Whew, that was one emotional rollercoaster I wasn't quite expecting! One minute I was laughing out loud, and the next I was fighting back tears tears (not always successfully). This novel was a splash of rom-com mixed with a hurricane of emotional drama.

I appreciated that the romance in this novel was the comedic relief. For me I often consider humor to be the perfect medicine so I found Cassie and Jett's relationship quite amusing amid everything else that came crashing in on them. The ups and downs from laughter to tears highly reminded me of the movie P.S. I Love You (just with emotions not the storyline). I will admit that I am a sucker for a book that makes me cry because it means it's made me feel something. But that also means I need a good laugh every now and then to lift my spirits--so a book that can both make me laugh and cry and then laugh again? Yup, it's a keeper!

Foster care has been something deeply on my heart for many years. My heart instantly went out to Star and her younger sisters. It's not to say that it didn't for Jett's Niece and nephews, but Star stuck out to me in a way that demanded my heart and attention. I don't want to spoil too much from the story but I will say that I appreciated the author's heart to share not only the heart of foster care, but the struggles of it as well. It was no easy feat trying not to cry through much of their story.

My only complaint was that the ending was a little too abrupt for me. I feel the ending scenes needed a little more page space to feel like a more satisfying ending. Oh how I wish there could be a sequel to this one though, because I feel that it could be just as gripping emotionally while continuing to share the reality of their circumstances. Either way it's still going down as one of my favorites so far this year.

I believe this book falls under the rom-com genre but it's also an emotional drama. So it might just end up being labeled as a general Christian women's fiction novel. So just know what you're getting into when you read this one but I absolutely highly recommend it!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

I absolutely adored this book. It was a little different to the usual romance novels so I guess that's what made it so enjoyable.

I want to say I loved this book. The premise grabbed my attention and I could not help but request a copy. Cassie and Jett are a pair of singles filled with all kinds of chemistry. I really enjoyed the premise and the supporting characters. I did not, however, fully enjoy the style of writing. This author was new to me and could not completely get into the story, based on the style. If I kept with the cadence of the story, it was great, and I loved seeing how the chaotic ends all came together. I sometimes felt lost in the conversation and progression of, or cadence, of the story. All in all, though, a happy ending for all, after they each struggled to find their place and purpose. I would recommend it for a feel-good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and all opinions offered are my own.

I have been looking forward to Melissa's debut book for a while now. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like it . But the further I got in to the book, the better it was. I loved the humor. Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud, but this one did numerous times. I loved Cassie's escape plan for surviving blind dates. The only thing I would add would be a little more romance. Once the kids were thrown in the mix, the romance took a back seat. I did love the element of the kids and the blended family though.
Well done Melissa!
I am anxiously looking forward to her next book!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley but the opinions stated are all my own.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson was an excellent read with a comedy twist! Cassie is a single women trying online dating but every man that she dates is not up to par. Jett is not looking for a date but when he finds out that Cassie, his old high school crush is on an dating app he joins. Nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong! Both of them end up taking care of three kids each and try to hide it from each other because they want to date each other! This book has some great laughs! I can’t wait to read anther book by Melissa!

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

Melissa Ferguson's homegrown humor is splashed all over this powder-fresh tale. You can't read this story without smiling...a lot. The fireman hero and the first-date-weary heroine, who works at a nonprofit organization for at-risk teens, are perfectly matched--and mismatched. Their verbal sparring magnetizes the reader to the page. Their parenting mishaps will have you wiping hot tears between chuckles.


Cassie and Jett are two relatable people, struggling to resolve their differences and make sense of this crazy modern dating world--and this crazy modern life where tots and teens alike are thrown about hither and yon, the kids' drug-enslaved parents either abandoning them or using them as a meal ticket. You and I both know of so many cases like this--it's not just fictional conflict, it's real life. And Melissa Ferguson has crafted characters to live this story that feel just as real.


C and J connected through a dating site. He's hiding three kids from her, she's hiding three kids from him. They're trying to squeeze a date or two in between diaper changes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and macaroni, and the occasional rare-but-victorious private shower and bathroom break. While I would like to have seen more dates and more serious heart-level communication between the hero and heroine before the marriage proposal, I thought their relationship was portrayed with a good balance of sweetness and struggles to work through, overall off to a good start.


The children in the story could have crawled into this book from off the lap of any unsuspecting real life parent. Their antics are so outrageous, but so believable if you've ever spent any time supervising children. And the senior-citizen sisters? I loved them so much, I'd like to get my hands on the audio version sometime so I can listen with my sister. The type of humor in this book is what I've been waiting for. At the same time, the pavement-meets-shoe-rubber truths that bind this story together hit home. From now on, I'll be keeping a sharp eye out (Who invented that dangerous-sounding metaphor anyway?) for whatever this author writes.



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

This started out really good for me but then fizzled a bit. Cassie is fed up with online dating and I loved her escape plan, Jett excitement in connecting with Cassie again was adorable. But one the story lines regarding both sets of children were introduced, the romance took a back seat. Cassie and Jett barley had any interactions, which made the ending a bit far fetched for me. The writing was good, but I think the children really overpowered the romance.

#TheDatingCharade #NetGalley

Cassie is sick of the online dating site, the one date and I'm done, shes's decided to never answer an email from that site again. But her best friend Bree, sees an email from the dating site and answers it for Cassie. An old high school acquqaintance recognizes her on the site and used to have a crush on her, decides to have Bree help him, get Cassie's attention. A cute book with some unexpected twists. How far will you go when your family needs you?

Cassie has had just about enough of dating. The guys are never who they initially claim to be, and Cassie has to had to come up with escape plans to get away from the clingers, the liars, and even the HUSBANDS. And she's ok with being done with men entirely, mostly, because there's always that awkward conversation to have about the fact that she can't have children. Her maternal needs are met by the girls' center she runs, and she's just fine being single and taking care of the teens she works with. Until she meets Jett, a handsome fireman who challenges her, makes her laugh, and doesn't really want children so that won't ever be an issue for them. Maybe she doesn't have to settle for a life of spinsterhood after all. Except then Jett's sister shows up briefly, drops her 3 kids on his doorstep, and promptly disappears. And one of Cassie's girls is abandoned by her mom (along with her 2 sisters), and Cassie agrees to foster them. Now these two people who never thought they'd have children each have an insta-family they're afraid to reveal in case it makes the other person run for the hills. In order to find a happily ever after together, can Jett and Cassie accept each other as the package deals they now are?

I went into this expecting a fluffy little romance, and I got so much more than I bargained for! What a fun, well-written book. The characters are all real and vibrant, and the writing style is so conversational and chill that it was really easy to read and almost impossible to put down. I didn't expect to fall in love with not just Cassie and Jett, but also the six kids between them. Your heart breaks for them with all they have been through, but each one (even baby TJ) has such a distinct personality that you can't help but adore them all.

I was also surprised by the depth of the issues covered here. It's not just a simple girl-meets-boy story. Jett struggles with wanting the best for his drug-addict sister, while also managing his expectations and putting his foot down about doing the right thing for her kids. Jett had plans for his life that are now out the window as he adjusts to being a parent. Learning to be a parent turns his life upside down. It's not all sunshine and roses and beautiful family moments. So he has a lot going on. And then there's Cassie. Cassie's charges were abandoned by their mother (after living in horrible conditions with her for years), but mom is still MOM. The conversation Cassie's best friend, Bree, has with her about what the girls are feeling as they try to adjust to living with Cassie but still grieving at being left behind was SO well-done. And the girls also have developmental issue, hoard food and have separation anxiety. All of this is covered with sensitivity but is also something the characters delve into and talk about. They're not glossed over and suddenly everyone is magically perfect. I was really impressed with how much of a real story this was.

That's not to say that the book is a drag, by any means! The two old ladies who keep calling the fire department to get Jett to come visit them were HILARIOUS. And Sunny, Jett's roommate, was such a wonderful guy and also a great source of comic relief. Jett and Cassie tease each other and give each other grief in my favorite kind of way. There was a lot of fun mixed in with the seriousness, to be sure.

This is my first book by Melissa Ferguson, but it won't be the last!

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

**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

This story is amazing!! It is full of emotional tension, wonderful and wonderfully flawed characters, and best of all: never ending hope. Hope for a budding relationship, hope for six wonderful children, and hope for a family. You really feel the tension and emotional plight that the characters go through, particularly regarding children suddenly in their care. The book is so much more than a romance, than a non-traditional family finding each other, it is a reminder to never give up on hope. To always, always, always communicate. And to love unconditionally. It was so good!

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

Melissa Ferguson is a new author to me, and I found her book to be well-written, humorous, and intriguing.

Cassie Everson works at a youth center that specifically helps teen girls from dysfunctional families. She notices when the girls come into the center after school and worries when any of the girls don't show up. Cassie is also single and has been on the dating merry-go-round so long that she's about to decide to stay single. Then she sees a firefighter outside her office window while she's talking to her friend, Bree. She points to him and tells Bree that HE is the man she needs.

The firefighter happened to be Jett, a man who went to school with Cassie, just a couple of years behind her. He remembered her controlling the floor as a basketball player and her moves still fascinate him.

In Cassie's dating profile, she says that she doesn't want children--not because she truly doesn't want them, but because she's unable to have them. Jett reads that and feels that he met his soul-mate. When he shows up for their first date, Cassie leaves him standing by the front door of the center. Not to be dissuaded from seeing Cassie, Jett sets up another date at a basketball court. Unfortunately, Cassie gets a phone call that requires her to leave in the middle of the game they were playing. One of her girls needed help and right now.

Melissa has written a book with a fast-paced plot, an intrigue that keeps the reader involved, and sweet surprises all the way through. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Brady Bunch wedding at a drive-through wedding chapel.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

Review copy courtesy of Edelweiss.

This book was the novel equivalent of watching a holiday Hallmark movie: all the characters were genuinely good and kind-hearted, live in a small town, and have no reason not to be together.

I liked watching the relationships grow between Cassie and her girls; as well as the relationships between Jett and his niece and nephews as he came to realize that he truly wants to be a parent to them.

I felt that it was lacking in the romance department. It was like Cassie and Jett barely spent any time together so we never got to really witness them falling in love.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author. There were times reading it that I was laughing out loud. There were other times that I felt such compassion for the children and the adults in this story.

If I enjoyed it so much, why the 3 star rating? I felt that it was *so close.* The relationship between Jett and Cassie was so close. I wanted more development of their relationship and their feelings. As it was, the relationship seemed to be glossed over to deal with other issues. The resolution at the end was *so close.* To me it seemed rather hasty, and I would have enjoyed the process more than just having everything come to a head all at once in an effort to wrap things up. The issues each encountered with the children was *so close* but could have been explored more fully.

In the end, I feel like there may have been too many lines going along in the story. It would have helped if one of the plots (dealing with foster children or dealing with romance while keeping a major secret) had been the main focus with the other plot lines appearing but not taking equal part.

If this were touted as a book about two individuals finding themselves fostering children and learnng the ins and outs of dealing with kids, balancing life, dealing with abandment issues along the way, and also finding a bit of love, I think it would have been a 4 star rating. As it was touted to be a romance first, it was lacking some development in that department.

I do look forward to reading more of Melissa Ferguson's books. I continued to read this book because I could not see how things would resolve. She did grab me in and kept me reading.

Cassie Everson has had a bad run with first dates, she's become an expert at escaping them. I loved reading about her very specific method she uses to select the perfect candidate. We are then introduced to Jett Bentley, firefighter who can do it all. When he see's Cassie on a dating app, he has fond memories of the girl who was unreachable back in high school. We realize soon that things weren't as they seemed and Jett will do anything to impress Cassie and get a first date with her. To Cassie's surprise, the date ends in sparks and they start to see each other on a regular basis.

It doesn't take long for the big twist to be thrown into this novel, both parties are suddenly in charge of 3 children each. Although the circumstances that led to the children are a little hard to read, I like that the author didn't put too much focus on them and didn't dwell on the situations. They both try to hide the children from the other, knowing that neither of them wanted kids in the first place! I found it humorisitc how the big secret was almost revealed a few times throughout the book, but glad that they got to share the big secret on their own terms.

Who knew that this book would be so much more than your average rom-com. In The Dating Charade we deal with much more deep topics, and threw our two lovers in very real situations. It was to see that both Jett and Cassie had really amazing support systems to help them throughout the journey they embarked on. I really appreciated how real this book was and showed a great tale of the foster system, and even had me shedding tears along the way.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

review will be published on the pub date of the book

The Dating Charade

The cover of the book is absolutely stunning and is actually the main reason, why I gave „The Dating Charade“ a chance. After reading the book I think that if the author’s writing style works for you, this could be a very entertaining book for you. The story is definitely a special one and quiet unique. It’s unlike everything I have read in the past, which is something that doesn’t happen too often. Unfortunately I had severe issues with the author’s writing style, it seemed a bit clipped. And because of this I struggled with getting into a good reading flow which is crucial for me. And that’s why this book didn’t work for even though I wanted it to.

I would definitely check out an excerpt before buying the book, which I of course didn’t do.

The cover is intriguing and the premise is clever. Sadly, this novel didn't deliver. There is so much happening at the beginning and so many random scenes strung together that it is impossible to understand the stakes and the obstacles the characters are up against. It's also categorized as Christian romance, but there's nothing inspirational or faith-based anywhere in the book. I understand the market is changing and readers aren't necessarily looking for didactic teaching in fiction. On the other hand, I feel this novel is in danger of aggravating and confusing readers. A debut novel is not the time to blend genres, or worse, promise one thing and then not deliver.
The book description also implies that this will be a hilarious read, but I didn't find it all that humorous. While Jett is an appealing hero and demonstrates growth as a character, Cassie is very flat and unappealing. This novel is described as a romance, but the hero and heroine are rarely together. Jett spends more time with his neighbor Sarah than he ever does with Cassie. When Jett and Cassie are together, their interactions are brief and stilted, so when the novel ends and they're all a blended family, it doesn't seem plausible. How did they ever have time to develop a relationship and genuinely fall in love?
Thank you for the opportunity. This one missed the mark for me.

Outstanding! This story was amazing. Truly Five star book. I laughed. I cried. I sighed. I may have snorted and set the book down so I could stop crying from laughing. But I couldn't set it down for long. These humors characters were real, flawed, likable, and amazing. This story is truly amazing.

I received an advanced copy of this book, but all opinions are my own. And if I could give this book more stars and a better rating I would. But since I can't, you'll just have to read it for yourself.

I absolutely loved this book! It was basically contemporary romance perfection in my book. This heartwarming story was sprinkled with humor and had a plot that kept me invested while being completely entertaining. The characters were great and were easy to love! Excellent first read for me by this author!!! I’m so excited to have another romance author to add to my list! This one is gong. To be one of my favorites of the year!

This was REALLY great. I received this as a complimentary copy from Netgalley. I really enjoyed reading this! The plot was awesome and interesting and I really enjoyed it. Cassie was great, Jett was great. I am really pleased that they ended up together. I love the blended family. I appreciate that Cassie wasn't pregnant at the end after having fertility struggles - most other books would have gotten her pregnant at the end but I am really pleased that she didn't.
As a sidenote: I do wish that there was more of a dive into Bree's pronouncement about the kids have lived trauma and how to deal with the trauma of terminating parental rights and the trauma of adoption. That would have been a great avenue to dig deep on.