✨ARC REVIEW✨

Just My Type by Falon Ballard

📔Second Chances
📔Office Romance
📔Writing Competition
📔Slowburn

Hey Siri, play “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry. I devoured half of this book in one night, I was hooked from the beginning! A serious dater being told to take a break from dating and learn to be single and love time by herself is reunited with an ex who's a playboy, nothing can go wrong! Just kidding, it’s a surprise reunion… after she just got dumped… is hungover… and he’s her new coworker who's going after the same thing, a column of his own.

The group chats between Lana, Seth and their other coworkers made me laugh out loud, especially when they were trying to build their challenge lists. The lists reminded me a bit of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days because he’s trying to show and get ready for a serious relationship and she’s trying everything she can to stay single and enjoy her own company. The boss was a bit much, she was nosey and way to involved in Lana’s love life but hey every story needs a villain, I just didn’t expect it to be her.

One of my favorite romcom movies is How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days and this book reminded me of it so much. I loved the similarities and I was smiling throughout all of them. I also loved when they quoted one of my favorite Disney songs from Mulan, “I’ll Make a Man Out Of You”. This book had enemies to lovers vibes, workplace romance, and second-chance romance which are all things that I LOVE.

The main reason that I didn’t rate this book higher is because I didn’t think their past justified them hating each other so much. It just got annoying every time their past was brought up and it just didn’t make any sense to me. And the more that got revealed, the more it made me roll my eyes. There was so much build up over it and it just wasn’t worth it.

However, I still loved the banter and I did love their interactions. I loved the give and take, how he showed up at the bar when she had to kiss a stranger, their trip to IKEA, finding loop holes in their tasks (like buying a pet fish), and so on.

Another reason I couldn’t rate this higher is because of the challenges they were forced to participate in. This was 100% unprofessional and I’m not sure why they even agreed to do it. It wasn’t realistic and it took away from it for me. I wish there was another way that Falon could have incorporated these challenges into the book.

Since I absolutely love How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days and have seen it a dozen times, that made this book kind of predictable for me. I knew how this would end, with them professing their true feelings through their articles, and although I loved it, I wished that it was slightly different so that I wouldn’t have expected it… this book just didn’t have that surprise factor.

Just My Type is a fun, light read and I recommend it if you love How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days.

Thank you Penguin Group Putman, Falon Ballard, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange of my honest review.

I was so excited to start this book as the cover really drew me in and my expectations were exceeded!

Lana is the type of character that you want to have as your best friend. She is kind, caring, a little quirky, and loves with her while heart. Unfortunately for Lana, she is unlucky in love, struggles to be alone, and just can’t seem to get it all figured out. On the night she thinks she’s going to get engaged, the complete opposite occurs and she is dumped. Lana washes away her feelings with a whole lot of liquid sorrow especially after she gets a message from her long lost first love, Seth. She knows she’s not capable of answering him in her current state so it becomes a tomorrow Lana problem. The next day at work, Lana is met with the surprise of surprises and finds herself face to face with none other than Seth, the newest member of her website publication job.

Seth shows up after quite some time and while he tried to warn Lana, things obviously didn’t go as planned. Lana and now Seth’s boss, comes up with a “brilliant” idea of Seth and Lana making lists for each other to complete made by each other in a competition to see who will get the job of writer for the parent publication. And from there the competition is on.

Lana and Seth have the second chance and enemies to lovers tropes going for them. At any given time you’re unsure as the reader as if Seth is pining after Lana or if he can’t stand her and it did a great job of keeping my attention and I just kept wanting more! Lana and Seth’s story was a true joy to read and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Definitely would recommend this one to anyone that loves warm feel good romances!

I feel like I am not going to be able to adequately express how much I loved this book. I have never read Falon Ballard before, so I was taking a chance on a blurb that sounded good, and a cute cartoon book cover. Falon Ballard has a brand-new fan.

First, I loved the character. Lana Parker’s personality was witty, ambitious, reliable, and lovely. I adored her job, a writer. I basically want to be Lana, even a dating and relationship writer. Her passions were reading, movie watching, and blogging. I feel like this book was just a character based off myself (minus the fact that I’m not a writer but would love to be). I related to Lana’s characters a lot.

Second, the relationship factor between her and Seth was top notch. Their witty banter was everything I hope for in a book, their chemistry was flying off the pages, and their back story was well developed.

Third, the slow burn. AHHHHHHH. So good! Some people don’t like the slow burn and just want the good stuff right away. Not me. I’m all for the slow burn because it makes it so much more worth it when we finally get it. Falon Ballard could be the queen of slow burn with this book. The sexual tension written throughout the book was also great.

Witty, slow burn, sexual tension, friends to lovers, second chance, and work office romance could all be adjectives / tropes to describe this book. Which, if you know my reading style, is basically telling me that I am going to love this book. Which I did.

And you should read it. It doesn’t come out until 2023 so pre-order this baby right now. It will completely worth the wait!

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Enjoyed this so so much!

Lana Parker is not having a good week. Only a few days after her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her, her high school sweetheart, the man she thought she was going to end up, becomes her professional rival when they become opponents in a writing competition for a dream job. As the weeks pass, Seth and Lana's lingering feelings begin to emerge and complicate matters as they both work to accomplish a list of tasks gifted to them by the other.

One of my favorite elements of Just My Type was how quickly the premise was established, creating a series of events and developments that moved and fast and kept my attention the entire time. The tension between Seth and Lana and all that they hoped to be once upon a time was the real strength of the story. Their dynamic had me hooked as I waited for answers about what went wrong previously and how they might be able to repair it now.

Also, Lana's journey to reconcile her relationship with her mother, resolve her love life and become the best version of herself really spoke to me. Though she may not all the answers, she managed to grow and heal and that's all we can hope to do.

In fact, I loved this read so much, just as soon as I finished it, I went back to Ballard's debut novel, Lease on Love, to experience more of her writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Falon Ballard for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just My Type is a lighthearted, rivals to lovers, second chance romance. High school sweethearts find themselves in the same place after twelve years, but the timing is definitely not right. Lana has just been dumped and is struggling to write her column about relationships and dating for work; Seth is going through a career change and finding somewhere to... what I'd say, eat, write, love. But when Lana's, and now Seth's boss decides to pit the two against each other for an amazing promotion, they have no choice but to go along with it. No longer able to avoid the past, what was supposed to be a little friendly, and slightly devious competition turns into a checklist of untimely truths and unmanageable attraction. What could be worse: confronting the first person to ever break your heart or watching them move on and become the best version of themselves without falling in love all over again?

Ballard writes an inspiring and self-reflective romance through fun dating challenges and unlikely opponents. From the enthusiasm of their eccentric coworkers, the article snippets, and the adventures Lana and Seth go on together, this contemporary romance was a sweet and enjoyable read that also gives readers important life and dating advice. I loved the character growth, the NYC vibes, and the message about finding yourself before loving someone else. It's a tale of momma drama, steamy tension, and complicated journeys between two people who are doing the work to finally get it right this time. If you're a fan of Carley Fortune and Emily Henry and are looking for an easy and inciteful romance, pick this one up.

Falon Ballard does it again. This time with a second chance, workplace romance. Lana Parker is being put against Seth Carson, who also happens to be her ex boyfriend/ first love, in a competition for a new job. Lana is always quick to be in a relationship, and is supposed to learn that she can handle herself. While Seth was always traveling the world for work who is supposed to start settling down…

I have to be honest, some parts of this book didn’t click for me. A lot of it felt like if someone just told the other person how they really felt it could have been figured out… but I get it, this is a Romance novel.

I really enjoyed when Lana & Seth had to work together, their banter and chemistry was nice. Their characters felt so relatable, being high school sweethearts and then breaking up, and the lingering feelings that stay for your first love. There wasn’t too much spice, but there was a lot of chemistry, banter & flirting.

Lease on Love had a huge impact on my reading funk earlier this year. I feel so lucky I was able to read another book by Falon Ballard and love it just as much.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Falon Ballard for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We’ve all had that first love, and the first love heart break. Whether we want to admit it or not, many of us thought they’d be with their high school sweetheart forever. For those reasons, “Just My Type” is relatable and leaves you cheering for true love. Ballard’s pop culture loving protagonist, Lana Parker, supplies fun references - Thank, Thor. This book was a delight.

This was the first book I’ve read from Falon Ballard. Do I have Lease on Love? Yes. Have I read it? Not yet. It’s in my super long TBR list and now It’s moving on up because of how much I enjoyed this book. This book follows Lana Parker and her ex-boyfriend, Seth Carson, throughout the many tasks they have to accomplish if they want to win a spot/position writing for their dream spot for any columnist.

You get second chance romance, workplace romance, enemies to lovers, and so much more. I loved learning about their past relationship and how the two had to accompany each other with some of the tasks they have given the other person. Lana needed to learn how to be alone while Seth needed to settle down and become boyfriend material.

This is one of my favorite romance books I’ve read this year and can’t wait to dive into Lease on Love. It was adorable and It’s a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Falon Ballard for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Lease on Love and was really looking forward to the sophomore book of Falon Ballard. I was slightly disappointed with the pace and chemistry in this book. I love the premise and thought it was fun, but couldn't connect to either character. I know 2nd chance isn't my favorite, but it's wasn't believable that they were so magically in love at 14. I just was left wanting more. .

"When I decided to relocate and settle in one place, I didn't even have to think about where to go. I'm the spinning needle of a compass and you've always been my true north, Parker."

Lana Parker and Seth Carson are each other's first loves. Now they're each others first heart breaks, and work place rivals.

The last thing Lana expects when she walks into work the morning after her expected-proposal-turned-dumping the night before is to come face to face with Seth, the man that broke her heart TWICE. Even worse, they're now competing for the job Lana has been working towards for years.

Lana is a serial monogamist, it's a fact that everyone, including her boss knows. After learning her and Seth used to date, her boss uses it as a perfect opportunity to have the two compete against each other writing an article series. Lana, who has has never really been single, has to learn how to be alone and be okay with it. Seth, who's been a journalist itinerant for years, has to settle down and place roots.

They've each created a list of tasks for their article series for the other to complete and write about, they just didn't expect their boss to throw them together for most of these tasks. Now they're spending more and more time together, and are forced to confront all those years of heart break.

THESE TWO WERE THE PERFECTT SECOND CHANCE LOVE STORY. I loved Lana and Seth's dynamic, from the constant bickering to the obvious chemistry they shared. Part of what worked so well for this book is that they were both at fault for what went wrong in the past and apart from the bickering, the communication between them was perfect. Experiencing them find their way back to each other was everything and I 100% shed a few tears.

Working through all the heart break and issues, Falon Ballard does a BEAUTIFUL job with character development. Her growth from the start to the very end of it all was executed perfectly. The only way Seth and Lana ending up together would have been satisfying is if she worked through her personal issues. Through therapy, an amazing group of supportive friends, and a lot of self reflection she not only finds her way to Seth, but also to herself.

I absolutely adored this book. I love the sunflowers, ikea dates, friend group, and everything else in-between as well. If you loved Ballard's debut book, Lease on Love, then definitely pick this one up. It has second chance romance, enemies/rivals to lovers, workplace romance, and overall How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days goodness.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Falon Ballard for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

↠ 5 stars and sunflowers

I enjoyed this book, but there were some cringey and dated reference's that almost took me out of the story. Cute and lighthearted. Great for a pallette cleanser after something heavy.

This was such a cute second chance romance book! While I had a couple of minor, minor issues with it, overall I really enjoyed the read!

The main character Lana was incredibly relatable - one of the first times I’ve ever read a book with someone who felt like me on the page. That being said - the major Marvel fan I am, I could’ve really done without “Thank Thor” taking the place of “thank god.” It’s one of the few things that pulled me out of the reality of this story. I know a lot of MAJOR nerds and not one of them would ever say that because… it’s cringey. Not to mention sometimes she said “Thank Loki” instead - why are you thanking the trickster god for something going well? He’s definitely not responsible for that!

Other than that (plus a few minor errors in the version I read that I’m sure will be corrected before publication) I really enjoyed the story, as far fetched as it was. (Suuuuper grateful that characters know the book acknowledged that the premise, their boss asking them to stay single/get ready for a long term relationship was inappropriate and not normal. Many many books of this ilk would just let that go.) It’s a fun read with a lot of heart, and one I would recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books/Penguin Group for access to the ARC!

This book was so good!

To me this book let like the vibes of The Hating Game mixed with Love and Other Words.

The story begins with Lana having her Elle Woods’ moment, but not in the way you think. She heads to the restaurant where her and her boyfriend of four years had their first date fully prepared to leave an engaged couple. Instead, her boyfriend ends things, says she has major mommy issues, and Lana leaves after her best friend and alcohol save the night. Flash forward to the next morning when she’s hungover and has to go into the office for a big meeting. She’s a writer at a publication, and guess who walks in? None other that her high school sweetheart and man who crushed her dreams Seth. After a not so wonderful greeting, Lana throwing up and dropping the f bomb, Lana’s boss tells the two of them that they are competing for their dream job in a relationship competition. Needless to say, not something either of them wants to do.

This book has incredible banter, chemistry, and overall is such a fun and good read. The main reason this book doesn’t get 5 stars from me is because I feel like it was missing something. Specifically, I wish we could read each article the pair writes. I feel like that would have added to our experience as readers as we could “vote” like the fictitious reader do and it would provide us more with a well rounded sense of what the other characters in the book were seeing during this competition.

Overall, this book is great and deserves to be read! It definitely helped me when I was in such a massive reading slump!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me access to this electronic advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

The dated pop culture references are going to give the book a very specific readership and a short shelf life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I loved everything about this novel. The angst, the humor, the way that the main character acted with everyone. It was pure perfection. I would recommend this novel to everyone who is looking for an enemies to lovers trope.

Very well written main characters and love story! Enemies to lovers and second chance lovers, and I so enjoyed reading it. I love the character development and was rooting for them!

Thank you NetGalley and Falon Ballard!

Just My Type | Falon Ballard
A very lovable lovers to enemies to lovers.

Lana Parker (chronically attached, never single) is paired up with her ex, Seth Carson, (intentionally unattached) in a competitive winner-takes-the-dream-job challenge. Lana is tasked with showing the highlights and benefits of the single life while Seth is challenged to find roots and stability, and someone who could develop into his long-term love.

This story is everything I’ve come to expect from a brilliant Rom-Com: sassy/feisty characters with excellent wit and banter, a plot outside the bedroom - with plenty of spice inside it, and the brilliant knit-together of both components to create a true to life escape into a world of love, fun, a teensy bit of jealousy, and a satisfyingly happy ending.

There is just enough grit to keep the story moving – a boss that gets under your skin, the accidental date at the same bar (that really shouldn’t make anyone jealous), and the heart wrenching missed opportunities and (minor) miscommunications.

This was a breeze that I flew through in less than 24 hours and I loved it from start to finish; It had me searching for more and expanding the never-ending TBR. The literary version of How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days for 2022 and I’m totally here for it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a cute story! The whole time I was reading this book, I was thinking about how it would make a great rom-com movie! It definitely gave off How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes, so if you loved that movie, you will enjoy Just My Type! This book touched on many tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romance, and a little grumpy x sunshine.

While I enjoyed this book, I did not connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. Some of my favorite second chance romances are Love and Other Words and Every Summer After, where the author switches between past and present time periods. In Just My Type, we are simply told the reason Lana hates Seth in the present, without any flashbacks to what happened. I felt like I was missing out on the depth of their relationship in the past. At times I was reading and thinking, “Why do we hate him again??”
It made Lana come off as immature because I didn’t feel her hatred toward Seth was justified.

Even though I deducted a few points, Just My Type is still a quick, enjoyable, breezy read! Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy!

FIVE STARS!!!!!

“I fell in love with you when we were fourteen and I’ve never stopped.”

SUMMARY: Lana Parker is a relationship addict. She has gone from long relationship to long relationship all while running a relationship column In the blog she works for. While this is not the column Lana has always wanted, she still tries her hardest in hopes one day her boss, who she sees as a mother-figure will promote her to her dream column. Then, out of nowhere Lana is brough face to face with her first love, the man who broke her heart, Seth Carson. Seth is brought to Lana’s workplace, and it turns out they have to compete for the roll of a solo column. Lana and Seth are forced to do challenges together while their boss puts them in an immense amount of social pressure that forces Lana to confront her past feelings.

CHARACTERS-

Lana Parker: I really loved Lana, simply because she felt so real. In the nicest way possible, Lana is a people pleasing pushover but that’s what makes her all the time better. Her development is simply TOP TIER, the way Lana came out of shell and finally decided to put herself first even if it meant hurting her career was just so special to me. Throughout the whole book, Lana’s main challenge was that she had to be single and learn to be happy by herself, while this was a huge challenge for Lana, she didn’t want to give up which I really admired her for. Lana’s character as a whole was so well-written and I literally just connected with her so much that I couldn’t put the book down

Seth Carson: Seth Carson put me through a rollercoaster. That’s the best way to describe his development. Seth has to be one of the best book boyfriends written simply because he always cared even if he had to make it seem like he didn’t. Seth’s whole backstory was so emotional for me to read, it might’ve not even been that sad, but I still felt emotionally attached to it. Seth’s main challenge was that he had to find a single person to date and have a serious, steady relationship with. The whole time Seth makes it seem like he’s going steady with someone until we find out he never even liked the girl, but it’s okay because it’s important for the plot. I could go on forever about Seth, but I just loved him SO much.

The side characters in this book weren’t really shown much besides when there were group chats and when Leah’s boss had to be confronted but still their roles were well-written.

THOUGHTS: I genuinely loved this book and think everything was extremely well written and AMAZINGLY executed. I can’t point out a single flaw because I just liked every single thing from this book. The development of the plot was so smooth and SUPER easy to follow along. I loved the development of the characters and how they managed to overcomed their past while also building a new future. Leah is a character who has fully grasped my heart and I feel so seen by her. Along with Seth who is the sweetest, most selfless man ever to exist. ALSO, the rivals arc was PERFECT! I absolutely loved the rivals to lovers, forced proximity and second chance tropes that were added to the book. The personal growth stories of the two main characters being developed while they were also dealing with things together was done so well that it did not feel like too many plots. Each plot was developed and finished with so much care that I could tell the author really put her all into this book.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, Just My Type by Falon Ballard was an extremely well-done book that has me in a chokehold, I could read about these characters all day. Everything within this book was so well-developed that it deserves over 5 stars.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sending me this eArc in exchange for a complete and honest review!