I enjoyed this book and the story of Emmy and Grayson. It's a good lesson on things not being what you thought, especially when they happened years ago. Emmy and Grayson worked on a film when she was fifteen and he was seventeen. It was her first acting job in a film and she felt pressure because both of her parents were movie stars. She was also crushing on him. She overheard him say she was a terrible kisser and that caused her to become severely insecure in her abilities and the film ended up tanking. She never acted again and started a writing career. She mainly writes rom-coms and while casting her newest one, she ends up being the best choice for the lead. When their first choice for her co-star gets an injury, she's appalled to find that Grayson is the replacement. This leads to a great storyline. I found it had a lot of warmth and honesty and was well written. Highly recommend reading this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Fast paced, celebrity romance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers to enemies back to lovers, easy read with drama, steam and some life lessons.

Emmy is a Hollywood writer who can't find the right leading lady in her most recent screenplay, so her bestie, Liz, also the director, convinces her to take another shot at acting and be the leading lady.

All is well and good with this plan until the originally casted male main character is injured and his replacement is Grayson who Emmy has history with.

The forced proximity makes them address their issues with a bit of meddling from Liz and also Emmy's mom. The banter and chemistry and TENSION is palpable. And quite spicy.

3.4

If you like to play the Hallmark Christmas movie bingo/drinking game but wish there were steamy scenes and a lot of innuendo, then this is the book for you. That’s not a slam dunk for me, though I will admit to the occasional guilty pleasure.

This is not actually a Christmas book, but if you’ve seen one Christmas movie or all, you know that a snowball fight, going for hot cocoa, and an experienced skater helping an awkward beginner on the ice rink are all plot staples, not to mention the quaint inn. That’s not including the regular Hallmark standbys where, as sure as your dog and the street of your childhood are your stripper name, there’s always quaint town named after a two-word geographic feature, in this case Pine Springs. There is of course a history from back in the teen years that has kept the heroin despising the male heartthrob ever since, which turns out to be a false assumption (at least eventually in the eyes of the main character). You now know already that she is ridiculously successful at her job (in this case an Oscar-winning screenwriter) though the evidence within the book only reveals a made-for-TV-movie type of script and absurd events events placing two characters in close proximity.

But I did mention sex, so you know this is not a regular TV movie within a movie. I won’t tell you the events leading to that sex or when it first occurs, but, when it does, at least for the cameras, it is described in detail. And they even both have their own rooms! No last-available-at-the-inn room sharing here!

All that aside if you can get behind most of that, which I was surprised to do once things got going, it’s a quick enjoyable romcom for whom I felt an affection for most of the characters most of the time. That’s not the easiest thing to do and I mistakenly thought I had read and loved one of the author’s previous romcoms, not hard to do given the quantities of them and the similar names, so my bar was probably raised more than if I’d gone in cold. You know whether you’re one who can’t be pleased or loves anything with a enemies-to-lovers trope, so proceed accordingly!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam in exchange for providing an unbiased review.

Emmy Harper is Hollywood Royalty. She had a lead acting role in a movie when she was 15 with Grayson West. The movie bombed and Emmy never acted again. Instead she became an Oscar winning screen writer. Her latest screenplay is a romcom. Her best friend Liz is the director of the movie. They are having a hard time finding the perfect lead actress. Emmy does a read-through with the lead actor. Liz tries to convince her to act, the investors threaten to pull the funding. Emmy decides to do it. When they get on location she finds out the lead actor they chose is out. Grayson F***-ing West is in. He is the reason she stopped acting. Sparks fly.

This book was so much fun to read. I loved it. The author is now an auto-buy author. Her writing style is fantastic and hooks you right away.

I love, love, loved this book. This definitely gave The Hating Game vibes with all the angst and steam that comes with enemies to lovers while bringing such a sweet and yummy cinnamon roll MMC.

While the book was filled with cliches, that didn’t stop me from rooting for the characters and staying glued to the page. My only disappointment with this book is the third act break up which is so overdone and a cliche that I despise. I find the lack of communication gives the relationship a trivial feel when in reality these two characters are meant to be adults with feelings.

Really enjoyed this read! I loved the enemies-to-lovers vibe and the movie set setting. I thought Emmy and Grayson’s story was charming, fun, and spicy.

The 3rd act break up was a little off putting. It felt like it was a repeat and overly dramatic and childish. But overall, an easy and enjoyable read!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Enjoyable in the moment while the fast-paced tale unfolded, yet the flaws became evident upon stepping away from the book and mulling over its events. I loved the premise of these two individuals who had a terrible experience filming a movie years ago being forced to work together making Emmy's penned screenplay come to life, and it was fun to see the spark between them reignite with the various asides from the entertainment world outside of the film set between chapters. However, the story lacks depth, with subplots that could have made the book a richer read quickly falling away once the romance kicks into high gear and many milestones between the two that would have been fun to read about occurring off-page. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Emmy and Grayson, and she was frustratingly stubborn in insisting that he was the sole source of the production's problems. My biggest problem is that miscommunication is used twice to break these characters apart; it makes perfect sense while they are inexperienced and immature teenagers, but not when it spurs adult Emmy to hastily cut someone who she loves out of her life without giving them a chance to explain themselves. This didn't ring true with everything that preceded it and the supposed growth that was experienced, souring the final act for me. Fine, but given my middling experiences with both this book and Just My Type, Ballard may just not be the right author for me.

As I was reading this I felt like I was watching a rom-com movie. I did love the setting being a film set, and liked the characters and the concurrent themes of worthiness, honesty, trust, and loyalty.

Unfortunately, I found myself being annoyed by the main characters and their miscommunication and lack of communication. I don’t like miscommunication tropes or a third act breakup, so that’s on me. But other than that, it was a cute lighthearted read.

🎬 enemies to lovers
🎬 movie stars/Hollywood
🎬 close proximity
🎬 some spice
🎬 HEA

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 rounded to 3 stars

I have mixed feelings about Right on Cue; at times I really liked it and at others I found myself quite frustrated.

The conflict at the start of the story is that Emmy hates her costar Grayson due to an interaction when they were teenagers. Instead of having a conversation about the past, Emmy is mean to Grayson and he in turn is a terrible actor on screen. There seems to be resolution once the two give into the tension and become costars with benefits …and eventually more. They share sweet moments and the spice is great! I really enjoyed the book at this point, but then came the third act break-up!

The third act break-up was as if the whole middle of the book hadn’t even happened. The character development of Emmy went out the window. I could tell there was meant to be a lesson in this type of lack/miscommunication, but it ultimately made the book a miss for me.

Thank you Putnam for the digital ARC. 4.5 stars
Right on Cue is my third book to read by Falon and I love that all three of her books are completely different. This book is a mix of enemies to lovers and celebrity romance. Emmy and Grayson are filming a romcom together, a romcom that Emmy wrote and did not plan on starring in. They have major troubles filming together because there is so much tension and negative energy between the two of them from their past experience with each other, until they have to shoot their spicy scene. Here's where the story really takes off and I loved seeing the back and forth and the build up between them. There are some really fun side characters too that add some humor. I also liked the little celebrity gossip where people are discussing them on social media. This was a fun story and I was really invested in their relationship.

I. LOVE. FALON. BALLARD.
Right on Cue was everything I needed it to be. I love a Hollywood setting and the second chance romance was a perfect add!

This workplace romance was filled with everything a reader could ask for.... a good plot, fast paced writing, and drama!

Emmy Harper is our leading lady in this story. She comes from a well known film industry family, and is known herself for writing screenplays.
Family tragedy strikes causing her to take some time away from the industry. Upon returning for her next project, Emmy finds herself both writing the screenplay... and starring in it! What's more... her co-star/romantic interest is an old foe in the form of Grayson West. He was her first co-star as a teen and the last person she would have chosen to do this with.

Naturally, as the two find themselves working together tension builds. Giving readers (and viewers in this book's world) the drama we all crave!

Read if you love:
-Hollywood/ Entertainment plots
-Workplace Romance
-Enemies to Lovers
-Rom-Coms
-Miscommunication
-Third Act Breakups

Favorite Quote:

"Love is only complicated when we make it complicated."

Spoilers ahead
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Although this is a cute, spicy Hallmark-esque, enemies-to-lovers rom-com, it is just too much of a cliche to be more than 3* for me. I didn’t understand whether Emmy’s hesitancy towards falling for Grayson was due to her father’s untimely death and fear of losing someone else she loved or her lingering hurt feelings over something that happened between them when she was just 15 and he was 17. Either way, it just seemed to be a contrivance to drive the plot. On top of that, I’m also not a fan of a 3rd act break-up, especially when it’s due to eavesdropping and a failure to communicate. Overall, this lacked strong character development, and maybe it’s because I live in LA and am tired of “the industry”, but I just couldn’t get into the relationship between two successful stars and the public’s obsession with their romance.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

“Love is only complicated when we make it complicated.”

I liked this one! It was cute and an easy read. This is also my first book by this particular author. I liked the plot, especially since I am a sucker for ANY type of romance that involves celebrities/movie stars. It always fascinates me and I loved the behind-the-scenes drama! This also had little online articles from gossip blogs placed in between some chapters, which really added to the overall story.

“Yet I know things will be different. And different doesn’t mean bad, necessarily. Just different.”

This had the potential to be a five star read because I really enjoyed it and it flowed nice, however, I took an entire star off because of the traditional “third act miscommunication break up”. I knew it was coming but when it did I was so annoyed with Emmy acting like a child. I felt bad for Grayson and just wanted to shake them and tell them to just communicate and none of this would happen.

I really liked Grayson, he was such a hidden in disguise good guy. Him and Emmy did have really good chemistry throughout the entire story, which was really great.

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a fun and light read involving celebrities and some steam/spice!

4.75/5⭐️for me. I want to thank Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this fantastic romcom. This romcom has it all. If you like workplace rivals/enemies to lovers then this is the book for you! Note there is a miscommunication trope which I did not mind in this book. (I usually loathe that trope) for this story I felt that it worked.
This story features Emmy a child actor turned screen writer that wrote a romcom. She agrees albeit reluctantly to star in her movie. She arrives on set only to find that her costar had an accident and was replaced by Grayson. Grayson hears her muttering about him and it causes him to be deadpan when acting with her. A few days later they have to do a steamy scene and the ice between these two begins to thaw. The director frustrated by the pair, sits them down and shows them the acting and chemistry in the sexy scene vs a normal scene. They end up communicating and having a one night stand that ends up being the start of a relationship.
From there the acting and set is amazing and the pair go on to become a couple. There is a bit of a misunderstanding and they end things and when it's time to promote the movie-we'll read the book to find out what happens next.

Right on Cue by Fallon Ballard

Pub Date: 2-27-24

Quick Synopsis
Emmy Harper left acting to pursue a career as a writer. Specifically, a romcom screenwriter. When the lead for her upcoming movie drops out, Emmy puts on her acting hat & steps up to fill the spot. On day one of filming, the worst possible option walks in to be her counterpart. Yup. None other than Grayson West. Emmy still holds a years old grudge against Grayson for their disastrous first film together, the entire reason she left acting in the first place, and she is not the least bit happy he is going to be a part of her movie (even if he is hunky and beautiful). As filming starts, their unresolved past builds. It's awkward but also.... sexually charged? All we know is they're going to blow it if they can't figure out how to work together. How on earth are they going to resolve this? What will happen on and off screen as a result?

My thoughts
This book had the makings for everything I love in a romcom. Enemies to lovers? Check. Quippy dialogue? Check. A touch of spice? Check. But it didn't translate to a book I really loved or connected with. It was an easy read & I had my share of giggles at some of the writing but friends, it's miscommunication after miscommunication. Because of that, I didn't really buy in to the drama between the two leads. It also had some insta love vibes & to go from that level of dickishness to full on swoon, didn't work for me. Overall, it was enjoyable & I'd certainly recommend it to someone that doesn't mind these tropes but these two missteps kept me from being emotionally invested in the outcome of Emmy & Grayson.

Okay this is a very cute and entertaining romance! What's better than a novel set in the movie biz, with celebrities and actors? There's just something about that premise that I love, and I really enjoyed all of the movie making and behind-the-scenes details. I really liked Emmy, but I'm not sure I fell in love with Grayson. I think he stayed to grumpy and hard to read for too long. And then the miscommunication and lack of communication got to be a bit much. Admittedly, that is a trope I have a really hard time with. And its worse when I as the reader know the truth and one or both of the MCs don't!

Nevertheless, I really liked the writing in this book. It was snappy and fun and kept me engaged. I think fans of this author will love this book, and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next!

Thank you for the chance to review this!

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first novel by Falon Ballard and I enjoyed every minute of it! Emmy is a wonderful FMC - sharp, witty, stands up for what she believes in and doesn't back down. The enemies-to-lovers trope was crafted so well - I could not STAND Grayson West when he was first introduced, but was swooning right alongside Emmy by the end.

However, the book had two tropes that are just always a miss for me personally: miscommunication and a third-act breakup. Again, these are very personal preferences but it took away from my reading experience.

Still highly recommended for those that like a spicier read!

This was my second book by Falon Ballard and it was a really cute read!

Emmy Harper, daughter of well-known film industry giants, is the queen of writing romantic comedy screenplays. After a break following a family tradgedy, she is back with her next project, only this time, she not only wrote the script, but was also conviced to be the leading actress! The downside, her costar and the male romantic lead is her long-time nemesis, Grayson West, who was Emmy's very first costar as a teen and who made her life miserable from one stupid comment made years ago.

As filming begins, the tension between Grayson and Emmy is very apparent and they are pushed to get their acts together quickly, or the film will be canceled. But what seems to be fiction between them turns out to be sizzling chemistry.

I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope and that plays a huge role in this story, but I really fell in love with all the characters and loved watching Emmy and Grayson fall for each other. The side characters play a minor role in this one, but are lovable, although I wished they would have been a bigger part of Emmy and Grayson's story.

Overall, another great book by Falon Ballard!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

Strong 3.5 stars but overall a bit forgettable. Cute book? Yes. Flat characters? Also yes.
Pros: Easy read, mostly realistic dialogue, a few funny quips.
Cons: Generic cartoon-cover romance that doesn't pick up until about 40% in, minimal character development.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.