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The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson Review

Happy Monday Everyone, and Happy December!

I'm so excited that it's finally December, and I can't wait for all the fun festive things I have planned to do this month :)

In previous years, I've enjoyed taking part in Blogmas, but unfortunately, I just don't have the time for it this year.

However, I am hoping to still throw in a couple of Christmas themed posts on my blog during the month, and maybe even give a quick look into some of the fun things I get up to.

This last weekend was particularly fun, and a great way to start off December. On Saturday night, I had my family over for a small birthday get together for my husband, and we both had a lot of fun with it. Yesterday, we attended a Christmas performance at a local Bible college. It's become one of our yearly traditions to attend this pageant, and it's always one of the things I look most forward to every single Christmas season.

Do you have any fun Christmas traditions? I'd love to hear about them in the comments if you're willing to share. :)

For today's post, I'd like to share with you all a review for a fantastic contemporary romance novel that I finished over the weekend, and that releases tomorrow. I loved this particular title, and I can't wait for you all to get to read it when it releases.

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson:



Source: Publisher Via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: December 3rd, 2019

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary Romance


Synopsis:


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.


(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

Contemporary romance is one of my all time favorite genres, and I love nothing more than discovering a new favorite author within this genre. I absolutely adored The Dating Charade. It had every aspect I enjoy in a romance novel, and included a completely unique premise. I'd never really read anything like it before, and it was everything I was hoping for and more.

The writing is witty, comical and addictive, and I truly can't believe this is Melissa Ferguson's debut novel. Her mastery of this beautiful story speaks of someone seasoned in the craft, and not of someone new to the scene. The Dating Charade is outright hilarious. Between Cassie and Jess both adjusting parenthood, meddling senior citizens, and an awkward developing romance, the comedic portions are spot on. However, interspersed throughout the story are many more serious issues like child abuse and child abandonment, and I personally loved the light that is centered around infertility, fostering and adoption.

Cassie and Jett are easily one of my new favorite couples, and I loved how awkward and adorable their entire relationship is. I only wish that Jett and Cassie had a little more page time together, but I was happy with the moments we did get of the two of them together. I sped through this story, as I just couldn't bear to put it down, and now I can't wait to discover what Melissa Ferguson has in store next for her readers.

I'm really hopeful that we're going to see Bree get her own story, but regardless, I will definitely be reading Melissa's next release, no matter with story it is, and I'm adding her to my list of favorite authors. I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves contemporary romance, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Final Rating: 5/5

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for allowing me to advance read this!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review. 



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