I loved Falon’s previous work, and this was just as wonderful to read! I always enjoy her characters and the banter between them. It’s all so delicious.

Screenwriter Emmy is happy being behind the scenes after her one failed attempt at acting. With her bestie directing her new romcom, she’s feeling back on track since her father’s passing. When she’s convinced to play her heroine, the last person she expects to be acting alongside her is the man who ruined her last acting experience. Can they put their anger aside for the sake of the movie, or will real sparks be flying between them on set?

I thought it was a neat view into how a movie set works, and now I’m interested in more books with that setting! I felt like Grayson’s feelings were evident from the beginning, but it was fun to see Emmy discover them and work through her own feelings.

Both characters made me laugh and swoon, I loved them both. Their mutual vulnerability was beautiful and heartwarming, it felt like they were each other’s home before they even realized it.

My one sadness about this one was the miscommunication leading to the third-act breakup. I had a feeling it would play out that way, so I was prepared, but it was still sad to see them so hurt and the time wasted. I’m just a sucker for things going right all the time in books (unrealistic, I know).

The CHEMISTRY was off the charts! The whole “will they, won’t they” buildup was killing me, thank god it wasn’t too much of a slow burn because I was so eager for it to boil over. Basically, if Falon writes it, I’m going to read it!

This was a sweet and straight forward rom com- I really enjoyed the tv show setting and well developed cast of characters!

Title: Right on Cue
Author: Falon Ballard
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Right on Cue" by Falon Ballard

My Thoughts:

'Right on Cue' was a nice love story of Emmy and Grayson reuniting after what happened earlier while working together in their teens. It was fun reaching out to how these two could finally put the past in the past and move on, and from there, something unexpected happened between them. Will this be a second-chance romance? I don't know if I would say that, but pick up this read and see what you think. Will these two finally unite from enemies to lovers and be given a HEA? Pick up 'Right on Cue' to see how it will all come out. Be ready for a good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Right On Cue is a great friends to lovers romance that takes place on a movie set, so right off the bat it hits several of my favorite tropes. The main characters, Emmy and Grayson, have history: they met on their first film, also a romance, and shared their first kiss on screen - but any chemistry disappeared when Emmy overheard Grayson maligning her kissing skills, and their stilted performances led to the movie flopping. While Grayson went on to have a successful action career, Emmy pivoted to screenwriting, penning a series of successful rom-coms. When her latest film needs a leading lady, she agrees to give acting another shot - except Grayson ends up as the male lead opposite her.

I appreciate that Emmy isn’t written as a perfect character. She has flaws and her behavior toward Grayson contributes to the enmity between them. She isn’t perfect and neither is he, and they have to learn to trust each other and to communicate if they have any shot of making it work. The chemistry between them is undeniable when they can set aside their differences, and I really enjoyed watching their story unfold.

This was a fun enemies to lovers romance between a screenwriter (who ends up having to star in her own movie) and a male actor she has a difficult history with. At first the two can't stand each other, but over time they end up falling for one another. There were some funny moments as well as some heartfelt interactions between the two. It took me a while to get into this one, probably because I didn't connect with the lead characters, but fans of Amy Lea, Olivia Wade and Ava Wilder will enjoy it!

A charming, sizzling romance. It was a fun read
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion. .

Title: Right on Cue
Author: Falon Ballard
Length: 335
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: February 27, 2024
Genre: RomCom, ChickLit, Contemporary Romance
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: open door
Summary:
Hollywood's romantic comedy queen, Emmy Harper, returns to the genre after a personal tragedy. In a surprising twist, she not only writes but also stars in her latest project, opposite Grayson West, a charismatic action star. Despite past tensions, they must overcome their differences for the sake of the film. As the cameras roll, the line between on-screen tension and off-screen attraction blurs, leading to unexpected chemistry. Will they salvage the movie and discover a real-life happy ending?

Thoughts:
You know when you fall in love with a book and its characters all the while they are falling in love with each other? Yeah, that’s this book! I like to go into books blindly (especially with auto-buy authors such as Falon), and I’m so glad I did. I was just as surprised as Emmy when I found out she’d have to play the part of the FMC in her romantic comedy. And I was just as surprised when Grayson showed up to play opposite her. It was so fun! (Hoping you don’t like to go in blindly since you’re reading this review haha) The chemistry between Emmy and Grayson was top notch. I loved the tension, the banter, the organic feeling of them falling in love, all of it!

And don’t get me started on the side characters. Emmy’s best friend, Liz, is literally the best friend. She’s so level-headed and knows exactly what Emmy needs. And Sam and Amanda gave me Cinna from Hunger Games vibes!

If you’re looking for a rom com that you can’t put down, that’s going to make you laugh, that’s going to make you swoon, and has the (what I think) is the perfect level of open-door spice, then this one’s for you!

Read if you love:
Forced proximity
Enemies to lovers
Enemies with benefits
Celebrity romance
Witty banter

Special thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was fun, spicy and sentimental all at the same time! I truly loved getting wrapped up in Emmy’s world of filming her Hallmark-type movie, set in a winter wonderland. All the characters felt so relatable and I enjoyed watching Emmy and Grayson let their guards down as they learned more about one another and started believing in themselves. The banter kept me laughing throughout but I was also tearing up during moments of vulnerability. There was a bit of miscommunication and lack of communication which always frustrates me, but the ending was so perfect! Lastly, I loved that Falon Ballard incorporated texts, blog posts and news articles- which makes books so fun to read!
If you’re in the mood to get swept away into a swoony romcom, give this a try!

I was honestly a little nervous going into this one. I ADORED Lease on Love but Just My Type fell a little flat for me. But I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this one!

I’m not always sure how I’ll feel about celebrity romances, but this was fun! I enjoyed that they were making a rom-com movie in a small town. I would definitely go see the movie! It was fun to watch these two go from messing up the movie to really nailing it and to figure out what went wrong in their past.

Emmy and Grayson definitely had physically chemistry, but I do wish we got to see more of the emotional connection between them. I loved the enemies-to-lovers, but I wanted a few more stolen moments of these two learning about each other. I also understand why the ending happened the way it did, but I also wanted it all to be handled a little differently.

Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Falon has an incredible writing style and I honestly flew through this one wanting to see what was going to happen.

I received an early copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I loved every second of this book and am honestly sad it’s over! It was the perfect cutesy romcom and the enemies to lovers trope was done so well!!

I liked this book! I am a big fan of Ballard and am always entertained with her characters and writing style. A very quick, easy read with lots of tension.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really fun to read! I love enemies-to-lovers as a trope, and I bought the miscommunications in the story. The progression was fairly natural. I’d recommend it!

This was a cute little enemies to lovers read, but for me it was so unrealistic. No one would ever be in those positions and the third act breakup was sooooo forced

It took me about 80 pages to get into this, but once I was in I was HOOKED. I mean, I seriously couldn't put it down. This is my first book by Falon Ballard, but I have always heard such good things. Now I can see why. Grayson and Emmy had me blushing so much and I absolutely loved their love story. Immediately going to checkout Falon's backlog now.

There was something so charming about this book. Emmy- an accomplished screenwriter turned actress again, after a disasterous first attempt as a teen- is so passionate about her work. Grayson, Emmy's former teen co-star is now a successful action star looking to break out from his chisseled cookie cutter roles, and has all the charisma you want from a leading man. You don't get much of their shared history, but you can feel the animosity left from their past and it allows the relationship to really devlop in stages in the present. There's lots of banter, flirting, and needling between the two that was a blast to read.

Falon Ballard's newest release is publishing soon! 

I really liked Lease on Love, and I LOVED Just My Type, so of course I was eager to read Right on Cue. 

WHAT I LIKED
- The adorable location (a snowy bed and breakfast and a small tourist town) and fun premise (a successful producer steps in as the lead of her newest movie, which unexpectedly puts her in the path of her former swoony costar).

- The connection between Emmy and Grayson was so sweet, and their chemistry was off the charts.

- I love Ballard's writing. It's charming and hilarious. 


WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME
- The pacing went quickly. While Right on Cue would technically be labeled as second-chance romance, it felt like insta-love, which never feels realistic to me.

- The flimsy third act break-up (miscommunication + overreaction) drove me crazy.

- Right on Cue was spicier than her previous romances, and it was too much for me. Again, that's just my preference. 

Overall, Right on Cue is a great pick for rom-coms fans! It's just not one of my personal favorites.

ARC from NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, these are my own thoughts & opinions.

Stop it, this book is so good!! 😭🫶🏼 it's been a minute since l've read a romcom that has me giggling and kicking my feet, and this one delivered! It was sweet, fun, and addictive. Hollywood with small town vibes made it a different take on both those tropes. So close to being a 5 star read for me, but miscommunication was a huge part of the plot & it was really frustrating.

Tropes: second chance romance, secret relationship, workplace romance, friends with benefits, celebrity romance.

Posting on Instagram stories 2/26, feed 2/27. Saved to ARC highlight. Posted on Goodreads and StoryGraph 2/26

I am always a fan of a book where the main characters are actors so I was really excited to read this one! It is perfect for fans of a celebrity friends-with-benefits story.

I really liked Emmy and Grayson together. They had clear chemistry, and while their connection was initially physical, Falon Ballard made it clear that they also had a strong emotional connection. I felt like this was an unusual romance in that Emmy was protective of Grayson and coming to his defense when it is often the other way around in MF romances.

One thing that didn't fully work for me at times was Emmy's character. She was quick to judge Grayson and I ended up feeling bad for him at times. Additionally, I love it when romance writers mention tropes in their books, but in this one, it didn't fully work for me.

If the premise of this one sounds appealing to you it's worth the read! The steamy scenes are good and the romance is enjoyable. Who doesn't love a little celebrity drama in their day?

🌶️🌶️🌶️ - This book has a few detailed spicy scenes. While the sexual tension was not a huge part of the book, we did see it some when they were filming intimate scenes.

Right on Cue is the second book I've read by Falon Ballard. I absolutely loved Lease on Love. Right on Cue fell a bit short for me. I did love that it took place on a movie set, but I hate miscommunication and there was a lot of that here. The ending felt a bit rushed and I wished there had been more explanation. It was still a fun, enjoyable read but I just can't stand miscommunication and I never got fully invested in the two main characters. I would have loved to have had some chapters from Grayson's point of view and maybe that would've helped me understand him better. There were some steamy scenes and I did enjoy when Emmy and Grayson were together in the middle of the book, but the beginning and the end missed the mark for me. I still love this author and am looking forward to reading more from her.

This was my first read by Falon Ballard, and OMGOSH, where have I been?! This story had a unique plot, a setting that I want to be plopped in, and true enemies-to-lovers vibes.

WHAT I LOVED MOST:
-Sweet, sweet angst. These two have hawwwwt chemistry and you get constant doses of that sizzle
-The bestie, Liz-FREAKING HILARIOUS. I loved every single thing out of her mouth whether it was her chewing someone out, or her giving heartfelt advice.
-The banter is delicious. Nom, nom, nom.
-Caretaking scenes make me swooooooon!

FAVORITE QUOTES:
“Four? Ems, the recommended dose is two.” “Yeah, and when one of your organs decides to rip itself apart and expel itself from your body, then you can take two.”

“He groans into my mouth, and I swallow it like it’s champagne.”

“And then his lips are on mine and heat spreads through me, like someone just poured warm maple syrup over my head, only slightly less sticky.”

I will be devouring this author’s backlist now, and look forward to future books… maybe in this series? Maybe with Liz? This is for sure a great read for anyone who loves some spice, E-2-L, and witty, well written storytelling