A WRITER & HIS NEMESIS
Melissa Ferguson always writes clever Rom-Coms. They involve masterfully crafted stories and excellent characters. What I like about How to Plot a Payback is how she follows the same successful pattern and gives readers, in my opinion, another fantastic read! Finn Masters has finally obtained the job of his dreams, writing for one of Hollywood’s highest-rated sitcoms. The bad news is his lifelong nemesis, Lavender Rhodes, is the main star! Ferguson concocts many hilarious situations for the two of them to get caught in, and several involve their dogs. His is a perfectly behaved dog, and hers is a rescue that has not had anyone spend time with it to teach it how to act. Lavender gets on Finn’s last nerve, but there is a fine line between love and hate, and Finn may not realize that it is sneaking up on him. He, too, may be falling for Lavender Rhodes like the rest of her fans.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I rally wanted to like this book more than I did. Finn is a write on a TV show. When he is hired to write for a top rated show, he is happy, until he finds out the lead character, Lavender, is someone who has made his life miserable since school. So what does he decide to do? Figure out how he can payback all of his misfortune for Lavender. Most of the time I was like, meh, that's it? I was probably more interested in their dogs and things they did with them.

I just couldn't get into the story. 3/5 stars

This story is hilarious. I loved the concept of Finn seeking revenge on Lavender, who doesn't even know that she's done anything at all to offend him. Her obliviousness and awkwardness are so funny, as is Finn's thought life. Seeing inside his head really highlights his dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

I also really liked that the story took place on a Hollywood TV set. I haven't read many books with that setting and I'm fascinated with how TV shows (especially sitcoms) are produced, so that was a win for me. There is a full cast of side characters who support and challenge the two main characters, and I liked watching Finn and Lavender slowly shifting from enemies (though Lavender didn't know it!) to more.

How to Plot a Payback is perfect for anyone looking for a fun, clean rom-com.

Finn is just given the opportunity of his life. He is going to work in the successful sitcom Neighbors. But his goal isn’t fame but crush the star of the show, they way she has effectively crushed his life since he was seventeen. But the more Finn gets to know Lavender, the more he realise that perhaps he was wrong and meeting her again can be the best thing that happened to him. Sweet and funny.

I really loved this one. If you are a grumpy x sunshine fan, this one is for you (especially when the grump turns out to be kind of a cinnamon roll, but in a grumpy way).

Finn really wants revenge against his arch-enemy, Lavender, but his execution is not so strong (probably because he's just genuinely a good person). Following along on their journey from "enemies" (can you be enemies if it's one sided?) to lovers was a fun ride. It was a little kooky at times but I was never bored, and always entertained by the story I read. Definitely pick this one up for a fun read!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am stunned by how much I LOVED this book

The story felt unique to me, the writing captured my attention from page one, the characters were loveable with a well rounded personality and the pets - THE PETS!! - I loved every second with the doggos, cats and chicks; they created such a fun, cute and lighthearted atmosphere. This book quickly became one of my favourite adult romcoms!

✨grumpy x sunshine dynamic (but he is not always grumpy)
✨workplace romance
✨celebrity FMC
✨fun, cute and witty humour that will make you laugh out loud
✨dual POV
✨childhood friends (?) to lovers - or more like they went to the same school when they were kids and they knew each other there
✨more focus on the comedy, character development and plot than the romance - no spice at all
✨a very one sided nemesis to lovers (our adorable sunshine Lavender has no clue she has a nemesis but Finn has been boiling for quite some time)

If you ever want to pick up a lighthearted, easy to read, gripping romcom that feels like sunshine after a week of gloom then this is a book for you! ☀️

Thank you so much NetGallery and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with this ARC!

This is a very well-written rom-com (and I really did appreciate the comedy).
I loved the premise, but that would have been nothing without a strong execution and this book didn’t disappoint.
Personally, I LOVED reading from Finn’s point of view - I felt his frustration and loved his internal monologue (especially when things turned to murder writing).
I took me a bit longer to warm up to Lavender, but I felt by the 60% of this book that I loved both these characters and that there was more under the surface when it came to her character.
I loved reading about the production aspects of making a show and I loved seeing Finn’s “revenge” attempts.

Overall, I found this book highly entertaining and funny in so many places. The characters felt real - with real wants and real fault, but this only made them more relatable and endearing. I would highly recommend.

I couldn't put this one down. Finn Masters loathes Lavender (Mary) Rhodes for all the pain she has caused him. Everything that has gone wrong is his life has been her fault. Then he gets a new dream job but has to work with the famous Lavender Rhodes. Lavender has no idea who he is at first and has no idea why Finn seems to not like her.

I love the enemy to lovers twist in this book. There were so many funny parts in this book and it just kept me wanting more. I highly recommend this cute romcom. It is a closed door romance but still had that spice I love.

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

i just want to start with a thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for letting me read and review this book.
it was a good idea and it would've been good, if Finn didn't have such a silly reason for plotting a payback again Lavender.
Lavender was a sweet person, and Finn's neighbors were funny too. i just wish Finn was more forgiving and didn't hold such a grudge against Lavender from over a decade ago. but i'm glad he eventually realized that he was wrong for thinking that way and he didn't have to get revenge.
the dogs were great too, it was funny to read about their shenanigans throughout the story. especially bernie because he was so cute and crazy.
i always go into melissa ferguson's books not expecting much romance, until the very end, and this one was no different. it was a nice change from most romance books and i did like how Finn ended up caring for Lavender in a very thoughtful way. overall, it was a good read and i'm glad i had the opportunity to read it.

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

This is one of those books where I'm not sure what the plot was supposed to be, the beginning of the books didn't fit with the storyline at all and a romcom with no romance save for a stage/fake kiss at 81%, and let's consider a relationship at 95%? We didn't get to connect with the characters or root for the supposed romance that has brewing between Finn and Lavender.

Came for what sounded like a fun book, stayed for the dogs. Literally Bernie and miles were the best part. Could have been a fun book but not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Melissa Ferguson has nailed not-so-spicy romantic comedy. I loved it! Finn and Lavender's enemies-to-lovers romance happens organically. The setting is fun. The themes of choice and work-life balance are spot on. Well-done. Thanks to NetGally for the eARC.

This book provides a fun romp that reads like the rom-com films of the early 2000s, quirky meet cute and all. While I enjoyed the romance, the male lead's story caught my attention most. This is a one-sided enemies-to-lovers, as most of the book shows Finn trying to avoid and then trying to get revenge on Lavender for everything going wrong in his life before the inevitable realization of love. I breezed through the book in a couple of sittings, and while it doesn't rank as my favorite Melissa Ferguson novel (that honor goes to Meet Me in the Margins), it provides a space to escape where nothing is too serious and happy endings abound.

I did knock a half-star because it took a little too long for the ML to take account of his life and for the romance to start, which is why I position this as his story more than anything. I loved the second half of the book but this paired with the multiple dog-related incidents that Lavender gets into, the set-up took a bit too long. Still, the book is enjoyable and provides a nice, cheerful break when life gets hectic.

I have enjoyed other titles by this author but she is also hit or miss for me. Unfortunately this one was a miss. After multiple attempts I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't able to connect to any of the characters as much as I tried. I ended up DNFing at 22%. Thank you NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson, for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

I discovered Melissa Ferguson a few years ago and try to read each of her books. I have enjoyed them. This one started out a bit slow for me, but, once I got into the story I couldn't wait to put my kids to bed and pick it up and read each night. Finn Masters seems a bit ridiculous thinking that someone else could be the cause of all his missed opportunities, but, after reading the story a bit you wonder if he's right? It is funny what things go wrong, what things go right, and what he learns about sabotage. There is a scene in his condo community watching the show "Neighbors" outside with his neighbors that I could read over and over. I love the love story. I would definitely read this book again and buy my own copy. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Have you ever wasted a good majority of your life despising someone only to come to the realization that you never REALLY knew them at all? You had just assumed…all too much. It happens to the best of us and in the world of Hollywood, we can so easily be blinded by personas that aren’t at all authentic.

Finn Masters is a 30-year-old Brit working in Los Angeles as a screenwriter. His DREAM job is offered to him – to work on Neighbors, one of Hollywood’s longest running and highly successful sitcoms. Problem being…Lavendar Rhodes. Lavendar is the lead actress. Someone who has left a bad taste in Finn’s mouth ever since their school days together back in England. Finn blames Lavendar for destroying his acting career. A grudge he holds so deep that he feels he now has the power to deliver a deserving payback as the writer of the show she stars in.
Finn works his best magic to get under Lavendar’s skin, but plans seem to backfire and instead, he winds up discovering a side of her he never knew existed. A very unlikely Hollywood star side of Lavendar exists which longs for some normalcy in life. The realization begins to come to light, that he and Lavendar have far more in common that he ever could have dreamed and their constant struggle with Hollywood success and balancing a normal life is a goal that perhaps they can help each other to obtain. I think authentic friendships and love are harder to navigate in a world like theirs.

This entire book was like a deep dive into the inner workings of television production. Such a unique RomCom setting that was a lot of fun to read – especially for this born and raised So-Cal girl. The inner workings of Hollywood have always intrigued me. CA bred or not, I think you’re going to really love this book!

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

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I feel very middle of the road with this book. Parts of it were cute for sure! I liked the storyline of a TV writer and actress romance. This was a dual pov, and the way the characters were talked about from each other's point of view made them seem so opposite of how they were originally portrayed. And maybe that's the point of it..? Idk. I also wasn't a big fan of Finn. He seems very childish. The ending of this book was very cute though so I will give it that!

3.5 out of 5 stars

This book really would be wonderful as a rom com movie or tv show. Everything is really easy to visualize.

I really enjoyed the dual point of view. Finn's definitely my favorite but Lavender really grows on you as the book goes on.

The feel of being behind the scenes of a tv show makes you feel like you want all the gossip too.

The points of views on the same event especially the first chapter are great

I did almost stop reading the book in the middle but it won out and reeled me back in. So much so that the ending I think felt rushed and needed more time to breathe.

This book was entertaining. The romance was a lot lighter in the story. But there was a ton of comedic humor that kept the plot moving along. I did find myself getting bored at certain points with Finn constantly trying to get Lavender to dislike him as well. But at the same time it was enjoyable how oblivious her character was.

This was such a fun enemies to more rom-com story. I especially loved the grumpy/sunshine character trope and how it was only "enemies" on one side of things. This fed into how ridiculous and over-the-top the comedic aspect was - which was great. The book had a very sitcomy vibe, which was perfect since the setting was working on a Hollywood sitcom after all. I enjoyed having both POVs and loved the progression of the main characters (especially Finn). I do feel like some of the scenes were slightly too drawn out, maybe there was just too much internal dialogue at times, but overall very fun vibes!

4.5 rounded up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I once read that the problem with most TV/movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice is that they only have an hour or so to go from 'Darcy is horrible and nasty and Elizabeth is haughty and proud' to 'they are completely in love' and it's very hard to do it believably. A lot of romcoms have a similar problem. They need their characters to be apart at the beginning but together at the end. Why are they apart? Usually a misunderstanding or character clash, which is what we have here, that gets sorted out by the end.

This was a nice enough read, but it felt shallow. Finn has been holding on to this grudge for twenty years, but drops it after twenty minutes? Lavender has been living in Hollywood for ten years and still thinks people are nice underneath? Kye and Sonja - well, I don't really know anything about them, so I can't comment?

It's fun to read, but don't go looking for a deeper meaning - there isn't one here, and sometimes that's ok.