Celebrity romance at its finest. I’ve loved all of Falon Ballard’s previous books and this one was no exception.

Grayson and Emmy starred in a rom com movie when they were teenagers. But the movie tanked, they had a falling out and haven’t spoken since. Until now. Where they’re forced to costar in another movie together despite their hatred for each other.

Ballard’s books are the perfect combo of emotional, funny, and sentimental. It had Hallmark charm AND depth.

That being said, I really wish this book was dual pov. Grayson was so misunderstood, I would kill get his thoughts. Because of the single POV, I feel like they went from enemies, to like, to love way too fast. Within ten pages.

Their tension was great. I just wish they didn’t skirt around their communication issues.

Read if you like:
🎥Celebrity romance
💘 Enemies to lovers
🛌Friends with benefits
🤫Secret relationship
🎬Rom com movies
👶🏻Nepo babies
🙋🏻‍♂️He falls first
🏡Small towns

Right on Cue by Fallon Ballard comes out Tuesday - February 27th! I loved Lease on Love but wasn't a fan of Just My Type so was hopeful for Right on Cue!

I liked Right on Cue - it was cute and a quick read. The overall story was good but there was unfortunately a lot of miscommunication which I didn't love or the third-act breakup. I do like Hollywood romances and the filming of a movie plot line. As characters, once they were together I was rooting for Emmy and Grayson since they did have chemistry

I read this quickly and didn't go in with super high expectations and I enjoyed it. It was exactly what I needed to read on a Friday night!

Thanks to Putnam Books for my copy of Right on Cue. It comes out on Tuesday - February 27th.

Five Word book Review: 𝐄𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Emmy Harper grew up in Hollywood; first as the daughter of two of its biggest stars, then as a teenaged actress for a hot minute, now as an in demand writer of romcom scripts and a recent Oscar winner.

But when her latest film stalls for lack of a female lead, her best friend and the director of said film convinces her to give acting another shot. Which she agrees to. Grudgingly. Unwillingly. Smirkingly.

When the male lead breaks his leg as production is set to begin, there’s a scramble to cast her love interest. Guess who signs on? The only man Emmy never wanted to see again. Grayson West.

Remember that hot minute in front of the camera when she was but an impressionable teen? She acted alongside Grayson, blockbuster action star, former teen heartbreaker, current aggravation.

And when the two clash over and over again, it leads to some pretty awful on screen chemistry. The tension is palpable, and everyone wonders: is it something unresolved from a decade ago or maybe something *wink mother effin wink* else? (spoiler alert: it’s the wink wink)

Filled will clever banter, palpable chemistry, and a fully developed enemies to lovers trope, fans of Tessa Bailey and Christina Lauren will eat this up.

Me? I kept going back to reread the scene where Emmy watches Grayson ice skating. Something incredibly sexy about that moment.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC to read and review. Available February 27, 2024.

Thank you to GP Putnam's & Sons and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I started reading more contemporary romance as a way to escape, instead of reading non-fiction, which is my preference, or historical fiction, which can be heavy depending upon which era is presented. However, I think I need to take a break from the genre for a variety of reasons, most of them because you've really got to suspend disbelief to get into this book.

How can Emmy, who gave up acting at 15, have such a successful screenwriting career in such a short amount of time? She's only 25. I may not be remembering correctly, but I thought the book said she'd won an Academy Award for screenwriting. ? A screenwriter of rom coms gets an Oscar? Definitely fiction. Also, a screenwriter should understand the basics of you know, communicating with another human being of the opposite sex. I dislike miscommunication tropes because it seems so juvenile and easily resolvable. I also dislike third act breakups, and this one comes out of nowhere. And Grayson is a huge action star, but has availability at the drop of a hat?

Lastly, not a prude, but I prefer closed door romance, not "new adult" or "spicy" or "erotica" or whatever the vernacular is these days. IT would be nice if NetGalley mentioned this content when requesting romance books. This is nothing against the author, but just not my jam.

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard
Pub date: February 27, 2024
Rating: 4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Of the 3 books I’ve read by this author, I’d say this one ranks second for me. If you liked Lease on Love, I think you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Emmy and Grayson had excellent chemistry, and the sweet and vulnerable moments between them only added to that.

The supporting characters were also enjoyable, and I particularly appreciated how supportive of the budding relationship they all were. Especially Liz and Sam, although this support came in very different ways from them.

I thought that the communication between the two was so well done for about 3/4 of the book. The tension and lack of communication at the very beginning served the story well and established the basis for them to grow closer together and become vulnerable with one another. And then they really communicated and demanded that of one another in a supportive way.

However, I did find the third act a bit frustrating. It just felt too-cliche rom com for me. Emmy and Grayson had already made such progress, the complete breakdown in communication felt too contrived. And the resolution was fine, but a bit typical.

Ultimately I enjoyed this read even if the last fourth of it could’ve been better. The epilogue was sweet, which helped make up for that. I would definitely recommend this book to people who love romantic comedies.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

This was a really solid romcom and an easy story to enjoy! I found the characters to be super likable and appreciated that they had depth but that it didn’t weigh the story down. Overall, I found Right on Cue to be an easy Hollywood romance to immerse myself into and loved that some of my favorite tropes were included: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, second chance. I can’t wait to see what she writes next! 4.25/5 stars and 2/5 spice

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Falon Ballard’s third book, Right on Cue, is a fun celebrity romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously; as in her dedication and acknowledgments, Ballard wrote this one for herself, and I feel like she used many tropes she probably enjoys and had fun writing. This is my second book of hers (my first being Just My Type, which I devoured and instantly became one of my favorite romances!!! and I started Lease on Love but got distracted and will go back to properly read soon!), but the feel of Right on Cue is pretty different from Just My Type. You can tell that it’s meant to be lighthearted and a tribute to the romance genre.

I can see how this started as even more of a holiday book, as the premise of Emmy’s screenplay sounds like a Christmas Hallmark movie, and the setting of the inn and Pine Springs where they filmed is festive and snow-covered, despite it being almost spring. I loved the setting, and the Hallmark movie type premise made me laugh (although I’ve never actually watched a Hallmark movie myself! I feel like I’ve learned a lot about them from romance memes and references). Ballard is definitely aware of the tropes she’s playing with and makes some jokes about them through the character of Emmy, since she’s a rom-com screenwriter, like when she references enemies-to-lovers and the third act breakup as romance elements. I appreciated the nods to and love for the genre that shines through. The banter between Emmy and Grayson is entertaining, and Ballard’s writing is so easy to read and fly through.

Emmy, our main character whose POV this book is told through, is a beloved writer of rom-coms likened to Nora Ephron, and the child of Hollywood stars. As such, she’s grown up in the spotlight of her parents’ fame, ending up with her own hang-ups and insecurities related to this life in the public eye. She’s hard on herself and is terrified of failing in front of the world, having been scared off acting by her first try at it as a teen that resulted in a performance panned by critics. She also blames this on Grayson, her love interest and costar from that teen rom-com failure, after overhearing his immature remarks that hit directly at her insecurities about being a nepo baby and the way she’s perceived by others. I felt for Emmy, as a life of public scrutiny is sure to mess with one’s outlook on the world, and as a teen with a crush, to have that kind of rude awakening sounds like it must’ve been pretty traumatizing. She also got on my nerves at times; while she’s self-aware in many ways, she’s oblivious in others; in Emmy’s reluctant return to acting, this time in a movie she wrote, she deludes herself into thinking that her acting is perfect, while all the blame lies with Grayson. She and Grayson both behave immaturely on set, him as a result of Emmy being rude and angry with him whenever they have scenes together.

I do wish we got to understand more of why Grayson’s acting was robotic, though; since it’s first person Emmy’s POV, we don’t know if his acting is like that solely because of her contempt for him, although it’s implied (I guess we just assume it’s his uncontrolled reaction to her acting?). It would’ve helped, I think, to get a better sense for Grayson’s character by seeing his thoughts in reaction to Emmy’s rudeness. I also had some issues with the pacing and relationship development; Emmy and Gray, as they go from costars with animosity to costars with benefits to more, get to know each other really well, which I loved, but we only get a glimpse of that emotional depth when Gray opens up about his dad and Emmy briefly talks about hers. We don’t actually get to see a lot of that getting to know little details about each other content on the page, which is a shame, since it would strengthen the emotional connection for the reader. Their physical attraction and chemistry, however, is clear and leaps off the page. I appreciated that Ballard went for more steam and sex scenes, I just wanted a little more of the emotional depth I loved in Just My Type.

I did enjoy the scenes with Emmy’s mother, since her mom is so funny and loving and supportive and says all the things I wanted to yell at Emmy when she was being dumb in the third act. Her mom is so mature and wise and a lovely character.

The miscommunication in this book was frustrating, particularly for the third act conflict, mainly because this trope of listening to half of a conversation and jumping to conclusions is personally not one of my favorites. I see why Emmy reacted that way, knowing her personality and fears and insecurity, but I also wanted to shake her so bad for not listening to her best friend, Liz, who told her she should at least try to let Grayson explain if she really loves him. I liked that Grayson didn’t immediately accept her apology, and that he did acknowledge his own fault in that situation as well, in the end, but the timeline felt a bit rushed. I wish Emmy (and maybe even Grayson) had gone to therapy on page or at least mentioned having gone to address her issues during their time apart.

It didn’t quite hit the mark for me the way that Just My Type did, but I still had fun reading it and am looking forward to Ballard’s holiday romance coming later this year!

Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC!

an enemies to lovers, second chance, first love situation with a whole lot of MISCOMMUNICATION and tbh I was very over it by act one lol! I will say this is definitely the hottest out of all Ballards books and definitely gave hallmark after dark energy!

This was a sweet romance, I love the premise and setting but just really felt like I couldn’t connect with character. It was well written but just not what I wanted in the moment

Single POV
Enemies to lovers
Celebrity romance
Second chance
Co-stars
Fantastic banter

I thoroughly enjoyed this book—especially as I am very hard on single POV romances. It often feels like things get overlooked or I finish the book wishing for insight into the other character’s mind. However, Ballard delivers a phenomenal romcom—the pacing, the plot, the characters, and the romance seamlessly blended and held me captive until the last page.

Like many others, I did not like the extent of the miscommunication in the 3rd act. Is it possible I would act the same if I were in her shoes? Absolutely. However, I like to think I would have listened to the entire conversation…

In addition to the Emmy + Grayson preciousness, the secondary characters were just as strong. I especially loved the friendship between Emmy and Liz, and I also adored the relationship between Emmy and her mom! (I also found myself looking forward to hair and makeup with Sam and Amanda).

Quick fluffy romance. Nothing very original but the story kept me going. I hate third act breakups that occur solely due to miscommunication, so I didn’t like that from this book. Emmy was very dramatic and made a big deal about too many things. I liked that there was some spice in this book, definitely helped me enjoy it more. The characters have a little depth to them but I would love to see a lot more. As is, not super attached to the characters. It’s not exactly insta-love but I wish they didn’t say I love you when they did. It felt way too soon for me.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

This was so cute! I loved the setting, and the banter. I was annoyed with both of the main characters for half of the book, but still enjoyed.

Sadly, I did not love this book. I found the main characters to be very frustrating and immature. There were some cute and sweet moments between Emmy and Grayson, but overall I didn't care much for them as a couple. I felt like there was some sort of disconnect. There was so much talk about their chemistry and tension but in my opinion, it didn't translate. I did like that about halfway into the book, Emmy and Grayson got better at communicating. They were more open and understanding of each other's concerns, insecurities and frustrations both in the industry and their relationship. The miscommunication and third act breakup seemed a bit forced and out of place to me. It felt like Emmy's character development was completely disregarded just to make it happen.

Relatable. Intimate. Fun. Spicy.

Ballard’s writing brings you directly onto set and right into the action between Emmy and Grayson. The plot was incredibly fun and I really loved the insider look at the film industry, movie sets, and exploring the level of trust and faith actors need to have when working with each other. Their characterization as individuals is strong, bringing them to life on the page, but the real winner is the chemistry and interactions between them throughout. An incredibly well-executed enemies-to-lovers, that had me hooked from the jump with lots of juicy drama and tons of spice

I'm incredibly picky about the writing quality in romances, and Falon Ballard always delivers high-quality prose that doesn't rely on cutesy language or overwrought tropes.

Right on Cue is my first read by this author, and I would most definitely read her again. What's better than a Rom-com about a Rom-com screenwriter finding her own happily ever after with her teenage arch nemesis? A great mash-up of enemies to lovers, second chances, friends with benefits, miscommunication, small town romance, and all the steamy fun rolled into one. I needed something light and fluffy and got it, although there were some serious moments about how people tend to only see the surface and not the depth of a person.

Enjoyed it more than I expected. From requesting an arc copy to actually reading it, I had forgotten the premise so was pleasantly surprised that it did not turn out to be a friends to lovers, but an enemy's to lovers with an unrequited love.
The first person present point-of-view did throw me off at times but did not take away from the enjoyment of the book. I felt the point-of-view did help with the feeling and emotional mindset of Harper, but did sometimes make her seem just bit shallow at times. It was definitly easier to understand her frustrations when West would claim up during their scenes, but also helped with the "oh crap" shock when she was confronted with her own unprofessionalism. It also didn't help with West's character development. His thoughts behind why he did what he did all those years ago never came back, which was something I was hoping to get.
Unfortunately the long-standing grudge, sometimes fell short for me. I understood why the feelings she felt would effect her in the way they did but also why hold on to this for so long? The pressure of her family and the public certainly didn't help but considering how much support and how much the public loved her I think her entrance back into acting would have been received positively. It did help create a fun meet cute.
The setting of the book, the material of the movie that was being created, and the main characters choice of profession leaned in on so many romance tropes making the book feel like a love letter to romance/romcoms but also felt like it didn't take itself too seriously. It leaned into the jokes and it became a fun Easter egg hunt to see what would be included or joked about.
I still cried when the main character was sad, when the third act breakup happened, and when the happily ever after became fulfilled. But I definitely panicked when I was 70% in and they were happy and everything seemed so right in their world. I also really liked that the third act break up took some time to resolve. It wasn't instantaneous after the conflict was explained, there was still suffering required from both parties.
Overall this was a very fun, light, and enjoyable read.

Emmy Harper is a successful screenwriter but when they are unable to cast her current film, she is convinced to step back into acting and take on the lead role. It took a lot of convincing but she knew she was in good hands with her best friends as producer and the male lead role. Until an unexpected twist of fate lands her arch nemesis, Grayson West as her costar. Dreamboat to million of women fans, he’s anything but that to Emma – as she blames him for derailing her acting career when they first costarred as young teens. The distain and hostility between the two may be enough to end this movie before it even starts if they can’t find a way to bring some semblance of chemistry to the screen.
This was my first Falon Ballard book, and I already added Lease on Love to my TBR! While miscommunication is my least favorite trope, Ballard takes it right to the edge, or eh, maybe slightly tipping over! Add to that a third act break-up may have cost a star. An enemies to lovers trope where the hostility exudes from both characters but is only hiding their vulnerabilities underneath.
Right on Cue provides some great banter, sweet mother daughter conversations (I loved Emma’s mother!), and some of the best side characters of any book I’ve read (I’m looking at you Sam!). In this story, both characters have a lot of growing to do, and they do. It was a fun, fast read that I took on vacation with me. It was the perfect read on the beach!

EMMY & GRAYSON!!! Yes please!
“Love is only complicated when you make it complicated.” This quote sums up the whole book. Child stars Emmy & Grayson got off to a bad start as teenagers when their movie tanked. Emmy had resentment towards Grayson for hurtful comments that were said after their first even kissing scene to the point that she gave up acting to become a screenwriter. When 15yrs later Grayson is dropped at her feet as a replacement for the male lead in her new movie she wanted nothing to do with him. She had signed up to be the female lead without knowing that he would be showing up. As reader, we know how rom-com movies & books work. A whole lot of chemistry and spice. She wrote a script that she thought would be played by other people (hello chemistry and spice). Emmy & Grayson had to spend many hours together kissing and doing adult scenes. Their off-screen chemistry ramped up after he opened up to her about their first movie. It was his first kiss as well and the hurtful comments were to make himself look better. I think the moment she really fell in love was when he opened up about his parents especially the non-existent relationship with his dad. So when it comes to love, you can’t love someone unless you let them in. Don’t make it complicated just communicate!
So now to the stuff we as romance readers want to know… yes there is great spice! I love a great enemies to lovers with a hunky man and a HEA.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

Rom com lovers, this book was written for you! This was my first Falon Ballard novel and I loved her writing! I was so lucky to receive an ARC copy of this novel from @netgalley and couldn’t wait to share my thoughts with you!

Summary: Emmy Harper (our FMC) is an Oscar winning screenwriter and Hollywood daughter of very famous parents. This nepobaby lives up to her hype, being heralded as the next Nora Ephron and her talent for writing perfect RomComs is superb. She’s recently written a new screenplay that she is going to star in and her best friend, Liz, is going to direct. All is going swimmingly, until her co-star shows up and he is none other than Emmy’s teenage archnemisis, Grayson West. Grayson just happens to be a very popular (and hunky) action star who starred opposite Emmy in her acting debut at 15. Their first film was a flop, and it soon seems that their new film will be too. If only they could get past their old issues and find their underlying chemistry…

Review: This book is a Romcom lovers dream. References to Nora Ephron, quaint snowy inn setting and of course an enemies-to-lovers trope. This book had it all to get me to escape reality for a bit. I loved a Hollywood setting, especially behind the scenes. It makes me feel like I’m in on some industry secret! I think Ballard did a great job of creating dynamic characters who are both trying to find themselves and work through old hurts and at the same time she delivered excellent side characters who actually added value to the novel. Often side characters are forgettable, but not in this story. Sam the make up artist was really a delight, Liz the director/best friend was the perfect mix of business/friendship and Emmy’s quirky and fabulous mother was really an anchor to this story. A word of warning, this book does contain a miscommunication trope. Its not my favorite of the romance themes but it did not take away from my love of this book. If its not your thing, I totally get it.

*Song Pairing: Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

This was my first book from the author and I devoured it. The Hollywood setting was new and different making me excited to get to know the characters and follow their story. The main character was hard to get to know or even visualize. I didn’t find her likable or even unlikeable, just uninteresting. The story changes from cold the first half to hot without a lot of buildup which could be ok for me except for the miscommunication that makes the ending less desirable. While this book isn’t a favorite, I enjoyed the opportunity from NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and plan to read to read some of Ballard previous books.