This was Falon Ballard's second novel and believe me when I say ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛ! The story encompasses a little bit of everything from forced proximity and second chance romance to some not-so-friendly competition and life journeys. I loved the banter and sarcasm between the characters and the supportive friends of the female main character, Lana. Oh and I think I just found my new book boyfriend. 

-LA setting
-serial monogamist/serial manwhore
-competition
-sunflowers
-second chance romance
-life journey
-self-exploration & growth
-forgiveness
-ex lovers
-forced proximity
-therapy

Quotes from the book I loved:

"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." 

And the final articles of the competition were perfection and while I wish I could include them here, you'll have to read to see! 

I honestly debated between 4 stars and 5 because while I really liked the story, it also wasn't in my top reads of the year. I find that I can't really put my finger on anything "wrong" with the story but here are a few things I didn't love but felt they didn't take away from the story:

-I wish Seth had more guy friends
-Natasha - UGH
-Lana's mom - MEH

From the hot new author of Lease on Love, Falon Ballard has a new novel coming out early next year!

Ex-high school sweethearts Lana and Seth are reunited when Seth moves to LA to write for the same paper Lana writes for, Always Take Fountain.

In a vibe similar to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Lana’s boss puts them in competition against each other. Lana jumps from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. Seth is notorious for having booty calls in his phone and never settling down. Lana has to find herself and be content with being single and Seth has to settle down and be in a serious relationship. Each will write 10 articles detailing their experience over the 10 weeks and the one with the most votes from their readers will get their own column in The Chronicle .

I really loved the idea for this book. Second chance tropes are one of my favorites HOWEVER something about this one fell flat. Typically we get to see the more of relationship in the past and I didn’t see any of that here. It tells us they were HS sweethearts but didn’t really show us. This made it hard for me to care about them as a couple because I didn’t feel that connection.

Lana was immature but she did show tremendous growth throughout the book which made me respect her character.

Honestly, I think I would have liked this better from Seth’s POV.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look out for this one on Feb 6, 2023

I was so excited to read this after I read Lease on love and of my goodness it was SO cute! Perfect rom com and I ate it up! Absolutely loved it

3.5 stars - Recommend

I'll start off by saying this book was entertaining. It starts off with an attention-grabbing first chapter and continues with an intriguing plot. Lana's a serial monogamist journalist writing about dating and relationships for the web magazine Always Take Fountain. Cue Sean, "the" free-roaming ex. He was her high school sweetheart and they had envisioned becoming journalists together. However, life had other plans and they parted ways 12 years ago. Now it just happens that Sean takes a job with the same company in which Lana works. To gain more clicks, the Editor-in-Chief pits the two against each other with the reward of a new column. Lana must commit to a single lifestyle and Sean needs to find a long-term relationship. Each week, both must complete a related task assigned by the other. At the end of 10 weeks, the readers will vote on the winner based on the content shared. Many of the tasks had to be completed together and lines got blurred along the way. I loved the banter and messages between the two and their co-worker friends.

✔️Second chance romance
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers
✔️ Funny moments
✔️ HEA

The reasons for lower than 4 stars - I rate books on readability, writing and emotional aspects. It was an entertaining read, but I wasn't hooked and didn't really connect with the book emotionally. Lana seemed a bit immature and Sean's back story could've been expanded on. I feel like the wording could've been better to make the sentences/ paragraphs flow better. But overall, it was a decent read.

Absolutely incredible and Ballard’s best work so far (which is saying a LOT because Lease on Love has been my entire personality since I read it ages ago). I hate second-chance romance but this book alone is changing my mind. Lana and Seth not only have incredible chemistry but they put so much work into becoming the best version of themselves. I love a book that prioritizes mental health and is realistic about complex family relationships.

What worked:
Tension
Character Growth
Background development

What didn't work:
Pacing

Seth and Lana were high school sweethearts who had a nasty breakup when college started. Flash forward, they are now pitied against each other for their dream job and are forced to get the closure they desperately need. Lana does not want this closure or this to be what stands in her way of the job she worked tirelessly for over the last eight years. Seth isn't ready to let go of the past and will do what it takes to prove it. The amount of growth these characters show is unbelievable and I loved every second of it. Seth and Lana have incredible tension, but most of all, they have so much to work through and decide to put in all the work. This book felt so realistic and was well timed. My only qualm was the pacing because it felt like the mystery behind the reason for the breakup was dragged out and anticlimactic. It would have made more sense to be revealed earlier to make the character motives more understandable. But overall, I loved this book and cannot wait to shove this down everyone's throat.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I think I may have loved it more than Lease on Love. It’s such an adorable rom-com that is totally binge worthy. Definitely add this to your TBR.

Adding Falon Ballard to my fav authors list at once!

There are so many amazing tropes in this book and they work together so perfectly: third (yes not second, but third) chance romance, work place romance, being pitted against each other in a friendly competition.

Seth Carson- he will call you by your last name, bring you your favorite flowers and seemingly here to take your job but just moved across this country because after 12 years he still loves you.

Lana Parker, ie Parker- a secret-ish nerd who shamelessly loves the Avenger and is ready to go with her hazelnut latte.

This book is an amazing rom-com laced with characters who are learning important lessons about themselves by putting themselves out of their comfort zones and it was so fun to read!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, WOW!! *is currently wiping tears*
 
easy 5/5 stars from me. This HAS to be one of my all-time favorite books. Falon Ballard is going to absolutely be an auto-buy author for me. 
I cannot get over this book. It was amazing.
  The structure, the premise, the ups and downs, the creativity behind it, the nods to modern day movies in the mid 2000’s like Legally Blonde and How to Lose a Guy in 10 days- which for me by the way, were the two moves I watched on repeat- literal repeat in my young days. Fun fact, I actually watched Legally Blonde so much and so often, I one day decided to keep track, and I took a post-it note and kept it inside the DVD cover and tallied it for every watch. 86. 86 times at least I’ve watched that movie (I lost the post it note about 10 years ago and I’ve definitely watched it since)!
 This book was a gorgeous, wonderful, feel-good love story; I am hardCORE crushing on Seth, by the way. Lana’s personality is so genuine, adorable, and relatable. Her strained relationship with her mother is super relatable. Seth and Lana’s chemistry is not only unable to be ignored or shoved away, but the fact they’re both writers for a living is so perfect for us bookish folk! The characters? Swept me off my feet. Even the side characters- the personalities were THERE. They stuck out in your mind, you remembered them, and I’m LIVING for that. The love? Undeniable, unignorable, true and genuine. The workplace environment? Toxic, toxic boss- which kept for spice, attention, constant page turning, and dramatics… Guys this book. THIS. BOOK. IS. EVERYTHING! It has all key elements that I think are so important in a book. Even if the plot wasn’t “exciting” the characters in this book would literally make you keep reading. Luckily for all of us readers, the entire thing was perfect. The plot was both the backbone, and the icing on the cake.

This is giving 2000s rom-com films and I loved every word, sentence, and page!

Some tropes/things to note this includes:
-forced proximity
-”enemies” ish to lovers (competitive banter)
-second chance romance
-all of the pop culture references
-slow burn
-limited spice (more open ended fade style)

I think Lana and I would be friends in real life and reading her thoughts made me feel like a friend was talking to me and telling me stories asking for advice. I devoured this so fast and when I was accidentally reading one too many books at once, this constantly pulled my attention back and got me out of a potential reading slump. I haven’t read Lease on Love yet but I now am even more intrigued and will probably read anything Falon Ballard comes out with!

Omg, this book started so damn good, like priceless. Seriously who gets dump that way. 🤣
I have enjoy this book Immensely , is funny, light and a good read, the whole concept of exes doing a list for the other to follow 😍, this is fun. And the situations they get into love it. Definitely a book that I will totally recommend.

A funny, lovable, second-chance romance story. Just My Type follows two former lovers as they compete for a journalism spot at an LA paper. She has been working for this company for years hoping for a promotion. And he has been a successful travel journalist looking to finally put down some roots. She has a list of tasks to complete that require staying single and having no strings-attached fun. His list is all about trying to find someone to settle down with at least for the long term. May the best writer win.
This story explores family dynamics, the detriment of making decisions for others, learning to trust ourselves, and the certainty/inevitability that comes with real, true love. It's funny, swoon-worthy, heartbreaking, and hopeful. An easy, fast read that brought me so much joy. I find myself rereading the back 75 pages every few days because I love the emotional payoff.

I really enjoyed this book and the personal journey Lana went through as she realized who she is and what she deserves in life. As someone who is still with their high school sweetheart (11 years and counting!) and also had long distance due to college, I could really relate to what Lana and Seth went through. It felt like an alternate reality to what my life could have been if things played out differently. This was such a feel good book and I will definitely be watching for future books by Falon!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy!

Just My Type
⭐⭐⭐/5

(Spoiler-free review)

The story follows two journalists which was so fun to read since my major is probably going to be journalism. Also, I was reading this story while i was visiting LA, but i am originally from Connecticut which i thought was a funny coincidence since the story was based in LA and the main character was from ct :)

The overall plot of this story reminded me a lot of ‘The Roughest Draft’ and ‘You Deserve Each Other,’ while the setting reminded me of ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ The book also had a lot of Elle Woods references which were so perfect for the main character.

The story was really cute and i would recommend it, especially for someone who is in a slump and needs something lighthearted after a classic or thriller. The only reason that i gave it three stars is because nothing about the story stood out to me and i also wasn't the biggest fan of the characters. Nonetheless, it had a good vibe and setting so I will be picking up Fallon Ballards Lease on Love for sure, and this is definitely a cute rom-com to add to your list if you want to get out of a slump

Happy reading!
~Kiswa🌷

THIS BOOK. WAS ADORABLE.

Probably the most perfect second chance/friends to lovers to enemies to lovers I’ve read in a while.

Lana? Loved her and all her Marvel references. Seth? The typical “I’m definitely not over you but you would never know” man. AND THE SUNFLOWERS?? ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEEE. 😭

I loved the whole concept of the lists for each other and how much they both learned. The quotes at the top of the chapters were also a funny add in!

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley.

Content: Gobs of profanity. Like, gobs. And a couple of sexual situations, easily skippable.

I can really enjoy second chance romances if they're done well. I have to say that I found the story and characters compelling. I wanted stuff for them. Initially I thought I could live without the epilogue, but turns out I couldn't. It's legitimately important. This would have been a four star read for me were it not for the buckets of foul language.

I devoured this book in just two (really late) nights! This was my first NetGalley approval so thank you Penguin Group!! Lana and Seth are ex high school sweethearts. After Lana gets dumped by her latest long-term boyfriend, she goes into work the next day hungover, just to be greeted by none other than Seth. The one person she can't stand because he broke her heart, TWICE. They end up in a competition for a better writing position, but along the way they end up learning and growing themselves as people.

I really enjoyed the second chances story line and the nostalgia that came along with it. It was funny, sweet, and just the right amount of tension and heat. This is the first Falon Ballard book that I've read so I'm definitely interested in going back and reading her first one!

One thing that would have made the book a little bit better for me would have been having chapters in Seth's POV. In some ways this did add to the mystery of "what is he thinking," "did he really do that", etc, but I just feel like the book would have been more rounded out had he have had a few chapters telling things from his perspective. Overall, it's a great rom-com book and I recommend it!

Just My Type by Falon Ballard.
This was a enemies to lovers romcom at its finest. I thought it was humorous and just the cutest book. Definitely recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

this is high school sweetheart to workplace rivals to lovers which i love and the second chance trope always hits. this kinda gave me emmacassidy and januarygus vibes!!
i really liked the storyline and their rivalry was soo cute.
seth and lana had smm chemistry too.
i really recommend this book
the only thing that bugged me was the multiples marvel references, it’s so annoying and it rlly takes you out of the story. authors should really stop putting real life references. like no one enjoys it.
otherwise it was good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group- Putnam Publishing for the eARC of this novel!

Just My Type is sexy, romantic, and hilarious. This laugh-out-loud romantic comedy has some of my favorite tropes- enemies to lovers, second chance romance, and forced competition! Just My Type follows journalists Seth and Lana. Seth and Lana were high school sweethearts once and, ever since their heartbreaking end, they delved into two different paths- Lana, a serial monogamist who can't stand to be alone, and Seth, a serial dater who is clearly allergic to making a commitment! When Seth shows up at Lana's workplace, a competition ensues! The two journalists are pitted against each other- Lana must learn how to be single and enjoy being alone and Seth must learn how to set his life up for commitment. Throughout this journey, the two learn more about themselves and each other.

I absolutely adored this story. The romance, the competition, the banter, and even the personal growth both of the characters go through. Highly recommend!

Just My Type by Falon Ballard-
I was pleasantly surprised by this, but honestly I shouldn't have been. Just from the description it had me hooked, I mean who doesn't love a good How To Lose A Guy-esq story. Not me. I ate this book up pausing only for like my job. The characters were relatable, if not somewhat cringy at times, but still lovable. But where I think the book truly shines is it's development of the characters into full and complex people, specifically our lead Lana. That is in the end what truly sold me on this, was seeing her grow throughout the book and realize things about herself that she had been ignoring. A good fun time of a read.