How to Plot a Payback - Book Review

Melissa Ferguson's upbeat rom-coms always put me in a good mood and How t0 Plot a Payback is not an exception! I loved the quirky characters, snappy banter, and constant mishaps.  If you loved If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair and Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham, then How to Plot a Payback will be right up your alley!

Plot Summary

All of the misfortunes in Finn Masters' life stems from Lavender Rhodes, Hollywood's superstar actress. When he's offered his dream job as a screenwriter for Goodwin Studio's popular sitcom, he takes it though there's one snag. He will have to work closely day in and day out with Lavender, who happens to be one of the stars of the show. However, he quickly realizes he's in the perfect position to exact revenge.

Lavender is blissfully unaware of all the havoc she's caused Finn. Once she discovers he has a grudge against her, she creates a plan to melt away his long-held resentment and make him one of her many chums. And none of his brusque comments can deter her.

For years Finn's convinced himself that Lavender is the worst person on earth. Now he's not so sure. Has his grudge blinded him to the sweet woman everyone believes her to be?

Personal Thoughts

Despite Finn's obsessive dislike of Lavender, I really like him. He had a dry sense of humor and while he tried to be a big meanie to Lavender, he couldn't pull it off. As one character remarks, he's just a big teddy bear and he doesn't have it in him to really hurt someone. I also liked how "old-fashioned" he was and the way he cared for his senior citizen neighbors was sweet.

All throughout the book he has to realign his perceptions about Lavender and learn to drop his grudge. But getting there was a big of a challenge. He was set on staying as far away from her as possible and she is set on making him a new best friend. He couldn't stop tripping over her!

Lavender may be the most optimistic character to grace the pages of a novel. She's the kind of person who wants everyone to join hands and be friends; she naturally looks at the bright side. When she's not rescuing dogs, she's matchmaking those around her, taking care of her friends, or making new ones.

Together, Lavender and Finn were a classic opposites-attract couple. He's pessimistic and introverted, she's optimistic and loves people. Her dramatic, effervescent ramblings paired well with his short, dry statements, so their dialogue was entertaining.

I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Paula, Finn's writer friend; Sonya, Lavender's intimidating best friend; and Mrs. Teaberry, the crazy cat lady. They all had a strong personality and brought so much fun to the story.

Notes

This book is best for teenager and adults.

Steam Level: 💋

For those of you who have read How to Plot a Payback, what did you think of it? For those who have not read it, would you? Tell me on social media here or in the comments below!