I really enjoyed this closed door romance from Melissa Ferguson. It is fun twist on the enemies to lovers trope, where only one person in the duo even knows that they are enemies. MMC Finn blames FMC Lavender for various events in his life that he sees as having a negative impact on the overall course of his life. When he ends up working on her hit TV show (as a producer, so it isn't like his life has been all that bad), he wants to get a little bit of his own back. His efforts, of course, implode in funny and eventually heartwarming ways.

Watching Finn and Lavender connect is rather lovely. Finn is both focused on his payback but not so much so that he is blinded to who Lavender really is. Lavender for her part does not resent Finn's feelings about her past actions - instead she is a true adult in her reactions. There is no real miscommunication trope in this story, which is always a plus in my book. The cast of secondary characters - shout out to Bernie and Miles! - is sweet and funny.

"How to Plot a Payback" is a lovely way to pass a few hours. Four stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) Com with Rom

Calling all sitcom lovers! I’m coining it a “com with rom” because it felt like watching an episode of New Girl, or Friends. The main characters work on a sitcom, and the calamities that happen off-screen are also reminiscent of a tv show- a little (or a lot) ridiculous, but make you laugh. Not a strong romance plot but a nice HEA at the end nevertheless. If you are in the mood for a breezy and light wholesome read but don’t feel like watching your comfort show, I think you’d enjoy this.

Thank you to netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I wanted to love this book as I did a previous book I’ve read by this author, but I had a really hard time getting into it. The characters felt flat to me and some of the things the main character Finn does and says seemed a little farfetched. I did enjoy the resolution at the end, but up until that point, it felt like the plot was dragging. I enjoyed the dual POV and the secondary characters (and dogs!) were entertaining.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

HOW TO PLOT A PAYBACK
ROMANCE: CLEAN
RATING 4/5

I really loved Melissa’s previous book Famous for a Living, so I was excited to try this one and I was not disappointed! I loved the Hollywood setting and sit com feel this book has.

Lavender is an actress and Finn is a screenwriter. When they are both thrown together for the sitcom Neighbors, they have to confront their past. The only problem is Lavender is clueless that she has ruined Finn’s life by crushing his dreams and relationship at the time. Finn is out for revenge while Lavender is busy finding a home for the dogs she found and adopted. Will Lavender realize what she did to Finn? Will Finn get his revenge on Lavender? Read How to Plot a Payback April 2nd to find out!

This one was such a fun, comical and breezy read. I grew to love the characters and I loved the rivalry and romance in this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to review this!

I am not normally a romcom reader. I will read one occasionally but I'm pretty picky. How to Plot a Payback was a winner for me. I loved the witty banter. I liked that there was zero steam. I liked the story and outcome. This was a quick read. I hope you like it, too! Did I mention there are puppies?!

Melissa Ferguson is a bit up and down for me. I have never out and out-disliked her books, but I go from blown away to meh. I struggled to get into How to Plot a Payback, and I was a little confused partway through. Finn's list of things Lavender has ruined for him was funny but confusing. I must have read through his list wrong because I thought he said he'd had a three-year relationship with Lavender and almost proposed when she suddenly dumped him. But when they met at work, and she didn't even recognize him or his name I was thoroughly confused. Turns out, they went to high school together but haven't seen each other since.

Poor Finn. He was negatively impacted by some major coincidences involving Lavender. And she was completely unaware of them. I loved how the way he perceived her was nearly the exact opposite of who she was. And I also truly loved how every attempt on his part to pay her back in big or small ways always turned out to backfire on him.

Lavender is a sweet person without a bone of malice in her body. She loves those closest to her and cares for them, even to the detriment of herself. I found myself laughing at the shenanigans of her dog Bernie because my sister-in-law recently got a Bernese Mountain dog, and he is absolutely huge and not even a year old. Over a hundred pounds already. Plus his fur is fluffy and all over the place. They've just started obedience school for him, but the lack of obedience so far has me completely picturing the antics that Bernie gets up to.

I loved Melissa Ferguson's Meet Me in the Margins because it felt like a love letter to stories, to writing, to readers. And similarly, How to Plot a Payback was also about the love of writing. Just this time, the medium was film and not books. While I do appreciate a good TV show, I didn't get into the creative process as much with this book as the other I mentioned. I am curious if they could take a show (that seems to be fashioned after Friends) and turn that into a crime/mystery show with the same cast. It seems impossible, but I'd like to see it happen now. Like Friends alternate universe, and Phoebe turns out to be a serial killer.

Favorite quotes:
-She's so good at ruining my life that of course I should've suspected she could ruin my payback.

-"No, Lavender. I very much do not deserve your forgiveness." "Maybe, maybe not," I say, "but that's the beauty of forgiveness. You don't get the say. I do. And I say"--I shrug-- "I forgive you. Life's much too short for me to hang on to resentment, especially as none of us is perfect."

How to Plot a Payback was a good book. I loved the romance. I especially love the story of Finn realizing that Lavender was never the villain he made her out to be. I loved Lavender's goodness. I liked the animals, Miles and Bernie especially. The ode to writing in the film sense versus books was good but not as well done as her previous book Meet Me in the Margins. And I was confused a time or two--probably my own fault, but it still adjusted my experience of the book. How to Plot a Payback gets 4 Stars. Have you read How to Plot a Payback? What did you think? Let me know!

A fun little rom com, perfect for spring break reading! LOVE the cover! Well done! I am a big fan of Melissa Ferguson, so I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book had a really strong start and the premise was so promising, but unfortunately lost my interest about half-way through.

There is some solid hate-to-love, forced-proximity to enjoy in this book. I really did have a fun time with the first part of the book and the romance was cute enough to keep me going.

My biggest issue: the payback plot doesn't even come into existence until 135 pages in. It lasts for about 70 pages before it's abandoned. The MMC, Finn, is as good at delivering payback as Winston is at pranks in New Girl. If you get that reference, let's be friends. It would have been a great opportunity to add some comedic moments, but the attempted payback wasn't funny at all.

I couldn't find myself connecting with either of the main characters. Finn blamed everything in his life on Lavender, such as missing a date when she was distracting him... but he could have easily just been more attentive to what time it was. He really avoids taking responsibility for a lot in his life because he has Lavender to blame. Most of the story is from Finn's perspective, which is actually a good thing, because Lavender doesn't have a lot of complex thoughts or emotions.

The romance was very cute after they get together. I really enjoyed some of the moments they had with Finn's elderly neighbors. It was adorable. However, the part where the hate turns to love was sudden. As soon as Finn abandons hating Lavender, it's like his eyes are open to liking her and the next thing we know, he's practically in love. There isn't much flirting before they fall in love, which I miss. It's the best part of romance books!

Overall, it was just okay.

3.5 stars! This book was a super fun time, cute, and sweet. The only thing holding it back from a higher rating is I didn't feel a connection the the couple, but I do intend to buy this book to have it on my shelf!

It pains me to write this review because of how much i usually love Melissa Ferguson books but this book just isn't good. The MMC has a grievance list against the FMC and 80% of it is never really dealt with. He comes off petty and mean. The FMC is supposed to me this amazing actress/person but she comes off clueless and naive. I kept going hoping it would redeem itself but the story never found its way (or I just hated the way it took). I wish I had a better review to give because I loved her last two books.

Melissa Ferguson knows how to make me laugh. Her newest book, How to Plot a Payback, is a delightful story of enemies turned romantic interests. A comedy to be sure, with twists that both clench your heart and make you sigh in happiness. I quickly devoured this book as Ferguson skillfully moved the characters along a plot worthy of a movie.

With a hero and heroine full of complexities, a story with perfect tension, and prose that never failed to delight, How to Plot a Payback is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. If only it lasted another 100 pages!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I was so excited to read this one. Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highly rated long-running sitcoms. The downside was being in proximity to Hollywood sweetheart Lavender Rhodes, who had been inadvertently ruining his life since their school days back in England.

Finn wasn't about to let her ruin another chance for him. Being a screenwriter, he had the perfect opportunity to get back at her by spinning her character in unexpected directions.

Things took a turn when his plans backfired one scene after another, leaving him with a guilty conscience as he began to see Lavender in a new light. As they spent more time together, he was drawn to her refreshing personality which was opposite of what he expected from a universally adored actress.

This was entertaining. I listened to the audio and that definitely contributed to the hilarity of each situation. Amazing job by the narrators!

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for a complimentary ALC copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

DNfed at 17%

Je je, I KNEW I WAS GONNA HATE THIS AS SOON AS I SAW IT BEING LABLED AS “Christian fiction” or “clean and wholesome”.

The thing that I hated about this book is the chaotic girl wanting to do good and not realizing the disaster she creates and how she disrupts other peoples lives. Like ffs how not self aware are you???? Then this is the girl he falls in love with?????

Bye. I barely have this a chance. I know.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Since reading "Meet Me In The Margins", Melissa Ferguson has been one of my favorite romcom authors. I am so grateful to @thomasnelson for sending me the ARC and sharing the audiobook of this new release with me!

Do you have a person in your life who is just a "bad luck charm"? For Finn Masters it's Lavender Rhodes. Since their teenage years she has been one single cause of all of his misfortunes. To Finn's horror, years later, his new job as a writer on popular sitcom brings him face to face with his least favorite person who ironically plays the main character in a sitcom. It's time to plot a payback...

Each of Melissa's books is so different from the other, and the unique plot of this novel simply blew me away! Yes, I cheered for the team "Finn" from the get-go, but then I was in for a huge surprise as Finn's plot got completly derailed.

Finn is your perfect book boyfriend: he is considerate, oldfashioned, extremely helpful and is such a gentleman. He even helped Ukrainian refugees! My heart skipped at that - thank you, Finn! I will not reveal a thing about Lavender, because I want you to meet her yourself and have fun with it! The sitcom setting was so well-written! It reminded me of "Friends". I LOVED getting a sneak peek behind the scenes. If you're a dog lover, this book will have you swooning! Lol So many hilarious moments, sweet and tender scenes and fuzzy feels. Fun, engaging writing style was just a cherry on top!

I adored this delightful closed door romcom. This was also a laugh-out-loud read. What a perfect combo. If you haven't read Melissa Ferguson's books yet, definitely grab this one.

My thoughts…it wasn’t the book for me, it was just fine, I could take it or leave it. I didn’t hate it, I mean I finished it without being annoyed.

I just felt like the characters fell flat (I prob shouldn’t have read this after reading a TJR book) and I really really didn’t understand why on earth Finn got so bent out of shape about so many things.

I didn’t feel any real chemistry between the characters.

I did like all of the animal cameos though.

I think it would make a cute lighthearted movie.

Read if you like:
👯‍♀️ Friends
📺 How I Met Your Mother
😂 Funny One-Liners
😠 Enemies to Lovers
🎥 Celebrity Romances

This was a cute story and if you are just looking for something fun, no open door spice, and some enemies to lovers with dual pov I would recommend checking this one out!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my review!

4.5 stars!

This was a fun read! I always look forward to reading anything Melissa Ferguson writes. Her books just keep getting better and better!

I loved being behind the scenes on a tv set and seeing all the inner workings of that world. Finn and Lavender were great main characters and I loved the banter between them throughout. A really great sunshine/grump trope. She was able to bring out moments that were hilarious, fun, cringey (that felt realistic) and sweet. I loved the background cast, especially Finn's friendship with his building tenants. It was a little slow at first but by the middle it really found its groove.

A great read that I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC copy!!!

Finn is a successful writer in Hollywood. He is making his move to a very successful sitcom, Neighbors. The only problem, this move will put him right back with Lavender. The one person who has had it out for him since they were kids back in England. She single-handedly ended his acting career before it even started. Now he will be writing for her show.
Oh the banter between Finn and Lavender is so good! I found How to Plot a Payback so fun! Funny, clever, romantic, and just a feel-good book! Melissa Ferguson is one of my favorite authors! Every book I have read, reads like an amazing rom-com that should be made into a movie! So very enjoyable and so very sweet. Like your favorite characters and movies on Hallmark. How to Plot a Payback is a very quick but enjoyable read that will have you laughing and swooning over the characters and situations. I will always recommend anything Melissa Ferguson writes and will definitely recommend this to my rom-com loving friends. Special thanks to Melissa Ferguson, Netgalley, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4.5 stars for me
#HowtoPlotaPayback #NetGalley

How to Plot a Payback is as charming as all of Melissa Ferguson's sweet romantic comedies. It is a story of two long time acquaintances and one-sided rivals thrown together on a TV series where he is head writer and she is the lead actress. Finn makes a halfhearted attempt to get payback for past slights through his writing with hilarious outcomes. What I like about this one is the character development. We really see both Lavender and Finn grow, face their past, and become better people. I love the dual POV. It helps so much to understand the character motivations. In this story in particular it was necessary to understand their past hurts. To my point, at first I thought Lavender was the absolute worst and terribly annoying. After hearing more from her POV it really changes that perspective. Sometimes sweet romance novels can read very YA. I didn't think that was true in this case. Surprisingly I didn't even miss the spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for this eARC!

5 ⭐️
🌶️- just kisses; sweet/clean romance

This is a delightful gem of a romcom story! I loved the main characters, Finn and Lavender. Their stories unfolded seamlessly and each revelation brought new things to love about them, and left me rooting for them to be together, despite the obstacles in their paths. I think many more stories could be told of their haphazard, romantic adventures, and I’d read each one.

I love the author’s writing. It’s easy, enjoyable, and this story is full of wit and charm. Please excuse me while I go and read this authors entire backlog of books she’s released!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for the eARC of this wonderful book.