Melissa Ferguson is so good at writing slow burn, enemies to lovers rom coms 💗 Loved Finn & Lavender and the dynamics between them. Sweet ending ❤️

Thank you Thomas Nelson & NetGalley for my advanced copy & thank you LibroFM for the audiobook 🙌🏻

Another great book from Melissa Ferguson! Every time I finish one of her books, I find myself anxiously awaiting the next one!

This book was so freaking cute I can’t stand it! I couldn’t read this fast enough. I devoured it in a few sittings!

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

A grumpy/sunshine, enemies to more rom com about a screenwriter with a vendetta against the lead actress in the show he's now writing for. The actress has no idea of how personally he's taken all the things she's done to "wrong" him. Plus, lots of dogs, an incident with chickens, and some romance too.

The hatred that Finn (thinks he) has for Lavender is pretty hilarious. He keeps a list of all the ways she's wronged him since secondary school, and tries pretty hard to get revenge, but it all ends up backfiring. Then he ends up feeling guilty, which was pretty sweet, because if he REALLY hated her, he wouldn't have cared that his chicken revenge plot sent her into a panic attack!

There were plenty of LOL moments, in typical Melissa Ferguson fashion. My only wish is that there was more time for romance and their relationship towards the end! Her books are getting better and better with each release!

An enjoyable enemies-to-lovers rom-com that follows Finn (a successful TV writer) and Lavender (female lead on a long-running sit-com). They have a past, although Finn's memories of their fraught shared past look quite different from Lavender's, who barely remembers Finn and certainly isn't aware of the larger-than-life role she's taken in some of the worst events in Finn's life. Finn finds himself in Lavender's immediate orbit, and takes the opportunity to try to pay back some of Lavender's misdeeds by making things intentionally difficult for her. But what happens when you realize that the villain in your origin story is actually the love of your life? This was a charming read with nuanced writing and little absurdist touches that make you want to slow down and enjoy the written words. It was a closed-door romance; normally I like a bit more steam but this book is so lovely you don't miss the lack of on-page hubba-hubba action. I loved Finn and Lavender, both as individual characters and together. Great supporting characters, even (especially!) the dogs. I've read this author before and really enjoyed her, and I definitely liked her newest book. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest and objective review.

Dnf at 56%

I had a hard time getting in to this book. It made me go into a reading slump. I just didn't care about any of the characters and the story was too boring. I'm sorry, but it's me not the book... It wasn't a book and a story for me. I think others would enjoy this one much more....

I enjoyed this romantic comedy; typically a comedy of errors is always a crowd pleaser and these two main characters certainly were in one scrape after another but it was all in good fun and never got too annoying.

How To Plot A Payback is the story of Finn, who lands his dream job as a writer on TVs top show - however, this means he has to work closely with his nemesis Lavender, who he holds responsible for all the mishaps he’s had along the way.

A quick, lighthearted read that was funny beginning to end! Finn is a goofy grump and Lavender is completely kind, sunny and a little too clueless/carefree but I found them both to be quite endearing as they fell for each other - they made a great match! I loved all the side characters and subplots and I feel that both of those additions really helped the storyline thrive!

** thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and chance to read and review, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own**

She’s the star of America’s favorite sitcom. He’s just been hired as a producer/writer of the show- The only problem is, he can’t stand her. For as long as he can remember, Finn Masters has blamed all his lives problems on the famous actress, Lavender Rhodes. After being hired onto the show, he begins to plot his payback. What will happen when these two are forced to work together on the same show.
The start of this book got me hooked but unfortunately it faded.

I've enjoyed other books by Melissa Ferguson but found this one a little hard to get into. If you've read other books by Melissa, I have a feeling you'd enjoy this one too.

I read/listened to the audio book. The narrators did a good job.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 2 April 2024

5 ⭐️

I FELL IN LOVE... DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!!! 💖

this is my 1st time reading a melissa ferguson book and it was a phenomenal story! i loved the development of lavender and finn's journey, the funny dog adventures and side characters. definitely a new 2024 favorite!

thanks netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful Romcom.

Lavender Rhodes is a long time player on the Neighbors sitcom. She has come a long way from her early roots to make a name for herself.

Successful screenwriter Finn Masters has been given his dream job, writing for Neighbors. One of Hollywood's longest running sitcoms. The problem lies that he will be in close contact with his nemesis. Lavender has been ruining Finn's life since school years in England. And he just doesn't know how he will avoid her.

This is a sweet story of hate turned to love. Lavender doesn't even know how she had ruined Finn's acting career. Or broke up his love life. And got him fired the first day of his new job. His plan is for revenge, but it all goes wrong.

I have loved Melissa Ferguson since reading The Cul-De-Sac War. She writes with humor, and it's all clean stories. Lavender and Finn have distinct voices and the chemistry between them keeps you wanting to read just a little bit more to see how it all unfolds. I loved Mrs. Teaberry and the seniors of the apartment building. The secondary characters are well developed with their own flaws.

Definitely a must read is you enjoy a good clean humorous story.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I want to thank NetGalley, Publishers Thomas Nelson--FICTION, and the author Melissa Ferguson for providing this ARC. Which, I will be giving my honest and sincere review.

"Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show's universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England."

If the start of the book description doesn't catch your attention, buckle up, I will change your mind.

How to Plop a Payback is a funny enemies-to-lovers romcom mixed with force proximity, kind of, since they now work together.
The writing is so descriptive and flows so well making this book fast-paced.
A masterpiece plays with humorous moments between our main characters, with the memory of a disastrous accident when they were in school, Fin Masters wants to plot his revenge against Lavander and Lavender wants to make up for what happened in the past.

I think this is the perfect summer read. It is light and fun, a fast read, and the premise is adorable we see the emotions of our characters evolve and change, the way they fall in love with each other but try to deny it. The characters are so believable, that I can see a bit of a grumpy sunshine trope.

This was one of those instances where it wasn't the book, it was me. And as much as I wanted to love this one, I DNF'd at about halfway through. I just didn't care for the characters and I couldn't see any chemistry there. Plus - who holds onto multiple grudges for decades...especially when your life has worked out pretty well?

This book might be for others, but it just didn't work for me! All the same - adorable cover and I absolutely can't wait to see what Ferguson comes up with next!

I havent read anything from Melissa Ferguson since this book and literally where was she hiding this book was phenomenal and I was not expecting it all I loved every second and did not want it to end I cannot wait to annotate my own copy

"No. There will be no winning me over here. I am a steel wall." Famous last worda from Finn Masters!
Finn despises Lavender Rhodes! She ruined just chances of an acting career, she broke up his long-term relationship and gotten him fired from his new job. He ha all the reasons in the world to hate her, until he doesn't anymore.
This was a really sweet enemies to lovers that made me smile. And while it took a little prodding,I love when characters just TALK RO EACH OTHER like actual adults.

Give me enemies to lovers and I will eat that book up. This was no different, but I got the added joy of laughing along the whole time. This was my first Melissa Ferguson book, but I am definitely going to have to go back and pick up some of her previous work. While this was more of a general fiction and character growth than a romance book, I still had just enough banter and slow burn to make it right up my alley. Finn grew a lot in this book and I love seeing character growth. Lavender was a fun character as well, but I feel this was focused so much more on Finn.

★ 4 stars.

"How to Plot a Payback" by Melissa Ferguson is a delightful romp through the tangled web of Hollywood, revenge, and unexpected romance. As someone who adores both comedy and romance, this book checked off all the boxes for me.

From the get-go, I was hooked on the premise: Finn Masters, a screenwriter with a vendetta, forced to work alongside his lifelong nemesis, Lavender Rhodes, the sunshine-filled star of the show. Ferguson masterfully weaves a tale filled with witty banter, angsty tension, and laugh-out-loud moments as Finn's revenge plots hilariously backfire, landing him in one comical predicament after another.

What truly sets this book apart is its characters. Lavender and Finn are a dynamic duo, each with their own distinct voice and personality quirks that make them utterly endearing. Their chemistry crackles off the page, keeping you invested in their journey from start to finish.

And let's not forget the supporting cast, including some adorable furry friends! Ferguson effortlessly brings each character to life, giving them depth and complexity that adds richness to the story.

While the revenge plot may seem far-fetched, Ferguson infuses the narrative with enough heart and humor to make it believable and thoroughly enjoyable. And despite the initial animosity between Finn and Lavender, their slow-burn romance is both sweet and satisfying.

If you're in need of a pick-me-up, look no further than "How to Plot a Payback." It's a feel-good romcom that will leave you smiling long after you've turned the last page. So grab a copy, settle in with your favorite furry friend, and prepare to be entertained!

Super cute story with adorable characters. They both had very distinct voices and it was so enjoyable being in each character’s POV. This book is witty and written so well. I wish there was more spice, but the chemistry between Lavender and Finn is sizzly and sweet.

DNF @ 65%

I just couldn't into this one. I didn't find myself caring about either of these characters and there was no chemistry between them. Lavendar Rose just seemed vapid. And Finn Masters was just grouchy and upset for what?