“Complete with hot sex scenes, snarky double-entendres, slapstick humor, and quirky girlfriends, this comedic romp through modern-day dating checks all the romance boxes.” -Kirkus Reviews Willa Frank has one simple rule: never go on a date with anyone more than twice. Now that her business is providing the stability she’s always needed, she can’t afford distractions. Her two-date rule will … two-date rule will protect her just fine…until she meets smokejumper Grady Billman.
After one date–one amazing, unforgettable date–Grady isn’t ready to call it quits, despite his own no-attachments policy, and he’s found a sneaky way around both their rules.
Throwing gutter balls with pitchers of beer? Not a real date. Everyone knows bowling doesn’t count.
Watching a band play at a local show? They just happen to have the same great taste in music. Definitely not a date.
Hiking? Nope. How can exercise be considered a date?
With every “non-date” Grady suggests, his reasoning gets more ridiculous, and Willa must admit she’s having fun playing along. But when their time together costs Willa two critical clients, it’s clear she needs to focus on the only thing that matters–her future. And really, he should do the same.
But what is she supposed to do with a future that looks gray without Grady in it?
Each book in the Where There’s Smoke series is STANDALONE:
* The Two-Date Rule
* Just a Little Bet
* The Best Kept Secret
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Fun, sexy and heartwarming journey filled with engaging charters, witty dialog and sweetly thrilling twists. Was a great read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this fun read and looking forward to more from this series!
A romance that went well beyond the Two Dates, I was surprised and intrigued by the number of serious undertones this storyline brought to the table.
Willa is portrayed as set in her ways, plan- don’t spend due to her upbringing. Whereas Grady’s life as Smokejumper in a flame fighting family is more go with live life in the now, worry about the rest later motto.
Some say opposites attract; they’re not kidding!
Wittiness, passion, heart squeezers galore, I liked this story as much as I didn’t!
So much goes on between these two, along with their personal lives, I had a hard time separating the two. I also felt Willa contradicted herself more often than not! Along with Grady going out of his way…..
What whirlwind!
Regardless of my overzealous feelings of these fictional characters. ( reminder more for myself than anyone else ) Tawna Fenske’s writing is stellar; my emotions were all over the place; I kept reading through my frustrations, finding parts that had me smiling, needing to see what became of secondary characters, and more!
More than I bargained for, and well worth the read!
Have you ever read a story and then say I will review later and forget, that is what happened to me I read it before cruise and totally forgot, along with others..shoot I need to catch up…So I read this and immediately liked myself some hottie firefighter, I mean firefighter, who doesn’t love one. So we meet Willa and her friends who are out for the night and they really have to use the bathroom at the club they are at, but the line is long however the mens room empty (you know we always have this problem) Willa asks Grady if he can get them in the mens and she will pay but she swears he is a stripper, Grady goes along with it but not for money a date..They go to there date and while she does enjoy she has a rule two date max because she wants to be successful since she grew up poor. Grady whom again I sigh every time he comes on the page gets around this and Willa succumbs, she was not my favorite but after getting more of her background I gave a break and was happy she got to get her happiness.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author…(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
I love Tawna Fenske’s Ponderosa Resort rom-com series so how could I go wrong with The Two Date Rule? Obviously, I couldn’t! This is a pure entertainment kinda book with great characters and lots of laughs. There are some underlying deep issues that Grady and Willa struggle with. Willa more so than Grady. There’s plenty to figure out, too!
So this was my first book by Tawna Fenske but I must read more. This one kept me laughing and reading until it was over and left me with a smile on my face. This book had great characters who owned their flaws and worked together to grow together. I recommend this book totally.
The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske ((Smokejumper #1) is a fun, fast paced read featuring an over achieving heroine (Willa) and a hot smoke jumper/musician hero (Grady). Sweet, steamy and funny in all the right places, The Two-Date Rule will leave you smiling. My only issue is that the ending seemed a tad bit rushed. A solid 3.5 stars.
These two impressed me with their determination and avoidance, and that’s a good thing. Lol. Both are afraid of life but for different reasons. Both will deny it. Both are exactly what the other needs….also heavily denied.
The Two-Date Rule is fun, funny, and heartwarming. Neuroses aside, Willa is a complicated woman. Work is first and all. Meeting Smokey wasn’t in her plans. (Though that was one helluva meet cute!) With a first date that tops all other first dates, it should have been clear from the beginning that Willa was way in over her head! Thankfully she is too stubborn to realize it before it becomes permanent.
Grady, or Smokey… (I’ll leave that part as a surprise), has what has got to be one of the most underrated sexy jobs. A smokejumper isn’t just a fireman; they are firemen on steroids that jump out of planes. So, definitely underrated in the sexy department, also extremely dangerous. Uniform chasers will definitely be trailing behind but as we learn, not for long. Its a difficult job and schedule. Leading him to believ Willa’s rule is the perfect solution to a smokejumpers time constraints. Too bad he didn’t get the memo; the rule is set in stone.
These two tread the waters of their non dating with the determination of an Olympic synchronized swim team. I enjoyed every minute I got to watch their resolve go down in flames.
Tawna has once again pulled off pure perfection in a way that only she can do! Screw 5 stars. This book definitely deserves 10! This book is a phenomenal read that captivated me right from the first page and kept me enthralled due to this author’s brilliant storytelling and impressive character development. Purely amazing-mesmerizing-classic Tawna Fenske-goodness! Tawna has the ability to write fantastic stories ! But this in my opinion is her best yet! I’m absolutely all in on this book! A top read of the year for sure! Go grab your copy today. Happy reading everyone!
Willa Frank mistakes Grady Billman for a stripper at a local watering hole and immediately propositions him. What starts out as an innocent enough mistake turns into various ways to get around the fact that neither of them are seemingly interested in a long term relationship, Willa’s two date only rule. The creative excuses each come up with to avoid calling time spent together are funny. However it’s not all fun and games as Willa has serious anxiety/abandonment issues and Grady is not too keen at facing/preparing for the future. I really enjoyed reading this book and the great advice friends and family gave to the couple as they finally realize how much they really love each other.
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!
I love it when Tawna Fenske releases a new book. I know I’m going to get my ab workout in with her hilarious moments, and autocorrected texts are my kind of comedy. I also know I’m going to get some hot, steamy moments that may hypothetically make me blush and maybe require a cold shower. Did I say hypothetically? I can relate to her characters, and even though I personally didn’t relate to most of Willa’s previous struggles, I did relate to one. I could also relate to crazy, big, loving families like Grady’s. I liked that this couple balanced each other crazy out. I also liked that what I expected to happen didn’t.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I received a review copy from NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
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.
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!
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
There isn’t much I love more than a new series from one of my favorite authors. The thrill of meeting new characters, a new setting, and the delicious possibility of new books for a while!
The Two-Date Rule did not dissapoint my new series excitement. Willa is a strong, driven, smart, and kind heroine. I immediately connected with her loyal nature and quick wit. She is funny and feisty and I was totally rooting for her from the beginning. Also, and I’m going to be intentionally vague here because I don’t want to give anything away, I felt like the relationship she had with her father was one of the most real ones I have ever read. It was raw and honest, and felt spot on, coming from someone who has lived through a similar relationship.
Grady was funny, sexy, smart, and the perfect hero personality without being such a capital A alpha male as to make a modern woman roll her eyes. I loved his respect for Willa and her needs, as well as his ability to be honest about his own needs and feelings.
Overall, this was a fantastic book and I devoured it in a couple of sittings. The premise is cute and hilarious and like all of Tawna’s books it is full of heart, laughs and lots of hot stuff. (Pun totally intended.)
I’m a pretty big fan of all books Tawna Fenske. Although this one wasn’t my all time favorite of hers, I think this was a great start to a new series. The heroine was relatable, the hero was yummy and the story kept me interested! That’s about all I can ask for in my romance novel!!
The Two-Date Rule
Book 1 Smokejumper
Tawna Fenske
5 Stars
Wow! What an amazing read written by Tawna! Very well written! I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down! Very very entertaining! Fell in so much in love with the characters! The story is so sweet and romantic.
“That’s what it’s about. That’s why he won’t give up after two dates. It’s not about you; it’s about winning.”
“The test is in how you handle it. In whether you can bend and she can bend and somewhere in the middle of all that, you form this perfect bridge.”
Highly recommend! I loved it! Absolutely can not wait for the next book in the series!