Cute concept, but even for fiction it felt a bit silly. I didn’t connect with either MC. This one definitely needed some more emotional connection and deeper heartfelt moments. Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review!

Short synopsis: Cam Andrews lives only for her job as a lawyer for her grandmas multi-million dollar law firm. After a bad blind date with a man named Ben, she wakes up in a town called Heart Springs.

My thoughts: Falon writes such fun books, an this was no different. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics in this Hallmark-esque town and the people in it. I especially enjoyed the thought of waking up with hair and makeup done, can we please make that normal life!

Campbell was completely unlikable, which I knew going in since the book is dedicated to all the “unlikable girls.” I loved the growth and perspective of her, you could see how her past shaped her into who she is now. All the unrealistic expectations and how she is misunderstood.

Read if you love:
* Character growth
* Hallmark settings
* Grumpy/sunshine
* Small town
* Magical realism

This was a fun magical realism, but it wasn't as cute as an Ashley Posten. I enjoyed it and it felt a Christmas past-y even though it's not Christmas. It was fun and definitely different.

3 stars
Sex: yes
Language: yes

Nothing about this story reads authentic or believable. I truly did not enjoy a moment of this. There is no chemistry between these characters and no discernible reason why Ben would like Cam. She’s wholly unlikeable, yet he’s all moon-eyed over her. There’s no catalyst for Cam softening, she just does. It was not a journey. It’s as if the author had a rough plot outline of things that need to happen and wrote as few words as possible to connect the plot points. It felt so amateur, especially coming from an author I enjoy. There are plenty of cliche and/or cheesy plots that have won me over because of the writing and depth of character, but this was not it. It resolved nicely and the characters were lovable in the end, but the character growth felt forced. This was just a miss for me. If it hadn’t been an ARC, I would have DNF’d. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review.

I loved this story. I couldn’t put the book down. Cam and Ben I loved these two so much and how they interacted. The scenes and characters were so well drawn I was right there in every moment of this book. I loved Mimi as well, but Emma was a special character to me. I love heart Springs, I’m ready to move there. The small town feel was amazing.

I can’t say enough praise for this book. I loved the writing so much that I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this advanced reader copy and this is my honest opinion.

It pains me to say that this one was not for me ☹️ I have heard such amazing things about this author so I don’t want to write her off with just one book, but if you are already a fan I would still say you could skip this one!

The concept of getting swept into a picturesque small town reminded me of last year’s Prime Time Romance which I adored, so this premise had me pretty excited, but unfortunately there was a lot lacking here. Cam is not a likable protagonist, and overall each character felt somewhat one dimensional. Because of that, the romance itself felt totally flat for me. No warm fuzzies to be had 🤷🏻‍♀️ Some of the logistics too didn’t really add up for me, but if you want similar recs that simply did it better, let your girl know!

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5⭐️

Rating: 2.5/5 🙈🙈🙈

Thank you to PRH Audio and Netgalley for thes gifted copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

It absolutely pains me to not be obsessed and in love with a Falon Ballard book….but this one just did not work for me. So many elements of this are things I naturally gravitate away from.

Things I did love…the magical closet they gave you the perfect outfit. I’ll take that.

If I never hear the word sweetheart, ever again, I will live a happy life. Cam was kind of horrible and then a switch flipped…like a Stepford wife. The vibes were off. I really disliked Mimi. I was also confused how Mimi owned a coffee shop but also the bakery was the local coffee shop?

I have nothing bad to say about the audiobook, the narrator did an excellent job. But since I didn’t love the book…hopefully I like the next one better.

dnf at 40%! i wasn’t enjoying myself at all & after a few months of procrastinating reading this arc, i kinda assumed my reading it would end this way. at first i was excited because the cover is so cute and the synopsis sounded entertaining but it’s marketed as having hallmark channel movie vibes and it definitely delivered on that front and that’s what i disliked about it. it’s way too cheesy for my taste, i really didn’t like the fmc and how she treats people from the beginning (she was making progress i just didn’t care🫠), and the mmc wasn’t captivating enough for me to keep going for more time with him.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Falon Ballard in the past has been hit or miss for me and this one ended up being just okay. The premise was super interesting and had such promise! Don't get me wrong, I love an MMC that calls his girl sweetheart but it was TOO MUCH. I was ready to never want to hear that word ever again after finishing this book. Other than that this was a cute and easy listen.

Thanks for allowing me to be an early reader! All thoughts are my own.

I feel like I read this book at the wrong time for me. I liked the writing, I wanted to like the characters more than I did. Mostly, false timeline or interrupted timeline tropes don't work for me and there were some things about this that did. Mostly it just wasn't my style. I love this author though! And if that trope is totally your jam this is still a great book,

Thank you, @putnambooks for gifting me a copy of this book!

Change of Heart is a charming, quirky rom-com with a fun magical twist. The story explores finding true happiness and love, with plenty of humor and a stubborn heroine who resists love at all costs. Cam, the main character, is unapologetically herself. She struggles with the pressure to prioritize career over love, following in her grandmother’s footsteps. Ben, while sweet and likable, could have used more depth, and I think the story would have benefited from a dual POV.

The setting is adorable, reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, and there are some lovely moments between Ben and Cam as their relationship blossoms. Ben brings out the best in her, and it’s heartwarming to see her grow through her self-discovery journey.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Cam’s arc and the side characters, I felt Ben was a bit underdeveloped. For much of the book, he seems more like a side character, and I would have liked to know him better. Overall, it’s an entertaining, light-hearted read perfect for fans of sweet, feel-good stories. I recommend it for anyone seeking a cute, quick escape.

Couldn't really get into this one - didn't realize how Hallmark-y it was. But if you want something like that (with a lot of language, surprisingly for such a saccharine story), then this could be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

Surprisingly, this Falon Ballard was a tiny bit of a miss for me in comparison to her others. I found the concept extremely interesting and was so excited to start this one; but it felt a bit more Hallmark than Ballard. I’m also personally not a huge fan of the Hallmark specific trope of powerful and ambitious women only being able to be loved once they turn towards a “softer” and more feminine life. This hasn’t been her previous sentiment, so I was shocked and a bit turned off.

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard was the book I chose to pick up over Valentine's weekend. It follows Campbell, a cutthroat workaholic. After self-sabotaging a blind date, she only agreed to on her powerful grandmother's behest. She wakes up to find herself not in her New York penthouse. Instead, Campbell is in the suburbs, with her signature outfits replaced with soft feminine frills, her bleach blonde hair dulled a honey blonde. It is her nightmare - a small town straight out of the Hallmark Channel. She eventually learns that she needs to accomplish three tasks if she ever wants to make it back to her life - each task is beyond her comfort zone and the opposite of what she wants to do. Cam is in for another surprise when the man from the blind date turns out to be her new next-door neighbor and is stuck with his own set of tasks to earn his freedom.

This was fine. I was unimpressed overall with the characters and the setting. The MMC was bland and too perfect - he seemingly had no flaws and everything that was wrong with his and Campbell's relationship was down to her faults. It felt like the Cam was constantly being punished for being unapologetically herself. This book was about people consistently stepping in and telling Cam that they knew her better than she knew herself. Even if Cam had areas in her life where she was discontent - that's up to her to take action on, not some overbearing, judgmental fairy godmother.

The plot fell flat for me due to the repetitiveness and the fact that everything fell together awfully conveniently. The plot consistently left plot holes in its path. There were no stakes. I also did not care about any of the characters, so I could not invest myself.

I LOVE it when magical realism and romance collide, so I was very excited to read this. Unfortunately, I just could not get over how mean and unlikable the main character was. I loved the concept and felt like it was well executed. I just couldn’t invest in the unlikable characters.

Sweet, whimsical tale of finding yourself and finding love. The characters were so lovable. This book was a fast paced read that was engaging and charming.

Campbell has no time in her life for anything but work. One day, she wakes up to find herself in a Hallmark-like town called Heart Springs. Everything is perfect in this world, except Cam doesn't think so. In order to go home, she has to complete 3 tasks. One of those is to fall in love. Can a girl who doesn't have time for love find a way to make that happen and go home?

I wasn't sure if I would like this book at the beginning. I love Hallmark movies and this plot is straight out of that world, so I gave it a chance. I ended up really liking it. Ben, who really seems to be there to help out Cam, is a great guy if you don't dig too deep into what we don't know about him. This book had the swoon and the banter that I enjoy and overall, it was a cute romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. with each ballard book that comes out, i like it less and less. the first one i thought would make me a fan for her career but its like she forgot how to write well and keep a plot together. it felt very cheesy at times when it should have been either serious or funny.

LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Falon Ballard does it again! I can't wait to read every book she ever writes.

While I have loved some of Ballard’s books, her last few just have fallen short for me. This one just made me cringe. The FMC was so stereotypical of a mean girl and had to completely change. I want an FMC that is herself and is proud of who she is. The MMC wasn’t well thought out either. He was very one dimensional. I just needed a bit more from my characters.
However, this book moved quickly and felt very Hallmark-esque.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.