isn’t an option. Not with true love on the line.

Dive into this heartwarming romance today and be prepared to smile!

~Originally published as The Doctor’s Valentine Dare, this story has been completely updated for your reading pleasure~

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Cindy Kirk is a Booksellers' Best Award Winner, a National Readers' Choice Awards finalist, and a Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Cindy launched her Good Hope series with a bang. Christmas in Good Hope hit #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for both Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction.

A lifelong Nebraska resident, Cindy started writing after taking a class at a local community college. An incurable romantic, Cindy loves seeing her characters grow and learn from their mistakes and, in the process, achieve a happy ending.

Someone once told Cindy that to know a writer you just have to read what she's written; she hopes that once you read her books you can tell she is an eternal optimist, one who truly believes in the power of love. She invites you to kick off your shoes, pick up one of her books, and get to know her.

Cindy and her high school sweetheart husband live on an acreage with their two dogs.

Reviews

[Nicole Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy and am voluntarily reviewing it. Josie Campbell is back in Jackson Hole to repair her relationship with her family. Josie’s family, full of doctors which includes her dad and brothers, pressured her to also continue down that path and instead of feeling like she could voice her opinion, she left town.

Dr. Noah Anson moved to Jackson Hole in hopes of rekindling a relationship with his sister, Daffodil. Because Josie worked for Noah’s grandmother and Noah worked worked in a practice with Josie’s father and brother, the two came to agreement to help one another mend their relationship with their families. A deal was struck for them to appear to everyone in the town that they were dating. Noah figured five dates would be more than enough to get things figured out for the both of them. They did not count on enjoying the time they spent together.

This friendship had some seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Noah was not interested in being in a relationship. He tended to lose sight of what was important to him, his career. That could not happen again. Noah’s mom was a huge obstacle as well. Will this couple be able to conquer their obstacles and see the love that is right in front of them?

[Julie Eichelberger-Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Five Date Challenge is the tenth in the Jackson Hole series but can be read as a stand alone. This is a story of posing in a fake relationship in order to mend family rifts. Josie comes from a family of surgeons and has the intelligence and grades to follow in the family tradition but doesn't have the heart for it. When she tries to tell her father and brothers, they ignore her so she does the only thing she can to save her sanity, she quits college and moves to Portland. She has now returned home to mend her relationship with her family but is still struggling to get them to listen to her. Noah Anson is a neurosurgeon who is in practice with Josie's family and is also dealing with an estrangement from his sister after causing a scene at his sister's wedding by trying to convince her that her groom wasn't worthy of her and would cause her heartache. Although proven right, his sister refuses to talk to him because she felt abandoned when he didn't get his way. Although Josie refuses to date a surgeon, she agrees to a fake relationship so that they can help each other with an outsiders perspective. Neither is looking for a love connection but emotional exchanges and hot, steamy encounters prove love is not something you can control. This is a beautifully written story that shows if you take a step back and listen you just might find a way to heal a broken relationship.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.

[Maria Grass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Another great book in the Jackson Hole series. Noah and Josie are both newish characters in the Jackson Hole series with Josie returning to Jackson Hole to try and reconcile with her family, and Noah moving to be near his estranged sister. With totally different personalities they strike up a deal to help each other with advice on how to see other perspectives to try to sort each of their family relationship problems. Spending so much time together the inevitable happens and they start to fall in love. Although Josie embraces it, Noah wants to slow things down as he is scared that his ordered life is going to suffer which devastates Josie. Really enjoyed this book and following the ups and downs of their blossoming relationship

[JigsawGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Jackson Hole series. This book was not one of my favs. Noah and Josie had somewhat of a connection. The chemistry felt inconsistent to me. I know they were supposed to be pretending, but sometimes when they were together, the atmosphere felt cold, like there was no connection. Maybe that is how it was supposed to come across.

I really tried to like Josie, but for the most part, I didn't. But that is my issue. I can't stand it (whether in real life or in books) when a person has an experience and judges ALL similar people or situations based on that experience. That's like telling someone the last tall man I dated was an idiot, so I will never date another tall man.

I didn't dislike Noah, I was more indifferent to him. It felt like Noah had genuine interest in Josie from the beginning, but her attitude was so off putting, it kind of killed the chemistry for me.

This book was full of people with communication issues. Josie and her entire family, Noah and his sister, and whatever was going on with Sylvie.

The HEA did happen, although the ending felt rushed. I was surprised that with so much time spent on the issues everyone had that the reconciliation would take longer.

I can normally read a Cindy Kirk book in one sitting. This one took me a couple of days. I just couldn't get into it for some reason. It was an ok read that had a few moments of being sweet and romantic. I would recommend that you read this book and judge for yourself.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return to Jackson Hole with Book #10. As in all the other series books, this can be read as a stand alone although prior character's play supporting roles and it is nice to get a glimpse of how the author sees their lives turning out.

I rarely give 3 stars to Cindy Kirk books, usually 4 stars and up, but don't let that stop you from reading it.. Overall it is a cute and sweet read with a little steamy added to it. Compared to the numerous other Kirk books I have read the writing style and descriptivness were spot on but for this book the overall storyline felt rushed with very little development. The "Fake Dating" storyline is never clearly laid out definitively with it changing chapter to chapter as is also the character's connection with each other. Overall you get a lengthy read for the build up of the "Happily Ever After" with a rushed ending. Not my favorite Kirk book but still a good read on a Cold and Snowy Day.

"I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it."

[brittani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I want to start by saying that I love Ms. Kirk's writing and the Jackson Hole series! However, this was not my favorite book. I had trouble relating to Josie and Noah. I didn't feel any connection to them or their story. The fake dating plan seemed jumbled and their chemistry seemed to come and go. I found myself wanting to know more about Daffodil and her ex than about Noah and Josie. This was still a good read and I recommend it as a stand alone due to the lack of previous character development and background needed to follow the story.

[Priscilla Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was a heart felt book LM. I loved the journey that Josie and Noah went through to get to admit their love. It started out trying to help each other with their family members and ended in their happiness. Great book

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josie returned to Wyoming to reconcile with her family. Noah is a neurosurgeon who needs to reconcile with his sister. When josie and noah crossed paths and learned of each others predicament, noah decided to help josie because he is in practice with her father and brother and understands them and might be able to help her. Josie can help noah because she is friends with Noah's sister. So they entered into a fake relationship to try to work things out with their respective families. But along the way, feelings enter the equation and that changes the game. Because they both want to turn the fake into real.

This story has a lot of doctoring involved. Noah is a doctor, josie is a doctors daughter. Her brother is a doctor too. When I first started reading this book it was very confusing to follow. It's a fast pace story and it was hard to grasp that quickly what was going on. Noah and josie jumped from 0 - 100 pretty fast like as in 2 dates and six weeks.

I wish there was more romance between josie and noah. There were too many secondary characters all vying for space. And too much drama with Noah's sister. Also I dont understand why josie is working for Noah's grandmother and renting a room in Noah's grandmother house and shes not living with her parents who has a big house in Wyoming. At first josie mentioned that she needs to find a place of own and move away from Noah's grandmother house. It seems like shes struggling whereas her parents has a big house.

Also I dont like noah. Yes I know doctors feel as if they are important and has superiority over others. But his arrogance is another level which I cannot handle. I dont like the authors portrayal of his character at all.

[Danielle Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.”
The Five Date Challenge is Ms Kirk's 10th Book in the Jackson Hole series. It can be read as a continuation of the series or as a standalone novel. The two main characters in this book are fairly new to the character arc but are connected to previously mentioned characters.
Josie has recently returned home to Jackson Hole to mend a rift in her family due to her not becoming a surgeon like her father & brothers. Noah is a surgeon that has also come to Jackson Hole to not only see his grandmother but mend a rift with his sister.
In order for the mending of said rifts to begin, both Josie & Noah pose as a couple in order to help each other out. Josie is somewhat opposed to this as Noah is a surgeon & she detests dating surgeons. Noah has decided that he will get Josie to like him within five dates hence the title of the book.
Spending a lot of time with each other has Josie & Noah developing feelings for each other. Noah is more reluctant to go to the next step as he is scared what being in a relationship will do to his burgeoning career as a surgeon.
Throughout the course of the book, Josie & Noah learn to love each other & manage to start the healing process with their families.
I will admit that this book took a bit to get into but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Yet another fantastic book from Ms Kirk & well worth a read!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having left Jackson Hole following pressure to follow her family into the medical profession, Josie Campbell is back to try and repair the broken relationship with her family. Never feeling as though she was heard, she is back to sort things out. Likewise Dr Noah Anson is back to try and repair his relationship with his sister, Daffodil.

Josie works for Noah’s grandmother and Noah works in a practice with Josie’s father and brother and the two of them agree that they may be able to help each other in their aims to repair the family bonds. But the deal means that they have to look like their dating and Noah believes that five dates will be more than enough for them to both achieve their goals.

What neither of them has counted on is the fact that they really like each other and the time they spend together, and so five dates may not be enough for either of them! But can they overcome the obstacles in their way, will their families come round and will they both admit their feelings towards each other?

Another wonderful visit to Jackson Hole from Ms Kirk. I loved the characters and their journey to finding each other. I couldn't put it down!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Maria Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book but I so very willingly read it; this review contains all my own opinions about the book and is written voluntarily!

This book was FUN! :) Josie is such a fun gal, someone I would totally love hanging out with. She was surrounded by super serious doctors all her life and no way is she going to get caught up in that life. To her that was a fate worse than death!

Doctor Noah is the new doc in town. He moved to Jackson Hole to forge a better relationship with his sister Daffodil. He works in the medical practice owned by Josie's family (mom, dad, brother ... told you she was surrounded by doctors!). He is charmed by Josie's fun-loving, devil-may-care attitude. She is having none of that!

And here our challenge, and our story begins. It is written so engagingly and there never was a dull moment in this book. Yet, at the heart of it, it is a story of two people with intertwined souls finding each other. The differences in Noah and Josie are the very heart and soul of this book. Cindy writes soulmates so well, and this book is just as well written, just as wholehearted and just as lovely.

I always love visiting Jackson Hole - it is like catching up with friends and spending time with them. I cannot wait to visit again!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in Jackson Hole, Josie Campbell had been estranged from her family after dropping out of college as she did not want to be a doctor like the rest of them. Dr. Noah Anston is back in Jackson Hole trying to repair his relationship with his sister, Daffodil. Josie also works and lives with Noah's grandmother, Pauline. Noah needs help reconnecting with Daffy. Josie needs help relating to her family. Noah and Josie begin a relationship to help the other with their family problems. They tell each other how to deal with their respective families in hopes of a perfect reconciliation.

Noah and Josie must examine their feelings for each other, as well as their families in order to make sure that they are able to have a future for themselves.

A nice return to Jackson Hole, as part of the Jackson Hole series. Characters that we met in previous novels are now supporting characters, including Josie's family and other professionals who work with the Campbells and Dr. Anson.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Delsora Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A flirty, fun-for-the-moment challenge between total opposites turns into a we-can-each-help-the-other friendship. But, as each tackle different life-challenges, the two work together to bring different perspectives to problems on family dynamics. When chemistry kicks in and they each realize they have more in common than they thought, the attraction blossoms.

A fun, witty, heartfelt story of building trust, learning to let go of the past, and aching to reconnect with family. These two characters were meant to be in this place in their lives, as a team, at this moment in time.

What starts out as an “I need your expertise” exchange of help, turns into a deep love for two people who find they complete the other.

Loved the dynamics in this story, both the push and pull between the two main characters, but also the dynamics between family members and friends as the entire cast grows, learns, trusts, and accepts.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Bandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jackson Hole stories but sadly, this one wasn't one of my favorites. I had trouble believing the love between Josie and Noah as the relationship felt very sexual so I had to suspend disbelief to accept that they could have fallen in love so quickly, it became obvious by the end but I wish I could have witness the love in real time as it developed.

I like the aspect of family estrangement and attempts to heal that. While great progress was made on Josie's front, it was very frustrating to see how clueless Noah was in his interactions with his sister, which was never resolved.

I was left with certain questions that I hope will be answered in a future installment of the series. While these stories are standalone, I recommend reading the series in order, I have received the books out of order over time so I always have the hardest time keeping track of the timeline and the stage of coupling of secondary characters.

I received an advance copy and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Susan McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the tenth book in the Jackson Hole series and was originally published under the title “A Doctor’s Valentine Dare.” Josie Campbell and Noah Anson have both returned to Jackson Hole to mend rifts with their families. Noah comes up with a scheme to fake a relationship so that they can help each other with their family issues. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Josie and Noah and how their debriefing sessions eventually became a lot more. It was also nice to catch up with previous characters from this series. What kept this from being a five star book was that I felt that I was dropped into the middle of the story. I would have liked a chapter or two to lead up to the idea of the fake relationship, instead of diving right in. I eventually understood what the backstory was and the motivation for the fake relationship. Overall an enjoyable read. I received an ARC from the publisher for my honest opinion.

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had an Advanced Reader copy of this book and am willingly reviewing it. I liked the premise of this story and the idea of Josie’s hesitation in getting involved with doctors after having grown up with doctors in the family.

Josie seems like a cute girl who has a lot to offer. She is smart and has her own achievements. Her family is a bit hesitant about her because after college she decided to move away from Jackson Hole and pursue her own dreams.

Noah is a successful doctor and is used to getting his way. He has his own issues with his sister, Daffodil, but by the end of the book, I was not exactly sure if they had been resolve or if we are keeping it for another Jackson Hole book.

I think this book was good and I enjoyed it, I just felt there was some unresolved issues at the end of the book. Like I have said before, I enjoy this series a lot and hope to keep reading more about the people in Jackson Hole.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Five Date Challenge is #10 in the Jackson Hole series, but books in the series can be read in any order. In this one, Josie and Noah decide to have a just for show relationship so that they can help each other with family relationships - Josie wants to get closer to her parents and brothers after she left suddenly some years ago, and Noah is trying to reestablish a bond with his younger sister.

I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the couple at first, and I never totally loved Noah. Although their friendship grew on me it wasn't my favorite part of the book. What I liked the most was seeing Josie's bond with her family grow and develop as they learned to communicate differently and express kindness instead of criticism.

Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC of the book!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Campbell is back home to reconnect with her family after a health scare. Her dad and brothers tried to force her to become a doctor like them. When she gave up trying to get them to listen to her, she left college and moved to Portland. Now seven years later she is back and still having no luck getting them to listen to her.

Dr. Noah Anson is having trouble reconnecting to his sister after her disastrous marriage and divorce. A marriage he advised against.

Josie and Noah agree to help each other. Noah can give her the male perspective when dealing with her dad and brothers and Josie can do the same when dealing with his sister. Will they be successful making amends?

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Five Date Challenge
Josie and Noah made a good team in learning from each other on how to mend fences in their families.

The key thing they both learned was to listen and not respond with words that are combative. Being positive when you feel like yelling at someone takes a lot of patience and taking a deep breath before responding.

The hard part is showing family members that you have value in what you want to do especially when it doesn’t follow their plan.

I loved the journey they were on with each other and their families. It was fun to be back in Jackson Hole and how the community connects.

"I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it." 

[Kathi Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. This is the next in the Jackson Hole series. Josie and Noah are both in town trying to mend fences with their respective families. They reach an agreement to enter a fake relationship to help one other accomplish this. But as with how all well laid plans go, they end up catching feelings and fall for each other. I enjoyed the book and getting to know Josie and Noah, and watching their relationship develop. I also liked how Josie was able to see her family’s side as well as they see her side of what happened to their relationship. It was also fun to catch up with couples from previous the previous books in the series.

[Camiba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. Sometimes, love forms in the most unexpected places. Noah isn’t Josie’s type. Not only is Noah an arrogant doctor, but he’s partners with Josie’s father and brother, two people with whom she has a complicated relationship. But when Noah suggests to Josie they work together to make amends with their respective families, by pretending to be in a relationship, sparks fly. Relationship’s of convenience often make for good storytelling, and that’s exactly the narrative Ms. Kirk plays out in this novel. An unlikely friendship that soon forms into the love of a lifetime. This book will give you multiple feels that will keep you turning the page for more.

[Sara Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by author Cindy Kirk. When two individuals need a little extra help connecting with their family, it only makes sense to team up and work together. What they don't anticipate is how much they will help each other, and how they might develop some feelings in the process.

This is a book that is part of a series, however, it can be read on its own. If you choose to read it on its own, you may miss out on some of the character development as these main characters have shown up in previous books.

I received an ARC from the publisher, but this review contains my own opinions.

[Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noah and Josie were quite a pair that both seemed to be afraid of falling in love. Of course fate stepped in and constantly brought them together as they tried to help each other mend bridges with their respective families. Josie had to learn to communicate and finally figured it out with Noah's help. Noah needed to learn patience and learn when not to demand how people lived their lives. He has more work to do hopefully I will see it in upcoming books.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Sarah Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚ARC REVIEW 📚

🌟🌟🌟💫

I enjoy Jackson hole series and I enjoyed this book. As always a quick read and easy to read.

For me I just couldn’t fully relate to Josie or Noah, I thought they where both a bit too angry with family and I felt like we missed out some of the story of the truth for Noah with his sister.

I felt like there was a lot of side characters action which I love with Cindy book but maybe I preferred that more to the two main characters.

Looking forward to the future books though this was just wasn’t my favourite in series.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review

[SARAH DOUGHERTY · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this wasn’t my favorite book, it was still an entertaining read. I just couldn’t get into the reason on why Noah and Josie were hanging out, which was to have a better relationship with their family members. I just didn’t find it that believable that they would pretend to date for that, and if that was eliminated I would have definitely liked it more. I did enjoy all of the other parts of the book though and am glad I got the chance to read it. It had a very sweet and feel-good ending. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved how this book started. It jumped right into the action and just kept going. I really enjoyed the development of their love story. One of the things I loved best about this book was the subtle advice you could get from the book on how to understand other people and why we often end up building walls due to being hurt rather than seeing what is really happening. I really enjoyed this book and think it's a great addition to the Jackson Hole series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Megan Paholke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning back to thenJackson Hole series, Josie and Noah, despite being quite different, strike up a bargain of sorts to help mend their respective families. They begin a fake relationship that may start out fake but begins to turn into something more. Another great addition to the series about overcoming family issues and loves enduring ability to conquer all. I loved this story and highly recommend.

I received an arc from the publisher and voluntarily read it

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each of her books have characters that are dealing with an emotional issue that is usually dealt with in a slow and steady way. Josie and Noah both have issues relating to their family and want to try and fix things. They agree to help the other. I'm not sure I liked Noah. Still I think lessons were learned that can be related to our life.

[Melissa W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great look about listening to each other, about looking deeper, about being patient and not passing judgment. Sometimes we have to get older to see things from this perspective. Thank you for another great visit to Jackson Hole!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book by advanced reader copy, at first I wasn’t convinced about Josie and Noah as a couple, but as the book went on and Cindy delved deeper into what made them tick, everything came together. Another stellar book from Cindy Kirk, I adore the characters and their home of Jackson Hole