After an unexpected breakup, relationship-prone, Lana, is determined to try the single life. That is, until her playboy ex-boyfriend, Seth, shows up as her new colleague and their boss uses it as an opportunity to increase viewership. Lana's task: Learn to be alone. Seth's task: Learn to settle down. Both must write about their experiences and the winner gets a career-changing promotion. Will she land her dream column or let love get in the way?

This book has everything I love in a rom-com: Likeable characters with undeniable chemistry, a mix of laugh-out-loud and swoon-worthy moments, hints of spice, and ALL the tension your heart desires. Seriously, between the workplace setting, their romantic history, and the competition, this book is BRIMMING with tension. I loved it.

And did I mention the constant Marvel references? Yep, this book was made for me.

So if you're looking for a fun workplace, second-chance romance, you NEED to check this book out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this eARC.

Can I rate a book higher than 5 stars? I need a rating that screams, " I read this in less than 1 day and was so fully engulfed by characters that I would forget that I am not actually in the story with them." So 5 stars will have to do.

Just My Type is a mixed bag of tropes; enemies to lovers/second-chance romance, workplace rivalry that all seamlessly blend together to make a fun, fast-paced storyline. Of course, we have to talk about the TENSION in this book, nothing short of *chef kiss* and it had me smiling and screaming every turn of a page. In all seriousness, Falon Ballard is unmatched at character development and makes all her characters relatable. This story was not far-fetched like many romcoms, so if you are looking for a fast-paced read that will have you smiling so much that your mouth will be sore, give this book a read!

the “it’s always been you” type of love > 💖✨

Title: Just My Type
Author: Falon Ballard
Format: e-book
Rating: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/5
Pub Date: Feb 7, 2023

I LOVED this one 🥰

This rom-com was everything I needed! 👏🏼 I loved the second chance romance and enemies to lovers tropes - they were executed SO well! & with enemies to lovers comes A LOT of banter & sexual tension between our two MCs, Lana and Seth 🥵

Lana grew so much in this story & WANTED to change - even though the competition definitely helped push her in that direction! 🌱 I felt so invested in her story and how her personal growth journey would impact her “relationship” with Seth 🤭

The mixed format of chapters with text messages, group chats, and news articles was perfect & kept me engaged 💖

I REALLY wish we would’ve gotten Seth’s POV, bc I just needed to know what was going on in that man’s head 😅

100/10 recommend this book - perfect for February ❣️

Read if you like…
- second chance romance 💞
- enemies to lovers 🤺
- workplace romance 👩🏻‍💻
- “it’s always been you” 🫠
- witty banter 🗣️
- supportive friend group 👏🏼
- LOL moments 😂
- themes of personal growth 🌱

*thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars if I could.

I thought I'd really like this story. I wanted to really like this story. And I did find it entertaining and enjoyable. But it was missing that je ne sais quoi that would've made it a true delight for me.

I love second-chance romances -- especially when you're not completely certain of the HEA. This one ticked a lot of boxes for me. It's tense, it's steamy, and it has a great cast of characters. So why didn't I rate it higher?

I appreciated that this was told solely from Lana's PoV. It would have carried a different kind of tension had we seen Seth's PoV as well. But not seeing it does Seth a disservice. He comes across as wishy-washy and confused. He seems to be a different person when among their colleagues and not in a redeeming way.

Lana has a lot of unpacking and self-care to do, which I liked. I love a flawed character. But sometimes it got annoying when Lana only saw two opposing options or didn't consider Seth's feelings. She was inconsiderate and it put me off.

This is a quick, solid read and I'd recommend it to my friends.

Lana Parker fell in love at 14 and then he broke her heart, sending her down a path of jumping right into relationship after bad relationship, trying to fill the void that Seth Carson + her absent mother left.

After her high school boyfriend, Seth, shows up unexpectedly in her happy place of LA and AT HER JOB, they are pitted against each other in a competition. Turns out while Lana had bounced from long term relationship, to long term relationship, Seth had the OPPOSITE impact from their break up, dating around like….. a lot.

The competition has them each doing tasks of the opposite nature: Seth getting ready to settle down and find someone to be with long term and Lana being okay with being alone.

On the path of Lana finding herself, she’s falls back in love with Seth and well… they live happily ever after 💕

Second chance romance | enemies to lovers | work place romance | first love | first heartbreak.

Thank you for the ARC penguin randomhouse and Netgalley!

After falling head over heels for Lease on Love last year, I couldn’t wait to read Just My Type.

Falon Ballard has delivered rom-com gold with a tender (and 🔥) second chance/high school sweethearts trope, the wittiest banter, the most delicious slow burn and a treasure trove of pop culture references from Legally Blonde, Titanic, Mulan, Star Wars, Ted Lasso, Marvel that made my nerdy, Millennial Pink heart overflow with joy 💗

One of the things I love most about Ballard’s stories are the supporting characters. Yes, we fall in love with the MCs, but her supporting casts are just as phenomenal and you can’t help but want to be part of these friend groups!

This book was unputdownable and I was so invested in Lana and Seth’s story, I stayed up until 1am to finish it. Lana was an exceptional character and her growth was a beautiful. I loved every bit of this book and cannot wait to read what Falon Ballard dreams up next!

I loved a Lease on Love so I was excited going into reading this one by a great author but unfortunately I was very disappointed.

I didn’t enjoy the FMC. She came across irrational and bratty. I had a hard time enjoying the serial dating, and second chance enemies to lovers I now know isn’t a genre I enjoy.

Thank you Putnam books and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my review!

Lana Parker and Seth have a history. They were high school sweethearts with big plans and dreams for the future. However one of them derails their plans and 12 years later they are forced to not only be in the same place but work together while competing for a job. This book was a bit long and I felt that some of the “fluff” could have been cut out. With that being said, I did enjoy this book and each of the character's realizations throughout! This book was a sweet love story with very little spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just My Type is the second book by Falon Ballard. I read and loved her first book, Lease on Love, so was extra excited when I got an ARC of this book. Just My Type introduces us to Lana Parker, a relationship columnist who may struggle a little bit on the relationship end. It gets worse when the opportunity for a promotion lands her in a competition with her ex, Seth Carson. Their rivalry generates tons of clicks for the publication, but as they complete their individual relationship checklists, they start to see their past failures may only be the result of
the choices that led them away from each other.

The sexual tension in this book was off-the-charts. I whipped through chapters as Falon Ballard stretched the chemistry to a near breaking point. Between the LA setting and the quirky cast, this was an amazing read.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for this eARC of Just My Type by Falon Ballard!

Everything in Lana Parker's life is picture perfect...except her dating history. As a serial monogamist, she's had her heart broken quite a few times, but the last breakup might've been the nail in the coffin. Is anything worse than getting broken up with in public when you thought you were going to get engaged?

Unfortunately, there is something worse — your ex-boyfriend, your first love, the boy you haven't truly gotten over, waltzing into your workplace in Los Angeles when he should be on the east coast. To make matters worse, Natasha decides to pit Seth Carson and Lana Parker against each other in a competition to see who wins their own column at the Chronicle. Lana's mission is to stay single and learn how to be alone, while Seth is tasked with getting serious and finding someone he can see himself with long term.

What could possibly go wrong?

I don't read enough books with a second chance trope, but it turns out I really enjoy it and Falon did a great job! I love best friends to lovers because I love starting the book with characters who have a history and watching them fall in love, which is definitely why this second chance romance was a delight to read. Though there was anger, sadness, and frustration between the two of them as they found their way back to each other, it was obvious they still had feelings for each other. I adored watching Seth and Lana battle it out, even when they were put in pretty cringe situations. I also really enjoyed Lana's friends, May, Corey, and Tessa. The male coworkers, James and Rob, felt...kind of useless to me? There was a side storyline where Tessa and Rob liked each other, but I don't think there was enough to keep me interested in that particular part of the book, so I think it could've been eliminated OR given more page time to be significant.

I loved all the nods to places in LA, especially my favorite bookstore The Ripped Bodice! I highlighted quite a few things that I haven't experienced myself, so I look forward to visiting some of the restaurants mentioned throughout the book.

My only other note is that I really think this book would've benefitted from a dual POV. I would've loved to have gotten chapters from Seth's point of view, especially when he was completing his individual tasks for the competition. I'm sure there's a reason it wasn't written that way, but I definitely would've enjoyed it!

As a girl who also grew up having lengthy relationships, I cherished the time I spent completely single. Sure, I went on dates and things like that, but I really discovered how to be comfortable with myself in solitude. It made me really happy to see Lana take that journey, and I recommend taking that time before jumping into another relationship to absolutely everyone.

This review also appeared on Goodreads.

This book follows Lana who is a dating and relationship writer at an online site. The book starts off with Lana on a date with her boyfriend thinking that he is about to purpose to her since he brought her to the restaurant that they went to on their first date. Turns out he brought her there to break up with her... Lana proceeds to get black out drunk with her best friend and before she goes to bed see that she has a DM from her ex boyfriend. Lana doesn't answer the DM because their breakup was not clean and she doesn't want to talk to him. Fast forward to the next morning Lana has to rush into work for a meeting where all of her friends think that she is engaged and there is a big announcement. Turns out that announcement is that her ex boyfriend is now working with her and they are in competition for the same promotion.

I loved this book so much especially Seth. In my mind Seth made this book, you could feel his feelings and you just wanted to hug him and tell him how everything was going to be okay. I will say the only thing that I didn't like about this book was that I feel like they did not communicate well at all. Seth was definitely the better communicator of the two of them. I felt like every time Seth would say something Lana would second guess what he just said to her. I understand that this is a miscommunication trope but it did bother me that Lana clearly wasn't hearing what he was saying.

I really enjoyed how much growing Lana did as a person during this book. She grew up in a home that was not conducive to her having healthy relationships (which she didn't) and uses the competition to really learn about herself so that she can be alright on her own. I loved how both of these people had go to therapy as a to do list item. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to my friends, my only qualm is the way the miscommunication trope was written.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book before publishing.

Just My Type is a second chance romance ~meant~ for Marvel girlies (I mean the level of Marvel stan who would say things like "Oh my Thor"). Lana Parker is a journalist in LA who jumps from one long term relationship to another, and has never been single for more than a short time. When her ex moves to LA and starts working at the website she works for, they end up agreeing to a competition to decide who gets a new column.
At first I couldn't find Lana less relatable. She is a serial monogamist and can't fathom being alone/single. She also gets over a 4 year long relationship after one night of binge drinking and then seemingly never thinks about it again. However, she grew on me as the book went on and I was really rooting for her as she began to stand up for herself in different areas of life. I also loved the part about first loves and their family becoming yours as well.
It is obviously heavily influenced by How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, from the main character hating her relationship column, the competition aspect, the boss with no boundaries, "confident not cocky", and even the MC's name. Unfortunately, I don't think the love interest in the book quite lives up to Ben in the movie, but Lana does have Andie's spunk.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book but it wasn't my favorite romance - to be honest I may be getting burned out on romance. If workplace, second chance, or enemies to lovers tropes are your thing, pick this one up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review. I loved Ballard's debut, Lease on Love, and was so pumped to read Just My Type. Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me. I found Lana annoying and childish, and I just couldn't get into it. It's not the book - it's me.

This was such a cute rom-com. When I first started reading it I got Elle Woods in Legally Blonde vibes, but by the end it was a modern day How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.. two of my favorite chick flicks. I love a book with good banter and humor, and this book had both.. plus the characters were enjoyable. Each supporting character was fun and supportive.

Sometimes second chance romance is just ok for me, but I was shipping Lana and Seth.. I loved their characters and backstory. I enjoyed the roles in writing and while unbelievable (but still fun) writing competition that drove this story. There was lots of character growth and development, which was vital to the success of their love story. I would definitely recommend this to my rom-com loving girls in their 20s.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61069157
4.5 stars!! I loved this romance book! It was light and refreshing. There was a perfect balance between self love and romantic love. The little challenge between the characters in their workplace made it fun and I could see this as a movie.

Thank you NetGalley!

I’ve seen everyone talk about this book and i was really happy to be able to get an early copy cause the hype is real! This book is utterly fantastic!
It sounds bonkers but it works out perfectly and characters are so interesting that you can’t stop reading, i especially loved the side characters and i want to read their own books.
It became a perfect romance in my book, and a must read for the lovers of the genre.

Rounded up from a 4.5.

I'm officially calling it, I adore Fallon Ballard's writing. I devoured Lease on Love and was looking forward to reading this one as well. And I have to say, I loved everything about it.

This follows Lana, literally on the day that she gets dumped instead of proposed to. Lana is a chronic long term dater and has more fear being out of relationship than being in one. The day after she gets dumped, she finds out that her high school sweetheart and the one that got away Seth, is not only suddenly in town...but after her job as well. In a very rom-com way, the two are paired against one another to write competing articles for a spot as a column writer.

I love a second chance romance. There is something so endearing about two people who are so in love with one another that they find their way back to one another despite the odds. And while that is a major part of the plot, what I really enjoyed from this book was Lana's growth. She's challenged to remain single and learn to live independently and she really does learn from that. Lana shows the importance of working on yourself and how it can eventually effect how you are with your partner. I felt sooo much pain for Lana and may have gotten misty eye in a couple of parts of the book.

I loved the banter between the two and felt that their chemistry was so incredibly tangible. It is almost a bit of slow burn, but you definitely feel the tension throughout the book. I loved Seth the second he showed up on page and didn't look that throughout reading.


Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Putnam Group so much for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a quick, fast paced read. The banter, the jealousy, the character development. I loved it all so much. I don’t read much second chance romance, but this one was really great.

The competition forcing Lara and Seth to spend time together made this such a fun read. This was a good 4.5 stars for me!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Just My Type by Falon Ballard is a heartwarming and humorous story about a relationship-prone woman who needs to learn to be on her own.

Story Recap:
Lana Parker likes to be in a relationship, even when it’s not a true love match. As soon as one relationship ends, she jumps right into a new one. Now, she’s single again and she wants to stay that way for a while.

Then Lana’s ex-boyfriend from High School shows up at Lana’s work as a temporary employee on assignment. They had split up on bad terms and the last person Lana wants to see is Seth. Seth has spent the last few years flying around the world doing freelance journalism and is hoping to land a more permanent position at a Los Angeles newspaper. His assignment at Lala’s Web Magazine office called Always Take Fountain is a stepping stone to a job at the LA newspaper. But, Natasha, the boss, has decided to make both of them compete for the plum journalist position at the newspaper. The competition is for Lana to stay single and Seth needs to find one woman to settle down with.

My Thoughts:
I love a good office romance and especially a second chance romance, and Just My Type ticked all the boxes. Lana wasn’t happy to see Seth back in her life, but it was clear they have chemistry, and they have so much in common, including a competitive spirit.

I was pulled right into this story and enjoyed the competition between Lana and Seth. The competition was not realistic, however, the author did an excellent job of convincing me it was realistic by making the boss, Natasha, an ambitious woman, and Lana a people pleaser. Otherwise, I don’t think a sane employee would enter into such a competition.

Overall I enjoyed this second chance, enemies to lovers, workplace romance!

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Just My Type to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just My Type started out with a bang! Several indeed. The first few chapters were a wild ride and set up the novel so well! I loved and related to Lana immediately and easily even though there are many differences between us. Falon Ballard does a great job of focusing on the feelings rather than the circumstances, which are likely to be relatable to almost anyone. The initial build up of the competition, description of the former relationship, and where the heroine and hero stand now created a lot of good tension in the beginning. I had butterflies in my stomach as I got to know these characters and spent time in Lana’s thoughts. After every chapter, I found myself putting the book down to stop and just process what I read and prepare myself to move forward. I absolutely love that tension between me and what I’m reading.
One thing Ballard does in this book and her debut, Lease On Love, is write emotional men well. Normalize men crying and expressing their emotions! Additionally, these characters both went to counseling in the story, and it was an accurate depiction where you get to see the reality of therapy (hiding things from your therapist, not being ready to acknowledge difficult truths, questioning the therapist, and therapy that comes from places other than the traditional counseling office). As a therapist myself, I loved this and hope others feel free to explore therapy and themselves in similar ways.
Just My Type was predictable…IN A GOOD WAY! In a way that I had gotten to know the characters and thus, when they made decisions or took action, I had an idea of what they’d choose or do because that was consistent with who they were. Ballard shows her characters, what they care about, how they protect themselves.
Lastly, my main takeaway from this fantastic read was the theme of vulnerability. True vulnerability of not simply learning to trust others, but instead learning to trust yourself; that if you’re hurt, you will be able to make it through. I believe with that, there will always be a happy ending.
I’m ate this book up *licks all five fingers.* Five Massive Stars!!!