This is a well-written, funny book for readers who enjoy over-the-top physical humor and embarrassing situations. If you're looking for wit and light, good-natured comedy, this is not it. I think the hearts and flowers on the cover are being used ironically.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson is a fun, light-hearted romcom. Bree and Chip are next door neighbors who drive each other crazy, so they decide to play pranks on each other instead of admitting that they like each other. I found the characters in this book to be rather annoying and juvenile at times. I guess I would recommend it if you need something easy and fun to take your mind off of more stressful things. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an adorable quirky romantic comedy that warms the heart. Bree has many things in her life she is learning to deal with. Then comes Chip. Chip seems like a great guy until he moves in next door. These two have the most hilarious friendly war as neighbors. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while reading this. I have since went to find everything this author has written to add it to my wishlist!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. All opinions are my own.

The Cul-de-Sac War is a story that starts off very promisingly but..
I can't say that I fall in love with this book, I found it a little bit difficult mainly because I guess I didn't feel the connection with the main characters especially the female.
It was just okay for me, cute in some points but didn't grab my attention.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Melissa Ferguson has an uncanny knack for choosing premises that make me nervous about whether I will enjoy her stories. Two people dating but keeping a big secret from each other (The Dating Charade)? Yep, pretty nervous. But I took a chance and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Next door neighbours who are determined to one-up each other in a prank war? Again, more than a little nervous. And as it happened, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as her first. However, there were definitely things I did enjoy, too, so let’s start there.

Firstly, I enjoyed Ferguson’s writing style; it’s engaging and well suited to the rom com genre, and the back-and-forth between Chip and Bree was entertaining. She also has an interesting cast of characters to round out the story. I’m not generally a fan of pranks (hence the nervousness), but these ones were creative and relatively harmless, even if they did become a little over-the-top—the last one in particular. That said, Chip’s 230-pound English mastiff named Russell and his literally overwhelming love for Bree brought forth the most laughs from me. No pranks required!

There were other elements that didn’t work for me, however. The events that brought the turnaround in Chip and Bree’s relationship were believable, but I thought things progressed too quickly after that. I was also creeped out by the fact that these people apparently didn’t close their curtains at night time and could see into each other’s bedrooms (and yet managed to avoid any embarrassing moments). And there were aspects of their working lives that seemed a bit far-fetched as well. Would Bree really be able to support herself financially as a member of the local theatre troupe? I risk going into some spoilers if I mention too much about Chip’s situation, but suffice to say I wondered about his business sense and the plausibility of him getting a $2million line of credit in order to bid for the job he wanted.

And yes, I realise these are pragmatic quibbles and this is a rom com and “COME ON! It’s not supposed to be 100% realistic,” but everyone has their areas where they’re happy to suspend disbelief and areas where they just get stuck, and those were mine. That said, I can see this story appealing to readers who aren’t concerned about those kinds of details in their rom com reads.

What a fun, witty, completely enjoyable story! This sophomore novel by Melissa Ferguson is light-hearted and romantic, while making you laugh out loud and delivering plenty of sass! The "war" between the neighbors will keep you on your toes and make you smile. And if dog slobber isn't your thing, don't worry, it's only within the pages of the book. Bree Leake and Chip McBride each have a backstory the other hasn't quite figured out, but their back and forth antics to get at the other one are truly ingenious. I cannot imagine having such a relationship...but it was sure fun to read about! Definitely Rom-Com at its finest!

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

The premise of this book is cute - fixer uppers, fighting neighbors, etc. I just really didn't like Bree that much. It's difficult to get into a book when you really don't like a main character. Toward the end of the book it picked up and got better.

The cul-de-sac war by Melissa Ferguson is a cute enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity romance.

What's interesting about The Cul-de-sac War is that main characters Bree and Chip have a nice moment before they become enemies. It wasn't like the typical antagonistic run-in to kick off the relationship. I loved that piece of the story because it set the stage for comparing first impressions with everything that came after.

Although I loved the un-neighborly relationship of Bree and Chip, I think I liked the side characters and their stories more! Evie was a great quirky, grumpy roommate and Bree's parents were hilarious. There were a few side stories in this book that tugged at my heartstrings, and added depth to the overall story.

A lot of people in my chat group said they didn't like Bree but I didn't have any real issues with her. Except her utter hatred of Chip's dog!! I kept hoping for a supervised Bree and Russ meet and greet but it never happened. And there wasn't any real reconciliation of the dog issue at the end. Maybe I took that plot point a little too seriously.

Overall this was a quick, entertaining read and one that was filled with humor and shenanigans.

Bree Leake is used to moving on whenever she gets bored, but the one thing she truly wants – her Nana’s house- hangs in the balance. Her folks have offered her the opportunity to have the house, without her roommate Evie, the woman who cared for Nana, if she can maintain it for one year. One year of working at the local live theater, one year of sharing space with Evie, and one year of dealing with the most annoying next door neighbor on the planet.

Chip McBride, one of the McBride sons of local construction fame, has recently branched out with his own contracting business, and has bought the house next to Bree’s, planning to restore it into a showpiece he can be proud of for years to come. After he duct tapes Bree’s collapsing costume when she flees the stage, she is intrigued, but learning that he and his awful dog Russell are next door neighbors makes her absolutely crazy.

This was a cute story, though I felt the escalating pranks were a bit much. Bree’s determination (or stubbornness) keeps her going through unemployment, where she learns to tap dance in order to secure a role in the next production, and through her war with Chip, where she blocks his million dollar view with massive trees and orders a plethora of farm animals in order to be as difficult as possible. Both have a looming crisis in their lives, and provide support to one another, and as I predicted, there was a magical and wonderful HEA.

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson
Source: NetGalley and Thomas Nelson
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: For once, I seem to be in line with the Goodreads star rating for a book. I have to say, I struggled with this book and it is all because of Bree. I found Bree to be a thoroughly disagreeable character with little to nothing about her to like or even care about. In fact, like Bree’s best friend, I found Bree to be childish, petty, and spoiled. Her actions at nearly every turn are ridiculous and, at times, have serious consequences for her neighbor. Even in the end, when Bree works out her issues, I found it to be too little too late to be happy for her and satisfied with her ending. The two redeeming qualities/characters in this read are Chip and Russell. Chip gets sucked into Bree’s crazy and while he certainly participates in the war, he never crosses a line that will well and truly negatively impact Bree and her future. In fact, it’s Chip and Russell who bring the sense and the reason to this read and I liked their story immensely, even if it did ultimately include Bree.

Title: The Cul-De-Sac War
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Ch: 24 plus epilogue
Pg: 335
Series:
Genre: Contemporary chick lit
Rating: 3.5 stars
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

The Cul-De-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson is the companion novel to The Dating Charade which I recommend reading first. When I first started this one I couldn’t get into it, mainly because I couldn’t stand chip. So I switched to the audiobook. Which made it easier to get into. Though I still didn’t like Chip. But I have discovered that rom com at least for me are better on audio. I still enjoyed this one i loved Bree and the secondary characters and the story. And I do look forward to the next book that Melissa writes.

One of my library patrons had asked me about this book and when I looked it up, I knew I had to read it as well. What a wonderful, romantic, funny romp this book was! Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this title.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Cul-de-Sac War made me laugh so much. Bree was beyond hilarious and I absolutely fell in love with her pretty early on. From talking about pencil skirts being a thigh corset or thinking a dog is out to murder her. I just laughed so much while listening to this book.

Plus the bantering between Bree, Chip, and his dog Russell were the highlight of my life. The whole war between them had some pretty funny moments that I was crying from laughing so hard. I think my stomach even hurts from all of it as well.

Then there's the whole frenemies to lovers. It was just really cute. Yeah, they were both sort of seeing someone when they first met but they weren't happy one bit. Until they started their little prank war and got to know more about one another.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely find another one by Melissa soon!

I was really disappointed with this book. It was so slow and draggy. I had heard such good things about how fun and upbeat it was but I was bored.

The Cul-de-Sac War is a story that starts off very promisingly but leaves me polarised. It is my first book by this author and I struggle to say whether I like it or not. So, unfortunately, I have to say it is ‘okay’. This is one of the more difficult reviews I’ve written because the narrative style is pretty engaging, but the plot just seems to be missing something.

It was really hard to get a grip on the lead characters, especially Bree. The story also has some subplots that tease you into turning the next page but are not developed enough to truly satisfy by the time you’ve reached the back cover. The story has an untapped-energy vibe about it - which in some way reflects the mastery of the author if the intention was to properly channel the uncertainty that the lead characters are navigating. It just left me feeling slightly off kilter.

On one hand, the characters and their struggles are easy to relate with - sickness in one’s family, trying to make a name for one’s self, etc. However, the antics they get up to are so juvenile it was sometimes a tad annoying to read.

This book gets 3 stars from me, and I look forward to reading others from the author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to Melissa Ferguson for my review copy. All opinions are my own. What an adorable enemies-to-lovers story! I loved seeing the prank war unfold between these two neighbors. They were worth rooting for from the beginning.⁣ If you are looking for a charming, light-hearted tale that ends with a kiss, then this is the story for you!⁣ 4 stars.

This was such a fun book! It was the first book I've read by this author and I'll be back for me!

The story is so witty and funny! Getting to know Bree and Chip was really fun. Those poor two, while they start off on a good yet quick note, takes quite the turn very quickly. I was seriously laughing pretty much from the start. I had no idea it was going to be so humorous.

The author has such an easy flow about her with her writing. The characters and situations really come to life. I think I would be hard pressed to come up with a favorite part of the story, but Bree's parents meeting Chip and their ensuing "relationship" or the Craigslist fiasco are the BEST! lol

Bree, who is supposed to be all sunshine and smiles seems to be clouds and grumpiness when it comes to Chip. Neither Chip nor his dog seem to be aware of the negative impact they've had on Bree's "peaceful" life. And, as an aside, can I just say, if I had a neighbor who seriously did NOTHING to control their dog and found it amusing to let it pounce on me on a regular basis, it would've been dealt with more swiftly. HA! Bree, in my humble opinion, was a patient saint where the dog was involved.

The way Chip and Bree try to outdo each other with not-so-neighborly rivalry makes the story speed along! Their antics definitely keep you turning the page. I also feel sorry for both characters at different points in the story. Bree because she just doesn't know what direction to go in and Chip because the guys in his family don't seem to be very supportive of his business. So, while we as readers are amused through most of the book, there's also a serious thread that winds through the story.

If you are looking for an absolutely fun read, don't look any further. Stories like this make contemporary novels shine bright when my preferred genre is historical. I can't wait to read more of Melissa's writing.

I'm a fan of enemies/rivals to lovers, but unfortunately, this book wasn't a hit for me. The beginning of the book was really hard to follow. The characters just didn't seem developed and the series of events didn't flow. About halfway in, I started to enjoy it. Chip was a great character and when him and Bree interacted more, the story was more interesting. I liked the concept of the notes posted back and forth between Bree and Chip. After all the rivalry that went back and forth, the resolution seemed really quick and a little unrealistic. This was a nice clean story for those who like just a little romance.

Thank you to Net Galley, Thomas Nelson, and Melissa Ferguson for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Cul-de-Sac War has a lot of promising aspects to it but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be drawn into it. It’s categorized as a romance novel but there was very little romance and a lot of extra things happening that didn’t contribute to the storyline. Some of the pranks that occurred between Bree and Chip were funny, such as Bree ordering trees to block Chip’s view of the mountains. This helped redeemed the story but I it’s quite hard to put a finger on what exactly it was that also didn’t keep me engaged but I just was left hoping for more.

The Cul-de-Sac War met all of my expectations for pranking an unwanted neighbor. Those funny moments, particularly with Russell, left a smile on my face far longer than it maybe warranted. The romance, however, is light and I wanted just a little bit more. I would have liked to see as much of Bree and Chip falling head-over-heels as hating each other. There isn't a big moment that gets the warm fuzzies going.
Chip seems to have his life mostly together and his ambitions are what I want to see in a hero. Bree, on the other hand, is a mess and directionless. Her epiphany of self-discovery is a little flat but her support system is pretty fantastic.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Melissa has a flare for the dramatic and the threads of humor throughout are more than amusing. I enjoyed seeing the cameo appearances from The Dating Charade cast.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.