🎶 I just wanna stay in that lavender haze🎶

Warning: you will have Taylor Swift stuck on repeat once you realize how many times lavender is mentioned in this story.

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is a dynamic story that toggles between a down in the dumps screenwriter named Finn and the thorn in his flesh, Hollywood daytime starlet, Lavender Rhodes. Finn somehow lands a role of a lifetime working as a head screenwriter for a very popular show that…. Lavender is the star in!! (Cue the suspenseful music NOW) Finn now has the power of payback on his watch
and the reader is given a backstage pass of how he plans his diabolical sabotage for Lavender.
Honestly as the story played out, I found myself uninterested in Lavender’s reactions to Finn’s failed attempts for revenge. It could have been much more and don’t even get me started on Finn’s neighbors. Ugh, they are so cute but we see so little them!?! 2.5 ⭐️for me
🍿Dual POV

🎬Grumpy x Sunshine

🎥Slow Burn

❤️Enemies to Lovers

🌶️No Spice
🐶Dog lovers

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an eARC of How to Plot a Payback in exchange for my honest review.

Ferguson is a favorite of mine! How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is another fantastic story that was such a delight.
Right from the very beginning I found myself fully immersed in this book and couldn’t put it down. And if I did happen to not be able to read it for a day or two I was able to get right back into the story when I did.
Her rom-com’s are the best and she never disappoints!
This is one of those books that will undoubtedly leave me in a slump for days because I want to be back with Finn and Lavender.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Happy Publishing Day to Melissa Ferguson and the delightful book, How to Plot a Payback!

Y'all know I loooooooove a Hollywood romance and that enemies to loves is my fave trope... needless to say, this one was right up my alley and I devoured it on Sunday afternoon.

Finn Masters is an accomplished screenwriter in Hollywood. He is stunned to be offered a gig on one of the longest-running sitcoms. It feels too good to be true and in a way, it is... because the star of the show is Lavender Rhodes, his nemesis since their school days back in the UK.

Finn takes the job and quickly realizes that while he has spent most of his adult life avoiding and blaming Lavender, she has spent that time... just living. He is determined to not fall her charm like everyone else and decides that she needs to be taken down a few pegs. And yet...

Finn and Lavender are easy characters to fall for. And what a supporting cast! If you're looking for a sweet Hollywood romance, this is it! Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this ARC to read and review.

Will post on GoodReads, retail sites and my bookstagram @scottonreads

DNF at 14% this one I just couldn’t connect with, the writing and characters felt so surface level. I think the premise was fun and I enjoyed the setting but this one was sort of meh.

Thank you UpLit Reads, Melissa Ferguson, Libro.FM, Thomas Nelson and John Marshall Media for my #gifted copies of How to Plot a Payback! #HowToPlotAPayback #melissaferguson

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐅𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

4.5★

Melissa Ferguson is seriously my favorite. I can always count on her books to bring me so much joy, and her new release, How To Plot a Payback, is an absolute hit! She writes the best characters and this heartwarming novel will have you laughing out loud!

Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors. The only problem is it will put him back in close proximity with Lavender Rhodes who ruined his life when they were in school in England. What better way to get back at the person who ruined his acting career and his love life, than to plot his payback by spinning her character in shocking new directions. The only problem with Finn’s plan is that it backfires, forcing him to think about Lavender in an entirely different light.

Melissa Ferguson writes the sweetest rom-coms that are so heartwarming and always leave you with a smile. She is so talented and I always look forward to reading her books!

🎧I alternated between the physical book, and the audiobook, which was narrated by both Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. I found both narrators to be so dynamic and I really enjoyed my time listening to them bring Finn and Lavender to life! I would highly recommend both the physical book or the audiobook if that option is available to you!

🎬Dual POV
🎬Actress x Screenwriter
🎬Grumpy x Sunshine
🎬Hollywood Setting
🎬Slow Burn
🎬Enemies to Lovers
🎬Closed Door

Posted on Goodreads on April 2, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
Posted on Instagram - Full Review- April 3, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on April 3, 2024
**-will post on designated date

✨4 STAR READ ALERT ✨

👉🏻Last year I read @ourfriendlyfarmhouse ’s “Famous for a Living” and absolutely loved it! So when I got the opportunity to read her newest book “How to Plot a Payback” a little early I was like…. Ummm yes please!

❤️ This is a sweet wholesome Rom-Com about two childhood schoolmates who move to Hollywood to start new lives, but not together, in fact our main man Finn has a little bit of a grudge against our Lavender and might just be trying to plot a little bit of payback for an incident with an ill timed trap door accident.

🌻I loved our Lavender and Finn! But I also loved our cast of characters including the doggies🐕 This book also puts the com in rom-com it had me laughing outloud. Equally full of heart as it is laughs I would for sure add this to your Spring and Summer TBR.

Thanks to @netgalley and @tnzfiction for the e-arc! #wholesomeromance #cleanromancenovels #maddiesbookishthings #readersgonnaread

How to Plot a Payback was an amazing surprise for me. It started being rather serious, with a very long first chapter, which made me question my reasoning behind choosing this book. I was still intrigued, so I kept on reading, and I'm glad I did because as the plot advanced, it became less serious and the male main character became less uptight, and I loved seeing him fall for the female main character and her for him. It was smart, and it was fully aware of how tropey it was. It reminded me of French Holiday by Sarah Ready, not in terms of plot but because of the way the tropes were handled.

In "How To Plot a Payback," by Melissa Ferguson weaves a tale of personal vendettas. The story follows successful screenwriter Finn Masters as he embarks on his dream job writing for Neighbors - think “Friends”- a highly acclaimed sitcom. However, his excitement is dampened by the prospect of working with Lavender Rhodes, the show's beloved star and Finn's lifelong nemesis.

The central conflict revolves around Finn's desire for revenge against Lavender, who unknowingly sabotaged his acting career and relationship in the past. Finn sees this opportunity for payback only to find his plans consistently backfiring.

As the story progresses, I found this bubbly versus revenge dynamic repetitive and lost interest in the narrative. The predictability of Finn's schemes and Lavender's reactions may detract others from the overall engagement with the plot.

Despite these shortcomings, the novel offers moments of reflection as Finn is forced to confront his feelings towards Lavender and reassess his motivations. Those who enjoy light-hearted romances with a touch of Hollywood may still find enjoyment in this read.

This highly-entertaining romcom was set in the Hollywood film industry and featured a quirky and lovable (and occasionally not-so-lovable) cast of characters who worked as writers, actors, and producers on a long-running and well-loved TV sitcom. The main characters were Finn, a gifted and hard-working writer who had a chip on his shoulder against Lavender, the star of the show who was all sunshine and positivity in real life but oblivious to the ways her actions had caused Finn problems through the years of their acquaintance. I loved the hilarious way the author wove their two unlikely-to-be-friends stories together as Felix decided to exact his revenge through the character Lavender played on the show and Lavender refused to hold a grudge against him. There are lessons to be learned, lots of laughs to be had, and a swoony romance to be savored in this book. I loved it! Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

This is such an entertaining and fun book to read! When I picked it up, I was exhausted from my baby deciding to be wide awake in the middle of the night, and I just needed an easy book that would distract me during his naps that day. This book was exactly what I needed! I looked forward to reading it again every time I set it down, and it made me laugh to myself multiple times.

There isn’t much romance to the book, but the comedic aspects are really fun, and I loved the characters and their growth. I really enjoyed this book, and I would love to reread it again at some point in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How to Plot a Payback is a cute rom-com, but heavy on the com (and light on the rom). Finn is a writer who hates Lavender because she ruined his life several times over, and wouldn't you know it, he ends up as a writer on her show. Lavender is an actor who... doesn't remember Finn. (Which I didn't love -- it's annoying to read about a character with a grudge who claims that someone ruined their life, when the supposed life-ruiner doesn't even remember them. It makes the grudge come across as petty.) As a writer, he keeps writing bonkers scenes for Lavender as payback, and of course, it blows up in his face.

It's not just the rom that's com, but the rest of the book, too. Which is not necessarily a bad thing! Sometimes I'm in the mood for a comedy-heavy rom-com, and How to Plot a Payback really leaned into that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an eARC of How to Plot a Payback in exchange for my honest review.

Can I start by saying I absolutely love Melissa Ferguson? She's written some incredible books that have totally stolen my heart, so I was so grateful to get this advanced copy to read!

✔️Slow Burn
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Rom Com
✔️Grumpy Sunshine

Such a great line up of tropes!

This one fell a little short for me because I just couldn't connect with, or find either MC very likeable. There was a scene towards the end that absolutely had me swooning, but it was just the one and the rest just kind of fell flat for me. I still recommend giving it a try because maybe it's your cup of tea?!

In this hilarious Hollywood TV sitcom background, there are many laugh out loud moments and sweet awwww inducing moments. How to Plot a Payback was a refreshingly funny read in the midst of this chaotic world.

Finn is a very successful writer for a popular TV show in America, but when he is given the opportunity to write for the biggest show in TV, he jumps at it. Even if that means he'll be writing for his nemesis...the one who seemingly is in the middle of all his failures. Lavender Rhodes is America's British sweetheart. She seems to be the perfect person, but Finn can has countless encounters with her that have sabotaged his career, unbeknownst to her.

This is where the hilarity begins. Finn begins writing for Lavender's character, and he takes her to places she's never been. Much to our amusement, the payback Finn tries to enact, of course, backfires. Readers will not want to put this delightful romcom down!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson - Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

It’s not the fault of How to Plot a Payback that just read it right on the heels of Yulin Kuang’s How to End a Love Story. Both enemies-to-lovers with a traumatic (or in the case of HTPAP) “traumatic” and defining event as teenagers, who are then thrown together in a TV writers room. Unfortunately, while HTEALS sparkled, HTPAP comes off poorly in comparison.

Finn has hated Lavender ever since she ruined, then stole, his career dreams as a teenager. As she became a beloved TV star and he a decently successful writer, they have several run ins in which Lavender (in Finn’s eyes) continues to destroy his life. When Finn gets the chance to write on the long-running hit sitcom Lavender just happens to star in, he jumps at the opportunity to not only work for one of his heroes, the powerful producer, but get some revenge on Lavender too.

Finn is more than a grump - by all descriptions, he’s mild and level-headed, except around Lavender. His grudge is more than immature, it comes across as pretty pathetic. Lavender, meanwhile, doesn’t even remember him, has no idea the effect she’s had on his life. But rather than this creating an interesting tension for them to work out, she comes across as flighty, chaotic and completely unaware of how her fame disrupts others’ lives.

I just wrote a long criticism of the book’s pacing and writing, but erased it when it started to feel like a pile on. I didn’t hate this book. It definitely has its charms. I wouldn’t even tell someone not to read it. But it’s impossible not to compare it with the much better done HTEALS, which I can wholeheartedly recommend.

⭐️⭐️💫 2.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lavender ruined Finn's chances at a wonderful life. Or so he thinks. His grudge goes back to school days when he had an accident because of her negligence. And it led to her big break. Now he's accepted a job writing for the show that she's been starring in for years.

She also accidentally poisons him during his first day on the job.

He thinks the storyline needs a shakeup. And shake up the show he did. But he shook up more than expected.

This is a fun rom-com. Laughs and an interesting story make this a must-read for Melissa Ferguson fans, and is bound to gain her new fans.

This book was more than what I was expecting! I loved the characters, the lead and supporting characters were all so interesting! The complexity that Melissa went into was not lost on me. I couldn't put this down, I hope that it's a part of a series because I loved reading about Lavender and Finn.
I am also going to read the rest of Melissa's back catalogue because I very much enjoyed her writing style.

This book was super funny. The characters had good tension and the banter between the two was amazing.
I love Melissa Ferguson and it’s not surprise she killed it at this one

What do you do when your lifelong nemesis and absolute bane of your existence doesn’t even recognize you? Well, you plot a plan for payback, of course! When Finn Masters is hired on to screen-write for highly popular sitcom Neighbors, he comes face to face with the ultra-famous, glamorous Lavender Rhoads. The catch? He’s the one man in the world who wants nothing to do with her. Lavender doesn’t recognize Finn from their childhood UK town, and is blissfully oblivious all the ways she’s torpedoed his life and career-she just wants to be friends , and despite his reservations, Finn comes to realize he may also want that-and more. Ferguson has yet again written a highly addictive and humorous romcom sure to grab your attention until the very last page. The intense anxiety Finn feels around Lavender winds Finn and the reader tighter and tighter as she spins around him unintentionally causing utter chaos in her wake! I highlighted so many quippy lines that made me giggle, and I ALWAYS learn new words in her books (this one-alektorophobia). Ferguson has such uniquely beautiful writing that captures a scene down to the smallest details; it’s clear she finds delight in the beauty of small things and they are sprinkled throughout her prose. Melissa Ferguson’s books have become auto-buys for me. If you’re a fan if Friends and like funny enemies-to-lovers stories where only one character of the pair actually knows they are enemies while the other truly wants to spread kindness and warmth to everyone around her, grab How to Plan a Payback, out tomorrow April 2!

*I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the author. I was not required to give a review and all opinions expressed above are my own.

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is a captivating novel featuring well-developed characters that will leave readers craving more.

Screenwriter Finn Masters has just landed his dream job working with a successful sitcom known as Neighbors. His only problem is that the superstar of this series is none other than Lavender Rhodes. Finn holds Lavender responsible for killing his stage career in high school Yes. He has held a grudge that long. He even has a list of ways that she has messed up his life over the years, some real and some exaggerated.

This was such a funny book. Finn was so incredibly brilliant, but also stubborn and short-sighted. Lavender was oblivious to the turmoil she had caused Finn. She is just living her best life. The cast of characters were filled with some witty, quirky characters that you will fall in love with, as well as adorable dogs and a sassy older lady. There were several times that I laughed until I almost cried. I have seen blurbs stating this is You've Got Mail meets The Proposal and that is so incredibly accurate. If you want to read a clean romance with plenty of laughs, you will enjoy this book as much I did.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.