First off, I want to say that if you didn’t love this and haven’t read Lease on Love yet, I would still give Lease on Love a try.

I was a big fan of Lease on Love, so I was very excited to read Just My Type, but unfortunately Just My Type did not live up to its predecessor. It’s a cute, fast romance, sure, but I found the main character to be so immature and annoyingly petty that I was rooting against her for most of this book.


Spoilers incoming:
<spoiler>The fact that Lana held two grudges against Seth for SO LONG really grated on me. The first, that her high school boyfriend didn’t want to take money from her mom (who she herself has a fraught relationship with) for college, and then ended their relationship because he felt as though he was holding her back, was so petty to me. I understand that she was upset, but to be holding onto that and using it to be completely petty and immature towards him 12 years later was an odd choice. The second grudge, being mad at Seth because he wouldn’t hook up with her while she was drunk and in a relationship (two years prior to the events in this book), was also so irritating.

Seth continually confessed his feelings towards Lana, starting at around 50% of the way through this book, and yet she still continued this one sided petty office rivalry with him and didn’t seem to believe they could be together (for reasons I thought did not make sense). </spoiler>

This book did give a little bit of a How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days vibe, with a different plot. I think people who won’t be annoyed by the main character will enjoy, that just wasn’t me.

Just My Type is a contemporary fiction/romance blend that has a woman finding herself plot with the very present backdrop of her first love is back in town and now they're competing for the same job AND they have to do a lot of activities together because their boss is a manipulative and meddling human. I love Ballard's writing so much, I fell into this book so easily and so quickly and just devoured it. I really appreciated the therapy in this book, I loved the way Lana really does come into her own, while having the realization that actually, she's always been capable of standing on her own two feet. In general, everything about this is both fun and emotional in a way that I really loved.

I do feel like there were just a couple of characterization pieces that needed to be smoothed out a little and to some degree, I would have appreciated having Seth's point of view. I also wanted there to be more at the end because things went from being really hard and really stressful to just sort of falling into place in a way that felt really abrupt in some ways. I just wanted a little more from the ending. Overall though, if you love a list of activities and second chance romance is your vibe, I would recommend this one so highly!

Thank you to @putnambooks for the eARC from NetGalley! This will be published on February 7th. This was a quick romance read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This has both second chance romance and rivals-to-lovers tropes, which were fun to read. There is one aspect of the premise that I had a bit of an issue with and will talk about near the end of the review but otherwise, I really enjoyed everything else!

The one aspect that bothered me was that Lana’s and Seth’s boss crossed some lines with the challenges that were set for them and forcing them to spend time together. While it was important for the setup of this story, it also felt like it could violate some HR rules.

That being said, though, I enjoyed the character arcs for Lana and Seth and their relationship. I appreciated that she was trying to learn how to be okay with being single. I appreciated that the second-chance romance had a reason for the original issue that wasn’t really something that Seth had done wrong for the most part. The things that they did together in the book (speed dating, a tourist bus, etc) were a lot of fun to read about!

I loved that Lana had a strong friendship group at work and another good best friend as well. They were all very supportive and it was good to have some focus on them too in addition to the romance.

This was fun and cute! If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts!

From beginning to end, you are laughing. Lana's life is truly pathetic and worthy of being the subject of a sitcom. The absurdity of first chapter is hilarious. Reading this book was something else. I could definitely see this on TBS.

I have to start by saying, I am usually not a huge second chance romance fan, however 'Just My Type' had the perfect mix of that and my all time favorite trope - enemies to lovers. Overall a very cute read that I was able to fly through and enjoy every minute of it.

Our main gal, Lana, seems to be a little unlucky in the love department, finding herself dumped when she's expecting a proposal. To top it all off the high school ex she never quite got over is announced to be her newest coworker with whom she has to compete with for the big promotion.

The nature of the competition felt very 'How to Lose a Guys in 10 Days' to me, which is a great thing because that might be one of my favorite movies. The plot overall flowed very well, was paced perfectly and I found myself swooning at most of the joint activities. I also loved Seth, he was wonderful and this book would have benefitted so much from a little more dual POV action. The speed dating? The sun-flowers? Say less.

I do have to gripe a bit at the classic rom-com miscommunication. I hate it. I wish authors would skip it. I can't wait to read a great rom-com that features no "oh no they aren't going to make it" at 85% through.

Regardless, I loved this book and I can't wait to see what else Falon Ballard has in store.

4.5/5 stars

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

📠🗞Book Review:
Title: Just My Type
Author: Falon Ballard
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 4 stars

The enemies to lovers and second chance troupes never get old, especially when it's written by Falon! I love her books! It's cute, quirky, and just fun reading to take your mind off of the heaviness in the world. 🤗

Lana Parker is staying single. Period. She's 30 years old, working as a journalist with aspirations to earn a columnist position with the Los Angeles Chronicle. Every relationship she's been involved in leads to a dead end, including her most recent that she thought was leading to a proposal.

Enter Seth Carson, her high school ex-boyfriend. He is assigned to a job at Lana's current employer, ATF, and will also be working towards the columnist job! Yikes! Seth is a serial dater and has no plans to settle down soon.

Soon, a competition ensues between these two - Lana must remain single and learn to love being by herself. Seth must learn how to become boyfriend/husband material with the intention to settle down. May the best journalist win!

Published: February 7th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @putnambooks, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Five Stars! I absolutely loved this book, the premise, the characters, the challenges, etc. It was reminiscent of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days sorta with a challenge from each character to get a prize at the end, and it also had elements almost of Schitts Creek and other stories. I loved the pop culture references sprinkled throughout, plus I am a Valley girl so loved the location shout outs. Lana and Seth have so much history and chemistry and nothing felt forced or rushed. Highly recommended.

No suprise that this is one of my favorites of the year. Ballard writes mc like nobody’s buisness. Full of sass and spunk. It’s nice to see a mc that isn’t so cookie cutter perfect. Loved it.

This author is becoming a fast favorite of mine. I love her writing style and her pacing is always on point. This was such an enjoyable story. I loved the plot and the characters. I do wish it was dual pov because that would have added more but that's just a personal want.

"First, my boyfriend of four years dumps me when i was expecting a proposal. Then i get the drunkest I've been since a misguided tailgate party freshman year of college. And this morning my hung over a** gets the full-on hit-and-run of learning that my other ex-boyfriend is my new co-worker." "And NOW my boss, who i thought actually cared about me, decides to pit me against said ex in some kind of masochistic 'How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days' dating f**ktastic challenge extravaganza."

I really enjoyed this book! It gave me all the feels of early 00s Rom-Coms and i am living for it!
This book had everything, Laughs, tears, love, and growth.
The characters were fantastically written, they had depth and really grew into themselves throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the second chance love trope. Lana and Seth rekindling their love was fantastically done.
It felt like watching a movie more than just reading another Rom-Com.

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Really fun book! It was energetic but still emotional. I really liked this one. I would definitely read more books by this author.

I wanted to love this one but something felt off.
I didn’t feel the connection to the main character Lana. She felt like she shouldn’t have been a main character. You understood her actions but felt like something was missing. The book is single POV so you don’t get Seth’s point of view. It didn’t feel like their was any heat in their interactions.
I wish more focus would have been on their now instead of their past

Who doesn't like a second chance romance?

This cute and modern rom-com was so easy to read. Lana can't seem to stay single, so when her most recent long-term boyfriend breaks up with her right when she thinks he's about to propose, her life gets turned upside down. Post-breakup, she comes into the office hungover and brokenhearted, only to find the love of her life, high school ex-boyfriend Seth in her office. What could be worst than working with your ex? Maybe competing for your dream job against him. What could possibly go wrong?

If you want something light and fluffy, this is for you! Although I will say it wouldn't be at the top of my TBR list, It was good but not great.

I wavered back on forth on this one but the ending really saved it for me. Lana Parker is dumped by the man she thought was about to propose. After drinking her sorrows away, she heads into work the next day only to be faced with the one who got away. Seth and Lana were high school sweethearts until college had them going their separate ways. Now he's back and fighting for the same job that Lana is.

While this did remind me slightly of a long time favorite - The Hating Game - I just didn't find the characters quite fully fleshed out. There were times I couldn't understand why the did what they did and so I had points that I was taken out of the story. There was tension but it's like the tension didn't always make sense to me. At times, it almost felt too cruel. I did like the premise of the competition but the beginning of the story just didn't hold me. That being said, I'm so happy I stuck with it because the more time that Seth and Lana spent together, the more I liked them. The ending was great and really got to me. Despite the few sticking points, I did enjoy this one a lot and am excited to see what Ballard brings to us in the future.

This was such an enjoyable read! Plus, don't you just love the cover?! I sure do. I love a good rivals to lovers book and if you do too, this new release by Falon Ballard might just be your cup of tea! GIVE ME MORE OF THIS KIND OF STORY. Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam, for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for generously providing me with a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.

To my pleasant surprise, I found myself utterly enamored with this book! Despite my initial apprehension towards the second chance romance trope, I must admit that it was executed brilliantly in this story. These characters were each other's first loves, and the lingering emotions that persisted between them over the past 12 years, without any true closure, were palpable. While there were moments of miscommunication that could have been frustrating, I appreciated witnessing the growth in their communication skills as the characters developed throughout the narrative.

I must note that there was a considerable abundance of pop-culture references woven into the fabric of this book. While they added a layer of charm and humor, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of concern regarding their potential datedness in the future. In fact, one particular reference already feels somewhat dated. Nevertheless, despite this minor reservation, I firmly believe that this is one of the finest romcom novels available.

Furthermore, I was deeply impressed by the exceptionally positive portrayal of therapy within the narrative. The open and healthy discussion surrounding therapy was truly remarkable, and it resonated with me on a personal level. Both the main character and the love interest engaged in therapy, and this aspect alone is a compelling reason for readers to delve into this book. I found it absolutely refreshing.

Lastly, I must mention that the epilogue was an absolute delight, leaving me with a heart full of warmth. It has undoubtedly sparked my desire to explore the author's debut novel as well.

This author is quickly becoming a favorite!! Wow! This was so good. I loved Lana and I LOVED SETH! Second chance/rivals/enemies to lovers galore right here.
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Lana and Seth are pitted against each other in a work competition, but they have to work on the challenges together. IT WAS SO FUN. I loved the challenges. It was so easy how they fell back in love with each other. The friend group was awesome and the text threads hilarious.
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I really just enjoyed it so much. A million thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy!

A great follow-up to her debut novel, Lease on Love! Falon Ballard has become an auto-buy author for me!

I remember nothing except the main characters had zero chemistry. It was awkward at best and I honestly had a hard time following because I kept zoning out while reading and couldn't be bothered to go back and reread.

Since high school, Lana has always jumped from one long-term relationship to another. Now she’s 30 and single and plans to stay single. But when her high school ex, Seth, becomes both her colleague and competitor, and they find themselves spending more time together, it is hard to keep her feelings in check.

Falon Ballard has officially become an auto-buy author after two 5 star reads. This book definitely gave me How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes and since that is my favorite movie of all time I was here for it. I love the way that Falon writes strong and sassy female leads who are real and flawed and fun in so many ways. Lana’s growth throughout the book was fantastic and I was rooting for her the whole time. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and this one was so well done with the added layers of rivalry and workplace romance. This book was such a fun read and I can’t wait to see what Falon writes next.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.