✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Workplace (half Hollywood but also small town)
✔️ It's Just Sex

-summary-

Emmy and Grayson were teens
when they starred in a movie together. Her performance was panned and she retreated offscreen and focused on screenwriting while he became a household name, famous for action movies and a killer bod (why do I want to call him a beefcake?😆). Years later, she's a successful screenwriter who's convinced to all star in her script. Unfortunately, her leading man is Grayson, who she blames for tanking her fledgling acting career.

-my thoughts-

This is my kind of book - lots of snappy banter that is super funny but
doesn't feel cheesy; strong fireworks and steam from both characters; a swoony love story from start to finish.

I loved Emmy and her journey from being like Grayson is ruining her life to seeing how she's also contributing to the negative energy around their performance but also all of their interactions. What also made me like Emmy? Her killer group of supporters like her mom (maybe an all time fave book mom) and her bff, the director of the film who both loves and can do tough love when needed.

I loved Grayson too and yeesh, do I wish Hollywood leading men were like him - down to earth and not smarmy or slick in any way. He had a Westley from the Princess Bride thing about him - like, he's hot and athletic so he got whooshed up into the Hollywood thing but he's still kind of down to earth (like Westley still being at heart a farm boy even though he got swept up into the Dread Pirate Roberts thing). Either way, it worked for me.

5⭐️ - it was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it hit the mark perfectly.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

I have really a lot of mixed feelings about this one because I was absolutely loving it until the last quarter of the book. I loved the movie setting, enemies to lovers because of forced proximity, lots of chemistry and the right amount of spice without the cheesiness…and then enters the miscommunication trope. The most frustrating of all the tropes and just when you think there will be none of it, it happens in the most obnoxious way that just felt like it turned me off from everything I loved about the book!! I loved Grayson, I loved Emmy & I wish I could’ve kept my love going for their story but the last bit of the book left me sour. Thank you to Net Galley & the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

I'll give it a 3.5 and round up.

This was cute, and I loved how the enemies-to-lovers trope wasn't forgotten too quickly. It burned (just like their chemistry) and was really fun to see.

I do think this book could have benefited from Grayson's pov. There is quite a bit of miscommunication between both characters, but it's really obvious from the reader's perspective what's going on, so giving us his pov wouldn't spoil any "wait, what?" moments that could occur. And that would add depth to their first movie history because she tells him how much it traumatized her and we never get closure or explanation or a follow-up for what really scarred a fifteen-year-old girl.

Other than the consistent miscommunication, this book was extremely cute. As they start falling in love, and when they fall, and when they finally get back together- ugh. Teeth-rotting stuff, really.

thank you Netgalley for the arc

If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, and the main male character falling first then I definitely recommend you immediately run off and start reading Right on Cue by Falon Ballard. The love story between Emmy and Grayson had me feeling all kinds of feelings, and one might even say I was downright smitten with this book. Watching Emmy and Grayson reconnect and discover that the line between love and hate is very thin – even though Grayson definitely never hated Emmy – was very satisfying in this book and I think the author did a great job of portraying their relationship and allowing us as the readers to see them fall in love, as opposed to just telling us it was so. Another great read by Falon Ballard, and she’s a must buy author for me anytime I see she’s publishing a new book.

Would definitely be giving this one a 4.5 stars, if I could!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Falon Ballard and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

The book was a bit rough at the beginning for me but I ended up liking it. I kind of wish it was dual pov, I wanted to know what was going through Grayson's mind. Emmy jumped to conclusions a lot which I can relate to but it was a bit annoying.

I received an arc through netgalley.

𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗨𝗘 is a fun enemies-to-lovers Hollywood romcom about two former co-stars reuniting to film a romcom.

What I loved:
😍 Great banter
😍 Believable chemistry between the leads
😍 Some steamy scenes

What I didn't:
😡 The third act break breakup felt forced
😡 Miscommunication that could easily be resolved
😡 The audiobook narrator's voice for the FMC grated on my nerves

The pluses definitely outweighed the minuses with this one but my suggestion is to read rather than listen!

Thanks to Penguin Putnam for the copy to review.

Thank you, Putnam, for this e-arc!

I love Falon Ballard. Lease on Love was one of my absolute favorite rom coms of 2022, so I was absolutely stocked to read this one. It did not disappoint!!

The premise is so fun: long time enemy actors turned co-stars turned lovers. Need I say more? I loved all of the movie star antics and the behind the scenes feel as they were filming their movie. Hollywood is so glamorous and you can’t pretend you don’t ship your favorite rom com stars together again and again. So here we get exactly what we’ve been craving and all tied up in one spicy package. No pun intended.

My only qualms were that the characters, especially our leads Emmy and Grayson, were 30 years old and yet so immature. Like holding grudges since they were 15?? Okay. And the way they dated for only like a week before declaring their undying love for one another. That just doesn’t happen. Or if it does, it doesn’t usually end well…

Other than those little things, I loved the plot, the premise, the SPICE, and the writing. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Celebrity romances are always fun. Make it one where they are both staring in a rom-com together and that's even better. Emmy is a writer and when she can't find an actress for her latest rom-com she decides to step in to play the part. The guy she thought she was going to star with ends up needing to back out and is replaced by Grayson West, an action movie star and someone from her childhood she never wanted to see again. They started in a movie together when they were younger but parted on bad terms. So seeing each other again brings back a load of feelings for them both. She's nervous to star in a movie again while he is trying to step out of his "typical" role into a new one. When their chemistry on screen is absolutely terrible they give in to some bubbling tension behind the camera in hopes that it transfers onscreen.

I really enjoyed this. It kinda gave me the whole childhood fantasy of staring in a rom-com and falling in love with the hot lead guy. Grayson was a cutie, gave very much himbo vibes and that was called out a few times in the book. He's a sweetie, cares deeply about people and what others think of him. Emmy I liked but didn't really have any strong feeling about. She was fine, I'm happy she got her happy ending with Grayson.

The bulk of the book is when they are filming the movie - that was the part I was more into. Once the movie ended I felt like things were being skimmed over that I would have loved to have seen more of. The third act breakup was a little bit rough with the miscommunication and then Emmy not really giving Grayson a chance to chat through things. Definitely one of those moments where you want to give the character a shake and say "just talk to them"!

🎬 celebrity romance
😠 dislike to lovers
❤️‍🔥 costars with benefits
👥 close proximity

single POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

This is a rom-com about filming a rom-com which had me giggling. 😅 I was a little dubious at the beginning because the MMC didn't seem like my cup of tea, but he grew as the book went on and I was definitely shipping them by the end!

This does have the miscommunication trope in it, which usually enrages me because it seems so silly. This one was very mild but still, frustrating. If miscommunication isn't your thing, this one might not be for you. The cuteness of the rom-com within the rom-com was enough for me to overlook that though.

I started reading the arc last Friday and finished it this morning(I Know I’m procrastinator) and just had to to talk about it.
Of course I had to get a copy to put on my shelf. Finding a book a you loved reading is like finding a new friend. Right on cue was a fun story, full of moments that made made my heart turn into a puddle of goo.

This second chance,enemies to lovers, celebrity romance was everything I wanted and more. The mental health of both Emmy and Grayson was also handled with love and care and some of these scene took my breath away.

Right on cue was the perfect Hollywood romance story I needed.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc.

This is such a great read, I didn’t want to put it down! It’s got great characters and a tight and well written plot. It also features some of my favorite tropes like enemies to lovers and second chance romance.

Emmy is a screenwriter who started out as a teenage actress. Her negative experience with her costar Grayson put her off acting until now that her latest screenplay is in production. Emmy was convinced to star but after the male lead is injured, none other than Grayson is hired. He’s become famous for his looks and his action hero roles.
Emmy and Grayson have a lot of baggage to unpack, and soon the sparks are flying between them.

You definitely need to read this one, you won’t be disappointed!
4.5 stars.

Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.Q

3.5 stars
This book was really cute and I'm a huge sucker for a celebrity/hollywood romance. Overall, I liked it but it really took me a bit to into it. I had an extremely hard time liking the MMC originally because I felt like he was being a bit of a dick, I definitely think it would've been better if it was dual POV! I wasn't a huge fan of the third act breakup since I'm a big hater of the miscommunication trope and this one caused a lot of unnecessary drama. This was still really cute and I loved the main setting being a film set which I don't see very often!

Thank you, Putnam Books and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

5⭐️

Really cute rom-com with a second chance romance set in a movie set. This is the story of Emmy Harper, former actress turned-screenwriter, that has not only found herself cast in her own movie as the female lead, but now she’s shocked to find out her lead man's role has been replaced with a man she cannot stand, who she starred opposite in her first film with and his first film with and it was a complete disaster.

Emmy is the daughter of Hollywood royalty, both of her parents have long film careers and Emmy has been in the spotlight her entire life, because of her parents fame, she's always felt she needs to justify that she's earned her right to be in the industry.

Grayson West is a mega action hero with gorgeous looks, that every girl dreams of having a date with and he has now accepted the role opposite of Emmy Harper in the lead love interest of Isobel, playing Josh in a small town setting. Let the sparks fly, Emmy and Grayson definitely have unresolved feelings from the past and maybe for the future.?

I absolutely enjoyed this story, it was very entertaining, full of emotions and the characters had a lot of depth, I felt the author did a wonderful job writing an enjoyable story.

I want to thank NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy and the Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam Books

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