Star’s reaction to the news that she could be adopted isn’t cut and dry. What emotions might she be feeling? Why do you think she’d feel each one?
This book demonstrates the power of family, however they come to be. Sometimes family includes friends, neighbors, and other people patchworked into our lives. Who do you consider family? Why?
At the start of the book, we see Cassie struggling with unfulfilled dreams. Do you have a battle you find yourself fighting day after day, week after week? What encourages you to persevere? Whom do you seek for support?
Both Cassie and Jett make sacrifices for the sake of the children in their care. When have you ever sacrificed your dreams for someone else? Why? What was the consequence?
The support of Sarah and Sunny was imperative to Jett as he started wading into the waters of parenthood. Likewise, Cassie relied on her mother and best friend. Who do you turn to for support? Who turns to you when they need an extra hand?
Jett struggled with a roller coaster of emotions as he helplessly watched his sister battle drug addiction—something over thirty-one million people around the world deal with every day.* What are some practical things you can do when you see a friend or family member dealing with an addiction?
In the first half of the book, Donna Gene and Edie keep the television on loudly throughout the day. Have you ever used technology to keep yourself distracted from unwanted feelings like loneliness or isolation? Why? What are healthier ways to pull those problems up at the roots?
Why do you think Cassie and Jett waited a year to get married? What sorts of things do you imagine they learned about each other in that time?
Acknowledgments
Oh dear. I fear this is going to be like my wedding day again. Leave me to my own volition and I’m going to end up with ten bridesmaids, five quasi-bridesmaids, one twenty-two-year-old flower girl who rejected bridesmaid status in order to toss flowers, and several invited friends who really should’ve been bridesmaids and I’ve regretted not asking ever since. In other words, how on earth can I squeeze all the wonderful people in my life onto two pages?
For starters, thank you to my terrific family who has supported me all the way. My husband, who patiently encouraged me all the way back to the twelve-hour days I’d spent holed up in a room writing somewhere, not having a clue what I was doing but finding myself exclaiming, “I think I’ve stumbled into something, and I think I won’t ever be able to stop.” Well, Ben, sure enough I couldn’t stop, and by your endless support, I never had to try.
My children, who lived out the real-life story of nearly every comedic scene involving a very adventurous set of twins and baby sibling. To every member of my extended family, especially my mother-in-law, who enthusiastically read my manuscripts well before they were ready. Multiple times. To my mother, who has spent my entire life believing in me.
To my agent, Jim Hart, who has been nothing but communicative, kind, and encouraging from the start. Thank you for taking me and my stories with you!
To the ACFW community at large, especially those author friends who eventually just became friends, especially especially my dear Betsy Haddox, Megan Gonzalez, Lauren Brandenburg, Annaliese Flautt, and Bethany Turner. This is a wild jungle we’re bushwhacking through together, and I’m so blessed to be dodging quicksand and hopping rocks with you. To the multitude of friends and mentors who’ve walked beside me and encouraged me on this journey, both far and close, both online and through a pat on the back, thank you!
To Christine Berg, bosom buddy since those college days of listening to Comptine d’un autre été: L’après-midi on repeat, dreaming on the oval, my spontaneous dance partner, convertible-top-down, hands-in-the-air adventurer, and now friend in our greatest journey of all—motherhood—thank you for all the times you dropped life to read and edit and cheer me on.
To Cassie, who answered random texts for months about the ins and outs of Ripley’s scuba-diving world. To Jarod, whose hilarious life inspires hilarious stories—keep on helping up those elderly ladies. To Linda Parham, who so kindly guided me through the DCS-related regulations. To Katie, Paige, and Laura, who read my first, very atrocious manuscript with smiles years ago—your collective ability to lie was both uplifting and disturbing.
To every YMCA teen I had the blessing of laughing to death with (especially the teen leaders!), and who gave me such joy every single afternoon you walked through those doors, thank you for being “my teens” for such a special season. Obviously there are many differences between Girls Haven and the Y program, but all the wonderful parts are inspired by you.
To God, for ignoring my life plans to so blatantly push me into something far greater.
And, of course, to the Thomas Nelson team. Jocelyn Bailey, you are incredibly talented, shrewd, and scary clever. My days would be utterly incomplete without your memes. Leslie Peterson, I’m proud to have you for my line editor, and neighbor! Thank you for being so gentle, professional, and insightful with my book. Kristen Andrews, you gave me the most wonderful book cover in the world! Paul Fisher, Allison Carter, Kerri Potts, Laura Wheeler, Amanda Bostic, Becky Monds, Savannah Summers, Matt Bray, Kim Carlton, and the incredible sales team—I once saw some of you walking down the hall together at ACFW, and time slowed, and everyone was smiling, and somebody flicked her shiny hair. You were The Plastics, yet in the very best way. And after a year with you all, all I can say is that you are even more organized, effective, kind, generous, thoughtful, wonderful human beings than I ever imagined—I’m just so glad to wear pink on Wednesdays with you.
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 first novel.
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Acclaim for Melissa Ferguson
“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, on The Dating Charade
“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
“The Dating Charade is hilarious and heartwarming with characters you truly care about, super fun plot twists and turns, snappy prose, and a sweet romance you’re rooting for. Anyone who has children in their lives will particularly relate to Ferguson’s laugh-out-loud take on the wild ride that is parenting. I thoroughly enjoyed this story!”
—Rachel Linden, bestselling author of The Enlightenment of Bees
“A heartwarming charmer.”
—Sheila Roberts, USA TODAY bestselling author of the Moonlight Harbor series, on The Dating Charade
“A jolt of energy featuring one of the most unique romantic hooks I have ever read. Personality and zest shine through Ferguson’s evident enjoyment at crafting high jinks and misadventures as two people slowly make way for love in the midst of major life upheaval. A marvelous treaty on unexpected grace and its life-changing chaos, Cassie and Jett find beautiful vulnerability in redefining what it means to l
ive happily-ever-after.”
—Rachel McMillan, author of the Three Quarter Time series, on The Dating Charade
“Ferguson delivers a stellar debut. The Dating Charade is a fun, romantic albeit challenging look at just what it takes to fall in love and be a family. You’ll think of these characters long after the final page.”
—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress
Copyright
The Dating Charade
© 2019 Melissa Ferguson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Published in association with Hartline Literary Agency, Pittsburgh, PA 15235.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7852-3100-4 (trade paper)
ISBN 978-0-7852-3101-1 (e-book)
ISBN 978-0-7852-3102-8 (downloadable audio)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data is available upon request.
Printed in the United States of America
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* “Foster Care,” Children’s Rights, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care/.
* “Facts and Figures,” World Health Organization, accessed April 24, 2019, https://www.who.int/substance_abuse/facts/en/.
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