This book was really sweet and such an cute romance to cuddle up with.. This was my first book by Falon Ballard but after this I will be going back and reading her first book. I loved the enemies to romance and the second chance at love in this book.

Loved this!! This was such a slow burn, and I was dying to get to the good stuff! I enjoyed reading the group texts and mini articles throughout. This was really cute with so many fun scenes. My favorite part was when they went clothes shopping! So many heartfelt moments throughout, the only thing missing was Seth’s POV.

Also as a bookstagrammer, I loved the part where Lana talks about all her bookshelves not only filled with tons of books, but bookish merch and book subscription boxes!! The tbr is never ending!!

Thank you so much Putnam and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for a honest review

What I read: Just My Type by Salon Ballard

Why I picked it up: I requested this on NetGalley because I liked the cover – and then I realized I read her first book Lease on Love and loved it, so I moved it up the list. I received this copy for free, but the review is all my own.

How I read it: On arc-ebook in just a day. It was a really quick read.

What it’s about: Lana has been on the “relationships and love” beat at Always Take Fountain for eight years – and when an opportunity for a promotion comes up it’s at the expense of competing with her ex. She’s got a lot of those, but this one is her one true love. The book is really a self-discovery of who she is and who she wants to be.

What I liked: The banter was a delight – I felt like I wanted to get to know these characters – also her therapist ends up being just a treat. At one point, she asks Lana if she knows why she’s doing something. Lana replies with a “you know why.” The therapist retorts back, “I know I know. I’m just trying to see if you know what I know.”

What I disliked: There was an odd thing where the author replaces any phrasing of “Thank God” with another greek god of some sort, which I just thought was odd – although as I’m thinking of it now, if you’re not a Christian or Jew, then this is a pretty respectful way to have an exclamation that would otherwise be in vain.

Genre: Finding oneself, open door romance, dysfunctional family.

Rating & Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and absolutely! It releases on February 7th, so make your calendar!

I adored Falon Ballard's first published book and I was so excited when I got the advanced reader copy from NetGalley. Right off the bat, this is less of a romance in my opinion than it was marketed as. It is a second chance romance but it is also so much more about finding yourself, healing relationships, and creating boundaries. If you go into the book with these expectations, I am sure you are going to love it. I related to so much in this book and I highlighted so many quotes because it just hit me right where it hurt!

Lana Parker is notorious for jumping from relationship to relationship without ever being single. When she finds herself single after a night of thinking she was going to be proposed too; she finds herself swearing to be single even though she finds herself as a journalist for a relationship/advice column. All her plans go out the window when her ex-boyfriend Seth ends up walking into the same company that she works for. Their boss quickly sees the tension and decides to put the two of them in a competition together. Lana has to figure out how to be on her own instead of jumping into relationships and Seth, a serial non-committer, needs to figure out how to actually settle down someplace and start meaningful relationships. All for a new column in a bigger company. Tension is high and both will do anything to win; but is all fair in love and journalism?

**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.*

I don't think this story really blew me away, but it was definitely a servicable contemporary. A little bland, but solid for fans of McFarlande

I remember being surprised how much I liked Lease on Love, Ballard's first book, and I think I enjoyed Just My Type even more. It's like Ballard smashed together a whole bunch of contemporary romance/romcom tropes and somehow they just all magically worked. Lana Parker is a journalist and serial monogamist who gets dumped at a dinner she thought would end in a proposal (a la Elle Woods, as Parker reflects). As a love and relationships columnist at Always Take Fountain, a web magazine, Lana has all kinds of great relationship advice to give in print, but has had a run of bad luck with mediocre long-term boyfriends and bad breakups. The morning after she gets dumped instead of engaged, she goes to work only to learn that their site has been acquired by a major LA newspaper, and that one outcome of that is that they have a trainee writer for that paper temporarily on staff at ATF. Unfortunately, that person is Seth Carson, Lana's first boyfriend and the first one to break her heart after a long-term relationship, which is what set her on her crappy relationship path. Natasha, the ATF editor and Lana's surrogate work mom (who regularly takes advantage of the role), sees an opportunity and pits Seth and Lana against each other in a relationship challenge (staying single for her, getting serious for him) with the prize being a column in the paper that has newly acquired them. That's all Lana has been working for, so she's on board, even as the whole thing gets more and more complicated between the exes and for both of them professionally. I am not usually big on second chance romances but again, Ballard just found a formula here that worked, and I loved Lana and her incredible nerdery/fandom love and I was really into the role that therapy played in helping Lana figure out how to address some of the issues she's been ignoring. Therapy for the win!

I really liked the pace of this book and the character development throughout! My biggest problem with it was that the privilege of the main character (being able to buy her own house in LA with an inheritance right out of college) felt pretty unrealistic

3.5 stars
I really liked the idea of this book (second chance romance between high school sweethearts who are competing for a coveted job as a newspaper columnist), and there were several moments that I really enjoyed and found myself pulled into the story.
But, I also had a hard time feeling invested in this relationship because the characters were incredibly frustrating. They were too hot and cold with each other by confessing feelings and then mutually pulling back from each other. Instead of a steady build to the relationship, it felt like a rollercoaster of a emotion.
Overall, while I didn’t find myself totally rooting for the couple, it was a fun contemporary romance and one that’s getting great reviews from other readers. I’d recommend it for those who love second chance and workplace romances.

This may be one of my favorite contemporary romance books of this year! The chemistry between Lana and Seth is off the charts and I loved the quick pace of this book. This was such a fun read but I felt like deeper topics, for example, Lana's relationship with her mom and how that impacted her life, and how that was handled in therapy, were so interesting. I felt so connected to Lana and loved her character. Read this book when it comes out!!!

Okay, I’m buying a physical copy of this book when it comes out!! It was SO good and exactly the type of book I needed. The characters were lovable, the dialogue was hilarious, the second chance romance love story was beautiful, the competition was intriguing, and overall, Just My Type was a wonderful time. This book was on my 2023 most anticipated reads list, and it did not disappoint!

This book. THIS BOOK. Wow. I loved it. From start to finish it just gripped me in a way many books haven't been able to do lately. Lana is a perpetual monogamist and cannot be single, but chooses terrible men and Seth, dates around but can't seem to settle down. They have history, one in which they were first all consuming loves, in which her terrible childhood was made better by being around his family, but it all came to an end and pushed them both down their relationship paths. Now, with both of them nearly 30 and wanting to settle down, when Seth shows up in LA to pursue a steady job instead of being a traveling journalist, he ends up working at the same place as Lana. They fight tooth and nail for a job and meanwhile must write competing articles about dating to find a serious mate and remaining single and being happy single.

The entire premise works. The set up for both of them being hurt is there. The terrible relationship Lana has with her mom is set up and then also addressed. There is not one stone unturned in this novel. Everything was clearly written with intent and purpose. There were no throwaway storylines, which is amazing to see in a romcom.

Yes, there is actual comedy here too! There were definite moments I laughed out loud. But there is also drama, angst, a bit of unrequited love going on, and above all there is GROWTH. Both of them go to therapy, both of them work through their issues (view spoiler)

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the advanced reader copy for a review.

Thank you NetGalley, Falon Ballard and Putnam Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

This is the second book from Falon Ballard… and they did it again! I absolutely loved Lease on Love and this was an absolutely incredible follow up! Falon Ballard is quickly gaining a spot on my favorite authors list - and I cannot wait to purchase this when it comes out in physical copy on February 7th, 2023!

This reminded me of one of my favorite movies of all time - How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. The work place rivalry, HILARIOUS dialogue, and second chance romance - were the perfect vibes I desperately was needing to get me out of a reading slump. I DEVOURED this is one day!

Just My Type will have you reeling with excitement and turning the page to hurry up and see what comes next. You will NOT be disappointed with this one!

This book is perfection. I didn’t know if Fallon could top Lease on Love but I think she did with Just My Type! I loved Lana and Seth so much. They had amazing chemistry in the vain of Emily Henry’s characters, and they were adults, yet still acted hilariously immature at times (every time Lana called Seth a “butthead” made me giggle).

I flipped between rooting for Lana to find herself as a single woman and wanting to “ship” her and Seth. Ultimately I am SO HAPPY with how their story ended. I didn’t want to finish but only because I didn’t want to leave these people.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Lana Parker has never been single - she jumps from serious relationship to serious relationship. She's even become a journalist whose specialty is writing a column about dating and relationships. When a promotion is within reach, her high school ex-boyfriend is the only one standing in her way. They find themselves in literal competition with each other only to find themselves spending much more time together than either anticipated. And naturally, old feelings that maybe never went away, come flaring up again.

My main issue with this book is how immature Lana is throughout the whole thing. She does get *slightly* less immature toward the end, however does not do nearly enough growth in my opinion. I truly feel at any point, she and Seth could have had one honest conversation and a lot of things could have been cleared up much earlier. There was a bit too much "will they, won't they".

And in general, my issue with second chance romances like this is that we as readers have to assume a lot of the chemistry because they've dated before. It often feels like the author doesn't have to put in as much of the work for us to believe in them as a couple. (This is, admittedly, more of a critique of the trope itself)

I also hated hated the boss character. Which of course we were supposed to but it also just felt really uncomfortable a lot of the time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Lana find herself dumped on a night she thinks she’s getting proposed to. To make matters work, her ex-boyfriend Seth is now her coworker and they’re competing for their own online column. The competition? Lana has to embrace being single whole Seth has to put his “manwhore” tendencies aside.

I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and a second chance romance and this very much delivered. The banter between Lana and Seth (as well as their coworkers) had me giggling to myself. And I fully admit Seth has me swooning at several parts. A little too much miscommunication for my taste towards the end but still a really cute and fun read!

Thank you to Putman Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful book! I was in a bit of a reading slump after the holidays but this book got me right back into it. I read it in two days. The plot was original, I loved the chemistry between Seth and Lana, and enjoyed all of the workplace relationships and banter. Fallon Ballard has become one of my favorite authors. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Just My Type!

You’ve always been my true north.”
*CRIES*

This was childhood friends to lovers to strangers to enemies to (kinda) friends to lovers excellence.

After reading Lease on Love earlier this year, and absolutely loving it, I was so excited to dive into this one by Falon Ballard!

Lana Parker is a serial monogamist. After getting her heart broken at 18 by her high school boyfriend, and childhood best friend, Lana jumps from long term relationship to long term relationship. She also is the writer for the relationship column at a popular LA website, ATF. After being dumped by her boyfriend of four years, Lana finds out her first love, and the one man she hates, is her new coworker.

Seth Carson has jumped from town to town since he graduated, never staying in one place for too long. After twelve years of being on the road, he’s ready to settle down— in LA of all places. He finds himself taking a job at a newspaper, only to find out he has to start out at their newly acquired website first. Only to realize one of his new coworkers was his high school sweetheart.

The two have insane chemistry, which leads their boss to pit them against each other in a competition that could make their careers. Since Lana is a serial monogamist who needs to learn to be single, she has to complete tasks and write about being single. Meanwhile, Seth has to learn how to settle down and become relationship material. Each of them have to complete ten tasks pre-chosen by the other. The person with the most votes at the end of the ten weeks gets the job. But while the competition heats up, their past and their feelings continue to surface.

This book was everything I needed in a romance. Seth Carson and Lana Parker are a dream and I loved every single second of their story. I can not put into words how much I loved this book. Their banter is so much fun to read and these characters came to life right before my eyes.

The ending was everything I ever wanted. Honestly I need the movie NOW. (No there’s not a movie but a girl can dream, okay?!)

I really want to slap their boss as well. She’s the worst.
There’s a few When Harry Met Sally references in the book and I screamed. It’s also giving major How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes.

Read this in February if you like:
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and/or When Harry Met Sally
• Friends to lovers
• Second chance romance
• Self discovery
• Competitions
• Forced proximity

Just My Type, meet How to Lose a Guy in 10 days [in a way].

Lana is a serial dater and lover of thinking the man she's with is going to propose. Dumped at the beginning of the novel, her boss has a proposal for her: stay single. It gets even better that day when learning that her ex lover best friend Sean is in a competition to win a writing spot at the Chronicle. Lana needs to come up with a list of ten things that Sean must do to hold a steady relationship. Sean must come up with a list of things for Lana to do for self love. But what both may discover is that they are just one another's type.

Fallon Ballard crafts characters beautifully and makes you want to flip the pages. While I wish Lana discovered things quicker in the novel, I'm glad she got there. This IS a second chance romance with huge miscommunication. I could tell early on that there was a piece to the puzzle Lana was missing. I recommend lovers of romantic comedies and Fallon's previous work, Lease on Love, pick up her sophomore novel.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Second chance romance between high school sweethearts Lana and Seth. Lana works as a relationship advice columnist in LA but wants to switch to something she feels more passionate about. After recently getting dumped after another long term relationship she was sure was the one, her ex Seth who is also a journalist ends up at her office and in competition for the job she wants. They both agree to write about changing their dating ways to see if it makes a difference in their respective love lives. Of course in traditional rom-com fashion they realize there might be more left to their past relationship. I enjoyed this book it was quick easy read and I enjoyed her writing style. This had some light spice and I enjoyed both of the main characters. The side characters felt a little underdeveloped especially a sort of love storyline between co-workers of Lana's that didn't seem to go anywhere. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading the previous work of Falon Ballard. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

Although this book is described as a romantic comedy, I think the label might be a bit generous. This doesn't have so much comedy, it has more drama and angst than the typical rom-com, but I really enjoyed it regardless. It has a childhood friends to lovers to exes to rivals to lovers situation going on, so it's a rollercoaster of emotions.

Lana and Seth were high school sweethearts, until they broke up at the beginning of college. The two meet up again at their ten-year reunion, but things go horribly wrong and Lana winds up hating Seth. Two years after that, Lana is freshly out of (another) long-term relationship, and stuck at the same news website writing relationship and dating columns. Who comes rolling into town but Seth, a serial one-night stand-er, who joins the same website. The two are pitted against each other for a job at a bigger paper, and compete for Lana to learn how to be single, and for Seth to learn how to be in a committed relationship. Hijinks ensue, of course, and the stakes for the former couple couldn't be higher. Like I said, there is a ton of angst, and the banter between Seth and Lana is great. I like that they were truly the central focus and the narrative didn't get too caught up with family or friends or bosses or anything else to the point where it felt like there was no pay off or there was a lack of development between our two main characters. I highly recommend!