In this modern day world where dating takes place on line or by an app. Cassie Everson is ready to throw in the towel. Fortunately she has her best friend and the kids at The Haven. Jett Bentley, firefighter and nice guy, has been taking heat from his friends to get back into the dating pool. He finds his high school crush, Cassie is on line. While she is rejecting everyone, her best friend Bree takes things in hand. Although she doesn't remember him, he definitely remembers her. Seeds are planted. An official date is planned. Life has other plans. Neither is telling each other the whole truth. Fears are mounting. Then a generic conversation derails them. With the help of two elderly ladies, Valentine's Day turns out to be more than anyone could expect. I love the ending!

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

With a charming hero and an endearing heroine, I found The Dating Charade to be a sweet romance. Witty and heartfelt, this romantic comedy is perfect for fans who love contemporary romance with a Christian message. Melissa displays a sweet style of writing with a swift pace that will be a fan favorite for years to come.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for my complimentary copy.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson is the romantic story of Cassie Everson and Jett Bentley. Cassie, 33. Is the director of Girls Haven, a center for disadvantaged girls, has been dating through an app with no great prospects until Jett Bentley finds her profile. Jett remembers Cassie from high school although he doubts, she would remember him. He sends her a message anyway and they are brought together by the scheming plans of her best friend, Bree. Soon their lives are thrown in chaos as Cassie takes in three sisters from a terrible situation and Jett is saddled with his niece and nephews as his sister suddenly shows up. In the chaos of their lives, a series of misunderstands and miscues leads Cassie and Jett to believe that the other doesn’t want children. Will they be able to finally clear the air? Will they be able to adjust to their new lives?
The Dating Charade started out as a great story, then facts about the characters’ backgrounds and plot points changed. It felt like the author didn’t remember she presented the information already and different information. For instance, Jett’s full name is presented one way in chapter 5 and presented another way in chapter 18. Then Cassie recognizes a character as a former date in chapter 5 and has the same recognition in chapter 23. It did start out great with drama and tension with the potential of a great romance but the misunderstands and miscues between Cassie and Jett were frustrating plus the lack of continuity was distracting. The story just fizzled for me. as the book is also marketed as a Christian romance and the only thing that makes it “Christian” is that the characters go to church at one point. In Jett’s case, he goes to church to get a couple hours of peace and quiet. I do not recommend The Dating Charade.

The Dating Charade
Is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

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

Don’t let the cute cover and title of Melissa Ferguson’s debut novel lull you into shoving this book into one genre. The Dating Charade has depth and heart (and yeah, there are some laughs along the way).

Ferguson draws readers in with Cassie’s online dating mishaps followed by Jett’s interest and determination in pursuing something with Cassie. Then she yanks on your heartstring with the children who come into Cassie and Jett’s lives and turn all their well-laid plans on their heads.
Reading this book ran me through the emotional spectrum. I’d be chuckling at the antics of the children or the chaos the adults found themselves in only to be tearing up over the heartache and loss in these young lives. Star and her sisters especially got me.

I also admired the friendship between Bree and Cassie. It’s the best kind of friendship. The one where you have each other’s backs but also feel comfortable speaking truth or getting your hands dirty for the betterment of the other.

Ferguson’s heart for foster care and adoption shine throughout The Dating Charade, but I can also tell this is an author who cherishes the humorous situations in life. This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be in the best kind of way.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

From laugh out loud moments to more emotional and serious layers, The Dating Charade has appeal far beyond its cute cover and promising synopsis. Fans of Melissa Tagg and Bethany Turner, take note! The plot reminded me of the classic “Yours, Mine, and Ours” (the Lucille Ball + Fonda version) in the very best way!

I am a fan of romantic comedies, whether in movie, TV, or book form. Rarely, though, am I spurred to laughing out loud while reading. With this novel, I had at minimum 5 instances where I snickered or laughed out loud. One time, I was hoping my coworkers wouldn’t think I was crazy! 😉 I love how Melissa Ferguson has taken the most mundane things and used them for humor in situations I could relate to. Her witty writing style made the pages fly by. In particular, I LOLed at certain scenes that involved a toddler and a gallon of milk, church nursery workers, screening content of children’s books, and the hero’s propensity to be “clumsy” when necessary.

In addition to the humor and fun characters (can Sunny be the hero of a novel someday, pretty please?), relevant issues and themes are an integral part of Cassie and Jett’s character journeys. From motivations, dreams, relationship expectations, to the sacrifice of parenting, all are part of the fabric of the story. These point to an important message of the priority of family and how love and happily-ever-afters might not end up how one plans. In fact, they might involve sleepless nights with a newborn, messy hair, and endless vats of macaroni and cheese.

With just one novel to her name (she has a novella I’m wanting to read!), Melissa Ferguson has found her way onto my must-read author list. I eagerly look forward to whatever she pens next!

Thank you to Prism Book Tours for the review copy. This is my honest review.

I have been desperately searching for a new contemporary romance author to love and I have just found her! You guys. This book was amazing! Everything I wanted it to be and so so so much more!! From the very beginning I was completely hooked and I read the whole thing in one sitting! Everything was expertly crafted, from the characters, to the plot, to the romance, to the humor! Cannot believe that this is a debut-it was that well done!

I loved Jett and Cassie, both of them work in jobs that require sacrifice and they both care passionately about the people they take care of. They both immediately step up and in when it is needed almost without thought to how it will disrupt their lives. They were so perfectly matched for each other and I loved their easy connection and the banter between them!

One of my favorite parts about this book was how much it made me laugh out loud! The humor was brilliantly woven in so naturally and just perfectly timed! There was the antics of the kids, the teasing of the friends, the scheming of little old ladies, and a bunch of other hilarious moments.

The secondary cast of characters were all so entertaining and I loved each of them for their own reasons!

Basically every single part of this book was awesomely fantastic and Melissa Ferguson has launched herself on to my favorite authors list! Cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us!

What a fantastic debut novel from Melissa Ferguson! She has landed herself firmly into the Christian Fiction family with this story and will be going nowhere for the foreseeable future! The characters are engaging, heart-warming, and funny. I especially enjoyed those of the elderly crowd! The plot is filled with realistic, funny circumstances and some that are heart-breaking and moving. This book will give you all the feels...in a good way! I'm really looking forward to what Ms. Ferguson brings us next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. A positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoyment of this book will depend on the reader's expectations, I think. If readers go into this one thinking of it as less of a "romantic comedy" and more of a "Christmas story," I think they will be happy with this one. I didn't find it funny, and the main couple hardly get to spend much time together, so this doesn't FEEL like a romance. But I was captivated by the story of these two adults, trying to find love, who find instant families instead and think they other won't be on board for their new lifestyle. I was surprised that there was no faith component to this either since the book is published by Thomas Nelson. Other than an extended scene at a church, and the fact that the book takes place around Christmas, there isn't really any emphasis on God or faith.

I enjoyed this story! Jett could have used some better discipline and boundaries with his three, and Cassie's three could have used more professional counseling/support (which is hinted at), but otherwise, I liked this.

Cassie works with at-risk teens, and she's hopeless when it comes to dating. She's got an exit strategy planned out for dates, and she's fairly picky in what she wants for a guy. She also can't have children and she knows too well that can pose a problem for potential suitors. Jett remembers Cassie from high school, so when he sees her on a dating site, he sends her a message. He sees she doesn't want children and that's the future he envisions for himself. But all his plans for trying to get her to give him a chance are brushed off. The best-laid plans can always go awry.

This was a cute read, watching the plans Cassie had laid out as an escape plan on dates had me laughing. I liked Jett's persistence and creativity when it came to figuring out what makes Cassie tick. My copy was an ARC so I understand the numerous spelling mistakes, but Ferguson is a huge fan of using "and" in place of commas, "x and y and z" multiple times just didn't do it for me, the writing often came off a bit juvenile with things like that happening. Some proper editing could ee that fixed. Also, what started off strong as a fun romantic comedy quickly turned clean romance with the focus on the adoptions and the romance took a back burner. Overall not a bad read and that's why I give it 4-stars, but not the right fit for me.

Not as advertised!

I was truly expecting a Rom-com with various dating fiascos, and funny situations, but this one fell flat for me. There were very few comedic situations or banter throughout the book. I found myself thinking, here comes one, but then I’d be disappointed. I confess that I skimmed the back half of the book, but even there, not much caught my eye to get me involved in the romance between the characters.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

The storyline was well written and the characters were so very likable and believable that Jett and Cassie kept me totally engaged throughout the entire book! I look forward to reading more of this talented author's work!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I am usually not a huge fan of adult dating books and have not read one in months but I am so glad I took a chance on this one. It has a bit of everything and very well done without sounding like every other book!

Writing was good but I found myself wanting more of something or another I think most people will like it just not for me

I confess that the first thing that attracted me to this book was this super cute cover and I was very curious to read it because I love funny stories involving bad dates.Other than being a Christian romance, I love best-behaved romance so much....LOL... They are so so sweet.

Cassie is tired of being so disappointed in her unsuccessful dates and always coming across the wrong guy, she already has strategies to get away at the right time. She works at a place that takes cares of girls at risk and has made good friends there.

Jett had a crush on Cassie during high school and when she has a chance to get closer to her now, he will do everything in his power to make her realize that he might be the right guy for her.

Although in the blurb it says it is a romantic comedy, in fact the book is more of a dramatic comedy because the main focus eventually falls on how Cassie and Jett will have to face both the custody of children who have fallen over them.
I liked the way the writer worked on this issue with kids from complicated homes who end up at foster homes, but I missed more chemistry among the main characters, their romance ends up very much in the background and this discouraged me a little because I expected at least more dates and more chemistry between them.
But I had a great time with the ladies Donna Gene and Edie.

3,5/5 stars

This was a pleasure to read: Engaging characters and comfortable setting with friends and family. The plot is compelling, though there were a few moments when I wanted to tell the characters to JUST BE HONEST about their situation! Nonetheless, the story moves along nicely.

The book provides a good and sobering look at the life of children who are disadvantaged in both family capital and social capital. But the problems are resolved in a rewarding style: A good and entertaining read with a wholesome atmosphere.

A new release out today, December 3! You'll want to read this one.

This is an odd dichotomy of deep and light. Deep subjects but too much light hearted approach. I wanted to like it but it was mediocre at best.

I wanted to love this book but some of the scenes between the hero and heroine just seemed a little unlikely for me. I loved the kids, they made great secondary characters, but it was hard for me to enjoy the two main characters. However, I would give the author another try.

I guess I had a certain idea of where this story was going to go from the blurb provided but when it became clear it was different I wasn't sure what to expect. I kept reading thinking it was coming just further along.....but nope. It's not a rom com which is the mindset I was psyched for, so it was a shame when I came to realize it wasn't what I'd hoped and that it didn't hook me otherwise. It's a shame it wasn't a good fit for me but I'm guessing it will be great for others as long as they don't base it on it's description.
I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

There were so many bits I enjoyed in this book. The main characters are genuinely good people so it was easy to like them and root for them. The brief moments they were actually together and interacting were great but those were few and far between. It was mostly about Cassie and Jett in their separate lives, dealing with unexpected events and struggles. The story sometimes got a little long winded with the secondary characters (there were SO many of them!) and I will admit to some skimming. 😳 I guess I thought this was more of a romance than it turned out to be but it was a love story. A love for children however they come to you and how that love makes a family. Family isn't always about who you were born to- sometimes it's more about who you choose to love. It was a feel good aspect of this book.

I thought the ending was cute and again, I loved the overall message of this book. I just wish there were more moments of connection between the two main characters and less of the secondary characters.

Content: abuse mentioned in several different forms, mention of drug abuse. Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

What an unexpected surprise! I wasn't sure about what I was getting into when I started this book and so didn't have any expectations but boy was this book good. I know Ferguson says, "Always love. Always try. But never, ever raise your expectations", but unfortunately I think my expectations are definitely raised for any of Ferguson's future stories.

The story is light and fun with the perfect kick of reality and truth. It deals with some serious subjects in such an understandable way and despite not being Christian I was able to join the world of Cassie and Jett.

I would definitely recommend this book. It is the perfect read for this time of year with feelings of gratitude, love for friends and family, and good cheer floating around.

I had lots of favourite moments in this book but I totally related to the following because I do it all the time and it's the first time I've seen it captured in a book.

"The house was quiet. She felt the day drag her toward the freezer, leading her to pull out the small, prepared packaged box of frozen tikka masala. Three minutes and twenty-five seconds later, Cassie tucked her feet under her as she sat on the glider by the window in her modest living room.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC.