This book tells the story of Bree, a 34 year old who is adventurous and spontaneous, and Chip, a guy from a well known family in town who wish to start his own company. Bree and Chip meet strangely in a performance and later discover there are new neighbors. I really liked their interactions as neighbors as well as how they annoyed each other! It was hilarious. Can we talk about Russel (the dog) OMG!!! it was amazing hahaha.
However, the books has a slow pace but keep going bc I really liked the message behind it!


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

DNF at 15%. I was drawn in by an enemies to lovers, neighbor romance. However it isn’t working for me and I decided to stop for now. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

It took me a minute for some reason to get into this one... reader problem not author problem and at about 50% I was invested and cheering on Chip and Bree... loved their flirty banter! If your an enemies to lovers... lover... than snag this one... also if close proximity is one of you fav tropes! This one is for you!!!!

4.5 stars! This was soo much fun!! Oh my goodness.
Bree’s just an easy-going girl trying to keep her job at the theater. At the first of the book she meets a handsome guy and is attracted to him... until she later realizes he’s her new next-door neighbor who is out to ruin her life.
Chip’s just moved into his new run-down house, planning to fix it up. What he doesn’t plan is for one mistake to lead to a full-on war with his beautiful but clearly insane new neighbor. But if that’s the way she wants to play it, he’s in.
After weeks of despising each other, things start to change. But is it possible that in the end they’re actually falling for each other?

I had soo much fun reading this book. Goodness, it was hilarious. I laughed out loud several times, grinned pretty much nonstop, and even facepalmed a few times *hello second-hand embarrassment*
Seriously, it was just so comical and crazy and fun. I might have liked this even more than The Dating Charade.

I really loved the characters. Chip and Bree were so great together.😂
I loved how Bree just wanted to ruin his life but he just got a kick out of driving her crazy. It was the best.

There were so many things that I liked.
Russel’s (the dog’s) obsession with Bree was hilarious. All of the pranks. The notes on the window. Gerald and Evie.
Bree’s parents! oh my goodness, they had me rolling. Especially the dinner. 😂
I could go on...
But as much as I love all of the hilarity, I also loved the deeper message I got from the book. I really like how Melissa Ferguson gives you a balance of the hilarious stuff but also incorporates a deeper meaning to the story. I feel like the message in this one was so well-timed for me to read. It hit me in a way I didn’t expect. Although there wasn’t much faith content, I think I got the message she was trying to get across and I really got it.❤️

I’m new to rom-coms but I’m really glad I tried Melissa’s out. They’re the perfect reads for when you just need a break from the world. They’re just fun, crazy, and hilarious but they’ve got a deeper meaning too.

Also, it was clean. YESSS, thank youuu to the author!!!
I’m always a little nervous about reading a book about adult’s because I’m afraid it’s gonna be unclean or make me uncomfortable in some way. But nope. This was completely clean. Sigh... that makes me really happy!

Anyways, I would recommend this if you’re looking for a fun read!

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

I wouldn't really classify this as a romance. For the first half of the book, the two characters are just awful to each other. It made no sense now they fell in love without ever even touching each other. Neither the hero or heroine were very endearing. Both acted like children; both personally and professionally. And honestly having a 230 lb dog was just ridiculous

This was such a fun story. It was a clean, funny romance. I really liked both Bree and Chip. This is the first book I have read by Melissa Ferguson but I look forward reading more by her. I highly recommend this light, funny book.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson is a heartwarming rom-com book that will have you laughing out loud.

In this cute romantic comedy Bree and Chip are next door neighbors engaged in a prank war with each other. Bree has a hard time holding down a job, and Chip has left his family construction business to start one of his own. Bree's roommate is crazy, wanting to live off the grid and take away things like electricity and Wi-Fi. Bree’s house belonged to her grandmother, so she’s reluctant to leave, even though her living conditions aren’t ideal. Bree and Chip enjoy torturing each other. His dog knocks her over; she makes him move his electric fence. He signs her up for crazy magazine subscriptions; she signs him up for email lists and leaves magazines about addiction on his porch. Their "prank war" becomes increasingly ridiculous, but by keeping each other consistently on their minds leads them to realize their feelings of hatred might be quite the opposite.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel and felt there was good chemistry between Bree and Chip. The supporting characters added to the story and Bree is best friends with Cassie, the main character in Melissa Ferguson's other book, The Dating Charade, which was also very enjoyable. I really appreciated how the author kept the pranks fresh and original. Bree and Chip had me laughing out loud with the amount of effort they put into driving each other crazy. I also enjoyed the other neighbors in the neighborhood. They were very well developed even though they were just supporting characters. The author did a great job interweaving the romance throughout the book, but did not make it the main focus. Overall, the ending and the epilogue gave readers a very satisfying wrap up.

I truly enjoyed this story. There were so many funny, quirky, and ridiculous moments that made you fall for the characters. Bottom line is this book is a cute romantic comedy. If you’re looking for a clean fun read, I highly recommend it. You’ll find yourself rolling your eyes, laughing and smiling while reading this book.

This was a very slow burn. The advantages to this is that you don't have extra drama at the end of the book to make up for the fact that the characters revealed their feelings halfway through the story. The disadvantage is that it's a lot of building up for very little payoff. I had a hard time understanding the female protagonist's backstory. I don't know if that's because it wasn't well explained or just didn't resonate. The lead male and female were likeable enough and their banter was pretty good. It was just all buildup and little resolution.

4 stars! In this cute romantic comedy Bree and Chip are next door neighbours engaged in a prank war with each other. As the pranks escalate so do their feelings and this makes for a fun and sweet enemies to lovers romance.

This one was a bit slow to start and I spent a lot of the book wanting the pranks to get more out of hand but the final prank played was very over the top and I loved it. The pair have some sweet moments throughout the book, which they spend hating each other and playing pranks. As they play more pranks and annoy each other their relationship grows until they call a truce and have their happily ever after ending. I enjoyed the characters in this novel and felt there was good chemistry between Bree and Chip. The supporting characters added to the story and Bree is best friends with Cassie, the main character in Melissa Ferguson's other book, The Dating Charade. I liked the overlap and now want to read this author's other book that focuses on Cassie because I enjoyed the Cul-de-Sace War so much. There was a great ending that really wrapped everything up nicely and it was just a happy book full of funny moments and misunderstandings.

Bottom line is this book is a cute romantic comedy with an enemies to lovers trope. If you like this genre, you should add this book to your TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

A truly delightful book! I have to admit that there have been so many "hate-turned-love" books out there, that I had decided I was quite bored of the topic. This book made me forget it was exactly that. Unlike other books approaches, you could see why they misunderstood each other because you also got to "see" the other character's perspective a bit. The characters were believable, and I found myself simply sad that the wounds they had were making them unable to really see each other. Mrs. Ferguson also hit it on the nail when she turned Chip and Bree into friends *through* their wounds. So many novels take the "let's just explain we've been misunderstanding each other" route. Not satisfying and not believable usually! If you've hated your neighbor and been annoyed by/annoying them for a while, you won't all the sudden lose the feelings of annoyance when you understand you simply misunderstood them. It would take you a while to let go. However, if they showed you they cared by entering in to your suffering with you, you'd be able to let go of the misunderstanding *and* learn to like them pretty quickly.

An awesome book that I highly recommend reading if you are looking for a clean, fun read! You'll find yourself rolling your eyes or laughing or smiling along with the characters.

**I received this book for free in return for a review. However, all thoughts expressed above are completely my own!

The Cul-de-Sac War is a hilarious romance that will have you in stitches even as you shake your head.

I’d be lying if I said Bree and Chip didn’t come off a bit immature at times. But, in an odd way, that was part of The Cul-de-Sac War‘s charm. Their banter and adolescent pranks created plenty of humor. By alternating between Bree and Chip, Ferguson does a great job of giving the reader a better look at the full story through two unreliable narrators. Neither one can see the full picture, and the misunderstandings leave the reader with a lot to think about.

Ferguson also mangers to convince the readers why Bree and Chip are perfect for each other. As you laugh at their rivalry, you know they should be together. I found myself at times wanting to shake them. But they came around soon enough.

The Cul-de-Sac War isn’t overly religious, but there are enough undertones that Christian readers will notice and appreciate. A reader who isn’t Christian may not pick up on it, which makes this novel a great choice to share with your friends, even if you aren’t sure where they stand with the Lord. At one point, two characters engage in a conversation about how we are meant for something greater than this world. I loved the vulnerability in this scene, and I think it would make a great conversation starter with someone new to Christian ideals.

(Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

A big thank you is owed to author Melissa Ferguson, NetGalley, and publisher Thomas Nelson for giving me a free ebook copy of this book in exchange an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! This book was so much fun! It had all the elements I was looking for when I still down to read a rom-com/enemies-to-lovers. I really appreciated how well the author kept the pranks fresh and original. It might have given me some great ideas for the future. *winks.* But really Bree and Chip had me laughing out loud with the amount of effort they put in to driving each other crazy. Robbie was such a cute dog! I also enjoyed the other neighbors in the neighborhood. They were very well developed even though they were just side characters. The author did a great job interweaving the romance throughout the book, but did not make it the sole focus. In addition to keeping their romance clean! These two characters had both a competitive nature, so it made them that much more perfect for each other. Overall, the ending and the epilogue gave the readers a very satisfying wrap up. I highly recommend this book for those who would like a clean, light-heart, laugh out loud rom-com for a cozy weekend. I look forward to another great book by this author!

This is definitely lighthearted and entertaining romcom! But I still feel like some romance parts are missing and till I reach the last third of the book, I actually decided to stop reading it but thankfully conclusion of the story was more satisfying even though epilogue was a little bit confusing.

Let me tell you more about the story and the characters so you may understand the reasoning of my complex feelings about the book.

I liked the beginning of the story. Bree is an ambitious stage actress who gets ultimatum from her parents to have a steady job at least for one year and she gets a small part at the “Midsummer Night’s Dream” but during the live production, she dodges outdoors and her dress falls apart. Luckily Chip who is there to take videos , helping her to solve her problem, saving the day. She gets attracted to him but she finds out he is already taken by a gorgeous girl! Sorry Bree, it seems like you’re having a hard day!

As she drives back to her house, she realizes she’s followed by the most irritating truck gets in her nerves. They both drive to her cul-de sac. And guess what? Truck driver was also Chip.

She gets pissed off and of course Chip’s dog Russell’s attack her as if she is T-bone steak, increases the tension. Bree declares war and two adults start to act like second grades pulling so many pranks on each other.

After so many pranks later, they finally understand they actually fall in love in!

I don’t know about that part because so many pranks later I think frenemies theme a little lost its magic! Chip seems like he always has a crush on Bree but I had hard time to see the reason why Bree declared war and started hating the guts so intensely of the guy after getting attracted at the first sight!

Their worries about their jobs and family problems also took more place than their so slowly blooming romance.

But I actually liked the last third. I couldn’t connect with Bree so much, I found her dramatic, annoying. Chip was more likable hero but I wish the author named him different.

Overall: I’m giving 3.25 stars! It’s still above the average. There are some real great and entertaining dialogues and I enjoyed beginning and frenemies theme but I wish the storyline may have been executed better.

I liked the previous work of the author more but I still enjoy her writing style and like to read more of her future novels.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I love having both perspectives in a book like this. It really fleshes out the characters. I read the book and also listened to the audiobook and both were highly enjoyable.

Bree Leake might only play the part of a fairy in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s
Dream, but she gets to do it at The Barter—the nation’s oldest live theatre. In her 30-odd years Bree has job hopped and career crashed, and she’s never felt the need to tie herself down to anything specific.

A costume disaster leads her to a gallant Galahad (who’s actually taller than her). Rushing home after her performance, an obnoxious driver tailgates her—and ends up following her right into her cul-de-sac. When Galahad steps out of the truck, he turns into Darth Vader, determined to ruin her life, break her water pipes, and laugh at her misfortune.

This romantic comedy will make you laugh out loud and question the extremes people will go to when competing with each other. You’ll also question first impressions and how we let them rule our point of view without thinking them through.

What I Loved About the Book

The author keeps the plot moving right along with plenty of comic scenes. It took me a few pages to get into the story and understand what was happening, but once I entered into Bree and Chip’s worlds, I cheered them on with gusto as they tried to figure out what they really wanted out of life and how to get it without playing dirty.

A laugh out loud, romantic comedy. I enjoyed every aspect of the Cul-de-Sac War! The clear attraction from the start, followed by the misunderstandings that lead to all-out war were a perfect balance of tension and sweet fulfillment. There is plenty of backstory to both characters that adds an unexpected depth to the story as well. The supporting characters, especially the dog, add a lot of balance to the gamut of emotions experienced in this book. I found myself genuinely laughing at the antics of Bree and Chip and the cringe-worthy situations they found themselves in. Above all, I loved their ability to rise above it all and find what truly matters most. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

This cute, wholesome romance features Bree, a free spirit, who is constrained by a family inheritance to live next door to Chip, her aggravatingly handsome neighbor. As tensions mount between the two, the pranks get ever more elaborate, and Bree begins to realize that maybe, just maybe, she doesn't hate Chip after all.

While I was intrigued enough by the plot to finish the book, there wasn't anything particularly sparkling or fantastic about this book. I'm not sure it's a story I'll even remember in a few weeks.

The plot did get me a little invested in the lives of Chip and Bree, the two main characters. They were each working through their own problems and trying to figure out what the future held for them so it was interesting to see how they moved forward.

Now onto the topic of romance. I appreciated that this book was very clean. It's difficult to find adult romances without explicit sex scenes every couple of chapters so I was happy to find this book. However, there was a lack of many things in the romance department. I just wasn't particularly invested in the romance. Chip started the book with a girlfriend and Bree had a lovely man interested in her. I just wasn't feeling the spark. It heated up a bit towards the end, but even then I wasn't completely on board.

Moving onto characters, a lot of them kinda threw me off, even the main characters. I was most confused by the relationship between Evie and Bree. It seemed like they weren't really friends, but also they were? Evie was kinda annoying and I definitely wouldn't have been able to have her as a roommate. I'm not really sure what she contributed to the story either. She was in or mentioned in a lot of the scenes so I'm just confused about her purpose in the story.

Overall, I'd give this book a 2.5. I was interested enough to want to know how the book ended, but also, not very impressed with the story in general. I'd probably still read another book by this author though.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!⠀
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I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this book! I did the audio of Melissa’s first book The Dating Charade earlier this year and it was such a delight. While it’s totally not necessary to read in order, it was fun having glimpses back into Cassie’s life throughout this novel! ⠀
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Two neighbors get off on the wrong foot and a series of pranks ensue! Chip and Bree’s antics were charming, goofy and a lot of fun. This was such a fun romance, but there were some heavier moments that the two both had to deal with during this story. The starting pace was a little slow for me... but that is probably a reader error because I started reading the this ebook on my phone while in line to get into a store one day and just read in random stolen moments until I sat down and dedicated the time to it. Then it went really quick because I wanted more Chip and Bree! ⠀
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This heartwarming, sweet story will be available on November 10th! And if you want to get your hands on a physical copy you can support your local bookstores or head to TARGET because Melissa shared the exciting news last week that her newest book will be gracing Target shelves everywhere. ⠀
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#TheCuldeSacWar #NetGalley

We open with Bree Leake experiencing an on-stage wardrobe malfunction (a nightmare to anyone who has ever been in front of an audience). She slips out the side door to attempt to find the costume designer. Here she runs into Chip McBride who was ejected from the theater for taking a video. Chip and Bree share a moment where he saves her costume from certain disaster while he is there watching Bree’s performance in A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream with his girlfriend, Ashleigh. Bree has an instant attraction to him. However, this is soon counteracted by her dislike of his driving on the way to their houses as it turns out that they are neighbors. Chip just moved in next door to renovate the older home.

Bree is 34 years-old and has moved all over the country holding all type of jobs from arcade manager to docent at an aquarium. She temporarily settles herself in her hometown to live in her grandmother’s house that she shares inheritance with while working on stage at The Barter. Her plan is to try this new career and move on if it doesn’t seem to work out. Although I enjoyed the idea of someone in their 30s still trying to find the right career path for them and it was a fresh and relatable concept, the job change to actress, especially at a prominent theatre, was difficult to wrap my head around.

As a reader, it’s hard to get behind Bree’s “career” as an actress. It seems that one day she just applied to be part of the acting crew of the Barter, one of the older classic theatres in the United States, and she was just given a role. It wasn’t realistic in the slightest unless you are the luckiest person on the planet to be a person with no background in acting get a role in a theatre company. It just seemed insulting to actors as Bree doesn’t even take her role of Mustardseed seriously as she blows it off a lot as she claims it’s not an important role, but every role big or small is essential in a production.

Chip McBride is part of the well-known McBride family of contractors. The McBride Construction Company is an institution, but Chip has decided it’s more beneficial to him to branch off on his own. As he’s just starting off with his own company, you, as a reader, get to experience the struggles that face not only a brand new business, but how to survive in a world where your competition is your family. His treatment of Russell, his 100+ pound Mastiff, didn’t sit well with me. I live in the city with giant dogs, as well, so I’m aware that close neighbors can sometimes be afraid of them so it just seemed like bad dog-parenting that Chip let his dog “attack” Bree over and over again. It just seemed unnecessary and it’s never fully addressed how they “fix” this problem between the two main characters aside from the use of an underground electric fence.

I go back and forth on how I feel about this book. The premise sounded like a light-hearted and fun read. Although I loved the “war” between our two main characters, it just seemed to fall short on the rest of the story. The pranks go on for the majority of the book before we reach maybe the last quarter (maybe the last third) where our story finally seems to make some headway. Unfortunately, it meant the book dragged for me as it just was one thing after the other. While I was fully expecting a war, hence the title, I thought that there would be some growth in the story. The last portion of the book, the ending, and the epilogue are all heart-warming enough to almost make you forget you don’t have many pages to enjoy them as the majority of the book was focused only on the back and forth.

There are tons of moments thrown in that were super sweet, such as the last few window notes and the creepy children wallpaper, but it just seemed all crammed in the last portion of the novel and it would have been nicer to have them spread out a little more so the reader has more time to enjoy and process them. The relationships need a bit of work as well as Chip is with a solid girlfriend, Ashleigh, where she is already thinking of marriage and aside from Chip’s attraction to Bree, there isn’t a ton that shows trouble in paradise between Chip and Ashleigh. I wish this was explored a little more as it seemed incomplete. Bree faces this same issue with Theo as Theo obviously likes Bree and they go out with each other, but you rarely get the impression that Bree is with Theo for any other reason other than he just happened to ask her out.

Even with my criticisms, the fun moments were extremely entertaining. Each prank was humorous and light-hearted. It kept my interest and made me laugh out loud many times. The bond Bree has with her co-workers and neighbors was extremely heart-warming and were enjoyable to read about. I loved to read about how Bree’s fellow theatre workers all came together when their planned summer play was turned into a musical and how they helped each other any way that they can. It gave an amazing feel of community and how they all bonded together. The concept is refreshing and overall the novel was gratifying. There are some unfinished storylines that aren’t addressed, such as the bumper stickers, but overall everything gets wrapped up nicely to create an adorable HEA.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC and a chance to experience this great novel. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**