About the Book

Book: The Dating Charade

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Romantic Comedy

Release Date: December 3, 2019

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.

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"The Dating Charade" by Melissa Ferguson is a book that I was not sure how I felt about the book till I had finished it. I did like the story and the plot. There were a few things that really confused me while reading the book. One thing I had a problem is that the first date in the book is the guy is married and then ends up being friends with Jett, now the problem, I have with this, is that there is no mention of the wife anymore but this guy is roommates with Jett. It just struck me as weird.

This story is more about 6 children being abandoned and abuse and all the trials of being in a foster home. This is one book that I don't feel the title matched the story unless you go with the fact that charade means false.

I really felt the struggle that Jett and Cassie had telling the other one about the kids but I was sad and angry that they felt the need to hide that fact from each other. I did enjoy the conversation they have while playing basketball about the difference between toddlers and teens.

I am giving this book 3 stars because the plot was really good and I could see this happening in "real life" to someone.

I know this is fiction but all the calls to the firemen to help with a fake injury bother me as well, I kept thinking what if a real emergency happened and the firemen was on a fake call.

Then a real emergency did happen, and I was thinking, I am glad they weren't on a fake call. This emergency really did have my heart beating fast while reading about it.

I loved the ending, it was perfect and just what I wanted to happened, through it was bittersweet. This book was book happy and sad. But, then, child abuse is not a happy thing.

Yes, I recommend this book to readers who like contemporary romantic fiction. The characters go to church but this is not a christian read, but it is a clean read with a little scene that happens to parents all the time involving the bathroom, but nothing to graphic, it was a laugh out moment because I am sure we have all been there.

I received a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Melissa Ferguson lives in Bristol, Tennessee, where she is an adjunct professor at King University and pens books that make her laugh and grow. She used to have hobbies like running and backpacking the Appalachian Trail outside her door. Now she and her husband are outnumbered, and her hobbies include diaper changes, chasing toddlers in parking lots, and admiring the Appalachian Trail out her minivan window while singing “Winnie the Pooh.” She survives by Jesus, rom coms, and roughly two espresso shots a day. The Dating Charade is her first novel.