How to Plot a Payback

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?

The audiobook for this was amazing, I felt like I was listening to two friends speak!!! I loved getting to hear both POV's of Lavender and Finn from Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. The narration kept me so engaged & the accents really added to the story for me.

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.

"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."

This is my new favorite book by Melissa Ferguson. It was so funny and witty and lighthearted. I loved loved loved Finn and Lavender was so good too!

I loved that it was enemies to lovers, but was completely one sided. I loved the way lavender was just always the reason behind all the things that happen to Finn. I loved the animals, omg let’s have more pets in romance please!

I loved that the book was about a Hollywood tv show and it’s hilarious and diverse cast of characters. I just all around loved it. And the narration for the audio was amazing!

Successful screenwriter Finn lands his dream job writing for a popular sitcom. The downside? Working with Lavender, the show’s beloved star—and his childhood nemesis. The woman who ruined his engagement and acting career. His plot to seek revenge backfires, forcing him to confront his past and reconsider his feelings.

I loved this rom com so much! The voice is strong and the characters vivid. The story is clever, fast-paced, and emotional. Finn is a sweetheart beneath all his bluster, and Lavender a hot mess beneath her polished façade. The audiobook narration added to the enjoyment of the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary 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!

This is such a sweet and wholesome novel! I love it so much! the characters, especially the FMC, are adorable and relatable, even though I haven’t been in the acting world since I was five.
How to Plot a Payback was so cozy I wanted to roll up in a blanket and listen to it on repeat for days. Melissa Ferguson did a great job writing lovable characters who don’t need to jump each other’s bones to make you want these characters to fall in love and get together by the end.
There wasn’t any traditional spice, which was perfectly okay with me. It would’ve ruined the book if they’d been 🌶️ 🥵 throughout the novel. It was so much better that the MCs were going about their lives together, surviving crazy antics, and learning about each other after their shared “incident” in school as children.
Everything that happened in the plotted payback scheme was fun and had me laughing at times, gritting my teeth in one spot, and at one point I whooped for joy.

Narration: Fiona Hardingham and Steve West did a fantastic job narrating their respective characters. I enjoyed listening to both MCs voices and the narrators both embodied their characters and sucked me into the story every time I pressed play. Perfect recording, IMO.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Melissa Ferguson for the ALC of How to Plot a Payback!!!

How to Plot a Payback was delightful! This audiobook was the perfect companion for a solo weekend! I absolutely loved the ending!

Since reading "Meet Me In The Margins", Melissa Ferguson has been one of my favorite romcom authors. I am so grateful to @thomasnelson for sending me the ARC and sharing the audiobook of this new release with me!

Do you have a person in your life who is just a "bad luck charm"? For Finn Masters it's Lavender Rhodes. Since their teenage years she has been one single cause of all of his misfortunes. To Finn's horror, years later, his new job as a writer on popular sitcom brings him face to face with his least favorite person who ironically plays the main character in a sitcom. It's time to plot a payback...

Each of Melissa's books is so different from the other, and the unique plot of this novel simply blew me away! Yes, I cheered for the team "Finn" from the get-go, but then I was in for a huge surprise as Finn's plot got completly derailed.

Finn is your perfect book boyfriend: he is considerate, oldfashioned, extremely helpful and is such a gentleman. He even helped Ukrainian refugees! My heart skipped at that - thank you, Finn! I will not reveal a thing about Lavender, because I want you to meet her yourself and have fun with it! The sitcom setting was so well-written! It reminded me of "Friends". I LOVED getting a sneak peek behind the scenes. If you're a dog lover, this book will have you swooning! Lol So many hilarious moments, sweet and tender scenes and fuzzy feels. Fun, engaging writing style was just a cherry on top!

I adored this delightful closed door romcom. This was also a laugh-out-loud read. What a perfect combo. If you haven't read Melissa Ferguson's books yet, definitely grab this one. The audiobook was great, I loved the dual POV narrators.

In "How to Plot a Payback," readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the tumultuous world of Hollywood, where successful screenwriter Finn Masters finds himself face to face with his lifelong nemesis, Lavender Rhodes. What follows is a hilarious yet heartfelt tale of revenge, redemption, and unexpected love.

Author Melissa Ferguson, crafts a compelling narrative filled with witty dialogue, clever plot twists, and memorable characters. Finn's determination to exact revenge on Lavender by manipulating her character on the hit sitcom Neighbors leads to a series of comedic misadventures that keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

What sets this book apart is its exploration of forgiveness and redemption. As Finn's plans backfire spectacularly, he is forced to confront his own feelings of resentment and anger towards Lavender. Through their interactions, readers are treated to a nuanced portrayal of two complex individuals struggling to come to terms with their past and find common ground.

The dynamic between Finn and Lavender crackles with tension and chemistry, making their journey from adversaries to allies all the more satisfying. As they navigate the ups and downs of Hollywood, readers will find themselves rooting for this unlikely pair to overcome their differences and find happiness together.

Overall, "How to Plot a Payback" is a delightful romp through the world of show business, filled with humor, heart, and plenty of surprises. Melissa Ferguson has crafted a charming and entertaining novel that is sure to leave readers smiling long after they've turned the final page.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I had the honor of listening to it as an Advanced Listener Copy on NetGalley! A HUGE thank you to Melissa Ferguson and NetGalley for allowing me to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I loved the narrators Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. They made the story come to life as I felt like I was actually in the story. Lavender Rhodes is a widely known actress who everyone knows and wants to be around except Finn Masters who is a screenwriter who does excellent work. He has been trying to get away from her and when they both land in having jobs on the same show things start to go haywire. From saving dogs to adventures to falling in love this story covers it all! If you get a chance to listen to the audiobook I HIGHLY recommend as the narrators have SO MUCH character telling the story. There are many scenes that I ended up laughing at because of how the narrators were telling a funny scene in the story. Definitely recommend this book as Melissa Ferguson is an amazing author!!

What fun! What a joy! What a way to spend 9 hours of my life: with two of my favorite narrators on planet earth, Steve West and Fiona Hardingham.

Television writer Finn burns with loathing towards starlet Lavender Rhodes - a blonde version of every character Zooey Deschanel has ever played - and through a series of (un?)fortunate events, he ends up producer on her long-standing sitcom. Then, a sitcom ensues in his life.

What I appreciate:
-Finn’s grievances against Lavender were actually fair. I texted a friend fairly early on, “What if I hate her forever????”
-This is resolved quickly about. About 10 minutes after that text I sent the follow-up, “Oh never mind, she’s just oblivious.”
-It takes a lot for me to like the grumpy x sunshine when the man the grump, and it takes a LOT for me to like a “head empty no thoughts” female lead, but have I mentioned Fiona Hardingham!!!! She brought some OOMPH to this role.
-The inevitable third act conflict is handled quickly and efficiently, yay!
-Hearing the British pronunciation of “aluminum” MULTIPLE times.

This was fun, this was sweet, this makes me want to beg on bended knee for these two narrators to work together more often.

What happens when a screenwriter gets to write the plot for a show starring his nemesis? Well, in the case of this book - a whole lot of chaos and fun! This was a great feel-good grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers rom-com. Melissa Ferguson delivers a fast-paced, clean, and just down-right good time story. It was the perfect amount of predictable with some unexpected twists and turns.

The audio narration was great and having both female and male readers really added to the fun of the story. If you're looking for something light, easy and just an all-around good time, this book is the perfect fit!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC audio of this book. It was a great one!

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"How to Plot a Payback" gave an in depth look into show writing and producing a sitcom. I loved that this story was told in the dual point of view! Will Finn be successful in his payback? The banter between Finn and Lavender had me laughing out loud at times. The support of the secondary characters was great to read too. I also listened to the audio version with Steve West and Fiona Hardingham who were a great combination! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced audio copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This is a cute romance following Finn and Lavender as they go from enemies (on his part) to friends to lovers. It's closed door and I enjoyed how that put the focus on the sweet little things, like a kind word or a thoughtful gesture, that drew them to each other. The movie nights with the older crowd at Finn's apartment were fantastic and I kinda want to live there too. Well-written with lots of heart this love story will give you all the warm fuzzy feels.

I found this to be very easy to listen to and generally delightful. It was lighthearted and I found the characters agreeable. This would make for a great beach or vacation read- something perfect for reading on a lounge chair by the pool or on the beach.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.

This book was gold. It was hilarious and was a version of the "one person says something offhand, and the other person holds a grudge and hates them for life" trope that I had never seen before. Her accidently causing everything in his life to go wrong so much so that even his revenge plans backfire was adorable and funny. There is no third act breakup (I hate those), and they use the miscommunication trope in a way that actually makes sense. The characters were well rounded and had a lot of chemistry. I listened to this as an audiobook and think the narrators did an amazing job. Their emotion and inflection were perfect, and it was exactly how I think the characters should have sounded. I will not be able to stop thinking about this book for weeks.

I can totally see this book be turned into a TV show and I would totally watch it and devourer it's completely. It's enemies to Neighbors?.... I love all the characters and can picture them so clearly in my head. I love a good Rom-Com!

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a quick read for me. I had amazing time listening to the audiobook ARC and instantly fell in love with the characters of the book.
The author has penned down the characters in such a charming way that the plotline felt more interesting and beautiful. I love the writing style too.

What a delightful, heartwarming, witty story! I loved reading this book and loved even more listening to it! This was so entertaining! The two actors enhanced this already delightful story with their portrayal of Finn and Lavender (along with the supporting cast).

What I loved most was Finn and Lavender's realization of what their shortcomings were and their willingness to change for the better. Of course, the revenge story with a twist was great as was the snarky dialogue, the great supporting cast (including adorable dogs), and a heartwarming love story. Finn is now officially one of my favorite leading men. What a sweetie! And the ending is so, SO perfectly satisfying and brilliant!

Rated PG. No profanity and no sex.

I loved Melissa Ferguson’s Meet Me in the Margins, so I knew I had to read How to Plot a Payback when it came out.

Ok, so I didn’t read, I listened. I love a good audiobook, and this one was so fast-paced and witty that I couldn’t take my ear buds out. Dual POVs are my favorite (both to read and to write), and both narrators here sounded exactly like I thought the characters would in my mind.

In this utterly delightful and laugh-out-loud funny novel, screenwriter Finn Masters thinks he’s finally caught a break landing a dream job writing for the hit sitcom Neighbors. But his joy is tempered by one major downside – he’ll be working alongside Lavender Rhodes, the show’s effervescently charming star who has unwittingly been his personal nemesis since childhood.

With impeccable comedic timing, Ferguson created a riotous will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic as Finn tries to plot his revenge by shaking up Lavender’s sickeningly sweet on-screen persona.

What ensues is a masterclass in romantic comedy as Finn’s hilarious schemes comically backfire, forcing him to re-evaluate his long-held grudge against his old friend. The banter between the two sparring leads is whip-smart and endlessly entertaining. But it’s the tenderly moving moments that reveal their unmistakable chemistry that will keep you rooting for them in the end.

This witty yet deeply heartwarming tale of old wounds and second chances is simply unputdownable. An absolute must-read for fans of classic romcoms!

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ALC copy!

🎥 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🎥
I absolutely adored this hilarious romcom sitcom based book. The plot setting was unique and fun, and it’s what drew me to the book. Having a book setting on a tv show set seems to always intrigue me! And this story is mixed with some failed attempts at revenge and a blossoming love story.

Finn was a funny MMC to read. He is a screenwriter and in the past has always had unfortunate situations happen to him around Lavender. It’s been going on for decades and now they work together. From day one on set, Finn has bad luck and Lavender has no idea… she’s just so cheery and upbeat. Everyone loves her. Finn wants so badly to exact a small revenge as her shows screenwriter, but again things never work out.

Lavender always wants to do the best for everyone around her, even at the cost of her own happiness. Finn continuously runs into Lavender and learns all the wonderful things about her along the way. Each situation they get into is cute and funny.

The side characters in this book are so fun as well. I love a good side character because they just add so much to the story’s dynamic and this one has plenty of them!!

I both read and listened to this on audio, and both were fantastic! This is a sweet, fun read that will leave you feeling good at the end!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Fiona Hardingham and Steve West both did an amazing job bringing the characters of Lavender and Finn to life! Fiona brought a lighthearted, bright vibrancy to her narration of Lavender. Steve brought out the hilariously frustrated side of Finn, dealing with Lavender and all the funny situations that he would go through at work.

🎬 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🧡 Screenwriter / Actress
🩷 Sitcom TV Show Setting
🧡 Grumpy Sunshine
🩷 Dual POV
🧡 Closed Door Romance