Let me start by saying the enemies to lovers trope is my absolute favorite romance trope, but it just did not work for me this time. The male MC was just plain mean and there was never really any good reasoning behind it or redemption for him. She was whiny and just sort of unlikeable. Although I did really enjoy the side characters, like the makeup artists and her mother. I would definitely give this author another try, this one just wasn’t one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley; the author and publisher for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thought it was a really cute rom com read. It was fun, and I recommend reading this book. The miscommunication in the book was really annoying, but it was very relatable. It was really well written. There was very minimal spice, but very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the vast majority of the book, but as with most romance books there has to be a conflict before the HEA. There was a bit too much drama for me. I still hope that characters can generally act as reasonable adults and it drives me crazy when they don’t! 😜

3.5 stars

This was a really fun story! The only thing that I didn’t love was the main character. I just never felt like rooting for her. If you’re looking for a fun romcom this is a light easy read!

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Thank you so much to Putnam for my gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This is my 3rd Falon Ballard book and I really like the easy way she writes her stories. I loved the premise for this book (Small town movie shoot with enemies to more tropes). Emmy is an award winning screen writer whose acting days are done. But her next project is about to start filming and her team can't find the perfect leading lady. So she decides to fill in. When the male lead suddenly drops out and is replaced with Grayson, action movie star and the actor who broke her heart years before, she cant even stand to be in the same room as him.
But all their hating turns to more with a cozy town and rom com to film filling their days.

I felt like it was a little too insta lust for my tastes but I really liked both main characters and understood why they had had their issues in the past. I wanted a little more emotionally from both characters and this has a HUGE miscommunication trope. That being said, I still enjoyed it for what it was.

I absolutely loved this! It did drag a bit in the middle and had the miscommunication trope, which is arguably my least favorite (I know that is "me" problem, not a problem with the novel itself), but it was overall enjoyable!

Often, when the MCs are trying to overcome a conflict that happened when they were much younger, the characters can often read super young, but Right on Cue does not feel like it. The characters read like adults who were still carrying some baggage from an incident that occurred during a pivotal time in their lives, both professionally, and developmentally.

Right on Cue is full of the same banter, swoon, since, and sweetness we have come to know love, and expect from Fallin Ballard, so if you are a fan of any of their other work, you will love Right on Cue.

Oh boy did this book tug at my heart. I heavily related to Emmy’s insecurities as she navigated rediscovering something she loved and lost. The story was believable, spicy, and classic. Love!

This one was a slow start for me, but after it got going - the going got GOOD.

After being forced back together YEARS after their first acting job together (and separately) that didn’t go well…

When the male lead backs out last minute, Emmy & Grayson are forced back together in Emmy’s first acting since that initial movie all those years earlier…

But this time, the stakes are even higher. This is Emmy’s script; that she now has to bring to life as the female lead as well.

After their first scenes go quite poorly, Emmy’s best friend, Liz, who is also the director, locks them in a room together to figure out how to fix it.

And they fix it by becoming “co-stars with benefits.” At least it starts that way.

Oh my gosh this was not it for me. The FMC had no idea what she wanted. First she wants the MC so badly, ten words later she can’t stand him. I could not with this book. Thank you next.

Unfortunately, Right On Cue was a miss for me. Partly, this may be due to my dislike for stories where one of more characters are celebrities. I simply find this feature to be uninteresting regardless of the author or genre. I had hopes that Falon Ballard could do something different with this dynamic, and while she definitely made this factor second to the main storyline, it still could not overcome my personal feelings on the trope. Additionally, I found these characters to be irritating and tiresome. I enjoyed them during the first five or so chapters, but after that things seemed to continually go downhill. I almost never mind miscommunication and withholding thoughts and feelings in stories, however, it seemed that how these factors were portrayed in this story were tiresome and not believable. The female main character appeared to blatantly ignore clear signs of interest and the third act conflict was met with an extreme reaction only to be forgiven and cleared up in moment. It felt like whiplash to read through this story and these characters' interactions. All in all, this was a disappointment compared to what Falon Ballard has done in her previous two novels. Despite my lack of enjoyment of Right On Cue, I will definitely return to her writing with upcoming books. I have loved and enjoyed Ballard's previous releases, and I look forward to all of her announced upcoming novels.

I don’t usually rate books 1 star, but this completely missed the mark for me. I DESPISED Emmy. She was wildly immature and so aggravating with all the miscommunication. She was hot and cold around Grayson and unnecessarily mean, which made me solidly Team Grayson the entire book. So many of the issues they had could have been solved by a simple conversation, and by the end, I was so annoyed when Grayson forgave her so easily. I really was unhappy reading the epilogue and if you’ve read and feel like me, you know why.

This was a disappointing read because I adored Lease on Love and enjoyed Just My Type. Right on Cue just had a very different feel to it and not in a good way. I’ll still read this author’s work, but I sure hope it’s better than this was.

Falon Ballard has such a talent for crafting realistic romantic stories. Her characters are so real and this book is no exception. This second chance celebrity romance is full of a trop I normally hate, miscommunication, but Falon has written it in a way that needed to happen. These flawed characters had to preserve through hard times in order to get their happily ever after and I loved them emotional and heartwrenching journey.

Emmy Harper is Hollywood royalty. She's built a successful career as a screenwriter and when her latest project can't find an actress to play the leading lady, Emmy is tapped to dust off her acting skills from her teenage years. Her only major production as an actress was a disaster due to her costar, Grayson West. Emmy is nervous enough to be back in front of the camera. Then she finds out that the lead actor is none other than her sworn enemy Grayson.

This book feels like a spicy holiday movie, except not at the holidays. The cold atmosphere and enemies to lovers story just fits perfectly. It was a little predictable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of Right on Cue.

This was such a good sexy enemies to lovers romance and I couldn’t get enough. I loved the characters and the spice was so good! I definitely plan to read other books by this author because this one really hooked me in.

Norma’s one minute book review:

Pros:
Super fun setting of movie location shoot/Hollywood.
Hunky cinnamon roll of a MMC.
Steamy scenes will get you hot under the collar. I never knew getting it on in a maintenance closet could be so hot!

Cons:
MFC comes off as immature and not ready for a relationship, even by the end of the book.
Discussions of grief (cw: parental death in past) seem too trivial and shallow.

Overall, this is a fun look into the behind the scenes of a movie shoot. If you want all the feels of a Hallmark movie, this book is for you.

#RightonCue #NetGalley

I received an e-copy of this book from Net Galley. My review is objective and not in exchange for this copy.

This was a really fun Hollywood enemies-to-lovers/second chance romance. There was great banter between the MCs (a screenwriter and actor). Lots of chemistry despite not liking each other which made for an interesting story. Secondary characters were also great! Perfect book to take to the beach!

Right on Cue
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Falon Ballard

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Hollywood darling 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. After some time away, and lots of encouragement from family and friends, Emmy is finally ready to dive back into the genre with her latest project. But more is riding on this movie than just her return to the big screen. This time, Emmy’s also been convinced to star as the lead, dusting off acting skills she hasn’t used in over a decade.

Emmy’s nervous, yet excited, to give performing another shot, until a last-minute injury benches her trusted co-star. With filming about to start, there’s only one other actor available on such short Grayson West. A blockbuster action star known for his mega-watt smile and impossible abs, Grayson is anyone’s dream of a romantic lead. Anyone except Emmy that is, who still blames him for her disastrous first movie and the early end to her acting career.

As filming begins, the friction between Emmy and Grayson is palpable and it’s anyone’s guess if it’s unresolved awkwardness or simmering sexual tension. The two are pushed to get their acts together—and quickly—or they risk tanking the entire movie, but if working things out leads to sizzling chemistry on screen, what might happen when the cameras stop rolling?

My Thoughts: I have read all of Ballard’s novels and just love her writing style. Ballard really brought her mad romance writing skills to this novel and elevated into another sphere from her last novel, which I enjoyed as well. Emmy Harper was the queen author of romcoms until tragedy struck and she stepped back for a while. Finally, she writes an epic screenplay and her friend convinces her to star the female lead and she agrees knowing who her costar will be. However, a late injury sidelines the costar and the only other person that is available for the male lead is no other than Grayson West, Emmy’s arch nemesis, whom she despises. When filming begins, the chemistry is palpable, and not in a good way. They are at each other throats, to the extent that it is affecting everyone else and if they do not get it together, it will risk tanking the entire movie. Will they be able to move past their feelings or will they embrace their feelings? This follows the tropes of enemies to lovers (like arch nemesis), second chance romance, and celebrity romance.

There is a definite immaturity at times but I think it works for the storyline. Emmy had her heart broken as a teen actor and never tried it again, stayed behind the scenes just writing for a while, then took a period off. Emmy was independent, passionate, and caring. Grayson comes off as a dick to start off with, but when they connect, his character starts to really shine through. I loved how the plot played out in this storyline. The angst and tension is palpable between our MCs, and even when it changes, you can still feel it in a different way. The supporting characters elevate the storyline, especially Liz. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and creatively curated. The author’s writing style was complex, spicy/steamy, heartfelt, and engaging. The challenge was the miscommunication but I also think that was a strength, as that is where the MCs tension was derived from.

This novel was just amazing. I cannot wait of the next one that releases the fall of this year. My only con would be the third act breakup, I think that could have been avoided and it would have made this five stars for me. Even with that, I still really enjoyed this novel. I would highly recommend to other readers.

Right on Cue was such a cute, fun but spicy read. This was the first book by Falon Ballard I have read, and I cannot wait to read more. This is a great second chance romance. Who doesn't love a good co-star romance. There were quite a few miscommunications, which drives me batty, but these were well done. Overall, would definitely recommend if you are looking for a light romcom. I was laughing and crying. Gave me all the feels.

excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

Would recommend for fans of…
🎬 Hollywood love stories
🎬 Second chance romance
🎬 Enemies to lovers

I don’t know how she manages to do it, but Falon Ballard manages to write some of the most bingeable, funny, and relatable rom coms out there! Right on Cue is the second novel I’ve read by Ballard and I’m already counting down the days until her next book comes out.

Right on Cue follows Emmy, an award-winning screenwriter who finds herself starring opposite her sort-of enemy Grayson West in her latest film. As the camera starts rolling, the sparks start flying and Emmy and Grayson are drawn closer together.

This novel would be perfect for anyone who loves enemies to lovers type stories. While the conflict between them isn’t super intense, the banter between Emmy and Grayson is razor sharp (and super witty) and really adds a fun romantic tension to the story. And, as with any great romance, getting to see them put their differences aside and fall for one another was super sweet. I also enjoyed the “meta” aspects of the book (it’s a rom com about making a rom com!), and appreciated all of the ‘Hollywood’ moments Ballard incorporated throughout.

My only complaint with the story was that the conflict felt a tad juvenile, almost as if it would have been a better fit for a YA romance. The miscommunication aspects were also a bit cringey. While they didn’t detract from my enjoyment, if you’re not a fan of that trope you’ll probably have some issues with the central conflict.

Right on Cue is out now and is the perfect book to throw in your tote as we head towards beach and pool season! Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.