Falon Ballard writes adorable, heady, sexy romance novels, and Right On Cue is no exception! With a Hollywood backdrop, Emmy and Grayson are sworn enemies from their teenage years, and now due to a series of unfortunate events, they are once again costars; this time in a rom-com. Featuring classic tropes, and a fun twist on “one bed” on set, this book is a romance must-read! Be warned, the third-act breakup feels a bit forced because we know our two stars belong together.

3.5 stars rounded up.
Right on Cue is a breezy, low-angst romcom from Falon Ballard. Emmy Harper is a succesful romantic comedy screenwriter, from Hollywood royalty, and went the serious route last year writing an Oscar winning screenplay. Now her best friend is directing her latest work, though they are having a hard time finding the leading lady. Everyone involved in the film believes Amy is the best to fill the role, even though her one and only time in front of the camera ten years ago crashed and burned. She agrees and shows up to the cozy small town's inn where they are shooting and discovers they recast the lead with Grayson West, an action star. He also played her love interest in the movie that flopped years ago. She can't stand him. He is not into being in a romcom, and dials it in on their scenes together. But they have to figure out a way to make this movie work, and along the way things start to heat up.

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to seeing what Falon Ballard has planned next. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC for my honest review.

🎬Right on Cue by Falon Ballard 🎬

Out on Feb 27 2024 by GP Putnam

Emmy Harper has made a career out of screenwriting swoon worthy romantic comedies and living firmly out of the spotlight. Grayson West is a big budget action movie star whose face and name are instantly recognizable worldwide. Emmy and Grayson starred in a poorly received movie as teens, and Emmy never wanted to act again because of it. When her latest romcom can’t find a leading lady, Emmy reluctantly signs on to star. A last minute change in romantic leading man from Emmy’s trusted friend to none other than Grayson West threatens to derail the entire production.

I love celebrity romances, and this one did not disappoint! The banter between Emmy and Grayson was on point, as was the fact that “Grayson Fucking West” seemed incapable of acting opposite Emmy on purpose. The behind the scenes of movie making, red carpet premieres and celebrity gossip was super fun.

The primary conflict in this one felt super avoidable and because of that it was a little frustrating. Miscommunication isn’t my favorite when it’s used to break up an otherwise solid relationship because I have a hard time believing it, as I did here. I did enjoy the reconciliation though!

Recommended if you love: 🎬 celebrity romance 😈 enemies to lovers 🫣 “just one time to cut the tension” 🗣️ miscommunication 🥹 “you’ve completely ruined me” ❤️ showmance to forever love

Thank you to @netgalley and Putnam Books for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Right on Cue was absolutely adorable! I love Falon Ballard's writing. It's quick and snappy and this one had a lot of zingers between the two main characters. Little bit of enemies to lovers, some spice thrown in, and characters that are well thought out and have flaws. The entire supporting characters also had development and layers.

It was absolutely a delight to have Emmy be a writer and Greyson to be the leading man who was not what she expected at all. The two of them developed alongside each other with some bumps along the way. Their relationship was a delight to see unfold, even if the 3rd act miscommunication trope happened. Not a huge fan of that particular trope, but it wasn't a make or break moment for me. Ballard's writing is what drew me in after having read Just My Type earlier this year and I adore her writing.

This book is genuinely funny, quippy, and an overall good time. 5 out of 5 stars from me, and I anticipate anything this author writes.

Once again, Falon Ballard has made me love another one of her books. It starts off quick enough where I was sucked right in and instantly felt like I knew the characters. Ballard writes in the acknowledgments that she loved writing this book and I felt like you could truly tell. It was just so pleasant and enjoyable.

There were so many funny references (like the Kombucha girl) but also some very earnest moments. I loved Grayson and Emmy's growth and their ability as characters to make mistakes, process them, and try to do better.
Their communication (once we got past the "we hate each other" tension) was fantastic. They gave each other space when needed but also found ways to communicate as a couple and let one another express their feelings.

I just really love good communication between characters.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Instagram review will be posted closer to release date.

When I sat down to start reading this novel, I noticed Falon Ballard’s dedication read along the lines of “This one’s for me.”

I was glad I spotted that dedication for one reason: it immediately told me to adjust my expectations, as this story would likely be self-indulgent and full of Ballard’s favorite romcom elements. And it absolutely was! Of course, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing—if anything, knowing that would be the case allowed me to set aside the expectation that this novel would move me emotionally and, instead, I allowed myself to simply have fun. And what fun it was! It was easy to disappear into the page of this book and absolutely lose track of time. But, with that being said, this book felt different from Ballard’s previous two books. It felt more commercial and lacked the usual depth and charm of her other stories.

As far as plot goes, it was rather standard for an adult romcom and paced well. I found it difficult to set the book down because I wanted to see the next relationship milestone and see the next internal conflict Emmy needed to work through. However, a lot of Emmy and Grayson’s relationship development moments—such as: bonding through simply talking and hanging out—happened off-page, Sure, there were a few scenes where we saw them hang-out instead of enjoying spicy times, but I really wanted to see some of those small bonding moments. It was evident that a lot of development occurred off-page during the PR filming of the Newlywed Game; the two had unbelievable chemistry and knew each other so well, so it was a shame to miss out on learning the little things about both characters.

This is a smaller note, but once the romance plot (the A-plot) took the reins, a lot of other sub-plots fell away. I know Ballard’s writing strengths, so I wished we had a little more check-in with the movie plot and more development of Liz and Emmy’s friendship. Liz was a strong minor character, so it was a shame to see her shunted away on the page.

As far as tropes go, there was one that I had a lot of fun with, and another, well, not so much. I haven’t had much reading exposure to the “Right Person, Wrong Time” trope, and I really enjoyed it! It felt close to enemies-to-lovers, but there was more logic behind it. Although, I do wish there was more exploration of this trope (I wanted Emmy and Grayson to sit down and simply communicate so badly!), but that was hindered by a different trope. The miscommunication trope. I don’t think I’m the first person to say the market is oversaturated with this trope, but I understand why it's widely used. It relies on the internal conflict of the main character and their developmental journey. But I struggled with this trope being used twice in the plot. The first time was understandable, seeing as Emmy and Grayson were teenagers and there is the emotional immaturity aspect to that age. But the second time was less believable. Emmy was an adult and had started to show signs of change, of being willing to communicate with Grayson about her feelings. For her to take a half-listened to conversation at face-value and completely shut Grayson out (third act breakup) was difficult to swallow. Which was made even more difficult to believe when, after two scenes, Grayson forgave Emmy quickly and without her proving herself as having changed. Unfortunately, that third act was the weakest part of the novel.

In the end, I had quite a juxtaposed reading experience. In the moment while reading, I immensely enjoyed the story on the page and never wanted to leave the characters behind. But, when I walked away from the book, I found myself feeling confused and picking at all the inherent weaknesses in the story structure. While I would recommend this to other readers, I would warn them to temper their typical Falon Ballard expectations and simply sit back to enjoy another silly, comforting little romcom.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

what a lovely read. another win by falon ballard. thanks so much for the arc! i adored grayson (hate the name though...) and was rooting for him throughout the book. i did not like the lack-of-communication trope at the end, i felt like that didn't make much sense based on the characters. overall though, i enjoyed this book - devoured it in just a few hours.

i might regret saying this but i almost wish there were a couple time jumps? i feel like the strength of Emmy's relationship w her dad would have really been helped w a flashback or two. there were just some gaps there that i would have liked to see filled. there were just a few plot holes that really affected the believability of this book.

please please please fix the formatting of these ARCs. it really impacts the reading experience - random typos, multiple words mushed together, random text in red font?? it is SO distracting.

I’m definitely in my celebrity romance phase. I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy to read and went quickly but without missing a beat. The overall plot was a perfectly balanced with all the rom-com movie troupes you’d want. So it does leave it a bit predictable but this to me is a great sweet simple love story that’ doesn’t over complicate things. Our main characters Emmy and Grayson are a perfect match and they have really great chemistry. I was unsure if I was going to like Grayson because he did come off a bit unlikeable but as the book went on he grew on me. He didn’t have very much of a personality tho. Emmy would compliment him on things about himself and I was left thinking “wait when did he even show that?” As a reader I feel like his character would have benefited from having his POV shared this way there would be no question about who he is as a character. Emmy was a good female lead who you could easily relate to. She didn’t come across whiny or to alpha female. She was pretty normal which I liked the most about her. Nothing was over the top. The supporting characters were nice to have along the way especially her mom. I really loved the relationship between Emmy and her. The story was overall a pretty straightforward and not an overly dramatic romance that I really enjoyed and appreciated reading to help get out of a reading hangover.

This was my first book by Falon Ballard and I absolutely adored it. Emmy and Grayson are scorching together. This book starts off strong with the enemies to lovers trope and the "enemies" portion lasts for a good while before the "lovers" parts begin. I love how they slowly get to know one another and the spice is on point. What I didn't like was the third act breakup and the "miscommunication" between the two MC's. The ending was perfect though, so I am not "that" mad. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Falon Ballard for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Emmy and Grayson who end up starring alongside each other in a romcom. The issue is she can’t stand him.
I really enjoyed this. I love a celebrity romance and it was so interesting to read about characters that are both celebrities and some of the struggles that they face.
I did feel like there was too much spice. It just felt repetitive and I didn’t need the detail every time. And the miscommunication at the end was so frustrating that I started to not root for the characters.
Overall it was a good time, the setting was in a small town for most of it which I love, and the writing was funny so I think if you like this author and these tropes, you will enjoy it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emmy is a Hollywood baby of two mega stars who has become a very successful screenwriter. When the movie crew has trouble casting the leading lady in her current script, Emmy herself is given the role, which is fine until her original leading man gets injured and Grayson West steps into the role. Emmy's only other time acting was with Grayson, and it was a disaster. Will they be able to work things out?

I really enjoyed this story! The banter between the characters is fun, and the small town snowy inn for a scene was perfect, and very easy to picture as I read. I liked that the characters both had vulnerabilities, and were able to show them to each other. A 'he falls first' romance is always fun, in my opinion.

I thought Emmy's background of being in the press since the day she was born, and how it affected her was interesting. It gives a good basis for her insecurity as a teenager, and why Grayson making the comment he did about her would have been hard for her to handle, especially as a hormonal fifteen year old.

I do think the history between the two should have been addressed a bit more. Their encounter was something that bothered Emmy for fifteen years, but was essentially just shrugged off after one quick mention between the two. While Grayson apologizes for the comment, he never actually explains why he would have said such a thing to people to begin with. In that same line, why was his acting with her in the early scenes so bad? He says he never had issues with her, but does his best to not put any effort into his scenes with her. She had troubles, too, but they came out in her performance as anger, which tracks with how she was feeling. I would have enjoyed having that part resolved a bit more. Otherwise, it was a fun story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Press for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My first Falon Ballard book!

I could see the vision Ballard wanted, though unfortunately, I think the execution fell flat for me. The idea of two actors that loathe each other being forced to work on a cute rom-com was a cute idea, one that screams right up my alley. However, the one-dimensional, confusing characters hindered my enjoyment.

Emmy was childish. Especially in the inevitable third act break up (can we stop doing this guys, really?) All of her antics and why she supposedly hated Grayson West actually ended up causing me to like him more and more. Her personality changed every chapter and I felt like I couldn’t get a decent read on her character.

And then there was Grayson. While his banter was cute and made me chuckle a few times, there wasn’t anything solid about him. I couldn’t root for him and Emmy because, frankly, their relationship was so surface level. They worked on a project once FIFTEEN YEARS AGO and yet Emmy still held disdain for the words he said as a teenager? Girl. The pair was beyond wishy washy and because I couldn’t firmly plant my feet on the ground and root for the couple, the book didn’t click for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC! I’ll try more of Falon Ballard in the future, but Right on Cue wasn’t for me!

Falon Ballard has done it again! This book was so cute! A second chance/ enemies to lovers romance?! A dream combination! 😍 I really enjoyed both Emmy and Grayson as characters. The banter had me laughing out loud throughout the book. They both have some immaturity in various points of their story, but take accountability for their actions and grow throughout. Seeing two likable people love each other well in words and actions was precious. A delightfully heartwarming read!

I loved this book so much! The characters really grew on me and I enjoyed seeing them grow throughout the book. Emmys character definitely was a tad annoying at times. I’m not the biggest fan of miscommunication or else i would’ve gave the book 5 stars. Emmy and Grayson were just childish at points when they could’ve just talked out their issues like adults. I do love a good rom/com read and enemies to lovers and this book delivered on that!!! Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.75 out of 5. This was the perfect book for a rom com lover like me. A total romantic loop, a book about the making of a rom com movie, its all there. The chemistry here was off the charts, unlike many books where I question why do they like each other, here the chemistry was oozing off the page from the beginning. I love the buildup, how things progresses and even the traditional 75% in relationship issue felt very well done. The behind the scenes of a movie setting makes it also fun and for me engaging. Also Emmy was an amazing character and you can not help but root for her throughout.

There were a lot of pop cultural references that I personally appreciated: Her being a nepo baby, The fact that their rom com was called No reservations (which is one of the best rom com movies and one that is truly underappreciated) and also a shout out to The Hating Game.

This is a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance that follows Hollywood darling Emmy Harper and blockbuster action star Grayson West as they face their past and try to create an award-winning romance movie.
In this story, Emmy works to overcome her insecurities of being taken seriously as a Hollywood nepo-baby and Grayson is trying to solidify himself as a real actor and not just a pretty face. But their past as former co-stars and first crushes plagues the production of their newest movie together.
Ballard always creates quirky, loveable characters who have to learn to get out of their own way, open their hearts, and find love. She does it again with this wonderfully swoony book!
Fans of Elissa Sussman and Sarah Adams will love this book!

This was a fun read from Falon Ballard! It was a second chance romance/enemies to lovers that took place on a movie set between two co-stars. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters! Would definitely recommend!

I loved Falon Ballard's previous two books, and I'm a sucker for Hollywood romance stories, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of RIGHT ON CUE!

RIGHT ON CUE follows Emmy Harper, a beloved romantic comedy writer who hasn't acted since her debut film was received poorly due to her lack of chemistry with her co-star, Grayson West. But when Emmy's newest project can't find their leading lady, it's clear that Emmy is the best person for the role. Emmy's job becomes even harder when her co-star is injured and replaced with Grayson West, and the pair have to work together to resolve their issues from when they were teenagers and discover there may be more complicated feelings involved.

This was a quick read for me--I flew through it in one sitting. Emmy and Grayson's banter was witty and fun, and their chemistry was undeniable. The Right Person, Wrong Time trope had my entire heart.

However, outside of those moments, the writing wasn't as strong as Ballard's previous books. The dialogue could be cringey and awkward when it wasn't meant to be, which took me out of the story.

Emmy was a bit frustrating as well, thinking that her performance was perfect and that Grayson was the sole problem while they were filming until they were forced to sit down and watch their scenes together and realized she was the problem too.

But the biggest problem for me was that the miscommunication trope was used twice. I'm already not a fan of this trope, but I think the use of it when they were teenagers was effective and believable. However, when it came up again for the third-act breakup, it felt childish how Emmy refused to tell Grayson what she overheard and give him a chance to explain, especially since she thought Grayson was "her person." Shutting him out and breaking up with him with no explanation didn't sit right with me.

From there, the ending was too quick for me. I wish the pair reuniting was expanded a bit and not rushed as much as it was.

In all, I will definitely continue reading Ballard's future books, but for now, LEASE ON LOVE remains my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One thing about me? I LOVE a good celebrity romance book. I started ‘Right on Cue’ after a long fantasy streak and immediately after reading a thriller, so initially I wasn’t in the headspace for a romance at all. To the point that I even told my sister I was regretting choosing a romance to read next. Any doubts I had quickly disappeared as this book absolutely sucked me in by the end of the second chapter.

Emmy Harper’s acting career ended the same moment it started- and for that she blames Grayson West. Grayson may have been Emmy’s first kiss while they were filming their first movie together, but a teenage crush quickly became her first real heartbreak. Now, years later, Emmy finds old wounds are easily opened as she unexpectedly reunites with Grayson for her latest movie.

I made the mistake of reading at work and felt like I had to physically pry myself away. This story gives everything you could want it to and more- celebrity, small town, second chance, AND enemies to lovers. This book gave me butterflies, had me laughing out loud, and had me holding my breath with anticipation and anxiety. This may be the first work of Falon Ballard’s I have read but it certainly won’t be my last.

Right on Cue will be available February 27th, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam Publishing for sending me an advanced readers copy of this contemporary romance in exchange for an honest review.

I honest to goodness thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the drama. I rolled my eyes at the usual third act breakup that was because of miscommunication, and I think that's the big problem. I just hate miscommunication. Other than that, the book was really good. 100% would recommend to anyone looking for something like this.