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

I had really high hopes from this one. After reading Meet Me in the Margins and rating it 5 stars, I was so excited to see a new one by Melissa Ferguson. However, I was so bored. So incredibly bored. It felt very repetitive and I felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over at times. Things got a little more interesting in the last 5% of the book. Otherwise, I didn’t enjoy it. 2/5 stars.

A good story from the writer’s side of making a sitcom.. Finn had it out for Lavender and the ways she wronged him since they were kids. Upon reuniting and some hilarious unintentional accidents Finn has held his negative opinions for Lavender . The more time spent with her he realizes she did not directly cause his problems. Everything happens for a reason. I lived Lavender’s sunshine look on life after realizing she had taken everyone and everything for granted upon becoming a famous actress. This was a great story full of clumsy dogs, savage bosses and two Brit’s managing it all together. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy.im leaving this review voluntarily

I have liked every Melissa Ferguson book I’ve read so far, so I knew this would be good, but this one exceeded all expectations and became my new favorite, hands down. The concept, the execution, the voice of the characters, it was honestly so good.

Lavender Rhodes is the star of a popular sitcom, and the thorn in Finn Masters’ side. She doesn’t know it, but Finn has a long list of grievances against her, starting with her stealing his career hopes and even ruining a 3 year relationship of his. So when he gets hired to write and produce her sitcom, he decides it’s the perfect time for payback.

Honestly I loved both these characters so much. Finn is so funny, and the hilarious things that happen to him (due to Lavender even though she doesn’t even mean to cause them) made the book so fast paced and exciting to read. I couldn’t put it down. Each of his attempts at retribution made me laugh in how horribly they went awry, and I loved how realistic it actually all was (something I often find is rare in books with pranks or celebrity settings). Finn’s hate for Lavender was masterfully written. I really, truly believed he actually hated her (and not just pretended to hate her while really loving her and being attracted to her the whole time like in most enemies to lovers books). I felt sorry for him and understood his distaste for her, all while simultaneously rooting for her while reading her perspective. Somehow Melissa Ferguson was able to write an enemies to lovers book filled with revenge that was also lighthearted, funny, silly, and heartwarming all at the same time.

This one was a 5 star read for me for sure and I’m so glad I got an advanced copy to enjoy! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity!

This book was really cute!

Finn is a Hollywood TV scriptwriter with a grudge against Lavender Rhodes. Lavender is the hit star of Neighbors, the most popular sitcom currently on TV. When Finn gets hired on as a writer for Neighbors, he decides that he’s going to plot payback for all of Lavender’s transgressions against him. But things don’t quite go according to plan.

This is an adorable enemies to lovers book. Finn finds himself in some very awkward positions, and Lavender is just completely oblivious to the fact that Finn was doing it on purpose. This was a fun one to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a super cute enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, zero spice romance. I really enjoyed reading it and would definitely recommend it!

She’s the star of America’s favorite sitcom. He’s just been hired as a writer.
The only problem is, he can’t stand her (he has his reasons).

One thing I love about sweet romcoms is their ability to let me sink into a love story that doesn’t cause anxiety, make me blush, or make me to think too much. Especially when current things in life feel heavy, I cannot overstate how much I appreciate lighter reads. However, there have been times when this category can start to feel a bit formulaic or just lack that extra originality that sets them apart from all the rest.

Which is why—

How to Plot a Payback was such a breath of fresh air in the romcom category. It felt fresh and had some delightful elements that gave it a little extra something. I loved the behind-the-scenes peek at writing a sitcom and the 90s nostalgia that came with it (even if thinking of Friends brings its own bittersweetness these days 😭). It was witty and funny and even cringey at times when looking at all the reasons the two main characters were enemies at the start. But every bit of it felt fun and I couldn’t wait to keep reading.

This comes with no content warnings (no language or sexual content), so I wholeheartedly recommend it if you’re looking for some lighthearted fun in your reading.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced review copy. How to Plot a Payback releases in April 2024.

“They’re little blips on the screen, these dinners and games and weddings, but all these blips put together are what makes up the video of our life.”

So much fun! Melissa Ferguson has again hit it out of the ballpark with this extremely entertaining and poignant romcom. I absolutely loved Finn’s poetic, sarcastic, and slightly resigned first person voice. His multiple plots for payback as the writer of the sitcom lead him down a path so unexpected. I adored Lavender’s optimistic, hope-filled, and bubbly voice as the star of the hit sitcom show quite reminiscent of Friends. I laughed my way through the entire book but there were also noteworthy moments of sigh-inducing romance and heart-warming human connection. The ending definitely surprised me but in a good way. If you enjoy romcom, this book is a must read!

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

How to Plot a Payback” by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful mix of charming, kooky, funny and sweet. Finn Masters was a great character well developed and very lovable. Lavender Rhodes, his nemesis and someone who has been on his transgressions list for many years. He detests the woman who by all accounts is sweet and loving except by Finn who believes she has destroyed his life through her careless choices and actions. In order to achieve his dream job, however, he must go to work as a writer and producer on her successful Emmy Award winning show. He plots a way to get back at her through his writing and his choices as a director/producer, with everyone turning out to be failures.

I mostly really enjoyed this book. I found Lavender to be annoying in her ignorance of her effect on others, but by the end she had won me over. The romance between her and Finn is a slow burn and some of my favorite parts of the book involved their interactions at the dog park as well as in his apartment complex with the senior citizens.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson—Fiction, and Melissa Ferguson for the ARC of this delightful story. “How to Plot a Payback” is available everywhere April 2, 2024. If you want a funny escape, this book is a good choice.

An absolutely underrated story + a good lesson about harboring a grudge for no good reason! My first book from Melissa Ferguson and i can’t wait for more.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I've enjoyed Melissa Ferguson's books in the past, but this is my favorite of hers to date. It was laugh out loud funny in places and the hero is perfect and adorable. If you love a cute rom com that pays homage to You've Got Mail, you'll enjoy this one.

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

I really enjoy Melissa Ferguson’s books. They are lighthearted, quick reads with likable characters who have their own journeys to take.

Finn Rhodes is convinced that every disappointment in his life can be traced back to Lavender Rhodes being involved somehow. When he gets an opportunity to be a screenwriter on her hit television show, he decides it’s finally time to pay her back by making her job a bit more difficult. Things may not always be what they seem, however, and perspective has a way of sneaking up on a person and change minds.

The Swiftie in me cannot help but say Finn was in a Lavender haze for this whole book in some form or another—be it in spiteful feelings or tender hearted as he got to know her genuine nature. Lavender was a good natured, caring person all the way through. Finn for all his revenge bravado was really just a marshmallow inside. His immediate guilt each time a plot backfired told me his heart was never really in the payback.

This was a sweet, slow fall into each other for Finn and Lavender. I wouldn’t say the romance burned, but they were funny and cute as the stumbled their way to it. Add in a cast of entertaining side characters—human and animal both—and this was a fun, warm journey.

so cozy and sweet - safe to recommend to anyone - not sexy or smutty but still gives you butterflies

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've read other titles by this author that I have liked but this one was just okay for me. Finn, a television writer/producer, has a decades long grudge against Lavender who is the main actress on the most popular sitcom in the country. He decides that when gets hired on her show, he will plot a payback. She is blissfully unaware that he is even upset. The story line had a lot of potential but I honestly felt like not a lot happened.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for a review!

This was so cute! I was afraid that, because this book is about ‘hate’ and ‘revenge’ that it would feel icky as it was the man that wanted revenge. Luckily that wasn’t the case. It rather felt simple and silly (which is not a bad thing!)

The characters were also fun to be reading about and seeing their life and at no point did they start to feel like caricatures of what they’re meant to be.

Overall I would recommend this book definitely!

How To Plot A Payback is the second book I’ve read by Melissa Ferguson and once again, I really enjoyed it.
I love how Finn kept trying to get payback for all the inconveniences Lavender had caused him over the years, but he’s such a little teddy bear that it never worked out the way he expected it to. I liked Lavender and it was clear that she was misunderstood by everyone - but she and Finn just worked so well together!

How To Plot A Payback was a sweet read full of some laugh out loud moments, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Melissa Ferguson for sending me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for Review.

Meet Me In The Margins is an all-time fave so I was so excited to get this arc and it was absolutely delightful.

This whimsical romance is a quick easy read. My only wish is that there was more depth to the relationship and background. For instance the ex-girlfriend I thought would play a much more tangible role in providing a landscape for why Finn is so bent on payback. But really she’s barely a name. I’d love to see why Lavender chose to forego Mary for her middle name. Etc. I want more!

✨️Review✨️

After reading Famous for a Living, I was really excited about this book. And let me tell you IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

I found myself laughing out loud multiple times and I just love it when a book delivers those moments.

This books provides a little bit of most of my favorite tropes, so if you enjoy grumpy-sunshine, second chances or enemies to lovers you should definitely give this one a try.

I have to admit at a certain point I was wondering if Finn's behaviour was becoming a tad too toxic, but luckily it only got better for that point on.

The small-towin vibes the book delivered in Finn's building scenes were just 🤌

Also, if you are a lovely-pets-in- books-lover as I am, you are bound to enjoy this one!

I'd love to see a movie or series adaptation of this one.

To sum up if you're looking for a cute and funny rom-com you can't go wrong with this one.

Thank you so much @netgalley, @thomasnelson and @our_friendly_farmhouse for allowing me to read this wonderful book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought this was an interesting concept for a book. It did take me a while to warm up to it but over all it was a cute story.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This book wasn’t for me. I didn’t connect with the writing style, the characters or the story. I really wanted to like it but it didn’t land and I really had to force myself to get through it.

Finn has the opportunity to work on a hit TV show, but it means having to see his nemesis, Lavender Rhodes every day. She's ruined his life on multiple occasions, even causing him to be fired from his new job writing for her show, Neighbors. He manages to get his job back, and decides to use his position to deliver a little payback. But the more time he spends with her, the more he fears he's misjudged her. And is,unfortunately, starting to actually care for her.

This was such a fun read, fast paced and funny. The ending was perfect.