This was cute. A little light on my the spice but I loved the story as a whole. Seth and Lana was very much “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days “ vibes and I’m totally here for that. Their relationship was clearly meant to be and while I hate that their personal lives were put to the forefront of social media, it really was enjoyable to see them step out of their comfort zones. I loved the whole concept of this book and I loved how it was really looking deep at what Lana’s internal issues were with her relationships. I loved her support systems and I loved that she was working on being more self aware.

Overall I thought this was a great book. It had great characters, a great storyline and I loved Seth and Lana’s chemistry. This was a great read and an easy recommendation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Lana is a 30 year old serial monoganmist living in LA and writing a dating column for a website. When her boyfriend dumps her and her high school sweetheart shows up as her new co-worker, she has to prove she can handle being alone and not jump into another relationship in order to get a chance at writing her own column.

Fallon Ballard's follow up to Lease on Love is slightly more confusing, and the plot doesn't really hold up. However, both the male and female main characters are sweet and strong, there's lots of slow burn, and LA lovers will love all the references to city landmarks and hotspots.
Not my favorite rom-com, but if you're a fan of the second change romance trope, you might enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This book changed my view on second chance romance!!! I loved my time reading this book and am absolutely in love with Seth. Lana introspection really makes you reevaluate your own life and make you go after what you deserve and not settle for something because it’s convenient and comfortable. Relationships can be messy and complicated but still full of love and I think Lana and Seth are an incredible example of this.

So I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this book and can I just say…… WOW, I freken loved this book!!!!
Seriously, from the second I started reading I was completely invested & hooked.

This is a 2nd chance romance, Single POV from the FMC. I loved loved loved the story.
Features a FMC learning to love and accept herself without relying on others to do that for her.

Overall, this book honestly stole my heart. The plot, the history of their love, the situation they find themselves in. All of it was just so goooood.

I definitely recommend picking this up!


Overall: 4.5 ⭐️
Spice: 2.5 🌶️

This was a friends to lovers second chance romance and it was everything that I want in a romcom. It had witty banter, main characters in sill bordering on over the top situations, a second chance meet cute (or meet nightmare), and laugh out loud moments.

Lana is a serial monogamist who jumps from long term relationship to long term relationship. Seth is a serial dater who hasn't been in a long term relationship since high school when he dated, you guess it, Lana. The two of them end up working for the same website 12 years later and end up in a competition to see who can reform their dating habits first.

If you like how to lose a guy in 10 days you will love this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Falon Ballard has become an auto-read author for me after I loved her debut Lease on Love, and now her second book, Just My Type. Just My Type features a second chance romance, which is one of my favorite tropes, and I loved following Lana and Seth as they reconnected and the glimpses into their past that drove them apart.

Lana and Seth are vying for the same job position and each have to come up with a list of 10 things that the other has to do relationship-wise, for Lana it's to stay single, and for Seth it's to be ready to be in a long term relationship. The items on the list both bring the laughs and push Lana and Seth out of their comfort zones. I loved the banter between the two of them and just like in Lease on Love, the secondary characters are fantastic.

The last quarter of the book was definitely my favorite as Lana realized what she truly wanted out of a career and found her voice to stand up for herself. And while Jack from Lease on Love still has the top spot as one of my favorite book boyfriends, Seth definitely gets added to the list.

Just My Type is a second chance love story between Lana and Seth. High School sweetheart who find themselves back together at the same online magazine 12 years later.

One of the issues I struggled with in Fallon’s debut, Lease in Love, was the pacing of the book and this one is similar. The first half is slow and doesn’t engage the reader. You’re not drawn to the characters. The second half picks up, but the communication and character development never dives below the surface. It’s not until the last chapter so they truly communicate and by then, it’s via their last articles.

The character development is minimal. Seemed there was a lot of backstory that the reader should infer vs. the characters talking it out. Lana was kind of annoying and Seth seemed to bounce from adoring ex to aloof and stand-off-ish.

I struggled with the constant Avenger/Pop Culture references. I fear they won’t age well and will likely alienate readers who aren’t familiar with it.

This book had a lot of characters and some subplots going on. I think that needed to be edited back to not distract and confuse the readers. Lana had mom issues with 2 people (her mom and Natasha), plus all her exes. Seth had his family and Jessica who he dated during the competition. We never did find out who the girl in the one IG pic was? Then there was the office staff and a hint of another office romance there. And then Lana’s BFF May and her therapist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for the ARC. Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me.

This was another sweet romance from Fallon Ballard. I am always nervous when I really love a debut book, but this lived up to the expectations.

I really enjoyed seeing Lana taking the feedback of her friends about how she jumps into relationships. I also enjoyed seeing her dive into the competition and really reflect on herself. It was refreshing to see her talk about therapy and normalize going for various reasons.

Of course the romance between Lana and Seth was fun. It’s a second chance but I actually liked it. They held onto feelings but also moved on. I liked seeing them exchange barbs and sweet moments.

This was really enjoyable and I definitely recommend. Thx to PRH for the ALC.

I loved this SO MUCH!! I’m a sucker for a second chance when they’ve known each other since childhood - but it hits on a different level when they’re each others first loves 😭 for this to also be rivals/enemies to lovers, workplace, forced proximity, slow burn… I swear those are all my favorite tropes in one book! This was also funny and has all the vibes of an early 2000s romcom (with callbacks to legally blonde & how to lose a guy in 10 days) 🥰 hit all the feels in all the right places, made me tear up and healed my heart when it ended 🥹

Falon Ballard has a way of writing that immediately sucks me in and keeps me turning page after page. I was amazed at how quickly this story flew by and how engaged I became with Lana and Seth’s history. I think it would almost be best to go in blind (instead of reading a synopsis first), but the general idea is that Lana Parker is a talented writer who wants to someday write for the prestigious LA Chronicle, but makes do with writing a “Sex in the City” like dating column for the online magazine AFT. An opportunity arises for her to acquire her desired job, but it means she must go toe-to-toe with her ex in a competition to see who can garner the most clicks and responses for completing a list of “how to be single” items (for Lana) and “how to settle down with a woman” (for Lana’s ex). The winner of the competition will win the prestigious column for the Chronicle.
I loved so many things about this book. You have childhood friends, to lovers, to enemies with a history of 12 plus years. Add to that a work place romance and a single POV slow burn with the BIGGEST payoff (seriously—here’s to you Chapter 25!). In my opinion if an author can keep you hooked for the entire slow burn, making you wait for the heat then that is unbelievably good writing. The tasks Lana and Seth have to partake in are funny, rewarding, and help the reader to get to know these two as they work through their history. I laughed so many times at the texts between coworkers, and LOVED the way therapy was included for both competitors. The pop culture references were fun and of course the nods to romance readers (The Ripped Bodice!). This story unraveled so effortlessly and just made me feel like I could step into Lana’s world in Los Angeles. Content warnings for family abandonment, workplace bullying, and alcohol use. What a fantastic sophomoric followup to Lease on Love, I plan to preorder this book so I can read it again soon! Thank you to the Penguin Group G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were amazing.

The book follows two high school sweethearts who broke it off during college but reconnect later in life as not only colleagues, but competitors. Whoever is the most popular will win a spot writing for The Chronicle.

If you love enemies to lovers, this book is perfect for you!

Imagine you get dumped by your boyfriend of 4 years and then walk into work the next morning to find your other ex—the one that got away—is your new coworker. Now also imagine that your boss has concocted a workplace competition that pits you and said ex against each other for a chance at a coveted column assignment. That is the hell that has become Lana Parker’s life. For the next ten weeks, she is forced to learn how to be single (since everyone thinks she is a serial monogamist) while her ex works toward becoming relationship material (since he hasn’t had a serious relationship in years).

If this work related assignment seems a tad inappropriate, that’s because it is. The author makes this intentional and as you continue reading you understand why.

I thought Lana was a great FMC. She is a huge pop culture nerd (there are tons of Marvel, Star Wars, etc references throughout) who is yearning to finally write about what she loves. She is funny and honest but also flawed and dealing with abandonment issues. My favorite part was seeing her grow and learn from her past mistakes (yay therapy!). I also enjoyed all the secondary characters who kept me laughing throughout!

This is Falon Ballards sophomore novel and I must say I much prefer it to Lease on Love! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. 4.5/5⭐️

I loved Falon Ballard’s debut, Lease on Love, and I was so excited to receive a NetGalley ARC of Just My Type, publishing in February. It is a second chance romance mixed with a workplace romance mixed with a competition reminiscent of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, the competition is between Lana, a lifestyle columnist who wants to write features, and her high school boyfriend who has recently relocated to LA after traveling the world as a journalist.
Lana has just been dumped by her boyfriend when she was expecting a proposal, and her coworkers and boss decide she needs to take a break from being a serial monogamist. Seth, on the other hand, has traveled the world and seems to have had a woman in every port, so they decide he needs to learn how to be in a committed relationship. Seth and Lana each get to craft 10 tasks for the other to achieve, and each week they focus on an item and write an article about the experience. The winner of the competition will receive a column of their very own.
Ballard’s writing is comfortable and enjoyable, making this a fun read - I read it surprisingly quickly. I wasn’t a huge fan of either of the main characters, and I was quite angry with Lana’s boss throughout the book. I laughed a lot while reading, and the speed dating scene was particularly swoon-worthy. There was one scene that made me cringe, but I overall thought the book was good. I look forward to reading more by the author - thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars
LEASE ON LOVE is fresh on my mind, as I just finished it about two days ago, and I was really looking forward to reading this one! Following two journalists put in a bit of a competition, they embark on a second-chance romance with a twist of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" thrown in for good measure. I quite enjoyed our main character, Lana; she's nerdy and fun and she is a serial long-term relationship dater who is challenged to learn how to be alone and content with herself. At its heart, this book is focused on Lana's development as a character, learning how to be alone and content with her life. I enjoyed seeing her go through her list of challenges and see how they affected her. Her relationship with Seth was also sweet but wasn't quite as fulfilling as Lana's development itself. I would recommend this book, but I think my expectations were so high because of how much I loved LEASE ON LOVE.

If you like how to lose guy in 10 days when harry met Sally and legally blonde then this is the book for you this book follows 2 writers who once were in love in high school and now in competition to win their own column Lana never been alone and Seth has never been serious

This was such a great second chance, dual POV, workplace rivals romance set in LA as two journalists are pitted against each other to win one position. Loads of pop culture references, amazing How to lose a guy in 10 days vibes and GREAT therapy rep! This was excellent on audio narrated by Tegan Ashton Cohan. Much thanks to @prhaudio and Netgalley for complimentary audio and digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

I loved Falon Ballard's debut, and I might love Just My Type even more! Not only does it have everything you want in a steamy and swoony second chance romance, JMT also has the funny banter and hijinks of a romantic comedy with How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes. Lana and Seth were wonderful characters, and I was rooting for them the whole way through. And the SUNFLOWERS of it all? Incredible. Recommend to all fans of romances with both humor and depth.

This was such a wonderful, heartfelt, and heartwarming, read!!

Lana is an aspiring journalist, living "her best live" out in LA. Well, perhaps not her "best" life: she has been stuck writing a dating and relationship column for the past 8 years, and just (quite literally) been dump by her long term boyfriend when she was expecting a proposal a la Elle Woods. Only instead of applying to law school, Lana soothes the pain by drinks into oblivion with her bestie, May. Which is fine...until she stumbles into the office the following morning, hungover and barely thrown together, and comes face to face with her ex. And not the one from the night before, but THE ex. The first one, the one that took a tiny (read: massive) bit of her soul, the one that despite being separated for 12 (twelve!!) years, continues to haunt her. On top of all of that, Lana's boss, Natasha, informs her that her and "The Ex" (aka Seth Carson) will be going head to head in battling articles, with a set of tasks outlined by the opposing person, in the hopes of winning coveted, dreamy, columnist spot.

So yeah, maybe not exactly her best life.

Once lovers, now enemies, turned rivals, Lana and Seth each set out on the challenge determined to win the spot. For Lana this is the opportunity she's been dreaming of for 8 years. For Seth, this is his opportunity to finally settle someplace. But as the competition draws on, the lines between "once lovers, now enemies, turned rivals" begins to blend, walls begin to come down, and old feelings come to head. And maybe, maybe the prize at the end of all of this is something different entirely.

Okay, first off, Lana is hands down one of my favorite FMC's I've ever read. She. Was. SO. Relatable!! The inner dialog she had with herself was insightful and gave a clear picture of her. Her personality was so wonderfully portrayed, and I felt it oozing off the pages. She was sassy, fierce, sensitive, and lovable. Her development throughout the story was truly amazing. Her task was to "find herself" outside of a relationship, and I loved the almost "twist" towards the end. She was just so real. And Seth Carson - ophhh...straight into the book boyfriend hall of fame. I mean, dark hair and blue eyes aside, he has this gentleness and sensitivity, that is so, so subtle, and so, so pure. Even in the early stages, when Lana and Seth are at the height of "now enemies" we can still see how he displays these characteristics towards Lana. And, even though we don't see it in the forefront as much, I loved that he had just as much character development as Lana did.

Probably my favorite element between Lana and Seth was that despite being current rivals at work, and having hard feelings from their past relationship, they are never villainous towards each other. Yes, they set hard and challenging tasks for the other. Yes, they maybe try to sabotage each other's chances of winning at times, but they are never blatantly mean to each other. More than anything, they kind of looked out for the other, even if they weren't 100% honest with their true intentions why ;)

One of the main reasons I ultimately gave Just My Type four stars over five, was I felt that the supporting cast was a bit too big for me. Lana was friends with several of her colleagues, and at the beginning we get a run down of who is who, and I couldn't quite keep up. Even as the story progressed, I struggled at remembering who was who, who ran the sports column, who was interested in them. I felt it pulled from the overall plot, specifically in the beginning.

Bottom Line: I really, really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend! I love good character development and I loved who we got it with both FMC and MMC in this one. All of the tropes seem like a lot: once lovers, now enemies, turned rivals, semi-workplace romance, second-chance romance...it shouldn't work but it does and it does so beautifully!

I really love this book..
It had the “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days” feel. Funny and sweet.
I loved the overall theme and feel of the book.

⭐️: 4/5

The day after serial monogamist Lana’s most recent ex dumps her on the night she thought he was going to propose, she finds out that ex from high school, Seth, is now her coworker who she’s competing against for her own website column. The stakes are these: Lana must stay single and learn how to be alone, and serial dater Seth must settle down and learn how to be a long term boyfriend. However, the chemistry that was once between them is still there, and it’s no longer just their jobs on the line.

This was perhaps my favorite second chance trope romance that I’ve read so far! It’s historically not one of my favorite tropes, because it’s hard to get away without a fair amount of miscommunication used as a plot point as well, and also on the realism side, if it didn’t work before, why would I believe it’s going to work going forward? Miscommunication is really hard to do in a way that isn’t just tiring and annoying, and couldn’t be solved by a single honest conversation. In Just My Type however, the miscommunication was acceptable and understandable, considering the gap in years between the initial relationship and start of the story (12 years, to be precise) and the other factors at play. Lana was interesting and quirky as the FMC, and her love of all things nerdy made her memorable, even if it was a little strange to read her exclamations of “thank Thor” and “for the love of Loki” and so on and so forth. It was easy to lose myself in the story of Lana and Seth’s relationship, what lost me a little was the blatantly unrealistic concept of a boss forcing her staff writers to basically date and have sexual experiences with other people in order to get a promotion. Does HR exist in rom coms?

I really did love this book though, and would definitely recommend picking up this one in February even if you’re a little iffy on second chance romance books, like I am.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!