How to Plot a Payback was delightfully funny! Finn & Lavender have a whitty love/hate relationship back and forth, all the while growing and developing a precious friendship. I laughed out loud several times and found myself wishing i could watch the TV show they were working on. Loved it!
Thanks netgalley for a copy. All thoughts are my own.

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

How to plot a payback was a fun and fast read about Finn and Lavender. Lavender has ruined Finn's life and he never got over it. He has done everything to avoid Lavender, until they start working together.

I loved Lavender's character and her character development through out the book. The way their relationship gradually got closer was so fun to read and it kept me hooked. However, I did miss some depth when it comes to Lavender and Finn together. It took a long time for the romance to start and then it was over before we knew it. I wanted to know more about them! I loved them together. They were cute together.

I thought the plot was very fun with interesting elements like actors and writers. It's something I love to read about. The book also made me giggle out loud multiple times. There were definitely some funny moments as well. Conclusion, A lovely and fun read that surely made me happy.

How to Plot a Payback
by Melissa Ferguson
Pub Date: April 2, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGAlley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Sweet romantic comedy
Stand-alone novel
Book length: 88,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
Finn Masters is a screen writer. Lavender Rhodes a TV star. Who Finn loathes because hate isn't a strong enough word. She is caring and sweet, he only cares about himself. What will happen when these two are forced to work together on the same show?
The start of this book got me hooked and I was sure this would be a 4 or 5 star, but unfortunately it faded. Finn was my favorite character but he turned meh after reading a few chapters. Lavender was cute but felt overdone. These two were the complete opposite of each other and didn't feel believable as a romantic couple.
If you like enemies/co-workers-to-lovers, actor/screenwriter plot, grumpy x sunshine, rom-com, or need an easy read romance novel then this one's for you. Hopefully it'll be someone else's next favorite read, it unfortunately wasn't mine.

I’ve always loved Melissa’s stories but this one not so much. It took me a long time to even understand what was going on.
The story moved slowly and I never really connected with the characters.
I did like the cover and I thought it had a unique plot. And the idea of planning to get revenge and then realizing the futility of that..
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

I loved the concept of childhood enemies turned co-workers in Hollywood! Following a screenwriter and actor working on a popular TV show was so much fun and I loved the inclusion of animals throughout. I did find it a bit slow in parts, and it took a long time to get to the romance between the characters, but overall it was a cute and easy read.

Pub Date: April 2, 2024

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Melissa Ferguson for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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

I loved so many things about How to Plot a Payback. It was a very easy read, with great humor, and kept me wanting to find out what happened next. One downside was that the chapters were a little longer than I’d like but it did not take me long to feel so invested in the characters that the chapter length didn’t really matter.

One thing I found odd was Finn’s feeling of such deep hatred for someone and holding so many grudges, but I think it made Finn’s journey interesting to see him go from one end of the spectrum to the other.

A quote that I particularly loved and could relate to was from Lavender, “Life’s much too short for me to hang on to resentment, especially as none of us is perfect.” I think this is a great reminder that everyone should think daily.

Finn has a list. A list of all the wrongs Lavender Rhodes has done against him. A list I thought was hysterical.

I liked how it was based on writers and actors in Hollywood. Ferguson has a talent for writing in believable humor and I found myself laughing out loud at Finn's mishaps. The book was a fun escape as Finn is trying to get his payback. Even with all the humor, I felt the main plot moved slowly, although subplots abounded to keep you interested.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Melissa Ferguson for the early read!

Publishing Date: April 2, 2024

This book was super cute. It was a little slow at times, but definitely picked up.

I love the dynamic between Finn and Lavender, plus all the side characters were so well written.

This is such a cute rom-com and was a light, refreshing read! I loved all of the characters and also loved learning about the writing process. I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while and was not disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC!

Finn Masters begins working as a writer on a sitcom for which Lavender Rhodes stars. Finn keeps a list of transgressions that Lavender has committed against him which leads him to plot revenge against Lavender, leveraging the fact they have once again been put back in each others paths.

I was excited for this book after reading Meet Me in the Margins. I thought the premise of the book was really interesting - which in general I think Melissa Ferguson has really creative plot ideas.

I really didn’t connect with this book though. Perhaps in part by writing style, but I couldn’t ever really connect with the plot and the characters. I really struggled with Finn’s list, and I think there were elements intended to be funny that weren't in my realm of humor. I felt bad for Lavender and how there were parts trying to help her understand Finn’s side of things. At one point another character was outlining what had happened in school from Finn’s perspective and I didn’t think that whole exchange was really fair to Lavender. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of how long the revenge attempts went on in the story.

Ultimately, I think I had expectations of how the plot may play out. When it did not go that way, I really struggled to find connection with the way it did go. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book but will still check out the next book Melissa Ferguson writes.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get into this book. I think it felt too clunky and confusing for me. Unfortunately it just was not the book for me. I was excited because I loved Hollywood books but it just did not work for me

How to Plot a Payback was a cute but somewhat superficial story about an executive producer falling for an actress who had “ruined his life.” In my opinion, the MMC came off as pretty immature and petty throughout most of the book. It also went from enemies to lovers straight into insta-love which was irritating- I wished there had been more of a build up.
There are definitely some cute parts, and it was a quick read, so if you’re looking for something light and fun you should try it out. However I was also distracted by the way he came in and completely revamped a beloved tv show into something unrecognizable. If I were a fan of their fictional show, I would have been so mad at the choices the writers made throughout this book. Talk about jumping the shark! Crazy. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Thank you for allowing me a copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book - it was easy to read and I found myself blitzing through the book quickly.

Sooo cute!! Thanks to much to @netgalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for the chance to review How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson. I adored this book. Finn Masters is a screenwriter and he is offered the chance to write on a very popular sitcom. The only problem is that Lavender Rhodes - his archnemesis - is the star. He harbors anger for her every since their teen years when she got the part that he wanted. Lavender remembers things a little differently, though... In his quest to get his payback, he writes strange situations for her into the sitcom, all of which seem to backfire on him.

This was cute and funny, and I loved how Finn got to learn that Lavendar wasn't exactly as bad as he thought she was. The grumpy/sunshine trope was perfect, and I actually cackled a few times. The writing was that good. No sex, no profanity... good clean payback... er, fun!

Thank you net gallery and the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are 100% my own.

This is a cute book, a little slow a times. I loved the Grumpy/sunshine trope since it is one of my favorites <3
The story was easy to get through and had a good plot.

I thought this book was cute. However I liked the idea of the plot more than the execution of it. I didn’t understand the “payback” portion of it and it seemed almost like the feelings were switched too quick. I really enjoyed the side characters (especially the scenes with Finn’s elderly neighbors) but felt like Finn and Lavender themselves weren’t my favorite - Finn hated Lavender for the strangest things that happened so long ago, and Lavender is absolutely perfect perfect perfect (to everyone else). I thought the story was pretty cute, but to me this didn’t become one of my go-to comfort rom coms.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

This story reminds me of the classic Nora Ephron romantic comedies of the nineties. I read it in a day because it was so hard to put down. It's a funny, effervescent, low-angst tale that was perfect to read on a chilly grey day. Finn and Lavender are complete opposites, and as far as Finn is concerned, they've been enemies since school days, although Lavender is completely unaware that this is the case. When they are reunited on the set of a television show where Lavender is the star and Finn is the chief writer, Finn's inept attempts at payback for Lavender's past actions are hilarious as they continue to backfire, and Lavender remains oblivious both of those attempts and the unintentional results of her actions that inspired them. The secondary characters in the story are also a lot of fun and good foils for the main characters. The pace of the novel was great--I didn't become bored for a moment. Seeing how Finn's perceptions of Lavender change over the course of filming the show, and his realization that she is innocent of any wrongdoing leads to a slow-burn romance between the two. I would highly recommend this one to readers looking for a fun light read with a lot of humor.

Finn Masters was destined for greatness, until his understudy, Lavender Rhodes, stole his future career. According to Finn, Lavender was responsible for his injury, resulting in her getting an agent and jetting off to LA while he was stuck behind in the UK with no prospects. As time goes on, an opportunity arises and now they are back in the same orbit, but Finn has the power to make Lavender pay for ruining his life. Is his payback worth it?

I thought this was an entertaining book. It took me a little to relate to the characters and understand where they were both coming from. With this story being told in a dual POV, it helped with understanding where each character was after each situation or event, and how they each perceived it. Overall, the book felt fairly low stakes, and I think I expected there to be more drama, but I don't think I am disappointed by that. I did appreciate that some of the stereotypical tropes were not present (3rd act breakup, miscommunication, not talking to each other, things of that nature), but did play on some that were refreshing. Overall, I did enjoy this book, and it was a nice, lighthearted read.

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

This was so good! I could not put this sweet Romance down! I was hooked from the beginning and I couldn't get enough of it. So perfect! This is the 5 star Romance that i needed to read!
I just reviewed How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson. #HowtoPlotaPayback #NetGalley
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This books is a warm, fuzzy hug. Finn has hated Lavender since high school. They come face to face again on the set of Lavender’s hit tv show that Finn now writes for. There opposite personalities are soon not so opposite. Their dogs become best friends and feelings change. This book is so dang cute!