The Dating Charade, Melissa Ferguson
The Dating Charade, Melissa Ferguson
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

The Dating Charade

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Narrator: Kevin Kilpatrick, Liz Stanislawski

Unabridged: 7 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 12/03/2019


Synopsis

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 BookshopStand-alone contemporary romanceFull-length novel (76,000 words)Also by Melissa Ferguson: The Cul-de-Sac War

About Melissa Ferguson

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including The Perfect Rom-Com, How to Plot a Payback, Meet Me in the Margins, and Famous for a Living. 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, and The New York Post. Follow Melissa with over 800,000 other subscribers on Instagram and TikTok at @ourfriendlyfarmhouse or her newsletter: melissaferguson.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Elisabeth on June 21, 2022

3.5 stars A cute and quirky read with more than meets the eye. The Dating Charade tells the story of Cassie and Jett. Both are out of luck in the dating scene and aren’t planning to have their own children, each for different reasons. Cassie and Jett coincidentally know each other from high school.......more

Goodreads review by Brooke — brooklynnnnereads on December 30, 2019

2.5 stars Oh how I wish I liked this novel more. Especially because there wasn't anything specifically 'bad' about it. It just wasn't the story for me but I am willing to appreciate the important topics that were brought into the story. This novel included tough yet important issues such as addiction......more

Goodreads review by Tracy on September 02, 2019

This started out really good for me but then fizzled a bit. Cassie is fed up with online dating and I loved her escape plan. Jett’s excitement in connecting with Cassie again was adorable. But once the story lines regarding both sets of children were introduced, the romance took a back seat. Cassie......more

Cute story about two singles adopting children and hiding them from each other only to end up as a big patchwork family.......more

Goodreads review by Kav on February 19, 2020

Charming and funny with a surprising serious undertone. I was expecting Rom/Com but I wouldn't technically categorize The Dating Charade as a romance. It has the beginnings and endings of one but the middle is something else entirely. Not quite women's fiction either. I think chic lit might suit this......more