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Mile High Firefighters #1

The Wedding Dilemma: Mile High Firefighters Series, Book 1

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My life has always been pretty predictable. Run into burning buildings, save those in distress, be a hero. Shoot the shit with my fireman buddies, come home, and do it all again tomorrow. Little did I know that a random SOS call from a woman stuck in a plaster cast with nothing underneath (I swear I only caught a flash of skin) would throw me for a complete loop.

Until I see the flighty artist again. At my mom's engagement party. To her dad.

Suddenly the unpredictable woman I couldn't stop thinking about is my soon-to-be-stepsister. Yeah, the same one I mortified when I accidentally saw her a tiny bit naked. This should make family gatherings way more interesting.

Except when your mom's as loaded as mine is, you can never fully let your guard down when a guy comes sniffing around. So I can't help but be suspicious, even though his daughter's the perfect blend of beautiful and wild. As we spend more time together, prepping for our parents' wedding, we both agree that maybe there's nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun in the meantime. But if she knew I was investigating her dad on the side, she would never forgive me....

Contains mature themes.

Audible Audio

Published November 2, 2021

85 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read

About the author

Mariah Ankenman

36 books777 followers
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her.

Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books follow her on social media or sign up for her newsletter.

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5 stars
187 (27%)
4 stars
274 (39%)
3 stars
177 (25%)
2 stars
39 (5%)
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10 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,722 reviews1,044 followers
March 25, 2022
The Wedding Dilemma is a disappointing from Miss Ankenman. The comedy only at mediocre standard.
I read Miss Ankenman's books before. I liked some of her books.

The plot is also repetitive. Especially with Parker investigating Tamsen's dad. Despite the repetitive, it never reach climax. The characters also stuck in two dimensional. Good thing the length of the audiobook is only 7 hours.

Overall an OK read.

3 stars
Profile Image for Claire.
2,324 reviews738 followers
July 6, 2021
3.5 - "With you… it’s always exciting." Stars!

The Wedding Dilemma was my first read by Mariah Ankenman, and as a start to the Mile High Firefighters series it was a pretty decent one too.

She didn’t want to bond with the guy, she wanted to bone him…

Free-spirited artist Tamsen and over-protective firefighter Parker’s first meeting occurs through some highly unusual circumstances, and as it’s under work conditions for him, he cannot act on that instant spark of attraction he feels for her. Little did either of them know that they’d be meeting again so soon, and that it would be through their parents… who are newly engaged!

I didn’t really see the blossoming romance between these two as ‘forbidden’ they are both adults and their parents are both approaching their twilight years, so its not like we are talking teens sneaking around at home or anything. I really enjoyed the story overall though, it had a few laugh-out-loud moments and both characters were easy to like and empathise with. And I only have to see the word ‘firefighter’ and I’m 100% interested, so lets just say after reading this one I’m eager for more from this series.

"Been thinking about me lately..?"

A great and engaging low-drama, highly entertaining read, and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future!

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.
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Profile Image for Jenn (The Book Refuge).
2,674 reviews4,501 followers
November 8, 2021
I had such a great time with this book!

I have been following Mariah on Tiktok for months now and I recently won a giveaway for a free audio download of The Wedding Dilemma. I'm so glad, because lately books without audio are hard for me to get into. And this one had such a fun audiobook. Connor Brown being the narrator.

This was a interesting set up. Parker's Mother is marrying Tamsen's Father and they don't find that out until after Parker has helped remove plaster from her body when she calls 911 for help with an art project gone wrong. So yeah, the hot firefighter who saw her boobs covered in plaster is about to be her new Step-Brother!

When their parents ask them to plan a shower for them they are forced to spend time together and they are both a little overwhelmed by all the feelings they have for each other.

So things get a little complicated from there... and steamy!!! Good thing he's a firefighter and has experience with hot things. Sorry, I had to make the joke.

This was a fun, sweet, hot RomCom and I really look forward to more in the series.

4/5 stars
Profile Image for Michele.
1,703 reviews
May 20, 2021
4 1/2 stars...

This was such a fun rom-com. Not only was the cover quite eye-catching, the storyline grabbed me and kept me reading.. Parker and Tamsen had crazy chemistry and their sexy times were off the charts. But more than that, they connected on a deeper level, making their "casual" relationship something more. Even though I could see some of the plot twists coming, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were fleshed out and believable. As I read this book, I often found myself smiling at the story. Oh ...and such a fun "meet cute."

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose two review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
Profile Image for Shannon.
8,377 reviews425 followers
February 12, 2022
3.5

A fun and sexy firefighter romance with a unique plot: an artist and a firefighter have to fight their undeniable attraction after they learn their parents are planning to get married. Great on audio, this dual perspective open door love story had some great steamy scenes. My only complaint was the overused 'deception' conflict trope. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Desirée Niccoli.
Author 10 books164 followers
Read
November 28, 2021
Disaster prone artist + firefighter = flaming hot chemistry and Passion Painting 👀
Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,968 reviews173 followers
May 15, 2021
The Wedding Dilemma puts a smile on your face and love in your heart. Parker and Tamsen discover falling in love is a family affair. From chance encounters to steamy attraction, Ankenman pulls out all the stops to keep readers laughing and enjoying unconventional romance.
Profile Image for Molly Jaber (Audiobooks And Sweet Tea).
950 reviews69 followers
May 17, 2021
Mariah Ankenman has brought us a fantastic, laugh out loud RomCom. She is superbly talented! Her characters came to life and truly stood out. This is one that kept me up long into the night, needing to finish. 

As a firefighter's wife, I love reading stories that are centered around firefighters. So, getting the chance to read Parker and Tamsen's.......unique and fun.......witty story was a delight for me! I loved the interactions of Parker and Tamsen and felt all their emotions as my own. They were perfectly chiseled and made their way into a permanent piece of my soul. 

If you want a story that will make you laugh, make you drool and make you want more instantly, then look no further than this fun read! It's page turning, it's hot and it should be added to your must read list now! Hats off to Ankenman on a fabulously chiseled novel! Her next book can't release fast enough for me!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Profile Image for Brittney Carvalho-Whalen.
103 reviews
May 10, 2021
Hot firefighters, steamy chemistry, quirky artist, and laugh out moments had me devouring this rom com. Although Parker and Tamsen meet in a odd circumstance fate had others plans when they realize later that their parents are about to wed. So what happens when their lust starts clouding their judgement? Thinking that maybe they need to get it out of their system before the wedding will help ease their tension that’s exactly what they do. But when feelings start to develop and secrets come to light both need to face reality. I loved Tamsen and Parker and their banter. Both are so lighthearted yet jaded by past notions which I loved seeing them work through. Not to mention the side characters were all charismatic and fun to read. Overall this was a fun quick read that had me laughing and turning the pages to find out what happens with these two.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Melenareads .
3,302 reviews79 followers
May 17, 2021
Mariah Ankenman cracks me up. From her amazing Instagram reels to her books that being the romance and comedy, I love it all.

The Wedding Dilemma features Tamsen and Parker who have a funny and awkward meet cute, and that's before they find out their parents are engaged. What follows is a fun, funny, and entertaining story as they navigate their parents impending marriage and the growing feelings they share.

If you've read Mariah's other books you'll catch a few fun cameos from characters you'll recognize. I love that this is set in the same book universe!

Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review
Profile Image for lowkeyreader.
5,569 reviews53 followers
May 18, 2021
I haven't read a lot of Mariah's books but this one is highly fun, hilarious and light read. I laughed a lot while reading this. Tamsen and Parker's story is never dull. It's always filled with funny, witty banter and moments, chemistry and some angst. I loved the way they first met. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I look forward to reading more from Mariah.
Profile Image for Jessica.
662 reviews
February 20, 2022
I love Mariah. This is my second book by her. And this was a good story. It’s a quick short read. Pretty basic and funny and entertaining. But I hate these covers. I thought this was gonna be really spicy because of the cover. But no it wasn’t, this was average. Which was a good thing!! I enjoy average spice in my books.
Anyways, I recommend!
Profile Image for Fos.
1,303 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2022
Audiobook
3.5 stars

Parker and Temsen

Good story but a lot of inner monologue

Didn't care for the ending. I prefer a genuine apology over a big public stunt. It's more genuine and personal.
Profile Image for Poppy Minnix.
Author 17 books150 followers
Read
July 7, 2022
This was an adorable firefighter meets artist romance!
Pick it up if you love fast pacing, some spice, forbidden love (soon-to-be step siblings), clumsy heroines, and heros who don't trust.
Profile Image for Lia.
814 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2024
I was waiting for the shoe to drop so impatiently with this story because it was so obvious from the start with what Parker was like

🌶
🍆🍆🍆
Profile Image for Becky Wise.
2,840 reviews52 followers
May 18, 2021
The Wedding Dilemma is a cute giggling good time. I loved this one so much. There are so many amazing giggle moments when it comes to Tamsen that you are going to love. Tamsen is sweet but a little accident prone. I love her relationship with her dad. Parker is a sexy firefighter who only wants the best for his mom. There is some red hot chemistry when it comes to Tamsen and Parker that will leave you fanning yourself. They burn up the pages as they try and navigate how to handle becoming stepsiblings. I could not put this down. Tamsen and Parker will put a smile on your face with all their interactions. You are not going to want to miss this one.
Profile Image for Nessa.
144 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2022
A funny and kind of forbidden story with likeable characters.

Hot firefighter x quirky artist 🔥
Profile Image for A_Stylish_Bookworm.
2,359 reviews117 followers
May 19, 2021
Thank you to @greyspromo for a copy of the book 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗮 was a fun forbidden romance. It starts with Parker, the firefighter, rescues Tamsen in an awkward position. They meet again at Parker’s mom’s engagement party to Tamsen’s dad. They are forced to plan their parents wedding shower while fighting their feeling for each other. This one was full of laughs and with lots of steam. ⁣
Profile Image for That_awkwardbook.
225 reviews3 followers
April 22, 2025
Such a fun Romcom! The tension, the banter and chemistry between the characters just perfect. He is a absolute gorgeous firefighter and she is an artist, waitress and is prone to accident. 
This is such a quick and fun read.
Profile Image for BooksBooksandmoreBooks69.
1,989 reviews39 followers
May 15, 2021
You can always rely on Mariah Ankenman to make you both chuckle and swoon.
What’s better than one fireman? Three firemen coming to Tamsen’s rescue.....

Tamsen is a free spirit, an artist with an up coming art show. The last thing she needs is to be stuck in one of her show pieces.....
But the upside of being rescued, she gets to drool over three fine specimens of manhood! Hey, she’s an artist, she can appreciate the human form. But the form that captures her eye and her breath is the gorgeous Firefighter Parker.....

Parker is firefighter, him and his mates do the saving thing down to a fine art. They work well together and have a really close bond.
But he’s not thinking at all clearly when faced with a cutie in plaster, he’s blown away by the feelings she causing him, but he’s at work, and he really shouldn’t mix work with fun.
He hope he catches up with her in the future, he’d love to get to know her better.

The two are thinking about having a little fun, when the unthinkable happens, they meet at their parents engagement party!
Parker’s mother and Tamsen’s father have fallen for one another after a six month whirlwind romance.
And now they have to organise a wedding shower for their prospective parents! So maybe romance won’t be on the cards! It’s wrong! Isn’t it?! They will be siblings, albeit half.....

But those sparks keep flying between Parker and Tamsen and when they decide on a little light no strings fun, both are blown away by their feelings.

But Parker has a hidden agenda
He needs to be sure his mother isn’t being taken for a financial ride.
So whilst pursuing and having fun with Tamsen, he’s checking out her father! Let’s hope she doesn’t find out.....

I didn’t really think of them as a forbidden couple, both were old enough not to be living at home, and there was no blood ties.

I love the way this author gets inside the characters head, I really like hearing their thoughts. The wit is sharp and funny. The comebacks are quick and the passion is oh so naughty!
Parker is your all American hero, Tamsen is your quirky arty type.
And I devoured the whole book in an afternoon.
First in a new series and I’m hoping Parker’s buddies get stories.


🦋
Profile Image for Julie.
2,655 reviews42 followers
May 24, 2021
Mariah Ankenman’s The Wedding Dilemma is a smoking-hot romantic comedy guaranteed to get temperatures rising.

Firefighter Parker Kincaid gets plenty of excitement at work – he is perfectly happy kicking back and living a quiet and predictable life. When he isn’t risking life and limb by running into blazing infernos, Parker likes nothing more than hanging out with his buddies and not letting affairs of the heart complicate matters. Parker is single and has not plans to change that – until he finds himself rescuing a beautiful artist during a rather random SOS call and finds himself completely and utterly unable to stop himself from thinking about Tamsen Hayes. Parker would love nothing more than to get to know Tamsen better – he just never imagined that the next time he would clap eyes on her would be at his mother’s engagement party to her dad!

Parker’s mom happens to be very rich and he is always suspicious when she announces that she has a new partner. Although Tamsen’s dad looks like a stand-up kind of guy, there’s no harm in doing a little bit of investigating on the side to see if he checks out. After all, when his mother’s feelings are involved, he cannot be too careful. Only, Parker begins to spend a lot of time with Tamsen and the more time he spends with her, the more he finds himself falling head over heels in love with her…

Is a relationship for Parker and Tamsen possible? Will there be another wedding on the horizon in the not distant future? Or will Parker’s investigation into her dad’s past end up costing the two of them their own happy ending?

The Wedding Dilemma is such a fun read! A cute and hilarious romantic comedy full of humor, heat and heart, The Wedding Dilemma is a terrific romp about illicit attraction, sizzling desire and irresistible temptation that effortlessly touches the heart and tickles the funny bone.

Parker and Tamsen are two lovely characters who will steal readers’ hearts and keep them eagerly turning the pages.

Mariah Ankenman’s The Wedding Dilemma is a sexy, sassy and spellbinding romantic comedy readers cannot help but adore!
Profile Image for Paulina Maurovich.
479 reviews
July 13, 2021
Title: The Wedding Dilemma
Author: Mariah Ankenman
Type: Standalone
Genres: Adult, Romance, Firefighters

Firefighters are my guilty pleasure, I absolutely adore firefighter shows. Hence when I got the chance to review a book based of firefighters my heart did a little flip. I really have not read any firefighter books and was quite excited to read this one. Now, based on the fact that I found this story so unique I did have my hopes up. Thinking that this book was going to be as beautifully scripted as my favorite drama Station 19, and sadly it wasn't. The story felt a little too much telling what the character felt, rather than me as the reader really feeling their emotions.

Tamsen our main character is an artist and a little clumsy. Hence after plastering her art into her body the fire rescue has to come save her. She is immediately attracted to one of the firefighters Parker. However, she never expects to see him in her father's engagement party to his MOTHER. Not only that but their parents decide they need to throw one of the bridal parties together. Their attraction continues but Parker, unbeknown to her and his mother, is looking at Tamsen father's background in fear of him wanting to take his rich mother's money.

The story is very linear, it follows a very straight and evident path until the lies blow up. You know from the beginning how and the way the story is going to develop. Which is one the things that I didn't end up liking from the writing, it was all too predictable. There are no plot twists and there comes a point of the book where you just want to skip to the end, even though you already know how it will end.

The last downside to the story was that I felt the parents voice was very scripted and not raw or real. Whenever Tamsen's father is giving advice it felt too dramatic for it to be a real conversation. I would have liked the teaching moments and realization moments for both characters to feel more natural not so scripted.

* I received this eArc from Netgalley and Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review *

--- 2.5 stars ---
Profile Image for Olivia.
3,753 reviews99 followers
April 25, 2021
THE WEDDING DILEMMA is a steamy forbidden firefighter romance. The book begins with a bang. Tamsen has to call 911 to help her with an art project gone awry. She is casting her body but forgot the oil, leaving the plaster stuck to her skin. When the handsome firefighters arrive, one in particular turns out to be her hero. She know she will probably never see him again, but is wishing there was a way to slip him her number.

Parker also felt a connection with Tamsen, but he would never cross that professional line. However, he does hold out hope that he will run into her in the wild, so they can explore their chemistry on a more personal level. When he does run into her again, it's the last scenario he would want - her father is about to marry his mother after a 6 month whirlwind romance. That makes her off-limits.

When they get roped into planning a wedding shower, they cannot deny the way that they feel. The chemistry here is off the charts with plenty of meet-cute and flirty moments that add some humor and heavy doses of romance to the read. Although they felt like their future stepsibling should be off-limits, the relationship does not feel so forbidden, making it a fun twist with some push-pull that keeps the tension running at an entertaining high. I loved the way they interact and could not wait for them to see what the reader sees.

The firefighter elements and personal histories that they have to work through makes this an even more delightful read. I was captivated by their story and loved the way they move forward and learn to trust each other. The book also contains some very hot scenes (fans self).

With a hot couple, extra steam, and some humor, THE WEDDING DILEMMA was a delightful romance read. Perfect for vacations or just a beachy read feeling, this book is worth losing yourself in for an afternoon.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for AmandaABookWanderer (AmandaABookWanderer).
142 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2021
Release Date: May 17 2021
EARC Provided by: @netgalley and @entangled_publishing
🔥 Huge thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for provided a EARC for me to read and provide my honest thoughts!

Let me start off by saying the cover matched with the title of this book is what caught my eye! Like ohh why is there a undressed fireman having a wedding issue??!!

This is a forbidden romance that is sexy, laughable, steamy, laughable! Has sexy fireman, oh and did I mention laughable!! In the best way possible I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling to myself! I DEVOURED this book in one sitting! In the back of a car driving home from a wedding! I was nauseous (tmi) and I could NOT put it down!
Tamsen (beautiful name btw) is such an awkward oddball! She’s funny, creative, and not afraid to speak her mind! Or maybe it’s all word vomit you never know for sure with her. ❤️ And Parker? Is fearless (mostly), funny, and a hottie fireman 👨‍🚒. They met in a hilarious fashion, sparks fly, they can’t stop thinking of one another and then BAM they met again, at their parents engagement party! They are going to be step siblings! 😮 This is a trope I wasn’t sure how to feel about. Like I’ve avoided many books with that little trope but this one! It was handled very well, the chemistry between Parker and Tamsen is undeniably from the first met! I loved how the two picked on each other but also pushed each other to do more, to not give in. I loved these two!

This is my first book from this author and it will not be the last!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Esther (esther.reads).
283 reviews67 followers
May 15, 2021
*cue audible screeches*
AHHHHHHH OMG THIS BOOK. Mariah, I could kiss you right on the forehead (with your permission obvi 💁🏼‍♀️) for writing this.

I do not say this lightly: The Wedding Dilemma may be my new favourite meet-cute of all time ever. Meet Tamsen Hayes: an accident prone artist who makes a fateful mistake that brings dreamy firefighters into her home. Including the most gorgeous man she’s ever met: enter Parker Kincaid. Who she finds out later is her soon-to-be stepbrother?! And he totally accidentally saw her boobs while rescuing her from one of her dumb mistakes?! But it was totally insta love for both of them (Parker will deny this fact though)?!However will this play out... 😉

TLDR; Tamsen might be one flame that Parker can’t put out. For multiple reasons. 🔥🔥🔥

You don’t need to wait long to meet Tamsen and Parker (😍). TWD will be released on MAY 17!! So hit that one click preorder and then kick your TBR to the curb ASAP. Dear church friends and my mom if you even bother to read my captions: don’t read this, but if you do, say nothing.

This review was brought to you by my insomnia, and completely and utter adoration for this book. Oh and I guess a million thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for gracing my kindle with an eARC so I could give my honest opinion on this title.
Profile Image for Come_read_with_me_.
875 reviews22 followers
May 3, 2021
YES, this is what I'm talking about, forbidden romance, sexy, steamy and hot firefighters! Sign me up.
Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. I read this book in one sitting, #sorrynotsorry.

I will admit, I went into this book blind, I saw Mariah Ankenman's name and I just had to sign up to read and review this book. I have loved all of Mariah's previous books and this one did not disappoint! Tamsen is hilarious, she is adventurous and creative, she speaks her mind and doesn't shy away from things. Parker is funny, protective and HOOOOOOT.
These two are to be future stepsiblings, I will admit I don't usually like this trope, however, no one can deny the chemistry between these two. The sparks were flying. They were just perfect together. I loved how well they clicked from the very start, how they challenged each other and also how they supported each other. I loved it.

I highly recommend this book and all of Mariah's previous books.

Thank you to grey's promotions for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
12.3k reviews92 followers
May 17, 2021
Tamsen is an artist who find herself in quite the predicament and in order to get herself extricated it will require the fire department. Although she may be attracted to one of the firefighters the humiliation factor of the experience alone is all she needs to convince her that their paths shouldn’t cross again.

Parker has seen many things in his career, but nothing could have prepared him for Tamsen and the situation she found herself in. He may be attracted to her, but he never expected to see her again let alone to find out that their parents are marrying each other. Let the fun begin!

Although for different reasons both Tamsen and Parker have had front row seats to the devastation that love can cause, and it isn’t a road they want to go down. There is no denying the chemistry and connection between them but between their views on love and Parker’s need to protect his mother it is going to be a bumpy ride.
Profile Image for Gladys.
14k reviews162 followers
May 5, 2021
This was a new to me author but the cover of this book caught my eye and after reading the blurb I just had to read it and I truly enjoyed it. I really like a book that can make you laugh but also give your heart a workout and that is exactly what this book does. Add in a touch of the forbidden (which is like catnip to me!) and I was completely hooked, happy and satisfied. I found Tamsen and Parker easy to love and root for. Their impossible to ignore attraction and hot chemistry gave the storyline plenty of intensity and steaminess. What starts out cute quickly twists into something flirty but emotional and that makes this delightful book one you definitely do not want to miss out on. Of my own accord I am posting an objective review.
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