Thursday, December 19, 2019

Book Review: The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

About the Book:

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. 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.


My Thoughts:

If I had to describe The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson in one word, it would be adorable. I liked this book from the first page and went through all the emotions with it. I laughed, I cried, and I smiled again. While there’s laugh-out-loud humor, there’s also intense emotional drama that brought me to tears. Embedded in it all are themes about family, love, and self-sacrifice.

Adoption and fostering children play a large part in The Dating Charade. It was a pleasure to watch Cassie and Jett adapt to their new normal as foster parents. While I didn’t like some of their decisions/actions, the sweet romance and the promise of a happily-ever-after kept me interested. The ending felt a bit rushed, without Cassie and Jett really working to resolve/compromise on some of their differences of opinion. Still, I finished the novel with a smile on my face.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson will appeal to readers who enjoy inspirational contemporary romance. Attendance at church functions is depicted, but the book is not overly preachy. It’s a strong debut novel that I’ll keep to reread and I look forward to more of Melissa Ferguson’s work.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided an arc copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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