In the Rom-Com movie of her career, Emmy Harper gets casted as the main character of her own screen-write. When a shift in male lead changes to Grayson West, an actor she despises since their teenage years, the movie filming gets off to a rocky start. Their immature responses to drama festering from their teenage years makes for a slow start to the book. There is a lack of on-film romance and the tension is high. When Emmy’s best friend Liz, who is also the director of the show, intervenes and tells the two to put aside their differences to save the movie, the book takes a steamy shift. The storyline picks up and the development from enemies to lovers will keep you wanting more!

I enjoyed the main characters with their steamy connection and loved the supporting characters who always brought Emmy back to reality, challenging her to be her best self. Many great reminders to stay true to yourself, communicate honestly, and get the full story before making assumptions. I found the small town romance set as a Hollywood studio a cute combo of charming Hallmark setting and pop stardom. The way the storyline used filming certain movie scenes at different locations and timings, made for a clever way to develop the plot. I would definitely recommend this book and encourage you to stick with reading it even if you find it to be a slow start.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Releases on 27 Feb 2024.

Right on Cue was the perfect celebrity, enemies to lovers rom-com. It was easy to fall in love with both the leads. I loved reading their backstory and how they found their way back to each other. It was a quick and easy read that I would recommend. Thanks NetGalley!

Thanks to NetGalley for this fun read perfect for the holidays. It was super sweet but pretty predictable. I enjoyed the characters and their relationship of enemies to lovers. Some of the storyline felt rushed or could have used a little extra but it was still a quick read and worth it.

Not my favorite by this author but super cute! The banter and the angst is captivating, but there were a couple pacing/plot issues. Overall, a solid 4 star read by an incredible author!

Fallon Ballard, ugh you know how to write! The storyline, character development, all it was awesome. This showmance turned happily ever after was a great way to start the year.

I loved Just My Type but Right on Cue takes the cake. I absolutely cannot wait for more from you. February cannot come soon enough I need a physical copy of this asap!

🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited for this book to unfold and, as it got started, I was taken aback by just how rude both of the main characters were to one another. We learn they have a shared history (a reason for the hatred and rudeness) but it was incessant. By 25% in, I noted that if I had to hear to the male lead referred to as “Grayson F*cking West” one more time, I was going to abandon the book. It just got old.

I warmed up to the story when Emmy and Grayson worked to overcome their past and give each other a chance, but when it imploded again in the final section of the book, it all felt too formulaic to me.

I wanted to connect to these characters and their story a bit more but I never did. It was a cute story but it won’t be one I remember for very long.

RIGHT ON CUE is a Hollywood-set rom-com following Emmy Harper, a screenwriter of romantic comedies, as she stars in her newest movie alongside the man she hasn't liked since their original movie together, Grayson West. They acted together in their first movie when she was fifteen, and she's harbored a grudge since. Set on-site at a cozy inn located in a small town, RIGHT ON CUE does give all the Hallmark-y feels. I loved that Emmy was a screenwriter *and* actor because we don't typically have the former as a protagonist, but I wish we'd leaned into that a little bit more. The acting obviously took center-stage and I love the idea of a writer being a main character but we didn't get to explore that in this book. Emmy & Grayson's romance developed at a great pace, and their interactions on set as they warmed up to each other were fun to read. I always love when books are set in Hollywood, and this one was no exception, but some elements just felt repetitive in the sense that nothing new really came out of this that I hadn't seen in other rom-coms of similar plots. The third-act conflict, in particular, was word-for-word what I've read in so many other books--it's your basic miscommunication (which was particularly unfounded because of how their relationship was progressing, but I won't get started haha). I had a good time reading this and could see myself potentially coming back to it, but it just felt like a rewrite of a story I've read before.

3.5 stars rounded down!

Celebrity romances are so fun and this one didn't shy away from the spice! I loved the development of the characters and getting background of their story, but also
SO. MUCH. MISCOMMUNICATION.

This book was adorable and I truly couldn't put it down. However, once I was finished I realized how much still needed to be filled in. I felt like there was zero reason why they hated each other, and why Grayson was bombing his scenes in the beginning. It actually made no sense. The book needed just a little more fill-in of back story.

Right on Cue is about Emmy Harper, a nepo baby, who has grown up around the movie world. After dipping her toes into the acting world at a young age, the movie flops, convincing Emmy to change career paths. She then becomes a well known screenwriter who specializes in romantic comedies. After finishing her most recent project that is guaranteed to be a hit, Emmy is convinced to star in the movie. Though a last minute change has her starring alongside the "World's Sexiest Man" Grayson West, who was actually her first co-star in the unsuccessful movie ages ago. Emmy partially blames Grayson for the end of her acting career, so getting back on set with him for her first acting gig in over a decade for a movie she screen wrote put a lot of stress on Emmy. The two must try to move past their their history to try to make the new movie a success.

I really enjoyed this read! It was my first Falon Ballard book and I will definitely pick up some of her other books. Her writing styles was very enjoyable to read and very entertaining. I also love the on set/screen romance. It was fun to see a little behind the scenes of the film making world. The enemy to lovers trope was done very well. The relationship development between Emmy and Grayson was very fun, tons of banter, and very hot and steamy.

My only question about the plot that I don't feel like was answered during the book was why Grayson was so unwilling to be professional when he agreed to sign up for the movie knowing Emmy would be his co-star. I would have thought he would of been the first to try to talk things out instead of letting them both awkwardly shot scenes together? The miscommunication trope also is not my favorite, but I don't think it took up too much of the book for it to bother me.

Overall I am giving it a 3.5/5 stars. Thank you so much Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this story! Such a cute enemies to lovers romance! This is my first book by Falon but it def won’t be my last! Added backlist to my TBR 😍

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard follows Emmy, screen-writer turned actress. Emmy has not acted in over fifteen years due to a poorly received performance alongside her co-star, Grayson, on her last set. However, when Emmy agrees to play a character in her latest screenplay, Grayson is once again cast alongside her as her love interest.

Right on Cue has a super fun setting- I loved reading about the world through the lens of a rom-com film. I also greatly enjoyed the writing style of this book as I breezed through it. And while this book is not getting a glowing 5-star review from me for character-driven reasons, I found myself often thinking about this book when I was not reading it, and there is something to be said about that.

There were many fun interactions between Emmy and Grayson due to movie backdrop that should have led to the reader feeling an intense amount of chemistry between these two. However, this was not the case. I did not really "feel" the connection between Emmy and Grayson until over halfway into the book, and even then it was a lackluster connection. The writing constantly told the reader how much "chemistry" Emmy and Grayson had instead of actually showing their chemistry, and it was a huge downfall of the novel for me. The lack of chemistry was at least in part due to Emmy's child-like behavior and unlike-ability. Emmy is written to be around 30 but is still acting like she is 15 on her first set with Grayson. I did not hate her character, but I certainly did not sympathize with her and in consequence I was not truly rooting for the romance.

Right on Cue includes the trope "right person, wrong time", and I think that might be the same for this author and this book for me. Perhaps this is the right author, wrong book. I definitely want to read more from Falon Ballard in the future as I really enjoyed the writing style, but the characters and their chemistry together left something to be desired. I had fun reading this, but knowing what it could have been for me if Emmy was written more maturely greatly disappoints me.

Thank you to author Falon Ballard, publisher Penguin Group Putnam, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
This title will be released on February 27, 2024.

3.5 STARS

Emmy Harper is fresh off an Oscar win and has just penned a new rom-com screenplay. Her director friend ropes her into resuming her long-dead acting career in order to play the female lead in the movie. Problem is, the male lead is Grayson West, a blockbuster hottie from her past. When they come together on set and on camera, it's awkward. And then there's the movie's sex scenes...

This was such a fun, fluffy romance between co-stars. I loved the tension between the two mains, the movie set setting, and light second-chance elements. The occasional media inserts (interviews, tweets, press releases) were fun and addressed the public part of their acting jobs.

I did think the way Grayson initially acted on set in scenes with Emmy was weird. I don't think it was fully explained why he acted so unprofessionally. And although I thought Emmy and Grayson were sweet together, I was not deeply invested in their relationship. They started sleeping together and then jumped to falling in love. I didn't get enough character details for them individually to even get a sense of their personalities. I also wanted more non-sexual intimate moments between them where I felt like they were confiding in each other and building a unique connection.

Overall, I would recommend if you just want a feel-good, light-hearted romance and enjoy actors/Hollywood in your story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Will sparks fly or fizzle when Emmy and Grayson once again have to work together after a terrible interaction 15 years ago?

I couldn’t put this book down. I flew through this and was upset when I finished it. The main characters and side characters were so likable and fun. While I do hate the miscommunication trope, it wasn’t terrible in this book. I liked that the fall out and the make up didn’t take up a bunch of chapters.

Tropes:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximities
-miscommunication
-movie stars
-he fell first
-coworkers with benefits

I think a lot of rom-com lovers with devour this book!

Releases February 27th, 2024

This was such a cute romcom! At first I was unsure about the main character being another Hollywood nepo baby but Emmy grew on me as the story progressed. This was my first book by Falon Ballard and it won't be my last. Thank you, Putnam and NetGalley, for yet another enjoyable eARC!

🔥🔥🔥🔥 Another spicy rom-com from Fallon Ballard! Enemies to costars to friends to benefits to.....??? I loved how the rom-com movie was brought to life in the book as well. So much 🔥!!!

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emmy Harper wanted to be an actress as a child, but after a disastrous first film at age 15 and the cruelty of the media, she grows up to live behind the scenes as a screenwriter instead. When her newest screenplay stalls with casting and a looming deadline, she gets looped into acting in the lead role. And with a twist of fate, her nemesis Grayson West from that awful movie all those years ago is cast as her leading man.

The tension between these two is palpable and almost tanks the movie before they even start filming. When they finally realize their behavior will hurt the many people involved, they decide to engage in some "co-stars with benefits" action to diffuse their tension off-screen and amp up their chemistry on-screen. It works a little too well because feelings develop, and it moves beyond a FWB situationship.

I really liked the progression of their relationship. We get tidbits of information along the way to fill in the gaps of what happened between the two of them all those years ago. Emmy and Grayson have many tender moments and open up to one another along the way, sharing their insecurities and vulnerabilities with one another. They seem to build a very strong foundation in a short period of time.

The third act drama did frustrate me quite a bit. I can deal with miscommunication when warranted, but when it's more of an assumption that leads to a dramatic break with zero room to explain or understand... I just dont love that in a book. We do get our happy ending eventually, though! I just think the third act drama could have been played off so much better and truer to these characters without the breakup and instead, revolve around those open and honest conversations Emmy and Grayson had always had once they established their relationship.

Falon Ballard continues to be an auto-buy author for me, and I love her books so much! I won't let the third act drama of this sway me because overall, I did love this book. It gave me all the feels and nostalgia of the classic rom com movies I grew up with and hopelessly in love with 🧡

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to read and review early!

Tags:
-enemies to lovers
-friends with benefits
-celebrity romance
-miscommunication

Spice: 2/5

First person/Single POV

3.5⭐️

This would make such a great Christmas movie! Or even a holidays read, I think it would have been better suited for that season. All the charming winter vibe, small town where the characters were filming, the skating, sweaters and hot cocoa... Perfect for a winter read.

And I love Falon. Just my Type was one of top Romance reads in 2023 and I love her writing, her banter, sweet, flirty and hot stories. So my expectations were really high for this book (though I had a feeling topping JMT for me would be hard). Sadly, this one didn't quite rise up to expectations and I'm sorry.

It's not easy to write a not so glowing review, as I followes her writing process and I was so pumped for the prospect, the tropes and the storyline. But I felt like something was missing all throughout and I had a hard time connecting to the characters and believing their Romance, so here we are.

The beginning was a bit off. My issue is not the writing, which is superb and transfers all the emotions and scenes seamlessly. My issue was the characters and their childish behavior, especially at the beginning. It was supposed to be enemies to lovers, but without a real base or history for the enemies part, it all felt forced and awkward.

This is some really fine story telling, so there is that. It's easy, upbeat, witty, sexy. I may not be a fan of how things started, but it's so well written, you can literally feel the feels and the awkwardness and tension between these characters. It took a while for Emmy to grow on me and Grayson was downright rude and unlikebale at the beginning.

Thankfully, things started to change as they started communicating, the story progressed, the sparks started flying. It still felt like the I love you's came out of nowhere. One moment there was a costarts with benefits situation and the next they were professing love and mooning. I needed more development on that.

The 3rd act was also cliche and resolved too quickly imo.

So, overall, this is a cute romcom for the winter. It has a cool vibe, what with the whole movie set and filming a romcom movie, fun banter and great supportive second characters. It is light, spicy and has great one liners. But it feels a bit superficial and everything happens too fast. The plot was a bit Hallmarky for my tastes too.

Thank you for the review copy

I'm looking forward to Falon's next stories.

I loved it! What a cute enemies to lovers romance! This is my first book by Falon Ballard but it won’t be my last! Writing style is just up my alley! 4 stars!

🎬Lights, Camera, and SO much STEAMY action! 🎬
Thank you NetGallery for providing me early access to this incredible title, for exchange of my thoughts on this book! Ballard shines, once again, in this sizzling, short but oh-so sweet, sexy STAR-STUDDED rom-com! The character development between our enemies to lovers is slow, then super spicy! I also loved seeing the relationships between Emmy’s best friend and her mother to push her to be her best self. Ballard reminds us to be the star in our own life, and to be the best supporting actress in the lives of those we love! ✨🎞️