The Dating Charade (Melissa Ferguson) – Review

Posted 13 January 2020 by Katie in Contemporary, Humour, Review, Romance / 2 Comments

Title: The Dating Charade
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release date: 3 December 2019
Pages: 337

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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.

Excerpt

Cassie stared at her cup for one long moment, then looked to Bree, the girls, the computer.
“Well, on the bright side, I don’t think we have to worry about this happening again. I think I just had my last blind date.”
Bree halted the spinning spinner. “That bad?”
“Somewhere between the guy who shoplifted the stuffed dolphin and the one who ate through a pack of gum in five minutes and stuck every piece on the walls—”
Bree’s eyes widened. “No, Cass. Not Gum Man.”
“He was married.” Cassie set her cup down on the only available inch of tablespace in front of her and sighed. “The charming youth volunteer who stated loyalty was the biggest characteristic he was looking for . . . was married.” She shrugged. “So, I’m done. I think we can all agree I gave online dating a more than decent shot.”
Star and the others looked to Bree, who gave them a resolute, don’t-worry-I-got-this nod. “Let me see for myself. I’m hearing you, Cass, but let’s take a look before we try to cut the one cord that’s been sending men your way—mad as a March hare or otherwise.”
Cassie pushed the keyboard her way. “Be my guest. Username is ‘Cass0312.’ “
Bree started typing.
“Password is ‘mrjeeves.’ No caps.”
Bree’s fingers typed the letters and then froze, clearly registering Cassie’s words. She removed one hand from the keyboard and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Cass. Please don’t tell me you created a password out of your cat. Please tell me I misheard you.”
But sure enough, the popup disappeared, and a dozen male faces filled the screen. Cassie pushed herself up and slid over the desk, mulberry skirt and all. If she was going to be humiliated, she might as well get a little distance.
Taken from “The Dating Charade” by Melissa Ferguson
Copyright © 2019 by Melissa Ferguson
Used by permission of http://www.thomasnelson.com/

Review

I was anticipating this novel with equal parts eagerness and trepidation. Eagerness, because I’m always on the lookout for a great romcom; trepidation, because there were aspects of this story that had very real potential to annoy me rather than entertain. My verdict? I’m so glad I took the risk. Not only was it an entertaining and engaging read, but there is a serious, heart-tugging story at its core.

There were two things in particular that caused my trepidation. The first was that I wondered how believable it would be for Cassie and Jett to find themselves suddenly responsible for three children each. Second was the fact that they would hide it from each other—even more so if that became the basis for the humour. You know, near misses, ridiculous explanations to cover up the truth. That kind of thing. Definitely NOT the kind of humour I’m looking for.

As it turned out, my fears were unfounded. Not only was it entirely believable (though still quite a coincidence) that Cassie and Jett suddenly found themselves the sole guardian of three children each, but the children’s situation was never made light of, despite the humorous tone to the rest of the story. In fact, the story gave me a deeper appreciation of the complicated emotions children in foster care (and the adults who become their carers) deal with.

And as for the whole hiding it from each other thing—I completely understood why they didn’t mention their respective situations to start with, and I loved that it played out from there in such an unpredictable way, including the way it changed both Cassie and Jett. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say any more than that. The romance did take a back-seat at times, but I think the author stayed true to the story rather than writing to preconceived genre expectations.

My one slight criticism was that I felt the resolution was a little out of left field—almost as though there was a scene or two missing. But in all other ways, this was an excellent debut, and I’m looking forward to whatever’s next from Melissa Ferguson.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

About the Author

Melissa Ferguson lives in Bristol, Tennessee, where she is an assistant 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 debut novel.