I have loved Ballard’s previous books, Lease on Love and Just My Type, so I was ecstatic to receive an eARC of Right on Cue and couldn’t wait to dive in. I love a celebrity romance and the tension that comes from this forced proximity is delectable.

Right on Cue left me with mixed feelings. While this story had some of the signature charm and chemistry of Ballard’s writing and I loved the setting, it was riddled with unnecessary drama and miscommunication. The chemistry between the MCs was tender at times, but my issue was with Emmy. Her character was so wishy washy and her sniping in the first half of the book was maddening and exhausting. I wanted a HEA for Grayson, but he deserved better than the back and forth from Emmy.

The premise is a story I typically love, but it was Emmy’s character that kept me from becoming fully invested in the romance. When the MCs (mainly Emmy) were finally communicating and becoming vulnerable, gosh, I was rooting for them big time… but then they (ahem, Emmy) would return to coldness and miscommunication and I wanted to scream. And the third act breakup was so ridiculous and unnecessary. I think the story was missing some softness - even in Ballard’s last rivals to lovers, there was a thread of tenderness that tethered the characters that I desperately missed here.

Ultimately, the story was fine and fun for the most part, but it could have been infinitely better had Emmy’s character been a little softer and less snarky and the miscommunication eliminated because it led to unnecessary drama and a third act breakup that was avoidable. Frustration aside, I’ll continue to buy and read whatever Ballard dreams up!

This book was so sweet. I love Falon’s words and her characters so much. Emmy and Grayson had all the sparks flying. This enemies to lovers/second chance/Hollywood romance had me swooning. Four stars

This is a cute Hollywood romance story! For the most part, Emmy and Grayson have a Fun and heartfelt second chance story. I thought this was a unique plot, Hollywood, but she’s the writer of the story and reluctant actress, who is dedicated to getting her story told. I had a bit of a hard time with Grayson. I didn’t understand why he acted so immaturely if he’s the one who decided to join the project? And then, when Emmy makes her feelings clear, why she’s still so upset with him from their past, he just kind of tells her that it’s silly of her to still be hung up on that?? like he just kind of disregards her feelings, while still behaving, immaturely and rudely to her in a professional setting. At the same time Emmy was also behaving immaturely and some thing she insists means a lot to her, I didn’t know why she didn’t behave better?
Overall, there was just a lot of immaturity and miscommunication that didn’t feel necessary to the story, but it was still a sweet, funny, spicy romance, and I love those all the time :)
thanks for the arc :)

this was a quick, easy read! a very self-indulgent book, but I don't mind it. i do wish we had more background and personality within the main characters-- since i didn't feel as connected to them. not my favorite read by Ballard, but it was still really fun!

I could reread this book already. Right On Cue is my favorite kind of book. It has banter, tension, swoony moments, spice, emotions, and a HEA. The moment I started reading, I knew I was going to enjoy it. The second half of the book had my insides knotted up. Emmy & Grayson had a hold on me & I was so invested in their story. He was so taken with her, & when things went wrong it was devastating! I felt a little crazy reading a book about fictional characters and being so sad for them, but I loved every minute of it.

Ballard's writing feels like a warm hug! I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this one early and same with her other books, she did not miss!

You'll love this one if you like:
✨️Enemies with benefits
✨️Forced proximity
✨️Celebrity romance
✨️Second chance
✨️Cozy characters and settings

This was so fun! Very meta, but not obnoxiously so, and it struck the perfect balance between cozy and sexy.

3.5 Stars. I have read both of the authors previous books and really enjoyed them. I enjoyed this one as well, but to a lesser extent. Primarily the miscommunication that leads to the break-up in the third act. Still an enjoyable rom-com, just frustrating at times.

I absolutely adored this book! A true enemies to lovers set in Hollywood with a bit of spice. I loved the dimension of the main characters and their history.

This is officially my favorite Falon Ballard book! I love a romance set against a Hollywood backdrop, and this one did not disappoint. It brought all the emotions AND the spice!

Second chance? Check
Enemies (with benefits)? Double check!
Forced proximity? Home run!

I loved the development between Emmy and Grayson. The way Grayson was eventually able to open himself up to Emmy had me sobbing and blushing and kicking my feet. I loved seeing Emmy really find herself and overcome her insecurities with herself and her acting abilities.

This book overall is such a fast and cute read. Can’t wait for it to officially release!

This is a Hollywood romance between two actors. I really liked the fact that these characters had history, because it makes this romance much more believable. When a romance takes place in a short period of time, it can sometimes feel like it all happened too fast. The characters were likable, and the story was quick and fun to read. I loved that they had some emotional conversations about their insecurities, because it made it feel like this wasn't a lust at first sight 3.5 stars

I've never met a Falon Ballard I didn't like.. and this holds true after Right On Cue. She is the perfect author for a quick, sweet read that is full of substantial characters. I also adore her book covers and just the overall happy vibe of her books. So cute!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for gifiting me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

In the dedication, Fallon writes that this book is for her, but oh boy, is it for us too! It has all of the best tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, etc. If you liked Fallon's other books, but wished they were spicier, don't worry this one is packing all of the heat. Could I have done without the miscommunication? Sure, but it lends itself to the incredible "will they or won't they?" element to the romance.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, so I rate Right on Cue 4 stars!

RIGHT ON CUE - if the cover doesn't entice you to pick this book up, then maybe some enemies to lovers (or enemies with benefits to lovers?) will!

The book follows Emmy Harper, a beloved romantic comedy writer who hasn't acted since her debut film was received poorly due to her lack of chemistry with her co-star, Grayson West. But when Emmy's newest project can't find their leading lady, it's clear that Emmy is the best person for the role. Emmy's job becomes even harder when her co-star is injured and replaced with Grayson West, and the pair have to work together to resolve their issues from when they were teenagers and discover there may be more complicated feelings involved.

I kinda had Christina Lauren vibes from this book. I don't love a miscommunication trope and I didn't quite buy into the reason they were enemies, but overall it was a quick read and had some decent romance/spice with a HEA.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC. Publish date is Feb 2024!

Enemies to lovers is the prevalent trope throughout this novel that is sure to leave a smile on your face. This is a short and sweet read that would be perfect for a weekend vacation read. The romance was not over done; the banter was light and witty. Even though it featured a celebrity romance, the characters felt very down to earth and relatable. The book felt more like coworkers-turned-lovers than movie stars in forced proximity. The build up to the spicy scenes was just enough, and I didn’t feel like the details were too much. I liked that the author set the scene and left room for my imagination to fill in some gaps. Overall, definitely a romance read I would recommend.

Entertaining and escapist. This is a recommended first purchase for collections where romance is popular.

I really enjoyed this book. It was steamy, fun, and everything I was looking for. It seemed like they maybe let their lack of onscreen chemistry go on to long, but a fabulous HEA. Emmy and Grayson had great chemistry.

This was a cute book, and a quick read! I loved Lease on Love and Just My Type by Falon Ballard, so I was super excited to get approved for this one on NetGalley.

The reason I gave it 3 stars is two fold — like others have said, I’m not a big fan of the miscommunication trope causing the 3rd act breakup. I also didn’t connect with Emmy and Grayson as much as I would’ve liked. Emmy seemed a little immature, and Grayson was just…okay as a MMC. I do love the enemies/rivals to lovers trope, and the author did that part well!

Overall a fun read and I will definitely continue to read this author’s books!

Thank you to the author, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Right on Cue!

Not quite what I expected, but still a great read that I enjoyed. I've loved Just My Type by the same author, which was also enemies to lovers. This one's got something similar to second chance, workplace romance (yet not quite), and there's a lot of miscommunications- something which I love reading in books and the tension that comes with.

Being a rom-com lover, Emmy was an instantly likable character for me. I get that parts of her personality like her insecurity may be projected as immature, but I saw her as a that teenager, still hurt and confused by Grayson's actions in the past. Grayson wasn't a POV character, so I can't say much about him, though from what I see (up till the second act) he is a deeply caring and emotional person. (I have scenes coming to mind when I think of this)

The chemistry between both MCs is interesting from the beginning, with their relationship and bond evolving through the course of the story (and the filming of their movie) What I loved was how the focus wasn't solely on their platonic bond but also their backstories and banter. They were showed vulnerability and compassion, something which I find lacking in novels with spicy scenes.

About the side character. It's so cool how the director of the movie is actually Emmy's best friend! The whole dynamic with Emmy having her best friend and (later) boyfriend on set, navigating their personal and professional relationships was amazing! Emmy's mom was super chill and had a comfortable relationship with her daughter- which was refreshing after seeing so many strained parent-kid relationships. The make-up artist Sam stood out to me just in his little appearances. He just made me smile on the inside with his understanding of Emmy.
 
While there is a stigma around nepo kids, I love the positive rep in this book and how Emmy is clearly a brilliant, talented actress/screen writer. Her upbringing was part of her personality and kudos to the author for showing a humble, relatable character rather than a bratty FMC with no dimension.

I'm not a fan of how the story went down in the third act. Of course, I saw a downfall coming, but there were so many ways Ballard could have gone with the buildup, and I was left disappointed. I'm gonna have to pull down a star for that because I honestly think this could have been so much better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's sons for the complimentary e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.