Cassie has been on the dating circle longer than a hamster on an ever turning wheel and is about to throw the proverbial towel down when her best friend answers a message on her behalf.
Jett is ready to settle and leave his lonely bachelor life behind when his roommate tempts him into trying online dating and he finds the profile of Cassie, a distant memory from his HS days.
With each one believing the other doesn't want children and the looming possibility of unexpected responsibilities, Jett and Cassie try to make it work without showing their full hands.
This story is sweet and belly aching funny while touching the reality of children who end up being the casualties of their parents addictions, abuse and neglect. It's heartfelt and filled with clean and wholesome fun.
It was really enjoyable and never boring. A very different story with characters who are heroes in their own right.

2.5 stars

Oh how I wish I liked this novel more. Especially because there wasn't anything specifically 'bad' about it. It just wasn't the story for me but I am willing to appreciate the important topics that were brought into the story.

This novel included tough yet important issues such as addiction, neglect, foster parenting, and adoption. It really was a story that could open readers' eyes towards foster parenting and adoption and for that, I really wish I liked the overall story more. It opens the door to discussions regarding the different forms of 'family' that are out there and is informative while telling an emotionally powerful story.

Between the writing style, the pace, and the dwindling chemistry between the two main characters, it wasn't the novel for me but I know that there will be others out there that enjoy this story more.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I absolutely could not put this book down. I was drawn in immediately, and was sad when it ended.

I love East Tennessee, and was thrilled to see The Dating Charade was set in Gatlinburg, TN. Cassie and Jett are both wonderful characters, and I love that it's a RomCom that deals with some tough topics. I laughed, I cried, and all the in between. Supporting characters are also fabulous, and no matter who you are, you can relate to someone in this book.

Jett remembered Cassie from high school, and stumbled upon her online dating profile. She deleted the app before she ever finished reading his message. Cassie is unable to have biological children, and Jett thought he didn't want children of his own. Through a series of circumstances, their views change as they both are face with fostering/guardianship issues that show them the bigger picture in life.

This is a debut book by author Melissa Ferguson, and is an excellent start. I would have loved to have seen more of a focus on God, and His provision, and how He sustained the characters through their struggles, but the lack thereof doesn't upset me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinion here are my own, and I'd gladly pay for this book.

Meeting via dating profiles, Jett and Cassie hit it off straight away. The connection and chemistry between the pair is palpable and it is obvious that there is something special between them.

In typical fashion, life gets in the way of this budding romance by offloading children onto both Cassie and Jett (Cassie takes temporary custody of 3 sisters to get them out of a neglectful and abusive home and Jett is left babysitting his niece and nephews when his sister stops by to surprise him and leaves them in his care) Whilst this doesn't seem a dramatic problem at face value, both Jett and Cassie know that each others dating profiles stated that they did not want children.

With this in mind and fuelled by the fear of scaring the other off, both try to hide the fact they have become overnight guardians and thus ensues a funny story where dates are cancelled/cut short with terrible excuses and the children are hidden from Jett/Cassie to keep up the ruse.

The Dating Charade is a funny and engaging read that is highly enjoyable. A must read for fans of the romance genre and for anyone who enjoys blended-family stories!

This review is going to focus on The Dating Charade, written by Melissa Ferguson. I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie Everson's story is an interesting one, and one I feel isn't written very often. Though the trope of not wanting kids, and ending up with kids is done, but not normally to this scale.

Cassie has had a lot of bad dates. So many that she decides to delete her online dating profile. But not before Jett sees her profile and remembers his childhood crush on her. Jett's charms, with the help of Cassie's best friend, seem to be succeeding at winning the girl. Until each feels they need to keep as secret from the other.

Cassie is the director of the Haven, a program to help at risk girls. Her favorite teen is Star, who has two young sisters. After her first magical date with Jett, Cassie become aware of the abuse and neglect Star and her sisters have been hiding as she sees the police and child protective services at their apartment. She takes temporary custody of the girls while waiting to hear if there is a family member able to take them in.

Meanwhile, Jett's sister surprises him by stopping by with his twin nephew and niece, and surprise, a newborn nephew, TJ before leaving them there with their young uncle. Jett struggles to figure out raising a newborn and two toddlers with the help of his roommate Sunny and their neighbor Sarah.

The problem is, Cassie and Jett are both thoroughly aware that each other's dating profiles stated that the other does not want children. Afraid of scaring off the other, they try to hide the children from each other coming up with lame excuses as to why they need to cancel or cut dates short.

Though I found both lead characters admirable, I became fed up with how long they kept the truth from each other. There is more drama to this book than romance. It was an enjoyable read, but not what I was expecting, nor what I was quite looking for in a read.

I think those interested in romantic comedies, blended families, and hot firefighters would find this book worth reading ;) It was released on December 3, 2019, so find a copy and pick up this debut by Melissa Ferguson.

Happy reading :)

I love when an author can make me laugh and reflect at the same time. Melissa has done this.
I will say it frustrated me that Cassie and Jett just didn’t tell each other what was going on in their lives, but of course that made the story interesting and the author did a good job of explaining their reasons.
I literally laughed out loud several times in this book. There are some comical situations. But there are also some very real and serious issues going on that are heart breaking and as I teacher I know they are all too true.
Melissa is definitely an author I will be looking for in the future.
Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.
A copy of this book was given to me through the Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own.

The book was funny and touching. Cassie and Jett were compelling characters. Each has had their share of challenges and they both face them with humor and love. I enjoyed how they were encountering similar situations and reacted very much the same. This was a great feel good story! I received a copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Definitely not your typical rom com. The interactions with Jett and Cassie started out quite fun but then the story became predictable. There were many issues from adoption, drug use, foster care and family concerns discussed quite well. The escapades of all the children were a hoot. A good book club selection.

I enjoyed this one but definitely expected it to have more comedic moments. It was definitely more on the heartbreaking side of things. Because of that, I found it a little difficult to read. I did think it was a great debut by Melissa Ferguson but I want to stress that it is not necessarily a romantic comedy!

Cassie has wanted children of her own for a long time, but an accident has made sure that will never happen. She works at the Haven, a place for disadvantaged and troubled girls to come for fellowship and guidance. When Cassie meets Jett, a local firefighter and first responder, she falls for him quickly. Soon she is thinking about adoption and a possible future with Jett, but she and Jett will soon find out that life is more complicated than they planned for.

I went into this read expecting a romantic comedy, but there were definitely many more dramatic and heartbreaking moments than funny ones. I found most of this book hard to read because of the sad circumstances with the children and the stressful learning moments for both of the main characters. This book made me very emotional: I experienced sadness, anger, frustration, and stress. The author is adept at eliciting emotions from readers through her strikingly realistic writing. I was disappointed with the lack of Christian content in the book, but I'm finding that very few Christian writers do include biblical elements anymore. The author addressed the difficulties of foster care, adoption, the inability to have children, and drug addiction pretty well, so I recommend this read to anyone who wants to read more about these issues.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

What do you do when life throws you an unexpected twists that changes your whole life as you know it. This was Jett and Cassie's story.
Cassie has a heart for and loves children she just can't have any so she puts on her dating profile that she doesn't want kids when she meets Jett she's sure she has found her prince charming but when she suddenly has three cgdren in her care, it's hard to let him know she actually does love kids. Jett faces the same situation too and as they try to navigate this new task called instant parenthood, it doesn't come easy and there are a lot of mistakes made and embarrassing but funny moments.
One thing I didn't enjoy was how they couldn't come out rightly and talk about the children in their care with each other. It gave room for lots of misunderstanding and heartbreak. The end also felt a bit rushed for me but that being said, this book was awesome. I loved that despite the fact that this is her debut, the author writes like a seasoned author and dealt the issues of the foster system and child care as best as she could.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and Celebrate Lit for a blog tour. All opinions expressed are mine

I loved this author’s writing style. It’s an excellent example of how well-written and entertaining Christian contemporary fiction can be. The storyline is terrific, and I absolutely fell in love with the two main characters, Jett and Cassie. Their characters are likable and I had a great deal of empathy for each of them. As they each get quickly immersed into unexpected parenthood, there’s quite a bit of humor in both their stories. However, besides the humor, there’s also a very clear look at the challenges of being a foster parent and the struggles to help these children that are hurting, scared, and unsure of their future. The author shows the almost overwhelming challenges from both the foster parent and child’s point of view. Oh, there’s romance in this story, too. There were times I wanted to sit both Jett and Cassie down together and tell them to communicate with each other. I don’t know if there’s a follow-up book to this story, but I’d love to read one. I came to care of these characters, and that’s always a sign of a great story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Not bad for a debut novel. I loved the beginning and the way a tough issue was broken up by light cheesy fun.
I would have liked to see more romance, though. I felt like there wasn't enough time spent together for the couple to commit to deciding that against all odds, they would come together to form a family.
I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
This book was provided to me by the publisher, but as always, my opinion is my own.

This book is much more than a rom com!

Cassie Everton is an expert at escaping bad first dates. No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropping in their laps -each- they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

As a debut novel for Melissa, this was a total knock out. Not only was the romance between Cassie and Jett adorable, but it was also filled with laughter, heartbreak, and passion. What more could you want in a book? Both Cassie and Jett are passionate and selfless when it comes to those they love. I loved that this was more than a “meet cute” romance and instead filled with real social issues of child neglect, infertility, and adoption. I cannot wait to see what else Melissa writes.

I received a ebook copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story has more drama than the typical rom-com. Still with all the flare and fun one expects from this type genre. There is also more depth and meaning to it.

There is a lot to love about this story. I love a book with a fun banter and this one had plenty of it. Plenty of laugh-until-you-cry moments along with sweet, heartwarming moments as well.

This was a really difficult book to review. I gave it 4 stars because I really enjoyed the story. But I feel like readers have been completely misled into thinking that this is a fluffy rom-com romance. At the heart of it, there is a love story, but there’s so much more! There were some really funny interactions throughout the book, but it spent a lot of time delving into deeper waters such as drug addiction, abuse, neglect, abandonment, fostering, infertility...the list goes on. I love how Melissa Ferguson deals with each of these topics, but what I feel is missing is the romance. I wanted to see how Cassie & Jett dealt with each other’s messy. I wanted to see some sparks fly. I wanted to know more of what happened in the gaps instead of radio silence.

Trigger-shy Cassie is tricked into a date with unencumbered firefighter Jett, who spent his formative years adoring Cassie from afar. It seems like an unbeatable match until she steps in to foster 3 kids that were part of her after school program. Their budding romance is also impacted when Jett’s drug addicted sister walks out during a visit, leaving her twins and a newborn behind for Jett to pick up the pieces. The chaos that ensues as they try to adjust to their respective new normals & not scare each other off is hilarious, and it’s pretty beautiful when their villages step up to lend a hand as they each embrace instant parenthood. But their hearts get tangled up in trying to tiptoe around what’s really happening, assumptions are made, and then the unthinkable happens. The good news is, it’s a gorgeous saga with a happy ever after, and deserves to be treated as such.

It started out good, but fizzled out. In the beginning the connection between Cassie & Jett was cute, but quickly disintegrated with misunderstandings and lack of communication. With the limited interaction between Cassie & Jet I don't know how they ended up together. The writing was good, but the children stole the show & saved this book.

THE DATING CHARADE -- I am going to admit to cheating. I read a two star review before reading the book and thought "No sexual tension? No romance? No fun!" But that said, that review was mostly wrong. There is no sexual tension, but there is romance of the lets be friends and have fun together type, and oh, there IS fun. Laugh out loud, subject your holiday guests to readings fun. I *loved* this book.



Okay, there are some soft swear words. There is lying - a lot of it. There are some gross things. And part of the ending felt so contrived. But that aside, this book is FUN. Murphy's Law fun. Take two singles who neither want kids, add three kids each, two elderly matchmakers, and a whole lot of inner-city teen girls and you have trouble to the tenth power fun.



If you like family drama, low-key friends-romance, and lots of laughs you will love THE DATING CHARADE. Grab your copy today. I will be looking for more by this author.





I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

Reflections From My Bookshelves
REFLECTIONS FROM MY BOOKSHELVES
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson
Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether. But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages—and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.

Purchase your copy here:
Amazon
My Review
When I picked up this book, I expected something silly and fun and light-hearted. What I didn’t expect was the deep and heart-wrenching aspect of this story. A story of kids dealing with a whole lot of family issues. It’s also a story of two people meeting and things seem to go well. The combination makes for a deep but also funny story. I liked how there was humor in the story. I giggled at several scenes.
Cassie and Jett were so fun to get to know. I wish they were real.
Although it wasnt quite what the story I expected, I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t put it down.

Melissa Ferguson weaved a story that will touch your heart and bring a smile to your face.

I recommend this book to my family and friends.

I received this book from the publisher to read and give my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Looking at the cover of the book, I was expecting a fun lighthearted romance. What I didn't expect was the real life issues that children face everyday. The book is a look at two people trying to find their perfect mate. Cassie and Jett are both good characters but I found it funny that they didn't seem to really fit as a match.

Cassie has her doubts about using an online dating service but her profile does catch someones attention. Their first date is fun but will there be another one? There are a few funny moments in the story that I liked. However for me, the real story is about the children. I know first hand what it is like to know that your parents don't want you. For these children they go through such am emotional journey that my heart broke for them. It was hard to believe that Cassie and Jet find themselves with children at the same time. I couldn't figure out why they felt the need to hide the children from each other.

Star picked up right away that Cassie acted like she was ashamed to be seen with her. As a teenager what do you think that will do for her self esteem or rejection issues? The story just didn't flow well for me and it was difficult to connect with Jett and Cassie. I began the book with high hopes, but was quickly disappointed in the story because it was more about hiding children from each other than being honest with someone you wanted a relationship with. The ending was very predictable and the little conflict there was seemed to be skimmed over with an expected fix it solution. I didn't find hardly any faith element in the which disappointed me. I will be looking for more books from this author with expectations of more quality characters and a story that holds my attention.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.