The start of Tawna Fenske’s new series is an adorable romcom that nonetheless has serious undertones, something this author does very well. Grady is a “live for today” smokejumper from a large family who is comfortable with chaos and knows he should be planning for the future, but doesn’t want to think about that right now. Willa is a “perpetual planner”. She has some fairly serious abandonment/anxiety issues after experiencing poverty and occasional homelessness with her feckless, alcoholic father. As a result she has real problems with spontaneity and is scared that if she doesn’t work all the time and always have new web design jobs lined up, she’ll fail and be broke.

Willa doesn’t want to be distracted from her career goals so she has a 2 date rule to keep from getting involved too deeply with any guy. Grady meanwhile is instantly smitten and won’t take no for an answer, so whenever he asks to spend time with Willa, he insists it’s not a date so that she won’t cut him off. This leads to some fun situations and really cute banter between them. You could definitely feel the sparks and were rooting for them both throughout the book.

Willa is a woman who feels deeply. My heart broke a little for her as she tried so hard to create stability after coming from a background of chaos. Grady was totally a good guy, never hesitating to run toward danger if he saw someone in need, 100 % caretaker alpha, absolutely bonkers over Willa from the moment he saw her, and trying hard to win more time with her while also trying not to trigger her anxiety over dating. These two were just adorable together and their romance gave me a warm, happy feeling.

Willa had at least two million more pressing things to do starting with the marketing plans for the Cortland deal and the proposal for the new client from….But Willa was at the male revue-The Bone Yard Gang because it was a celebration of Aislin’s birthday . Willa had her own web design business , She realized she had become a lousy friend. She was here with Aislin and Kayla friends from college. Fun she should focus on that now. As much as Willa worked it was hard to find a time when all these women could go out together. Willa found it hard shutting off work mode. For Willa it took an act of God, and maybe a crowbar. Willa saw a hot man coming toward them as her friends stood in a long line to go to the bathroom. They really had to go and they had already been in line twenty minutes. She told the man if he could get them to a bathroom in the next two minutes she would shove the thirty ones she had down his pants. He said to forget the ones and have dinner with him. Grady stared at Willa and waited for an answer. He had swung by Boyton Ballroom after five days of fighting a blaze out in The Sikorsky National Forest. The club owner had called complaining that the bass player had left some amps after the ;last performance. Was there anything less reliable than a rock band comprised entirely of smoke jumpers and Hotshot wild land firefighters? Grady’s job made a relationship impossible. Grady realized Willa thought he was one of the male strippers. Grady told Willa he was a smoke jumper with the Hart Valley Air Center. He added his band - the Smoke Blue Boys played at this place when they’re not jumping out of planes into forest fires. Then he asked if he could pick her up at seven. Willa answered it's a date. Willa only dated the same person twice when she decided to forego a relationship so she could focus on her business.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, romance to read. I loved Grady had broken down Willa’s walls and really cared how she felt. I didn’t want to put this down. I really liked the plot and pace. I really liked Willa and Grady together and how they interacted. Grady and Willa are opposites and there are some things they had to get past and work out. I really enjoyed the advice given to Grady and Rose by friends and family. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

A wonderful first book in a new series by Tawna Fenske. I can't wait for the other books in this series. I loved reading about Willa and Grady and want to know more about the other characters.

This book starts with a hilarious case of mistaken identity. I loved the first interaction between Willa and Grady.

Willa and Grady's story is a lot of hilarious but with their backgrounds, also a lot of angst. No-strings should have been easy for two people who avoid commitment like it's s some kind of disease but of course that's not the way their story goes.

This is an awesome start to this new series and I can't wait for the next one!!

4+ Stars!

This author is easily able to change the tone of her storytelling when switching from women's fiction, her Entangled-published rom-coms, and her indie-published small town rom-coms. While Fenske's women's fiction/romance are some of my favorites, I have had great success with her Entangled releases. The Two-Date Rule was another wonderful entry from this line that showcased the author's quick wit, banter, and realistic poignancy. Initially, I felt like the actual two-date rule by the heroine was going to be a contrived plot device, but as the story progressed and more of Willa’s past was revealed, her strict, self-mandated rules began to make sense. The way that both the H/h lived their adult lives through a child's filter of what they witnessed growing up, was very realistic. Both characters had to confront those skewed perspectives in order to see a future with each other. I enjoyed this conflict and how they reconciled. With light wit and a highly developed story, this author continues to remain a favorite.

such a sweet story. I was always rooting for this couple and their "non dates" that didn't count. such a great book. wonderful characters and a great story line.

This was a super sweet and fresh romance from an author who never disappoints! Grady and Willa's chemistry was on point, and I love a hero who chases the heroine like we get in this story. Fenske's writing is as clever and charming as ever, and I look forward to more from her soon!

The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske is the first book in a new series Smokejumpers. And it's off to a scorching start.
Willa has one rule: no more than two dates. Her reasoning is she doesn't have time for a relationship and needs to focus on her career. Of course it appears all she ever does is work as her friends have to drag her out for a girls night out where she inadvertently makes a deal for a date. Grady Billman is a firefighter, but not your normal everyday one, he jumps out of airplanes to put out forest fires. His schedule is chaotic and not conducive for a relationship. So when Willa tells him her two date rule he's game to play along. But as he gets to know her the goal changes to create a non dating option. They are certainly combustible together and Grady get extra points for putting up with Willa's unique idiosyncrasies.

Willa’s upbringing was a rough one. There was never enough money for anything. The one thing she promised herself was that she would never live that life again. She’s worked hard to get her business going and profitable. So if she works seven days a week, so be it. Willa also has a rule about dating, a two-date rule, that is. She figures this way there will be no attachments, since she can’t work a relationship into her busy life. Well, that’s until she meets Grady, a smokejumper.

Grady loves his life, being a smokejumper. Putting out fires is what all the men in his family have always done. During the winter months he works the west coast of the US, during the summers he goes to Australia. One thing for sure, he doesn’t have time for relationships, that is, until he meets Willa.

Asking Willa out was a no brained, however, when she told him her two-date rule, he went along with it. Except that he had so much fun with her, that now he’s coming up with silly outings just so she can’t call them dates. When Willa loses out on a major deal for her business, she blames her relationship with Grady. Knowing that her business has to be the most important part of her life, Willa breaks up with him. Now she’s having second thoughts. Can she live her life without love.

Really good book, truly enjoyable.

Smokejumpers literally jump out of planes and into fires and Grady is the epitome of hot fireman. His spontaneity freaks Willa out. She needs to make plans and have order because she never had that as a child. She won’t allow any man to get too close because she can’t risk him getting in the way of her work. Therefore, she has a two-date rule. No more than two dates with any guy. Ever. But Grady is different and he insists on going on “non-dates” to increase their time together and before she knows it, he’s knocked down every single one of her walls and defenses.

Grady and Willa were super cute and fun and I loved how their relationship developed. They had a lot of passion for each other and I wish we could’ve seen more of that passion. This book had the potential for a lot more steam than was offered. I liked both characters and really sympathized for what Willa went through in her childhood, but they both seemed really immature for their age. I liked this one, but didn’t love it.

A fun and emotional roller coaster. Willa and Grady are complete opposites except for their immense physical attraction. Willa is always planning her financial future because of the hard life she had growing up. She is determined to succeed and have the life she was denied asa child. Grady likes to live in the moment because his job is risky and he doesn’t know if he will live to see another day. It takes a lot of determination and some honest talk with both their parents before they realize that if you love someone you will work your hardest to find a compromise and stay together forever.

The Two-Date Rule is my first read by Tawna Fenske, and also the first in a new series called Smokejumper. The series kicks off with Grady and Willa, but we also get an insight into the cast and crew of the Smokejumper team, and I’m sure many other readers will be eagerly anticipating the books to come in this exciting and fascinating series. There’s action, danger, some drama and plenty of off the charts chemistry to keep you engrossed in this story, as you move through the pages. But there’s the added bonus of an insightful look into the lives of the exceptionally individuals who risk life and limb to serve and protect. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and plot of this book, and was entertained and intrigued the entire time. I’ll definitely be keeping watch for the next thrilling instalment in Ms Fenske’s fabulous series!

Willa and Grady appear as a classic opposites attract on the surface, but as Fenske digs deeper you realize they are both fighting similar insecurities. Grady’s creativity in planning non-dates will keep you reading long after you should be turning out the lights. But at least you will dream laughing.

An attraction of opposites. Willa is a workaholic due to her impoverished childhood and plans constantly whilst smokejumper Grady knows that his job is dangerous and therefore lives for the moment. Willa needs to be in control of her life and finances and to that end doesn’t want a relationship that might interfere with her work ethics. However Grady tempts her to break her own rules. I loved this story and how the two characters complemented each other, making each (eventually) a better person.
It was nice for me to identify with the heroine - Willa’s spending habits are so much like my own!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was awesome! This is the story of Grady, a bush firefighter and Willa, a web designer. Both have a lot of baggage, like every adult does, but somehow they find their way to each other.
I loved how complex these characters were. Multi dimensional and interesting! Willa is battling demons from her past and Grady is scared of the future. Their problems seemed realistic and how they dealt with them was too.
The pace was great- moves along without a lot of head games and it had more showing than telling which I appreciate.
There were so many swooney moments, but my two favourites were the excuses he kept coming up with about why their meetings weren’t a date and the calendar he created.
This was a great book that I just couldn’t put down.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

4 stars

The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske is a heartfelt and entertaining read.

I enjoyed the storyline, it held my interest and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters.

Overall, The Two-Date Rule is a good start to the series Smokejumper. Looking forward to reading more.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.*

I received an advanced reader's copy of The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book that I have read by Tawna Fenske and although the copying needed editing to smooth out grammatical errors and some character misquotes (conversation attributed to wrong character or switching perspectives without formatting new sentence as a new quotation), I enjoyed it overall. I felt this was an easy to follow romance and I did like it.

The male main character, Grady, was really well written, plus seemed genuinely likeable and sympathetic. He sort of carried the romance for me. The female character and his love interest, Willa, I had a harder time liking. She had issues from her childhood that she just didn't want to work on/fix (or would acknowledge in a very "meh" sort of way) and the resolution to those issues was sort of smashed together at the end. You didn't see her character growth or a believable resolution, unfortunately.

The plot was different though and the romance was steamy so I give it 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed reading this book. It gives you a insight to fire jumpers and what they endure to control fires across the country. Grady's character is from a large family of which his father was a fire jumper himself so he has reservations of having a family because of what he witnessed as a child between his own mother and father. Willa is self employed and determined to be successful doing so. She works seven days a week and rarely gives herself any time for pleasure. She has a rule about dating, she will only go on two dates with a man that way there is no way she will get attached to anyone nor will they. When she meets Grady she will have a struggle keeping her rule in place.

This book gives you lots of feels. Both Grady and Willa are dealing with emotional struggles they will have to face to move forward as adults.

I received an early copy from Netgalley to read and review and give my honest opinion. I enjoyed this book and it is 4 stars for me.

My favorite Tawna Fenske book to date! Willa and Grady were awesome together. You can try to fight it, but when it's right... I love the look into the life of a smokejumper. Grady's family was awesome too. Can't wait to see who is next!

This was a great start to a new series. I really loved Grady and Willa. And their meet cute was perfect- perfectly hilarious and embarrassing for Willa. Both Grady and Willa did not want a serious relationship- home because of his job and her because of her childhood. They were complete opposites but were perfect for each other, they each needed what the other brought to the relationship.
Willa had two great friends in, Kayla and Aislin, and they made her have a life outside of work. I also enjoyed Grady’s family and his fellow smokejumpers, mainly Tony.
I was so happy that Willa was able to get answers regarding her childhood and that it helped her realize how good Grady was for her. And that Grady was able to start to look forward to a future with someone when he never did before. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.