The narrators were cast perfectly for the main characters. The tone and specific emphasis they used at different times fit the personalities to a tee.

The story was cute and fluffy. I loved Lavender and how she was so optimistic. The grumpy sunshine dynamics were perfect. I loved the found family and the ending was perfectly wrapped in a bow! Super sweet rom com!

Cute and escapist. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where contemporary romance is popular.

While the set up for this enemy to lovers romantic comedy was promising, unfortunately it fell flat for me. Told in the two voices of the man and woman leads, I just didn't connect. Lavender seemed quirky and fun, but I never felt like I understood her on a relatable level. Finn just seemed overly grumpy, and I didn't understand him either. I wish I could say more about this one, but it did not leave a lasting impression on me. I never felt like there was actual drama between the characters, nor any level of romance.

Thank you to netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.
#netgalley #howtoplotapayback

3.5 Stars

Finn Masters finds himself as a producer on Neighbors, a sitcom whose star actor is Lavender Rhodes his nemesis. Finn has a long list of grievances against Lavender. He is going to use his powers as a writer/producer to get his payback. Lavender for her part has no idea of Finn's dislike of her, she has problems of her own in the form of a puppy.

This was a cute, and fast-paced book without a lot of substance. This is the perfect book if you are looking for a mindless read after a heavier book. It is funny, sweet, and will have you rooting for the characters. The side characters, especially Finn's neighbors add a coziness to the book. I don't know if I would consider this a romance, it was more a fiction where Finn grows to realize that Lavender really isn't so bad and he needs to let some things go. If you are looking for a clean rom-com this is a great option for you. It is light on romance but full of sitcom hijinx.

This book was more fiction than romance. With that said, I was. left disappointed in the book. I kept waiting for the meet cute, or the moment when the characters connected and it was just very uneventful, which is ok, but it left me wanting more. I had trouble connecting to the characters and the plot. I wanted to love this one so much, but it just fell short. It was a quick,, easy read. I would recommend it as a palate cleanser after a heavy read. I listened to the audio version--the narrators were pleasant and easy to follow, however I couldn't connect Finns voice to the character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, I know Melissa Ferguson writes good books and people love them. They've been on my list for a while now, but I haven't picked one up yet. But enter loves of my life, Steve West and Fiona Hardingham and naturally I turned this on immediately.

When I say I will listen to Steve West narrate anything I truly mean it. But great news, this is actually a fun book, so listening to it was super enjoyable.

I like the idea that Finn has an arch nemesis, everything that has ever gone wrong in his life is because of this one person. Somehow, someway, everything bad always links back to her. Lavender.

Lavender on the other hand goes through life with complete optimism. She thinks people are good and everything works out in the end, because everything does for her.

Now Finn, the TV writer, and Lavender, the TV star are working together. And Finn finally gets his chance to get payback. Except Lavender works her magic on him and naturally they start to slowly fall for each other.

Things to note:
-this is a clean romance (but there's some kissing)
-this is light enemies to lovers
-the audiobook of this is EXCELLENT
-this book doesn't preach to you about anything - it's just a fun romp
-while published under a Christian publisher, there's no mention of faith/religion/God/morals/etc.

5/5 stars!

Melissa Ferguson - how to plot a payback
Coming out April 2! (Also in Storytel and BookBeat, in Scandinavian people)
I got the privilege to listen to this book as ARC, thanks to @netgalley!

Here’s some of my thoughts:
The plot goes around and comes back so funny ways that makes my laugh out loud.
Dual pov is on point, to getting story go on great way. And I don’t even wanna start with all those animals - which makes so adorable side characters!
Book ended with a great twists 💕

This audiobook really did not do it for me. I did not feel like there was a lot of romance, just a friendship forming. Some parts were funny, but I was just really not invested in the relationship and the payback wasn't even good payback. I just felt like it could have been done better.

The narrators did a great job with this book. They told the story with lots of excitement. Both narrators had British accents just like the two main characters, even though they happen to live in Los Angeles, CA. Finn Masterson had moved from
London to make it in Hollywood and at every turn one person continuously is in his way. Lavender Rose happens to be the person Finn likes least and what is even funnier, is she has no idea she is even bothering Finn. In this book of accidental happenings and one sided enemies and eventually both of them fall in love. This book has so many cute heart warming components to it.

I read “How to Plot a Payback” as an ARC through NetGalley.
I would like to start this off as I am the most anti- slow burn as it gets. There is nothing more annoying than that for me. However, this book did the trope justice. I loved much the MMC tried to get his payback but the FMC was so oblivious. I also really enjoyed how the author managed to keep me from wanting to put it down without being too dramatic.
This was a great read especially for those who want romance but don’t enjoy spice. Which as someone who also loves a good spicy scene the author told this story in a way where it was not needed.
I will 100% be recommending this to my friends and hope it comes out as a physical book so I can buy it for my shelves.

I smiled and laughed through so much of this book. If I wasn’t listening to the audiobook, I was talking about it. And if I wasn’t talking about it, I was thinking about it. How to Plot a Payback is a clean romantic comedy with all the chemistry and humor, plus some unique twists I have never seen in any other book. Honestly, I’m cackling over Finn and his “fate of being doomed with Lavender” as I type.
During the first chapter, I was slightly hesitant. It felt slow and I didn't connect with it right away. Once the plot thickened (about chapter 2 or 4), I was hooked. But even with this, I rate it 5 stars because I couldn’t put it down and I recommended it to so many friends already.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

*Paperback

I received an ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review.

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.

The best way to describe this book is squeaky clean cute. The “rom” was more like a light building fondness for each other and the “com” definitely felt like a sitcom (which considering the plot is appropriate). Was it my fave? No. Was it an amusing and easy read? Yep.

Cute, slow burn frenemies to lovers. Finn Masters might have been a star, but when his understudy accidentally leaves a trap door open, he spirals down. Literally. While he recovers from a broken ankle, she steals the show- landing her an agent and ticket to Hollywood. A series of unfortunate events follow Finn, and they all seem to be related to her- Lavender. When Finn gets a writer position on her hit TV show, he seizes his opportunity for payback, yet everytime, she surprises him.
Full of humor, the sweetest pups, and a Hollywood backdrop this was delightful love story.
The stakes are low, the plot is simple, the spice almost nonexistent. It was a fun, heartwarming romance with adorable senior citizens and hilarious mishaps.

2.5 stars rounded down. I think it might be time for me to part ways with Melissa Ferguson. I wasn't a fan of her last book, <i>Famous for a Living</i>, but I adored her debut, <i>Meet Me in the Margins</i>, and I was still excited by the premise of this one. Unfortunately, I found it lacking in similar ways.

<u><b>Summary</b></u>
Finn Masters's life has turned upside down with landing a new job in the writers' room for the <i>Friends</i>-esque hit sitcom <i>Neighbors</i>. It's a huge compliment to his already illustrious career, but there's one pretty big downside that he'll have to get over: the leading lady is none other than his life-long nemesis. What's worse? She doesn't even know who he is at first.

Lavender Rhodes has everything she thought she ever wanted, but a flourishing acting career and steady employment aren't enough to satisfy her any longer. Then she finds out that she's essentially ruined the new show writer's life as he knew it in high school, and everything comes crashing down around her. She's determined to rectify her past mistakes, but she can't seem to stop screwing things up. The two adversaries vow to work together to make things right between them, and they just might find something stronger between them on the way.

<u><b>My Thoughts</b></u>
I just could not force myself to care about this relationship. I thought the grudge Finn held was incredibly immature, the ending was dumb, and I had a hard time believing Lavender was genuinely attracted to him. Also, the "payback" I was promised was a very minor plot point, so I felt like the book was misrepresented in its marketing. I won't go on further than that because I would just be ranting.

<i>Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced listener's copy!!</i>

Loved this audiobook! The narrators did a great job at bringing these characters to life and making it that much more enjoyable. This was such a fun celebrity romance with dual POVs. The writing, banter and characters were all so good! I don’t usually like slow burn but the author did such a great job with this story that I didn’t mind.

Oh the cheese!
Such a cheesy romance novel and I was here for it.
The beginning is very noteworthy as I had momentarily forgotten what the book was about and I was starting to fantasize about this man and woman, whom were both assasins and met on the job and loathed each other. (A sort of spin on the classic Mr and Mrs Smith)
The enemy-to-lover story arch truly works in this instancce. Often it can be a bit too unbelievable but it truly makes sense why the male character hates the female character due to their past history. And I'm a fan of how it is resolved in the end, when you flip certain past wrongdoings and see them from a new perspective. Also. One of the characters wholeheartedly apologizes to the other person in a way that is believable and actually feels true. Too often romance novels contain ridiculous apologies for stuff the character shouldn't even apologize for - and unfortunately this book partly falls into that trap in other scenes. But I'll take what I can get.
I felt the whole "she's too good for me" dilemma dragged on for way too long. I wasn't into it.
But overall, I liked it and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in some cheesy romance.

This feedback is specifically for the audiobook of How to Plot a Payback.

I loved this twist on the Enemies-to-Lovers trope. These books usually revolve around some grumpy alpha with a chip on his shoulder or some long-term, unrequited pining disguised as hate. In this case, Finn Masters has legitimate reasons to hate Lavender Rhodes. Well, at least from his perspective, before he gets to know her. The more Finn tries to sabotage Lavender, the more he realizes he might have been wrong about her all along.

This is the first audio book I’ve reviewed, already having read the book, and I’ve got to say - it really enhanced the experience. Both parts were well performed. I also found it helpful because I have a hard time accurately imagining accents.

4 stars for the book, plot, etc.
4 stars for the audiobook performance.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this audiobook.

3.5🌟
0🌶
➳ Writing
The writing flows very well not making it difficult at all to get through the book. There were plenty of funny lines and cute scenes that could have been cringy but were super cute!
➳ Plot
Basically this guy named Finn thinks that this girl named Lavender is a terrible person and just wants to ruin everybody's life. But as he get's to know her because of course he is forced to work with her as her producer he starts to realize that maybe she isn't so bad.
➳ Characters
Finn is very skeptical and pretty stubborn but he does have a big soft spot for Lavender.
Lavender super sweet and sunshine but is such a people pleaser to the point where if everyone if happy about something she'll use her tremendous acting skills to make it seem like she's happy.
➳ My thoughts
I thought it was so fun but it's advertised as a romance when it's closer to a fiction of Finn not judging a book by its cover. Overall I had a great time listening to this and I would recommend this if you want something fast and heartwarming!

Really liked this! A cute enemies to lovers with more passive aggression. The MMC was clever in his revenge, but his plan always seemed to go awry! Quick cute romcom!