✨B O O K R E V I E W✨
Just My Type | Falon Ballard

Format: Physical
My Rating: 😍 / 5 stars
Steam: 🌶️🌶️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads Rating: 4.18

Oh man. This book was the best. I loved Falon Ballard’s first book but this one is even better! So much banter and pining between the two main characters that I just couldn’t get enough. I was hooked from page one! Lana and Seth are the definition of the second chance-loathe-to-love trope. I hope you preordered this book, but if you didn’t. It’ll be available soon and you will want to *add to cart* 👏🏻

Read if you like:
•Ten Things I Hate About You vibes
•loathe to love | lovers to enemies to lovers | second chance lovers
•pop culture references - specifically Marvel and Star Wars
•self discovery
•workplace wrongs made right
•dating to do lists
•work rivals + competitions

Book release date: February 7, 2023 🗓️

Thank you @netgalley for the copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

Just My Type by Falon Ballard
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub Date: 2/7

Lana is a serial monogamist, constantly jumping from one long-term relationship to another. Even if they aren’t compatible, Lana will make it work for the sake of not being alone. She also writes a column about love and relationships for an online publication, which will be difficult to do after her recent breakup. When an opportunity arises at work for her to have a column to write about whatever she wants, she’s thrilled! Except she will be competing for it with another writer—a writer who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and first love, Seth.

This is my first book by Falon Ballard, and I adored it. It took me a few chapters to really become invested, but I couldn’t put it down once I did. The banter between Seth and Lana is perfection; I could feel their tension coming right off the page! They are high school sweethearts turned enemies-to-lovers, and there is a lot of ground to cover regarding these two. They each feel betrayed by the other, and it takes a while for us to get the full story of what really happened between them.

Usually, the miscommunication trope bugs me, but Falon pulled it off here. There is clearly so much love between Seth and Lana, but they can’t move on until they work through their baggage and get to know the older, wiser versions of each other. It’s a funny, romantic, slow burn that had me rooting for these characters from the start.

Is it weird to say that I’m proud of a fictional character? Because Lana grows so much by the end of this book, it’s like she’s a different person. As unethical as the whole competition was (I’m so glad one of the characters mentions this), the challenges Lana had to do helped her find out what she was capable of. This story has so many incredible insights about finding your inner strength and learning to love yourself that I felt I should be taking notes.

Can I be friends with Lana’s friends, please?! I’m obsessed with the supporting characters and Lana’s workplace family. Every one of them is hilarious in their own way, and that Slack chat had me cackling. I also loved all the pop culture references! Lana and I have a similar obsession with Marvel, and I will now be saying “thank Thor!” for the foreseeable future. Or until my husband tells me to cut it out.

If you couldn’t tell, I loved this second chance, workplace romance! It’s like The Hating Game mixed with 10 Things I Hate About You, but steamier. I can’t wait to see what Falon does next! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam books for my advanced reader copy! Just My Type is available on 2/7.

Just My Type, is the second novel written by Falon Ballard, an author that I just discovered last year by “taking a stroll” around NetGalley on the look-out for more romance reads to add to my reading list. Ever since then, I’ve been waiting to see what else she would come up with next, that’s why I was very excited to get the opportunity to read her next upcoming release. The story is focused on Lana Parker, a journalist that has been a writer as a relationship journalist at a website, as she tries to migrate single life all the while facing her high school sweetheart, Seth Carson.

The first thing that I enjoyed about this book was the writing style. I have found it really soothing and easy to get into ever since her debut novel, and I’m glad it hasn’t changed and her story is as easy to get into as always. Apart from that, the whole concept of exes pinned against each other was also a fun aspect, paired with the list of tasks that both Lana and Seth had to grow to, but I feel like it could have been better (at least for me) if we would’ve got a dual POV.

But, I also feel compelled to say that the whole story between Lana and Seth felt like something that was repeated on too many occasions while reading the book. I know, it’s a second-chance romance and the reason that they’re not longer together needs to be said, but in my opinion not that many times and add to it that much mystery when in reality it was a simple thing. All the while, introducing emotional cheating to the equation, which I don’t enjoy even if this time wasn’t that bad, made me dislike Lana somewhat.

TWs: parent abandonment, manipulation, toxic work environment, and miscommunication.

*ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For the month of February for me its all romance, all the time, and this book was such a great way to start off the month! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Falon Ballard for allowing me the privilege to read this book before it hits stores!

From the moment I started this book I was in love with the characters and their relationship, and can we talk about the BANTER!! *chefs kiss* I can definitely see the whole "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days" references and with that being a favorite romcom of mine, I knew I was gonna love this book. The relationship with Lana and Seth is really cute and I enjoyed reading about how their relationship changed over the years, and im not gonna lie, the sunflower tattoo moments made me smile.

One thing that I didnt totally love about this book was the miscommunication trope that plays a role in their relationship, but I was able to get over that fact after seeing how that miscommunication changed their lives, especially Lana's.

Lana Parker is a serial monogamist and has been ever since her first boyfriend, Seth Carson, at 14. Now 30 and a dating columnist in LA, Lana just got dumped by her boyfriend of four years when she was expecting a proposal. To make matters worse, when she goes into work the next day, Seth, who broke her heart twelve years ago, is joining her publication. When her boss finds out their history, she pits them against each other in a How-to-Lose-a-Guy-in-10-Days style competition, where Lana is challenged to stay single for once and Seth has to grow up and find someone he sees long-term potential with. Whoever wins the competition will get their own column, and Lana, who is desperate to move out of the relationship niche, will do anything to take Seth down...

I absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK! Even more than Lease on Love, Falon Ballard's debut. This has all of my favorite tropes - second chance romance, enemies to lovers, competition - it's just so good. I devoured this on a cold Saturday from my cozy couch cocoon and I didn't want it to end. I loved watching Lana and Seth grow as individuals throughout the competition tasks they had to complete, and you could just see how much they still cared for each other. I also appreciated that this didn't just focus on the romance, but on their development as people too. I appreciated seeing Lana realize how capable she really is and finally feel comfortable to stand on her own two feet. There was also some amazing spice, which I loved. It wasn't the focal point of the book, but the spicy scenes were so well done and the chemistry just lept off the page.

TW: Parental abandonment

I really enjoyed this book, I love the writing style that Falon Ballard has. I really loved her first novel, Lease on Love, but I find myself wishing both her books were written in dual point of view. That's my preference and I still really enjoyed this story. It was a good rivals to lovers, second chance romance. Thank you to the author, net galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Falon Ballard for the e-arc of Just My Type! I love a good second chance romance, and this one takes the cake.

The day after Lana gets dumped by the boyfriend she thinks will finally be "the one," she finds out that the online magazine that she works for just hired Seth, her high school sweetheart -- the first boy to break her heart. When her boss finds out that they used to date, she comes up with a "friendly" competition to boost site clicks and the winner at the end will get their own column (Lana's ultimate dream). The only hitch is that Lana, a serial monogamist, has to stay single for the competition while Seth, a serial dater, has to be abstinent and only date one woman.
But being forced to work in such close proximity with her first love has Lana feeling all out of sorts, particularly in her regards for Seth. As the competition progresses their false niceties no longer seem as forced, and the therapy that they both forced the other to go through actually seems to be doing its job. But does that mean if Lana learns how to be content on her own that she's ready for another relationship? And can she actually trust her heart with Seth this time?

I absolutely loved Just My Type. It's a second chance romance with forced proximity, and Lana., the FMC. is so into nerd fandoms and reading/bookish things I felt right at home learning more about her character. And Seth, the MMC, was a sweetheart throughout the book, even when he messed up. Both characters had growth, which sometimes doesn't happen in novels (only one or the other). The only thing I wish I could have had in this book was a little bit of Seth's POV, so even though this shows as 5 stars my personal rating is 4.5 stars! At the very end we get his motives as he explains everything to Lana, but even if the epilogue was written in his POV that would've been enough for me. But this is just 100% My preference because I really love dual POV romances. I want everyone to read this book, though, especially if they have ever felt like they needed a relationship to define themselves. Either way, I can't wait to read more books by Falon Ballard!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing the ARC.

I originally picked this book up because I love second chance romances, especially when they're done right. But I feel like this one missed the mark a bit.

I felt like Lana was disproportionately upset at Seth in the beginning for the dissolution of their relationship. It's not until you get to the middle of the book that you even find out why, and it's a relatively tame reason, and something that you would expect from a high school relationship. And the second time they saw each other, Lana did not paint herself in a good light, and Seth was absolutely right to reject her.

And Seth, was a bit of a dick, to be honest. The banter between the two of them came off as a bit demeaning, and not in a good way. He was an emotionally stunted man who didn't understand or even try to fix what he had broken and even had gone so far and lay some of the blame at Lana's feet because she moved on. And now as an adult, he is still having trouble communicating and has a hard time not being vindictive.

Was it a bad book? No. There were plenty of moments in this book I enjoyed. However, it is not my favorite, and I don't particularly care for how these characters were handled. But people will likely enjoy it for what it is.

Is second chance romance one of my favorite tropes???

I read this book in practically one sitting, and I’m left bleary eyed but so, so happy. Stories like this are what I love about romance.

Lana and Seth are exes who get thrust back together in a How to Lose a Guy in Ten days-esque competition as they are journalists going after the same job.

We have dating foils, close proximity tension, and a slow unfurling of these two's past that leaves you so eager for them to kiss already.

This one does have some spice but it’s not abundant, but my heart truly did ache for these two.

I loved it and I can’t wait to read more by Fallon Ballard.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a romance novel that explores the second chance love trope between best friends and I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed this one! I binged it in one sitting and I just loved these characters so much. Lana was unique, quirky, and so talented! Her relationship with her coworkers were so cute and their chats had me cracking up because they were so realistic. Her tension and history with Seth was sooo good and their not-so-friendly competition was really fun. Seth was also so likable to me and he was such a cinnamon roll with a heart of gold.

I loved the little excerpts from Seth and Lana’s articles at the beginning of each chapter. It really helped tie in the competition aspects with the real-life events and the little moments that were revealed from their past. There were really positive experiences regarding therapy in this one which I appreciated and loved seeing. I was very satisfied with the ending of this romance and the epilogue was too perfect!! Falon Ballard is amazing and if you haven’t read her novels, you need to grab them right now friends, because she is an auto-buy author for me without a doubt!

This book is perfect for those who loved How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and The Ugly Truth. While this book did remind me of both movies, it’s also very different as it’s a second chance romance. Ballard was able to build up a lot of anticipation between the two main characters, and obviously kept the focus on them, but the side characters were also great. I sometimes think showing group texts or any texts can detract from the novel or make it feel juvenile, but I actually think the texting in this book enhanced the character interactions. I love the way Ballard writes banter both between the main characters and with the secondary characters. The path of the two main characters did feel a little bit choppy to me at times, but overall I really loved this book and absolutely consider Ballard an auto-buy author for me – I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Putman for the ARC of Just My Type by Fallon Ballard. I absolutely adored Fallon’s debut Lease on Love so I was super excited to receive this new release!

Overall, I thought that this was a pretty solid romance! Something I really enjoy about Fallon’s writing is that she writes real characters- characters that are both lovable but inherently humanistic and have faults of their own. I really enjoyed Lana’s growth throughout the novel, both in her relationships and at work, and I liked that Seth had the opportunity to grow as well even though he wasn’t the main character.

Just My Type will be out February 7th!

Love love love!! This book was so adorable!

Lana Parker is a relationship columnist for the past 8 years and she is ready for more. Her passion and dream job is to write about all things pop culture. Seth Carson is also a journalist traveling and he is creating content from all around the world for the last 10 years.

Seth and Lana were high school sweethearts. One day, Lana came into work and found out that Seth is now her colleague. Their boss decided to make a writing competition. Lana has to achieve 10 tasks about being alone, while Seth has to achieve 10 tasks to find a potential long-term relationship. In the end, the public will vote on the best articles and someone will get a job as a pop culture columnist.

I loved the tasks that they both set out to complete. It was great to see Lana be okay with being on her own and becoming a strong independent woman. Seeing their love intensify was my favorite part of the book. You could feel the love that they had for one another radiate through the pages. I was rooting for them to be together from day one.

At one point the author is explaining Lana’s home office and I felt like she walked into my own room. From the book cart to the mugs on the bookshelves to the Funko Pops.

I teared up in the end because of how cute this book is!

Thank you so much to Netgalley Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

“I think I finally understand what Billy Crystal meant at the end of When Harry Met Sally. Because I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I want the rest of my life to start right now.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you enjoyed LEASE ON LOVE, you’ll be sure to find some fun and joy with JUST MY TYPE. I loved the messy-ness of Lana and her feelings toward Seth. While the ups and downs and will they won’t they of the story makes you want to reach through the book and shove Lana and Seth into each others arms, Ballard gets them there eventually in a slow burn that is as teasing as it is beautifully crafted with a happy ending.

Lana Parker thought she was getting engaged when her boyfriend of four years dumps her. It’s another relationship failed, and to make matters worse, her high school sweetheart shows up in LA and is now gunning for the writing job of her dreams. Seth and Lana are tasked with competing for their own column with The Los Angeles Chronicle. Lana has to complete tasks so she can be comfortably single, while Seth has his own list to get him relationship ready. In completing the tasks, Lana is forced to grapple with the past, her heartbreak, and whether or not the man she’s loved since she was fourteen will be in her future.

I would have loved to read Seth’s POV. Readers see glimpses of it, but full chapters of how he feels about Lana and their competition would’ve been great. Readers can see his pining for her from Lana’s POV, but I want to read in this man’s own POV how bad he has it for her.

🌻 Second Chance Romance
🌻 Childhood friends to lovers to exes to
🌻 Workplace rivals to friends to lovers
🌻 Will they, won’t they
🌻 He’s been pining and longing for ages

Rating 4/5. I read Lease on Love by Falon Ballard, and it was more of a slow burn, so I suspected this book would the same, and I was able to adjust my expectations before beginning! Stories around first loves/high school sweethearts get me every time. There is something about that first "one" that embeds itself in your soul and holds on for dear life. Falon Ballard does an amazing job putting those difficult feelings in to words, and giving you a glimpse at what it means to find yourself before you can find the love of your life. I would have liked a little bit more spice and sexual tension because once I hit the one-night stand scene.... woooo it was amazing. The emotion behind their physical connection was intense and felt so real. There were a few times during the book that I didn't find myself dying to push through for just one more chapter, but overall, I enjoyed the story line! Falon Ballard gives detailed backstories on her characters and it allows you to connect with them on a deeper level!

Once I started reading Just My Type by Falon Ballard, I could simply not put it down. Big thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for gifting me an early copy to read and review.

Second-chance romance and enemies to-lovers are two of my favorite tropes - but sometimes, especially when done together, they don't work. This book, however, was the exception.

It was easy to get invested in Lana Parker and her story. She's a writer, though feeling a bit restless at her current gig. She thought she was getting engaged and instead got dumped. She has long had a rough relationship with her mother. And then her first love, Seth, shows up at her job to be her new competitor. OOF.

Despite knowing everything that Lana is going through and that Seth is her ex, her boss decides to create a writing competition based on their personal lives - forcing Lana to be single and Seth to give up his fuckboi ways. It forces them to interact more than either would like and also to face their past.

I fell for Lana and Seth. I cheered when she made some major moves, and confronted her past. This was fun, sexy, humorous and enteratining - everything I want in my romances!

What I liked about this book:
✨second chance, work place romance
✨lots of pop culture references
✨early 2000’s romcom vibe

Second Chance Romance and Enemies to Lovers

The friends were literally one of my favorite parts. They were super supportive and nurturing.

I think there were really important parts about how our relationships with our parents impact our own relationships.

I also love SETH OMG I could tell from the very beginning that boy was GONE! Then bit by bit we get to see how gone he is. OMG get yourself a MMC like Seth 😍

When Lana’s former high school boyfriend Seth is hired at her website as a fellow journalist, her boss cannot help but plot them against each other in a little competition. Lana, a chronic long term relationship addict, must complete challenges to help her learn to be single, while Seth must do the opposite and learn how to commit and settle down. The winner with the most votes gets their own dream column, but as these two are forced to reconnect, they realize their dreams may no longer be what they are wishing for.

Just my Type was such a cute, fun rom-com! Lighthearted and fun, both characters are likable and relatable, and I loved joining them both on their paths to self discovery and growth.

Just My Type releases February 6th, and it’s the perfect second chance, enemies to lovers rom-com to grab for the Valentine season!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Special thanks to Netgalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for sharing an ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

Just My Type focuses on Lana Parker - a writer, who is currently stuck writing a dating and relationships column when she would much rather write about books, movies, and pop-culture. When the opportunity for her own column arises she would normally be excited. But this column comes with a catch; in order to get it she has to put her serial monogamy aside and complete various tasks designed to help her learn to love to be alone. But these tasks are chosen by her ex-boyfriend and childhood best friend Seth.... who is also in competition for the column. Will Lana be able to put her heartbreak aside to win the chance at her dream job? Or will Seth break her heart one more time.

One thing I absolutely loved about this book was the humor. It made me laugh out loud multiple times which was unexpected. Lease on Love by Falon Ballard was one of my favorite books last year and I remember that story being pretty emotional so I expected this to be similar. While there is an emotional plot-line running through regarding Lana's relationship with her mom, it did not feel like a main focus. This book still felt lighthearted. The chapters are also really short and the pacing felt good. I flew through this story and found myself eager to pick it back up everytime I had to put it down.

Unfortunately, I did not feel much tension or chemistry between Seth and Lana. It felt like because we know they have a past that the connection is just implied. But it's been 12 years since they've been together! Surely, they would need some time to get to know each other as adults. I also found Lana to be pretty annoying at times. She comes off as pretty immature and clueless. I didn't really like that. Her dynamic with her mother was very intriguing to me and I wish we had gotten a bit more about that.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who prefers a childhood friends to lovers story, second chance romance, or enemies to lovers.