A Five Star Book Review of The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson | A Romantic Comedy Novel

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary audiocopy of this book which I received via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links which means I will receive a commission based on sales generated via these links.

A Hilarious New Favorite

This book is everything that 2020 needs!

Melissa Ferguson expertly delivers a romantic comedy that is not only hilarious, but filled with heart and Southern charm in her newest release, The Cul-de-Sac War, published by Tyndale House. When the Bree and Chip find themselves battling over turf and losing their property lines to each other, they suddenly find that they may be losing their hearts to each other too. A new favorite of mine, one I’ll be recommending to all my friends as a must-read!

All’s fair in love and prank wars.

Bree Leake 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, 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.

And then there’s Chip McBride—her handsome and infuriating next-door neighbor.

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 Bree’s obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast.

Bree 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

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★★★★★ | Melissa Ferguson is a new author to me, and a local one at that! Her book was recommended by a friend of mine who knows Melissa though our foster parent community. I was able to snag an audio copy of the book via NetGalley and I’m so glad I did! It was excellent and exactly the kind of lighthearted, real-life novel I needed to read in this crazy year.

From the first few lines, Ferguson pulled me in. The hilarity of the predicaments and situations that the main characters, Bree and Chip, found themselves in were perfectly familiar, making these two characters lovable and relatable.

I laughed along as Chip’s dog Russell quickly became one of my favorite parts of the book and as these two characters battled over turf. Evie and her wild ideas, Bree and her grown-up, “I need to find and keep a job” self, and Chip with his quiet, sneaky attacks were simply hilarious!

What surprised me about this novel is that amidst the laughter and shenanigans between Bree and Chip, there was a depth that added heart to this story.

Ferguson didn’t stray from emotional struggles or scary life situations but rather embraced them with humor and integrity. I loved that! The expert way she balanced these factors and created such a heartwarming, entertaining and fulfilling style speaks volumes about her writing style.

I’m a new fan for life and I’ll be recommending this book as long as I live and breathe.

Overall, this story was well-written, very clever, inspiring, uplifting and relatable. The characters were well rounded and delightful. The story flowed well and was very entertaining (as in couldn’t put it down!). I highly recommend this book as audiobook and to those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a dash (or heavy dose) of humor!

I also highly recommend Melissa’s first book, The Dating Charade!

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This hilarious, yet emotional story is also heartwarming and entertaining as Cassie meets a handsome firefighter she thinks might be “the one”. However, when things change drastically in her life and her love interest’s life before their second date, these two play a new kind of dating game as they try to balance a new lives with children and maintain their dating life! Read my full review on Goodreads here.