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.

This was such a fun read! Really captivating, but a little lacking in certain aspects. Such an easy and charming listen though. Narration was great!

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did - I SWEAR!!!

I want to read from this author but this audiobook????? OMG I LOVED IT!

The narratorS and their performance was amazing and I really couldn't ask for a better ones, really, really good!

How to Plot a Payback
By: Melissa Ferguson
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
HarperCollins Christian Publishing - Thomas Nelson
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

Melissa Ferguson puts an extra burst of comedy in her new rom-com. With a fun cast of characters, including lovable dogs, the story is centered around a sit com that's filmed in Hollywood. Finn, a screenwriter, and Lavender, an actress, work together, but have a quirky history together from their time as school chums in England. Narrators Hardingham, as Lavender, and West, as Finn, add even more sparkle in the audiobook with their engaging portrayals and storytelling. Their timing, inflection, and nuances are impeccable.
The pace is energetic, and the plot is freshly vibrant. Rich in dialogue and sprinkled with romance, this book made me happy. That's what romantic comedies are for, and Ferguson writes them well.
Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson - FICTION, Thomas Nelson for a gifted advance listener's copy. My review is my own.

I love a light rom-com to break up heavier books and How to Plot a Payback is a great option for that. Finn has multiple grudges against actress Lavender, and when they are forced to work together, he plots a payback. While this one admittedly took me a long time to get into, I ultimately enjoyed the characters and the storyline.

The week I listened to this was a busy week in general so I listened to this audio in shorter bursts than I normally would. I also was surprised at how angry the male narrator for Finn was in roughly the first third of the book. It felt over exaggerated and jarring, especially against Lavender's character who is so calm and has no clue who Finn even is at first.

The story is told through both Finn and Lavendar's POV. While the story feels evenly split, it focuses on Finn, his history and relationship to Lavender, and her reactions through learning how much he really dislikes her. We get a small glimpse of who she is but most of it feels in relation to Finn. This is an (one sided) enemies-to-lovers trope with grumpy/sunshine characters, and it's very light and fun. I found myself laughing to some of the ways Finn tried to get payback and how it continually backfired on him. While I really enjoyed this overall, I also think it was almost too light making it hard to connect to the characters. We see some character growth from Finn but Lavender feels the same throughout and we don't get to know her too well.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I had the honor of listening to it as an Advanced Listener Copy on NetGalley! A HUGE thank you to Melissa Ferguson and NetGalley for allowing me to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I loved the narrators Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. They made the story come to life as I felt like I was actually in the story. Lavender Rhodes is a widely known actress who everyone knows and wants to be around except Finn Masters who is a screenwriter who does excellent work. He has been trying to get away from her and when they both land in having jobs on the same show things start to go haywire. From saving dogs to adventures to falling in love this story covers it all! If you get a chance to listen to the audiobook I HIGHLY recommend as the narrators have SO MUCH character telling the story. There are many scenes that I ended up laughing at because of how the narrators were telling a funny scene in the story. Definitely recommend this book as Melissa Ferguson is an amazing author!!

This was a unique and fun storyline from Ferguson - I enjoyed it more than other titles I’ve read from her!

The storyline about a screenwriter from England in Hollywood, hired to start writing for a long-running show (Neighbors, not unlike Friends), but starring his grade school nemesis … she has no idea she’s ever done him wrong but he’s keeping track of all the things she’s done that have harmed him - like opening a stage trap door and he breaks an ankle leading her to take the lead in the school play and get an agent and become Hollywood famous, just for a start.

As the new script writer, Finn now decides he can write things into the show to pay her back for everything she’s ever done to wrong him… except he’s learning how hard it is to see her upset, she’s actually a nice person, and darn it, he might like spending time around her!

It’s a really fun read and very quick as well - I found I didn’t want to put it down! The dogs were a lot of fun as well!! I think the dogs were very important characters! I definitely recommend it, it’s a great RomCom!

I think my favorite part was the narration - Steve West as part of a book is generally an exciting bonus (I don’t seek out specific ones but happy when fave authors use them, and I had to look up the pseudonym used because I almost wrote this with his more well-known east name!), because he’s absolutely at the top of my fave narrators list. He did a stellar performance on this title and he was absolutely Finn Masters to me. No one else could have been the character, and I don’t think I could have read this book with the same experience. I am not familiar with Fiona Hardingham, but she did a very good job as Lavender. As well, I don’t think anyone else could have done this character, and it was perfectly cast.

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Thomas Nelson Fiction, and this is my honest feedback.

In "How to Plot a Payback," readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the tumultuous world of Hollywood, where successful screenwriter Finn Masters finds himself face to face with his lifelong nemesis, Lavender Rhodes. What follows is a hilarious yet heartfelt tale of revenge, redemption, and unexpected love.

Author Melissa Ferguson, crafts a compelling narrative filled with witty dialogue, clever plot twists, and memorable characters. Finn's determination to exact revenge on Lavender by manipulating her character on the hit sitcom Neighbors leads to a series of comedic misadventures that keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

What sets this book apart is its exploration of forgiveness and redemption. As Finn's plans backfire spectacularly, he is forced to confront his own feelings of resentment and anger towards Lavender. Through their interactions, readers are treated to a nuanced portrayal of two complex individuals struggling to come to terms with their past and find common ground.

The dynamic between Finn and Lavender crackles with tension and chemistry, making their journey from adversaries to allies all the more satisfying. As they navigate the ups and downs of Hollywood, readers will find themselves rooting for this unlikely pair to overcome their differences and find happiness together.

Overall, "How to Plot a Payback" is a delightful romp through the world of show business, filled with humor, heart, and plenty of surprises. Melissa Ferguson has crafted a charming and entertaining novel that is sure to leave readers smiling long after they've turned the final page.

How to Plot a Payback was so fun and was a much needed break for me as far as spice goes. I love a slow burn so this was perfect, perfect, perfect! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet 🤭🤭As someone who doesn’t love a dual POV for Romance books- I liked that we got to see in the heads of both Finn & Lavender! Especially since Finn had such a strong opinion of Lavender at the beginning.

Audiobook narration- I don’t know if it was because of the audiobook or not but Finn was giving a little bit of Joe from “you” vibes when he was speaking about everything Lavender has “done” to him. Especially, how he is still obsessing over it after all this time. Overall- I enjoyed the narration of this book (I will add a disclaimer that I am a sucker for British accents 🤪)

Thank you NetGalley for letting me listen to this early!!

I honestly was quite bored. I couldn’t get into and didn’t love the characters. I also didn’t love the narrators. Just didn’t do it for me.

Cute and funny! This books was a breath of fresh air after some heavier reads. The characters were likable and storyline was easy to follow. I did feel at times that it lacked some of the intensity that so many rom-coms offer but it wasn’t disappointing. I felt this was a great book for between some of the more emotionally heavy books I am drawn to. I found the narrators engaging without being overly dramatic. This was perfect for a fun little spring cleaning audiobook!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Melissa Ferguson, the the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.