I loved this book! Absolutely loved it! It’s been a long time since I picked up a romance that just worked for me on every level as this one did. Lana and Seth were both absolutely fantastic characters and I loved the way they were with each other. I love a good second-chance romance and I definitely feel like Lana and Seth deserved to get a chance to try again. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.

Lana is at a low point after the proposal that she thought she was getting turns out to be a breakup. She decides to stop jumping from boyfriend to boyfriend and stay single for a bit. She may write a relationship column but she knows that she needs to work on herself. Imagine her surprise to walk into her office to find her ex-boyfriend from high school. To make matters worse, they are paired up to compete for the one job that they both want.

Lana and Seth had fantastic chemistry and I felt like they really belonged together. They did have a few issues to resolve and I really appreciated the way that things were handled in the story. I hated that their boss had them competing against each other and that the competition was so incredibly personal. I really did feel like they understood each other and I loved watching them grow closer throughout the story.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Tegan Ashton Cohan did a fantastic job with this story. I loved the voices that she used for both the male and female characters. Once I started listening, I was completely captivated by the story and had a hard time setting the book aside. I do believe that her narration added to my enjoyment of this delightful story.

I would recommend this book to others. This book was full of great characters, a lot of laughs, some swoon-worthy moments, and some moments that touched my heart. I will definitely be reading more of this talented author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Penguin Random House Audio.

Loved this! Lots introspection and growth, but all in a fun way that made me zip right thought this. Loved her first book, really liked this book, and can’t wait to read her next book!

📚Book Review📚
Pub Date February 7, 2023
By: @falonballard

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Seth and Lana are high school sweethearts that broke up after college and haven’t seen each other in years. Until Seth walks into Lana’s work place as her new coworker! 😬 Tension arises, banter is exchanged and a “friendly” competition pins them against each other.

This Rom-Com is a perfect Valentine’s Day read. It has laughter, spice and romance all in one. I loved the chemistry between Seth and Lana. The banter and tension kept me interested from start to finish. Lana is a serial monogamist searching for herself after being in relationship after relationship. Her “to-do” is a true list that I think all women should do before settling down. It was a very relatable concept in my opinion. A slow burn 🔥 but a great read overall.

Thanks to @Netgalley and @putnambooks for this ARC.

Second chance romance meets workplace rivals with a sprinkle of enemies to lovers in this swoon worthy story. Ballard even mentioned in her acknowledgement how difficult it was to write her second book and she absolutely killed it. I actually haven’t read her first book, Lease on Love, but after loving this one so much it’s moved to the top of my TBR.

I was pulled right into this story and enjoyed the competition between Seth and Lana. It had definite “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” vibes.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
This was How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days meets The Hating Game! Both of which, I loved and enjoyed. It’s my first from the author and definitely won’t be my last. I’ve been wanting to read Lease On Love since it came out but just never got around to it. Thank you to Putnam Books and Netgalley for my ARC!

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Lana is a writer and has always been in a relationship. When she gets out of her most recent one, her boss tells her she needs to embrace single hood and write about it. But she turns it into a popularity contest between another colleague in return for a position at the office. Her competitor turns out to be non other than her one that got away and high school ex-boyfriend Seth.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. There is something about office place romance in the publishing world. Throw in a little history in there, and you’ve got instant connection. The chemistry between Seth and Lana were palpable and i adored their banter. The only thing I probably had an issue with on this book was her job entailing unrealistic tasks (like do bosses and writers really go out of their way to do these things? Lol) and the horrible boss that Lana had. When I say this book had forced proximity, i mean FORCED. Yet i still enjoyed and found myself rooting very hard for the two MCs. The writing was beautiful and made me want to continue reading more from the author. The growth that the two MCs had was a recipe for a great second chance romance that definitely had me believing that love is sweeter the second time around.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘈 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘐𝘯 10 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴

I will read anything this author writes from now on. Lease on Love was one of my top five favorite books of 2022 so I was stoked to be able to read an early copy of this book and it absolutely met my expectations!!!!!!

This was a such a fun read. I am obsessed with the main character and literally could not put this book down. It has everything a romance book SHOULD HAVE. I highly recommend this! It was adorable, fun, and made my heart swoon! I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I loooooved this so much. The writing was superb. The voice is chefs kiss. Those second chance, friends to enemies to loves is such a niche trope, but really one of my favorites. Also workplace rivalry, yes. Such a good read. There is banter, there is friendship, there is growth, there is love, it’s really got it all.

I'm so excited for "Just My Type" by Falon Ballard to release tomorrow! It was an easy 5⭐ for me and I loved it so much that I pre-ordered it!

Lana and Seth were high school sweethearts whose relationship imploded soon after. Now, Lana is a serial monogamist who lives in LA and writes a dating column for a magazine. Seth has been a traveling writer with no home base and no serious relationships. They meet again through work and must put each other through a series of dating challenges in order to win a prize that's important to both of their careers.

I loved both Lana and Seth and how their story became more nuanced the more we learned about what happened in their past. The side characters were really well fleshed out - I loved Lana's friends and I love-hated her Mom and boss. By the end of the book, Lana is a better version of herself, but in a realistic and authentic way.

The pacing of the book was excellent - I was completely drawn in and struggled to put this one down! The ending was *chef's kiss*!

Falon's first book, "Lease on Love," is sitting on my shelf staring at me, and now I want to pick it up sooner rather than later! Also, she has a great newsletter.

Completely devoured this book in one day! Everything you want - and more - in a rom-com. From high-school lovers to work rivals, with delicious pop-culture references, and just enough steamy spice, this book is *chefs kiss*!

Perfectly binge-able! Reminded me of a modern-day "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" with a twist.

✨ARC 📚Review ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🗓️Pub date: 2/7/23

This is my first book by Falon Ballard and I absolutely adored it! I finished this in less than 24 hours!!
This second chance romance was so cute! It reminds me of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days….which I love ♥️
Lana is a writer who is great at being in long term relationships and not good at being alone. She can’t stay single for long and moves into the next relationship right away. After finding herself recently single she is at work when she learns that her new co-worker is her ex-boyfriend, first love and high school sweetheart. They are forced to compete in a journalist competition and the winner will earn a promotion. Lana has to stay single and Seth must settle down. I loved the witty banter in all the texts with workplace friends. This made me laugh out loud many times!! I love how Lana learns about herself and realizes how strong and independent she truly is. You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. There was great chemistry between the characters. Couple of steamy scenes but not too spicy. This is such a great rom-com and a great love story! Read if you like second chance, workplace, forced proximity, or enemies to lovers trope.

Thank you so much @netgalley , @putnambooks and @falonballard for sharing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review 😊

“When I decided to relocate and settle in one place, I didn’t even have to think about where to go. I’m the spinning needle of a compass and you’ve always been my true north, Parker.”

"And Seth is the only person who ever truly made me feel like I was home.”

If Falon Ballard writes it. I'm going to read it! I was overjoyed when I found out I got approved to read this book as an eARC. Lease on Love was one of my top books in 2022 easily and Just My Type did not disappoint.

Lana and Seth were wonderful from the beginning. Their tension is strong and they can't help but banter through every scene: in person or through slack. I found myself wishing that we would have gotten some Seth POV moments because those would have been to die for. Since we do only get Lana's POV though we see so much of her personal growth through the story which allows for the book to be more than just a romance. Also, these female friendships were top tier 👏🏻

This book helped me remember that one of my favorite tropes is when everyone realized the couple is in love except the couple (though in this case, I do think one of them was aware the whole time of their feelings). If you want a new comfort book and to read about the sweetest second chance romance then run to get this one.

I am submitting my formal request now that May gets a book next 😏

okay I just have to say this was such a cute, quick read and I finished the last 60% of the story in one night!

I am a sucker for a second chance romance so this book, following Lana and Seth, former high school sweethearts who reunite 12 years later when they find themselves competing for the same job, was so fun! It was a perfect mix of "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" and "Legally Blonde" vibes which I thoroughly enjoyed because those are two of my faves.

I enjoyed the premise of this story as both characters have to complete a list of tasks; Seth has to try and find a long-term relationship while Lana has been challenged to stay single. Seeing them go on their different outings was fun and I loved seeing their connection reignite but also them figure out how to traverse their complicated relationship at the beginning. I thought the addition of the work group chat messages was so fun because the side characters added so much wit and I liked being able to see their banter.

One thing that I enjoyed was seeing both of the characters go through the process of self-discovery (as well as go to therapy) before jumping straight into their relationship. If I had any criticism, I would say that they maybe should have taken a bit more time to really find themselves individually but tbh I just wanted them to end up together lol. I also wish we would have seen a bit more of their past relationship, maybe some flashbacks to high school.

Overall, I just thought this book was a cute read, great for if you are looking for a quick second chance romance story!

Oh my gosh I absolutely adored this book! It was a one sitting read for me and I loved it so much. It had me laughing from the very first page and pretty much the whole way through. But even though it was hilarious, it also had me all in my feels. Ballard was great at showing Lana and Seth’s range of emotions- and drawing our mine. I loved that Lana is a book lover and has a rolling TBR cart, subscription box goodies, book themed candles and reads as much in a month as I do.The side characters were great and I loved the addition of their work slack convos. Lana’s growth was incredible and Seth was swoony. I typically don’t prefer single POV or second chance romances but this really worked for me! It was a little heavy on the pop culture references and similes but either they’re mostly at the beginning or I got so wrapped up into the story I stopped noticing. I most definitely recommend this romance!

I absolutely loved this book! A second chance AND enemies to lovers romance filled with plenty of laughs! This is one of those books that you can’t stop reading, but also want to slow down because you don’t want it to end! This is definitely a 2023 favorite already!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

TLDR Plot Synopsis: High-school sweethearts turned exes reunite 12 years later when their jobs collide. In a friendly competition to be a new column editor, they work on solving their personal troubles and unpacking baggage from 12 years ago.

Spoiler-Free Review:
This was such a fun read. I'm not typically an exes-to-lovers person, but this was surprisingly well done! It had very similar vibes to 'The Hating Game' and 'Beach Read'. I loved the revelations they each had while undergoing the competition. It was also really nice to see a supportive cast of friends and co-workers. I liked seeing the therapy scenes and they didn't seem as pushy as they sometimes are. This also covered a good amount of miscommunication, but I'll give it a pass since it happened in the past. I loved the way that Seth said what was on his mind. It was really evident how much he had grown since high school.

Nit-Picks:
Who was the woman that Seth posted #longtermpotential
What happened with Rob and Tessa? - I assume this is a setup for a third book, but I didn't like that the plot was brought-up and abandoned.

This romcom hit all the must-haves for me. 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘 is a second chance romance (my favorite trope!) between Lana and Seth, two writers (yessss!) who were high school sweethearts (awwww) but are reunited 12 years later when they find themselves competing for the same job (lots of "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days" vibes). It also includes tons of pop culture references (the first line is "I'm having an Elle Woods moment"), hysterical team Slack convos (I love me some interoffice snark) and fun bits of Lana and Seth's articles. Oh, and there's an epic grand gesture that had me swooning. Can you tell I loved this book?

Falon Ballard's debut was one of the books I never got to in 2022, but I'm now moving it to the top of my TBR.

Thanks to Putnam Books for the copy to review.

I absolutely adored Lease on Love by Falon Ballard and was very excited that I was sent a copy of the eARC of her latest novel, Just My Type. It did not disappoint! I loved it! Lana and Seth were awesome characters, each with their own set of issues to work through. It was pleasing to see how their characters developed and changed throughout the story. This book landed somewhere between a rivals-to-lovers and a second-chance romance. Two of my favorite tropes. I enjoyed Lana and Seth’s banter and bickering; the tension between them sizzled off the pages. The social media theme added a nice twist to the story and I felt it was well done. The group chat conversations were the best. If you love a sweet rom-com with a happy-ever-after ending this book is perfect for you! I highly recommend this fun read!

This book was SO GOOD!! I thought the concept was so unique and fun. At first I didn’t think there was any chance Lana and Seth getting back together would feel so natural, but it totally did. I loved the challenges and how Lana stood up to her boss. Really cute and fun story.

THE BANTER. This had me so sucked in!

~They were THE couple in high school that everyone thought would make it. 12 years later, Lana is being dumped by a man she thought was going to propose and Seth is relocating to the place he always thought he’d end up. When Seth shows up at her work, as her new coworker, her boss creates a friendly competition that ends with a new position for the winner.~

Gosh, I felt every single one of Lana’s emotions in relation to Seth. He truly is the one that got away (twice) and even she knows it. I love that she isn’t afraid to show her feelings. But she also learns and grows from them. I wasn’t so sure about Seth but he managed to dig his way into my heart. The back and forth with them had me cracking up but also so sad.

A lot of baggage with these two so be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. The epilogue truly makes it all worth it!!

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*