The Dating Charade

Written by Melissa Ferguson

Narrated by Kevin Kilpatrick and Liz Stanislawski

Cassie is fed up with online dating, but just when she’s finally decided to give up, firefighter Jett Bentley takes her on an amazing first date. 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?

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 Cassie finds herself caring for three sisters in an emergency foster placement, she decides to hide them from Jett to avoid scaring him off. When Jett’s sister’s addiction issues land her three children at his home, he decides the last thing Cassie needs to know about is his family drama.

Neither dares to tell the other about their unexpected and possibly permanent family members for fear of scaring away their potential soulmate, especially since they both listed "no kids” on their profiles! With six children between them and secrets mounting, can Cassie and Jett find a way forward?

Melissa Ferguson’s 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.

Praise for The Dating Charade:

“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

“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

• Stand-alone contemporary romance
• Full-length novel (76,000 words)
• Also by Melissa Ferguson: The Cul-de-Sac War

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Dec 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9780785231028

Melissa Ferguson

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including Meet Me in the Margins, The Dating Charade, and The Cul-de-Sac War. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in their growing farmhouse lifestyle and writes heartwarming romantic comedies that have been featured in such places as The Hollywood Reporter, Travel + Leisure, Woman’s World, and BuzzFeed. Follow Melissa with over 765,000 other subscribers at Instagram: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse; TikTok: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse; Threads: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse; or newsletter on her personal website: melissaferguson.com.

Reviews for The Dating Charade

[Amanda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute clean romcom! I really enjoy this author a lot and can't wait to finish her books. I will say the whole not telling each about their secrets was a little over the top and I think in real life they would have told each other sooner. That is the only reason i didnt give 5 stars.

[Melissa DeBuigny · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great book and lots of belly laughs. Loved it!

[nina markus · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It wasn’t what I expected from a rom-com. It was almost entirely focused on disenfranchised minors than the protagonists. The title was misleading and the antics cringe-worthy. However, I did appreciate the author’s sensitivity in dealing with racial differences.

[Rachel Yoder · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Started off strong, but turned into a book about 2 separate people (the main female character and main male character) fostering various children separately. I'm 60 percent through the book and decided not to finish. The book has lost all focus on dating and the main focus appears to be centered around the kids. I'm sure the author eventually brings it back around, but I've lost my investment in the main character's and their possible love story. I really loved Meet Me in the Margins from this author, so I decided to check out her other books, but so far they've all been a miss for me. Not terrible, but nothing as cute and interesting as Meet Me in the Margins.

[Miar Mohie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my second book for the author and it didn’t disappoint at all. A nice light read discussing some real issues and solving them in the most beautiful way. Although I thought there was a dull moment, when the main characters had this fight over a silly misunderstanding and at the end it just clicked and viola, no more problems. But I guess, there has to be a down moment, when they drift apart in all romances. Still,I give it four stars, because it is lovely but serious at the same time.

[melissa_o-399736 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Dating Charade is the debut novel by author Melissa Ferguson. From reading the synopsis, I expected a fun rom com book. Although there were aspects of a romantic comedy, there was so much more. I was totally pulling for main characters Cassie and Jett as they balance jobs, relationships, and some other curve balls thrown their way. I definitely felt like this story engaged me as the reader, tugged on my heartstrings, and had me rooting for the main characters. Her next novel, The Cul de Sac War releases in the fall and I can't wait!I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining but nothing outstanding - who has a fight about kids and then never speaks to each other again? The conflict was kind of weird.

[medwards429 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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

[hes7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Melissa Ferguson’s debut The Dating Charade is a delight. It easily lived up to my expectations—and more. If you are looking for a rom-com with some serious heart, this is the book for you.Thanks to the joys of online dating, Cassie Everson has lost faith that she will find her person. Firefighter Jett Bentley has the potential to surprise her—but when each takes charge of three children, doubt colors their possibilities for the future. Will Cassie and Jett accept these changes in circumstances, or must they go it alone?With a connection from the past, Cassie and Jett make a believable couple caught in a web of uncertainties and new romance. I had fun guessing at how they would navigate both the comical moments and the more complicated ones. And as they figure it out, their story proves heartwarming and sweet and oh so wonderful. I will definitely be revisiting this book in the future.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[harley0326 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Looking at the cover of the book, I was expecting a fun lighthearted romance. What I didn't expect was the real life issues that children face everyday. The book is a look at two people trying to find their perfect mate. Cassie and Jett are both good characters but I found it funny that they didn't seem to really fit as a match. Cassie has her doubts about using an online dating service but her profile does catch someones attention. Their first date is fun but will there be another one? There are a few funny moments in the story that I liked. However for me, the real story is about the children. I know first hand what it is like to know that your parents don't want you. For these children they go through such am emotional journey that my heart broke for them. It was hard to believe that Cassie and Jet find themselves with children at the same time. I couldn't figure out why they felt the need to hide the children from each other. Star picked up right away that Cassie acted like she was ashamed to be seen with her. As a teenager what do you think that will do for her self esteem or rejection issues? The story just didn't flow well for me and it was difficult to connect with Jett and Cassie. I began the book with high hopes, but was quickly disappointed in the story because it was more about hiding children from each other than being honest with someone you wanted a relationship with. The ending was very predictable and the little conflict there was seemed to be skimmed over with an expected fix it solution. I didn't find hardly any faith element in the which disappointed me. I will be looking for more books from this author with expectations of more quality characters and a story that holds my attention.I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

[beautyinthebinding · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[coverloverbookreview · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.