This is why she's researching, so that she'll be able to go into the shoot knowing better what she's doing. It's a paid/professional shoot, but this does NOT automatically mean that the client is expecting an experienced professional photographer. It's perfectly acceptable for a novice photographer to be paid for their time and product. While the client's expectations may not be high (and this is likely reflected in the agreed fee), you're wrong to imply that there is a fundamental problem with the scenario.
I understand the need to research before a shoot, in fact going into a shoot without researching is a big no-no.
However, if I am doing a shoot, for pay, and it is something I am not familiar with, then I will take the time to go and shoot that genre several times first until I am comfortable with it. Then I can go and be confident doing the shoot.
I am currently doing this with boudoir style shooting. I have done a couple of shoots to practice lighting, poses, angles etc, so now I could charge some-one and be confident they are getting value for money.
I agree, a good starting point is asking advice, looking at posing guides etc, but you can only get the basic ideas from a book/forum/youtube tutorials, there comes a time when you have to go and shoot it.
As the shoot is only 2 weeks away, it doesn't leave much time to practice IMHO.
Finally, I don't know what the client's expectations are,or what the agreed fee is, and neither do you.
Of course it is acceptable for a novice to be paid for their time and product.
When people are paying for a product, whatever they are paying, they have a level of expectation which is often far higher than they say.
There are countless stories of togs who have done a shoot, or a wedding, or a family group as a novice, for a low fee, but then the client has come back and been disappointed with the final result, despite being made aware of the photographer's inexperience/low fee etc.
This can make things very awkward.
I personally would have some sort of contract in place just in case.
I wish the OP the best of luck, and I genuinely hope all goes well, and that the customer is satisfied.
As I said in my first post, this is purely my opinion, and I'm sure others' will vary.
