Squeeee! Loved this adorable second chance romance. Extra props for the great character development for the female protagonist— I loved the emphasis on only being good for a relationship once you are good by yourself.

5/5 ⭐️

I loved loved loved this book. I adored Falon’s debut novel, Lease on Love, and was excited to see if her second was just as good. I enjoyed Just my Type for just about every aspect. The second-chance romance, character development, and raw emotions in this book were just well done. Overall, this novel solidified Ballard as being a must-read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just My Type by Falon Ballard follows two writers that used to be in love—Lana Parker and Seth Carson. They have not spoken in years. Until they find themselves at the same workplace and pitted against each other in a challenge for a promotion. Lana and Seth must create lists for each other to accomplish in the competition and as sometimes they are forced together. They are compelled to deal with their past and their feelings toward each other to move on. Just My Type by Falon Ballard is a heartfelt and satisfying romance novel.

This book! Second chance romances are my favorite so I was really excited about this. I loved Lana's friends and her entire found family and wish we got more of that.

I wish we got to see more of Lana and Seth in High School -- to see why they were so great rather than rely on nostalgia. I also would have loved some chapters from Seth's perspective and less marvel references that felt forced.

But over all, I finished this book in one day so it's safe to see it was compulsively readable and I needed to see when Lana and Seth admitted their feelings for each other.

This was a great read! Falon Ballard is quickly becoming one of my "must-read" authors!

Lana is making her way in journalism in LA after college. Seth, her high school sweetheart, moves to LA and is competing with her for her dream job. During a series of social media/writing challenges, they are put together and the sparks are still there. As Lana learns the backstory of why Seth broke up with her, can she find it in her heart to let him in again?

I felt the tension between these two, and although the challenges were a little bit reminiscent of something I've read before, there was an authenticity of these characters that I felt was fresh.

Falon Ballard has done it again! For those of you who loved “Lease on Love,” you will find Falon’s sophomore release just as enjoyable. Follow Lana and Seth as they go from loving you-to hating you-to loving you again. Nothing like a bit of competition to spark an old flame!

I really liked Lease on Love by Falon Ballard so I hopped into this ARC with the hopes that it would be just as good… and I was not disappointed, to say the least! If anything, I think I liked this book a tad bit better than her debut novel.

Lana’s character was very relatable, and the workplace competition between her and Seth kept me intrigued. I liked the premise of the book, in the sense that Lana was on a journey to to discover herself by staying single rather than hopping from boyfriend to boyfriend. I thought it was clever how the two journalists had to write a list of ten tasks for their opponent to complete, and it would have been cool if the format of the book was split up into different “parts” by each task.

This was a such a quick read, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a cheesy (in a good way 🧀), second chance at love romance!

(Slight spoilers in this paragraph!) — Even though it was brief, I was not a fan of the epilogue. Also, I feel like I am left with questions about Lana’s career. At the end of the last chapter, she said she wanted more than running her blog, and in the epilogue, there was no mention of a new job. I would’ve liked to see her character find her permanent career by the end of the epilogue, like Seth did!

One of my favorite tropes - enemies turned lovers. This was such a cute story that I didn’t want to end! And I’m all honesty, I couldn’t put it down. I found myself just wanting to read all day instead of working or doing anything else! These once former lovers, turned enemies, turned lovers again tugged on my heartstrings and gave the characters their perfect ending.

If you are looking for an adorable and refreshing Rom Com this is the book.
✅ second chance love
✅ rivals to lovers
✅ contemporary romance

At first the main character seemed to lack depth and was shallow. As the book went on I fell in love with the characters and their personalities.

I felt like this was one the least cheesy romance novels I've read this. year. The characters had extremely believable problems, their interactions felt laced with sadness instead of hatred, their friends were all good people, just everything that usually makes a romance novel cheesy didn't exist and we got to see a real story play out. It was wonderful.

I do feel for Lana and how long she put up with her toxic workplace. I got Buzzfeed vibes from ATF with the type of writing Natasha was asking for and also with the manipulation that was happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC

I loved this book. I sat down and didn't get up until I finished it (ok I did grab some leftover tika masala, but a girl has got to eat!). I loved that it wasn't overly simply or overly complicated. It was mostly just real. The story, the characters, the outcome, it all just felt real and was easy to connect with. I will for sure be reading more by this author!

4.5 ⭐️

I loved the debut of Falon and was so excited to get an ARC from the publisher for this one.

One thing I believe this writer can do really well is writing flawed characters with believable problems and build a swoony love story around it.

I just love double POV books and because this is single POV, I always feel like I’m missing a little from the hero’s POV. That’s what got half a star out the rating. Keep in mind this focused a lot on the journey of self discovery from the heroine but the romance and HEA are very much essential

Recommended for those who love:
🤧 Second chance romance and pining
💗 High school sweethearts
✍️ Two writers fighting for a job position
🐠 Very funny moments

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC!

I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers romance, but throw in second chance AND forced proximity??? Consider me sold. This book has been on my radar ever since the blurb came out and I’m so happy I got to read it.

Lana Parker is a serial monogamist. She can’t help but move from stable relationship to stable relationship, although each happens to end in heartbreak. Immediately after a spiral following the end of a 4-year relationship, enter Lana’s high school sweetheart and first love (and current serial dater), Seth Carson. Not only did Seth break Lana’s heart years ago, but now the pair is tasked with assigning one another a list of 10 things to accomplish in order to alleviate their respective relationship woes. Not to mention that they’re also competing against one another, the entire thing will be live-streamed and documented on social media, and the winner may receive a column in the Los Angeles Chronicle. Will Lana take the chance to make Seth miserable and sabotage his chance at winning? Will unresolved feelings resurface? Things could get messy.

Without exaggerating, I probably had a smile on my face for 85% of this book. It was a pure joy to read. The opening chapter was probably my favorite opening chapter I’ve ever read, and I immediately fell in love with Lana. She was unapologetic, dramatic, and maybe a tiny bit self-destructive, but I loved her more for it. The banter between her and Seth at the beginning was *chefs kiss* and I was giddy reading these scenes because it really came across as pure hatred for one another. The one very minor thing I wish this book had more of was anecdotes into Lana and Seth’s past relationship. With that being said, it was still evident how much they meant to each other in the past and how that could was impacting their interactions in the present.

This book had a little of everything I love in a romcom:
* Enemies to lovers with witty, sarcastic banter
* Second chance encounters with your first love
* Forced proximity via forced workplace
* Multiple Drag Race references (I LIVED)
* Great female friendships with side characters
So if you enjoy any of those tropes, give this one a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ok this book was one of my most anticipated upcoming reads because I loved loved loved Lease on Love so much. Just My Type has a similar feel with vibrant characters who feel like people you probably knew in your 20s (or people you know now if you’re a bunch younger than me! 🫠).

This is Falon Ballard’s second book and with the huge success of Lease on Love, there is for sure some pressure on this book. For me, it didn’t quite live up to Lease on Love but that also feels like an unfair comparison. If it were written by another author, I wouldn’t compare them and I’d be perfectly thrilled with Just My Type. But part of what I loved so much about Lease on Love was the side characters and I didn’t feel like I got to know them as well in Just My Type.

All that being said, Just My Type checks all the rom-com boxes and I love it for that! I could definitely see this being made into a Netflix movie that I watch over and over again. 💖

(A huge thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the advance copy!)

I loved Lease on Love. This was another perfect rom com. Her books are so easy to read and super enjoyable.

There are so few books out there that capture why I fell in love with romance. While there is a whimsical tone to every romance, I need a book that not only speaks to my heart, but also has characters that I see reflections of myself in. This author did just that. Seth and Lana are the kind of characters you root for, but also have layers to them that make them jump from the pages. Seth and Lana were written so realistically that they felt like real people rather than characters in the book.

This book had all the tropes.
Enemies-to-lovers ✔️
Friends-to-more ✔️
Second-chance- romance ✔️

This was a beautifully written book that not only made me laugh, but I swooned and had all the butterflies. This author nailed this book by making it not only entertaining but an emotional read. It’s rare for me to find a book that I just devour from beginning to end, makes my heart hurt from all the angst and tension, and has me clinging to every single word on every page. To me, this book was perfection and I cannot wait to reread it again when it comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC

I'm a bit on the fence with this book. I could not vibe with Lana at all so it made it very difficult to get invested into the story. Lana came off as way too childish for a 30 year old woman (if I recall correctly, she stomps her foot at least once). I was glad to see that Lana's hangups weren't just caused by a breakup from over ten years ago, they also stemmed from issues with her mother. I'm a sucker for second-chance romances but I didn't really feel the chemistry between Lana and Seth, so it was hard to buy that she's been pining and resenting for him for years. The competition was interesting but I do wish we'd gotten more of a glimpse into the articles that stemmed from each particular challenge, if only to get a firmer grasp into who Lana and Seth are as individuals and why they mesh or are drawn to each other. I did appreciate how Lana grows as a character and as a person the more she finds herself and learns to stand up for herself. I found her quite likable towards the end.

Having read the description for Just My Type, I was concerned that this was going to be a reversed "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (love how Ballard even referenced that!). I was so pleasantly surprised on how fresh and original her concept was. As this was my first time reading Ballard, I enjoyed how she combined the thrill of an enemies to friends trope with the elation of a second chance romance.

What I liked about the book: Before I dive into the review, I will say I know that many believe that a journey of self discovery is something you should do on your own. To the contrary, Ballard demonstrated with Lana that it is a parallel journey. While you may travel on your own path to enlightenment, you need to have those who support it walking next to you - not interfering in any way but letting you know you are not alone.

Now on a lighter note, the humor of this book is off the charts. There are far too many laugh out loud moments to recall. The friendship between Lana and May is the type most dream about. I am also am a HUGE fan of the MCU so the references to it were right up my alley. I nearly choked when she said “Thank Loki” and made references to Odin and Thor in replacement for its biblical counterpart.

Lana’s wit, banter, and overall personality was also very refreshing. She came from money but she wasn't spoiled. She knew she was fortunate but still remained humble. Despite having the option for an easier life (being involved with her mother's philanthropy work), she chose to attend college and followed her passion to be a writer, paying her dues along the way.

The background characters are what sealed the deal for this book. Those Slack chats were priceless! I wish we could have seen more of what happened between Tessa and Rob. I am hoping that was introduced as a segue into a follow-up book as I felt like that was introduced and dropped without reason. In either case, the supporting characters were the perfect seasoning for this delicious story. I also like how she indirectly created a common enemy so that Lana and Seth could bound without realizing they were being pulled closer together.

What I disliked about the book: During the first half of this book, I constantly had a feeling of being slightly disconnected from the characters. I was able to witness the world unfolding with Lana and Seth but I felt as if I was watching it behind a plate of glass, unable to directly connect with their feelings and experiences. I believe this was because I constantly had the nagging feeling of "why" and "what happened". With the unresolved past directly affecting the story in so many ways, I found myself growing increasing frustrated in not knowing what transpired. The initial breakup and the reunion was what fueled the divide between Lana and Seth. We only saw her reaction to it and were essentially instructed as the audience to just "trust it" and take her side without questioning. For this reason, I never felt like I could completely connect with Lana. It wasn't until the truth started to come out that I finally felt the ability to sympathize with Lana, as well as Seth, and walk with them on their quest versus feeling so many steps behind.

Again, while I wasn’t a fan of this feeling for the first half of the book, my assumption is that this was Ballard’s intent. While we had a POV from Lana, we couldn’t know more than what she was willing to revisit mentally or see beyond what she was willing to take in. We were going to be subjected to her doubts, her denials, and the way she construed a situation based on own her perspectives. It wasn't until she started her journey, growing as an individual, facing her past, and really taking the time to see situations from all sides (big shot out to the importance of taking care of your Mental Health) that we finally got a 360 view of everything. I feel that if I read this book again knowing what happened, I would be able to connect with Lana from the beginning versus towards the end.

What I consider the best part of the book: The sunflower references. Ballard creating such an psychological and emotional connection with the sunflower, entwining it throughout the story, that when Seth showed up with it at the end - I choked up!

From moments of laughter to tears to one big cheesy grin, Just My Type provides everything needed to create a wonderfully refreshing romantic comedy.

because if you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”

4.5⭐️

this book comes out on 2/7/23 (run don’t walk to get this!!!)

GUYSSS OH MY GODDDDD. i was fortunate enough to get an eARC from netgalley and ohmygod FALON DOES NOT DISAPPOINT EVER UGH. this book was PHENOMENAL. the whole premise of the competition and the setting in LA was just *chefs kiss*

i love lana. she is an absolute powerhouse of a character. her humor, marvel references and just her personality were amazing she is so !!!! i’m obsessed tbh

seth 🥰💓💖💗😍😫 i love him your honor. this man had me swooning multiple times ugh falon knows how to write a man fr.

the slack channel moments, the texts, the articles made this book feel so immersive as well!

if you enjoyed ‘lease on love’ you’re gonna LOVE THIS ONE GUYS!!!

📚BOOK REVIEW📚

Just My Type
by Falon Ballard
Pub Date: Feb 7, 2023

3⭐️
🌶 (two semi-spicy scenes)

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and while I liked both books, I didn’t love them.
➡️ swipe for synopsis.

I loved the pop culture references and the How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days vibes. The beginning of the book has a Legally Blonde vibe that was funny but also sad. Lana truly doesn’t know how to be alone and a new work assignment forced her to figure it out.

The book was a tad all over the place. There were certain parts where Seth (the MMC) gave me the tummy flutters, but Lana, and the book as a whole, was choppy and didn’t really flow.

I was constantly torn between liking and disliking the book, which is why I gave it a middle of the road rating. If you liked Lease On Love (the authors first book) then you’d probably enjoy this one too. It was definitely a journey.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.