*How to Plot a Payback* by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful rom-com that blends humour, charm, and a touch of mischief. Finn Masters, a successful screenwriter, lands his dream job on a beloved sitcom, only to discover he’ll be working with Lavender Rhodes, the ever-optimistic star who, in his eyes, has been ruining his life since their school days. What follows is a hilariously misguided attempt at revenge that, unsurprisingly, doesn’t go as planned.

The story excels in its lighthearted tone and quirky characters. Finn’s grumpy scepticism pairs wonderfully with Lavender’s sunny disposition, creating a fun dynamic full of banter and unexpected depth. The supporting characters, including some mischievous dogs and sassy neighbours, add warmth and laughter to the narrative. The writing flows easily, and there are plenty of moments that will make you chuckle or even laugh out loud.

However, the book isn’t without its flaws. Finn’s vendetta against Lavender sometimes feels overly petty, especially given how much time has passed since their school days. While his reasons are explained, they might have resonated more strongly if shown through flashbacks rather than described in a list. Additionally, the romance, though sweet, takes a backseat to the revenge plot, which might disappoint readers expecting a more traditional love story.

Despite these minor issues, *How to Plot a Payback* is an entertaining and heartwarming read. It’s perfect for fans of slow-burn romances, laugh-out-loud antics, and stories about learning not to judge a book by its cover. If you’re looking for a cosy, uplifting rom-com with just the right amount of chaos, this one’s worth picking up!

I love all of Melissa's books and this one is so cute!!

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful and witty rom-com that’s impossible to put down. The story centers on Finn Masters, a successful screenwriter who lands his dream job on the beloved sitcom Neighbors. But there's a catch—he's now working with Lavender Rhodes, the cheerful, altruistic star who has unintentionally ruined his life for years. From sabotaging his acting career to wrecking his previous relationship, Lavender is Finn's long-time nemesis, and he's not about to let her ruin yet another opportunity.

Determined to get payback, Finn starts to plot ways to rewrite Lavender's character in increasingly ridiculous and shocking directions. However, his plan quickly unravels in hilarious ways, forcing him to reassess his feelings toward her. As their rivalry plays out on set, the chemistry between Finn and Lavender becomes undeniable, leading to a heartwarming journey from enemies to lovers.

Ferguson's writing is sharp, humorous, and full of heart, making this a perfect read for fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes, witty banter, and slow-burn romance. The chemistry between Finn and Lavender is electric, and their growing connection provides both laugh-out-loud moments and genuine emotional depth. If you love rom-coms with memorable characters and unexpected twists, How to Plot a Payback is sure to be a hit.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to Plot a Payback is the second book I’ve read by Melissa Ferguson.

The trope of grumpy X sunshine in the blurb is what hooked me.

At first, I was so annoyed by Lavender did not find her apparent lack of self-awareness to be charming. I mean, what kind of monster doesn’t like baby chicks? (Yes, I know the backstory was traumatic).

Finn is definitely not perfect either. His creepy list of Lavender’s past misdeeds is indeed creepy. Who obsesses this much about events that happened so long ago that arguably were coincidental?

His revenge/justice plot is even creepier. After he finally starts to realize he may actually like Lavender, he commences another phase of his revenge plan. Which fails of course.

But the thing about good storytelling is little by little characters change and evolve, enchanting you with all the little whimsical things about themselves that they each start to fall for each other in the story.

This was a slow read for me but it picked up pace toward the end of the story and I finally got the romance the author was going for.

I’m not sure this was for me, but another reader might enjoy it.

Cute and simple! I think it was very lovely and sweet, but also forgettable and I wouldn't reread it

Very light and a bit naive book. For my personal taste not enough angst and passion. Both characters are likable.

I was so excited for this one when I read the synopsis. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it because I didn't like the main characters, and based on their dialogue I couldn't find myself rooting for them to get together, they seemed too different and not in a good way - Finn came off as a little mean sometimes. I stopped reading around 20% in. The writing was decent overall, so I'd definitely be willing to try more works from Melissa Ferguson in the future.

Witty, adorable, wonderful. Melissa Ferguson at her finest! A must for fans of Friends and five-star clean romcoms!

While I didn't love this rom com between a tv writer and sitcom star, I did find a quick and entertaining read.

Melissa is an auto buy author for me. I wanted to LOVE this new release, but I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the mood or what. This one was good, not great for me.

The premise is that Finn Masters has landed his dream job as a writer on the TV Show, Neighbors. However, it means working with his arch nemesis, Lavender Rodes who has ruined his life before and appears to be possibly doing it again. Although to be fair, she doesn't remember Finn.

Despite his years-long grudge working together seems to be breaking down those walls and building a friendship between the two.

This is a cute RomCom set against the backdrop of Hollywood with a childhood/adolescents history. Super fast read.

This book is super cozy. The characters are hilarious and the banter between them is great. I would have liked for them to focus more on the romance rather than the comedy but I still would recommend.

I had high hopes this for book based on the blurb and set up but I just didn't like the male lead and I didn't want them to get together.

I know that people always say there is a. fine line between love and hate, but even with that fine line this book felt as though it moved too quickly. Finn went from absolutely despising Lavender and attempting his revenge to in love with her in what felt like a rather quick way. He did become more likable as the book went on, but I found myself quite annoyed with him at the beginning. Lavender's character I loved though. She was the celebrity who didn't want to live like a celebrity, and I loved that, because sometimes stories with famous people feel over exaggerated, and this didn't feel that way. I do think we got a lot of character development in this book though, and it was a fun read! Just wish there was more to it

I love books featuring screenwriters (or writers of any kind, really), so this one was such a treat! HOW TO PLOT A PAYBACK was a great enemies-to-lovers romance -- highly recommend picking this one up!

In the beginning of the book, I found it hard to connect with the writing style. It could be because I just finished a fantasy series with lots of world building, but this one felt a little bit flat.

The characters were nice, and I enjoyed the quick heartwarming romance.

I loved this! It was delightfully funny. I love that this is a CLEAN romance. The celebrity/screen writer trope was fantastic, and it gave me "Notting Hill" vibes. This was another hit by Melissa Ferguson!

I really enjoyed this. There was not a ton of "romance" but I loved the enemies to lovers buildup and found the story to be enjoyable and entertaining,

I have been a fan of Melissa Ferguson for a few years now and always enjoy her writing. This book has so many great aspects, but I specifically enjoyed the characters the most. It is a loveable rom com without the spice. If you are looking for an easy, lighthearted read than this is the perfect choice. I look forward to more titles being released in the future and will recommend this book to others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Celebrity romance? Sign me up! This was my first Melissa Ferguson book and I am looking forward to reading more from her. I enjoyed the witty banter, the clean romance and the lol moments. Her characters really had their own style and I think thats what made this such a fun read. A rom-com at its best! Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Although it was a bit of a hectic beginning and I really couldn’t figure out what the story was about until almost half way. Once I figured it out I really enjoyed this story. It’s about putting aside the past for a brighter future. The first time I’ve read this author and it was enjoyable. Crazy fun.