Ever think you had already written a review for a book, and then when going through your Netgalley feed a month later, you realize it never happened?

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Thank you to @thomasnelson and @netgalley for the ALC of The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson and narrated by Kate Rudd! If you are looking for a cute enemies to lovers rom-com to get you through the Winter season, this might just be what you need!

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Synopsis from the publisher: Bree Leake doesn’t want to be tied down. She’s had more jobs than she can count, and she plans to move as soon as the curtains fall on her less-than-minor stage role at The Barter—the oldest live performance theater in the US. But just when it’s time to move on again, Bree’s parents make her an offer: hold steady for a full year, and they will give her the one thing she’s always wanted—her grandmother’s house. Her dreams are coming true … until life at the theater throws her some curve balls. And then there’s Chip McBride—her handsome and infuriating next-door neighbor. Chip just might be the only person whose stubborn streak can match Bree’s. She would move heaven and earth to have him off her cul-de-sac and out of her life, but according to the bargain she’s struck, she can’t move out of her house and away from the man who’s making her life miserable. So begins Bree’s obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast. Bree isn’t the only one who’s a tad competitive, and Chip is more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, the line between love and hate starts to blur—and their heated rivalry threatens to take a hilarious, heartwarming, and romantic new turn.

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This book was fun and super cute! While the relationship between Chip and Bree felt forced in a lot of places (why did the parents have to be pushing him on their daughter?) they did have a fun competitive chemistry throughout the book. I also loved the backstage theatre aspect of this story as a former theatre geek. Also Kate Rudd is a fantastic narrator! I listened to this one easily at 1.4x

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3.75⭐️’s

This book had potential. I really did enjoy the narrator, who can make or break a book. The story and characters, however, were lacking. I did not have a connection with any of the characters and frankly didn't really care about them. The story seemed surface-level and I wanted to connect with the town and other characters. That was not to be. I also didn't feel a spark or connection between the H and h.

Now for the upside. I did like the author's writing style and dialogue wasn't trite or predictable. I will try another book by this author. It could just have been the story and I am curious enough to want to read more of her work.

The Cul-de-sac War by Melissa Foster initially appealed to me with its narrator. Kate Rudd performed this book flawlessly. She adds the right emotions and brings the characters to life. Thank you Net Galley for letting me review the audiobook. The setting of this book gave me warm feelings from my childhood. I could envision so many details with the theatre. The characters were appealing and I found the pranks to be inventive.

I was going through English Audiobooks available for review on Netgalley when I saw the title "The Cul-de-Sac War" by Melissa Ferguson. The very first thing I checked was the language settings in Netgalley. Then I google the word "Cul-de-sac", what I gauged from the title was the book must be around neighbors. And that was described in the blurb. Based on these few things, I applied for the review copy in exchange for an honest review, and luckily I won it. So here I am discussing the sweet love story.

Written in settings of a cure rom-com (you may say sitcoms), the story revolves around the personal & professional lives of Bree & Chip. I don't want to discuss the plot once again as the blurb is more than enough. Let me talk about things I liked about the story
1. Pranks between Bree & Chip
2. Gentleness of Chip in all situation never losing his temper
3. Characters of the girlfriend of Chip & boyfriend of Bree. Both were caring and marriage material.
4. Fun-filled incidents ( I know the very first point was a prank, but I feel I should mention it)

Coming towards good points about the book
1) Light read
2) Language is easy and age-appropriate
3) The pace of the story is fast and will maintain
4) To the point story

Overall I enjoyed listening to this book. The book deserves 3.75 stars out of 5.

This was a good light read that had some funny moments but honestly, it really just didn't work for me. The parts that were funny but not enough to actually laugh out loud. The characters felt flat to me and the banter and relationships felt forced. The narrator did a really good job on the audiobook and kept me listening longer than I would have kept reading.

Bree Leake doesn’t know if something’s wrong with her. She can’t seem to stay interested in one job or one man for longer than a few months at a time. When her parents offer her grandmother’s house, she’s determined to make a change. Once her handsome yet stubborn neighbor Chip comes into the picture, Bree doesn’t know just how much her life will change.

I usually love lighthearted reads, but this one didn’t do anything for me. I found both of the main characters a little childish with the way they were passive-aggressive flirting with each other. Bree herself is just very immature and at the same time expects her parents to give her an entire house in order to stay at one job for only a year?! How is that even supposed to be a challenge?! The enemies to lovers trope is written all over the synopsis which I enjoy, and yet I never found a reason to want them to actually be together. And on top of it all there was an insanely sad side story towards the end that was tastelessly used to make Bree seem like she had a heart. Skip it. The narrator was good, though!

Thank you @netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my audio version of The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson narrated by Kate Rudd. It published November 10, 2020.
What a super sweet book! You of course go into this book knowing how it will probably end, and this is just the sweetest romance I've listened to in a long time. It is also truly hilarious, I laughed multiple times at the antics they pulled with each other. Another thing I really enjoyed and appreciated about this book is that it is G rated across the board.
The narration was very well-done and I would definitely listen to other books Kate Rudd narrates!

I listened to the audiobook version of The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson, so I was interested in listening to The Cul-de-Sac War. Although I liked both, I preferred The Cul-de-Sac War. I found Bree irritating at times, but I enjoyed her friends and family (especially her mom and stepdad). The novel is clean, funny, and lighthearted--a combination I wish was easier to find!

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.

Such a fun book. At first I thought it was going to be cheesy but it got good. I was laughing out loud and enjoy how the author balanced the romance with real life issues.

I just couldnt finish this in time. I did like what I was listening to, but had to dnf it because life got too busy.

Bree Leake feels a little like a relative of Shrek, covered in green face paint, but she is enjoying her small role as a fairy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Except that they tiny straps holding her dress up have snapped, and the costume designer has left to get coffee. What’s a green-painted girl to do?

Chip McBride is just sitting there when a green fairy knocks into him. He’d gotten thrown out of the theater for filming her with his phone (he’d noticed her dress situation), and he decides to come to her aid with a roll of camouflage-colored duct tape. It does the trick, and she heads back to her stage. But she takes a piece of his heart with her.

Later, Bree heads home from work to find that the guy who bought the house next door has brought in a dumpster for his demolition and renovation. But as the driver of the truck pulling the dumpster drives into Bree’s yard to turn around, he hits their water pipe. Then Bree finds out that the house renovator is none other than dress-rescuer Chip.

Chip makes it right, although it takes several days where Bree has no running water, but as the days and then weeks go by, the verbal jibes going back and forth at the end of their cul-de-sac turns into a full-on prank war. Although they both have busy lives, they still find time to fight with each other. Chip’s dog shows a true adoration of Bree, which she does not reciprocate. He doesn’t really appreciate the numerous bizarre magazines that Bree signs him up for, that his girlfriend discovers. Bree takes her tap-dancing practice to her front porch (the next show is set to be Singing in the Rain). He spends time with her parents, knowing she’ll be irritated by his presence at her family dinner.

But when things get serious and Bree needs a genuine friend, Chip has to choose between his own important business meeting or helping her through a painful family situation. He has to choose between his ego and his heart. But when things get real for these merry pranksters, will they come clean to each other about their mutual attraction, or will they let this chance pass them by?

The Cul-de-Sac War is a charming rom com with lots of heart, lots of wit, and more than a few chickens. The characters are three-dimensional, like people who you would want to be friends with in real life, and the story moves forward at a good pace. Author Melissa Ferguson has taken a character from her novel The Dating Charade and created another fun rom com in that universe (but you don’t have to read them n order—they both work as stand-alone novels).

I listened to the audio on this one, and narrator Kate Rudd brought the story to life. It’s a fun story to listen to, and Rudd does a good job with it. I especially loved the way she voiced Bree, demonstrating her spirit and her courage through the pages of this story. This is a novel published by a religious publisher, but the religious conversations book were subtle, so this is a book that can be enjoyed by those who read religious fiction as well as those who don’t.

I thought The Cul-de-Sac War was a cute novel with strong characters in a creative setting. Rom com lovers will enjoy it, and listeners of audio books should try it out that way, as that makes it even more fun.

A copy of the audio book for The Cul-de-Sac Wars was provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley, with many thanks.

The Cul-de-Sac War centers around Bree and Chip - two new neighbors - and the idea of first and second-first impressions. Bree is an actress who is hoping to score a part in the local theater's musical so that she can keep working at a job she loves. Chip is a contractor who recently decided to split from his family's well-established business to start his own. The two meet during one of Bree's shows and immediately sense an attraction to each other. It isn't until they meet as neighbors that they question their first impressions and eventually start a neighborly feud that could possibly have bigger consequences for the both of them.

This book wasn't my favorite enemies-to-something-more setup, especially as the feuding and pranks didn't seem well thought out. The characters' backstories weren't that deeply explored and sometimes their decisions seemed out of the blue and they didn't seem to explain how that affected them emotionally. That being said, I did appreciate the fun allusions and references to pop culture as well as the moments that revolved around the theater. I believe the physical book may be received better than the audiobook, if you're interested in this story, as the narrator's range of vocalizing emotion seemed smaller to me than some of my other favorite narrators.

If you love - any Hallmark rom-com movies, Singin' in the Rain, the books of Christina Lauren, 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne (but wanted it to be more PG13 than Rated R) - you'll enjoy The Cul-de-Sac War!

I think throughout our lifetime, everyone has that neighbour. You know, the one whose dog barks all day, or doesn't rake his leaves, or plays music really loud or maybe places his fence on your side of the property line. Well, in this story, Bree Leake ends up with a neighbour that seems to cause her a lot of grief. Chip McBride lives next door and is a thorn in Bree's side. If she wants to become the owner of her grandmother's cottage, she has to stay put in Abingdon for one year. Her plan is to drive Chip out of the neighbourhood, instead of her leaving, thus begins the pranks, or the Cul de sac war.

This is a lighthearted, entertaining and clean romcom. Both Bree and Chip were likable characters and I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the story. It is hard to dislike a guy that your parents love, especially when they talk to one another on the phone, or get advice about different things. You've got to love a dog that goes crazy for Slim Jims. The scene where Bree and Russell meet for the first time is hilarious. Bree and Chip had some good chemistry, even though they spent a lot of time fighting against it. With the right mix of humour and warmth, this novel was enjoyable, funny and sweet. I will warn you, it does start slow, but keep with it as the pranks alone are worth it. If you are shying away because this is labeled as Christian Fiction, don't worry. It is a clean romance and there is mention of attending church, but that is about it. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Rudd. She did a great job using her expression and tone to give each character their own voice. I enjoyed listening to this one and will not hesitate to listen to other books performed by this talented voice actress.

Melissa Ferguson is a new author to me, and a local one at that! Her book was recommended by a friend of mine who knows Melissa though our foster parent community. I was able to snag an audio copy of the book via NetGalley and I’m so glad I did! It was excellent and exactly the kind of lighthearted, real-life novel I needed to read in this crazy year.

From the first few lines, Ferguson pulled me in. The hilarity of the predicaments and situations that the main characters, Bree and Chip, found themselves in were perfectly familiar, making these two characters lovable and relatable.

I laughed along as Chip’s dog Russell quickly became one of my favorite parts of the book and as these two characters battled over turf. Evie and her wild ideas, Bree and her grown-up, “I need to find and keep a job” self, and Chip with his quiet, sneaky attacks were simply hilarious!

What surprised me about this novel is that amidst the laughter and shenanigans between Bree and Chip, there was a depth that added heart to this story.

Ferguson didn’t stray from emotional struggles or scary life situations but rather embraced them with humor and integrity. I loved that! The expert way she balanced these factors and created such a heartwarming, entertaining and fulfilling style speaks volumes about her writing style.

I’m a new fan for life and I’ll be recommending this book as long as I live and breathe.

Overall, this story was well-written, very clever, inspiring, uplifting and relatable. The characters were well rounded and delightful. The story flowed well and was very entertaining (as in couldn’t put it down!). I highly recommend this book as audiobook and to those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a dash (or heavy dose) of humor!

I received an Audiobook version of The Cul-de-Sac War through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Cul-de-Sac War follows Bree and her new neighbor, Chip, as they start a prank war on each other. As their moves escalate, the war starts to turn into something else. Like the cliche goes, there is a thin line between love and hate, this definitely applies to Bree and Chip.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and following along with Bree and Chip's antics. The character's were likable, the setting was fun and the war itself was entertaining. The only thing that I wish was different is that there was a little more romance earlier on. I feel like it wasn't until the very end that Bree and Chip started to realize that maybe they didn't hate each other after all. It would have been fun to see a little bit of their budding feelings earlier on, but over all this was a great and entertaining romance read. It is definitely worth the time!

This is a classic hate and love romance. Two neighbours that can’t stand each other only to find out that they are in love with each other. But only after they made each other’s lives a living hell. I did like the story although quite predictable but I would prefer a bit more depth to the characters as they felt a bit juvenile through out the book. Overall, a “light”, quick and pleasant read.

Bree is a free spirit, who does not want to be tied down. Bree is ready to make a move again, when her parents give her an offer she can’t refuse. She just needs to stay in one place for a year, and then she can have her grandmothers home. Chip is the complete opposite, and he’s also Bree’s new neighbor. If she wasn’t stuck for the next year, she would leave. But instead, she is going to try and drive him out of the house and the cul-de-sac. Let the pranks begin!

Oh my goodness, this book was so cute! I loved the pranks between Bree and Chip. Some of the things they thought of were hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while reading. I loved the characters in the book, especially Chip’s dog Russell. This book was a light hearted rom-com and I loved every minute of it. If you’re looking for a good and clean slow burn romance, I highly recommend checking this one out!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
The Cul-de-sac war is a fun, lighthearted,quirky read with a light storyline of neighbours/frenemies to lovers with a slow-burn romance in between.
This book was just what I needed to cheer me up and had me giggling afew times through the story.

Bree and Chip meet at the beginning of the book. Bree has a wardrobe malfunction whilst on stage at the theatre she performs at and Chip saves the day.
They meet again later that same day when Bree finds out her new neighbour is no other than Chip! The story unfolds from here with a series of neighbourly pranks between Bree and Chip.
I really enjoyed Chips character but wasn't as keen on Bree at times I bordered on dislike for her but I did enjoy the book despite this.
The narrators voice was relaxing and I enjoyed how she changed her voice smoothly for Bree and Chips characters through the book.

So disappointed as I thought this was going to a funny laugh out loud easy read that consisted of 2 people hating each other and between funny events and misunderstandings it would then lead to love but unfortunately I was just bored for 3/4’s of the book. It got a little better for the last 1/4 but it was to late and still not anything major. The narration didn’t help as it was so monotone and not engaging. The storyline was a little childish and silly and it just didn’t live up to expectations. Wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 10th of Nov.