“The Dating Charade” by Melissa Ferguson

MY REVIEW:
Jett and Cassie went to high school together and several years later meet on an online dating website. Cassie has her dates and escape plan down to a science-thanks to her friend Bree but eventually gives Jett a chance.

Suddenly Jett and his roommate Sunny find themselves trying to take care of his sisters 3 kids-2 three year old twins and young baby. Thank goodness their neighbor Sarah also helps with the kids while Jett continues to work his job as a firefighter and is thrown into the life of diapers, tantrums, and messes.

Cassie works with teenage girls at The Haven needing assistance and suddenly finds herself with custody of teenager Star and her two younger sisters. Cassie quickly realizes that working with teenagers is completely different from raising teenagers.

Some of the details of both sets of kids were so horrifying and brought me to tears-the neglect, abuse, drugs, starvation, development delays… both Jett and Cassie work hard in their separate situations to give the kids a temporary home all the while trying to date each other but not share the news about their “kids”.

I’m not sure why it took them so long to share personal details because I think they could have helped each other out more. I guess because it was a new relationship and they didn’t want to scare each other off with the news of-by the way I have custody of 3 kids now?!! It was funny how they tried explaining off the noises, dirty clothes and calls to the firehouse as neither of them wanted to tell the other about their living situation.

All the day to day drama with both of them made me laugh and cry. This author did such a great job with the struggles and horrors of foster care, trying to be a single parent, and trying to just get thru the day-loving and hating every minute of it-being exhausted but grateful at the end of the day. As a parent, I could relate to so many of the struggles, laughs and tears. I loved reading this book!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Dating Charade
By Melissa Ferguson
Contemporary Romance, Christian
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 336 Pages
December 3rd 2019 by Thomas Nelson

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.

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About the Author

Melissa Ferguson is an adjunct professor for Bible and religion at King University. She lives in the charming town of Bristol, Tennessee, with her husband, twin toddlers, and baby girl. She used to have hobbies like running and backpacking the Appalachian Trail outside her door. Now her hobbies include admiring the Appalachian Trail out her minivan window while singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” en route to the library.

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