Although I hadn't read anything of Tawna Fenske yet, the blurb already got me chuckling. As a workaholic myself, I can relate to putting business first. Fortunately I already have a very hunky husband with the patience of a saint. Nonetheless, I appreciate a girl like Willa who doesn't want to get distracted from her business. As the story unfolds, you come to realize why Willa is so determined to make her business thrive and you can only admire her more.
However, Grady is the exact opposite of Willa: no care for what tomorrow holds, since this could be your last day. As a smokejumper, you are in one of the most dangerous professions, so why have a financial plan when you can enjoy today?
But, as opposites attrack, Willa and Grady end up dating. Since Willa has a firm two-date rule (after two dates she moves on and doesn't want to see a guy any longer, to avoid attachment), Grady comes up with all kind of hilarious activities to spend time wit Willa. It is absolutely funny as hell. And while Willa enjoys their encounters (of course it will not be named a date...), she realizes she can't continue like this, when she loses some of her clients. Business and her future come first. But how will the future look without Grady in it?
Cute, funny and cozy. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

For readers who may have heard this trope before, you should try this take!

She has one rule, only two dates. She distances herself from love and finding that one true person to be with, and it takes our main male character to finally break down those barriers.

While I loved his character, I wasn’t a huge fan of her personality throughout the book. It was a little too structured and strict to me that I found myself distancing from her at times.

Overall, the story was still enjoyable and created a fun, lighter read that also had heat! A 3 out of 5 stars!

3.5 stars

Willa is hard nosed, and determined to stick to her path.... succeeding in her business. While she likes to date, 2 and done is her rule as she doesn't want to lose focus. Grady is going to stretch her rules and get more time with Willa.

Grady was fun and entertaining. Loved his sly, playfulness. Willa really needed a man like him in her life. Fun read.

I have never read a story by author Tawna Fenske and was surprised to enjoy it since I based my choice on the description. Engaging and entertaining at the same time, I am now on the lookout for more books by Fenske.

Mixed feelings about this one I think.
One of those books where the set-up is one hundred percent my jam, the characters are great and I'm really into their story, but something isn't quite making me connect. I would be really into it one moment, then I would put it down and wouldn't pick it up for a couple of days.

I think part of this was the writing style. There is a lot of explicitly stating the obvious and/or deep inner feelings. It also felt like a lot of the time, characters were reacting to the thoughts of characters rather than their words or behavior, and that was a little weird to me.

Willa's friends also were a lot at the start. I like it when characters have a rich life outside of the central relationship, but these friendships felt very weirdly invested and too personally and out of bounds. It was especially jarring because the boundary-crossing was very one-sided, Willa didn't seem interested in her friends' life all that much.

I did really like Willa as a character a lot, and felt her struggles with anxiety deeply.

It just wasn't quite enough to move this to my favorites.

Is it really a dating rule when you go out of your way to break it? This book had me looking forward to each new ‘non-date’ that Grady and Willa came up with to work around her self imposed ‘two date rule’. The author built the tension with each meeting and the chemistry was hot enough to warrant a fire hazard. Such a fun story!
Willa has a history that made such an impact on who she is today. It impacts every decision she makes for herself to not become her mother, to not go down the path of her father. To make a better life that she can call her own and be proud of. To a fault. Ms Fenske sprinkles in bits and pieces along the way and I could see Willa creating these rules (not just for dating) to protect herself. To have control of her life. But she needed to have that life plan shaken up a bit and one seriously sexy smokejumper was just the right slice of perfect to show her that plans can be changed.
I’m not sure what amused me more. The not so smooth attempts at justifying the ‘non-dates’ or the witty dialogue. It was all good and kept me turning pages. They just had to figure this out. Grady and Willa needed each other and I love love love finding stories where I want to get to know the characters so I can help them find their HEA. That’s not really an option so second best is reading an author who brings me right into the story. This is one of those books.
Willa’s relationship with her dad tugged on all the feels. She says more than once that he’s ‘complicated’ and I got that. I felt her anxiety when she remembered or spoke of her childhood. I knew Willa would have to come to terms with her past and I had no doubt there would be way more sparks between her and Grady before that was settled. I mentioned the feels this book stirs up. It was on both ends of the spectrum including wanting to throw something at her through my Kindle at one point.
Grady had work to do and I loved the advice his father gives him. And it was going to require patience and perseverance. He’s not perfect, he also had his own issues to work through. That’s why I loved them together. They had their own independent lives but they gravitated to each other. It was beautiful and I want more smokejumper stories now.
The Two-Date Rule ends on the perfect note. Tawna Fenske is a fantastic story teller and I’ll be watching for new stories to be released as well as checking out her book log.

**ARC provided in exchange for my honest opinion**

Let me start by saying that this is NOT a romantic comedy. I know that's how most of us know Tawna Fenske, but this isn't one of her comedies. I want you to be aware of that so we can move on. Now that you know that, I want to say I appreciate the time the author took in researching smoke jumping and how lovable and believable these characters are (down to being annoying sometimes, because, well, we're all annoying sometimes).
Willa and Grady are two incredibly flawed individuals that are scared to fall in love. We get to see why Willa is so terrified of dating and why Grady is a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy. I love how well developed the story is and how the secondary characters add the necessary depth to it. Some stories are not sunshine and butterflies and as such, you're able to appreciate the happy ending even more. This is one of those stories. Watching these two characters stumble their way to their happy ending felt like an awesome victory.

This book was hard to read at times because it hit some triggers such as emotional abuse, neglect, and mental illness. So just be aware of that. I was able to finish the story and I am glad I did because the story is well developed and worth reading.

The Two Date Rule was totally worth the wait. There were parts that were tough to read due to the subject matter and I had to take small breaks. However, it is such a good book! Thank you, Tawna, for writing a book like this!

Crazy date rules and mistaken identities - what could go wrong? One hilarious tale after another, this story will have your cheeks hurting from laughter and smiles for days. Willa has reasons for her rules, even if they are extreme, but once she meets Grady, she might have met her match. He's determined to find every loophole around her rules, especially to avoid going on the second and final date, according to her. I highly enjoyed this story, and can't wait for more in the Smokejumper series!

Rules were meant to broken...or in the case of the TWO-DATE RULE, stretched to the limit.
WIlla has one relationship rule she sticks to no matter what. Two dates with a guy then a kissoff. Her back story provides the reasoning behind this so I won't give any spoilers, but it's a rule that's served her well.
Until she meets Grady.
Then the two date rule starts to get tested. Is mini golfing really a date? What about drinks with friends? Is a boot call one?
Pretty soon these two have to come up with ways to stay together when neither of them is looking for an HEA>
This was a delightful story and I was really rooting for these two to make that third date. Hee hee
Thanks to Netgally for a sneak peek.
4 well deserved stars from me.

Such a depth of emotion!

The Two Date Rule by Tawna Fenske was so much more than I was expecting! The book had the fun, light banter I expected and thoroughly enjoyed. The underpinnings of the commitment phobias of both the H and h is where I was surprised and moved. I loved the way Grady avoided Willa’s two date rule and how each growing encounter became a non-date. Both needed to embrace their childhood demons in order to move past them and be available for a long-term HEA.

As with all Tawna’s books, she builds the characters in a way that you, as a reader are invested for their future. The secondary characters are also intriguing and I can’t wait to read their stories in the next books.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

Fresh and fun and then some
4 stars

How cute is that blurb? It ticks all my boxes for a sweet and enjoyable romance. And by and large it lives up to that promise.

This book was quirky, fresh and fun. I enjoyed Ms Fenske’s writing style and it was very readable and kept you interested in the story and the characters. While this is a cute storyline overall, there is still a little more depth here what with Willa’s background and childhood, and Grady’s own issues about the future. Oooh - I just realised that one’s afraid of the past and one’s afraid of the future. Ha! Pretty sure I should have realised that before now!

I was convinced that Tawna Fenske used to write for the Harlequin Blaze line - a line that I adored! - but I must have been mistaken. I think it’s a fair comparison to make as we have two strong characters who know what they want, good writing, interesting situations and some sizzling sex thrown in for good measure. While I’ll take any kind of hot sex in a book, I liked that while there’s the rush of lust with our main couple, it never seemed too soon or lacking emotion - since the pair had a connection from the first time Willa mistakes Grady for a stripper!

Willa herself is a strong, successful woman. She knows what her plan is and even knows how her childhood has moulded her as a person. On the surface, she’s not normally my kind of heroine as I sometimes feel a bit of shade when someone has their life together!! But Willa is very likeable in a lot of different ways. Her wonky pets, her quirks and anxieties, her honesty - and the way she doesn’t shy away from her attraction to Grady. She reacts like anyone would react when they find a hot guy who likes them but also has dating rules. She goes with the flow - even if she’s not comfortable.

Grady is most comfortable going with the flow and I loved the way he tried to cajole Willa into just one more non-date. It was so darn cute. He has his own journey but all the while he’s supportive of Willa and I love that. I also love that he’s hot and has a sexy job. And the man can knit!

The only reason that the story dropped a star for me was because I felt Willa freaked out one time too many regarding a future relationship with Grady. The ending did almost make me forget about that fact as it was just lovely. While I do sometimes like it when only one of our couple has to apologise and make amends - having them both make compromises and come together at the end made my little heart pitter pat and made me think that this couple would definitely last.

I’m excited to read the next book in this new series all about the hot Smokejumpers. I was intrigued by Kayla and Tony’s relationship in this current book. Are they a future couple? Or was that just a red herring? I’m interested to find out and will definitely be popping the next book onto my wishlist.

4 stars for this one and a recommended read.

The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske is a fun romance with some laugh-out-loud moments and an entertaining plot.

Grady is a sweet guy with a job as a smokejumper. Fighting forest fires means he's gone a lot and doesn't really have time for a relationship. Willa works hard and does her best to be successful after a difficult childhood. She has a two date only rule that she always enforces, but Grady makes her question if she wants more.

The story started out a little bit slow, but quickly picked up. I really enjoyed Willa and Grady and am looking forward to more from this series.

The Two-Date rule is a heartfelt heartwarming romance with loveable moments. The characters are wonderful and have great chemistry. This story kept my interest throughout the story. Its well written and a good storyline. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this story.
I read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Smoke-jumpers #1, A sweet and steamy book all in one. I'm new to Tawna Fenske and figured what better place to start that with a new series. I really enjoyed this one, it was funny in all the right parts and romantically sweet and hot in the bedroom, but not limited to the bedroom. Best of all it had relatable characters, Grady and Willa are opposites but their spontaneous reaction to each other soon grows deeper but not without its hardships because of those differences.

Overall, it was a pretty good read. I liked all the characters and the funny situations; all the "non-dates". And I liked watching them navigate "not" falling in love with each other throughout.

Due to Willa’s past she is determined to ensure that she is successful in her career and financially stable. She isn’t about to be distracted by any man and she keeps her interactions with them short and casual. This arrangement has worked well for her in the past, but Grady is determined to show her how much fun bending the rules can be.

Grady comes from a very large and close family and has followed in their footsteps and chosen to become a firefighter. When he meets Willa he is intrigued by her and realizes that two dates are not going to be enough so he comes up with some pretty unique ways to circumvent her rules but when their new relationship is tested will they realize what is truly important or return to the way their lives were before they met each other?

I enjoyed watching the relationship unfold between Willa and Grady and with the great assembly of secondary characters I look forward to more books in this series.

A free fall into an inferno of happiness!

Willa is a bit of a hard sell on things outside of her safe secure world.

She has her father, her not so reliable alcoholic father. Her two best friends. Her menagerie of broken animals. And her business.

But every so often the girls get her outside her comfort zone.

And on one of these nights she happens to meet Grady. She mistakes him for a male stripper, but rather than be offended he's thoroughly charmed.

He also charmed enough to find himself determined to see her for more than two dates. Even if that is her 'rule'.

Grady is a smoke jumper from a family of smoke jumpers. He doesn't tend to be a planner. But maybe he needs to re-evaluate that, because he's met someone who may not appreciate his short sightedness.

Willa & Grady have both been affected by things they saw their parents do. But can they figure out what they need to do to get past that?

I love this book. It's got the humor and love I expect from Tawna, but I will say Willa and her baggage hit me a bit more than I expected. She touches on the topics of mental health, addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, and poverty, but with Tawna's touch of care and humor.

I love the bumpy but happily ever yellow brick road their journey takes. Funny. Sweet. Steamy. Touching. Really, all sorts of feels. Leaves you with a warm happy glow.

3.75 stars—THE TWO-DATE RULE is the first instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult SMOKEJUMPER erotic, romance series. This is Smokejumper Grady Billman, and thirty-one year old, website designer Willa Frank’s story line.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Grady and Willa) THE TWO-DATE RULE follows the building relationship between Smokejumper Grady Billman, and website designer Willa Frank. A night out with friends at a strip club finds Willa Frank face to face with a man she believes is part of the evening’s entertainment. A promise of dinner at a high-end restaurant finds our heroine struggling with wasteful expenses and enacts her two-date rule to get out before it is too late but all does not go according to plan when Willa and Grady’s series of non-date, dates finds our couple falling in love. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Grady and Willa, and the potential fall-out as Willa struggles Grady’s lack of preparedness for the future, and her inability to let go of the past.


Willa Frank does not do relationships having watched the failure of her parent’s marriage destroy her father, turning him into a struggling alcoholic. The two-date rule allows our heroine to walk away without any pressure but all is not well in Willa’s well-ordered world. Constantly worried about money and expenses, Willa battles between head and heart every time Grady wants to be spontaneous or take her out to dinner. Grady Billman comes from a very large family where most of his brothers are also Smokejumpers. Having watched his mother struggle without his father’s absence Grady reconsiders his future, and his future with the woman with whom he will fall in love.


The relationship between Grady and Willa is one of immediate attraction but Willa is determined to stick to her two-date rule, even though Grady makes sure that every time they are together, it isn’t considered one of their two dates, ever.When Grady forces Willa to take a weekend for herself, Willa discovers that stepping out of her comfort zone threatens her emotional stability. Willa’s worry aka obsession about money threatens her relationship with the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.


We are introduced to Willa’s best friends Kayla and Aislin; Grady’s fellow Smokejumpers Tony Warren, Ryan and Jimmy; Willa’s father; Grady’s parents and his nine brothers and sisters.


THE TWO-DATE RULE is a story of family, dysfunction, struggle and acceptance. The premise is engaging and captivating; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is seductive.


THE READING CAFE: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/the-two-date-rule-smokejumper-1-by-tawna-fenske-a-review/



GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3194782621



AMAZON. COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2ZWG0FWB5OGZF/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8



BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/643418746



B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted


CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_The_Reading_Cafe) posted


iBooks (Sandy Sch) posted

I enjoyed this one a lot. It has a lot of humor that will make you laugh, but this book also has plenty of heart and feels. My heart broke for Willa. She hasn't had the greatest of childhoods and it has impacted the way Willa lives her life. Grady is yummy, but he as some soul searching to do as well.I loved Willa and Grady's first meeting.It is quite memorable and leads to many inside jokes between them. I loved Willa's pets. They were a favorite part for me. Willa and Grady bring a balance to each other which to me is one of the beautiful things about this book. Willa doesn't do relationships just her two date rule so it was enjoyable to watch these two with their non-dates. I loved Grady's family. It warmed my heart watching Willa interact with them. This is a book you don't want to miss. It's going to suck you right in and you'll look up to see time has just flown by.

Grady and Willa...Beautiful couple! If ever there was a perfect man, Grady would be a top contender. I lived how he pursued W illa, supported her, tried so hard to understand what she was going through even without knowing her reasoning for the madness, and then looked inside himself to see how be could be better not only for her but himself also. And on top of that, an eight pack of and, super spontaneous, romantic, and definitely full of hot loving. Yep, I loved Grady! Willa is a strong woman but vulnerable and one you not only feel for, but want her to find her happiness. She struggled and clawed her way to success, but still felt it was not enough due to her upbringing. My heart hurt for her throughout the story. But I am glad love and happiness prevailed and in a very sweet, loving way.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

Highly entertaining! With the first book in her Smokejumpers series, Tawna Fenske delights readers with a delightful cast of characters, a steamy connection and so many laugh out loud moments in THE TWO-DATE RULE. I was hooked from the start and delighted time and again as this couple weaved their way into each others hearts.

Willa is easy to understand. She is a major workaholic, but as the reader is introduced to her past, we easily understand her motivation. She needs to keep things simple so she keeps her eye on the prize of maintaining stability ... but she never expected a guy like Grady.

Grady is delightful! He's from a large family, he has deep roots in his smokejumping community and he's just a joy to be around. He won this reader's heart as soon as he showed up on the pages.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that while touching on serious hang-ups still brings a lighthearted, fresh style to the mix. I'm looking forward to more in the series!