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.

The Dating Charade

Literature & Fiction

Ferguson, Melissa

Genre Fiction

Thomas Nelson

All's fair in love and prank wars.&nbsp; Bree&nbsp;Leake&nbsp;doesn't want to be tied down. She's had more jobs than she can count, and she plans to move as soon as the curtains fall on her less-than-minor stage role at The Barter--the oldest live performance theater in the US. But just when it's time to move on again,&nbsp;Bree's parents make her an offer: hold steady for a full year, and they will give her the one thing she's always wanted--her grandmother's house. Her dreams are coming true . . . until life at the theater throws her some curve balls.&nbsp; And then there's Chip McBride--her handsome and infuriating next-door neighbor.&nbsp; Chip just might be the only person whose stubborn streak can match Bree's. She would move heaven and earth to have him off her cul-de-sac and out of her life, but according to the bargain she's struck, she can't move out of her house and away from the man who's making her life miserable. So begins&nbsp;Bree's obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood--and fast.&nbsp; Bree&nbsp;isn't the only one who's a tad competitive, and Chip is more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, the line between love and hate starts to blur--and their heated rivalry threatens to take a hilarious, heartwarming, and romantic new turn.

The Cul-de-Sac War

You’ve Got Mail meets The Proposal—this romance is one for the books. 
Savannah Cade’s dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance publishing company in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah’s been secretly writing. The only problem: she’s an editor for a different company, and their philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and romance should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante’s inferno. 
But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company—including William Pennington, the new boss and son of the romance-despising CEO herself—she has no choice but to hide the manuscript in a hidden room. 
When she returns, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins—quite critical ones. But when Claire’s own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all. 
As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There’s no doubt about it: she’s falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was. 
“Meet Me in the Margins is a delightfully charming jewel of a book that fans of romantic comedy won’t be able to put down!” — Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky

Meet Me in the Margins: A Rom-Com for People Who Love Books

History & Criticism

This Time Around: Three Sweet Romances

A Summer Detour&nbsp;by Denise Hunter In order to prove herself to her parents, free-spirited Allie Adams undertakes the responsibility of delivering her grandparents' newly-restored '57 Chevy for their 50th wedding anniversary party. But an unfortunate oversight forces her to make the road trip with Luke Fletcher, the man who callously broke her heart years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp; The journey soon dissolves into a series of misfortunes, obliging the antagonistic travelers to spend even more time together. As they overcome challenges and obstacles, they remember the spark that once flared between them. But they must decide if they're willing to risk their hearts again--or if the personal cost is simply too great. Pining for You&nbsp;by Melissa Ferguson Theo Watkins III is a respectable man--the kind who drives a Tesla, not a tractor. But when he discovers that the caretaker of his family-inherited Christmas tree farm is injured during planting season, he drives up to support the man who has been like a father to him. Three months into her move back to the family farm, Skye Whitesides expected to run into Theo eventually. What she didn't expect was for Theo to offer up his services for the farm. Not that he has any services--her childhood best friend and the man who broke her heart seventeen years ago wouldn't know which part of the shovel was the handle. As the two are forced to work together, she finds herself lowering her guard and starting to trust Theo. Is he truly the man she hopes him to be, or will he break her heart again He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not&nbsp;by Kathleen Fuller Thirty-five-year-old Sophie has spent years making her floral shop, Petals and Posies, a success, and her love life has suffered. She's avoided romance since her ex broke her heart, but now she's ready to start dating again. Joe, also thirty-five, has known Sophie since kindergarten, but sparks have never flown between them. He's finally decided to get back into the dating pool after spending the past fifteen years coaching, teaching, and working with underprivileged kids. He decides to ask out Sophie. But to his dismay, someone else is also vying for her attention. Should Sophie listen to Joe--and her heart Or should she take a chance with Landon, the slick lawyer she's also attracted to Will Joe, who hates conflict, do the easy thing and let Sophie and Landon be together Or force himself out of his comfort zone because he is unable to let her go

Fuller, Kathleen

Hunter, Denise

United States

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, anything can happen. 
In this glittering and heartwarming collection, three of today’s bestselling sweet romance novelists offer up the gift of cheer for the winter holiday season. 
A Christmas Do-Over by Sheila Roberts 
Darby doesn’t want to go home for the holidays, but a career fail sends her slinking back to the small town she always wanted to escape. No one there is especially glad to see the former mean girl—especially not her sister, Erica, or childhood best friend, Gregory. Darby is working hard to be a better person, but has she eaten enough humble pie to make amends? 
Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson 
When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth. 
A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston 
Kacey adores the metropolitan life, but when she gets away to help her sister during a family crisis and run her bakery, she falls in love with former classmate Drew. The problem: he’s a small-town man, and she’s a big-city woman. Is their love big enough to overcome such a major difference? 
Curl up with your favorite holiday drink and sink into three worlds where dreams once thought long-gone are still within reach. 
“Filled with Christmas spirit, and a little chaos, too, all three stories left my heart filled with joy . . . Five stars overall! ” —Nancy Naigle, bestselling author Three stand-alone romantic holiday novellas Book length: 70,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

On the Way to Christmas: Three Stories

Clipston, Amy

Roberts, Sheila

She's Insta-famous. He uses a flip phone. &nbsp;When her business partner is accused of serious financial crimes, superstar influencer Cat Cranwell--an engineered marvel of beauty, energy, and fun--falls from her penthouse perch. Desperate to get away from the online trolls and paparazzi documenting her disgrace, Cat accepts her uncle's offer to work with him in Kannery National Park. Montana. And about as far as possible from life as she's known it. &nbsp;Cat's world shifts from the swirling haze of likes and comments to literal blizzards of frostbite temperatures and waist-deep snow. In place of negotiating brand deals she finds herself negotiating at the ledge of a frozen lake with her die-hard Polar Bear Plunge coworkers. Instead of padding through the marble kitchen of her Manhattan loft, she's sharing a tent-sized cabin with a roommate eager to bond like characters in sitcoms. But something curious is also happening in this overwhelming breath of fresh air as she reacquaints with the most honest parts of herself and begins to ask the hard questions. Can Cat love herself with, and without, the world watching &nbsp;Then there's that other tiny problem--she's falling for Zaiah, the ruggedly handsome Park Ranger--and he hates anything remotely connected to social media, quite possibly her included. &nbsp;Written with bestselling author Melissa Ferguson's signature wit and charm, this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers' hearts.

Famous for a Living

How to Plot a Payback: A hilarious and heartwarming tale of revenge, redemption, and unexpected romance

Romance

Contemporary

For lovers of happily ever afters--this collection of three light and sweet romance stories will sweep you off your feet. In A Summer Detour&nbsp;by Denise Hunter, you'll meet free-spirited Allie Adams, who undertakes a road trip to deliver her grandparents' newly restored '57 Chevy in time for their fiftieth anniversary party . . . along with Luke Fletcher, the former boy-next-door who callously crushed her heart. Pining for You&nbsp;by Melissa Ferguson invites you to a cozy Virginia mountain town where Christmas tree farm owner Theo Watkins III has the opportunity to drop everything for one weekend to play farmer and potentially win back the heart of his childhood best friend, Skye Fuller. Only problem He's the kind of man who drives a Tesla, not a tractor.&nbsp; Last but not least, He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not&nbsp;by Kathleen Fuller will transport you to a small town in Arkansas where thirty-five-year-old Sophie Morgan has spent years making her flower shop a success. But when this workaholic decides she's ready to make time for dating again, she finds herself with two handsome men vying for her attention. Whether your perfect romance involves rows and rows of Fraser firs and white pines glinting in the moonlight, childhood love that never ends, or a second chance at a happily ever after, you're sure to find a story within this collection to warm your heart any day of the year. Praise for This Time Around: "Cozy up and prepare to lose yourself in this enchanting collection. Each story is as inviting and wonderful as the last. Reunion romances and heartwarming second chances are sure to delight readers." --Nancy Naigle, USA TODAY bestselling author "Romance readers are in for a sweet treat! Authors Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller have joined forces for a novella collection all about second chances, making the most of them when they're right in front of you, and fighting for them with everything you've got when necessary. Come for this trio of talented storytellers and stay for the humor, heart, and confident hope that there will be a happily ever after, This Time Around." --Bethany Turner, award-winning author of Plot Twist <ul> <li>Perfect for lovers of sweet happily-ever-afters</li> <li>Stand-alone novella collection</li> <li>Book length: 80,000 words</li> <li>Includes discussion questions for book clubs</li> </ul>

Short Stories & Anthologies

She's written dozens of smash hit novels as a ghostwriter. Too bad no one knows it. Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitching session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on. No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one condition: she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too. What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world. And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go. But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.

The Perfect Rom-Com: A Romance Novel for Book Lovers

Readers will learn about the life and works of Suzanne Collins. This young adult author’s life leading up to her success as the best-selling author of the Hunger Games trilogy is discussed. Readers will also learn about the author’s writing process and what inspires her to write. What’s next for this author and other interesting details are also included.

Suzanne Collins: Author of the Hunger Games Trilogy (Famous Female Authors)

Children's Books

Biographies

Capstone Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ferguson, Melissa. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ferguson, Melissa

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ferguson, Melissa. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Dating Charade

The Cul-de-Sac War

Meet Me in the Margins: A Rom-Com for People Who Love Books

This Time Around: Three Sweet Romances

On the Way to Christmas: Three Stories

Famous for a Living

How to Plot a Payback: A hilarious and heartwarming tale of revenge, redemption, and unexpected romance

This Time Around: Three Sweet Romances

The Perfect Rom-Com: A Romance Novel for Book Lovers

Suzanne Collins: Author of the Hunger Games Trilogy (Famous Female Authors)