This had a lot of promise, being a unique take on dating - adding kids (on both sides) unexpectedly. However, I felt that the execution fell flat. The story touched very briefly on important societal issues (infertility, addiction, adoption/foster care system), but didn't dive into it in enough, in my opinion. It also felt very YA, which I don't think was intentional. Overall, an entertaining, VERY light read, but I was hoping for something more.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heart-warning and funny. Great plot with interesting characters. It was one of those that grabbed my attention and I had a hard time putting it down.

2.5 stars to be more precise.

Well, I think I went on this book expecting one thing and got something completely different, and that was the major issue with this book for me.

*Potential spoiler* if you are expecting a cute and nice romance and all the dynamics involved, I'm sorry to say, you are not gonna find that in here. Don't get me wrong, this story is filled with love, but a different love, a love between parents and their children.

Our main characters here are Cassie and Jett and yes, they are two incredible human beings. Cassie is a social worker (I'm calling her that) who's been working with teenagers for years and loves what she does. For her, working with children in need is a way to make up for her inability to have children of her own. She's devoted and never gives up on a fight for the rights of those in need. Out of sudden though, she sees herself on a situation where she has to care for a bunch of kids for an indefinite time. For a lot of people that would probably be daunting and scary, not for Cassie though. She's really committed to making this work and to helping these kids.

Jett is a firefighter and known to be this nice helpful guy. However, his sister,who's a drug addict and who's been hiding his niece and nephews from him for more than a year, out of the blue, makes an abrupt appearance, deciding that she's fed up with the "mom's life" and literally, drops the kids on him. Of course that he, as a loving uncle that he is, doesn't blink for a second and decides to look after them, giving them all the nurture and love they deserve.

It's a beautiful plot, isn't it? Yes, I know! The thing is though, this book was sold to me as a romance and even though they do say on the synopses that they would have kids making unexpected appearances in their lives, I really thought this was going to be a secondary thing. And the said romance premise, had started in a nice way, with them meeting via a text on a dating app, which was posted by a friend who wanted them to get together and so on. It was cool! But they spent the entire book focusing only on their kids issues and each main character had completely different and complicated situations to deal with, and because of that there was not any time left to focus on them as a couple. At some point, I had to give up on the idea that this was a romance book and had to adapt my thinking to reading a family drama story instead, otherwise, I would have DNF it.

I don't want to be so harsh on my judgment here, it was a nice and deep story and the way the author presented us the adoption subject was so real and beautiful. In my humble opinion, however, I really wish they had sold this book differently.

Cassie has decided to give up on dating after another bad date. That is until she crosses paths with Jett, who had a crush on her in high school. While they are both childless at the beginning of the book, that status changes quickly for both of them. What follows makes the reader laugh as they try to hide their new, young dependents from the other. If you are looking for a lighthearted romance book this is it! I do hope author follows up with a story about Cassie's best friend Bree! I received a complimentary copy of The Dating Charade by Thomas Nelson, but all opinions are my own.

I normally don’t read Christian fiction but this story grabbed my interest. I enjoyed the plot and found the storyline to be believable regarding child endangerment. I wish there would have been more interaction between Cassie and Jett. However, they were both dealing with problems that caused the romance to go on the back burner. Overall it was a sweet book and I enjoyed it. If you like Hallmark movies than this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Online dating! Cute cover! I requested this for all of the right reasons.

Unfortunately.... it didn't really work for me. It was a bit awkward at times. There was wayyyyy too much going on in this story. The romance took a real back seat. I have seen it described in another review as 'clean Christian'. That's not a genre of normally gravitate towards. That wasn't really the way it was marketed. While I don't need sex in books, the romance still has to work, and it wasn't really sparking.

I did not read The Dating Charade in its entirety.

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

This book was total adorable, light hearted fun! It started with two almost strangers having a perfect date and ended with a carload of kids—not quite the story I was expecting, but a delightful one nonetheless. I loved the relatable humor and the well rounded characters and even though the premise of them both taking in three kids a piece is a little ridiculous, the author pulled it off without getting cliche, preachy, or overly sentimental. A fun light hearted read, and a thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I feel really torn about this book. I feel there was a lot of emotion but there was a lot left out of the story line especially at the end. How did cassie just end up having the kids back? I feel like the ending was rushed after all of that emotion and build up.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It treats real life issues and the characters are quite a bit difficult to handle as there's a mixture with a lot on their plate as well.
Dating life and trying to overcome infertility is definitely not easy for a young woman nowadays.
It was a good pace, funny at times and heartbreaking as well but I'm glad that we can relate to real life situations.

The Dating Charade
By Melissa Ferguson
This would be a great Hallmark movie.
Dates gone wrong could be the title of Cassie Everson’s life. Cassie has more plans to escape bad dates than good dates to count and no hope for the future. On top of her dating rap sheet, she is weighed down by the diagnosis of infertility. Cassie’s friends take things into their own hands. With a little help from an online dating site and meddlesome old ladies, Cassie might just have a chance at love.
This was not what I thought it would be but I enjoyed it none the less. The characters in this book have far too much on their plates and trying to negotiate a relationship into their lives gets incredibly difficult. Because of the seriousness of their life situations, the book was less fun but still good. Although their situations were dramatized somewhat, I am sure there are young people who are holding things together for their families and it is not romantic or fun in the least.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a delightful surprise, full of heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud antics. I adored the whole cast of characters AND the setting! The Dating Charade feels like an excellent introduction to Ferguson's voice and what she has to offer as an author. I'm excited to see what unique stories she'll bring to the table.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel via NetGalley and courtesy of the publisher. All expressed opinions belong to me.

I enjoyed this romantic comedy by debut author Melissa Ferguson. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but also dealt with some heavy issues like child abandonment, drug use, infertility, and adoption. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

I will agree with the title for the first few chapters of this book, but not for the bulk of the book as it is sooooo much more. Poor Cassie is trying to find a decent guy to date, but seems to be only attracting bums. She and her best friend have the perfect routine down to help Cassie rid herself of the losers. After the last fiasco, Cassie's teen girl charges at Girls Haven decide that they need to help her, but it turns out that her best friend is the biggest help in getting Cassie hooked up with Jett.
Shortly after their first date, both of them get a bombshell dropped on them in the form of children. Oh, how my heart ached for all the kids and then for Cassie and Jett as they try to deal with their new realities while trying to keep their respective charges away from each other. Then fate decides to deal all of them another blow or two before possibly allowing them to regroup and make a happier life for all. This book touched so many of my emotions and once I was into reading it, I did not want to stop until I reached the end and even then I wanted more. All is not sad and tumultuous as there are several lighthearted and fun moments thanks to the kids, two elderly ladies and some other friends. I just know that you won't be disappointed in reading this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had a couple of problems with The Dating Charade. 1. I didn't much care for Cassie. Tried to like her but didn't. She treated Jett badly from the first day, when she left him flat on the sidewalk. Prejudge much? 2. There were several situations that stretched credibility to the breaking point. Cassie was waved right by a guy in a hazmat suit clearing a possible meth lab so she could pick up a stuffed toy?? Because she knew him. Then she was allowed to take the kids home, no home study, no foster parent file, nothing. Again, because she knew people (apparently). I understand that this is a romance, but still. Finally, it all wrapped up with a perfect bow, as I knew it would, which was oddly unsatisfying.

The writing was good, other than a consistent misuse of 'passed' for 'past', which will hopefully be corrected in the final version.

Many will love this book. I just...didn't.

*ARC via netgalley*

This is a really cute story. I like the humor and the wit displayed throughout the story. I like the unusual set up with the children. I like the sweet and the surprising and the twists. This is a very enjoyable story.

Okay, I officially have a new author obsession!!

Y’all. This. Book!! (Insert all the squeally, happy dances!!!)

The Dating Charade was hysterical, heart-felt, totally romantic, and absolutely swoon-worthy.

The characters were dynamic and their stories believable, relatable, and rich. I adored every one and badly wish for a sequel to spend more time in this cozy and beautiful story!

The circumstances were a mix of wild comedies of errors and heart-rending tragedies molding together to form something wonderful and bittersweet.

Melissa Ferguson did an amazing job crafting such a heart-warming journey of romance, second chances, and secret children! 😂

I highly recommend this story and urge you to immediately treat yourself to its awesomeness!!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book for free and a positive review was not required.

Who ends up with 6 children between two people anyway? And volunteering for them too!
I know right, that sounds completely crazy right? Especially for childless and happy me.
But seriously, I don’t understand the urge to look after kids. I’m lucky to have the urge to look after my nieces (not so much my nephews!) but they are amazing, and they come running to me whenever I come near them. So that’s easy.
What these two go through. OMG!
That’s some love dedication to those kids. And trying to date during those times? Isn’t it hard enough to date as a 30-year-old, let alone adding in the difficulty of kids?
Ok, I’ll try to be over the kids’ stuff and move onto the topics of the book.
The writing style felt like good fun. We swapped between Cassie and Jett each chapter and got involved in their thoughts, feelings and everyday actions.
It was set from like Thanksgiving (when is that BTW?) through to like Valentines Day. I don’t know if you’d classify it as a holiday romance. But it’s still got a bit of that feeling since most of the story is set in and around the Christmas period. And isn’t that all the rage at this time of the year?
Luckily it embodies everything I love about the Christmas period and just imbues you with everything you want to feel in the Christmas period. I love that feeling. But I also know it wasn’t as enrapturing as it could have been.

The Dating Charade was such a breath of fresh air. I felt connected to these characters in so many unexpected ways and I don't even have the words to express how much I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this in exchange for my honest opinions!!

I ADORED this!! Oh my gosh, this was so cute!! There was so much HEART in it. This was unexpected for me as I was just expecting a light and sweet romance. It certainly had its humorous moments but it also had a lot about the importance of family which I really appreciated. It had the perfect balance!

When I read the synopsis that Jett was a firefighter, the heart eyes practically popped out of my head. He was so HOT! I really enjoyed his connection with Cassie and I really loved watching these two fall in love. I loved how strong Cassie was and I related to her so much with the constant bad luck with dating! It was so nice to see her get a happily ever after! The children aspect I thought was sweet and a bit sad at times but I liked that the authors didn’t linger too much on that tone. It was a great balance!

Filled with fun hijinks with twist and turns, this is a super cute read you don’t want to miss out on!

The Dating Charade was a hit and miss book for me. It follows Cassie and Jett, who reconnect over a decade after attending the same high school. After their stellar first date, Cassie takes in three sisters, while Jett's sister leaves him with her three children. There's a big family element in this book, as Cassie and Jett both juggle their new responsibilities while trying to go on dates. They also don't tell each other about the new children in their lives. I like Ferguson's writing style, but I personally wished there was more romance development, as it focused a lot on the two protagonists' new families. I don't want to spoil the story, but there were minimal dates and the story just left me feeling slightly unsatisfied.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.