This was so amazing. I wish there were 1000 other books from her, I would read and recommend them all. Love, Dr. Martino

I loved Falon Ballard’s debut Lease On Love so I jumped on the ARC of Just My Type.

This one is filled with tropes that keep it moving quickly. Is it enemies to lovers? Second chance romance? Workplace? Childhood friends? YEP all of that plus a cute cast of side characters. Just My Type didn’t hit for me quite as much as Lease On Love though. The FMC, Lana, was a little hard to root for at times and really leaned on being quirky. A solid 3.75 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 4.5! Big thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC. All my second chance romance girlies listen up…you’re going to LOVE this book. Because 1. The characters are so well developed 2. The reason/history makes sense and it’s not something that is unforgivable for either of the characters. It’s the perfect give and take for a second chance romance. I also want to say that I really enjoyed Lease on Love but this was so much better. You can really tell how the author has matured in her storytelling ability. Plus this is an office romance…need I say more?!?

So why isn’t this 5 stars? A few reasons. For one, at times it’s really hard to root for our female MC. I hope this gets fixed in some of the last minute editing. The last 30% of the book, I was really annoyed with the main character’s reasoning of why the romance wasn’t progressing and it felt very woe is me/everybodys out to get me vibes. And I wasn’t here for it. I wanted her to own her shit, grow differently from mistakes in her past, and then go after her man. Also the other reason is that some of the list challenges felt a little unnecessary and sometimes cringe. But I still really enjoyed most of them and the book overall. Highly recommend everyone pre-order this!

I loved loved loved this book. Falon Ballard is now an automatic read for me. She’s fantastic. I loved Seth and Lana. Their love story wasn’t an easy one. It took a lot of self discovery. It was fantastic.

Well that was freaking delightful 🥹 Falon Ballard is one of those authors that I can’t skim. There’s something about her pacing and phrasing that has me gobbling up every word and loving the ride. Who cares if it’s a slow burn if I’m freaking entertained the entire time?

Second chance, enemies to lovers, childhood friends, workplace nemesis, slow burn. So many tropes and it’s all executed to perfection 👌🏻

Lana has gone from serious relationship to serious relationship after her high school sweetheart broke her heart 12 years ago. After a break up, Lana is given a chance to get out of her dead end column an onto something awesome. All she has to do is beat another writer’s series on building a long term relationship with her series on staying single. The catch? Her competition is her ex…THE EX.

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuunnnnn.

This is about as women’s fiction as you can get but it still be a true romance. Single POV, therapy, discovering oneself. It’s a true journey for Lana to sort through some issues but the driving force of the story is still her relationship with Seth 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 There isn’t too much going on that pushes the romance out of the primary spotlight and for that, I’m giving this 5 stars.

This book basically has all the things I’m looking for in a contemporary: quick pace, steam, an 80% mark that makes sense and isn’t a colossal waste of time, emotional intimacy, and humor.

Loved this book! Preordering and raving to come!

I received the ARC from the publisher, review is my own.

I really loved this book!! I loved the concept and how the storyline flowed. I loved the witty banter and the Marvel references! I quickly fell in love with the characters. This was such a fun, sweet and entertaining rom com. Thank Thor!

Falon Ballard can do no wrong in my opinion. This story was pithy and I was hooked from page 1! You will not be disappointed if you read this!!

This is my first read by Falon Ballard and I enjoyed it very much. At times I felt like their break up mentioned was so repetitive it felt like being hit over the head. This one is a slow burn enemies to lovers which is one of my favorite tropes.

When I tell you I squealed with delight when I got this @netgalley notification from @putnambooks and @falonballard! Clearly, I’m terribly excited given that I’m writing this almost five months before it’s #PubDay! 💜

If you loved LEASE ON LOVE earlier this year, JUST MY TYPE will not disappoint! I haven’t stayed up past my bedtime reading in quite some time - but this second chance, workplace romance was everything I needed.

The competition-based premise, the banter, the steamy scenes, the opening Elle Wood-inspired scene. It was just the perfect combination of heartfelt emotion and romantic swooning.

Falon Ballard, I loved it and am excited to celebrate it’s release. I loved LEASE ON LOVE. And, I just am so so excited to see where you go next!

The first thing I thought about when I started this book was: oh, how we have all been there, especially in our 30s.
We all somehow realize that the worst parts of our lives is similar to our favorite movies/books, thus why we like them. We relate.
An ah-ha moment, if you will, of: I’ve seen/read this before and an even bigger, am I being punked?
.
The story swoops right into Lana Parker, a popular romance journalist, getting dumped Elle Woods style, but has her best friend on speed dial to come save her.
We learn that Lana has issues being alone, so she finds another man, or friend, to fill that gap because of the fear of being alone.
We end up meeting the reason Lana has this relationship gap when Seth Carson, her high school love/serial dater after their break-up, comes back into her life through a little professional competition.
A dating competition.
Lana must stay single, and Seth must move toward a lasting relationship.
Things heat up in this slow burn as each challenge pulls them closer and tears them apart simultaneously.
.
Lana is every single one of us bookish ladies: Imperfect, quirky, stuck in her head, thinks in movie/book quotes, wants the silver screen romance, but will face plant when you try the cute leg lift during a kiss.
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Seth is our dream man, if not a bit of a pain, like most: Has actual emotions and struggles with showing them, broody but cocky, soft under his armor he built on miscommunication, knows what he wants and cultivates it like his sunflowers.
.
I fell in love instantly with the pop references; I snort laughed when Seth named his fish Harry and later got another fish and named it Sally.
Nora Ephron, all the way!!
Her mommy issues hit me hard because same. I feel that’s a struggle for many of us girls with similar mothers. The not knowing what love is healthy vs. what isn’t. We learn that we’re not good enough but spend our lives searching for people to fill the gaps these women left in us until it’s a crater. She shows us that no one can fill it but ourselves through acknowledgment and healing.
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I cannot recommend this book enough to us 25-38ers who have or are still going through the process of finding themselves after similar circumstances.

This was such a sweet and fun romcom! I enjoyed the "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" vibes. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the early read for a honest review.
This is my 2nd Falon Ballard book and it won’t be the last I read! Former guest loves Lana and Seth are pitted against each other as they are both up for the same job. Her task is to not jump into a long-term relationship and explore different activities on her own by casual dating and then writing about her experiences. His task is to do activities that are supposed to get him closer to a long-term relationship. As they take on these challenges and spend more time together, sparks fly. Who will win the new column? Do they want to change? Why did they break up? Are they still interested in each other? You’ll have to read the book to find out! :)

What a fun read! This book gave me major “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” vibes. This book follows Lana who is a serial monogamist. She moves from long term relationship to long term relationship, but she is unable to ever truly be herself or fight for what she really wants. All of that changes when she’s reunited with her high school sweetheart and tasked with staying single for a work competition. This book was predictable and cheesy in all the right ways.

This book was enjoyable from start to finish! Falon Ballard has become an author that is an automatic read for me.

- Second chance romance
- High school sweethearts
- Writing competition
- Self growth

Plot line bullet: Lana is a dating/relationship writer in LA. She is looking to grow her career and branch out from her current role. After a bad break-up her high school sweetheart (Seth) and the “one who got away” shows up. Not only are they forced to work at the same place. They are thrown into a competition for Lana’s dream job. Comedy, drama and sec ensue ;)

Falon Ballard is quickly becoming on of my favorite authors! Loved her first novel, A Lease on Love, was great and her second did not disappoint. Honestly the stand out for me is the MMC - Seth. Everything we all love. Lana is a fun FMC but found it harder to connect with her. Overall the banter and other characters really helped set the story apart.

Can’t wait for her next book!

This was Falon Ballard's second novel and believe me when I say ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛ! The story encompasses a little bit of everything from forced proximity and second chance romance to some not-so-friendly competition and life journeys. I loved the banter and sarcasm between the characters and the supportive friends of the female main character, Lana. Oh and I think I just found my new book boyfriend. 

-LA setting
-serial monogamist/serial manwhore
-competition
-sunflowers
-second chance romance
-life journey
-self-exploration & growth
-forgiveness
-ex lovers
-forced proximity
-therapy

Quotes from the book I loved:

"I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I want the rest of my life to start right now." 

And the final articles of the competition were perfection and while I wish I could include them here, you'll have to read to see! 

I honestly debated between 4 stars and 5 because while I really liked the story, it also wasn't in my top reads of the year. I find that I can't really put my finger on anything "wrong" with the story but here are a few things I didn't love but felt they didn't take away from the story:

-I wish Seth had more guy friends
-Natasha - UGH
-Lana's mom - MEH

From the hot new author of Lease on Love, Falon Ballard has a new novel coming out early next year!

Ex-high school sweethearts Lana and Seth are reunited when Seth moves to LA to write for the same paper Lana writes for, Always Take Fountain.

In a vibe similar to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Lana’s boss puts them in competition against each other. Lana jumps from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. Seth is notorious for having booty calls in his phone and never settling down. Lana has to find herself and be content with being single and Seth has to settle down and be in a serious relationship. Each will write 10 articles detailing their experience over the 10 weeks and the one with the most votes from their readers will get their own column in The Chronicle .

I really loved the idea for this book. Second chance tropes are one of my favorites HOWEVER something about this one fell flat. Typically we get to see the more of relationship in the past and I didn’t see any of that here. It tells us they were HS sweethearts but didn’t really show us. This made it hard for me to care about them as a couple because I didn’t feel that connection.

Lana was immature but she did show tremendous growth throughout the book which made me respect her character.

Honestly, I think I would have liked this better from Seth’s POV.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look out for this one on Feb 6, 2023

I was so excited to read this after I read Lease on love and of my goodness it was SO cute! Perfect rom com and I ate it up! Absolutely loved it

3.5 stars - Recommend

I'll start off by saying this book was entertaining. It starts off with an attention-grabbing first chapter and continues with an intriguing plot. Lana's a serial monogamist journalist writing about dating and relationships for the web magazine Always Take Fountain. Cue Sean, "the" free-roaming ex. He was her high school sweetheart and they had envisioned becoming journalists together. However, life had other plans and they parted ways 12 years ago. Now it just happens that Sean takes a job with the same company in which Lana works. To gain more clicks, the Editor-in-Chief pits the two against each other with the reward of a new column. Lana must commit to a single lifestyle and Sean needs to find a long-term relationship. Each week, both must complete a related task assigned by the other. At the end of 10 weeks, the readers will vote on the winner based on the content shared. Many of the tasks had to be completed together and lines got blurred along the way. I loved the banter and messages between the two and their co-worker friends.

✔️Second chance romance
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers
✔️ Funny moments
✔️ HEA

The reasons for lower than 4 stars - I rate books on readability, writing and emotional aspects. It was an entertaining read, but I wasn't hooked and didn't really connect with the book emotionally. Lana seemed a bit immature and Sean's back story could've been expanded on. I feel like the wording could've been better to make the sentences/ paragraphs flow better. But overall, it was a decent read.

Absolutely incredible and Ballard’s best work so far (which is saying a LOT because Lease on Love has been my entire personality since I read it ages ago). I hate second-chance romance but this book alone is changing my mind. Lana and Seth not only have incredible chemistry but they put so much work into becoming the best version of themselves. I love a book that prioritizes mental health and is realistic about complex family relationships.

What worked:
Tension
Character Growth
Background development

What didn't work:
Pacing

Seth and Lana were high school sweethearts who had a nasty breakup when college started. Flash forward, they are now pitied against each other for their dream job and are forced to get the closure they desperately need. Lana does not want this closure or this to be what stands in her way of the job she worked tirelessly for over the last eight years. Seth isn't ready to let go of the past and will do what it takes to prove it. The amount of growth these characters show is unbelievable and I loved every second of it. Seth and Lana have incredible tension, but most of all, they have so much to work through and decide to put in all the work. This book felt so realistic and was well timed. My only qualm was the pacing because it felt like the mystery behind the reason for the breakup was dragged out and anticlimactic. It would have made more sense to be revealed earlier to make the character motives more understandable. But overall, I loved this book and cannot wait to shove this down everyone's throat.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.