Thank you Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! I have enjoyed everything that Falon Ballard has written, and Right on Cue was no exception. It's a fun, complex "will-they-or-won't-they" that leaves you wondering just which tropes she'll use to make it happen, a telltale sign of a well written romance story. Emmy and Grayson's tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife, and both of their personal growth journeys throughout the book are believable, enjoyable, and touching. Emmy is the perfect complex female lead for a romance-movie-within-a-romance-book and I just loved her! I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for something sweet but spicy, if you like forced proximity, or if you're like me and have loved Falon's other work!

I loved the vibes of this one! I loved the winter and film set setting and the spice was just-right.

I've come to the conclusion that Falon Ballard is a hit-or-miss author for me. I loved her first book and was let down by her second. I tried to come into this one with no preconceived notions or opinions, blank slate! But I have to be honest, that third-act breakup ruined any positive thoughts I had about this book. It dragged on for so long in a way that just frustrated me. I just couldn't connect well with the characters and then throw in them being stubborn and not just having a conversation - I couldn't take it.

Right on Cue is my third book of Fallon Ballard’s and it was a fun little romance.

There are no surprises in this book, it is the typical romance layout. There’s a loose enemies to lovers trope, some familial issues that cause some deep trust problems, a grumpy guy who is wild over our main character girl. It was comfortable and like a heated blanket in its familiarity.

However… spoilers ahead


The third act breakup was so annoying. Greyson never really admits fault in what he did-even if he was always in love with her and wasn’t faking a relationship, he had still been talking to his agent about it. His agent STILL had ideas that the relationship was fake. Emmy had every right to be upset and then he kind of like gaslit her a little bit about it? The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth and dropped this to a 3 star book for me. It just seemed so unnecessary and so icky. Especially so close to the end. I’m would’ve much rather there have been a different miscommunication in the TABU.

give me all the books set in hollywood because i eat them up!! emmy and grayson are the epitome of bad first impressions but the more you know them the more that impression changes. it had the glamour but still was down to earth focused more on their relationship

In Right On Cue two actors that had worked together in a movie a decade ago, where their failed almost romance tanked their performances and the movie, end up working together again in a romance. Even though they butt heads a lot initially, and almost ruin the movie once again, as they spend more time on romantic scenes, the romance between the two actors blossoms.

I really struggled with rating this because I had such polar opposite reactions to different aspects of this book. The middle part could have been as high as a 5⭐️ but the end was low as 2⭐️.

👍
I think Falon Ballard is great at writing a beautiful romance when things are going well. I loved this book and our couple once they started getting along. The romance was so adorable, and quite spicy (I think this is her spiciest book by far). I loved the setting: romance movie set, the premise: two actors falling in love even though they initially don’t like each other, the tropes: second chance, enemies to lovers, (kinda) secret romance, forced proximity, benefits to lovers. I especially enjoyed their ice skating scene.
I also really enjoyed the bits in between chapters with excerpts from tabloids, online groups etc. It added a level of authenticity and made it fun to know what the people on the outside were thinking.

👎
The parts that bugged me were mostly concentrated at the beginning and end.
First off this book would have MAJORLY benefited from the MMC POV. Their shared past is a big part of the story, but we never really find out how he feels about what happened then, or if it stayed with him at all. Even worse is that he’s a major asshole for a while to Emmy but we never really find out why. Lack of his POV, and also lack of conversations around it leave a lot of questions open for me, and make me hesitant to trust or fully like him.
I also didn’t appreciate how dismissive Grayson was of Emmy’s feelings on what happened in the past.
The third act breakup… Most of us don’t like it but at least maybe can see its usefulness in adding drama to a book. However, this one felt so unoriginal, and made the already immature seeming FMC look even more immature. And almost worse was the resolution of the third act breakup. It took forever, dragged on longer than necessary, but mainly, there didn’t seem to be any solid reason they forgave each other.
Finally, as much as I love steamy romances, I still prefer the emotional connection to be the main point (after they move on from being friends with benefits, of course). For me their romance was too focused on the physical attraction.

Rating: 3.4 ⭐

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

2.5/5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, and the potential was there. I really liked the premise; unfortunately, I haaated Emmy, the main protagonist in this book. She didn't really have a personality except to be annoying and deliberately obtuse. I read this entire book and all I know about her or what her motivations and desires are, are that she's a nepo baby whose dad died four years ago. She doesn't even seem that passionate about her job as a writer or actor. She says multiple times that she loves her job but honestly it felt like she just picked that career because her parents were super famous actors and she likes writing romcoms because her parents are super in love. I guess she probably wanted to find that love for herself, but she never actually expresses that? I also despise the miscommunication trope and like 90% of Emmy's problems with Grayson could have been avoided if she just used her words and didn't just assume she knew best. Emmy doesn't need love or a boyfriend, Emmy needs a therapist. Grayson and Liz deserve a better girlfriend and best friend, respectively. When Emmy and Grayson got together officially like 60% into this book I almost DNF'd because I just knew Emmy was going to fundamentally misunderstand something Grayson said and run away instead of just having an actual adult conversation and I was completely correct.

Despite really, REALLY not connecting with Emmy as a character, I did like Grayson, her love interest. He had surprising depth to him (which just makes Emmy's utter lack of depth or consistent characterization even more baffling). And when he and Emmy were connected and getting along and actually communicating, they were really cute and good for each other and I did really enjoy those parts of the book. I wish they had more of that, or that their relationship conflicts were more deep than a truly wild aversion to communication or a silly incident from when they were both dumb teens. Overall, I think I liked the potential of this book more than the book itself.

2.5 stars- I have very mixed feelings about this book. The quality of the writing itself is good- it’s immersive and enjoyable. The plot itself is just problematic. I generally choose not to read rom-coms featuring celebrities, but I really enjoyed Lease on Love, so I figured I’d give this one a shot. For most of the book the mmc is unprofessional and unlikeable. The fmc is kind of immature and just ends up groveling when she shouldn’t. The whole situation they’re in doesn’t make sense. The movie is supposed to be a big Hollywood film, but comes off as a low budget Hallmark movie. The mmc is said to be the only actor in all of Los Angeles who is free to do this movie (huh?). The mmc actors completely unprofessional when filming but isn’t fired. The two main characters supposedly met filming a teenage rom-com when they were 15 and 17- when realistically they would have chosen actors who were at least 18 and probably older than that. There are just so many things that feel inaccurate or inappropriate.
I especially disliked toward the end when the fmc overhears the mmc speaking with his manager and is rightfully upset, only for him to get MAD AT HER and she basically begs for forgiveness. Just ick. He also never apologizes for basically ruining her acting career as a teen. He just blames her for caring what a teenage boy said about her. 🤦‍♀️
There were parts that were enjoyable too. But they don’t stand out as much as the bad parts. I’ll still definitely check out more by this author in the future, but I’d recommend most people skip this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me access to this eArc for my honest opinion!

Right on Cue is my second book by Falon Ballard and I loved it equally as much as I loved the first one I read which was Lease on Love. This reads like a romance within a romance since our MCs are cast as lovers in the FMC's newest movie production. I love the celebrity romance aspect of it and that the MCs, Grayson and Emmy, met on another set as teenagers. The two have unfinished business from that first movie and it just seems right that the next time they'd meet would be acting opposite each other once again in a romance movie. I love that this is also the only other movie Emmy has acted in so it gives her a chance to replace her bad memory/experience with being in front of the camera with this new, much better one. It gives the social worker in me much satisfaction and happiness.

This is an enemies to lovers story and the chemistry is there right from the start, even when it seems like Grayson can't be bothered to muster any emotion in his performance opposite Emmy. Each character has their own baggage from their pasts that turn up in the present and affect how they act around each other but together they offer each other support and friendship.. and sex. What starts out as a way to overcome their lackluster performance on screen ends up being much more than they bargained for. Falon's writing is superb and even the fake sex scene was sexy. I'm not the biggest fan of miscommunication but it made sense in this story and didn't bother me. I also like that their attraction isn't just physical and they don't ONLY hookup when they see each other -- although they do that most of the time after the initial sex scene and that's fine by me. It's a quick, fun read with characters that are easy to love! I'd truly recommend this book to any of my friends and those who like romantic stories.

It's a great fit especially for those who like:
*Forced Proximity
*Enemies to Lovers
*Miscommunication
*Celebrity Romance
*Spicy Scenes

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Right on Cue published on February 27, 2024 so I definitely recommend checking it out ASAP!!

I have a block on books where a huge chunk of the tension comes from the characters just not communicating. It's the romance trope that drives me nuts. These two don't talk for huge chunks. The initial difficulties, lack of communication. The third act break up, communication failure. Super frustrating. Why is it still 3 stars then? Because all the rest is absolutely adorable. When they are talking, through the middle and at the end, I am rooting so joyously for this second chance romance.

A second chance, celebrity romance between two former costars as they work together on a new rom com leads to a new understanding of each other.

Emmy is a screenwriter who has won awards for her movies, but now she is coming from behind the camera to star in her newest project. However, she finds herself starring opposite Grayson West, an action film with rock hard abs and a beautiful face. Grayson and Emmy both acted opposite each other when there were teens, but due to a misunderstanding back then, they hate each other’s guts. Working together now leads to some surprises as they realize the chemistry between them never disappeared.

I’m trying, I promise. I know so many people that love Falon’s books. This is probably my favorite out of her three. My main gripe with her books is that she relies too heavy on the miscommunication trope. This book was a lot of fun for the most part as I really enjoyed the plot, the setting and the dynamic in the beginning between Grayson and Emmy. But the miscommunication in this book is SO rampant and the 3rd act breakup was the weakest conflict I’ve ever read. Emmy in the last like 20% of this book drove me crazy. I also feel like this book really would have benefitted from Grayson’s POV at times as he felt very much like a cardboard cutout. I wish we got more of his thoughts, his understanding of what went down when they were teens, and his motivations in general.

Due to the issues I had and the frustration I felt, this book is a solid 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for this advance copy, all thoughts are my own.

Falon Ballard is an auto-buy author for me now, and I will definitely be buying a hard copy for my library. I'm not usually a big fan of Hollywood-set books, but I loved this one! Probably because it's partly set in a small town, so had some Hallmark vibes. I was pulled into the story right away and loved Emmy and Grayson together and seeing their relationship evolve.

I do wish Grayson's character had been fleshed out a little bit more - I feel like we didn't get much dialogue from him for the first half of the book or so, and it would have been an even more enjoyable story if we knew more about him. Along with that, I feel like there could have been slightly more unpacking between Emmy and Grayson of their experience on the set of their first movie and how they both felt. It felt a little rushed and too tidy for him to just say that it's not his fault something he said when he was a dumb kid impacted her. Not that it needed to be dwelled upon, but again just another thing that could have been fleshed out a little more to give the story more dimension.

This is also definitely the steamiest of her books, and while I generally feel like steamy scenes need to be "earned" in a story and not just thrown in for the sake of being steamy, I think it worked for me because Emmy & Grayson had a history, and then the additional scenes were earned as the story went on.

Overall though, I loved Right On Cue, and it was the perfect escape. I'll be rereading at some point, and can't wait for the next book from the author! 4.5/5

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eArc!

Right on Cue

"I write romance movies for a living. I love a cliche."

Oh my heart this book!!! I absolutely adored it. So much fun, amazing banter and delicious chemistry. Be still my heart, I'm still blushing over Grayson. Y'alllllll. The best book boyfriend material.

Emmy writes romance movies and has recently been convinced to star as the lead in her newest movie. Only for the male lead to be replaced last minute with her public enemy number one - Grayson West. Her first, and last, costar. The tension between the two made their first movie bomb and it is about to ruin this one unless they can find a way to work together.

Highly recommend this darling story. Check it out if you're looking for:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Showmance / coworkers to lovers
- Celebrity romance
- Caregiving
- He falls first

Thank you to Putnam for this ARC! My opinions are my own. Right on Cue is available now.

Nepo baby and Hollywood darling Emmy Harper is considered the next Nora Ephron and the queen of romantic comedies- her bread and butter. However, she hasn't touched the genre since her father passed away suddenly and promising to herself she would never write another happy ending again. But after some time away and an Oscar under her belt for a tear jerking "serious" film, she's ready to get back to romcoms, but this time she's not just writing the film - she's starring in it. After a decade behind the camera, Emmy will have to dust off her acting skills and act with the guy who was the catalyst for why she doesn't act anymore.

Grayson West is any girl's dream - except Emmy's and as filming begins, the friction between the two of them threatens the film. Their not sure if the friction is unresolved awkwardness or sexual tension, but the two being pushed together will cause them to risk the movie being made or cause their chemistry to sizzle.

I love Hollywood set romances and Right on Cue really delivered on that aspect. I really also loved Emmy having a past with Grayson and the two of them being pushed together in this dire, make or break situation. Overall I thought the novel lived up to the typical fuzzy feeling that a romantic comedy is supposed to give you, especially when Emmy and Grayson weren't getting along but had to film THAT scene. The only major issue I had with the story/book would be the pacing of Emmy and Grayson's relationship. It's clear to a certain extent that Grayson had been harboring these feelings for Emmy for all of these years, but Emmy has been hating him for ten years. So in that sense, I don't believe that Emmy would already be having these declarations or feelings of love to Grayson 60% into the book. Maybe it's possible, but it didn't feel true to the characters that the author created. The last section of the book when Grayson and Emmy start their FWB situation felt very rushed and quick.

A second chance romance with great chemistry, tension, and steam. Laugh out loud moments wove into some heavier themes of grief. Well done and not heavy handed. This novel was just a good time

5/5 - Let me tell ya this book had me smiling from ear to ear! It was a love story for sure, but it also touches on identity and insecurities and grief. The main characters are an actor and an actor/writer but it also involves romantic comedies and books and reading and all of my favorite things! The dialogue was smart, the characters were interesting and the burn was slow (without being annoying) until it very much wasn’t. And then it was spicy and oh so delish. I LOVE the fame trope and gobbled this book up in a couple days reading far past my bedtime!

Right on Cue introduces us to Emmy Harper, a Hollywood screenwriter (of rom coms) with famous actor parents as she is is getting ready to have her newest movie made. As the search for the perfect leading lady turns futile Emmy is convinced to act in a movie for the first time in over a decade. Her first movie, starring opposite Grayson West, was a flop and she received scathing reviews of her acting skills and blamed Grayson. She agrees to star in the movie, but, of course, her male costar has to drop out last minute and the only person available... Grayson West.

Cue the perfect enemies to lovers storyline! Was this book groundbreaking in the world of romance? No. Could you easily predict everything (including the third act breakup)? Yes. Did it matter to me? NO! This is one of my favorite romance books I have read and I was smiling the whole time I read it. My first Fallon Ballard book, but certainly not my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced e-copy of this book.

Okay first off, all hail queen @falonballard for another masterful romance book! She seriously nails it every time for me. I absolutely loved Emmy & Grayson and it was so fun to see their romance unfold!

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥?” 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺.
“𝙉𝙤𝙬.”

*screams*

Read this if you like:
🎬 enemies to lovers
🎬 friends with benefits
🎬 a second-chance romance, yeeeeears in the making
🎬 Tabloids, articles, and online gossip features (!!!)

Rating: I really liked it!
Laughing: 3
Crying: 2

Falon does it again! Right on Cue is a cute second-ish chance romance for two actors Emmy Harper and Grayson F West. When they were 15, they starred in a movie together and left the set enemies. Years later, they meet again on a different set and after they do it just once, to get it out of their system, feelings are caught.

This is one of Falon’s steamier books and I was here for it! There was so much good tension and chemistry between these characters, I was hooked. There is the infamous miscommunication trope, and I'm seeing a lot of comments on it in the reviews, but it didn’t really bother me as much. I think throughout the book, it's very clear how much Grayson likes her and cares for her. So much so, that I found Emmy to be a bit stubborn and I was team Grayson all along. He was steady while she was a bit flighty. So when we got to the miscommunication part, I was already like “Of course you’d do this Emmy”

Either way, I loved this and cannot wait to read Falon’s next book! Right on Cue came out last week. Thank you Putnam for the e-arc!

I was super excited to read this book because I have loved all of Falon Ballard’s books but this one fell short for me, There are two variations of miscommunication trope which one caused a third act break up. I love the rest of the story but the miscommunications took away from it. The ending was fast and whished there was more time for them reuniting. Thank you Net Galley for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my honest review.