Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really didn't care for the male narrator. For whatever reason, the tone and character put me on the wrong foot with the book from the very beginning. I kept listening as sometimes narrators can grow on you if you don't care for them at first and I liked Lavender's chapter better and wished the book had started off with this character first. However, the story just felt kind of vapid and uninteresting to me. It was juvenile how much the MMC didn't like the FMC and I didn't care to continue. I need a little more substance and this was a miss for me.

Melissa Ferguson’s "How to Plot a Payback" is a delightful rom-com rollercoaster that delivers equal doses of laughter and heart. Set against the backdrop of Hollywood’s glitz and glamor, the story follows Finn Masters, a talented screenwriter with a score to settle with his childhood nemesis turned co-worker, Lavender Rhodes.
Finn’s dream job turns into a nightmare when he realizes he’ll be working alongside Lavender, the woman who unwittingly derailed his acting career and romantic aspirations. Seizing the opportunity for payback, Finn concocts a plan to sabotage Lavender’s character on the hit sitcom they're both involved in. However, as Finn’s schemes unravel in hilarious fashion, he finds himself confronting unexpected truths and reevaluating his feelings towards Lavender.
Ferguson crafts a compelling narrative filled with witty banter, endearing characters, and laugh-out-loud moments. Finn and Lavender’s dynamic is the heart of the story, evolving from mutual animosity to reluctant admiration and, ultimately, to something more complex and genuine.
"What could go wrong?" Finn asks himself, and the answer is everything, but it’s in the chaos that the magic truly happens. Ferguson skillfully navigates the ups and downs of Finn and Lavender’s journey, infusing the narrative with warmth, humor, and a touch of romance.
"How to Plot a Payback" is a charming and feel-good read that will leave readers rooting for love, forgiveness, and second chances. Ferguson’s knack for storytelling shines in this entertaining romp through the highs and lows of Hollywood, making it a must-read for fans of romantic comedies.

This audiobook was made available to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This romance gave me so much to love. It was cute and funny and lighthearted and just what I needed. I was pleasantly surprised there were no explicit scenes, as I feel romances can sometimes lean to heavily on them to fill out the book.

I enjoyed Finn so much and thought he was a really good representation of how you can get really caught up in not blaming yourself and pile it all on a (singular) outside source that snowballs out of control. The found family/community of Finn's neighbors was so heartwarming and I really liked reading about that part of his life and how it fit so perfectly into what Lavender knew (didn't know?) she wanted for herself.

I didn't think I was a fan of enemies to lovers but maybe I'll have to reconsider after this!

4 stars, maybe 4.25

Melissa Ferguson has done it again. This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This book was such a surprise!! I enjoyed it a lot, I wasn’t anticipating liking it so much. The audio was great, the story is dual points of view with a different narrator for the FMC and the MMC.

I loved the MMC!! The narrators voice (Steve West) was perfect for him. It was the perfect choice, it channeled all the grumpy, disgruntled and dry humor Finn Masters has. He was also a caring person and I loved the contrast between his kind, caring side and his grumpy side. I enjoyed all the grumpy/sunshine vibes this book had to offer!

The FMC (narrated by Fiona Hardingham) is Finn’s nemesis and they are thrown together again. The forced proximity was fun and is always entertaining!! Also, the dogs in this book are the true stars. I’ll leave it at that so I don’t spoil anything.

No spice, closed door, kissing only with so many laugh out loud moments!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, the author Melissa Ferguson and Net Galley for the advanced copy of the audio book!

3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

How to Plot a Payback was a fun read. The plot seemed so ridiculous but I found it entertaining and genuinely fun at times. I truly liked Finn's character and how he, or well, his perspective of Lavender and his treatment of her changes over time. The story's climax wasn't dragged on as it typically is in romcoms which I truly appreciate. Overall this was a cute grumpy/sunshine romcom. The audio was very entertaining as well.

This was overall an enjoyable story, but is lacking a lot of the romance I was promised. The romance was not just slow burn- it pretty much didn't exist until the last third of the story. The book overall was a little too long, and then throw in the missing romance plot and I was a little disappointed in it.

➳ 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!
Thank you Netgalley and Melissa Ferguson for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Melissa Ferguson for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Had a great time with this story! It was easy, quick and honestly funny at times.

This book was a fun, quick read! Overall, I thought the book was really funny, quick paced, and sweet. I really liked Finn's character and how he was still such a caring person, even though he was characterized as the grumpy writer. I do wish we had gotten a little more of Finn and lavender"s romance! For a romcom book, I thought this book leaned heavily into the comedy aspect, which made it a really fun and different read from most romances!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Melissa Fergusson.

I really enjoyed this especially since there is actually a show called “Neigbours” in Australia that is similar to that in the book.

I found it to be engaging, and funny!

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for my advanced copy of How to Plot a Payback on Audio.

This book surprised me and I enjoyed it more than I anticipated.

Finn Masters has landed his dream job writing for a popular and long-running sitcom. There's just one little problem: the sitcom star is his schoolmate and long-standing nemesis Lavender Rhodes. Finn has met with a series of disappointments throughout his life and most have been in one way or another caused by Lavender. He decides he can serve justice for all of his misfortunes by plotting a payback towards Lavender. Unfortunately, his plotting isn't working, and as much as he's trying to avoid Lavender he keeps being forced to spend time with her, and quite possibly, she may not be the person he has made her out to be.

It's witty and fun with a dual POV. There are dogs, dog park outings, and Saturday dinners and movies with the fun senior citizen crew. You'll get a sneak peek into screenwriting and behind-the-scenes filming, which is fun!

The main characters are British and the dual readers both have great British accents. The audio was well done and entertaining.

This is a closed door contemporary romcom with dual PoVs and 2 narrators for the audiobook. There is definitely more comedic content than romance in my opinion.

I enjoyed both of the narrators' interpretations of the characters. I appreciated the English accents that were used, although it want until later in the story that I realized why they were there.

It wasn't until I was 40 percent in to the book for me to find the actual plot. There was quite a bit of time spent with dogs in the beginning setting up later events. I dound myself wondering where the story was going or when.

Once some actual action started taking place, sometimes I felt that the main male character was behaving like a child. I think maybe if I'd been able more invested by the time the stroy took off, I would have felt differently.

I'll give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the audiobook. I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review.

A childhood nemesis, we all had one! The difference is, we probably got over them and Finn did not. Who could blame him when she keeps popping back in at the most inopportune moments and continues to wreak havoc in his life. There was a lot to laugh about and enjoy in this one. I also loved that he took her best interest to heart there at the end and really proved how much he truly cared about her both as a person and her career.

What a fun story about plotting payback on your “nemesis” that ends up backfiring tremendously.

Finn Masters is a successful screenwriter who lands a job writing for one of Hollywood’s highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. However, the star of the show is his nemesis, Lavender Rhodes, whom he loathes and believes absolutely ruined his life. Lavender, on the other hand, has absolutely ZERO idea that she caused any turmoil in his life, and thinks they’re old friends and that everything’s perfectly fine between them. Finn decides he wants to get revenge on her, and starts trying to sabotage this show and her character, which ultimately results in the opposite of what he wants. He also reluctantly starts to learn over time that maybe Lavender isn’t actually that bad, and he might even be falling for her, which he NEVER thought he would do.

Overall, I thought Finn absolutely hating Lavender but struggling to find reasons to do so because of how oblivious and nice she is was hilarious. Also there were some beloved dogs in this story, which I’m always a sucker for.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for giving me access to an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

cute romance story. Loved the grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers tropes. Such a fun read/listen for me!

Fun, fun story! Finn is low-key hilarious, and Lavender is so clueless she's funny.

Finn Masters has been working as a screen-writer for one of the most successful dramas on TV (think "Murder She Wrote" or NCIS) but when he's offered a new job as executive producer of the longest running, most popular IN THE WORLD sit-com, "Neighbors" he's willing to walk out - no notice - and take the job. Everyone needs a new challenge sometimes, right? The worst thing he sees on the horizon is having to tolerate the show's much-loved star, Lavender Rhodes. Lavender has been a thorn in his side ever since she left the stage trapdoor open during their high school production of Midsummer Night's Dream, causing him to fall and shatter his ankle. He was playing Puck, and she was his understudy. He spent the play in the hospital, and she was discovered by a Hollywood agent. Thus began the list of "Lavender's Transgressions Against Finn Masters."

As producer of the show Lavender is starring in, Finn sees an opportunity to pay Lavender back for all of the things she has caused to go haywire in his life. Unfortunately, everything he tries either turns into something good for Lavender, or something so bad that he feels guilty. When she discovers she lives near him, she begins trying to figure out why he's always so cold to her. Everyone else loves her. Why not him?

Can these two find a middle ground between friend and enemy, and if they do, will they see that they have more in common than they thought?

Melissa Ferguson always makes me laugh. I've read other books she's written and enjoyed each one. I listened to this one which was especially great. Hearing those London accents helped me "see" the characters, too.

Readers who enjoy romantic comedies will love this one. I highly recommend the audio version, but the written version is equally fun.

I'm so glad I had this on audio! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ALC of How to Plot a Payback. This book is written with emotion and it hits so much harder when I'm able to hear the emotion as well.

Finn Masters finds Lavender Rhodes to be the bane of his existence and catalyst to all negativity in his life. Accepting his dream job, however, puts him directly in her path once again and he braces himself for all sorts of misfortune to befall him. Ferguson does a phenomenal job of showing the growth of a person who finds that everything they've believed to be true might be only one side of the story. I felt that Lavender was a representation of things versus a fully formed character, and I struggled to connect with when Finn's feelings changed and why. Finn's growth as a character held the story for me more than the romance. Again, I'm so glad I had the audio copy of this, as I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed it as much otherwise.

Absolute perfection. Melissa took some of my favorite things and put them into a story. I know this wasn’t written FOR me, but it was. Sitcoms, “murder shows”, British main characters, a sort of second chance for love, a little enemies to lovers (but not really), dogs, no third act breakup, no miscommunication problems, I loved every second. FIVE STARS. The audio is so fun to listen to and both narrators did a fantastic job!

I had a hard time connecting to the MMC the first couple chapters that were from his point of view. However, once the story really got going, I kind of fell in love with it. I absolutely adore the FMC. I kind of wish I had her Rosie outlook on life lol. There is zero spice in this story, but the plot doesn’t need it so I didn’t mind. We’re looking for a nice fluffy easy listen, this one’s your go to.