Cover Image: The Dating Charade

The Dating Charade

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Member Reviews

fun, lighthearted, and sweet. I love this cute little book and the cover is gorgeous, so my fans will love it.

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A bit of a slow start but a great beach summer read and I really loved the ending. I feel like it could have used a little bit more comedy but I did enjoy reading it.

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Cassie Everson has a tough time finding the right man. She has gone on many dates and has figured out the best escape routes in case a date is not going well. She is a smart and independent woman who hides her painful secret, she can't have children. This makes it harder to find a partner who will accept her and her situation.

Jett Bentley had a huge crush on Cassie in high school. He was a Freshman and she was a Senior. He can't believe his good fortune when he finds her profile on a dating site. Needless to say, Cassie was not the one who answered his message and hilarious misunderstandings ensue. I loved the humor of two people who suddenly become the guardians of children. She has three, and he has three. They do their best to date and hide the children from the other.

I loved the kids. They range from 14 years to two months old. It reminded me of my kids and all of the mischief they would get into. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments.

I enjoyed every moment of this book.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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This was definitely a charming enjoyable read, but I wouldn’t classify it as a romance. The family is really the focus of this book.
It had some really funny moments but also deals with very serious issues.
I felt the first half of the book was strong, but the ending fell a little flat. Overall, I liked it.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

I absolutely loved this book. It was far different from what I expected, but in a good way. The main characters were enjoyable and I was really happy with how the book played out. I’m excited to read more books by this author.

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I thought this was a very cute read. I was expecting a full on tomantic journey, but feel like I got more of a self discovery journey of each character separately. I do wish it was more about the romance. But I did enjoy seeing the characters grow and become the people they were meant to.

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A captivating, original debut novel by Melissa Ferguson. Fresh. Contemporary. Romantic. Fun to read. Five stars.

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The premise for this book is intriguing, although I thought it a little implausible for both of the main characters to end up with three kids each that they were trying to hide from each other. There were some humorous parts and quite a bit of fun banter between Jett and Cassie, who were both engaging and likeable characters. I was a little disappointed that, for me, it didn’t live up to its title and description. It was also lighter on the romance than I thought it would be. This is Melissa Ferguson’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else she can come up with.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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So cute!! I absolutely loved this. I can’t wait for more! The characters were wonderful. And the plot is well thought out!

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Overall I really enjoyed this book! I loved the family aspect in here, and the discussion on adoption and found family. Those were my favorite parts of the book for sure.
However, I don't think that this book should be categorized as a romance book. If the romance is not the center focus of the story, then it's not a romance. Family was the main focus of the story. I also did not like the romance in here at all. The couple had horrible communication skills and were keeping so many things from one another. I cannot stand that. Also, the ending was really confusing to me. Like how did she get the girls back?
Honestly, without the family aspect od this book, I probably would have hated it.

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The title of this book does it justice--it is a charade. Online dating sites, dates gone awry, arguments, humor, quick wit, etc. it all happens in this book. I get a kick out of reading books like this once in awhile, though I wouldn't want to continuously fill my mind with this light fluff.

Melissa can write a good story-she interspersed humor and grief into the mix quite nicely. You know the hero and heroine are not going to just mesh immediately and, of course, there are problems to be worked out. It wouldn't be a romance if there weren't problems, but it also wouldn't be a romance if there wasn't a happily every after?

I did think the end of the book felt a little rushed and pushed and didn't flow together quite as nicely as it could have. Also the whole ending emergency scene didn't really make sense and felt like a waste of time for the emergency crew.

Melissa did address some tough issues like foster care and drug addiction. While not going into depth, you can quickly imagine the pain involved in the issues mentioned. I also thought she has some really good discussion questions at the end, questions that makes you stop and think and apply to your life. For example, "What is one way to care for someone affected by abuse or neglect today?"

I did enjoy the book. It was a quick, light-hearted read that could provide much food for thought if you delved into some of the bigger issues hiding under the surface.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

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I went into this expecting a romcom, but I'm not sure that it really quite fit the bill. There was some laughter that helped bring levity to the heavy topics, but it wasn't as light and fun as I had expected it to be.

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Sweet story about love, miscommunication, and what truly makes a family. Jett was persistent and sweet, and the characters all were believable without being cliches.

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The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson is an Adult Contemporary "Romance" book. What first caught my eye about the book, was the gorgeous cover. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cassie Everton is the master when it comes to going on dates and finding the most unique ways to end them if they don’t go as planned. She is in her early thirties and has all but ruled out having a husband and kids. The kids topic is specifically hard for her. She has an online dating profile and has all but given up on it as well.

Jett Bentley is a Firefighter. He is in his late twenties and does not have much time to date around, but he attempts to get out there by building a dating profile online. He immediately sees Cassie, from high school and is reminded of how much he longed after her in high school.

When the two finally meet, with one more shocked then the other for peculiar reasons, they instantly realize they may or may not be ready for an actual date. Maybe even kids?

For me the book cover and title were a bit deceiving. I went in thinking I was going to read a rom-com of one or the other pulling pranks on one another and somehow falling in love along the way. I was pleasantly surprised though, The Dating Charade is so much more. The Dating Charade is heartwarming, it is about friendship, and it is about family. I shed a few tears there towards the end. I am glad to have read this book.

If you are looking for a romance heavy book, The Dating Charade is not it. If you are looking for a book about friendship, family, and amazing people with amazing intentions then this book is for you.

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I was really hoping for more from this one. I’m not quite sure what didn’t work for me but i think most of it was the overall storyline. It’s just didn’t jive well with me.

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Funny Rom com! Its hard to believe this is a debut novel! Funny and great story line that kept me turning the pages.

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This book was super cute and such a quick read! I loved the whole concept and would recommend this! Plus the cover is super cute

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I didn’t love this one it just wasn’t great but good if you like a nice clean romance. I would maybe try this author again but her books are maybe to hallmark for me

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Initially I really enjoyed The Dating Charade, but my enjoyment fizzled out. Cassie and Jett are both foster parents, navigating the dating world, trying to decide how to tell the other they have kids. Not many stories deal with foster parents and adoptions and it’s an option that many readers eyes could be opened to. I wish I liked it more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Well written and hilarious romance. Loved the plot and character dynamics. I highly recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher. This is my unbiased review.

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