A rom-com that will make you laugh until your side hurts!

The Cul-de-Sac War was one of the funniest and charming contemporary romance novels I have read all year! Clean and full of spirit, the characters were hysterical, and the plot a perfect pick-me-up! If this were a movie, it would be my choice for a girl's night or lazy day!

Bree Leake has never settled or known what she wanted. Having adorned many hats, it’s not until her grandmother leaves a part of her house to Bree that she starts to dream of a stable future. With a job at the local theatre, Bree’s life finally feels like it is falling into place, that is until she meets Chip McBride. While sparks flew at their meet-cute, things take a fiery turn when Chip moves into the fixer-upper next door. Caught in a war where both parties will go to the extreme to win, nothing is out of bounds; however, when their jobs and relationships are put in jeopardy, one of them will have to call a truce, but who will be the one to raise the white flag?

With the classic love-hate relationship, The Cul-de-Sac War meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Bree’s quirky personality — which reminded me a lot like Louisa Clark's from Me Before You — and Chip’s fierce competitive yet charming nature creates a match made in heaven.

At first, I didn’t think I would like this book as I felt like the hate-to-love scenario had already been done so often; however, I was hooked by the end of the first few pages. Laughing my way through each chapter until the wee hours of the night, I think this was the fasted book I’ve read all year, and honestly, I already want to reread it!

Side note: Is it strange that I pictured the characters speaking with British accents? Probably... Nevertheless, an author can only do so much to create a fictional world; it's up to the reader to fill in the pieces and use their imagination to interpret each scene in their mind.

This was my introduction to Melissa Ferguson, and it will not be the last book I read of hers. In a year surrounded by disappointment and uncertainty, this book's publication couldn't have come at a better time! If you're searching for a novel that will make you swoon, laugh, and feel as though you're watching a movie, The Cul-de-Sac War is perfect for you!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a pre-release copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson is a humorous and lighthearted story about neighbors who are at war with each other.
This is one story where you really cannot go by first impressions…or can you?
Bree and Chip meet in a most unusual way, outside the backdoor of the stage, during a live production in which Bree has a small, if somewhat unimportant part. She dodges outdoors in the middle of the show because her dress is falling apart, and she needs help, STAT. Chip, who just happens to be in the right place at the right time, comes to her rescue. Bree thinks they might have a special connection going, until she sees him later with his gorgeous girlfriend.
It wassn’t till a short time later that they discovered that they’d ended up as next-door neighbors, and because of various unfortunate events, neither one of them was one bit happy about it. What got them onto a bad note was that Chip’s very large dog, Russell, decided Bree was his most favorite person. He launched himself at her, knocked her over, slobbered all over her, and more. Bree, who felt stalked and attacked by Russell, tried to get Chip to control the dog, but all to no avail.
As the story progresses, other humorous and somewhat unbelievable things take place, until finally, they find themselves in a war of sorts. Both Bree and Chip stretch their imaginations to the max to come up with something to drive the other one a little bit more insane. I found their pranks to be humorous, but rather unrealistic, and somewhat childish. Bree absolutely took it too far when she placed a craigslist ad that had people showing up with all kinds of animals, and practically turning their street into a zoo.
Melissa Ferguson does have a way of writing characters and scenarios. In spite of the fact that I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters, I still had to chuckle at their antics.
If you are looking for a fun, clean, light hearted romance, then I do recommend this one. I’d just like to leave this word of advice – do not try these pranks on your neighbor, because you never know what it might lead to!
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Woo! This book was just as good as the first book I read by Ferguson, The Dating Charade. I might even say I liked Cul-de-sac Wars better!
It was cute, funny, and everyone loves an enemies to lovers trope.
I think Melissa Ferguson is quickly becoming one of my must read authors!

Definitely recommend if you love clean romance that makes you feel good at the end. It’s absolutely worth the read!

I absolutely loved “The Dating Charade” and was counting down until I could read book two. It is so perfect for a relaxing, hilarious, and light-hearted read. The cause-and-effect of this book is hysterical and just when you think things are resolved, it all gets worse. But in that way that makes you go, “Oh no, this didn’t really just happen... but it did. And... it’s kind of believable.”

So yes, I loved this book when it comes to that note. The style is funny, but not a forced funny. Just a natural, full-of-wit funny that I can fully appreciate.

It is, of course, a romance. That being said, it really did not focus on the lustful side of romance or even on the physique of others, which I do appreciate. It was a totally plausible haters-to-lovers plot.

The one downfall I see with this book is the Christian element. There was pretty much a conversation about where Chip went to church and then one heart-to-heart scene with a good moral lesson, but not really much about God Himself. In my personal opinion, a strong faith element would have made this the perfect weekend read. As is, it’s clean and moral, but not as strong in the faith element.

*I received this book from NetGalley and happily provided my honest review*

Firstly a huge thanks to Thomas Nelson for my advanced copy and secondly can I be friends with Melissa. I absolutely enjoyed The Cul-de-Sac War. It's an enemies to lovers romance about Bree and Chip neighbours who are constantly pulling pranks on each other. Did I mention that there is the cutest dog ever in the story? I loved this book because it had everything from cute love story, bickering neighbors and a cute puppy. Also the plot is amazing and I highly recommend this book if you need an escape .

In her newest romance book, Melissa Ferguson shows how far a neighbor can push your buttons. In The Cul-de-Sac War, which comes out November 10th, two neighbors begin a prank war that might just end in romance.

I was so excited to read this book and loved the concept of it, but I just found this book to be very underdeveloped. The entire plot felt very rushed, yet also very slow-moving at the same time. What is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers romance instead is two neighbors who assume too much about one another and act childish and don’t actually have a civil conversation until 70% into the book. The book was close to the end and it felt like there was so much left to happen and any major plot points just got brushed over to move on to the next chapter break. I just wanted this book to be over so I could get to the good parts, but they never quite came.

Aside from the plot, almost all of the characters lack depth and I hoped for more background on some of them. I just didn’t like the main characters all that much. Bree is a childish 34 year old woman who seems to take everything Chip does negatively and overreacts at everything that happens. I just found her to be mean and immature. And Chip was constantly infatuated with Bree while still dating his girlfriend and continues to bother Bree just because he finds it amusing.

Someone else might appreciate this book more than I did, but I think it’s safe to say that I was disappointed by it. If you're looking for a fun and flirty romance book, I don’t think you’ll find it here.

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

I absolutely fell in love with The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson, so I couldn’t wait to get started on her second book. The Cul-de-sac War is about Bree and Chip who meet by chance. They share a humorous moment and seem to enjoy each other. But shortly afterward Bree spots Chip with a lady friend. Who knew he had a girlfriend? She can’t help but be somewhat disappointed.

On Bree’s drive home from this event, she experiences a loud truck driving too close to her back bumper. He follows her all the way to her cul-de-sac. Only when they both get out at different houses does she realize that Chip, her momentary heartthrob, is her neighbor.

Now here’s the downside. The story seems to work so hard for humor that reality is left on the front cover. It starts with a very exaggerated stage performance and goes right into Bree being unhappy with the new guy in the cul-de-sac. Reasons for her anger appear to be

1. possibly because he has a girlfriend and she just came home angry and disappointed

2. possibly for having a loud truck and following her too closely

3. possibly because Chip doesn’t remember her name correctly when they eventually see that they
are neighbors

4. possibly because Chips’ friend delivers a large dumpster to Chris since he is remodeling his home. The problem is that the friend pulls slightly into Bree’s yard, the tire mars down and breaks the water pipe. (The regulations for the depth of water pipes must be different in that city than ours.) This happens very shortly after they both get home from the event.

Now, I don’t intend to relate the whole story, but these are flimsy things for two grown people to feud about. And the “war” is based on these types of things. For me, this unrealistic story continued to build to eventually include an out-of-control dog.

I have to say that not everyone is born with the same funny bone. Mine correlated more with Ferguson’s first book. And, as you can see, this one just didn’t work for me. But humor to one isn’t to another.

What Concerned Me
Though I know Ferguson is a good writer, I felt she relied too heavily on exaggerated humor in this book. And with that came characters that I had a hard time caring about.

As far as romance goes. Too much time was spent on warring to explore the love aspect.

Overall, what I’m sure was meant to be funny, became boring and negative. Not what I’m looking for in a rom-com.

What I Liked
Refer back to my recommendation of The Dating Charade. I know Melissa Ferguson can write books that I love since I rated her first book 5 Stars. I’ll certainly be back to try her next book.

A cute little romance to read on a weekend. A great one to take on vacation or to the beach read. It is a peek behind the activity of the theater world. How much work it is even for those with smaller parts. The sacrifices they make while pursuing their dream.

Ferguson provides an amusing read. Bree and Chip share a special moment until she discovers he is her new neighbor. The antics are humorous, the scenes fast paced and funny as each tries to outdo the other. Bree is quirky, effervescent, and a little off the rails. Chip,is trying to make his name in the business world and still stay afloat. Some of the tricks were over the top and just a little dirty. It's a funny read about two neighbors that just might end up falling for each other.

This was such a fun story! My husband would often question what I was reading as I laughed out loud.

There was definitely war and pranks on this cul-de-sac and you'll have to check out the book to find out why!

I really enjoyed the characters of Chip, Bee and Russell.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The review is my own opinion

The Cul-de-Sac War grabbed and kept my attention very well. It does not follow the normal outline of a Contemporary Romance, which might be why I was so intrigued by it. This book is very much enemies to lovers, where neighbors get into a prank war with each other after not seeing eye to eye on well... anything. To be fair, it is mostly instigated by the female MC, Bree, but Chip definitely strikes back frequently. It's all mostly based on a misunderstanding, but it is very entertaining to read.

I felt there were some scenes unnecessary to the book, but overall I felt like this book was well written, well paced, and stayed true to the characters. I enjoy when two characters are in relationships, but end up realizing they aren't who they are meant to be with BUT don't engage in cheating or toxic behaviors. I am happy this story didn't include any of that and allowed the romance to happen when both parties were unattached.

The epilogue was chaotic. I generally love epilogues in romance stories, because it gives you a glimpse into the future to see how the love story is working out. But I feel like this epilogue created more questions than it answered. I left the story feeling like things were not wrapped up and it was very confusing. Not normally how I feel after reading epilogues.

I did truly enjoy this book, and it reminded me of You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle so if you enjoyed that book, you will enjoy this one. It is also somewhat pitched as Christian fiction/romance, but it is not in any way overtly religious - there is just some brief mention of faith. There is also a minor storyline that is more serious, childhood cancer, so be aware of content that might trigger you.

**Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

The Cul-de-Sac War was a bit of a slow burner for me. I read the first two or three chapters and when I put the book down, I didn't return to it for about two or three weeks. It felt like it was going to be a bit of a typical' romance without much bite to it: I was right.

I really, REALLY tried to like Bree but did not feel that I ever get to know her well as a character or have a chance to truly root for her situations and struggles (the house, job, niece). Chip had funnier moments throughout the novel but overall, the characters were pitched oddly and I wanted to not finish it but persevered for the sake of the next door neighbour romance trope, which I am a fan of.

Not sure whether I would like to read more by Melissa Ferguson - I will wait to see what her next novel is about.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The antics between Chip and Bree were quite funny. I liked their meet cute and the supporting characters deserve their own stories.

Thank you to Netgalley, Melissa Ferguson, and Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

I have been wanting to try a Ferguson book so I was ecstatic when I got my approval for the arc! And this one sounded so fun, and funny! I mean, doesn’t a cul-de-sac war sound fun??? I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t too sure at the beginning. It took me a little bit to really get into it and then I just fell for the characters. I love that point in a story when you get deeper into who the characters are, what their story is. That’s the real do-or-die moment for me.

I enjoyed the creativity of the war that took place between characters in this story. I mean they weren’t just messing around! This was some serious business! Lol I also appreciate a goofy dog, and can appreciate Bree’s annoyance at a constantly jumpy dog.

One part that really struck me was a conversation between Bree and Chip that I won’t get I I, but let’s just say I felt like the author had crawled inside my head and put my thoughts and feelings on the page. It was freaky cool! And eye opening as well.

In the end I really really enjoyed this story. If you’re looking for a fun, funny contemporary romance with a little bit of depth, this is one to consider!!!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This is my first book by this author, I was really into it for a solid 60% of the way through. I think that’s when it dawned on me that some of the sadder/content warning ish contents of the book weren’t really necessary for the plot. I didn’t like that aspect about the book at all. But I did enjoy the writing style. I would classify this as a closed- door low steam romance. Some might even say Christian Fiction…it didn’t feel overtly Christian Fiction to me, but it would appeal to a reader who does read within that genre, for sure. The last negative for me was how long the two main characters hung onto their respective partners…. I wish there would have been earlier-in-the-book breakups.

Content warnings: death of a loved one, pediatric cancer.

Bree Leake (Cassie's BFF from Ferguson's charming, poignant debut novel) has relocated to Virginia. A serial job-changer, she's trying her hand at acting in a local theater troupe and rooming with the costume designer. When she meets a handsome man outside the theater, sparks fly — but soon she learns he's her new next door neighbor. Their miscommunications, mishaps and battle of wills make for an entertaining, sparkly, and sweet-but-not-cloying romance.

Let me start by saying that I highly recommend this book. But I might suggest not reading the book in public. I attempted to do just that, but I was laughing so hard that I was crying and almost hyperventilating. All I know is that Melissa Ferguson might be an interestingp person to know in real life because the "friendly" pranks played by the next door neighbors on each other were hilarious. That is definitely a key element of the book. Due to certain circumstances, Bree Leake and Chip McBride decide they do not want to be next-door neighbors. Rather than communicating, they each try to scare each other out of the neighborhood. The porch scene in particular is epic.

But this book is more than a slapstick comedy. This book also has heart. Both of the main characters have to figure out how to deal with life when circumstances do not go as planned. They have to to adjust. And when they take a step back, they also realize that they can relate to each other more than they thought. There is genuine grief over loss that is accompanied by the promise that someday (at least for those who believe in Jesus as Savior) that everything wrong will be made right again.

Beyond the two "leads," there are other relationships that matter to the storyline. The extra cast of characters is definitely enjoyable. A few characters are hold overs from Ferguson's first book, "The Dating Charade." Cassie is Bree's best friend in this title. This friend's family also plays a cameo appearance. Both character's families are included along with a cast from the theater. I do like the fact that the relationships are not purely centered on how the two main characters connect with each other. Adding extra people makes the story more interesting.

Truly I cannot wait to see what Melissa comes up with next. What I do know is that it will be a must-read story for me. A big thank you to NetGalley and to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read a copy of this book early. I definitely wanted to review this one, and all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this rom com. Melissa Ferguson had me laughing one minute and crying the next. She has quickly become one of my must-read authors.

The Cul-de-Sac War is a followup to The Dating Charade, which I also loved, but you do not necessarily need to read The Dating Charade first. You'll be able to enjoy The Cul-de-Sac War just as much, but it is nice to see appearances from our much loved Dating Charade characters.

Bree and Chip are hysterical from the moment they meet. When they discover they are neighbors, the antics continue. Life isn't all fun and games though, each of them have battles to face, and deep feelings and struggles to work through.

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

This book was a super cute enemies-to-lovers romance! Bree and Chip were very likable and even though there was slight drama between them, it was still a very easy read.

My Thoughts: This was my first Ferguson book. She came highly recommended by two of my reading buddies. The Cul-de-Sac War did not disappoint! It was everything I wanted in order to unwind at the end of a long day. Something fun, light, flirty, hilarious, but at times deep and meaningful.
I’m a sucker for a great enemies to lovers story, so I was sold from the beginning. The overall writing was a big hit for me. It wasn’t overdone or shallow. I cared about the characters, and I looked forward to what crazy antic they would think of next. Their romance was a sweet development as they grew to understand each other better. It was a great reminder that sometimes we’re too quick to judge someone. I would have liked to have seen more specifically Christian themes in here. It was very clean, but she almost danced around Christian terminology instead of just claiming them. Still, it was a delightful read and one that I’ll be adding to my re-read shelf.

Rating and Recommendations: I’m giving The Cul-de-Sac War 5 stars and recommending it those who enjoy light Christian Contemporary Romance.

~ I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.