I loved this book! Sadie had so much energy that I found myself feeling like I needed to take on the world with similar vigor. I loved the way she and Jack balanced each other. And I ADORED her friends. Who doesn't want to be part of a group like theirs? Such a fun read, and I can't wait to see what the author comes out with next!

This was such a fun escape read! The author mentioned in her note that it helped her through some tough months of the pandemic and I can say that reading it did the same! While overall, I will say that I found the “millennial” stereotypes the main character took on to be a little too much, I was mostly able to overlook this.

I loved the accidental meeting of Sadie and Jack, and especially enjoyed Jack’s character and his unfolding story. The additional storylines of entrepreneurship, friendship, and artistry all added to this fun and light read. I’m excited to see what this author does next!

Thank you to Putnam Books for my gifted review copy.

I wanted to enjoy this contemporary romance so much, but the main character was absolutely insufferable.

I really liked this book. The two MCs were fantastic - big grump/sunshine vibes here (although the "grump" is more just shy and withdrawn, which I liked as an interesting take) à la my beloved Josh & Hazel. The roommates twist was fun, as it sought to fill The Flatshare-shaped hole in my heart.

I loved that there was a pretty quick attraction, an acknowledged attraction (thank GOD no miscommunication trope....yet), but they needed to wait for them both to be emotionally healthy. I liked that Jack was the one leading the pace and prioritizing his wellness - I think we could have seen more of that from Sadie. She was really, really unwell, and other than the third act twist (ugh, completely unnecessary and shoved in) and its follow-up, she never really acknowledges that she needs serious help. I get that the book ended with her in therapy, and learning how to have healthy relationships, but that should have been brought in wayyy sooner for us to even think that Jack & Sadie could learn how to be happy together. The ending felt rushed, and I think overall the book could have been longer and/or paced a little better.

This book is perfect. I have nothing bad to say, which is rare I can’t find even just one little thing. Sadie is sarcastic, a little hard around the edges, but also so kind and loving (even when she doesn’t know it herself). Jack is shy, strong, and a little nerdy which is my favorite part about him. These two had me laughing from the start. I love Sadie’s internal monologue. I love all the texts chains, they had me laughing at every single one of them. I wish I had a friend group like Sadie. Sadie and Jack together is the perfect slow burn, high sexual tension, laugh out loud banter we all need in our life. I love that they took their time, were honest (about most things) when they needed time and to take things slow. They balanced each other out with their personalities being so different, but also they were the same at heart. They’ve both been through trauma and they learned how to help each other. This will go down as one of my favorites in 2022 and one of my all time favorite romance books.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the premise of this book. I expected the mix up between the dating app and the housing app to be a little better explained, but instead we have a heroine who we are told has been a very diligent and hard worker essentially get black out drunk and find a roommate. For me, this suffered from a lot of telling rather than showing (cussing out your boss? this is how we are building a character?) and the mix up made the main character insufferable. I would recommend this book to my friends who are fans of modern romances that lean more towards chick lit, but I personally didn't like this.

Yeah, so I love this book. I love romance novels that have a strong friendship presence rather than relying on the romance to pull the book through. This book has not one, not two, but three wonderful friends to the book’s protagonist, and room for more. I love how easily the group pulled Jack in to the friend group (love Nick and Jack’s platonic bromance) and the whole book had me hoping this is a series and we can hear more about the other character’s journeys.

I am also a sucker for romance to include reality, like trauma, that requires characters to grow throughout the novel. I love Sadie’s journey with her past. It was heart wrenching to hear her negative self talk (something that I’m sure many of us can relate to) and then to see her friends’ broken reactions to her outbursts and subsequent love and support toward her.

I love Sadie’s ambition and passion. I love the slow burn progression of Jack and Sadie’s relationship. I sincerely hope that this is a series, and I thought this was a fantastic debut from Falon Ballard!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out February 1st, 2022.

After being passed over for a promotion and losing her job, Sadie goes out to try and forget. This drunken night leads to one of the funniest meet cutes I have read! I adored Jack and Sadie's banter and the whole friend group. Lease on Love truly took me by surprise and made me love every second of reading it.

There were a few small details that kept this one from being a five star read, but overall I loved this book! I cannot wait until it publishes and everyone can experience it. TW for parental death and grief.

What a stunningly heartfelt love story! Exploring themes of found family and that it's never too late to start over, this sweet, funny and sexy novel is sure to bring a smile to your face. Sadie is struggling to find motivation after being fired and worried about affording her expensive Manhattan rent. After indulging in some woe is to me wine, she sets up what she thinks is a date for coffee....except in her tipsy haze, she accidentally signed up for a roommate matching app. Jack is the perfect roommate- quiet, polite, nerdy cute with his comic tees and big glasses, and the owner of a gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. After making sure he's not an ax murderer, Sadie moves in...and a friendship blooms between her extroverted self and shy Jack. Jack is incredibly elusive with no job or family to speak of, but his calming presence becomes a constant in Sadie's life as she navigates starting her own floral business. I absolutely loved all the characters, the emotional growth they experienced and all the sweet, thoughtful ways they showed up for each other as friends and lovers. I didn't want this book to end. Very reminiscent of The Flatshare, it was as comforting as a warm hug. Overall, an amazing debut by Falon Ballard, I can't wait to read more works from her. Thank you so much to Putnam and Netgalley for my copy.

Sadie is having a not so great day. Passed up for a promotion (and promptly fired from her job), Sadie comes to realize that not only has she put her dating life on hold for this job, but she can no longer afford to stay in her overpriced apartment. One drunken mishap with a roommate app - not a dating one! - and Sadie meets Jack, a quiet recluse with one sweet piece of real estate. Soon, strangers become roommates become more and the pair are able to help each other overcome their emotional baggage

I adored this book. It was the perfect slow burn romance as we watched Sadie and Jack’s initial awkward moments progress into a quiet friendship. They help each other become better versions of themselves, which is something I always love in romance and rom coms. The friendships between Sadie and her friends are great as well and each friend had their own growth/problems to overcome throughout the book. They weren’t just used as background characters. I love how they accepted Jack into their friend group so warmly, even if things were a bit awkward in the beginning. I loved the inclusion of a main character who resumes going to therapy when she needs it (possible tw for parental mental abuse) and the growth we see Sadie go through when she realizes her self worth. One of the only things I didn’t love was the drama during the third act. It seemed a bit forced and unnecessary.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam for an advanced copy. I can’t wait to check out more from this author - great debut!

Honestly, this book had a really slow start. I couldn't really tell what made Sadie different from any other millennial who quits her job to pursue her dream career, while her semi-diverse group of friends help her out and she meets a hot guy and scores a killer house along the way, but the blurb had promise so I kept reading. I’m so glad I did. Sadie and Jack both had issues and the author really took the time to make sure those issues were not one and down and down the line that helped the reader view these two as a real couple. I will say I did not love the last chunk of the book,I wished the final conflict didn't feel rushed or like an afterthought. I think there's other dilemmas they could have worked through together. Nevertheless, I’d happily return to check in on Sadie and Jack and their group of friends if the author felt like revisiting these characters.

Loved this book

I loved everything about this book, from the main characters to the storyline to the setting to EVERYTHING.

Sadie Green has been working in the financial field forever, diligently putting in her time and expecting a promotion, but when said promotion goes the way of nepotism and she's fired, she kind of goes off the deep end.

But...all is not lost. Because through a fortuitous set of circumstances she is offered a low rent room in a luxury brownstone in Brooklyn by nerdish Jack Thomas and this turns into a wonderful roommates to lovers romance.

I also really liked all of Sadie's best friends that turned into Jack's best friend and I loved the different text messages.

I highly recommend this outstanding and fun romance. I received this book from Putnam Books through Net Galley and Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave unbiased reviews.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for sending me this ARC of Lease on Love by Falon Ballard. I absolutely adored this novel and I cannot wait for it to hit the shelves. The premise is described as ‘Beach Read meets The Flatshare’ and I could not agree more as this upcoming contemporary romance is fast-paced and quick-witted, but also has levels of depth and heartbreak to allow the story to naturally progress. This story follows Sadie Green as she finds herself fired from her finance job and moving in with Jack Thomas, a quiet and quirky man who has a rather secretive past. I loved that this story went from strangers to friends to lovers as we got to see Sadie and Jack both become comfortable and vulnerable with each other, and with themselves as they both pushed each other to become better people overall. Thank you again to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for sending me this ARC!

Sadie Green has worked endless hours for the past six years and is anticipating a promotion at her thankless financial job. Only, the boss gives the job to his future son-in-law. In an epic outburst, Sadie finds herself without a job and unable to stay in her overly priced NYC apartment.

After a night of drinking and commiserating with her best friends, Sadie swipes right on her dating app... only, in her drunken state, she didn't realize it was a roommate app. Sadie meets Jack Thomas, a nerdy, wealthy, recluse who offers her a place to stay at his Brooklyn brownstone at a ridiculously low rate.

Sadie decides to use this opportunity to pursue her dream as a florist while she gets to know her roommate. Sadie and Jack have numerous awkward exchanges but slowly reveal each other's past secrets and emotional baggage. This book was a slow burn with serious relationship envy. In addition to the chemistry between Sadie and Jack, Sadie's best friends are amazing secondary characters with their own dramas that beautifully tie in and enhance the story.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved Jack so much, he is the perfect hero in every way. I liked Sadie, I could definitely relate to her and the way she used sarcasm to deflect her own issues. There were times when I just wanted to shake her, but overall I was happy with her character growth. The friend group was my favorite of the whole story, and I was living for all the text conversations between Jack and Sadie as well as the friend group text. I loved all the Brooklyn vibes in this book, and I felt like I was really able to picture everything there. The whole storyline with the flower arrangements had me wanting to go out and buy my own bouquet of pretty flowers! Overall I think this was a great debut that had me smiling and laughing out loud multiple times.

This is a story about overcoming expectations.  Things are not going all that well for Sadie Green.  She has been passed over for a promotion, prompting her to leave her corporate job.  This means she will soon need a new, cheaper place to live.  When she confuses a roommate app for a dating app, she inadvertently sets up a meeting with Jack Thomas.  Jack has a spare room in his large and stunning brownstone in Brooklyn, and is willing to offer it to Sadie for cheap.  Sadie jumps at it, eager for the new start and believing the cheap rent will allow her to pursue her interest in starting a floristry business. 

Once she moves in, it is clear that Sadie and Jack are quite different -- Sadie always fills any silence, has a tight group of friends, and a ton of ambition.  Jack is quiet, does not seem to have any friends, and does not appear to work.  As the two spend more time together, they learn that there is more to each of them than appears on the surface -- and that what started as an arrangement of convenience may end up being much more.

This book was delightful.  Sadie and Jack are both warm and fully realized characters.  It is easy to see why they are drawn to each other, and why, despite their best intentions, they cannot always get out of their own ways.  A slow burn romance can end up being frustrating for a reader, but, in this author's hands, it works spectacularly well -- it feels authentic to the two characters.  The author deftly and sensitively portrays how the traumas that Sadie and Jack respectively experienced shape their adulthood, including their professional pursuits and personal relationships.  I also enjoyed the relationship between Sadie and her friends, and the relationships that develop between those friends and Jack.  Most of all, when the book ended, I did not want to leave the world of Sadie, Jack, and their friends which, to me, is always the mark of a great book.

Strongly recommended!

4.5⭐
R for some 🔥 sexy times

Ummm, hi, where can I pick up a floral arrangement from Bridges and Blooms?? because I want this whole book, friend group, everything to exist in real life.

This stunning debut opens with Sadie losing her job at a misogynistic finance company and needing to find a new roommate so she can pursue her true passion of floral design. Said new roommate is a perfect man with a gorgeous house, lots of money, seems chill about his kitchen turning into floral workspace and is super attractive... But is reclusive and has some baggage.

Need I say more?! Obviously this makes for a great romance novel as these two fall in love, unpack their issues and find a balance as they both get to start a new chapter of their life together. I absolutely loved how these characters grew and changed throughout the course of this novel. The mental health discussions were so important and I am seriously obsessed with Sadie's friend group. My only complaint is that there's some stuff that happened in this novel (multiple floral studios? A friend who will happily invest in your business and zero issues occur?) that felt a little bit too fantastic but Sadie totally deserved it.

I enjoyed this book so much and I think if you're looking for a great romance book around Valentine's Day to make you ready for spring (with a side of yearning), you should definitely pick up this book!!

After Sadie gets unexpectedly fired, she goes out with her friends and gets drunk. Thinking she's going on a dating app, she actually finds herself on a roommate app and meets Jake, the owner of a beautiful brownstone and a steal of a price, who also hasn't dealt with his grief of his family dying suddenly 7 years ago. With new motivation Sadie decides to follow her passion and opens up a flower shop. Together Jack and Sadie heal from their old wounds and a beautiful friendship is grown. And while both of them have stronger feelings than they are leading on with, both worry about messing up such a good situation.

Wow I ate this book up in 1 sitting. It gave me all the feels and made me teary. The main characters face a lot of real life obstacles. The found family of the side characters were so sweet and i loved the little family they became. I've fallen off a bit with slow buts but this one had a great balance of slow burn and relationship. So much anticipation with just as much reward. Definitely pick this one up!

Mama’s View: There is something about a book with relatable fun characters that just sucks you in and this one has that and so much more! I LOVED the slow burn development between Sadie and Jack and how it was fairly tame to begin with but developed into some straight up 🔥 and I am here for it! I loved the development of all of the major players in the book and the support network that they had for each other. All in all I burned through this so quickly because I could not put it down. I’m ready for another Falon Ballard book ASAP!

Mimi’s View: I have to say I got about half way through this book and had to check GoodReads again to verify this was the authors first book because I was that impressed with it, that I couldn’t believe it was her first book! I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and witty with a side of spice. While this book hasn’t even come out yet, I’m crossing all the things that Falon Ballard writes another book for me to finish in a hot minute as I did with this one!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I want to start off by saying I enjoyed this book overall. The book had a good host of characters you want to root for which made reading about them really fun. At the start of the book, Sadie gets fired after speaking up about a promotion being unfairly taken from her which pushes her to pursue her true passion. I absolutely loved that about our MC. I did have a little problem with the progression of the relationship in this book and the characters' reactions to situations. Sometimes, the book felt very formulaic and inorganic. But despite that, I did enjoy this book and did have a fun time following these characters!