"I brush Seth on my way out the door. 'I'm going to make you regret the day you ever met me.' He snorts. 'Who's to say I don't already?'"

I have not read anything by Fallon Ballard before, but I went into Just My Type with high hopes after seeing good reviews for Lease on Love. However, after the third early 2000s romcom reference in the first two chapters, my expectations dwindled.

Summary:
Lana Parker doesn't know how to survive on her own. Since high school Lana's been in serious relationship after serious relationship, and has made a career for herself as a dating columnist for Always Take Fountain, an LA based website that she's been working for since college. But when her boyfriend of four years breaks up with her the night she expects him to propose, Lana can't bring herself to keep writing the same upbeat love articles she has been.

Then Seth Carson joins the ATF team--her high school sweetheart, the one boy Lana ever truly loved. Unlike Lana, Seth has been a serial dater since their relationship ended, traveling the country and living out of a suitcase, chasing stories to write and girls to sleep with. When their boss finds out about Lana and Seth's dating history, she comes up with a challenge to bring in readers: one month Lana needs to stay single, and Seth needs to settle down.

As part of the competition, Lana and Seth come up with specific tasks that the other needs to complete. Seth can't have sex the entire time; Lana has to kiss a stranger; Seth needs to take care of a pet; Lana has to go on a solo vacation; etc. With each of the ten tasks, Lana and Seth have to write an article about their experience, and at the end of the challenge, readers will vote to see who did a better job, with the winner receiving their own column to write about whatever they want. But when the readers find out that Seth and Lana are exes and start shipping them online, their boss once again interferes, changing the rules to ensure the two are in the same room as often as possible.

Thus begins Lana's worst nightmare. Suddenly she's back in high school, exploring LA and shopping for furniture at Ikea with her ex. Yet with each task they spend together, Lana finds herself remembering everything she loved about Seth, and he seems to be playing into their old dynamic. But Lana needs to keep her eye on the prize: her own column, where she can write about Marvel and books and celebrity drama to her heart's content. She needs to forget Seth, forget relationships, and focus on herself. Right?

Thoughts:
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The entire story was a combination of so many romcoms that it was hard for me to find a unique plot point. I also found Lana to be such a cringey character, especially with her constant Marvel-themed swear words and references. I liked Seth's character, but I personally did not see the chemistry or connection between him and Lana. I would have loved flashbacks to them as a couple in high school paired with their current timeline to add context to the relationship, but as a reader we weren't given a lot of backstory beyond Lana's attachment to Seth's family.

There were also times when plot points came out of nowhere. Halfway through the book Lana's best friend is suddenly harboring a long time crush on one of their coworkers, and Lana attempts to set the two up. Or, on the flip side, after her boyfriend of four years dumps her when she thinks he's proposing, it only takes one night drinking with her friend for Lana to get over him. Even if they were never really in love, I find it incredibly unrealistic that she could move on that quickly.

Finally, in my opinion the most interesting part of the book was Lana's boss becoming too involved in her life and overstepping boundaries, which Lana's therapist points out. While Lana does eventually accept that her boss is toxic, I wanted more of a conclusion with the boss. Was she like that with all her employees, or just Lana? Lana says her boss is a mother figure, especially after taking Lana in as an intern in college--show the reader more of that!

Overall:
At the end of the day, I think this book was a little bit of a self-insert fanfiction. Lana's overly nerdy quirks and dream office in LA felt like the author was just describing herself, and the romance was unrealistic in the way that only fan fictions can pull off. Just My Type was a very cringey, trope-filled romance, so for those interested in a quick, fluffy read, it's perfect. But if you're looking for more meaning in your romance books, I wouldn't recommend Just My Type.

I couldn’t put down Fallon Ballard’s first book Lease on Love so I lost my mind when Just My Type became available for request and then I was approved!

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

From the start, it felt off. I was uncomfortable with the entire work competition. I was uncomfortable with how Lana showed up to work. I can guarantee if someone showed up to work hungover, in pajamas, and threw up in a trash can, there would be HR consequences.

I really struggled with Lana. She was immature and believed she was growing. It didn’t help that others kept validating her when she wasn’t actually improving.

I feel like I would have enjoyed with a lot more with a different main character, but I’ll also never know.

I’m not giving up on Fallon Ballard since I loved Lease on Love so much, but I’m hoping she doesn’t end up like a Sally Thorne author where I’m obsessed with the debut but none of the others quite measure up.

Just My Type

Just go ahead and add this book to your cart, TBR, all of the above.
I’m talking “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” vibes…but make it your EX!

In the opening scene of the book, Lana is at a fancy restaurant that is significant to her and her boyfriend of four years. She just knows he’s going to propose…until he doesn’t. And dumps her instead. Thank God for an amazing server and her best friend for swooping in to the rescue!

The next morning, as she rolls out of bed and into work in her post breakup/hangover form, she hits her lowest of lows when her ex walks in the room. What’s worse? They’re new coworkers.

Luckily, a not-so-friendly competition ensues and is the only thing, next to her ex (aka her first love, aka the man who mortified her just years ago) standing in the way of her dream job.

I. Adored. This. Book. I loved everything about it. The banter was top notch as they went from lovers to enemies to lovers again. Watching to see if they would sabotage each other’s chances of having a successful challenge/date had me turning pages as fast as I could read. And their boss forcing some proximity was *insert chef’s kisses*

Of course watching them work together had me shipping them the whole time. This book was the perfect blend of comedy, swoon, and spice. I also loved all the pop culture references, from things Star Wars, Marvel, and more!

This is a feel good, light hearted, laugh out loud romantic comedy that debuts.

Thank you NetGalley and FalonBallard for the eARC of this book. This will be ordered as a physical copy to add to my collection for when I need a good laugh.

An incredible sophomore novel from Ballard - 5 stars!

I have very few complaints about this book. The characters felt raw and real. I believed their reasons when they made choices and I understood when they weren't communicating well with each other. The only thing that could have made this book better would be getting the swoony thoughts/feelings/perspective from Seth's POV. I'm grateful Ballard toned down the drinking from her debut novel.

I stayed up all night to finish this book because I didn't want to put it down. There were many things I loved about this book: the friend group, the mutual heartbreak/pining, the work competition/list and then them being forced to participate in each other's tasks, alllllllllllllllllllll the Marvel references. I JUST WANTED ONE OR TWO MORE SPICY SCENES WITH THEM, OKAY? They had great chemistry. I wanted more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

I love romcoms so when I'd gotten an ARC of Just My Type by Fallon Ballard which gave some How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days vibes, I was very excited especially because I'd loved the author's first book - Lease On Love. And I'd say I did really like this one but I have some things to nitpick about too(I feel like I'm in the minority).

Lana Parker was expecting a proposal from her long-term boyfriend, but what she gets is a breakup. And as if waking up hungover the next day wasn't enough, she goes to work and finds a surprise waiting for her - her high school ex - Seth Carson who will now be working there for a while. Lana is very passionate about pop culture and wants to work on something related to that but she's been mainly running a dating column at ATF for years. So when her boss proposes a competition between her and Seth where they'll have to do the exact opposite of what they usually do when it comes to dating, she agrees to it as it might give her a chance to become a columnist at the Chronicle. So she will have to give up her serial monogamist ways and be single for a while as she works on the tasks that Seth presents her. And Seth needs to settle down and give serious dating a try. But would this competition between them turn into something more when they find out that they still have unresolved feelings for each other?

I loved the author's writing and the witty banter between the characters which added a lot of fun. Lana is somewhat of a people pleaser and has mommy issues as well, which makes her instinctively search for relationships where she can find a new family. Her friends are pretty honest when they say that she can't be alone. So it was nice to see her try to overcome that while discovering the fact that she has been independent in many aspects all along. Seth is somewhat unfamiliar for a while as all we know is what Lana tells us(since it's from her POV) and she makes him sound like a player. But honestly, I didn't get those vibes from him. They have many misunderstandings between them but he does seem like a genuine guy who cares for her.

At first, she has a lot of anger and unresolved issues which sparks the animosity between them - and that had me hooked for the first half. When Lana kept stressing about how he hurt her twice and had broken up with her outta nowhere, I was very curious about their story. I'm gonna be honest and say I was explaining a delicious second-chance romance but it didn't meet my expectations completely, especially when the reason for their breakup came up. I don't want to give any spoilers away but god I hate it when stuff happens and one person thinks that they know what's better for the other person 🙄 But, actually that was a minor point, what fell flat for me was the sexual tension between them. Like there's a lot of bickering and banter between them but I didn't feel that romantic push-pull for a major part. I felt like Lana was hung up over Seth just because he was her first love and not because of some things that she truly still liked about him. And I know that we're seeing things in first person pov and Lana might be oblivious to some of it, but if Seth has still been in love with her for so many years, I need to see some ✨pining✨ okay? That was missing.
Also, I thought it was a given for second-chance romance books to have flashbacks? I love seeing the past and present versions of their relationship as it makes it more adorable. But here we just have Lana narrating some of the incidents to her friends or just some thoughts about the things/experiences that they'd both shared - which brought it down a notch.

On the other hand, I loved Lana's bff and her coworkers(we all need friends like these!) as they were all so great and very supportive! Her boss was a bit weird - like the whole competition thing crosses a lot of work and personal boundaries - and I'm glad Lana realizes that and stands up for herself. Her self-discovery journey is one of the highlights and something that I enjoyed, though I do think that she could've spent more time alone before she got back together with Seth again. I also loved seeing her finally have an honest conversation with her mom and it was realistic too - as there's not a huge change in their relationship, but with baby steps, Lana might be letting go of some of the resentment that she holds.

“Oh, honey, you’ve been standing on your own two feet for almost your entire life.”
It’s a simple statement, but the truth of it punches me in the gut. She’s right. I’ve been taking care of myself for a really long time, and whatever my relationship status is doesn’t change that fact. I had to learn how to fend for myself and how to be alone long before I ever sought constant companionship from whoever was willing to hand it to me.

In the end, this was a cute read that many would enjoy (especially if you're a rom-com lover). Though I didn't love this as much as I did with Lease On Love(and I think that might be due to some personal preferences) I'm still looking forward to reading more from this author.

Ugh. I loved Lease on Love but I just couldn’t get on board with this one. I had so many issues with this book that I don’t even know where to start.

My main reason for disliking this one was the MC, Lana - she was so immature and selfish that it was unbearable to read her thoughts. She’s supposed to be 30…. what?! She spent the entire book hating Seth, her high school boyfriend who she hasn’t spoken to in 12 years but was just reacquainted with, even though he honestly did nothing wrong. He was nice to her the entire book and laid out his feelings well, but she just repeatedly dismissed him and insisted on being rude. Lana clearly still has lingering feelings for Seth and instead of having a mature conversation with him, she just acted like a child and as though she never did anything wrong - news flash, Lana, you caused a lot of the fallout and what happened at your high school reunion was on you.

The whole workplace competition situation just felt wrong. First of all, why did no one call HR? Secondly, did these people even work? They wrote one tiny column a week and never had to be in the office. Lana showed up hungover and basically in pajamas to an important meeting and then threw up in a trash can. What exactly are these people getting paid for? Thirdly, Lana and Seth’s assignment - definitely not ok. But sure guys, go along with it and even add to the inappropriateness by [Lana] changing your own challenges. Over the weeks that the challenges were taking place, Lana kept saying that she’s grown so much and changed but I personally didn’t actually see any growth in her. She kept having the same selfish, immature thoughts and did nothing to change how she reacted to things. It seemed that the people around her just comforted her into making her think she was doing the right things, but she wasn’t.

Don’t even get me started on Lana saying “thank [insert Marvel character here]” instead of “thank god” throughout the book. I love Marvel movies, I really do. But this was *cringeworthy* and I think it was meant to be cute? It wasn’t and I think a lot of readers are going to be annoyed by it.

The last 20% or so was okay but I still didn't see enough growth in Lana by the end. I would try another book by this author since I loved Lease on Love so much but sadly this one just wasn't for me.

Happy Pub Day to Just My Type by Falon Ballard! I saw a lot of my friends giving this one 5 stars on Goodreads so I had high hopes and luckily, it met them! I loved the main character, I related to her on a personal and professional level, and I found the dialogue amazing. Second chance romance is my fave and this was no exception. If you're a fan of Falon's other work or that trope I think youll enjoy this one just as much as I did!

2.5 rounded to 3 stars

There were some aspects I really enjoyed: The opening chapter was super strong and I loved how each chapter started with an excerpt from Lana or Seth's writing. That was a really fun touch. I also loved the relationships between the supporting characters and Lana. What I didn't love so much was the relationship between Lana and Seth. I honestly didn't feel the chemistry that much until the very end and they spent much of the book acting so immaturely that it was hard to believe these people were almost 30. Also Lana's boss was violating HR left and right I mean good God woman that's so unethical and she crosses major boundaries.

Lana is a serial monogamist who just got dumped, again. Cue an unexpected forced competition with her ex to write about their love lives while they resolve years of unspoken feelings between them. It's the perfect romcom, you won't be able to put it down. Bonus: a couple of spicy scenes.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Second chance romance can be ruff, friends ;). Especially when the former couple has an acrimonious relationship layered on top of attraction & feelings.

So I knew Falon Ballard’s Just My Type wouldn’t be an easy experience for me.

In the end, I felt like Ballard is an undeniably talented writer, & even though some of FMC Lana Parker’s past & present decisions didn’t always have me cheering, I do love how Ballard writes women making mistakes. That feels empowering to me.

The female friendships are strong & this book is very pro-therapy, which is always a plus for me. By the book’s conclusion, Lana—who has been frequently accused of relationship dependency + settling when it comes to partners—has learned a lot about herself & what her patterns are.

But ultimately this book doesn’t go hard enough for me in terms of Lana breaking free of her habits.

Setting aside the messy nature of this couple’s second chance romance—which I’ve already said can be ruff for me emotionally—I wasn’t sure that Lana fully gave herself a chance to be on her own for a while. She grows a lot but also everything moves so fast & ultimately she’s moving into another serious relationship quickly yet again.

So I personally didn’t doubt the strength of Lana’s relationship with Seth—but I did wonder if it was ultimately a good idea for her. If the timing could actually be right.

Despite my somewhat wavering endorsement of this second chance tale, I’m really looking forward to seeing what Falon Ballard writes next.

4⭐️. Out now!

CWs: Lana came onto the hero Seth when she was in a long-term relationship with someone else. Emotionally negligent mom.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a purple sweater, holds the book in front of a white book case, a yellow wall, & a brown scroll top desk with an aloe plant & a Van Gogh print on it.]

Just My Type by Falon Ballard is such a great read. Lana has been in so many relationships. She recently had her heart broken when she thought she was going to be proposed to. Her high school boyfriend comes back into her life working for the same website as Lana. Their boss pits them against one another for a job. In order to get the job, they need to go against the type of person they are. Lana needs to be single and Seth needs to be a great boyfriend.

Lana is a relatable character and I really enjoyed getting to know her. I think Seth is a good fit for her and I like that they were meant to be. That is the nice thing about a second chance romance. You are rooting for them the whole way because it worked before.

I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Putnam, and Falon Ballard for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Falon Ballard is a new to me author and right away I can tell she will be a new favorite! I absolutely adored Just My Type, it was beautifully written and made for a fantastic rom com! Lana had a great character development as she learned to love herself, something she had neglected to do for quite some time. Seth was just great, I loved seeing his storyline and the fun aspects he brought to Lana’s life. I absolutely loved the banter!! It was hilarious! I highly recommend this novel to those seeking a light read of fans of the following tropes:
- second chance romance
- enemies to lovers
- rivals to lovers
- workplace romance

I cannot wait to see more of Falon’s work and have the opportunity to read them!

I absolutely loved LEASE ON LOVE, so I was so excited to dive into JUST MY TYPE. This is an easily bingeable book, and Falcon Ballard has cemented herself as an auto buy author for me. I love the positive mental health representation in her books. The FMCs always feel so relatable.

Happy pub day to Falon Ballard and her lovely new book, Just My Type! Thank you #NetGalley for letting me read it in advance, my favorite thing to do! Here are my honest opinions…

After reading Lease on Love, I went into this book without looking at the blurb. I didn’t even know who the love interest was going to be and that was a fun way to go into it!

Columnist Lana Parker is a serial monogamist and after getting brutally dumped, her employer comes up with a contest for her dream job. The problem is that to win, she needs to explore being single and living life on her own terms, while competing against a very interesting adversary who needs to do the opposite- get ready for a long-term relationship.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the quotes in the beginning of the chapters, the characters were all interesting, the competition entertaining, the romance was sweet, the family issues were unique, the Los Angeles locations were easy and fun for me to picture, and have you ever heard of someone getting Suessed?

The acknowledgements led me to believe the author and I may be neighbors in SCV, which is very exciting!

Open 🚪 but easily skippable if that’s not your style

4/5 ⭐️

Location: Los Angeles, CA

This is my first of Falon Ballard’s books, and I really enjoyed her writing style. The pop culture references woven throughout were fun and the characters were well developed. I need to go back and read her first book, 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘖𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦!
My biggest hang up with this book was the main character, Lana. Her immaturity drove me crazy. For most of the book she alluded to Seth’s big rejection at their high school reunion a few years ago. When the rejection/situation surrounding it were revealed, I just wanted to yell, "Come on, Lana! You were clearly at fault, and you need to get it together!"
That being said, Lana did show some character growth toward the end of the book and made it back to a tolerable level by the epilogue. Overall, I think this book had a little too much hate between the two main characters and not enough love.

a bingeable rom-com that has aspects of Legally Blonde, When Harry Met Sally, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and more. We’ve got enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes all in one!!

Seth and Lana are high school sweet hearts that have a tragic ending, and end up working together 12 years later. What’s going to happen?!

I read this in an afternoon and fell in love with both Seth and Lana! I love that the author chooses to make therapy a big part of both this book and her first.

The one thing I could’ve done without was the random “quirky” addition that Lena was a “geek.” Felt random and forced at some points (other than the “Thank Thor” and “oh my Loki” comments)

Thanks @netgalley and @putnambooks for the ARC!

4.5
I'd like to thank Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. This is a second chance romance/exes to lovers romance and I just couldn't put it down. Lana and Seth were high school sweethearts who planned to go to college together when Seth couldn't afford to go to the same college as Lana he sets her free so she can experience college without him. Fast forward 12 years later and Seth has showed up at Lana's job to compete for the same position as her. Sparks fly and the love and attraction is still there as they discover. The whole time I read this I just wanted Lana and Seth to be together already.

Just a beautifully written romance. My favorite so far this year. This is the first time reading this authors work so I will definitely read more from her.

ating: 4.5/5

This was such a cute second chance romance! Thank you so much NetGalley, Putnam and Falon Ballard for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I loved this story and I’ve never really been the biggest fan of second chance romance but I just ate this story up! Lana and Seth were high school sweethearts and a rough breakup caused both these two to have vastly different responses to their dating life. Lana is in Los Angeles as a dating and relationships columnist and just got out of another long term relationship. Seth has been all over the world doing freelance writing but decides to move to LA and start working at the same place Lana works. These two are pitted against each other for a coveted dream job. Lana who is always dating must write (and stay) about being single, while Seth must write about being in a committed relationship.

I loved the chemistry between these two, even when they were at each others throats you could still see that they cared about each other… even if they wouldn’t admit it to themselves. Lana did give me secondhand embarrassment at the beginning of this book and there were times that I felt like she didn’t act her age. This book also showed how being able to love yourself is so important in any relationship. Watching Lana learn to love herself on her own was great, and I loved how Falon showed, and normalized, just how much therapy can be useful.

Lana is a romance columnist & serial monogamist who just got dumped by her current boyfriend during what she thought was a proposal dinner. to make things worse, Lana’s high school sweetheart, Seth, is added to the mix after accepting a job where she works. aaand in case things weren’t awkward enough, Lana’s boss puts the two against each other in a friendly competition: Lana must complete assignments that help her embrace the single life, while Seth’s tasks aim to help him settle down & commit to one person. whoever’s articles receive the most traction on the website will earn a highly sought-out columnist spot.

together, the exes write a list of tasks for the other to complete over the course of several weeks. as the two writers work through their lists, it’s easy for them to fall into step with each other, just as they did over a decade ago. with the stakes high, & the tension even higher, Lana & Seth are forced to face the good, the bad & the ugly in the hopes of securing the futures they’ve envisioned.

there was a lot to like about this book! overall, I enjoyed the two love interests & found them to both be likable characters, which I think helped establish their connection for me, as well. similarly, I thought Lana’s friendships were super genuine & relatable. the banter between them made me smile at times, relating it to the way I talk/act with my friends.

i’m not always the bigggggest fan of how second-chance romances are played out in books, but I thought the way this one was portrayed was fun. i liked that they were in a competition, as it led itself to some smack talk (though that always comes off as a little corny to me, in any book 🫣), but inevitably brought them closer. it was a bit of a slow burn, but I never found myself bored w/ its progression. i also really loved the way each chapter was introduced with a quote from one of Lana or Seth’s articles, giving a little segue into what would be happening in each chapter.

if you love to read about love during this month of romance & are interested in some second-chance romance action, check this one out!

thanks to @netgalley for my #arc!

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers half of the main set of tropes, but not as much the second chance aspect. I didn't connect with the characters very much but there was also nothing inherently terrible about them. Good, just not a favorite.