A second (or third?) chance love story paired with some serious work drama. Loved the text and Slack excerpts for a multi-dimensional feel. I was cheering for Seth and Lana from the very start. Maybe you'll pick a side, maybe you won't. I flew through this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the preview!

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This book was hard for me to review. Not because I didn’t like it, I did like it, but because I was having a hard time finding what I wanted to say about the MFC. She really frustrated me at first with how hostile she was towards Seth. Some of it borderlined as immature. She was so self-absorbed in her own bitterness and judgement and anger that became frustrating to read. I wish we got a little more of what happened between her and Seth earlier in the story. We know something happened and it deeply hurt her but knowing a little earlier might have curved my frustration a bit.
As the book went on I became less frustrated and really rooted for Lana as she discovered herself and really found herself. Her journey was beautiful. I love how she starts to recognize the unhealthy and unprofessional relationship with her boss. She stands up for herself and I love how she confronts her mom and that her mom reminds Lana of last piece of herself (Lana) that she was looking for. She realizes that Seth was always supporting and doing what he thought was best her because he loved her, he just he didn’t go about it the best way.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Lana’s growth to find and be secure with herself. It made me do some self reflection of my own and realize that I was frustrated with Lana because I saw a lot of my self in her and turns out that it can be frustrating to read a character that is a lot like yourself and has a hard time letting go. It really was a cute and beautiful story and I will read more by Falon Ballard.

In Just My Type, LP and her high school ex boyfriend, Seth have to go head to head for a job. They’re tasked with challenges for the serial monogamist LP to become OK with being single and for Seth to find a long term relationship.

The book was quite enjoyable, especially if I put aside the little things that bugged me about it. I enjoyed reading the main character’s personal growth, and I especially liked where the author took the concept of learning to be by yourself, that you don’t have to be single to stand on your own two feet.

I was very vested in the workplace drama. LP’s boss is… a piece of work. I was really impressed with how that whole arc was handled as well.

The romance was super cute. I love second chance romance, and I could truly feel their connection throughout the book, how much they mattered to each other. How they clearly still loved one another even if they’re in denial about it. It all wrapped up quite adorably by the end too.

There were many other great small details like the strong friendships, complicated mother-daughter relationship, and in depth therapy sessions. Like not just saying she went to therapy and have everything magically fixed but having the sessions on page, throughout the book.


Everything that bugged me:
- I couldn’t stand the main character for most of the book, she comes across very immature, and thinks the whole world revolves around her.
- The emotional resolution of a lot of the problems are very surface. She attends a single event, and is cured of her anger towards her ex, she attends another and is cured of her resentment towards her mom and so on.These are complex and real feelings that deserve more space to heal.
- I didn’t get the resolution of LP and Seth’s differences on what happened with them in the past. She seemed to have such strong feelings about how he messed up last time they saw each other. Then when they actually talk about it, she takes all the blame?
- There are a lot of unexplained and unresolved details. Like what happened with #LongTermPotential, why Seth seemingly keeps going hot and cold, why he made the blind date act that way etc.
- Initially I thought it was cool that the MC was using Norse Gods in place of saying God, like “Oh my Loki” but then I realized, no, she means the Marvel characters, and it immediately became cringey.
- Other cringey parts too, especially one possibly problematic one where the MC thinks she’ll just make a gay guy kiss her since it won’t mean anything to him?! WAT?!...

Thank you to G. P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Group and NetGalley for the eARC,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC. Overall this was a fun friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers story. I laughed a good amount through this one and enjoyed the antics. I enjoyed the friend/work group immensely. I appreciated how the main characters are working through some things, and therapy gets a big shout out. The idea behind the “lists” was fun to watch play out.
Things I didn’t love…
There were some weird dynamics with a boss that seemed way out of line to me. The male love interest came off immature and even mean a few times, which didn’t match how he was described and portrayed, making me very confused by his character at the beginning eof the story. Both the love interest and the main lead seemed very immature at the beginning, acting like the high schoolers they used to be, and that pulled me out of this thirty something love story. It also felt disingenuous that the premise was that Lana was supposed to learn to be on her own, and the whole thing is a love story. I almost wish this wasn’t a RomCom and had gone in a different direction. Overall, it was a fun read and there were many laughs, alongside some cringes. 😂

This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me. As I was looking to read something warm and just nice the last few days. I love the growth of these characters and though stubbornness can be annoying I found it charming in this book. I was a big fan of all the pop culture references, especially the Marvel ones. Overall a fun read.

A full review of this book can be found on my blog: https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-just-my-type-by-falon-ballard

Just my Type
By Falon Ballard
Release Date: February 7th 2023

I don’t know what I was expecting but I really liked this book! I al not one for workplace romances usually but I did really like this one! Lana and Seth were very sweet and I loved seeing them grow in this book!


Tropes:
High school sweethearts
Friendly competition
Second chance romance
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Open door
Workplace romance
Fun Group text chat
Similar to “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days”

Triggers:
Abandonment
Profanity
Emotional abuse

Synopsis:
Lana Parker is an expert girlfriend. After a disastrous breakup with her high school boyfriend, she's bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationhip and even works as the dating and relationships columnist for one of Los Angeles's trendiest websites. But when Lana suddenly finds herself single, she's ready to take a break, both personally and professionally.
That is, until her high school ex, Seth Carson, takes an assignment at Lana's site. Having spent years traveling the world as a freelance journalist, Seth's finally ready to put down roots. Seth and Lana's chemistry is just as combative-and undeniable-as ever and quickly leads to a competition that could shape both of their careers.
Pitted against each other by Lana's boss, they are each tasked with writing an article series that goes against their usual dating type: Lana needs to write about being single and staying single, while Seth must learn to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever's series is most popular wins a highly coveted dream job. But when the two square off, it's not only their careers on the line-it's also their hearts.

Thank you @NetGalley for this ARC

Loved it!
We def get How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and a little bit of Never Been Kissed vibes here .
It's a enemies-to-loves but only bc of their past and also a 2nd chance rom-com.
So we have polar opposites: Lana (who is addicted to relationships) and Seth (who can not be involved in long-term ones), and boy does this book show you why.
Wait til you find out all of the reasons they are the way that they are.
This book also shows the growth of their characters and digs deep into the past, past relationships and their feelings.
Oh and let's not forget all the fun banter that we get from these 2 def added a ton of laugh-out-loud moments to the book.
Not only do they learn more about themselves but also about each other.
I do have 1 con about this book and its nothing terrible but in my opinion, I feel that we get more POV of Lana than we do Seth and I would have liked to see more of his side (for example his therapy sessions and such) but it was still a great book.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book early (ARC) this review is voluntary and of all my own and honest opinions.

Ohhh this book. It gave me all the heart eyes!!
Perfect second chance romance and enemies to lovers tropes wrapped up in this sweet and endearing book.

Lana is a journalist for an online magazine in LA, and a serial monogamist. After she gets dumped by the most recent boyfriend, she doesn’t even have a chance to get over her hangover before being faced with her first love, Seth. Seth, a serial dater, just moved to LA and finds himself working with Lana. They are pitted against eachother in a contest where Lana must stay single and learn to love herself, and Seth must try to put down roots. Set with a list of tasks each week, they must complete them and write corresponding articles. At the end of the 10 weeks, viewers will vote and pick a winner to get their own column with The Chronicle. The more time the pair spends together, the more the sparks start to fly.

I absolutely adored everything about Seth and Lana, I LOVED the friends group, and just loved all the witty banter that flew throughout the novel. This one is an easy 5 stars for me!! I now need to hunt down anything and everything Falon Ballard to devour!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Putnam group for my ARC in exchange for my feedback! This one’s definitely a keeper!

This book was so cute! It was relatable, funny and heartwarming. I loved the characters and the plot. Easy 5 stars!

Lana Parker writes for an online magazine in L.A. It was her childhood dream to be a writer in L.A. It’s just that she never thought she’d spend years writing about relationships. A serial monogamist, Lana has been in relationship after relationship, until this night, where her boyfriend of four years has asked her out to the expensive restaurant he took her on their first date. Lana thinks the night will end with a diamond ring and champagne. Instead, it ends with a dangerous amount of alcohol, ice cream, and crying on her best friend’s shoulder after Evan ends the relationship.

Lana doesn’t even have a chance to recover from her hangover the next morning when she has to head into her office for a meeting. She’s usually fine to work from home or in one of her favorite coffeeshops, but her boss Natasha has called an in-person meeting for the staff, and Lana has only minutes before she needs to be on her way to the office of Always Take Fountain.

The meeting doesn’t go quite as expected, as everyone wants to congratulate Lana on getting engaged. When she tells them what happened, they are supportive and compassionate. But Natasha has to get things back on track for the meeting, so she suggests that Lana use this breakup in her popular column. She had been in a relationship for almost the entire time she’d been writing it. Now she had a chance to explore being single. And then she dropped the bomb.

The magazine had been acquired, by the L.A. Chronicle. They were wanting to add more lifestyle pieces to their repertoire. And they were wanting the magazine to start by hosting a reporter who had been traveling and writing news stories. He’s new to L.A., finally wanting to settle down in one place and put down roots. And as soon as he walks in the room, Lana knows him by his voice. It’s Seth Carson, her first boyfriend. And then she throws up.

When she recovers, Natasha sets out the assignments they’ve come up with. Lana will be writing about being single, and Seth, a serial dater, will be writing about getting ready for a long-term relationship. They will each come up with 10 tasks the other will need to do and write about, and at the end, the readers will vote on who wins. The winner gets their own column in the Chronicle, where they can write whatever they want. Pop culture fanatic Lana can finally write the column she’s always wanted to, about the books and movies she loves. She is determined to win.

When Lana and Seth trade lists, she finds out that she has to go on a blind date, try speed dating, go to therapy, kiss a stranger, take a vacation by herself, and learn to be okay with being alone, among other tasks. The tasks Lana came up with for Seth include buying furniture and linens, updating his wardrobe, getting a pet, keeping a plant alive, going on a date with someone three times, and deleting Tinder and any booty-call phone numbers from his phone. Each week. they both take on a task and then write an article. Then the readers take over.

But as Lana works through the tasks, including getting back into therapy and trying a kickboxing class that’s possibly even more therapeutic than the talking, she does take the time to ask herself some big questions about the choices she’s made in relationships and why she’s made them. But she also can’t deny that being around Seth has awakened a lot of feelings she thought she had left behind long ago. There is the anger, that he’s shown up in L.A. out of nowhere and is trying to take her dream job. But there is more too. She can’t help but feel sparks. At one point, Seth had felt like home. And now Lana has to figure out how to get past those feelings, so she can be okay on her own, win over readers with her vulnerability, and get that job.

But it will take everything she has to win the fight against her ex, against her previous relationship patterns, and even against her own heart.

Just My Type is the the latest rom com from Falon Ballard, the author of Lease on Love. Inventive and clever, this story looks at toxic dating choices from just about every angle, from those who jump into relationships too quickly and those who don’t jump to relationships at all and those who try out speed dating a couple of decades after its prime out of desperation. It’s funny and smart and sweet and pitch perfect.

I absolutely loved Just My Type. I liked these characters a lot, and though the writing competition had some artificial artifice to it, I found it forgivable because it was just so much fun. My main complaint is that I wanted more of Duke. He stole his scenes. Otherwise, it was exactly what I was looking for in a romantic comedy, and I will keep laughing about some of the things from this book for many weeks to come.

Egalleys for Just My Type were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Tropes: second chance romance, enemies to lovers, workplace rivals
CW: absent parent, steam but easily skippable, and a dishonest, manipulative boss

Lana and Seth dated all through HS but he broke it off when she went off to college. In and out of relationships since, Lana has been working as a writer in LA. She arrives at a staff mtg to find Seth who is her new coworker. Once her boss discovers they have a history she pits them against each other in a series of tasks helping the other to grow- “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” style. The winner will get a coveted writing position. But why is Seth in LA of all places? And why is it bringing up old feelings in Lana?

What I Liked:
🌻Lana’s confidence and growth by the end of the book.
🌻The healthy portrayal of therapy and setting boundaries for loved ones
🌻The coworker Slack conversations were funny.
🌻Seth calls Lana “Parker” (her last name) and it is very cute.

What I didn’t like
🌻Sooooooooo much miscommunication. So much. 🤦🏻‍♀️
🌻I have a few other dislikes but they are spoilers and still fall under miscommunication so see above 😄

🌻I think I’m in the minority on my views which is ok! I also really don’t like second chance romance stories so part of my dislike was probably influenced by that.

After a particularly bad breakup, journalist Lana decides to take a break from dating. Her boss suggests she write about it—as part of a competition with a new staff member, who just happens to be Lana's high school ex-boyfriend. Lana hasn't seen Seth in years, and in that time, he's developed a reputation as a playboy. So his challenge is to refrain from physical relationships, and find a woman he could settle down with. As their old feelings resurface, can Lana and Seth stick to the rules?

Lana and Seth still have chemistry—but they have old hurts to overcome before they can be together. If you like emotional second-chance romance, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Just My Type by Fallon Ballard is a sizzling, trope-filled read that will have most rom-com fans declaring, "It's just my type of book!" With its witty dialogue, uproarious banter, and endearing characters, My Type is an utterly perfect romantic comedy.

I really liked this one! I'd say 3.5 stars rounded up. Though enemies-to-lovers isn't my favorite trope ever, I love a good second-chance romance. The banter between Parker and Seth was fab, and all of the little bookish and TV references (Talia Hibbert, Ted Lasso, Schitts Creek!!) had me wanting to hang out IRL with Falon Ballard.

This was TOP TIER. Everything Falon Ballard has written has been an automatic five stars for me. This book has everything I love as a romance reader; banter for days, a found family group of friends and my absolute favorite trope of a second chance romance. Mix in a bit of rivals to lovers and this was my idea of perfect. I would happily read this book ten more times in the next week and be overjoyed... that's how good it was.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book definitely made me feel all of the emotions! I loved the articles at the end and they had me tearing up!

I really loved to watch Lana’s character growth throughout this book. I really think she found some self confidence and self love she was lacking at the beginning of the book. There were definitely times I think she was right to apologize, but also there were times I wanted her to stick up more for herself and her actions. I also love that she started to go back to therapy and how that was showcased in this book.

I would have loved some of Seth’s POV here, even as the epilogue. I do understand at the beginning why it wasn’t provided, but as the story grew and you knew where it was going I would have loved his insight into the situation.

I think Fallon did a great job with this second book and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

This was a really, enjoyable read. This is a combo enemies-to-lovers/second chance book, and it was just so stinking fun. Lana and Seth are good characters with depth and uniqueness that really drew me to both of them. I enjoyed the chemistry (and the denial) between the two of them.

Definitely a rom-com done right!

Oh my gracious I ADORED this book!!! 💜 the absolute perfect read for February AKA love month!!

What to expect:
💜 lovers to enemies to lovers
💜 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes
💜 second chance romance
💜 forced proximity
💜 workplace rivalry
💜 open door romance

Literally pretty much all of my favorite literary tropes in one book, PLUS it gave me serious vibes from my favorite rom com movie of all time - how could I not freakin love every minute of this story?? 🤌💖 I had the chance to read the eARC and loved it so much I bought my own copy. I think this book is even better than her first! Give this a chance if you love enemies to lovers rom coms, it’s up there in my top 10.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC!

“I’m the spinning needle of a compass, and you’ve always been my true north, Parker.”

Such a cute and swoony second chance romance with a super fun cast of side characters. I did not love how much Natasha (the boss) oversteps in Lana’s personal life, or that she pitted Lana and Seth against each other to “win” a job that Lana had worked so hard for already. I really kept hoping for someone to catch on and her to be knocked down a peg or two. Or fired. 🤷🏼‍♀️ HOWEVER, I did love the challenges that Lana and Seth created for each other as part of the competition. Former-lovers-turned-enemies to lovers is kiiind of a jam. It was so fun to see them do some of those tasks together and be so comfortable with each other after years apart. They rediscover each other as Lana rediscovers herself, too. Seth seems to give her a lot of affirmation that she really needed. Not like, you need to do better, but you already are amazing. Just really swoony stuff!! This was a highly enjoyable, quick read!!

3.5/5 stars

Just My Type by Falon Ballard is a contemporary romance that gives off How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days vibes. This book follows Lana Parker, a writer for a lifestyle and pop culture firm, but also a blogger and serial monogamist. Her content life goes awry when her ex from 12 years prior shows up, and her boss pits their opposing love lifestyles against each other for clicks and reads. Through his experience, can Lana learn more about herself and accept who she is deep down?

Honestly, this book had the potential. The plot was great. What bothered me the most was the super toxic workplace situation. Her boss was WAY to involved in her personal life, and 90% of her "friends" were her work friends, which is okay, but it seemed too integrated in an unhealthy way. (Round of applause for Dr. Lawson for calling out the toxic boss repeatedly.) The "nerdiness" of the main character seemed forced, and quite honestly those parts could have been left out because they didn't add to the character development. I also think this book could have done well with a dual POV, because I feel like there was so much backstory on Seth's side (and I would have loved to see inside his head).