I listened to this one on audio and while the narrator did a great job, the story didn’t quite work for me. It was an ok read but not something that will stick with me. I loved the characters and thought there was potential there but I felt there was not enough built up and didn’t quite connect with anyone / anything. Cute read but not for me. I hope you’ll enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great alternative to the usual romantic comedy category - great independent characters and lots of intriege.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Everyone has difficulty with their neighbors every now and then but Bree and Chip take that up a level in their Cul-de-Sac war. Bree has a minor role in a play at the local theater, Chip is trying to strike out on his own in the construction business. Chip buys the house next door to update and flip. Things get of on the wrong foot when the truck with one of his deliveries breaks their water pipe. She post an ad that he is looking for some farm animals. The pranks get a little out of hand. Is there a little spark of romance there?

The Cul-de-Sac War

I Picked Up This Book Because: Looked interesting.

Media Type: Audiobook
Stars: 3.5

The Characters:

Bree Leake:
Chip McBride:
Bree’s roommate, other neighbors

The Story:

Bree has inherited a home from her grandmother, Settled into the town and ready to make a life, everything is running well until Chip and his huge dog move in. BTW I’m a huge fan of the dog being crazy for Bree. This is by first book by Ms Ferguson and while I found it enjoyable I was expecting more from the “war”. Overall it was a respectable enemies to lovers romance.

The Random Thoughts:

I didn't mind this audiobook. Just wasn't a huge fan of the book itself. I also always listen to my audiobooks on at least 2/2.5 speed so this is a review on that.

A fun feel-good story! Bree is a free spirit currently acting as a fairy at the local theater. Chip is a little more buttoned up trying to branch away from the family business. Bree and Chip’s pass first cross when Bree is having a costume mishap during her performance and Chip comes to her rescue. Their paths cross again later that night when Bree is followed home by an obnoxious driver in a big truck just to find out it is Chip and he is now her new neighbor. A broken waterline and an overly zealous dog leads to a succession of somewhat neighborly pranks. An easy breezy read packed with folly, whimsy, animals, Family, laughs, and heart.

This was an engaging squeaky clean slow burn romance. Both Bree and Chip were likable characters and I found myself laughing several times throughout the story. Kate Rudd does an amazing job narrating this audiobook. She is such a tremendous voice actress and gave each of these characters such a colorful recognizable voice. This is the perfect book to pop in your ear and escape into for the afternoon.

This book in emojis 🧝🏻‍♀️ 🐶 🪣 🔨 🎭

*** Big thank you to Thomas Nelson for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I read The Dating Charade, the debut novel by this author, earlier this year and I loved it. I knew the Cul-de-Sac war was a must read of 2020 for me and I was not disappointed. This story follows Bree, the best friend of the main character from The Dating Charade. Bree has moved and is working at a theater in Abingdon, VA while living in her grandmother's house who recently passed away. The fun begins when Chip moves in next door in order to renovate it. Saying they don't exactly hit it off might be putting it mildly. Let the prank wars begin!! Some readers might feel like some of the pranks got a bit extreme, but as a reader I got lost in the story and the pranks kept me in stitches. The romance is a bit light in this book, but is the appropriate level due to the development of the relationship between Bree and Chip. One thing I really appreciate about this author is her ability to write banter and antics that make me laugh out loud while also delving into heavy issues such as sickness, loss, grief, job uncertainties, and family expectations. I am looking forward to many more books by this author in the future!

I thought the narrator did an excellent job with this book. It was easy to listen to and the different voices helped keep the characters straight.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Author Melissa Ferguson’s rom-com kept me laughing. With the plot being neighbors who just can’t get along (or can they?) I felt like I had to choose a side to root for and after going back and forth I went with Team Chip. Bree really needed to grow up and I sometimes found her irritating.

The story moved quickly, although the relationship didn’t, which was nice for a change. Each of the main characters had an interesting sense of humor, were very unsure of what to do with life, and had good hearts. Once they both got a clue and started to grow up they became much more true to life and likeable.

If you are looking for a fun story with quirky characters then I recommend The Cul de Sac Wars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

I listened to the audio version of this story. The narrator did a very good job and I enjoyed her narration style. It was lively and entertaining.

It took me awhile to get into the plot of this book. The misunderstandings and pranks between Bree and Chip were definitely juvenile and that had me on edge for a bit. However, I lightened my grasp on reality and decided to just enjoy the silliness of it all and began to enjoy the story much more, including many moments where I laughed out loud.

The later portions of the book had some really good, heart-tugging scenes between the main characters, making them much more likable to me than earlier in the story. I especially liked the epilogue.

I couldn’t really find much of a faith thread in this book. Just a mention of characters going to church. I would, personally, call it a clean read. I could see this book being enjoyed by Christian fiction readers as well as by general market readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book. All opinions are my own.

So, I have been listening to the Cul-de-Sac War on my nightly walks, and I'm glad I haven't passed many people. They would think I was deranged with all the snickers, snorts, and evil laughs they would hear. Kate Rudd does an amazing job with this narration. I had very little trouble distinguishing between the characters, and her comic timing is excellent.

If anyone is looking for a romance with lots of laughs, this is definitely the one to pick up! Bree and Chip are fun characters, trying to find their place in the world. They play off each other, with just enough snark to elicit giggles.

I definitely recommend the book, and listening to it makes it even more fun.

This rom-com, emphasis on the comedy, is an excellent audio to laugh your day away with! Seriously, this book had me laughing inappropriately loudly and disrupting my entire household! The dual narration is excellent as it really helps bring the characters to life, but the plot and antics of the main characters makes this a solid choice any day, any time, just maybe not in public unless you are ok with people staring at you for disrupting them. I enjoy listening to audio books at the coffeeshop while I enjoy a mocha and more than once found myself the victim of the not so subtle side eye by those who felt I was disruptive with my guffaws. This is my first experience with this author and I must say that I will be eagerly searching for more material from her to read in the near future. I absolutely recommend that you read this or rather listen to this book if you like strong characters, with strong opinions and a tendency towards outlandish pranks on each other!

Name: The Cul de sac War
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Melodrama
Rating: 4/5
Review:
Hilarious, perfect for rom-com.
Haters to lovers trope, not a big fan of this trope but enjoyed it
Bree moves into her late Nana's house. And her neighbour, chip make sure that her life is in a mess. Pranks, fights and war ensues between these neighbours and then love emerge in between.

This was a cute book about enemies to lovers - Bree and Chip who find out they are neighbors then go out of their way to annoy each other before figuring out they are in love etc etc etc. It was a lovely clean wholesome book but it lacked depth. The book kinda went from the characters having a adorable meet cute to disliking each other - still not 100% sure how that started. The minor characters were awesome and well written. Although this book had a really good storyline, I feel it fell short and could've been expanded a bit. Although the ending was lovely and well done!

I loved this wonderful romantic comedy!

Both of the main characters are extremely well developed. They each have some self doubts. Most of them are connected to family issues. I enjoyed seeing their growth by the end of the book as they dealt with their families.

Then there is a large dog that throws in a lot of hilarious moments and initiates the conflict between Bree and Chip. The ideas that they both come up with for pranks to pull on each other are amazing. I wouldn’t want to live by either of them and have them decide to prank me.

Add to that the problems that they are both dealing with in the jobs and I found this book to be very entertaining.

The narrator did a fabulous job of making the story come to life. She was a lot of fun to listen to because she managed to sound different for each character when they were speaking. Alternating chapters are written from the viewpoint of Bree and Chip. That means that she had to speak from two distinctly different voices for large portions of the book. It was incredible. I will be looking for more audiobooks that she has narrated.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

I was lucky to get a free eARC of this book to review. This is a perfect rom-com story, with crazy shenanigans and the cheesy adorable moments. This story is about a prank war between neighbors that takes a turn, and just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I think my favorite part of my reading experience was my attachment to the setting. This story is set at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, which is around where I went to college. This story was comforting and lovely to read about a place that I love. All the hints to the area are amazing and accurate. Now this would not take away from a reader who doesn’t know the area. The author describes the setting so well that the reader is not confused at all. It was just something I loved reading about because it meant a little extra to me.

As far as the actual plot goes, this was so much fun to read. I devoured this book in one sitting, and still wanted more. This book is pure romantic chaos, and I loved every second of it. I cared about the wellbeing of these characters, and the hard situations they were in in their personal life. And I didn’t even realize it until about halfway through the book. All of a sudden I was stressed for the tough situations our main characters are in, and I only wanted what was best for them. This is a romance, so you do have your cheesy ending, that I personally felt like it wrapped up a little quick. But honestly, I didn’t mind because I was there for every second of the cuteness.

Overall, this was not the most amazing thing I have ever read. But I had the best experience with this book and I will for sure be looking into other works by this author.

3.5

Bree Leake has always been one to go with the flow. She's held at least half a dozen jobs over the last few years, always happily moving along with they eventually don't work out. She's preparing to do the same thing when it comes down the grapevine that The Barter - the theatre company where she currently holds the role as a background fairy - is cutting back on company members for its Fall show. Except things have been different since her grandmother passed away a few months ago, and when Bree's parents offer her everything she's dreamed of - namely signing over her grandmother's house - Bree wants to make things work. Her parents have given her a year to keep her life and living situation steady. Now, Bree is focused on nothing except acing the upcoming audition. That is, until a new neighbor moves next door.

Chip McBride has finally moved out of his family's shadow by opening his own construction business much to the chagrin of his father and siblings. He's determined to make his business a success and opportunity strikes when word of The Barter renovation gets around. Chip knows it's the perfect project to gain some good attention for his new business. He'll have to dedicate long hours to working up the perfect bid, that is, if he can work around the sounds of tap dancing coming from the neighbors next door.

The blurb really drew me into the story. I liked the idea of these rival neighbors starting out with animosity and and the hijinks that ensue with they keep trying to one-up each other again and again. It made for some pretty laugh-out-loud moments. And I liked how this slowly progresses into something more between Chip and Bree even when they're not ready to admit it yet.

In this regard I felt like the narrator, Kate Rudd, did a great job of pushing that emotion into each character's narration. She did a great job of highlighting the funny parts but really bringing out the heart when the scene called for it. It's a roundabout great narration.

But as I look back upon the book for review, I kind of don't really remember what the end goal of it all was. I think it's because there was too much separation between Bree's goal and Chip's goal. While they do intersect - both dealing in with The Barter - they are very singular. Then you add the neighborly war on top of it all, and I just feel like there was enough cohesion between the two. Now, if Bree and Chip were fighting for the same job, say, and they happened to also be neighbors and this prompted the titular Cul-de-Sac War, I think it would have melded together better.

As it stands, while I enjoyed the story and the characters, as I think upon them more, I don't really feel the turnaround for Bree. I feel like the transition from being a go-with-the-flow to a steadfast type of person just didn't come across very well. Yes, I understand her motivation, but it's almost like she turns on a dime from not really caring if she has to get a new job (even though she's currently living in her grandmother's house so she should care) to suddenly being dedicated to keeping her job. I think it doesn't help the fact that I never felt as though she actually liked her job at all. It would be different if I felt like it was her dream job, but she's kind of meh about the whole thing which gets me to thinking about the person whose dream it is to be apart of The Barter and who might possibly lose out if Bree gets the job.

On the other side of that you have Chip whose dedication and love for his job is palpable throughout. Who is trying to branch out despite how easy it would ultimately have been had he stayed at his family's company. I almost felt like the stakes were higher in Chip's case seeing as how he was literally going up against his father for The Barter job.

Overall, it's a quick, light, fun, and often funny read. Despite not feeling the depth of Bree's commitment to what she wants out of life, I was definitely kept entertained and interested throughout.

The Cul-de-Sac War is a cute romantic comedy with enemies to lovers elements and fun characters. I liked all the elements going on in the story- it made for a well rounded read.
Kate Rudd was a good choice as a narrator and I highly recommend the audio format for this book.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was a fun, cute and quick read. The characters were fun and the storyline was funny. They did some awful but hilarious things to each other. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary, but this one kept my attention and best of all it was very clean. Nothing in this book made me uncomfortable or nervous to have my mom pick up and read. I got to listen to an audio version of this book and the narrator did an AMAZING job. The story didn’t drag and her voice was pleasant to listen to.

3 stars

Had i known this was going to have this much of miscommunication (I trope i don't like) I possibly wouldn't have asked for this.
As much as I liked both narrators and as much I as I adored both Chip and his dog, I just couldn't get pass how annoying Bree was! Omg, she was such a infuriating character! She's way too judgy for my likings and so immature (eventho she thinks she is *rolls eyes*) her sometimes childish behavior is not corky or cute but obnoxious.
I must say I liked the plot and how the story built (even with the whole miscommunication) but there were too many (albeit small) things that didn't let me fully enjoy this book.
I still recommend it, if you want a story with lots of pranks and mischief and an fabulous male lead (again I loved him!)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for a squeaky-clean romcom with a "friendly" neighborly rivalry? This new release will fit the bill. I found the feud between Bree and Chip to be an amusing plot device that propelled the plot along while our main characters dealt with their family baggage. Both are from supportive families and I especially enjoyed Bree's parent visits and their love affair with Russell, Chip's dog. BTW, that Russell needs his own book! Anyway, this is an uplifting story with a testament to the power of prayer and a reminder to love your neighbor.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.