If you like Friends, Hollywood behind the scenes and romance, this book is for you!

Finn Masters just got the perfect job as producer of one of the most successful sitcoms in American history. The problem? He loathes the lead actress. Why? Well, she destroyed his dreams.

Lavender Rhodes is America's favorite actress. But behind the scenes, she take as her ultimate goal to help making her favorite people's lives better. She is a fixer and acts of service is her love language.
Facing being hated for the first time, she needs to plot a payback, something to make Finn forgive her.

How to Plot a Payback was one of the most funny and romantic books I've ever read. An instant favorite. I knew from the description I would enjoy it but I didn't imagine it would become one of my favorite books. I was so happy when I received the ARC access. This book is so good that I stayed awake reading it when I had to wake early in the morning. Also, the number of quotes I highlighted was unreal. The whole book was super sweet, even when the couple wasn't together. Ah, and just for disclosure, this book is a very well done slow burn.

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴" 🥰😭😍💓

There is something refreshing about the setting of this book. I LOVED the way we get to see not only the behind the scenes of a sitcom, but also all the work that goes behind each script. This is one of the most original plots I've ever read. Melissa Ferguson managed to take the hated to love trope to another level.

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴."

The side characters, and mainly the dogs, added so much to the story and contributed to making it even more fun. The writing was super fluid, fun and fast paced - perfect to get someone out of a slump.

The epilog was the sweetest ever. Melissa Ferguson became one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read more of her works.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC! You are the best!!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romcom
Spice Level: Sweet—kissing
Language: Clean

Three word review:
Hilarious, Dogs, Mayhem

Wow! I snort-laughed multiple times.
Seriously, do NOT read this book if you don't want to laugh.

I loved so much about this book.

Lavender is not who you might think she is based on the first chapter. Nope—Finn has a murderous bone to pick with Lavender. And this is what makes it so much fun.

This is a book you really have to read to understand how much fun it is.
It takes place in Hollywood, and so you get the famous vibes and real life rubbing against the plastic, fake reality of folks in the movies. I loved the description of the glitter and the glue to describe the two types of people in Hollywood.

HOW TO PLOT A PAYBACK is a romp, a complete collection of laughter, chuckles, and snorts. You must know there is about 1% serious in this book, and allow yourself to be immersed in the world.

I highly recommend this book—it makes me smile just remember the scenes.

Happy reading!

This was such a fun book! I was able to read an early copy via NetGalley and am so glad I did. The characters & storyline were such fun and the supporting characters had me laughing out loud. A good enemy to lover romance trope set in the world of sitcoms, which I found a bit fascinating. This is a sweet romance with nothing more than kissing on the pages. Great for all romance lovers alike!

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy. I wasn't impressed with the book. Slow enemies to lovers trope. Sweet read but that was about all. Finn and Lavender were just plain vanilla characters. It didn't grip me, I didn't feel the typical angst in the trope. I felt like someone was telling me a cute way they met. There wasn't any depth to the characters, the best scene was where they hung out with the tenants at Casa Laguna, I wanted to hear more about those characters than the main characters. They were feisty and entertaining.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


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


Thank you, NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Dreamscape Media for an early copy of this book.

How To Plot a Payback is a brilliant, funny, and super cozy rom-com.
I liked everything about this book. The character personalities, the plot, the pace, and the writing.

This was my first book from this author and I have to say I´ll read something else from her because I had a great time.

The romance was not the main plot here, it was a slow burn, with zero spice, but it fitted perfectly the pace of the story.

Finn Master promised to never utter her name again out loud, because every event that went wrong in his life (yes he is now a successful writer, but that is not the point) was her fault. He wrote a list reminding him why he will never forgive her and he clings to it very dearly. So when he is offered the job position of a lifetime, one he cannot refuse, he finds himself in direct contact with the bane of his existence, America's sweetheart and his biggest nightmare, Lavander Rose.

Lavender Rose is a people pleaser, she knows the most loved show in America history runs on her shoulders and she must not disappoint. But what about her family back in London? What about the experiences of playing different characters?
When a new producer is hired though, he has different and biggest ideas and Lavander is immediately captivated, also she seems to know him, but from where?

If you love:
- laughing out loud
- Unsuccessful paybacks
- Sassy eighty-years-old
- Misbehaving dogs
- Sweet and head in the cloud FMC
- Fakely brooding MMC
Then this is your cup of tea.

How to plot a Payback is out on April 2nd and you cannot miss it!

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I surprisingly adored this book! It felt like a behind-the-scenes peek of what goes on in TV production, something that has always piqued my interest. The main characters, Lavender and Finn, are very likeable as well.

I personally love how Finn’s perspective reads and feels like the mind of a scriptwriter given that he is one. Not sure if this is a coincidence or an intentional choice, but it was a very nice touch to see how his POV is more “action” than it is perception.

This was a very fast-paced book and an enjoyable read, although if you are going to jump into this expecting more romance than literary fiction, then this may not be your thing.

The one sided rivalry from Finn, filled with many petty attempts at payback towards Lavender Rose was hilarious. Really enjoyed how Lavender Rose was oblivious towards his payback attempts and always worked in her favor. It was an entertaining read, loved the plot from beginning to end.

Thank you so much to Thomas Nelson for the ARC!

This is my 3rd book by Melissa Ferguson now and I've really come to look forward to whatever she puts out each year! When I saw this cover, I knew I had to have it! And the synopsis? Adorable!

I really enjoyed this one overall, especially on audio- the narrators were fabulous. The male narrator was possibly one of the best I've ever heard and I listen to over 100 audiobooks per year!

The plot itself was cute and had relatively low angst, so perfect for a palette cleanser read!

While the story flowed well and was very readable, I personally would have enjoyed a little more romance and for the characters to fall a little sooner. There was not much love interest for the first half at least of the book and then when it finally happened at the end, it seemed a tad rushed for me. Since I enjoyed both characters so much, I wish I could have SEEN them fall in love for a longer period of time!

Overall, still an enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Melissa does next!

3.5 stars rounded up for GR

"Lavender Rhodes takes my well-laid plans and throws them out the window, no matter what, I can't ever seem to take control of the situation around her. I plan to destroy her, but backtrack to the point of apology. I plan to stay as far away from her as possible, but end up beside her. I plan to hate her, but somehow fall in love with her."

She’s the star of America’s favorite sitcom. He’s just been hired as a producer of the show- The only problem is, he can’t stand her. For as long as he can remember, Finn has blamed all his lives problems on the famous actress, Lavender Rhodes. After being hired onto the show, he begins to plot his payback. But what happens as Finn gets to know Lavender , and finds out maybe she isn't at all like he thought she was?

This was a laugh-out-loud funny & wholesome love story. It was packed with witty humor, drama, slow-burn romance, and an overall feel good story. In-spite of Finn's petty revenge, I found both characters to be so loveable & was very invested in their love story. Even during Finn's childish payback, the romance was there & once he got over it, it was even better. I love a couple who just makes sense together. I was smiling SOOOOOO big during their first kiss, like full on gushing.

Thank you, Paula, for being the voice of reason for these two crazy kids.

"I'm terrible at paybacks, and more importantly, she is not at all the person I suspected for so long. Even more important, I've learned I'm not the person I thought I was either. I'm worse."

Melissa Ferguson does it again! How to Plot a Payback is a witty, funny, adorable book of sunshine that I simply could not put down.

Our girl Lavender Rhodes is a lovable and charming sitcom actress who reminded me how important it is to let transgressions roll off your back and focus on the good because you’ll always be happier for it.

Ferguson’s style of writing is what rom-com dreams are made of. The pacing is exciting yet easy, the dialogue is always spot-on and purposeful, and our characters’ inner musings make me see the world in all its best, brightest, most colorful ways.

Like Lavender says early on, audiences love an escape and sitcoms are an opportunity to see the world through a “slightly rosier lens.” You can always count on Ferguson’s work to bring you just that.

Congratulations to Melissa Ferguson and her team on another excellent, feel good read! Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC!

A fun romcom full of nemeses, hijinks, & cute pups. Finn is a screenwriter and gets the perfect gig on a popular show. The only thing not perfect—the show’s star, Lavender, ruined his life as a kid and he’s held a grudge ever since. Forced to work in close proximity, Finn starts plotting out ways to get payback, and each backfires more than the last, but perhaps the worst result is realizing she’s not so bad, after all.
This novel is definitely more comedy than romance which made it a fun read, but I wasn’t a big fan of either main character and had trouble connecting to them as a reader.
Narration by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West helped bring Finn and Lavender to life and they did a great job.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson fiction and. Zondervan audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. There seemed to be no real chemistry between Finn and Lavender. The grudge that Finn was holding just seemed ridiculous. I did find it a bit slow in parts, and it took a long time to get to the romance between Finn and Lavender.

"How to Plot a Payback" by Melissa Ferguson is a clean rom com. I really enjoyed this story between screen writer Finn Masters and actress Lavendar Rhodes. The two have known each other most of their lives, being from the same hometown and even school in the UK. Finn blames Lavendar for every bad thing that's happened to him in his life and the list of grievances is very long. They both end up in Hollywood and when Finn is offered a dream job working for the show "Neighbors" that Lavendar stars on, sparks fly!

This is a very fun story that includes cute dogs, quirky neighbors and the best of friends. It's everything that you'd expect in a rom com book and more. The story doesn't have any mystery and is an easy to read book. The two main characters experience a lot of character growth as well.

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

This was a fun, slightly over the top Hollywood enemies to lovers romance between an actress bored with her role on a popular sitcom and the new show writer with an axe to grind and a long list of grievances against her. The banter was top notch and while I wasn't a huge fan of the narrators, the overall story was quite entertaining. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I finished How to Plot a Payback a week ago and I’m still thinking about it! What that tells me is Melissa Ferguson created memorable characters and scenes with lots of charm and spark. The characters’ intersecting backstory was interesting and I loved how the characters had different outlooks of their past. I enjoyed the revenge vibes and how everything backfired for Finn. Lavender reminded me of Taylor Swift even though she is a star actress in a high flying sitcom. This story was fun and funny, there was really so much to love. I just wish I could go back and spend more time with the characters!!

How to Plot a Payback is our April 2nd!! Thank you Thomas Nelson and netgalley for my e-arc!

Wow. Has Melissa Ferguson worked on a stick set before?
How she managed to write something as fresh as this, floors me. The story line was new to me, more of AN enemy to lover instead of enemies to lovers.
Laughing out loud was frequent, Finn is a high strung (grumpy to her) dude and Lavender is pure sunshine.
There wasn’t much “God” in this book, so take that as you’d like. It had a good storyline and didn’t go against anything Biblical. It was a completely, “clean” book. There was an occasional Biblical story reference but if you’re looking for more something deeper than that, this isn’t your book. The ending is wholesome and heart warming.
Enjoyable from the beginning, middle and end. Wonderful story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed are my own.

How to Plot a Payback is a book that is almost too hard for me to rate. On one hand, I enjoyed the character of Finn, his community of elderly people and his plans for payback aka revenge. Lavender is the type of girl I would avoid; not because she does anything particularly wrong, she is written as an aloof airhead, but because she's too in the clouds. Where I struggled was in figuring out the how and why of Finn and Lavender together. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope in romance, but this is a one-sided enemies to lovers and the time and effort Finn had to expend to even know how to properly "payback" Lavender seemed almost out of character for him. Knowing random interview tidbits despite being a self-proclaimed workaholic who is a slave to the writers room. Not knowing how Hollywood tabloids worked even though he's been in the industry for over a decade. They were convenient to the story but didn't make a lot of sense.

There were parts of the book I liked, but there were parts where I scratched my head and wanted it to be over.

I appreciate the ARC to review.

Book 18 of 2024-#Howtoplotapayback by
#MelissaFerguson
Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy.
Finn Masters has always seen Lavendar Rhodes as his personal nemesis. He has blamed her for lost opportunities, and feels she has thrived on his losses, making his failures her successes.
He is hired to be a writer on her wildly successful tv show and he can no longer ignore her. He plots his payback. He starts to realize that she is not what he thought she was.
I loved the story, Finn’s attempt to get redemption and what ensues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I've read one or two of this author's work, and I've enjoyed her romcoms. I think when reading a book you aren't able to connect with, or find anything relatable to, there isn't much that will pull you in or hold your attention. Not only is it a slow burn romance, but I found the storyline slow to start, as well. It wasn't until 100 pages or so the story began to roll. Lavender Rhodes is the sunshining face of a hit sitcom. Finn Masters is now the screenwriter of said hit sitcom. He's also a bit grumpy and is holding a grudge towards Lavender. Finn plans to sabotage Lavender's character's role, but continuously fails. This story had potential, but it just didn't do it for me. The story continues on, but it wasn't enough to really grasp my attention.
I went into this book hoping and wanting so badly to enjoy it, but it didn't happen.

3 stars!

This was a grumpy/sunshine, one-sided enemies to lovers — meaning she is his enemy, and she has no idea. I think the big problem I had here was that Finn's reasons for disliking Lavender were SO convincing, that I couldn't forgive her myself. Lavender does absolutely nothing, she is so underwhelming, and people fall at her feet. For what? I just can't believe that Finn would completely change his mind about her when she really, really doesn't give him any reason to. Some of the early chapters made Lavender seem so ditsy too, where I was like "Okay, she is actually that unaware and just floats through life." It didn't make her likable.

There's no 3rd act breakup, or really any conflict at all outside Finn getting "over" his dislike for Lavender. Which again, she doesn't do anything spectacular to make him change his mind. We do have to wait until the 3rd act for them to get together, though.

Overall, there could have been a little less enemy and a little more lover.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for my honest review!