I am so glad I got to read this book! I read Lease on Love a couple of months ago and loved it! I was so happy to see I wouldn’t have to wait too long to read another book by Falon Ballard. Just my Type did not disappoint!

As a fan of all things romance, this second chance rom-com gives you all the feels. Seth and Lana are high school sweethearts who are thrown back together after years apart – working together as writers and competing against one other in a writing contest set by their boss. Lana is challenged to write 10 articles about embracing being single while Seth is challenged to write 10 articles about “preparing to settle down.” As the story unfurls, each character is so human and relatable. Each one learns to own their shortcomings and apologize for past mistakes. The story does a great job of keeping a quick pace that engages the reader, bringing humor, self-reflection and warmth along the way. I couldn't put it down! I am looking forward to reading more stories by Falon Ballard in the years to come!

Description
To win the job of her dreams, a relationship-prone journalist needs to learn how to stay single in this heartwarming and hilarious new romantic comedy from the beloved author of Lease on Love.

Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating and relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of thirty, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging.

That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history—and undeniable chemistry—they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever's is most popular wins a highly coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line—it’s also their hearts.

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Review:
One reason I love a rom-com is the knowledge that there will be a happily ever after. I admit, I worried a bit in this book. That being said, I really enjoyed Lana’s journey. She learned and grew personally and professionally in the book. Granted she needed to be hit over the head to realize some things that were going on (her boss’s manipulation, Seth’s true motivations) but she worked through it all. Character growth is important and I appreciated the forward movement we saw with Lana.

The female friendships in the books were also more realistic than others I’ve read lately. May and Corey and Lana spoke to each other like adults, not teenagers. They supported each other and told hard truths as well. Kudos to Ballard on this!

I admit, I was a little worried about some of the items on Lana’s list but once I figured out where it was going I was pleased and really rooting for her. I would have liked a little more development of her mother’s character since she had such an influence on Lana’s personality but was really physically an “off camera” character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars for a great romance with believable characters and a satisfying conclusion. I already downloaded Ballard’s first book! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Publishing for a digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

So first off, you can count on me to auto-buy any of Falon’s future releases (including the paperback of this one) because she is 2/2 for me 👏🏻

Just my Type follows Lana, an LA journalist who’s really never been single for long. After her most recent break-up, Lana’s ex (and first love) Seth—also a journalist—shows up at her work, and suddenly the two are in a very unique competition. Seth, who’s a bit of a womanizer, must find a girl with long-term potential. And Lana must learn how to be comfortable being single. The victor gets the job they both dream of—writing their own column for the LA Chronicle. What follows means risking their future careers—and maybe their hearts, too.

This rom-com really had it all for me — forced proximity, second change romance, relatable millennial content, just a little spice. 😏

I really loved Lease on Love because of how relatable I found the writing, content, and characters, and I think Just My Type really hit that nail on the head, too. Highly recommend that you add this to your list come February. 🥰

Thank you again to Falon and NetGalley for the eARC! 💜

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved having a character who had the same love for pop culture as I do. I don't think I've seen that in a book yet. This book was basically your standard rom-com but it does have it moments where it is unique in its own way.

OMG, this was so good. It was better than her first book.
This one had all the feels and emotions. It was fun and enjoyable. I loved the banter, I loved the close group of friends. I loved Seth and Lana so much.
I loved the character development and personal growth the two main characters went through.
It was just such a delightful book.

I hated Natasha , oof what a horrible boss.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

*4.75 stars*
This was just my kind of contemporary romance! Falon Ballard expertly wrote a story about a second chance romance between former high school sweethearts who are forced to work together in a challenge to see who can truly go against their dating type.

I was so engaged & entertained by this novel that I did not want to put this down! There was great depth & development for these characters, and I could not recommend this book more.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for an advance eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this sweet rom-com. I would recommend this book if you like: slow burn romances, frenemies to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romances, forced Proximity, strong female friendships, found family, open door romance, sweet romances with a sprinkle of spice. I liked the witty banter and mutual grand gestures and the tattoos- my heart! The group chat/text message aspect was so fun! I also love the therapy representation. I was not a fan of Lana’s boss- she crossed the line so many times with so many things that I feel like she should have been reported to HR a long time ago. This was such a fun romance! Lana did seem a little immature at times and I am not the biggest fan of miscommunication.

Just My Type
By: Falon Ballard
Review Score: 5 Stars

Five Key Feels

-Ok, the book starting with Lana having an Elle Woods moment pulled me in immediately!

-Lana and Seth’s competition was so good, I kept waiting to see what would happen next.

-I loved that Ballard really spent time exploring family dynamics, and the importance of different types of relationships.

-No spoilers but Lana and Seth. Just. Lana. And. Seth.

-I absolutely loved how this story wrapped up.

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Just My Type was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Penguin Group/Putnam. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 2/7/23

Oh. My. God. Yall. Just. Yall. I think this may be my favorite read of 2022…and it comes out in 2023. Like, how wild is that??

I honestly just loved everything about this book. The characters and their backgrounds, the competition between Lana and Seth and how it plays out, and did I mention the chemistry between Lana and Seth? Ugh. Everything was just so well written.

I also love that Ballard talked about important things, like therapy, work dynamics, finding your passions, and how to communicate what you need.

This book was just so incredible. I loved every second of it. There are so few books that I actually want to re-read, but this? I wanted to re-read it immediately. I may just go and do that right now.

I know, I know. I am teasing a book that isn’t out yet BUT. When it comes out, READ IT.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #fiction #arcreview #netgalley #penguingroupputnam #putnam #justmytype #falonballard

It def. took me a little bit to get into this book (no fault on the writing or the author), but once I did I found myself laughing at lines that the main character would say and think to myself "yup, thats something that I would say."

If you are looking for a light hearted - easy to read in one setting book, this here is your gal.

I did not find the main couple endearing. There wasn't much that was redeeming in the male protagonist. He treats the female protagonist with such disdain and condescension. I couldn't root for him. She, in turn, was constantly apologizing and making concessions. That really turned me off, which was disappointing because the author writes well.

Overall: 4.7/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5

Steam: 2/5 (Steam rating is not a factor in my overall score, it's only how I personally felt about it!)

This is my first "second-Chance" contemporary romance novel, and I absolutely adored it! Lana is a relationship columnist living in L.A. who is never single for long. So when her ex-boyfriend, Seth, a freelance writer, shows up at her job, a competition ensues for a new journalist position. Both of them must complete their assigned tasks and win the hearts of their readers, who will determine the winner.

This book was hilarious from the start. In a scene straight out of Legally Blonde, she thinks she's about to be engaged, but when she meets her boyfriend at a busy restaurant, he dumps her! The beginning of this novel definitely hooked me! I loved all the fun pop culture references in this book and Lana's growth from being a relationship jumper to being comfortable with just herself. Not to mention I loved the free therapy because, I'll be honest, some of those sessions hit a little too close to home!

While I loved many things about this book, I found the relationship between Seth and Lana a bit bland. They had a lot of fun moments, but I wasn't drawn to them as much as I wanted to be; in fact, I loved the idea of Lana finding herself and not relying on people for company. I will admit, though, those moments where Lana and Seth would talk about their relationship before it spoiled pulled my heartstrings. That's one of the reasons why I never picked up a second-chance romance book before this one; I knew the "before" parts would be painful.

I really wanted to be drawn to Seth. I knew he had his reasons, but I felt his growth was lacking compared to Lana's (it might be due to the book being in Lana's POVHowever, he did grow on me towards the end; I resonated with his reasons for coming to L.A. and his side of the breakup.

Overall, the plot was fantastic! I loved the competition, the witty remarks, and the group messages between their co-workers! They were so funny, and I would love to see more of them. As for the steam, I would say it's not very spicy. I think the steamy scenes fell flat because I didn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted.

Just My Type is a light read with a fun plot and hilarious characters. This was my first Falon Ballard novel, and I'm so excited to read the rest of her work!

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Falon Ballard, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A delightful read I throughly enjoyed.

I was given an early copy in exchange for change for an honest review. Loved! Loved,! Loved this book. It is a rom com a totally different take on the usual read. This is a look from the viewpoint of seeing the one that got away.on your turf (office). The story begins with Lana anticipating, what else could he be meeting her at their first restaurant. It was this nice restaurant, the location of their first dinner date four years ago. They have been exclusive ever since. So what’s a girl to suspect? Ready for him to pop the question, of course. Evan instead breaks up with her. This is to be the place of their first and last date.She is totally blindsided by the turn of events. Evan is totally a mommas boy/man. He tells momma everything. He never found a girlfriend before Lana that got along so well with his mother. Evan feels Lana is closer to Kay than he is. She has already texted Kay to come rescue her. Evan points out Lana can’t stand to be alone for a minute. Kay comes takes Lana home so they can watch chick flicks in Lana’s big bed. Get drunk pass out wake up, drink more, pass out repeat, and eat cheesecake and ice cream all night. When morning comes, Lana receives an urgent message from her boss to be there at the all staff meeting for an important announcement. Kay asks Lana if she even has time to make it there in time. Lana says if she leaves in next five minutes. She also had an evening of vomiting often sonteeth must be brushes thoroughly. She makes it just in time to see her first love sitting in her boss’s office. He has been hired by the chronicle but is on loan to write underneath Nastashia. Who already has a challenge for them both. Lana who already writes a love advice column will write about not being in a committed relationship but learning to be okay alone. Natasha can set that up since Lana is an open book to her boss. Lana looks up to her boss as an older sister momma image so she will do anything Nastashia asks because she would never want to disappoint. Lana’ felt like her mother never wanted to be home with her. She could call her mom and she would always answer on the second or third ring. Her mom had the special calling to go and set up schools around the world. Special thanks to #NetGalley, #PenguinRsndomHouse, #FallonBallard, #JustMyType for extending me a prepublication ecopy to review. I absolutely LOVED this book. Two arms up all the way. Yes!,Yes!Yes! I will be recommending as a must read romcom. For the thirty something.to think about. . I would like to see as a Prime or Netflix original movie or series. Would be great!

Lease on Love was one of my fav books and Just my type is right up there with it in my heart! I loved our two characters- former lovers - but who broke who's heart- and are they sworn enemies or does someone want to rekindle the flame? Is it even possible? So many questions and the story unfolds beautifully. Perfect ending and I'll be getting a hard copy for my bookshelf - I cant wait to see what the author does next! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars for concept. 3.75 stars for execution. It’s a cute story, and it really channels How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days which is my FAVORITE romcom… but it doesn’t fully work. The romance was sweet and fun, but the characters were juvenile and didn’t quite give me enough to believe them. It was overall an enjoyable read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Seth Carson and Lana Parker were high school sweethearts whose relationship left a major imprint on both of their hearts. 12 years after their breakup in their freshman year of college, they're both successful journalists who have lived separate lives. Until Seth shows up at Lana's place of work as the "new guy", and Lana's boss pits them against each other in a journalism competition that is sure to bring lots of traffic to the company's website. Forced to spend time with one other and confront/mend old wounds, Seth and Lana are in for a journey.

Falon Ballard has done it again, sucking me into this story in the first couple of chapters! I don't know what it is about her writing that makes me want to stay up until 2am reading, but I was just as invested in this one as I was in LEASE ON LOVE when I read it earlier this year. Starting the story with Lana getting her heart broken pulled me in immediately, and I plowed through the rest of the book at mach speed.

The main attribute that I loved about this book were the characters, and not just Seth and Lana. Lana has a whole support network of coworkers and her best friend May that are equally hilarious and endearing, and will make you think about the beauty of having your core group of people close. I also appreciated that most of the characters seemed to be around 30 or older - something that I seem to rarely find in modern romcoms! It's nice to read about characters that aren't falling in love and finding "The One" at 22.

I also really loved the banter between Seth and Lana. They know each other so well after spending so many years together, so they know what makes the other tick. Alternatively, they also know how to make the other feel supported and cherished.

Not only did we get a great romance out of this story, but we got to watch Lana really figure out her footing in life and in her career. I loved the portrayal of a woman at 30 really coming into her own - something that can be done over our entire lives. Life/change/growth doesn't stop when you hit 25, so big props to Falon Ballard for showing us how characters with their entire brain fully formed can still have this experience!

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster and had me grinning ear to ear by the end. I had such a fun time with it and definitely recommend it to any rom com lovers out there!

ARC REVIEW
Just My Type by Falon Ballard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Step right up for this second chance romance that shows the joy around all of us!

🖋️ Lana is a relationship writer who has just been dumped the night she thought an engagement ring was coming. The one thing she doesn’t need is to see Seth, her one that got away, especially since he will be her new coworker.

I adored this book from start to finish. Here’s why:

🖋️ I am a sucker for second chance romances and this one was done really well. Ballard let Lana and Seth’s past relationship come out in stages. Nothing was flashed back to and I was good with that. It let me feel Lana’s bottled up emotions and when things were revealed, I found myself getting so emotional with her. Unlike so many second chances romances, however, Lana and Seth’s reason for not being together felt so real.

🖋️ The competition. Right away Lana and Seth are pushed into a competition at work. He has to cut back on his playboy ways and she has to be okay with not dating (seriously) and being okay with herself. Through their challenges, they join forces and get some good forced proximity. This made the book for me.

🖋️ The side characters. I loved all of Lana’s friend and coworkers. They added some good comic relief and were also fiercely loyal. I also would not mind a book for May, Corey, or Tessa!

🖋️ Lana. I adored her and all of her pop culture references. I also could feel her frustrations with her life and heart. While I wanted her to open up more, I understood why she made her choices.

🖋️ Seth. He stole my heart. New book boyfriend.

All in all, this was an amazing romcom. It gave me all the feels and some reader’s anxiety (which I live for lol). Def one to check out!

Release: 2/7

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I needed. I absolutely loved Lana and Seth’s relationship and fell for Seth right away. He was so calm and patient and I loved the little hints the author laid throughout the story to show he was still in love with Lana. I did get slightly annoyed with Lana’s resistance, but forgave her in the end after the author helped her to unravel the reasoning behind her struggles at times I do think the book drug on or repeated itself, but I don’t even care because I just loved these characters so much. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this through netgally and can officially say Falon Ballard will be an auto buy author for me.

There were parts of this book I didn't care for and thought about rating the book 3 stars. Then there were other parts that gave me butterflies and I wanted to rate the book a 5. So obviously, I rated it 4 stars.

Lana and Seth were high school sweethearts. Now, 14 years later, they are forced to together in a workplace competition. The competition was fun. I loved some of the assignments. They seemed fun. When it came to the main characters Seth was charming but was very vague when speaking. Lana drove me crazy at some points, but I did appreciate her growth throughout the book and how she stood up for herself. May seemed like such a good friend and the work chats/group messages full of great funny banter. The book as a whole was pretty good. I did not care for the epilogue but the rest was good. It definitely reminded me of the movie How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. They even reference it in the book. It also gave off The Ex Talk or Book Lovers vibes. While semi predictable, I really enjoyed the grand gesture. I also loved the nerdy superhero reference.

- second chance romance
- enemy to lovers
- forced proximity

ARC review. Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam

Just My Type! This is a fun read about the journey of Lana and her finding love. Their relationship dynamic is intense and grows throughout the whole book. This is a fun read with cute moments!