TW/CW: death of a parent/grief

Y'all, I wanted to love this one. And there were a lot of parts that I really did love, but there were parts that really didn't work for me, so we're going middle of the road. I could argue for a little higher than three stars (maybe 3.25) but not enough to up-rate it. Here's why...

What I loved:
- ALL. OF. THE. CONSENT! This is how you write consent and make it sexy. Writers, please follow this and replicate. Thank you.
- Y'all already know I roll around in found family like it's catnip. And what an absolute precious group! Though, as much as the author was trying to convince us otherwise, Sadie did not deserve this group. She kind of walked all over them. I said what I said.
- Jack was endearing, if you turn a blind eye to ALL of the ways he is super sus... he was just a good guy. And we do love that. We love a hero that isn't toxic but you're suppose to just accept it because "omg he is an asshole to everyone but her" *barf*. And omg I want a story about Nick and Jack's bromance. It's all I care about. I ship them.
- THERAPY!! We loved to see it, we love to see friends helping to guide their friend back to therapy, we love to see self-improvement (but did she really make any?). We love the normalization of therapy.

What I really didn't like:
- I hated being inside Sadie's head. I wanted to slap her 90% of the time. The man literally says "I want to be with you but I need time to GRIEVE MY PARENTS' DEATH" and she is still "omg he doesn't want me he wants me to move out omg". Shut. UP!! The insecurity is strong with this one and it was annoying as hell. But don't worry, she knows she's hot and is dynamite in bed. *rolls eyes*
- Sadie kept telling us how much of an asshole and selfish she was but she really wasn't (well she wasn't supposed to be, but honestly all I was convinced of was that she actually WAS an asshole and super selfish). I know this was part of the plot because it was explained but the explanation was weak and it just became annoying.
- The whole plot was seriously unrealistic. It was reading a published version of what my brain tries to come up with when I am trying to fall asleep at night.
- Sadie was actually pretty dumb and way too naive. Look if I meet some rando and they're like "look at my huge amazing home in NYC and I have completely paid off and you can live here for pennies and I don't work but just play video games in my basement all the time" I would be running for the damn hills because homeboy is 1000% a serial killer. Yes, Jack ended up being "great", but no, it was just weird. He didn't DO anything. He had NO FRIENDS. He literally DID NOTHING. It was sus as hell. But of course, our dude can deliver multiple orgasms blindfolded.

There was a lot here that was good, but overall, I felt that it was poorly executed. The attempt was there but it needed a better delivery. Sorry.

I loved this so much!!! This was the sweetest love story! I would have bought this on my own and I will buy the book to have. This was a friends to lovers trope and I loved it!

The best way that I would describe this book is if one was to take the dynamic of Kate and Toby from This Is Us. I really found myself so quickly charmed by the banter and gentle tones of the romance here--at the root of their story is two adults finding healing and purpose in a spark they hadn't expected to find. I realllyyy found myself charmed by the lengths that the MMC went to welcome the FMC, and equally loved the cast of characters! The friend group here?!?!?!?!?! Unmatched. I think my only note on the book was that it felt very low-stakes which actually just may be me wanting more of a plot-driven story at the time I was reading? A lot of the internal conflict that the FMC has is rooted in trauma but I think the story could have benefited from this being explored just a *bit* more because she would speak so self-deprecatingly and both the other characters and I kept trying to figure out why. It's explained that it's the words of her parents that she's repeating, but I think at times we just didn't understand what was happening. The ending felt just a tad bit rushed but overall it was a really sweet and endearing story about love and new beginnings and taking leaps that are all the more possibly by support that we ALL deserve :)

I loved this book, I truly loved it from the first few pages. I love how it took place in Brooklyn and I love books with strong friend groups who are ultimately family. I kind of want to become a florist now and I wish Bridge and Blooms was a real business. But, I think everyone needs to read this book and I will recommend it to EVERYONE. Also, the epilogue was FANTASTIC!

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

When misogyny rears its ugly head and Sadie is passed over for a promotion because they went with the boss’s new son-in-law (who has ZERO experience), Sadie’s profanity-laden spouting off leads to her termination. In her wallowing, she decides now might be the time to cheer herself up with online dating (she’s more of a one-night stand type). In one of the best meet-cutes EVER, she sits down for date only to discover the dude in front of her is looking for a roommate, actually. His brownstone is gorgeous and rent is low, so Sadie leaps in and then opts to moonlight as a bartender while she pursues her true passion: floral arranging with local, in-season blooms and found objects as the receptacles.

This is not another NYC 20-something romance. For one thing, Sadie is self-proclaimed supremely annoying. Self-deprecating to a nearly self-abusive fault, she is a bit messy in all aspects of her slap-dash life, has a running verbal diatribe, and is wonderfully redeemed by her warm generosity and humor. Jack, the roommate, is a nerdy gamer reclusive man of mystery who slowly opens up to Sadie, treats her like gold, and intimates he’s interested but just not ready. And shockingly, Ms. One Night Stand realizes A. she wants to bone him and 2. she hasn’t so much as flirted with anyone else in five months because Jack is becoming her everything.

This rom-com has the requisite first kiss… but a more real, welcome, realistic and thank goodness less rare let’s take our time and find mutual satisfaction with consent and patience, and rather than gory details of the first time they have penetrative (it took me like 4 tries to spell that, friends) sex, we glimpse the first time after testing without the condom, and it’s sweet and exquisite and intimate. Obvs, there is the declaration of love, followed by too many secrets, a falling out, and making up–but again, with sweetness and patience and realism.

The diverse supporting characters in this novel are FANTASTIC. Sadie’s ride or die crew are her college suitemates Gemma, a frustrated schoolteacher of Asian descent who wants to make food for a living and Harley, an African-American public defender; and wealthy Nick, who has been hanging around them since college (a nice subplot is his crushing on Harley). They rally whenever Sadie needs something, and befriend Jack (he and Nick have a special bond), even inviting him into the group text chat. The way they all make a family is rich and believable.

There were a few times I found Sadie’s voice a little over the top… and then she redeemed herself by revealing past trauma, or her friends defended her behavior. She was a fully realized, flawed character deserving of love who implements techniques from therapy… and goes back when she needs to do more work.

This was a fast but delicious read, with fun artistic details of becoming a florist and starting your own business and figuring who you are, and who you want to be in your twenties. The cover art feels a little more island-y than Brooklyn, and there was a LOT of drinking (I might be old and judgy) that made me a feel a little out of touch with youth culture, but ultimately this was a very satisfying read.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #LeaseOnLove via #NetGalley.

I absolutely adored Lease on Love by Falon Ballard! What a lovely and tender romance. I love the blending of grief with romance. Sadie and Jack were so sweet together. This book has so much depth and heart and character development. And a little steam too. I loved the slow build and the forced proximity. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Sadie wasn't looking for love until it landed on her doorstep.

After getting passed over for an overdue—and much-needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night stand. But when an accidental mix-up lands her on the doorstep of Jack Thomas's gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone, it's too bad Sadie is more attracted to the impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.

Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.

I feel like this is the plot of a fanfiction from the earl 2000's, but in the best way. It gives 2005 rom-com and I wil be buying a physical copy.

“No matter what happens tomorrow or next week or in a month or in a year, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sadie Green.”

After not receiving the promotion she’s been wanting for years, Sadie has been fired from her job and drunkenly sets up a “date” while she’s out with her friends. She didn’t realize that she actually swiped right on an app looking for a roommate rather than a dating app. Sadie ends up meeting Jack, a quiet nerdy hipster who’s looking for a roommate and the owner of a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn. Sadie didn’t expect to fall in love with the place until she saw the backyard and the fact that the rent is low. But will that be the only thing that she falls in love with?

Lease on Love was a joy to read! Sadie
was the hilarious, sarcastic, says-whatever-is-on-her-mind type of person while Jack was the quiet and shy person. The perfect pair of polar opposites. I was completely smitten by these two and desperately wanted Jack’s POV!

🌷READ IF YOU LIKE🌷:
- roommates/forced proximity
- friends to lovers
- brownstones in NYC
- plant enthusiast
- spreadsheets
- sustainable floral design company
- opposites attract
- friendships & found family
- slow burn
- Beach Read x The Flatshare
- group text messages
- Real Housewives

cw: grief, death of loved ones, sexism, parental verbal abuse, parent abandonment

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the advanced copy! Lease on Love is now available!

It took all of five minutes for me to realize that I was going to love this debut author's work, and love it I did. This was excellent - light, swoony, and slow-burning, with depth that sneaks up on you and a focus on mental health. I adored the roommates to lovers dynamic, and this hero is fantastic, the perfect book boyfriend. The funny thing is that I was worried this was going to be too women's fiction-y for me, but that concern was quickly put to rest when the f-bombs started flying in the first chapter, lol. It felt fresh, modern, and yeah, everything millennial dreams are made of... because I'll be the first to admit that the storyline is pure fantasy in some ways. The sense of found family and community was really heartwarming, and the book just felt so unique.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an ARC of this book.

Sadie was just recently passed up for a promotion at her financial job in NYC due to her boss hiring his future son in law. To make matters worse her boss expects her to train his future son in law. When Sadie let her feelings known about this in a staff meeting she is fired. Sadie then contacts her friends who are supportive and they go out for drinks. Knowing she will soon be unable to afford her NYC apartment she signs up for a roomate app. After a night out of drinking she thinks she hops on to her dating app and responds to an a person and agrees to meet a guy named Jack. When they meet she assumes she is going out on a date and when Jack walks in to the coffee shop all casual she finds out that it wasn’t a date but she actually responded to his roommate ad. Despite the mix up Sadie explained her recent situation and Jack offered for her to live with him. Sadie agrees and after she moves in her entire world changes. Sadie starts working at a local bar saving money to start her own floral business. With the support of her 3 friends and now Jack her dream becomes a reality. During this time Sadie and Jack become really good friends and start to fall in love. As the story goes on we learn more about Jack and why he is backward and a secret he has been hiding.

Overall for a debut book this was great! At times it was a little drawn out but I was still intrigued to continue to read. The ending did catch me by surprise a bit but in a good way. I also really enjoyed the supporting characters as well.

I can't even believe that this was a debut for Falon Ballard. I instantly fell in love with these characters and this story. Sadie was someone that I instantly loved and wanted to become friends with. She was full of sass, hilarious one liners, so insanely bossy in a funny way, and unapologetically herself. I loved her vulnerability to express her self-esteem issues and past trauma. I really felt like I could relate to her as a human being in so many aspects and I think we would have made instant friends. I absolutely loved this friend group and their text message exchanges throughout the story. The conversations felt so real and I was immediately drawn to their world and wanted to know what they were doing at every second of the day. They were hilarious and their love for one another was so apparent. Friends that are family is so special to me.

The banter in this one was 100% the best I've read in probably any other story. I don't think I have ever read a book with such fun and relatable characters. I literally loved every single one of them so much. I smiled throughout the story and I couldn't wait to see what would happen for these characters. I rooted for them all, and I just wanted to meet them some place for a drink and good conversation.

I seriously can't wait to see what Falon Ballard writes next! Thank you so much Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this one. I was smiling while reading it because it was so darn cute. I will definitely look out for Falon Ballard's next book.

I stayed up late finishing this book and I think I waited a few days too long to write my review because all the thoughts I had have vanished. I’ll try my best anyway, though it’ll probably be less eloquent than I intended. 😂

Sadie is A LOT but somehow I didn’t mind. Her nonstop torrent of mindless chatter was entertaining to me. I did find her negative self-image and self-talk to be over the top and annoying at times, but it’s probably realistic. Her friend group was fun and Jack was a DELIGHT. I love this sweet, sensitive man. The tension was great throughout the story and watching their friendship grow at a realistic pace was nice. There are a lot of text exchanges which I enjoyed. This is a sweet story of found-family. It tackles deep grief and childhood emotional scars without ever being too heavy. There’s a big twist/reveal at the end that I found meh. I didn’t find it overly interesting or dramatic, which made Sadie’s dramatic reaction frustrating. Overall a good read. I found myself heartbroken with the characters and had a physical ache in my chest while reading, which is always a sign of a good book for me! Thanks to NetGalley for the copy to review.

I absolutely ADORED this book. I want to live in it. From the setting (Brooklyn) to the love interests (roommates turned lovers) and the friends (THE BEST FRIENDS), to the mental health representation and coming into one’s own, I loved everything about it. And I’ve been searching for a similar reading experience ever since.

A slow burn open door romance, I was hooked just a few pages in. I loved both Sadie and Jack, but especially their friends. The author said she wrote this during the height of the pandemic when she needed an escape, and that's exactly what this is – the perfect escape. I was immediately transported to New York, and could picture Jack's huge brownstone, Sadie's flowers, the streets of Brooklyn. I IMMEDIATELY bought a physical copy for my shelves.

Lease on Love is a sweet story with a sweet romance and a fun trope — roommates to lovers — but much of it didn’t work for me. It seems that so many of the narrators of contemporary romance novels are a stereotypical white feminist “girl boss” whose naïveté is passed off as a quirkiness we’re supposed to find endearing, and it’s exhausting after 200+ pages. And despite the main character being in everyone’s dream situation — extremely wealthy, extremely hot guy offers you next-to-nothing rent in a Brooklyn brownstone and then caters to your every need — nothing about this felt particularly aspirational. The secondary cast of characters was very lovable and it was refreshing to see them included regularly, which kept this book afloat for me.

Roommates to lovers is usually not my favorite trope but this story is the exception. Love it. Cute, sexy, sweat and heartwarming.

Not to be dramatic, but this is the best book I’ve ever read. Or, at the very least, it’s one of my favorites of the year so far. It has brought me SUCH JOY.

Jack and Sadie’s love story is the ultimate SLOWWW BURN of love and friendship, which is my absolute favorite way to experience a love story. There was no rushing this and it made the story believable and had me pining. Fallon Ballard brought every characters’ personality to life so exquisitely- I never felt like I was wanting for more. From a CMQ-level friend group and an Emily-Henry-level friends-to-lovers arc, Ballard and Lease on Love will go down in romance history.

I am not sure if this next part made it into final publication, but feel it needs to be said as an ARC reader: Sadie and Jack talk openly about getting tested for STIs (yay!), but when they find out they do not have any, they use that term “clean” (not yay.) I get it, that’s the way the world kind of speaks on this topic right now, but it will always rub me the wrong way to infer that people who have STIs are dirty or not “clean”. We as romance readers and lovers should be making it a point to do away with this stigma, so I feel it is worth bringing up.

I will now be bothering everyone I know to read this book.

Lease on Love, by Falon Ballard is a light hearted, romantic read. Sadie is up for the promotion of a lifetime.. she has earned it and worked her heart out for six years to get it. She lives the company she works for and she loves her work so things are moving in the right direction. Except on the day of the promotion, her boss gives the job to his son in law. She loses her mind and says things she can’t take back and finds herself fired. She now how has to re-evaluate her life and her finances. She has to figure things out and quick. Fast forward and Sadie finds herself at the beautiful brownstone of Jack Thomas.. He is renting out a room, for peanuts and Sadie can’t pass it up. Both are a bit broken and suffering from past losses. While at first Sadie is quirky and loud, Jack Thomas is quiet and reserved. Can these two get along long enough to be roommates? Can their differences bring them closer together? Can they both move forward and find happiness? I really enjoyed this story. Sometimes it’s nice to escape in a happy story. The writing was very good and I am glad I got to read it. Thank you to Netgalley & the author for my copy of this book for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review it. I hope you enjoy it too.

Falon Ballard's debut is a slow burn sexy warm hug of a story that I couldn't put down (seriously, I read it in a single day)!

Sadie has her life in order—until she doesn't. While she's drinking away her sorrows, she starts swiping through her dating app. Except turns out it wasn't her dating app but a roommate matching app and she's just agreed to take a look at a gorgeous (and dirt cheap) Brooklyn brownstone owned by a cute nerd named Jack.

Sadie and Jack go from roommates to friends to lovers, stopping for a looong time at the excruciatingly sexy phase of "we both know this is going to happen, just not yet," which is apparently one of my favorite things in a romance novel because I ate. it. up. I loved that the chemistry between the couple really worked here, and that we got sex on the page after all that build up of heat.

This book was so much fun, and I can't wait to reread it. So glad I already pre-ordered so I can own this beauty in hard copy. Because that COVER. It is one of my favorites in the genre in years.