Thanks to Putnam for the gifted ARC!

"Not even a margarita the size of my head could mess with me the way Seth Carson does."

Second chance romance, workplace enemies with a promotion competition, and a hilarious friend group set up Just My Type as a perfect rom com read. Falon Ballard is a master at writing swoony male main characters and creating a friend circle that will leave you amused and charmed. Lana and Seth not only work on their own baggage during their workplace competition, but Falon delivers her torturous slow burn romance as the two decide what they want for the future. The friend chat is back, but this time via a work Slack channel, and I was so thrilled to see that once again the friend/co-worker group provided some great humor for the story. I devoured this book in a day and just absolutely adored it!

Lease on Love was one of my favorite books from this year, so I was THRILLED when I got an ARC of Just my Type (thank you so much Putnam). 

Synopsis:This story follows Lana Parker, a relationship columnist, who bounced from one serious relationship to the next. After her most recent break-up, she is shocked when she comes face-to-face with her high school sweetheart and first love, Seth Carson, at her workplace. When she finds out he is competing for the same job, and the only way to get the promotion is for each of them to write an article that goes against their dating type (Lana being single and Seth finding a relationship), she is ready to take on the challenging task. However, Lana soon realizes it is not only her career on the line but also her heart. 

Thoughts: No one puts humor and banter into a rom-com like Falon Ballard. The dialogue was laugh-out-loud funny and so relatable, especially the slack channel between Lana and her work friends. I will say that Lana was not my favorite female main character, but her growth was admirable and I loved watching her recognize what works for her. Seth was the perfect hero, and he and Lana's group of work friends are what made the book for me! The last 20% brought ALL the feels, and some steam, and was impossible to put down. I am always a big fan of a grand gesture and this one was all too perfect. 

Read if you like:
-Second chance romance (HS sweethearts)
-Enemies to lovers 
-Work competitions 
-Strong female friendships 
-Text conversations in books 
-Stress on mental health and therapy 
-Quotes at the start of each chapter 

This one comes out on 2/7/23.

I absolutely adored Lease on Love, so I had high expectations for Fallon Ballard’s next book. And she absolutely smashed them with this new book. My cheeks actually hurt for smiling for four hours after I started this book and legitimately could not put it down until I finished it. I fell in love with these characters as they fell in love with each other (again). I would recommend this delightful, funny and simultaneously heartbreaking romance to everyone who loves love!

I read Falon Ballard's first book, Lease on Love, and loved it, so I jumped at the chance to read her sophomore novel. While, I didn't love it as much as Lease of Love, it was definitely a page turner! I adore second chance romance, and this one did not disappoint.

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘺 𝘛𝘺𝘱𝘦 follows Lana and Seth, once highschool sweethearts turned exes who are competing for the job of their dreams all while navigating their pent up feelings for each. Lana has been tasked to remain single for the sake of the competition while Seth has to find the one and settle down, all for the sake of the competition but one has to lose surely right?

- ~ -

Lana Parker, our protagonist, is to put it plainly flawsome. She's a tad self centred while never being comfortable in her own skin but I think what's applaud worthy is that by the end she learns to recognise that and works on herself. Her growth arc is simply impressive.
Honestly, I think Lana's a kick-ass woman.

She's also accompanied by other woman who are just as strong as her, who are supportive and loving and who together comprise the best best-friend trio. Not only them but the whole friend/ colleague group overall was the absolute best.

Now it's a second chance romance with a generous dash of slow burn but worth it, I think the pining and anticipation meant more to me than the actual relationship aspect.

I'll also say that the whole How-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days-esque nature of the story was quite well done and the way everything was executed set up for a creative, interesting and nuanced read. The writing and the plot structure combined for a very addictive storyline.

I'll conclude this by saying that I think this book has levels worth of improvement as compared to the author's debut novel and definitely worth a read.

- ~ - 

4.19 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Phew. I don’t know how or why, but this book hit me hard. It felt so raw. I just. Love Falon Ballard. I waited five months for this arc to finally be released and I will be finding a way to get an arc. Ily Putnam books

Lana has been writing at ATF for nearly 15 years. She wants to get out of relationships, but the only way to do that, is to take on her ex in a competition for best column. Seth wants to find home, and thinks LA might be it. Pairing these HS exs against each other made for so much fun.

What was there not to love about this book? A second chance romance, a competition on the best articles, grown adults getting the therapy they needed. I simply adored it. I read it so fast, and did not want to put it down! I will read anything Falon Ballard will write. Put this on your "romances to read in 2023 list", people!

A special thanks to Netgalley and Putnam books for the early e-ARC!

This is Falon Ballard’s second book and, although nothing can top Lease on Love IMHO, this one was very good as well.

A second-chance romance and a business-rival romance all in one. Working together while competing for a job with their past hanging over their heads leads to quite a bit of drama, but I love how the secondary characters bring out the comedy. Great supportive friends, for the win!

An A+ rom-com and such a fun read that had me giddily laughing and crying until 4 a.m. There are a few flaws, though they were easy for me to look past.

Falon Ballard is a new author to me and I am so glad that I found this book. Just My Type grabbed me from the first chapter and any free time was spent reading. Lana and Seth were so relatable and the character development was excellent. I would love to see other books with characters from this one! I will be following author and buying future titles!

Just My Type is a sweet second chance, enemies/rivals-to-lovers, workplace romance set in Los Angeles that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. It is immersive, funny, and romantic.

Lana writes about dating and relationships for a living. She seems incapable of being single and somehow always finds the wrong man. After a recent and unexpected break-up and a shake-up at her workplace, she is stunned to come face-to-face with her childhood love, Seth. He is now a respected journalist. Lana’s boss sets up a somewhat problematic competition to determine whether Lana or Seth will get a sought-after column to write about whatever topic they wish. The competition sees them setting up dating challenges for one another to see if Lana can stay single and if Seth can find a long-term relationship. Who will win?! And why does it feel there’s more than a column at stake?

What follows is an engaging story of Lana and Seth competing with each other while they also learn more about themselves. They have plenty of chemistry and it was a delight to watch them grow. There is a bit of miscommunication here and there that is easily forgiven due to the cuteness of the overall story. 🌻🌻

I enjoy Falon Ballard’s writing style and adored her debut novel, Lease on Love. She offers us witty characters and caring men who are in touch with their emotions. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next! I recommend this to anyone who loves reading about two people who are meant for each other.

Thank you very much to Putnam for the opportunity to read an ARC via NetGalley.

FIVE FREAKING STARS!!!! 2 spice!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH AND I LOVED LEASE FOR LOVE AND I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT!
The character development is perfect, the story line is perfect, the spice ratio is perfect and you know what made me so happy? The fact that the love story in this book gave me butterflies and I was like crying, laughing, and giggling at the same time proves that I loved this book so much!
Seth is definitely a green flag (a guy who admits his mistakes and wants to openly communicate everything --> isn't that a green flag for yall?)
Lana and Seth were the high school sweethearts but one day, Seth wants to break up with Lana because "long distance is hard." Since then, Lana has been in a continuous long-term relationship and being unable to live alone and constantly needs someone to be by her side. When her recent boyfriend/fiance breaks up with her due to her "mommy issues", a prompt is handed to her by her company.... fighting for a dream spot as a journalist... but her rival is her ex-boyfriend, Seth. Seth, the serial non-committed dater has to write a journey about how to be in a long-term relationship and Lana, the serial long-term relationship gal have to create a plan to know how to live alone and be okay with being single... Will both be able to accomplish this goal?

PLEASE READ THIS PLEASEEEEEEE
One sentence I would describe this book is:
A modern love story that makes your heart swoon, bring butterflies to your tummy, and make you realize how love is true when you find the right person.

This is a HEA so no worries and I absolutely recommend this to everyone please!

Lease on Love was one of my favorite romances I read last year (and if you haven’t read that yet, do yourself a favor and please do that now), so when I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Ballard’s newest book, I immediately started it and pushed everything else to the side. Sorry TBR stack. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lana Parker is a serial monogamist. She never spends time being single. But when her boyfriend of four years breaks up with her, and her boss challenges her to be single for her romance column, AND her first (and truly only) love shows up in LA, she decides to stay single and work on herself. But she also just can’t stay away from her first love, Seth, who’s also competing for the same job.

It’s an enemies-to-lovers, second chance, workplace romance and everything to love. This book was FUNNY. My husband thought something was wrong with me with how much I was full-on belly laughing during this book. Definitely the funniest book I’ve read this year, if not ever.

There were plenty of times I wanted to shake Lana and tell her to get her sh*t together, but it’s her beautiful story of acceptance and building the confidence she needs.

Seriously loved it and CANNOT wait until February to hold a physical copy in my hands. Go preorder it now. You’ll need this ray of sunshine in the dark and cold and gross month of February. You’re Welcome.

Lana is a serial monogamist who doesn’t enjoy being alone. After many heartbreaks, that’s just where she finds herself. As a relationship columnist, her boss assigns her a new topic- how to be single. If that isn’t hard enough, her boss turns it into a contest, putting her against new hire Seth- who just happens to be Lana’s first (and biggest) heartbreak. The two are forced to compete with one another, spend time on assigned tasks together, and come to terms with their real feelings for one another.

I just loved this book! I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down. The opening scene referencing Legally Blonde and the work challenge scene referencing How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days were just so perfect. Lana is a hilarious main character and her banter with Seth was the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Seth was an adorably lovable book boyfriend. Second chance and enemies to lovers tropes worked so well in this book! I loved the scenes from their past, they had such a cute high school romance. I need to pick up this author’s first book right away! If you enjoy “it’s always been you” tropes, enemies to lovers banter, superhero/Marvel references, and the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, you will love this book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it! Falon's way of writing makes my heart happy. This was an excellent follow up to their debut novel Lease on Love (which I very much enjoyed too). Second chance romance is definitely in my top three book tropes, and this book is just another example of why! Seth and Lana's love story was all sorts of angsty, swoon worthy, and epic. AND the epilogue is exactly how I want to do it when the time comes. It fit them perfectly!

I also must mention- as a user of Slack- the text chains painted the perfect picture for what actually goes on when using the platform. The subtle passive agressiveness and cringe included.

I am so grateful to both publisher and author for allowing me to read this early!

Awww! Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! My favorite tropes enemies to lovers, love between rivalries, second chance romance are back with How to lose a guy in ten days vibes! It’s even better than the author’s sweet debut “ Lease on Love”!

Thirty years old, relationship- prone journalist Lana Parker is never getting over her first love, high school sweetheart Seth Carson who broke her heart not once but twice.

Lana finds herself in long term relationships with the worst choices. And now she gets dumped at the moment she expected to get a marriage proposal, drinking herself till she blacks out.

And that’s not all! Her ex Seth sends her a message via social media accounts telling her they should talk. He’s a popular journalist, traveling around the world, running away from long term commitment as avoiding plague.

Broken hearted, grudge holder Lara ignores Seth’s message but when she rushes for the company meeting, her boss gives unexpected news: their company ATF will be operating under the umbrella of Los Angeles Chronicle and next couple of months they will host to a potential Chronicle employee. Her dear boss Natasha has a big plan to attract readers’ attention: Lara will compete with another employee to earn a columnist position for Chronicle and share her improvement via her columns and social media accounts. She’s gonna get assigned for different challenging tasks. Guess who will be her competitor?

Yes, Seth appears out of nowhere to join their meeting as poor Lana cannot believe in her eyes!

She finds herself against her ex in some kind of masochistic How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days dating fucktastic challenge extravaganza!

Lana is addicted to relationships as Seth cannot be involved in long term ones. So the challenge is simple. Lana will learn how to be single as Seth will learn to settle down, becoming devoted boyfriend material.

Lana wants the new job. She wants to achieve something different after working as a relationship adviser for 8 years but could she resist the temptation and unresolved feelings for Seth? And why did he come back? Why he keeps pushing her buttons?

As they spend more together to complete their tasks and share their special moments on social media, they realize their attraction is sizzling. Could they get through their problems to have a second chance?

Overall: I love romcoms! Unfortunately we cannot watch great written ones on our streaming services but thankfully there are authors like Fallon Ballard who can create swoon-sweet stories to make us enjoy the true taste of romcoms! Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Ahhhh I loved this book! It was so cute I finished it in one sitting! It was lighthearted and easy to read, and the plot kept you reading!