The plot is built on two rather unlikely coincidences: after a date in which the two protagonists both feel that they’ve found “the One,” they each have to suddenly take responsibility for three children.

Thinking that the other person won’t be interested in building a relationship with someone who has three children in tow, they try to hide what has happened from the other and still date. Yeah, that’s going to work.

We’re told how difficult a time they are having with their sudden responsibilities. But somehow, they are able to have child care and go to work and even on dates. I just kept getting hung up wondering who was taking care of a baby and twin toddlers while working the long hours that a fireman works, even in a small town.

Instead of stupidly lying about what was going on with them, I would have enjoyed reading more about the difficulties they faced joining together their six children. That would have been a more interesting plot. Unfortunately, the author just waves her hands over those difficulties..

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

An enjoyable romantic comedy with more depth to it than your average light read. Bonus: the author is a fellow King College alum! I look forward to more of her work!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

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I thought this book was excellent. But I must say that I think the title simplifies the content. While this book did tackle a bit of the complexities involved in adult dating, the themes were so much more. Really concepts were as much about family and about supporting those in your community. The value of foster care including both the blessings and challenges were a key component. The characters were complex, The story line was meaningful. This one might very well be a title that I read again someday as it was that enjoyable! I read this book on #NetGalley, but this feedback is honest and in my own words.

'Does lying impress you? Because I can lie. I can be the best pathological liar you've ever met.'

Cassie Everson escapes bad first dates. She is now ready, after many abominable dates, to hang up her hopes for a happily ever after. Jett Bentley knew of Cassie in high school and has just seen heeer dating profile online. He contacts her and a nice date follows.

Sometimes you read a debut novel that just grabs you and draws you into the story first thing. This is such a novel. Well written, good plot, nice characters, with some pretty good with thrown in and you have a recipe for success. Give Melissa Ferguson a chance with this debut novel. You won't regret it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Both Cassie and Jett have a hard time with finding true love, but when they get together, everything seems perfect. Then, they both get custody of three children each. Soon they are having a hard time trying to make their relationship work while raising three kids without letting each other know. Can their relationship work? The Dating Charade is a funny, romantic, and shows you the true meaning of family.

I received a complimentary e-copy from Netgalley for a review. All opinions are my own.

I’m feeling a bit neutral with this book, hence the three stars. I didn’t hate. I didn’t love it. But I did enjoy it!
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Review of The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Cassie and Jett are two single people diving into the dating pool. Both are content with their choice to not have children. But just when things start, they each unexpectedly find themselves with three children to care for. Obviously it makes sense to hide the kids from each other and pretend they don’t exist. What could really go wrong with that plan? 🤨
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An adorable debut novel that had me smiling throughout. I expected a romantic comedy but when you read this you get more than that. You get family, relationships, heartbreak and other challenging themes including addiction, abandonment, and infertility. It wasn’t overwrought with descriptions and yet you could feel the emotions that each character felt. A bit predictable but a cute novel nonetheless. No one character was perfect as they each had their own flaws. What it was lacking in was more romance. It was certainly about relationships but I found it was more-so about juggling the relationships while fostering children. It lost the romantic vibe when most of the book was spent on the children. There were also some unanswered questions and loose ends that needed tying up. I do look forward to reading more from this author though. Maybe a story about Bree???
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Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for an advanced readers copy of The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson in exchange for an independent and honest review. Look for this book set to be released on 12/03/2019!

I absolutely loved this book and the cast of characters. The writing style was full of wit and heart. I look forward to more of this author’s work!
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This had a lot of promise, being a unique take on dating - adding kids (on both sides) unexpectedly. However, I felt that the execution fell flat. The story touched very briefly on important societal issues (infertility, addiction, adoption/foster care system), but didn't dive into it in enough, in my opinion. It also felt very YA, which I don't think was intentional. Overall, an entertaining, VERY light read, but I was hoping for something more.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heart-warning and funny. Great plot with interesting characters. It was one of those that grabbed my attention and I had a hard time putting it down.

2.5 stars to be more precise.

Well, I think I went on this book expecting one thing and got something completely different, and that was the major issue with this book for me.

*Potential spoiler* if you are expecting a cute and nice romance and all the dynamics involved, I'm sorry to say, you are not gonna find that in here. Don't get me wrong, this story is filled with love, but a different love, a love between parents and their children.

Our main characters here are Cassie and Jett and yes, they are two incredible human beings. Cassie is a social worker (I'm calling her that) who's been working with teenagers for years and loves what she does. For her, working with children in need is a way to make up for her inability to have children of her own. She's devoted and never gives up on a fight for the rights of those in need. Out of sudden though, she sees herself on a situation where she has to care for a bunch of kids for an indefinite time. For a lot of people that would probably be daunting and scary, not for Cassie though. She's really committed to making this work and to helping these kids.

Jett is a firefighter and known to be this nice helpful guy. However, his sister,who's a drug addict and who's been hiding his niece and nephews from him for more than a year, out of the blue, makes an abrupt appearance, deciding that she's fed up with the "mom's life" and literally, drops the kids on him. Of course that he, as a loving uncle that he is, doesn't blink for a second and decides to look after them, giving them all the nurture and love they deserve.

It's a beautiful plot, isn't it? Yes, I know! The thing is though, this book was sold to me as a romance and even though they do say on the synopses that they would have kids making unexpected appearances in their lives, I really thought this was going to be a secondary thing. And the said romance premise, had started in a nice way, with them meeting via a text on a dating app, which was posted by a friend who wanted them to get together and so on. It was cool! But they spent the entire book focusing only on their kids issues and each main character had completely different and complicated situations to deal with, and because of that there was not any time left to focus on them as a couple. At some point, I had to give up on the idea that this was a romance book and had to adapt my thinking to reading a family drama story instead, otherwise, I would have DNF it.

I don't want to be so harsh on my judgment here, it was a nice and deep story and the way the author presented us the adoption subject was so real and beautiful. In my humble opinion, however, I really wish they had sold this book differently.

Cassie has decided to give up on dating after another bad date. That is until she crosses paths with Jett, who had a crush on her in high school. While they are both childless at the beginning of the book, that status changes quickly for both of them. What follows makes the reader laugh as they try to hide their new, young dependents from the other. If you are looking for a lighthearted romance book this is it! I do hope author follows up with a story about Cassie's best friend Bree! I received a complimentary copy of The Dating Charade by Thomas Nelson, but all opinions are my own.

I normally don’t read Christian fiction but this story grabbed my interest. I enjoyed the plot and found the storyline to be believable regarding child endangerment. I wish there would have been more interaction between Cassie and Jett. However, they were both dealing with problems that caused the romance to go on the back burner. Overall it was a sweet book and I enjoyed it. If you like Hallmark movies than this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Online dating! Cute cover! I requested this for all of the right reasons.

Unfortunately.... it didn't really work for me. It was a bit awkward at times. There was wayyyyy too much going on in this story. The romance took a real back seat. I have seen it described in another review as 'clean Christian'. That's not a genre of normally gravitate towards. That wasn't really the way it was marketed. While I don't need sex in books, the romance still has to work, and it wasn't really sparking.

I did not read The Dating Charade in its entirety.

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

This book was total adorable, light hearted fun! It started with two almost strangers having a perfect date and ended with a carload of kids—not quite the story I was expecting, but a delightful one nonetheless. I loved the relatable humor and the well rounded characters and even though the premise of them both taking in three kids a piece is a little ridiculous, the author pulled it off without getting cliche, preachy, or overly sentimental. A fun light hearted read, and a thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I feel really torn about this book. I feel there was a lot of emotion but there was a lot left out of the story line especially at the end. How did cassie just end up having the kids back? I feel like the ending was rushed after all of that emotion and build up.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It treats real life issues and the characters are quite a bit difficult to handle as there's a mixture with a lot on their plate as well.
Dating life and trying to overcome infertility is definitely not easy for a young woman nowadays.
It was a good pace, funny at times and heartbreaking as well but I'm glad that we can relate to real life situations.

The Dating Charade
By Melissa Ferguson
This would be a great Hallmark movie.
Dates gone wrong could be the title of Cassie Everson’s life. Cassie has more plans to escape bad dates than good dates to count and no hope for the future. On top of her dating rap sheet, she is weighed down by the diagnosis of infertility. Cassie’s friends take things into their own hands. With a little help from an online dating site and meddlesome old ladies, Cassie might just have a chance at love.
This was not what I thought it would be but I enjoyed it none the less. The characters in this book have far too much on their plates and trying to negotiate a relationship into their lives gets incredibly difficult. Because of the seriousness of their life situations, the book was less fun but still good. Although their situations were dramatized somewhat, I am sure there are young people who are holding things together for their families and it is not romantic or fun in the least.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a delightful surprise, full of heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud antics. I adored the whole cast of characters AND the setting! The Dating Charade feels like an excellent introduction to Ferguson's voice and what she has to offer as an author. I'm excited to see what unique stories she'll bring to the table.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel via NetGalley and courtesy of the publisher. All expressed opinions belong to me.

I enjoyed this romantic comedy by debut author Melissa Ferguson. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but also dealt with some heavy issues like child abandonment, drug use, infertility, and adoption. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

I will agree with the title for the first few chapters of this book, but not for the bulk of the book as it is sooooo much more. Poor Cassie is trying to find a decent guy to date, but seems to be only attracting bums. She and her best friend have the perfect routine down to help Cassie rid herself of the losers. After the last fiasco, Cassie's teen girl charges at Girls Haven decide that they need to help her, but it turns out that her best friend is the biggest help in getting Cassie hooked up with Jett.
Shortly after their first date, both of them get a bombshell dropped on them in the form of children. Oh, how my heart ached for all the kids and then for Cassie and Jett as they try to deal with their new realities while trying to keep their respective charges away from each other. Then fate decides to deal all of them another blow or two before possibly allowing them to regroup and make a happier life for all. This book touched so many of my emotions and once I was into reading it, I did not want to stop until I reached the end and even then I wanted more. All is not sad and tumultuous as there are several lighthearted and fun moments thanks to the kids, two elderly ladies and some other friends. I just know that you won't be disappointed in reading this book.

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