This book turned things on its heels, with the grumpy of the grumpy/sunshine trope being the female main character! Campbell is an arrogant no-nonsense workaholic with no time for anything but her family’s law firm. That is until she is knocked into a Halllmark movie-like town with no access to her previous life, except for her new next door neighbor – Ben whom she so rudely treated on their blind date. Given three tasks to complete in order to return home, Cam sets to work to complete the tasks as quickly as possible. But they might not be as easy to complete as she first thinks!
Along the way, Cam learns more than she expects and she comes to some harsh realizations about herself. And of course, despite their awful start, Ben becomes the one person Cam relies on. Notwithstanding the setting and the slow burn, there’s a bit more open door spice here than you’d get in a Hallmark movie!
I think Change of Heart focused more on Campbell’s journey and didn’t develop the romance aspect as usual in a romance. So if you’re expecting a sweet romantic storyline, you might find yourself disappointed. Because Cam was so unlikeable in the beginning, I’m not sure I ever really warmed up to her. And while Ben was the cinnamon roll guy next door, there wasn’t any vulnerability or depth to him.

This was a fast paced romcom that I had a good time with. I loved her writing style and how the book gave Halmark movies vibes!

Campbell is less than thrilled to be going on a blind date with Ben. She quickly makes it clear she is not interested, and heads home, only to wake up not in her home. She has somehow transported to this weird hallmark like town? Plus who else is her neighbor but her blind date Ben himself. Mimi gives her some simple rules to find a way home, but they seem harder than Cam can accomplish.

This was the perfect hallmark like book. I loved the small town vibes, and seriously wish I could wake up with my hair and makeup perfectly done, and open my closet to find the best outfit for my day. Sadly, I think that can only be found in Heart Springs. I really enjoyed following along as Cam tried and failed at many different jobs, as well as blind dates. This was a great, fun read and I definitely needed those vibes right now!

Thank you to @putnambooks for my gifted copy of this book!

I enjoyed this one. It was like groundhog's day meets any Hallmark movie with Ashley Poston's 'A Novel Love Story' and Wizard of Oz vibes.

I liked that we kinda had a grumpy/sunshine trope but in reverse. Our FMC is the uptight grouchy one.
Campbell Andrews has no time for dating. She is looking to takeover her grandmothers legal firm one day and she is focused. After a blind date goes awry, she wakes up in "Heart Spring" - a town straight out of a Hallmark movie. And now she must fulfill three tasks to get back to her normal life.

The pace of this book was pretty good - while it takes Cam some time to unthaw and adjust from her old ways, it was enjoyable to read through that journey and it was fun to see who she meets along the way.

The cover and title are cute, the plot was refreshing so this is a 4.75 out of 5 stars!

Falon does it again with the perfect Hallmark story! I always go into her books and come out having the most fun reading them!

Change of Heart starts with Campbell Andrews going on a blind date with Ben Loving, but as a partnered lawyer with a busy schedule who doesn't believe in wasting time on love, she's not interested in seeing it go anywhere. Even with Ben being a cute doctor, they get through the date and go their separate ways. Only the next day, they both wake up in Heart Springs, small town that was spit out from your typical hallmark movie. And the only way for Cam to get back home is to complete three tasks: find a career she's passionate about, become a valued member of the community, and experience true love. And for someone like Cam, that means looking at her way of life and making significant changes!

While they really couldn't get along at first, along the way of working their way through their tasks, Ben and Cam build a friendship that slowly transforms to more. And while they still have a lot to accomplish, even after they accept their feelings for each other, it was a heartwarming story of a woman realizing she really didn't like the person she had been raised to be, but found the strength and love to have a change of heart.

The slow burn between Cam and Ben was so nice to see and I love that we got to see them as friends before becoming more. I do wish we had gotten a little bit more of Ben's background, but overall I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Falon Ballard for the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Cam is a big-time lawyer who doesn't have time for things like love and dating. But her grandmother is obsessed with fixing her up so she can get married and have children/produce an heir for the family's corporate law firm. She gets fixed up with Ben, a pediatric surgeon who would fit all the criteria, but she is only going through the motions on the date so that she can say she went on it and get back to work. Except their waitress has other ideas and leaves a note encouraging them to give it another try.

The next morning, Cam wakes up in Heart Springs, a parallel world where the sun is always shining, her hair is always perfect, and Mimi (the waitress from their dinner) is her guide. In order to leave Heart Springs and return to her regular life, she has to find a career she's passionate about, immerse herself in the community, and fall in love. Oh and Ben is her next door neighbor.

Normally I can suspend belief and go with the story when magical realism is involved. But this one felt like step too far for me. It was so predictable and cheesy. And the relationship between was totally forced and lacked any chemistry whatsoever. I've enjoyed her other books, but this one was a miss for me.

Overall: 2.5/5 rounded up
Spice: 1/3

Campbell Andrews is ambitious, driven, and successful- let’s be honest, there wasn’t an option for anything else in her family. As a partner at her law firm, she has little time for hobbies, friends and definitely not love. After a disastrous blind date, Campbell not only wakes up in a strange bed but a strange town. It is like something straight out of a Hallmark movie. To get back her life and home, she must complete three tasks. For someone as hard working as Campbell, that shouldn’t be a problem except one of those tasks involves true love. Now that’s going to be impossible.

Pet names and nicknames give me the ick easily but the MMC was calling Campbell sweetheart almost immediately. They had been on one blind date, that went terribly, and the very next encounter he calls her “sweetheart.” He then proceeds to do it so many times that I found myself counting. He called her sweetheart thirteen times within the first 30% of the book and it was used a total of 66 times! I just cannot. That alone might’ve made me dislike the book. But then the story overall was flat, the female main character was annoying, there was no chemistry between the two main characters, the plot was ridiculous, there was no character growth, everything felt forced…need I go on?
Rating: Disliked

Cam is a successful lawyer, she has already made partner and continues to drive for results. She works 80 hour weeks, has no life outside of work and her family is part of the problem. The practice is a family business. Cam was groomed by her grandmother at a young age to be the tough as nails lawyer that she is today. The problem is one day Cam wakes up in the worst possible place she could possible be…a town named Heart Springs. This is a town just like all of the the ones in the cheesy Hallmark movies. Everything is a complete opposite to what Cam is used to or expects. Everyone is nice, people are trusting and help one another in this town. In order to get out of this hell she must complete three tasks—one of them is finding true love.

This was predictably cute and I loved the premise!! Cam is such an awful person, it is kind of like a Valentine’s Day version of a Christmas Carol, which I was on board for. The first half was great, I laughed at the ridiculousness of the town and the situation that Cam finds herself in. She learns some great lessons on humility and trust that help her on her quest. The last half seemed a little hurried and unraveled. I think the story departed a bit from the Hallmark vibe which made it fun. It went from fun and light to meh which is too bad because I really liked it from the beginning.

3 ⭐️

I am already a huge fan of Falon Ballard, so I was very excited to receive this ARC. Change of Heart follows Campbell Andrews, who is a brash acquisitions lawyer from New York who has no time for love or relationships of any kind. When she goes on a blind date with Dr. Ben Loving, she shuts him down and ends the date quickly. Their meal is covered by the waitress who leave a mysterious note about how they are a perfect match. When Campbell wakes up the next morning, she thinks she's in a dream, but she's actually in a "picture perfect" world where she is given 3 tasks to accomplish before she can be returned to her normal life. And she also discovers her neighbor is Dr. Loving. They work together in order to complete Cam's tasks, and find friendship and connection along the way.

This book felt like a step outside of Ballard's normal box, pulling in some fantastical elements that were very reminiscent of Ashley Poston. I enjoyed the departure and felt invested in the world and characters. I appreciated that she did not strip away Cam or Ben's dedication to their work and confidence in their abilities - they were both determined to remain true to themselves and found love in the midst of it. Another great romance by Falon Ballard!

This book was so good! I really enjoyed the characters, and I was rooting for them like they were my friends. Cute, cute, cute.

I was really excited to receive an early copy of Falon Ballard's new romantic comedy, Change of Heart, because I love her writing style and heartwarming characters. Unfortunately, this particular story didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Campbell Andrews doesn't believe in love, but she also doesn't have time for it anyway if she's going to become partner at her grandmother's law firm by 34. She begrudgingly accepts a blind date with Ben Loving - yes, Loving - and after completely blowing him off, she heads home to get a good night's rest before a major meeting with a client the next day. When she wakes up, she's not in her trendy NYC apartment at all. Instead she realizes she's been transported to Heart Springs, an idyllic town straight out of a Hallmark movie, and can only get back to her real life after completing three tasks - including falling in love.

I just didn't connect with the book in the way that I thought I might. Initially, I thought the plotline was hilarious and I love magical realism stories. But this was too predictable and a bit too long. I found myself mostly skimming the last 30% just to see how it all wrapped up.

Also, I don't mind open door spice at all in a book. But the spice level didn't match with the greater context of the book. It was a bit jarring to go from literally a Hallmark movie where characters don't kiss on a first date to an all out open door scene.

Ultimately, this book had all of the ingredients for a story that I typically love but the end product left me wanting much more. Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

The premise of this book was quite intriguing: Campbell, a cynical lawyer, gets transported to a small town, Pleasantville style, and in order to go back home she has to pass three tests: to get involved with the community, finding a career she likes and experience love.

But, what is good in theory does not execute well in practice, in this case. First of all, her entire personality is based on her being cynical about everything, people and love. She appears as if she is the only one who's good at her job and lifestyle, the way she keeps her hear or wears her clothes. Not very likeable. i've read someone saying that when it was time of us to like her, we couldn't because of everything she had done so far. I agree, completely.

Ben was quite nice, sure, but we only saw him through Cam's eyes and still, I couldn't get down to like him that much.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportuniy to read this arc. All opinions are my own

Definitely pick up Change of Heart if you find Hallmark movies irresistible! Campbell and Ben go on a blind date but Cam doesn’t think she has time for dating. A little magical realism fairy dust magic and suddenly they are both living out a hallmark movie in the typical Hallmark town of Heart Springs. They are both given tasks they must complete to return to their “real” lives. I loved the learn to love yourself and believe in yourself message.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a fun and quick read!!! I listened to most of it on audio and read the last bit physically and enjoyed it in both formats!!

I’ve read all of Falon Ballard’s books and this is probably one of my favorites! It was such a fun premise and the romance was so sweet. I also loved the found family with the townspeople and seeing the journey Cam went on throughout the book.

Overall, really enjoyed my reading experience!

3.5 ⭐️

After a blind date with Dr. Loving where Campbell acts very dismissive, she wakes up the next morning in a town that resembles one you would find in a Hallmark movie. In order for her and Dr. Loving to return home Cam is given three tasks she must complete. This book was filled with a vivid small town atmosphere and side characters that I adored. The one issue that I had with this book was the lack of scenes between Campbell and Ben. I feel like their relationship felt very "insta-love" even though they were within the Hallmark town for months.

This book is perfect for fans of Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb and A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston. I want to thank Netgalley, the Publisher, and the Author for the Chance to read the arc of this book in exchange for a honest review.

High powered lawyer Cam doesn't think she's missing anything in her life. But after a bad first date with doctor Ben, she wakes up in the Hallmark like town of Heartstrings. There she must find what she loves in life, with the help of Ben and several busybody townspeople in order to go home.

This was a cute one! Here's what I liked:

The magical realism: The alternate universe feel of this book worked well. I liked the concept and the town. All of the characters worked really well in this. They were quirky and much larger than life. A perfect set of characters with an imaginative setting.

Ben: I adored him. He's really well written. I loved his quiet personality and how he approached everything, Book boyfriend for sure.

The humor: Ballard has a perfect sense of humor in her dialogue. This book was more of the same!

All in all, a great magical realism romcom!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

FMC was a bit too grating for me- like an over-stereotyped version of the harsh female boss who works too much. MMC threw an unhinged amount of "sweethearts' around, first sarcastically, then for real? Idk.

The plot had the set up for a really lovely found family situation, but everything was too glossy and it never got beyond surface friendships.

The ending was cute and wrapped up in a bow.

All in all, not my favorite of Ballard's books. (I'm usually a huge fan!!!)

Thanks Netgalley for an ARC.

I love, love, love this book! I picked it up in the morning and was finished before 5 pm.

There have been a lot of attempts to be "meta" about romance in romance novels recently. Sometimes it is as simple as the character being very into them, or noting the tropes an emerging relationship is following. Some integrate the idea into the plot, with Emily Henry's Book Lovers being a pitch-perfect example of that.

Falon Ballard's Change of Heart is right there with Book Lovers.

Cam is the tough-as-nails, career-focused, big-city lawyer. The morning after a disastrous date with Dr. Ben Loving, Cam wakes up in the Hallmark moviesque Heart Springs. Everything is pastel and perfect, she wakes up with her hair and makeup done, and her closet magically picks out a (not)perfect(for her) outfit each morning.

Trying to figure out what happened, she meets up with Mimi, the waitress from the previous night. Mimi gives Cam the path to going back home--she needs to find a career she loves, become an important part of the community, and find true love. Along for the ride to help her on the way? Ben, her date.

Being locked in Heart Springs, with a daunting to-do list, forces Cam to reckon with what made her unhappy in her "real life." Is her high-powered career as a mergers and acquisitions attorney actually what she wants, or is it just an attempt to appease her grandmother? Will she fall for one of the pre-selected, Mimi-approved dates, or is Ben the real love of her life? What does it take to be an important part of one's community? How much work will she put in to return to NYC?

There are a lot of parallels between Change of Heart and Book Lovers that I can't get into without spoiling the plot. Just know that they both are absolute five-star reads for me, with heart and humor at the core.

* Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

(Actual: 3.5⭐) Man, oh man. I love Falon Ballard, I truly do, and I have enjoyed every one of her previous books. However, and it pains me a bit to say this, but CHANGE OF HEART....... hmm. How do I put this? This book surprisingly didn't *WOW* me in the same way her previous novels have. It's good, but not great; it feels almost like a step backward imo, because despite it featuring many tropes I enjoy and despite me breezing through it all fairly quickly, it definitely felt like something was missing. I don't mind fair doses of cliches and cheesiness in my romances, it's somewhat to be expected of course, but COH overstepped into OTT territory in this regard for me and I can't help but wonder where that falter came from considering the quality of Ballard's previous works. One thing I did like though, or at least found to be very compelling, were our MCs, Campbell ("Cam") and Ben, respectively, and how neither of them are portrayed as being perfect* (*especially Cam, who comes off very strong and rather unlikeable in the beginning, but gradually softens as the novel [and her arc] progresses). And while the magical realism aspect of this book was cute, the romance between Cam & Ben could have also been better developed and fleshed out because I wasn't completely sold on it by the end as I think I was supposed to be? Regardless, I still had fun reading this & consider it to be a cute, easy romcom that most will probably still enjoy for its cozy Hallmark-esque vibes (unless you're not a fan of too much cheese or predictability, than this might not be for you). I'm still a Falon Ballard stan though and will always be ready to read more from her!

Lighthearted, fluffy, and very predictable romance. It is quite cheesy and Hallmark-ish, which I get that it is supposed to be, but it was very in your face. It was okay but not my favorite from this author unfortunately!