This is my second book by this author, and I love her writing. This book had everything I love in romances. The banter was great and the couple had good deep conversations as well. I like romances to be a little spicier and the balance of spice vs plot was perfect. I loved that it was boarder line a rom com but not cheesy like some rom coms can get with a more contemporary feel. The way these two met had me cracking up and I loved their first date conversation and how they made it a unique one. I connected really well with Willa, and I loved her friend group. She is always saving and planning for the future and it’s something I could relate to. I liked getting both Willa and Grady’s POV but sometimes the switch between them wasn’t always the clearest. I will be reading more by this author!

This have been archived for review because the release day was in 2020. We hope the pick this book up again once we are caught up with more current reviews.

Willa has had a rough upbringing and devotes herself to the company she owns. She occasionally finds time to go out with her two best friends but most of her time is spent in front of her computer. To accomplish her goals in life, she feels that being in a committed relationship would take too much time away from her job so she's made a personal rule that she'll only go out with someone twice before she ends the relationship.

When she meets Grady, she has a fantastic first date with him. When she explains her two date rule, he finds ways to spend time with her that she won't consider a date -- playing putt-putt, hiking and other activities that they decide do not count as dating. The more time they spend together, the closer they get to breaking her rule. When she loses two clients, she decides that Grady is too distracting and tells him that the relationship is over.

What will win - Willa's commitment to her job or getting into a committed relationship with Grady?

Hi, hello, yes this was adorable? It was maybe a bit too long, but aside from that, I had a smile on my face throughout 90% of this book because it was funny, it was sweet, and it was just a really good time.

Grady and Willa could not have been more different in their approaches to life, but something about the balance the two of them struck (unknowingly, might I add) was just so tender and I loved watching them both grow together without even meaning to. Willa and Grady are both incredibly easy to identify with in some capacity - from Willa's anxieties about always being one step ahead and making sure she's always prepared and afloat, to Grady's hesitance about planning a future, even the next day, they're both incredibly realistic and honest in their fears and lifestyles and I think that just added a little extra to this book.

The Two-Date Rule was funny, it was cute, it was emotional, the friends were fantastic, the families were beautiful and real, and the overall experience was just one I loved. Like I said, it was a skosh too long, but that really didn't dampen my overall vibe or enjoyment. I can't wait to dive into the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

My rating would be more between 2.5 and 3 stars. The writing itself wasn't bad, and I liked the premise of the story. My main problem was with Willa. She needed therapy in a bad way, and it took her entirely too long to address it. I rolled my eyes and went on with her workaholic tendencies, but when the drama happened, I wanted to reach through my Kindle and shake her. She scheduled the date, she was the one that messed up the timing, but she blamed Grady for distracting her. Really? Be a grown up and accept your mistakes. I just couldn't with her anymore after that, and I honestly didn't really care if they got their HEA. They do of course, but I didn't care much for Willa at that point, so I wasn't invested. This isn't my first read from this author, but I will be on the look out for what's next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

This is a hard review to write. On the one hand, I enjoyed the overall story. I liked the premise that the female main character was career-focused and didn't want more than two dates. But the execution just fell flat for me for a lot of reasons.

I found it very difficult to connect with Willa. I really think she needed to be seeing someone professionally for her anxiety and my own anxiety was actually made worse reading about the way she reacted to so many things.

The subject matter started out pretty light and rom-com-like, but quickly upped the ante into way more serious territory. It just felt out of place and like I was reading two different books sometimes. And it was also about 100 pages too long... the first few times of "this isn't a date because..." were funny, but it started to get drawn out.

That said, Grady was the star of the show. He was fun and playful, living by the seat of his pants, and just wanted to have fun. And I felt that his growth at the end was perfectly done - not too drawn out, just the right amount of attention. If only Willa could have gotten the same type of arc.

Overall, I don't think it was a bad book - the writing was good, it was a fun premise... I just don't think it was one of my favorites. If you don't mind some serious topics in your rom-com (or if you aren't expecting a rom-com at all) perhaps this is just the book for you. There are some steamy scenes straight out of the gate - but they're not done in an insta-love cringey type of way. So I say give it a shot, just don't be expecting a cutesy rom-com and maybe you'll enjoy it more!

Tawna Fenske writes books that make you laugh out loud with her whity writing and will make those around you ask, what are you reading? But the steamy scenes she writes will have you blushing and passerby’s asking the same question… but the stories are worth the giggles, spitting out your coffee, and blushing in public!
The two-date rule is meant to protect Willa from losing focus of her goals but still allow her to have fun. Grady is all about the fun and no-attachments but his and Willa’s chemistry is undeniable. Each starts to give a little bit more and more.
Ms. Fenske’s story telling will have you turning the pages so fast you’ll be in danger of papercuts!
This is the first book in the Smokejumper series but is a standalone and ends in a HEA.

This one was an okay read. Honestly not my favorite like I was hoping it would be, but still I found it entertaining enough for me to finish. I thought it was really great to see a switch in who has the dating restrictions, as typically in the romances I read, it is almost always the guy who keeps others at arms length; so I found it refreshing to see that it was the heroine in this one who had the stipulation of 2 dates and bye bye.

Unfortunately, I just really did not like Willa, our heroine, but I absolutely was smitten with Grady, our hero, who essentially held the book up and kept the momentum going. I loved watching his bypassing of Willa’s rules (all the while keeping them) and slowly getting her to let her guard down. Chemistry was great in this one! It’s just Willa kept sucking me out of the story with her personality and her actions.

Favorite Quotes:

“Yes, please.” Kayla’s attention was fixed on Tony, and Grady couldn’t tell if her response was for the beer or for the tall smokejumper with rumpled black hair and dark eyes that seemed to make women crazy.

Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing a gorilla suit and trying to tread water in a pool filled with molasses.


My Review:

I adore Tawna Fenske and am greedy to amass every clever word she has and will ever scribble. Her wit is sharp, fathomless, and cleverly irreverent; who else would come up with a male stripper group named “The Bone Yard Gang,” or would give the main character a trio of special needs pets and name the three-legged cat Wheelbarrow and her deaf cat Earmuff? I eagerly ripped through this engagingly amusing missive and am licking my lips in readiness for the next in the series. I was quickly enamored with the featured couple and deeply infatuated with the secondary cast of characters and can’t wait to see what the wily minx has in store for the rest of them.

Cute book with lots of attention grabbing detail. Good job of keeping everything in a real life scenario. Worth the read.

Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have chosen not to read/review this title as I was not able to connect with it or recommend it to the readers of our blog page or those who follow my reviews on Goodreads.

I apologize for the delay in this, as sending the negative reviews is something I (clearly) avoid doing for an embarrassingly long time.

Thank you, as always, for the review title.

Laura

Show Time is the first book in a new series by Tawna Fenske and lets just say, it’s going to be another amazing series! It took me days to figure out what I wanted to say about this book because I loved it so much and feel that I can’t and won’t be able to ever do it justice. First, you get to meet Dean Judson who is the oldest brother of the Judson family. He may seem familiar to those who have read Tawna’s Ponderosa Resort Series as he was introduced in those books. You also get to meet Vanessa Vincent who was introduced in the Ponderosa Resort Series as well. What I loved about this book was how relatable for me it was. I felt like I was Vanessa, minus the hot CEO as my boss, but a girl can dream! This book has all the exciting starting points to a great new series. Between the new characters that both appear to be so strong yet have those few insecurities, that make them stronger together to the psycho ex-fiancé, to the drama of a new reality tv series in development. There’s so much going on and this was a great start to it all.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I saw the title of this book and knew I had to read it. I know most see a cover or read the blurb tio pick it up. This is one of the few times the title made want to find if they would stick to that rule. Willa has a rule that she never goes on more then two dates with the same person to keep people at a distance. Grady is working as a smokejumper and he has a rule of no attachment. That is when he states suggesting non-date ideas. The book is sweet as well as steamy. It was an enjoyable read.

Wow I'm just stunned with how good this title was. I just had so much fun reading this title and getting to along for the ride with these amazing characters. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

this book had it all. I am a total fan of Tawna and her books. I loved them all and this one didn't disappoint me. I was in a reading slump and i liked it.

Willa Frank has one mission in life, to be successful. With a childhood that was less stable she was determined to have her adult life as smooth as possible. She has a plan and has to stick to it. She doesn’t have time for anything to get in her way or take her off track, especially a relationship that will probably take her focus off track of her goal. She dates but with one rule, two dates. Just two dates and that’s it. Enough to have fun but not enough to get attached. Meeting Grady shakes her world. Grady Billman lives for adventure, he’s something of an adrenaline junkie. He lives moment by moment, day by day. Plan’s aren’t a part of his vocabulary. He’s the last person in the world that she should be attracted to. As with everyone else, Grady thinks her two-date rule is bullshit. So, to keep himself relevant he devises multiple activities that don’t qualify as dates. With each non-date Willa learns how much she actually enjoys Grady.

This book wasn’t quite what I thought it was going to be. While the storyline seemed really good, it just didn’t hold me. I liked Grady but I really couldn’t connect with Willa. I could appreciate her apprehensions but at the same time she was a little too extra for me and it took away from what could have been a great story.
This particular book wasn’t quite for me, but I am curious to read about other characters that were mentioned in this book. Since this is book one in a series, I’m assuming there will be more.

This was a fun read.

I could sympathise with Willa's need to stay focussed on her work, and her craving stability and security financially. Did it sometimes seem a little much, especially once she had a sizeable nest egg? Perhaps. But having toed the line of poverty a few times throughout my life, I can't say I wouldn't behave the same way had I actually struggled as much as she did. She was smart, strong, and determined. I admired that about her. And her father's struggles were no help in keeping her head on straight. She might have benefitted from attending Al-Anon; get some support from other family of alcoholics. She definitely needed some therapy to deal with the pain and prolonged fear from her childhood.

Grady was pretty clever in his non-date ideas, but I disliked how casual he was with his money. He may not have planned on having a family (always famous last words), but smoke jumping seems much like a professional sport, not something that a body can handle for many years. And heaven forbid a jump went wrong and he was permanently injured, what then? Once he saw how Willa was with money, I would have liked him to pull back on the extravagance a bit more quickly.

I also wasn't thrilled by the situation with his parents and his ten siblings. There was no real explanation for why they chose to have such a large family if he was always going to be away. I can see being a single parent to a couple of children, but eleven?! It definitely contributed to Grady's attitude towards a family and planning for a future.

The story was a bit predictable with the push/pull, and the crises that sends her into a tailspin. But I am a long time reader of Fenske, and know that I'll not only get my Happily Ever After ending, but that I'll feel all the emotions on the journey to that destination.

I thought it would be a cozy book but it was to much of a cliche romance book. Overall the story does have some fun parts but to me personally it didn’t meet my expectations.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

Grady loves his job. It runs in his blood. His father and brothers are all part of the smokejumping lifestyle. When he's out one night with his buddies, he runs into the beautiful Willa. Grady doesn't make it a habit of going on many dates. He saw how his chosen career was a strain on his parents' lives. But he can't help himself when it comes to Willa.

Willa is obsessed with stability and running her business. She has some great friends who understand her need for control, but they also push her to relax too. Willa's life was not easy when she was younger. With her need for control, she has set a very strict two-date rule for herself and anyone else she comes in contact with. She just doesn't have time for relationships.

Willa and Grady learn to get around her two-date rule. It was fun to see all of the different ways that they were able to spend time together, all while not on a real date. They both were able to see life from different perspectives and because of that, they learned a lot about themselves and each other. But with all things, there will be ups and downs. Willa's family life is kind of messy and Grady hates to plan anything. Will these two be able to compromise enough to find happiness? Or are they destined to be held back by their own issues?

Triggers: Alcoholism, Mental Health Issues


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I will definitely be looking out for future installments. I really enjoyed how the world building was done as the story progressed, so that we learned what we needed to know at the same rate as the protagonists. The life of a smokejumper is not an easy one, but Grady certainly does not consider himself a hero. After you've read about how many ways they have to eat spam whilst on a mission, you may think that itself heroic! I loved the wider group of friends, both of Grady's and Willa's. It is fun getting to know them, and there is a lot of great humour, as well as some very moving moments.

Willa, we discover, is constantly working, building her business, giving her website clients the very best service, because she fears poverty. She has therefore developed a two-date rule so that a relationship cannot derail her priorities. As we learn why, it is both understandable and sad. But she does not consider herself a victim, but someone who is very risk averse. So Grady really is the complete opposite to her... in many, many ways. However, the chemistry between them is explosive and somehow they find a way to break her rules.

I most definitely recommend this excellent read to you – it is sexy, funny, and very romantic. I do hope that book two is out soon!