Right on Cue published 2/27/24
by Falon Ballard
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC 🧡! I voluntarily get an honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

This was a great enemies to lovers relationship. Emmy and Grayson had a teenage past that Grayson claimed he didn't remember. Emmy went on to do bigger and better things as a screenwriter with Oscar success. Grayson was typecast the action movie guy because of his looks, and agrees to join the new rom-com movie. When they reunite in No Reservations it caused Emmy a lot of stress. He's even more arrogant and tried to sabotage her comeback as a lead actress. Pushed to the limit, they agree to a one night stand believing it will ease the tension between them so they can make a great movie.

It became a little predictable because one time never works. They agree to be costars with benefits. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts and made for some steamy sexy times. I even liked Grayson telling Emmy about his family and her about her father. They fall for each other, get caught by the paparazzi, and enjoy themselves in isolated bliss while filming at a snowy inn.

I liked having Liz and Emmy's mom as her confidantes and voices of reason. They tell her the truth and make her realize her mistakes with Grayson. There's a 3rd act breakup-just a bad eavesdropping though. And shout out to Sam and Amanda, an awesome glam squad who just want them happy!. I loved this story, even being a little cheesy. I gave it 5 *.

I love books set on TV and movie sets, so when I heard about this book, I definitely wanted to check it out. Bonus, not only does it happen while filming a movie, the FMC both wrote the script and is starring in it.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. All of the characters were great. Emmy and Grayson had their flaws (they're human), but they were super likable and their journeys were fun to be apart of. They chemistry was off the charts and that was a lot of fun.

This was a 4 star for me instead of a 5 because of that cursed third-act breakup. I don't love the third-act breakup in general (I've read enough of the genre to know it's a staple, but I've seen it done well without or at least believably), but when the third-act breakup happens in the way it did in this book, it just kills it for me. I get that there were aspects and insecurities with the characters that made things get blown out of proportion, but ugh. I didn't love it.

But overall it was fun. Loved seeing an intimacy coordinator on set (anyone else get served the reels from the social media intimacy coordinator all the time too?), and loved seeing Emmy and Grayson gain confidence in different ways.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved this author's first two books so I was excited for RIGHT ON CUE and it came through as a really good read!

Enemies-to-Lovers with tons of chemistry between the leads made this book a devour-in-one-day read.

And while I liked both Emmy and Grayson, each of these main characters had one thing that kinda made me hate them (the reason I took off a star). Grayson is casually unrepentant for the way he treated Emmy as a teen and how that had long-term effects on her. And Emmy is so incredibly immature during the 3rd Act breakup that I was like, "maybe he SHOULDN'T take her back—because that was a jerk move".

But, even so, I really enjoyed this book and totally recommend it! It had great side characters, super sweet moments, some great steamy scenes, and was really light and fun. A solid 4-STARS for RIGHT ON CUE.

SPICE: Rated R / 2-4 descriptive intimate scenes, may have harsh language.
CONTENT WARNINGS: past death of parent, parent estrangement
FEELS: 1/5 - Light and funny Rom-Com with little to no drama.

Oscar winning screenwriter Emmy has been coerced into being the lead in her New Romantic comedy. The problem is the last minute replacement for the male lead is none other than Grayson. He is the one who made her feel so embarrassed and quit acting after her first role. Needless to say filming does not begin smoothly. Grayson seems to act well with anyone except Emmy and Emmy’s resentment towards him is felt through the screen. It’s only when they are both vulnerable during filming of the love scene that their chemistry sizzles. Emmy approaches Grayson about being co-stars with benefits in order to make the film work. Filming finally begins to go smoothly and Emmy and Grayson slowly open up to each other and realize how wrong their preconceived notions were. But is this just a fling or are Emmy and Grayson ready to give their relationship a shot with all of Hollywood watching?

I really enjoyed the small town setting and how Emmy was a writer. Grayson ended up being very endearing and lovable. It was just tough for me to connect to the characters since I’m not a Hollywood celebrity or born to famous parents. This is generally why celebrity romances aren’t my favorite, but I still enjoyed it!

I loved Just My Type last year and was SUPER excited for this book. Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. The third act break up had me wanting to DNF and then it resolved itself SO QUICKLY. The characters were unrelatable and frankly not great together? This book just kept screaming red flag after red flag to me. BIG YIKES. ALSO, the amount of times she uses fucking while saying her future significant others name? big no for me. I'll give Falon's next book a try but its going to take a lot for me to recover after this one.

Favorite quote: "Nothing about you is insignificant."

Synopsis: Emmy is returning to the acting world, starring in a movie she wrote. She's nervous to act again since her first and only movie experience ended poorly. But it becomes a whole lot worse when she finds herself co-starring with her former co-star and teen crush.

My take: I loved Just My Type, so I was super excited to read Falon Ballard's next book, Right on Cue. Unsurprisingly, I adored this story about two former co-stars who hate each other getting a second chance at making a movie and falling in love. Emmy is likable and funny, and I was immediately rooting for her. When she runs into Grayson West again, I was swooning right along with her. I thought the tension between them was so well written that I couldn't put down the book, needing to know what happens next. I loved everything about the slow burn between these two characters and their vulnerability and chemistry with each other. I did get annoyed with Emmy over a choice she made in the third act but after I finished the book, I understood why that was needed and how it led to several great scenes at the end. I highly recommend this book to fans of hate-to-love, second chance, and celebrity romances tropes.

I am a huge Falon Ballard fan, but I am sad to report this has been my least favorite. I’m not sure if I am out of the romance book game or if I’m misremembering but I feel like this one was heavy on the spice and low on the plot? I also didn’t love some of the self deprecating comments from the female MC. The good part was that the story was very quick and bingeable so that definitely made it feel like a good read. The idea of them being actors was very fun & different. It also really did give the How To Fake It In Hollywood feel which is one of my favorite books. Tons of tropes in this one so just take your pick! The setting was great & very picturesque but upon reflection it just didn’t hit as much as her others. I would still recommend reading! It is just hard for something to fill the Lease on Love shoes in my opinion. 3.5 stars

I *love* Falon Ballard- just picture me yelling this while doing a little dance. Maybe even insert that scene from The Notebook in the rain but instead I'm just yelling my love for Ballard. Have I set the stage? Great.

Right on Cue, like Ballard's previous work, creates characters that are so incredibly relatable and personable that it's hard to put the book down and realize that this is all fiction. The beauty of Ballard's style is that her romantic comedies are quite literally on par with those cult-classic romance movies. We all have the comfort movies such as Fifty First Dates or How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and every release of Ballard's is just that.

Right on Cue follows a Hollywood darling, Emmy Harper who is known for being the queen of writing romantic comedies. We pick up where Emmy is getting her footing back into the industry after swearing off writing another happily ever after. The character growth, self-confidence and banter she holds is just amazing. Ballard rights tension and that forced proximity so naturally that the reader can just feel it in their bones. Now, I know a lot of people might go how on earth is a Hollywood star going to be remotely relatable to me as a reader but just trust me. The insecurities and stumbles of mistakes and fallouts are all things that I could see myself struggling with and I'm sure there have been moments in my life that I have felt exactly as Emmy and Grayson both feel at different points.

You're not going to want to sleep on this one. If you're a fan of Lease on Love or Just My Type, this offers all the comforts of those reads in a brand-new light.

Right On Cue is a hollywood romance about a screenplay writer and an actor who are forced to work on a production together, even though it's the last thing the FMC wants. As the writer of the movie, she didn't think she'd be throw in as an actor, but when the director and producers can't find the *perfect* fit, they convince her to fill in. Plus, it's not the first time she's acted--she had her debut years ago, but avoided the camera since when the male lead was mean to her.

This is a cute, if predictable, enemies-to-lovers romance that hits all the right notes. My only complaint is that the pacing falls off toward the end of the book, and some of the intimate interactions between the characters ventures into awkward territory.

All in all, I gave it three stars, and would recommend it to romance (and especially hollywood romance) fans.

Her first love
The book starts out with our MFC Emmy (Emilia) Harper and her best friend/director Liz attempting to find an actress to play the lead in Emmy’s screenplay of her bestselling book. She ends up taking the part herself since none who have auditioned do as good of a job as she does when tested with the actors auditioning for the male lead. Emmy hasn’t acted in over 10 years and is still upset about the circumstances of her first, and only, acting role. She’s worried, but not about working with the actor who will play opposite her, as they are friends. But on the day before shooting is to start at a small country inn, she runs into Grayson West, who is the cause of Emmy’s destroyed acting career because of comments he made about her during the filming of their first roles 10 years ago when they were both teenagers. From this first meeting, anytime they are together on screen everyone can tell neither has moved past that first movie.
From this beginning the story moves through hostility, anger, and disrespect until Liz has had enough of the childishness and pulls them both in and gives them an ultimatum- work together or the film won’t get made. From this point on, Falon Ballard does a wonderful job of letting us see how Emmy copes. The road to the end of the book is not all smooth sailing though, but we get the ending readers deserve.
I was given an ARC of the book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion

Falon Ballard is definitely an auto-read, auto-buy author for me!

I enjoyed this one but I didn’t love it. The miscommunication trope and the third act breakup was particularly cliche. I also totally saw it coming from the beginning. I couldn’t connect with the banter of the main characters but I did enjoy the character flaws each had. I felt that the middle drug a bit and then it ended furiously fast. I enjoyed the small town setting and some of the humanizing of Hollywood people that happened but this wasn’t my favorite Ballard.

Thanks to @putnam and Netgalley for the eARC!

This is a fun story about Emmy Harper, who is an award winning screenwriter, who is acting in the starring role of her current screenplay. As if she isn't hesitant enough to act again, she finds out at the last minute that the lead male role opposite her, is the reason that she quit acting after her disastrous debut. As the filming starts and the actors can't deal with even talking to each other, it takes the money for the movie being pulled to get them to figure out how to make the acting work. As the solution is made, it is more than Emmy or Grayson have bargained for.

A fun, easy read with a great plot and fun characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review. I will recommend this book!

This is the first book I’ve read by the author.

I enjoyed the BTS of the film making process and wondered what kind of research the author did whether it was watching YT videos or actually going on a film set. I found the costars with benefits trope to be unique. I also enjoyed the other media elements including the articles, interviews, and tweets intermingled throughout the story.

I wish this book was narrated from a dual POV. The third act breakup was due to a miscommunication and it felt like it resolved too quickly and easily.

You may enjoy it if you like the following tropes:
- Celebrity romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Co stars with benefits
- Open door romance

This was an emotional rollercoaster in the best way. The highs are high. The lows are low. I love how it was single POV but you still see what the second character is thinking/feeling and understand any miscommunication.

The whole thing felt mature and modern with consideration for people’s mental health, consent, sexual best practices, and I’m especially impressed with the (small spoiler) third act break up and both in the couple respecting the other’s boundaries instead of forcing the issue to get back together.

Right on Cue is the story of an actress turned screenwriter (and a nepo baby) who ends up back in the spotlight with the guy she cannot stand as the co-star in her new movie. Oh, this was cute. It was a fluffy, steamy, witty and romantic enemies to lovers and without too much annoying miscommunication. And the setting in a cozy California inn was delightful.

Synopsis: Emmy Harper is a talented screenwriter known for her romantic comedies, but she hasn’t acted since she was a teenager. When the director for yer newest screenplay insists she play the lead, Emmy has no choice but to try acting one more time. Everything is going smoothly, until the male lead drops out and is replaced by Grayson West, Emmy’s nemesis and the reason she quit acting all those years ago.

Thoughts: This book had a lot of cute elements that made for a fun rom com. I enjoyed the overall setup of the story and the writing. I just didn’t really connect with the conflict between the two main characters with quite a bit of miscommunication and a third act breakup that just didn’t work for me. Overall I still found it to be an enjoyable read, so give it a shot if you’re a fan of the author or rom com books!

Read this if you like:
🎥 Hollywood drama
🎥 enemies to lovers
🎥 second chance romance

An adorable romcom between two movie stars!

This book was a breath of fresh air! I had the pleasure of listening to Right On Cue in audio and all of the narrators did a phenomenal job!

I fell for Falon Ballard’s books with Just My Type and I was so excited to dive into this one—and it did NOT disappoint! For those of you looking for a fun and quick read, look no further!

Emmy is the writer of a new movie and gets roped into being a star actress in it too. And while she’s hesitant, nothing compares to her panic when her number 1 enemy shows up as her co-star: Grayson.

This enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, celebrity romcom is one that lives rent-free in my mind. I didn’t want it to end, but I also couldn’t put it down!

I cannot recommend this one enough — especially the audio! And it’s out now, so go grab a copy!

Review time! Thank you @netgalley for a chance to honestly review this.
⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5/5)

🎥 Emmy Harper is considered the queen of writing romantic comedies. That is, until tragedy struck and she swore she’d never write another happy ending again. She is ready to return to the big screen but this time, Emmy’s also been convinced to star as the lead, dusting off acting skills she hasn’t used in over a decade.

Only problem? Her trusted co-star is taken out with an injury. With filming about to start, there’s only one other actor available on such short notice: Grayson West. The friction between Emmy and Grayson is palpable and it’s anyone’s guess if it’s unresolved awkwardness or simmering sexual tension. If working things out leads to sizzling chemistry on screen, what might happen when the cameras stop rolling?

🎥 Thoughts: The whole plot is based on miscommunication and, at times, it feels like Emmy doesn't even want to be with Grayson. Each miscommunication is handled poorly by simply running away from each other. I liked the first 50% as they both have to deal with working with someone they dislike, then find common ground. The second half was constant miscommuniation though over things that could have VERY easily been talked out.

so i’ve read like all of fallon’s books as she’s become an autobuy comfort author for me. buuut let me tell you!! i think this one is her spiciest one yet! she does not hold back on the heat compared to her other ones! the banter was also so great!

i feel like i’m normally not a huuuuge fan of celebrity romcoms for some reason, but this one was done so so well! so cute, and i loved the attention to detail in regards to movie making like adding in an intimacy coordinator, etc. we also loooove a man of consent!!

the only reasons this one didn’t get five stars for me was because

1. i didn’t fully get why she hated him and i didn’t get his pov from that moment really either

2. i’m not a big fan of miscommunication and that’s a lot of this book

3. the fmc seemed a bit whiny through there and there

overall though, i would definitely recommend picking up this cute, fun romcom!!

thank you to netgalley and penguin for this arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was very disappointed in this book. I don’t think Grayson did enough for me to like him and it felt like he just disregarded what he did to Emmy. He acted like she shouldn’t have been upset and blamed her for his poor acting in their scenes. I just wasn’t invested in this story unfortunately and it did not get better.