*Title: How to Plot a Payback -a standalone

*Release date: 4-2-24, read:4-9-24

*Author: Melissa Ferguson, never read author for me

*Format: eBook and audiobook

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson & HarperCollins for this ARC & ALC 🩷! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

*Narrator: Fiona Hardingham & Steve West

*Run time: 9:11

*Setting: LA

*Genre: Rom Com, Adult Fic

*Tropes: Dual POV, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, clean romance, slow burn, celebrity, workplace romance, and "You've Got Mail" vibes

*Synopsis: Lavender Rhodes was Finn Masters' nemesis in school in England, but she didn't know it. She ruined his seventeen year old love life and got his part in a school play. That little acting gig kicked off her acting career, while he became a successful screenwriter. She is now on one of the highest rated and longest running sitcoms "Neighbors"- a show he would love to work for. When given the opportunity he's forced to confront his past misconceptions and get to know her.



*Review : The narrators' voices fit the characters with standouts from Finn and Lavender. They complimented each other through their witty banter. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync. The narrators paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio. I loved the wholesome feel with some laughs!

*Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this, somewhat. But it was more of an "I'm listening to this thing and it's nice" enjoyment and not "oh my gosh I can't wait to finish this I love it so much" enjoyment.

I recently delved into the pages of "How to Plot a Payback" and found myself thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. This suspenseful thriller, authored by an unknown writer, captivated me with its intricate plot and dynamic characters.

From the very first chapter, the author skillfully weaves a web of mystery and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with each unexpected twist and turn. The protagonist's quest for revenge is both compelling and emotionally charged, drawing me deeper into the story with every passing page.

What truly sets this book apart is its clever plotting. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the narrative took an unexpected detour, leaving me eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover the next revelation. The pacing is excellent, never allowing the tension to wane, and the suspense builds to a satisfying crescendo.

Although there were moments where the dialogue felt slightly forced, overall, the writing is crisp and engaging. The author's attention to detail is evident throughout, creating a vivid and immersive world that I found myself completely immersed in.

In conclusion, "How to Plot a Payback" is a gripping read that kept me guessing until the very end. While it may not reinvent the genre, it certainly delivers an entertaining and satisfying experience for fans of thrillers and suspense. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for their next literary adventure.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio & Melissa Ferguson for an audio ARC of How to Plot a Payback in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this was cute & the synopsis was cute, but it fell a little short for me. I didn't realize this was a Christian-friendly G-rated rom-com. I like at least a little spice in my romance reads. But, that oversight is on me & not used in my rating.

In a nutshell, Finn lands his dream screen writing job. The only issue is that the lead actress, Lavender Rose, who unbeknownst to her tormented him in school and ruined his acting career. Finn decides this is a great opportunity to get back at her by having her character go in odd direction. Of course, his plan backfires & they end up falling for each other.

This story was just so bland. I didn't find it entertaining at all & almost DNF'd it multiple times. I wasn't a fan of either character & the fact that a grown man is holding a grudge for this amount of time - enough to try to trash Lavender's character - was not attractive to me as a reader.

The best thing about this book was the cover.

2/5 Stars

The male Narration in this made it to hard to listen to it. I couldn't concentrate on the book because his voice was so grating

If you like an enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, slow burn book with lots of Witt and humour you definitely need to add this to your tbr.

The plot and characters immediately draw you into the story and even though it is a slow burn the writing is able to keep you engaged and turning the pages. The male main character, Finn sets out to get payback on the female main character Lavender who he thinks has done several wins towards him. They get paired to work together Finn as the head writer/ producer and Lavender as an actress. Where Finn discovers maybe she isn’t as awful as he thought. The characters are lovable the storyline is one that you don’t always see. The perfect book to read on a rainy day or bring shopping with you to the beach.

What happens when a screenwriter gets to write the plot for a show starring his nemesis? Well, in the case of this book - a whole lot of chaos and fun! This was a great feel-good grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers rom-com. Melissa Ferguson delivers a fast-paced, clean, and just down-right good time story. It was the perfect amount of predictable with some unexpected twists and turns.

The audio narration was great and having both female and male readers really added to the fun of the story. If you're looking for something light, easy and just an all-around good time, this book is the perfect fit!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC audio of this book. It was a great one!

I was surprised the audiobook started with a male narrator who had a British accent. It was harder to get into. The character seemed angry and exaggerated over everything when I didn’t fully know why.
The female character was better. I still struggled to connect with the story as a whole. My inability to connect, I think it was more of a me issue than the story itself. The writer is witty and creative.

This story was an interesting take on a romantic comedy that showed the chaos of working in a successful tv show in Hollywood. The plot was interesting, the craziness crazy, and the happy ending deserved. Finn held a grudge against Lavender for years after her carelessness caused him to miss his big break, (and break his ankle), and to lose his girlfriend. Add in an allergic reaction, being fired a few times, and a lovable dog and cast of side characters and it’s a funny, engaging story.

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson Audiobook is a sweetly romantic revenge-gone-wrong rom-com.
Finn is at the top of his game when the ultimate job offer comes in: write for Neighbors (think Friends). Never mind that he must work with Lavender, the woman who he sees as singularly responsible for ruining his life. Lavender, bring truly kind and positive, has no clue that he feels this animosity towards her. What starts as a laugh out loud comedy of horrors quickly delves into something more. Lavender is not the shallow self-centered person Finn has believed her to be. He tries to write in scenes that would fulfill his need to pay her back for all the wrongs she’s inflicted, but every single one turns out quite different than he imagined. Suddenly, he finds himself reevaluating all he thought he knew about Lavender and their history together. I really enjoyed the lighthearted approach that transformed into more serious introspection. People are not always as they seem, and sometimes, our role in our own history is bigger than we like to give credit for. There is plenty of witty banter as well as thought provoking conversations worthy of inward reflection. I had the additional privilege of hearing the story come to life via audiobook narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I had issues with the audio (the player was really wonky and kept closing) so getting into the flow of the audiobook was hard even though the readers were engaging.
The story itself was cute if not predictable and the ending felt rushed but completely accurate for the characters so I'm not sure what to do with that. I loved the characters and their flaws and generally good intentions while having absolutely disastrous results. It was funny and quirky and the side characters were great ways to elevate the main characters and show them for who the were.

#arc
#netgalley
#howtoplotapayback

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

I did not like this book as much as I wanted to. It started off a bit strange for me. It did get better and the narrators did great but this book was just not for me.

What fun! What a joy! What a way to spend 9 hours of my life: with two of my favorite narrators on planet earth, Steve West and Fiona Hardingham.

Television writer Finn burns with loathing towards starlet Lavender Rhodes - a blonde version of every character Zooey Deschanel has ever played - and through a series of (un?)fortunate events, he ends up producer on her long-standing sitcom. Then, a sitcom ensues in his life.

What I appreciate:
-Finn’s grievances against Lavender were actually fair. I texted a friend fairly early on, “What if I hate her forever????”
-This is resolved quickly about. About 10 minutes after that text I sent the follow-up, “Oh never mind, she’s just oblivious.”
-It takes a lot for me to like the grumpy x sunshine when the man the grump, and it takes a LOT for me to like a “head empty no thoughts” female lead, but have I mentioned Fiona Hardingham!!!! She brought some OOMPH to this role.
-The inevitable third act conflict is handled quickly and efficiently, yay!
-Hearing the British pronunciation of “aluminum” MULTIPLE times.

This was fun, this was sweet, this makes me want to beg on bended knee for these two narrators to work together more often.

How to Plot a Payback is a rom com that's very heavy on the "com". There's very little "rom".

Finn Masters is a screenwriter who ends up working on the show where his arch nemesis, Lavender Rhodes, is the star. It's an enemies to lovers type of situation, but Lavender is totally unaware that Finn has a problem with her or what she's done to make him feel that way.

I went into How to Plot a Payback knowing these two characters would end up together since that's the entire point of a rom com, but I never felt them develop feelings. There wasn't anything in the prose or dialogue that led me to believe they felt anything for each other that wasn't platonic.

Checking the details of the book on NetGalley, I realized the publisher is Harper Collins Christian Publishing, which explains why there's no spice. Finn and Lavender kiss twice. That's it.

Thank you to Harper Collins for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

How to Plot a Payback has all the ingredients I look for in an audiobook: dual POV voiced by two different narrators, an enemies to lovers trope and a Hollywood tv series setting.

Finn Masters has been working on the same tv series for years, and when Mr. Goodwin, an executive on the hit tv series, Neighbors, offers him a job writing for Neighbors, he is over the moon with excitement. The only downside to working on this award winning show? He must now work with his arch-nemesis, Lavender Rhodes.

Finn has known Lavender for over a decade - they went to secondary school together in the UK and both travelled to Hollywood for their careers. Every time that Finn seems to catch a big break, though, something (cough, cough, Lavender) manages to prevent it from panning out. From leaving a trapdoor open during rehearsals for the school musical causing him to break his ankle and miss out on playing the lead to making him late on his first day at Neighbors, Lavender seems to delight in seeing Finn fail. Finn decides that the only way that he can work at Neighbors is to make Lavender's life miserable. So, he writes outlandish ideas into the scripts and brings people back from her past to make her feel some of the misery that she has caused him over the years. The problem, though, is that as Finn gets to know the real Lavender Rhodes, he begins to question how well he really knew her...

Despite having everything that I love, the book fell a bit flat for me. Don't get me wrong - the audiobook narrators were excellent - I particularly loved the voice of Finn, Steve West. The animation with which he spoke hooked me in every time. However, the enemies to lovers trope was lacking for me. I find it hard to believe that a grown man would write a list of every wrong that someone has done to him and then hold on to it as a reminder of how much he dislikes her. On top of that, it was hard to enjoy the ways in which Finn plotted his payback when Lavender had no idea she had ever done him wrong. It was really a one-sided enemies to lovers, which took some of the fun out of it. Overall, I give the book 3 stars because I found myself rooting for Finn and Lavender to finally get together and the side characters were just an absolute delight.

Read this book if you love:
-Slow burn
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Enemies to lovers
-Dual POV
-Closed door romances

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

This was such a fun, rom-com with a fresh storyline surrounding an enemy to love interest premise. Finn and Lavendar are from the same hometown in England. Over the years, situations have occurred that in Finn's eyes have destroyed his life due to Lavendar (unbeknownst to her!) Finn now has his dream job in the states as a screenwriter for the highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms...which stars his nemesis, Lavendar!

Oh, my! The hilarity of the two and so many puppies and cats and senior citizens. Finn sets his mind to payback Lavendar in negative ways...but he is a good guy at heart which doesn't mix well with his schemes. As Finn secretly plots against Lavendar, nothing goes as planned. Including his feelings!

This was a super sweet, fun story to listen to. The narrators did an excellent job bringing the story to life!

4 stars

I struggled through the beginning of this book. A grown man keeping a list of grievances against a woman (young girl, really) is a bit absurd. It did get better, but not enough for me to rave about this one.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I found this one extremely difficult to get into due to the male narrator he was overly put on and it distracted me from the story. I did enjoy the book once I settled in it was funny and flowed nicely.

How To Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson was a cute audio listen narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. Both narrators did a great job with accents — narrating both English and American accents.

This was a quick listen and entertaining enough. It wasn’t a 10/10, but a solid 7.

I felt like Finn was a little too hung up about something that happened in his past. Get over it dude!

I enjoyed when Finn and Lavender have pizza with the neighbors and watch their television show. And, they even act out future scenes.

Solid 3.5. 😉

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the advanced audio listen in exchange for my honest review. All thought and opinions are my own.

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.