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Change of Heart by Falon Ballard brings in a touch of magical goodness, with a spicy Hallmark romance that I was just here for. Cam is a big city girl, who’s focused on her career and doesn’t have time for love or relationships. She goes on a somewhat disastrous blind date with Ben, and then the next morning is magically transported to Heart Springs to complete three tasks before she’s allowed to return home. Surprise! though, Ben is there too…

I really enjoyed the small town vibes we got with Heart Springs, and the cast of characters Cam and Ben interact with there. I really did feel like I was watching a Hallmark movie as I was reading, and even though Cam is somewhat prickly and could very much so be unlikeable by a lot of people she has her reasons and it was sooooo lovely to witness her growth and development as the book progresses. I definitely laughed out loud multiple times as I was reading – especially when Cam was working in the bookstore and the reccs she was giving out to the townspeople. The only other thing I wish we would have had is Ben’s POV – because he was just so supportive and there for Cam and I would have wanted to be in his brain just a little to see his motivation.

Overall, it was a cute and fun read. I’m a Falon Ballard fangirl and yet another one of hers that I have enjoyed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Falon Ballard and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

3.5 rounded up
This was a cute romcom with the little bit of magic in it. It was a very cute premise. I enjoyed the ways the author followed the stereotypes of a Hallmark movie, but I liked even more the way she deviated from them, bringing a fresh take to the overused formula.

I liked how Campbell, the female main character, developed in the story. It was well-paced, and she grew without her entire personality changing. I also like that there is a female friendship that develops.

As for the romance, I like the two characters together, but there wasn't quite the spark I wanted. It was very one-sided, The story is only told through Campbell's perspective, so this makes sense to a certain extent, but there could have been more to show Ben's interest. I didn't experience that rush of relief when the characters finally got together. Still, they made sense together, and, most importantly, I knew why they were good for each other.

The story was well-written, but something I found interesting was that Falon's writing tone comes across very sweet and wholesome, yet her main female was more of a hard-boiled character. The tone and the character just didn't quite jive.

Overall, it was a cute story!

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard
Release Date: Feb 11


I was 90% sure I would hate this book when I first started reading. Cam was extremely unlikable and rude and fell squarely into that ambitious city girl in a Hallmark romance movie so much so that it was over the top. I thought I would never come to appreciate the character.
Fortunately, I was wrong and I ended up really enjoying the story. It was over the top, but it felt like it was supposed to be like that because of Heart Springs. Cam came a long way and I ended up understanding more of why she was the way she was. I had so much fun with her growth!
My only actual complaint is that I wished I understood Ben more. He was great and really supported Cam as a friend despite the way she treated him, but I still didn’t understand him. He was like a blank perfect guy canvas, but people aren’t just placeholders and I just wish I knew who he was.
Still, I liked the book and thought the romance and set up was pretty cute and it was a fun story. I definitely recommend to fans of romcoms. Add this one to your TBR!

Change of Hearts was a cute rom-com with some spice. The magical concept was super unique and I love Falon’s sense of humor written in the book. However, I didn’t like the character development of Ben. I know he was written as a super caring and sincere guy but I feel like I don’t know much about him throughout the story. He calls Cam “sweetheart” from the beginning which is a little odd for me since he didn’t exactly know her and “sweetheart” was used a lot in the book. I still like the book overall but it wasn’t one of my favorite of her books. Thank you Penguin Group Putnam, Netgalley, and Falon Ballard for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book because I’m a big fan of Falon Ballard. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t the one for me.

I couldn’t connect with the main character, Cam, at all and although I liked Ben, he was a really bland character that I feel like we really didn’t get to learn much about.

I liked the premise of the the story. Big time city lawyer gets trapped in a Hallmark movie town so she can learn and change into a better/happier person, but the way it was done made all of Cam’s growth seem forced. It seemed like she was only changing so she could get home. Also, why was Ben there? It seemed like he only got sucked into the world to be her love interest. I also didn’t feel like the characters were very genuine.


The concept for this book was great and if you’re looking for a fluffy low key read, this one may be for you.

A career focused, allergic-to-love heroine wakes up in a small town that would make a Hallmark Movie jealous? And Falon Ballard wrote it??

SIGN. ME. UP.

When tough as nails Campbell Andrews wakes up in Heart Springs, the dreamy small town is her living nightmare. To get home, all she has to do is complete three tasks. Cam is convinced she can easily get them done and get home to NYC. But this magic little town has a plan of its own.

Falon’s upcoming release Change of Heart is a delight. Her books are always the perfect balance of rom and com and this is no exception. Cam’s story weaves just enough magic to keep you on your toes and keep a smile on your face. It’s a cozy, warmhearted read that you can’t help but fall for.

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard comes out on 2/11.

A big thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The main character, Cam, was just so mean and unlikable. The whole vibe of the book was just off to me and it took me so long to get through it. I’m sure there will be people who love this book but I am not one of them.

I had to DNF this. The plot sounded whimsical and fun, two things the FMC is not. She was very unlikable and was rude to the MMC for no fucking reason. He also kept saying sweetheart every 5 seconds and it came off as condescending to me. She also used "farce" like 4 times and I only read 31%. There is no need for that. I really wanted to like Falon Ballard's writing. I hate being a hater but this book was not for me :/

Change of Heart was an okay read. While there were several elements I enjoyed, I unfortunately just couldn’t connect with the story or characters.

It’s in the heroine’s POV only, which I did feel like it hindered the story at times by not having the hero’s POV as well. There were some great tropes though like, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, a black cat heroine, and a small-town romance.

The overall premise was decent. The magical realism aspect was pretty enjoyable and all the side characters were great. However, the main characters especially the hero felt very one-dimensional. There was a lot happening as well, which did make it a bit difficult to see where the plot was heading.

The romance felt very underdeveloped as well. We were told instead of shown their romantic development. They did have some good banter and spice though.

There were also several subplots that were rushed at the end. But the conclusion was still cute. Overall, a decent read just not my favorite from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be honest, I was disappointed in this book. While it has all the right ingredients for a cozy romance, I feel like it fell into the Hallmark movie trap. The love story isn’t believable, they don’t have chemistry because Ben’s character isn’t developed enough and falls flat. I’ve really enjoyed her other books, which is why I’m so surprised that I’m having this reaction to this book. Cam is unlikable and entitled and her character arc isn’t warranted, it all feels so forced. TBH, I’d rather watch The Merry Gentlemen again than read this, and that’s saying something.

This was pretty cute! At first I didn’t love the FMC, but that was kind of the point, and we did see growth in her character. I loved the mmc but I wish there was a bit more substance to their friendship stage. Despite that I had a really good time!

A sweet, Hallmarky rom-com with a touch of magical realism. I found this novel to be a bit on the predictable side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. What would you do if you were a career focused woman who gets transported to a Hallmark-esque town after a tolerable first date? Well Campbell Andrews gets to find out in this cute tale of grump versus sunshine. Cam has been agreeing to dates to appease her grandmother but this time it’s backfired and she wakes up in a new reality where finding love is supposed to be her only focus. A lighthearted story about finding your priorities as well as happily ever after.

Once again, Falon has knocked it out the park.

I found myself literally giggling while reading this whimsical story. Ben and Cam have an attraction stronger than magnets pulling together. From Heart Springs the fantasy world to New York - their story is charming. While Ben is tasked by Mimi to keep tabs on Cam - it is Cam that flips the script, literally but ends up finding herself and true love.

The story and scenery is so well described that I could visually see this being a Hallmark movie with better plot twists than on tv.

Definitely a book to get your hands on when it comes out… I am so glad I got another one of Falon’s books early!

2.5 stars (rounded up because I like this author)

I think this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the finished product did not work for me personally. I like an unlikable FMC but this one was just openly rude and hostile from the jump (yet lets basically a stranger touch her lower back to leave the disaster date??). And being as hostile as she is, the fact that she didn't punch the MMC in the throat with the first condescending "sweetheart" shocks me. Speaking of that, I think I could've done with like 25% of the usage of sweetheart because it was....often. The MMC felt too nice and a bit flat to me which had we maybe had his POV we would get to see his personality more. Because when Cam mentions his banter and sarcasm, I couldn't recall it at all. They were also trapped in the town for WEEKS on WEEKS on WEEKS and were not completely freaking out...Ben was basically not freaking out ever. Which...what? I actually think had they gotten back to the real world around 60% and had the last bit of the book be reconciling the return and the change of their attitudes would have been really interesting (plus sometimes the stuff in the town felt both too slow and too much happening) and learning how to be together in the real world too. I'm really bummed though I wasn't a fan of this book because I do really like this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Thank you to Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I love how Falon Ballard dived into magical realism with this one. The characters were well drawn out and even though magical realism makes no sense to me, I eat it up like candy.

The MFC, Cam is blunt and has zero time for anything other than work. Even when she goes on blind dates to appease her grandmother, she has her eyes glued to her phone and no interest in making small talk with any potential suitor.

When she wakes up in the book version of Pleasantville, to her utmost shock, her blind date from the night before (Ben) is also stuck in this alternate universe. The control freak in her has to learn to let go. She has to learn how to be a human with actual feelings and actual relationships.
Ben plays the part of a side character throughout the book, offering Cam a listening ear and helping hand as needed.
This is a really slow burn, but worth the wait as Cam and Ben form a deep bond figuring out how to get home.

I think this book is made for anyone who is a fan of Pleasantville and strong female characters who are on a path of self-acceptance and discovery.

I’m not going to lie- I had a hard time engaging with this one. The lead character starts off with such a tremendously bad attitude that it was hard to become invested in her. I had an instantaneous dislike to her and how she treated people that it was hard to root for her. I appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish but it was too much- readers need to like her a little bit at least but there was not a lot to work with there. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the antics. However, this one was not for me.

i wanted to like this book so badly because every one of falon’s other books were 4/5 stars for me but this one was just not it. 🫠

i was genuinely interested in the plot for the first few pages but then when the main character woke up in a magical dream world, the author lost me. if there’s one thing i hate it’s magical realism. fun fact. 😅

after a date gone wrong, campbell was looking forward to getting back to work and focusing on things that mattered aka not finding true love. well mimi, the waitress in the restaurant witnessed the date first hand and thought cam and ben were destined to be together so she freaky friday-ed them into a third world dimension and they woke up in heart springs — a literal dream world.

campbell had several tasks she needed to complete before mimi was going to let her go back to the real world. while cam was working on her tasks she began wondering if she should even return to the real world or whether her family even missed her. with tasks to complete, cam had a lot of self-reflecting to do while in heart springs. would she complete the tasks or stay in heart springs forever?

Falon Ballard is one of my favorite romance authors and nothing has changed with her newest book, Change of Heart. I absolutely love her fresh voice, easy-breezy prose, realistic and flawed characters, and fast-paced plots. I absolutely loved the premise of this one and the magical/speculative spin. Full of sharp and hilarious banter, heart-tugging moments, and plenty of steam, Falon Ballard has solidified her place on my auto-read list!

Cam is a workaholic lawyer, trying to please her family (especially Grandmother). Without a work-life balance, the dates she goes on are set up by her Grandmother, as well. When Cam meets her date, Ben, at the cafe, she is engrossed in her phone and replying to emails rather than holding conversation with the handsome pediatric surgeon. Even their server, Mimi, notices.
Mimi even takes care of the bill, with a note saying next time she hopes they "will be more present and accept the love that surrounds" them. Cryptic? Yes. Next time? No.
But when Cam wakes up in Heart Springs the next morning, she learns she's stuck in the small town with 3 tasks to get home. Who is the task master? Mimi. Who is also there, and her neighbor? Ben.
Will Cam complete the tasks and return to NYC? Or, will she learn a little about herself and stay in Heart Springs?
Not my favorite Fallon Ballard book, but does have her great character development and relatable story.