Just when you think you’ve met your match . . . the charade begins. Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband–and children–altogether. But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. … firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.
No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps–each–they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?
Melissa Ferguson’s hilarious and warmhearted debut reminds us that love can come in very small packages–and that sometimes our best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding and fun as the surprises that come our way.
“A heartwarming charmer.” –Sheila Roberts, USA TODAY bestselling author of the Moonlight Harbor series
“The Dating Charade will keep you smiling the entire read. Ferguson not only delights us with new love, with all its attendant mishaps and misunderstandings, but she takes us deeper in the hearts and minds of vulnerable children as Cassie and Jett work out their families–then their dating lives. An absolute treat!” –Katherine Reay, bestselling author of The Printed Letter Bookshop
“The Dating Charade is hilarious and heartwarming with characters you truly care about, super fun plot twists and turns, snappy prose, and a sweet romance you’re rooting for.” –Rachel Linden, bestselling author of The Enlightenment of Bees
“Melissa Ferguson is a sparkling new voice in contemporary rom-com. Though her novel tackles meaningful struggles–social work, child abandonment, adoption–it’s also fresh, flirty, and laugh-out-loud funny. Ferguson is going to win fans with this one!” –Lauren Denton, bestselling author of The Hideaway and Glory Road
“A jolt of energy featuring one of the most unique romantic hooks I have ever read. Personality and zest shine through Ferguson’s evident enjoyment at crafting high jinks and misadventures as two people slowly make way for love in the midst of major life upheaval. A marvelous treaty on unexpected grace and its life-changing chaos, Cassie and Jett find beautiful vulnerability in redefining what it means to live happily-ever-after.” –Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration and the Three Quarter Time series
“Ferguson delivers a stellar debut. The Dating Charade is a fun, romantic albeit challenging look at just what it takes to fall in love and be a family. You’ll think of these characters long after the final page.” –Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress
- A sweet romantic comedy that can be read as a standalone.
- Book length: 76,000 words.
- Includes discussion questions for reading groups.
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First of all, thank you in advance to Prism Book Tours and the publisher Thomas Nelson (aka: TNZ Fiction) for providing a complimentary copy for review. A positive review was not requested or required. All words are my own.
Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates – she’s even mastered the best way to get out of them beyond the “fake” emergency involving a fake friend scam. She’s just about to retire her hopes for a husband and children. More like giving up on children. It’s not that she doesn’t want them – she can’t have them.
Fate and a friend have other plans for Cassie when she is unwittingly matched with firefighter Jett Bentley who she went to school with, but doesn’t remember. Jett does remember Cassie though.
They have a great first date – but … then they each inherit three kids. For Jett, they’re his nephews and niece; Cassie ends up with three siblings, one that volunteers were she works.
Of course, they keep it a secret until they can sort everything out.
Things that grabbed me right off – there’s a firefighter involved. It’s set in a few “smaller” towns in Tennessee I’m familiar with, that’s another bonus. And, kids!
So, I honestly couldn’t wait to read it.
It started off great – romance in the modern century. Then the kids entered the situation for both Cassie and Jett. And, where I thought this would be a romance novel, with a “dating with kids twist” – it, at least to me – turned into more of a family drama story with both Cassie and Jett finding their way with the kids they’ve inherited. And, neither one knowing about the other’s situation with miscommunication occurring.
There are a few moments that made me laugh. However it wasn’t the funny, romantic-comedy novel I was expecting.
The realism, disappointment, and frustration in adopting or inheriting three children are present and Ferguson does a great job in conveying it. I can’t attest to the realistic portrayal though.
There are also a lot of tense moments and a dramatic scene at the end with the romance between Cassie and Jett coming in the last chapters.
It does have the “love comes in small packages”; “best-laid plans aren’t nearly as rewarding”, “happy” ending. However, this lacks in the romance part.
Despite the disappointment from the blurb being different as to my expectations, this was a delightful read. It was heart-warming and often heart-tugging.
I won’t spoil it, but towards the end there were more details I would’ve liked to have known as to what happened with the kids that led to certain events. I don’t know if that differs from the ARC to publication, but it would’ve made the ending far more dramatic and wholesome.
It is a “clean read” from the Thomas Nelson Fiction line, which is part of the HarperCollins Christian Publishing division. There are little to no “Christian” references though. Readers of the Harlequin Heartwarming series might like this particular novel.
“The Dating Charade” is Melissa Ferguson’s debut album, and is available at retailers, including Amazon, nationwide on December 3, 2019.
Rated 3½ stars
Okay, so first; WOW!!! I’ve loved books and I’ve laughed reading books but never so much as this one. This book? I have no words! It was messy, sappy, happy, and wonderfully one of the best books I have ever read! Laughing so hard my jaw and stomach hurt I couldn’t put it down, which is why I’m writing the review at two in the morning. Yeah, I’ll sleep after I finish sighing over this one of a kind book. It’s truly one of my favorites, maybe one of my top five favorites all time other then the Bible. Coming in third after Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and A Forgotten Truth by Chautona Havig, so pretty high up there!
The kids were adorable, their little antics of toothbrushes, toilets mixed with toddlers, jumping from couches, waking their Godfather Sunny, and everything else was so adorable especially the part with the bathroom.
The older ladies . . . Edie and Donna were the best fictional matchmaker EVER! Truly!!! The suit? Oh my goodness that was hilarious! The beginning was funny enough but it kept getting better and better with every scene. I’m not sure if the kids or the ladies were cuter and more mischievous.
My only complaint would be that the spiritual content was slightly lacking but that was all right since I think the author was trying not to seem too preachy which it wasn’t.
Yes, there is a lot of hard content but that’s all right. It was never too bad but there are many mentions of abuse, abandonment, running away and other things.
And that Valentine’s miracle, that was spectacular! I just can’t say about enough to give this book the credit it deserves! The romance was sweet and sappy, the plot hilariously purposeful cliche and wonderful.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and I’m truly happy to provide it.
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 conclusion. 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 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.
The Dating Charade is a debut novel by Melissa Ferguson. This book is a real-life story about children being neglected by their parents, about kind family/individuals diving into parenthood overnight, whether it was their choices or not, and about our foster care system. This is not really a romance novel, no sex scenes at all , and the first kiss only happened at one paragraph away from the epilogue . So if you’re into a clean story with honest reality, adorable children with all their havocs, and parenting struggles, then this book is for you!
Cassie worked at a center to support and empower young girls from troubled family background. She almost gave up on her online dating activity after having a series of failed date. Jett was a local fireman, 3 years her junior, who had a crush on Cassie in high school. After seeing her profile on the dating website, Jett decided to reach out to her. Their first date was much more pleasant and promising than Cassie had expected, but then life threw them both a curve ball! They ended up taking in 3 kids each under their care overnight, Cassie with a 14-yo and her 2 sisters, a 6- a 4-yo, and Jett with 2-yo twins and a new born. Their subsequent encounters/dates turned into embarrassing, awkward, and funny moments when they tried to hide the existence of the children from each other.
I would say this book is more about the lives of 2 separate individuals who got thrown into parenthood out of the blue. There was not much romantic connection between Cassie and Jett, their cross paths were sparse and short. The book is focused a lot more about the children whose stories were heartbreaking, how they changed Cassie’s and Jett’s lives, and the support Cassie and Jett received from their community, friends and family. I feel the ending was too abrupt and forced, it left me wonder how that happened , even though it had a HEA after all. I quite enjoy the author’s writing style with great humor and sweet narrative, and I believe she really put in her personal experience and passion about foster care, which made the story more real. It’s a 4- read for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Released date December 3rd, 2019.
I LOVE THIS STORY! I smiled, giggled, chortled, and guffawed. I sighed, gasped, and choked back tears. Whew… I plowed through a gamut of emotions. And that makes me incredibly happy. I love a story that makes me FEEL. That makes me see things in a new way. That makes me learn and grow.
The Dating Charade is fresh and fun. I was entertained and amused, and also moved by its incredible and unexpected intensity. Melissa Ferguson is a clever storyteller, infusing her writing with equal servings of wit and depth. I know I’m fan-girl-gushing, but I’m holding back as best I can.
The characters, main and secondary alike, are so well developed. Cassie is likeable, fun, witty, and caring. Jett is charming, handsome, and fun. (He’s also a hero fireman, so that certainly chalks up several points.) Sunny is snarky, Sarah is sweet, Donna is sneaky, and Star adds a complexity and special richness to the story. They all have flaws, as expected, but none so grand that it’s difficult to sympathize with them. I connected to each in different ways and was moved by their spirits and growth.
Okay, let’s get to the romance. Swoon! I love the slow build, the meaningful decisions, the intercepting issues, and the heartwarming conclusion. The best way I can describe this romance is to say it is sweet, unconventional, fun, comical, and swoon worthy. It flows much deeper than that, but you’ll have to read it yourself to find out how.
After all my gushing, there’s little need to say more, except that this heartwarming book has earned its spot on my Favorites of 2019 list.
I adore this story and will most certainly seek out future tales from this debut author!
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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.