The Dating Charade

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson, 321 pages

Cassie has just about had it with trying to find a guy through a dating app when Jett sends her a message about knowing her from high school. She ignores it, but her best friend Bree intervenes to match up the social worker and the hunky firefighter (who really did go to high school together) against Cassie's wishes. Turns out their date is nearly perfect, and they both are excited about their future together when fate intervenes. Both have a trio of children unexpectedly thrust into their care: Jett's wayward sister shows up with her toddler twins and an infant, while Cassie takes in a 14-year-old she knows from her teen program, as well as the girl's younger sisters. Both Cassie and Jett are under the impression that the other doesn't want or even like kids, and so both go to great lengths to hide the kids from each other. I'll bet you can figure out how this turns out.

This was a sweet story of two innately good people trying to do their best for each other and the kids in their care. Between its setting in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the fact that it takes place between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, this book feels like a Hallmark Channel movie in book form. And sometimes that's exactly what you need.