It took me a bit to get into as it started off like a mix of Legally Blonde (which the author acknowledges) and Clueless. Then into How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days territory but characters and storyline fell into place quickly. If you love second chance romances and enemy/rivals to lover then add Just My Type to your list!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Lana Parker, a journalist and a serial monagamist, coming off a doomed relationship of several years comes toe to toe with her first love fighting after the same job.

Seth, a so called serial dater, recent transplant to LA, takes on a 10 week dating challenge against Lana, striving to win the prized spot on the newly merged publication.

So many wonderful tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, and workplace rivalry. I loved the wacky challenges and having Seth and Lana being thrown together at every opportunity. A really fun read.

Just My Type is a second chance romance with a bit of rivals/enemies to lovers thrown in. All of which Falon Ballard executed very well.

The book follows Lana and Seth, high school sweethearts with broken hearts, as they are forced into a competition for a column/job of their dreams. They have to work through miscommunications, past mistakes, and present feelings to discover who they are and if they still belong together.

The work family/friends Lana has cultivated are top notch. They are there for her with tough love and encouragement (everyone needs a May in their corner). I loved that therapy showed up as tasks for both characters, as well as actual glimpses into Lana’s sessions. Her character growth was an important mix of recognizing/discovering her strengths and shoring up her weaknesses.

I wish we had more insight into Seth. We get glimpses of their time together through flashbacks, rehashing of past mistakes, and confessions, but I would’ve loved some chapters in his POV. I appreciated his mentions of therapy and the benefits too. I applaud anytime we can bring therapy in the conversation and destigmatize it (especially for men).

The chemistry between them wasn’t as strong as I’d like, which made their emotions about past events seem overblown. I’ve noticed I tend to have reaction with most second chance romances, so that may just be a ‘me’ thing.

While their boss overstepped by throwing them together for the competition, the banter they fell into was great. The group texts and Slack conversations were hilarious and gave more depth to the side characters. I’d love to see more of them in future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for this eARC.

One of my most anticipated books for 2023. I LOVED Lease on Love. Picked it up unsuspectingly in the buy one get one half off table at Barnes and Noble. It looked cute. And then proceeded to leave me with the biggest book hangover ever.

That being said, my hopes were incredibly high for Just My Type.

And y'all, they were more than exceeded.

This was the perfect second chance friends to strangers to work enemies to lovers. The temptation to start it over immediately amidst my HEA tears was quite high.

Lana, a relationship writer for a lifestyle website had been in LA for the last 12 years. Her site has an upcoming merger with another paper and a possible opportunity for her to move to a columnist position. The catch? She's competing for one columnist spot with recent LA transplant and freelance writer, Seth, who happens to be her estranged high school love. Following a tumultuous ending to their love story, they haven't spoken in 12 years. What follows is a How to Lose a Guy in 10 days esque series of weekly articles on happily embracing singleness (Lana) and going from playing the field to boyfriend material (Seth). When research for their articles starts to bring Lana and Seth closer together, the years worth of walls start to come down, and it turns out, the one position isn't the only thing at risk.

I loved everything about Lana and Seth's story. There are Legally Blonde references, a trip to Ikea, the coworker Slack chat, fishes named Harry and Sally, the things that would trigger nostalgia for each of them (the sunflowers!) They supported each other's growth, were quick to acknowledge miscommunication even if it didn't bring the outcome they hoped, and fought for what they needed in order for them to then to fight FOR each other. Also. The ending 🥰 😭 🥰😭 🥰 (to clarify, these are very much happy tears!!). Both their final articles and the epilogue were everything my heart was hoping they would be.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

I loved Lease on Love, so I was so excited to read Just My Type. This story did not disappoint! It was heartwarming, funny, real, and raw. I felt like the characters were relatable and easy to love. I have already shared about this book with friends!

This was such a cute read. I loved Lana and Seth and their chemistry and banter. I also loved the side characters and other conversations especially James constantly telling Lana and Seth to get a room. I also appreciate when characters love books and Lana certainly does. I also love how they fell in love again after all the years apart. This book is hilarious I frekaing loved it. I had so many favorite scenes I cant even list them all.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Putnam books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED this book. I flew through it. If you like reading about second-chance romances and strong female friendships, I think you'll like this one. While I enjoyed the list aspect of the competition, I don't think that was what made me like the book. The mother/daughter subplot really intrigued me and drew me in. I love how that was wrapped up! Also, as a journalist myself, I liked that the commentary on the profession was so accurate.

The one thing missing from this book is chemistry. I liked both characters but I only felt the chemistry occasionally. I think the author did a good job at inserting small moments between the characters while leading up to the big moment, but I felt like those smaller moments needed to be longer. They were too quick and it didn't give me enough time to really feel it. I think if those moments were explored more then the payoff would have been much better.

Oh and I liked the whole boss situation, that was definitely interesting to read about and important too!

I definitely would recommend this book to rom-com readers out there!

This book was cute! I definitely skimmed several boring pages and almost put it down completely at one point but the premise seemed promising so it kept me going. I found myself not really caring about Lana and Seth until about halfway through the book and then even then was just hoping they’d get together and move on. Lana honestly drove me crazy. Seth told her SEVERAL times throughout the story that he was in love with her, she was his “true north” etc and then one second later she was like does he like me??? She drove me insane. It could be cute and clever at some parts but otherwise this book just didn’t do it for me.

"Just My Type" by Falon Ballard is an extremely ENJOYABLE book!! Parker aka Lana and Seth are childhood sweethearts who broke up and lost touch after high school. Then years later they both end up participating in a work Challenge that will ignite old feelings and friendship. As Parker and Seth embark on self discovery it will lead to realizing sometimes you get a second chance with your Forever Love!! Loved EVERYTHING about this book!! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!

This was an okay read. I really loved Lease on Love and I was really looking forward to reading this ARC.

Just My Type had all the ingredients that made Lease on Love so special, but for some reason it just didn't click the same way. Mostly, the story felt a bit flat. Although I loved the potential that Lana and Seth had as a couple, the chemistry did feel a bit lacking at times.

I loved Lana's character arc and just how much we saw her develop as a character. I also really loved her work friends and May.

Overall, this was still a good book. I'm looking forward to more by Falon Ballard. Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I devoured this second chance romance in under 4 hours. This is Fallon’s sophomore novel and while second novels can be my leash favorite sometimes, she came out swinging.

My heart yall. Fallon has a way with words that will make you FEEL and she didn’t hold back in this one. Feelings are already high with a second chance and my god my little heart!

Seth & Lana we’re high school sweethearts. They were each other’s “the one who got away” and 12 years later they’re forced to work together and compete for a spot to have their own column at a newspaper. The banter, the angst, the tension!! Perfect perfect perfect.

This was a second chance that just took my breath away. The way their relationship as teens shaped them as adults is explored throughout the book with the competition they have to do. The lists they come up with each other and the forced time they had to spend together WAS SO ANGSTY. The little jabs at each other and subtle declarations of “I’ve always been in love with you and I still am” had me in tears!

This was a lovely second chance! The Steam is kicked up a little on this one but still few scenes (open door).

Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, I have always loved you.

TW: absent mother, manipulative boss.

Just My Type is Falon Ballard's sophomore novel, and certainly shined in many ways! The novel follows Lana, a dating-advice columnist who is perpetually unable to remain single; after being dumped by her latest serious boyfriend, Lana's friends suggest that she might need to learn to be okay on her own. Fast-forward to her high school sweetheart, Seth Carson, showing up at her work, and the two are pitted against each other in a competition: Lana needs to learn to be okay being single, and Seth needs to become the type of man who someone would settle down with.

The pop-culture references in this book make it a fun read for anyone obsessed with Marvel, Star Wars, and fandom culture. Lana's struggles with parental relationships affecting her romantic ones, is something many of us can relate to. However, I personally did not think this second novel lived up to Ballard's first, "Lease on Love." I found the "not over my high-school ex-boyfriend 12 years later" trope just a little too hard to believe, and their get-together moment too out of the blue. I think Ballard's writing really captures a reader's attention and makes this a page-turner romance though, despite the things I didn't like about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was all in - second chance romance with a workplace competition, sign me up! I had high expectations going in and Just My Type lived up to every one.

Lana's voice came through so strongly. I was with her every step of the way as she navigated the loss of her relationship, her ex reappearing in her life, and then the competition that forces her to face aspects of her past that she has long ignored. Seth is definitely added to the ranks of other favorite book boyfriends of mine. There were so many moments that made me swoon, my heart race, and grin from ear to ear. If you love second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and workplace comedies, you will love this story!

When I was approved to read an advanced copy of this book I SCREAMED! I loved Falon's last book Lease on Love, and this one was maybe even better?? I said what I said. It was SO good! This one was set in Los Angeles and had the vibes of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Two ex-high school sweethearts are pitted against each other for a dreamy job writing for a big paper in LA. Lana is a serial monogamist and Seth is a serial dater. Lana's challenge is to prove that she can be single, and Seth's is to prove he's ready for a relationship.

This book has the tension of enemies to lovers, but the sweetness of a second chance romance. I also was obsessed with the use of Slack/group messaging and the friendships Lana had forged in LA. It was laugh out loud funny, but also incredibly heart warming.

WOAH. I LOVED THIS ONE! The only problem is it doesn't come out until 2023 so people won't get my obsession for so long.

Just My Type is a workplace enemies to lovers/second chance romance with strong How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes. I really enjoy Falon Ballard's writing and this cover is one of my favorites! I was a big fan of Lease on Love and while I didn't love Just My Type as much, it is still a great romcom!

The only reason I'm not rating this higher is because there are a few things that just didn't work for me, personally. There's nothing wrong with this book at all and I think most romance readers will love it!

Lana and her high school ex, Seth, are reunited when he shows up at her office and they're all of a sudden competing for a job. I couldn't get behind Lana having to compete for her dream job with an ex, especially after she's been writing for the website for years. I also didn't like the fact that their boss was pushing Lana and Set to do a lot of really personal tasks together despite their history and letting the readers vote on their work. I am a pretty private person and I would HATE if my boss were the least bit involved in my personal life, let alone forcing me to write about it online. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had Lana's job but it still felt very invasive and uncomfortable at times.

I also think this might have worked better for me if it were just enemies to lovers or just second chance. Second chance can be a hard trope and while I love Ballard's banter, it just hit differently coming from an ex.

While this wasn't my favorite romance, I will still read anything Ballard writes and I can't wait to see what she does next! She has a talent for writing witty romance with lots of fun pop culture references and great character development.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader.

Just My Type encapsulates everything I love about second chance romances: the pining, the angst, the tension, the nostalgia, the memories of who this person once was and who they are now, the things that have remained constant and the things that have changed, the familiarity and uncertainty, the past hurts and how they impact each other in the present, and ultimately, the desire to forge a beautiful future together, because the person they once knew and loved so well has always been it for them. The reason no other relationships felt right, because they found their person long ago and that's it for them. *crying* I love Lana and Seth so, so, so much.

In Just My Type, we get to read about Lana's character growth and rediscovery of both Seth and herself, experiencing it in her POV. (Honestly, I would happily devour this same book from Seth's POV. I would LOVE to see what was going on in his head throughout the course of the book, too, and I love Seth a lot. He's a sweetheart.) I knew I would love this book from the beginning, when I felt for Lana and her reluctance to take a deeper look at some of the patterns of her behavior that her long-time friends have seen and why she falls into it. Her unconscious desire for companionship and fear of being alone tugged on my heart. She's also really funny and sarcastic and sweet and vulnerable and unapologetically nerdy (all her love of Marvel and fandom and her R2D2 text tone, her clothes), and I couldn't help but love her character. Every time she remembered something from her first love, her first relationship that impacted her the most, I got emotional and nostalgic right alongside her. From sunflowers (*crying*) to holding hands to having fun together with Seth, these memories surfacing and knocking the wind out of her are so visceral and real. I immediately wanted to see her reconciliation with Seth, for them to address all the things they'd left unsaid, all the things that were still hurting, because of all the goodness and happiness in most of those memories. The love, the joy, the contentedness. (I'm getting choked up thinking about it.) Their initial animosity towards each other was so painful to witness, knowing it was a reaction to the strength of their feelings and the lingering hurt and anger.

The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days-esque setup of the competition (one of my favorite romcoms because it's just so funny but also cute) where Lana and Seth get pitted against each other as rivals seeking their own column as the prize was wacky and fun and one of the things that drew me to this book. The things you realize as you read, though, include how this got proposed and by whom, and the circumstances of this proposal definitely raise red flags about Lana's boss, Natasha. I thought this was really well done and realistically portrayed, and the reasoning behind Lana not noticing this pattern or ignoring it broke my heart for Lana. However, the competition itself and the tasks Lana and Seth get to assign to each other ultimately turn out to be learning experiences for both of them, and I was so happy to see that they both assigned each other the task of going to therapy. Lana's familiarity with therapy and her self-awareness as she started going again made me so proud of her, and I love Dr. Lawson. Though this is in Lana's POV, we get to see some of the effects of therapy on Seth, too, when he opens up about his feelings and communicates some of these to Lana. Baby steps for both of them. (Their pact to have open communication at the end is everything!!! So important and so well learned for them.) As Lana pushes herself out of her comfort zone with the assigned tasks, she does so much self-reflection and learns so much about herself, both who she is and who she's still becoming. The fact that she's working on finding out who she is is so relatable, and the way she gains self-confidence and realizes her own strength and capability had me immensely proud. Seth's proud of her, and I am too. *cries*

I love the way the romance unfolds between Lana and Seth. The push and pull, the flurry of mixed emotions and overwhelming feelings, sorting out nostalgia from present day feelings, all of it. It's messy and very human and real, and you can easily grasp how much they mean to each other by the intensity of their feelings even now. I love that the romance (re)develops along the path of Lana's own character journey, where, for example. learning kickboxing and getting instruction from Duke leads to Lana's first major breakthrough of letting go of her anger, which opens the path to Lana reestablishing a gradual, tentative friendship with Seth. Seeing their relationship develop throughout the book evoked so many emotions, and I rooted for Lana and Seth the entire time. I love that they relearn how easy it is for them to be friends, first, as they had been best friends as children, and how the nostalgia also combined with very real things such as how well Seth understood some of the deepest parts of Lana, including her feelings about and relationship with her mother. Lana writing Seth's dating profile showed how well she knew Seth, too, and oh my god I would have loved to see Seth's reaction and his POV of him reading the things she wrote about him, that baring of part of her soul. Seth and Lana just make me feel so many things and I'm obsessed with them *crying* I love them so much. They've been through so much, both together and apart, and their HEA is so well-earned and deserved. The epilogue made me scream because it's perfect (I only wish I got to read another 100 pages of fluff and them being happy and adorable). The last few lines of the book are *chef's kiss* perfect. I'm the biggest sucker for the other person feeling like home, and Seth is Lana's home. I'm an emotional mess over it.

I also love the little epigraphs where we get a brief quote from mostly Lana's articles for her job, but also the ones we get from Seth's as part of the competition. They provide a lovely opening to each chapter and are connected to the content of the chapters. And more than that, the articles we get from Lana and Seth near the end had me full of feelings *cries*. The parallels between them and the palpable emotions both of them express in them are everything.

I just love Just My Type so much, and I can't wait for February so I can get my physical copy of the book and hug it. It's everything I love about romance and romcoms with all the depth and growth and swoony moments and tension and chemistry and the couple you root for because how can you not *cries*. I love Seth and Lana; I hope we get more content about them in the future. (Seth's POV! An extended epilogue! Everything!)

Huge thanks to Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is an incredible sophomore novel from Falon Ballard. It had exactly what I was expecting- lovely romance filled to the brim with relatable, striking feelings where the main characters truly find themselves and end up finding love as well, with the main characters being able to stand on their own two feet alone as well. Beautifully written.

I am obsessed with Falon Ballard and her brain. I loved this book and I cannot wait to hold it in my hands come February 7th 2023.

Lana thinks she’s going to her proposal dinner… but it turns out to be a breakup dinner. Lana is a writer for a dating and relationship column, which she hates writing. She is constantly in relationships until her ex, who is always single, shows up and is trying to take her job. They are pitted against each other in a competition to win a dream columnist job. Lana has to write about staying single and finding herself. Seth has to write about learning to settle down. When they’re forced by Lana’s boss to work together past feelings and emotions start coming to the surface.

Just My Type has so so so many good qualities. I found myself a lot in Lana. She is a huge nerd loving all things Star Wars, Marvel, Bachelor, Game of Thrones, Schitts Creek, true crime, Legally Blonde, Ted Lasso and is a book nerd just like the rest of us! Going through her journey of finding herself Falon shows us Lana’s final lessons learned from her whole experience. There is therapy positivity and a found family. I loved the tension and spice. There were so many parts between Lana and Seth that I would love to see play out in real life! Especially the Live!
Overall a fun heartwarming read!
There are a lot of similarities in the writing with this book and Lease on Love but honestly I’m not mad about that at all. Falon is top notch at Happily Ever After.
I wish I could say more but that would start getting into spoilers.



Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I got this book as an ARC and so happy I did! Thank you penguin group putman.

I am a true fan of any romance trope. If it’s romance, send it my way. Especially with some spice 🌶

This book was about a second chance romance, which I don’t read as often but I really enjoyed this one. (Plus it had some spice 😏)

Lana and Seth were once high school sweethearts until it was time to graduate and their original plans to go off to college didn’t go as planned.

From there they spent over a decade apart, still loving one another. One bouncing from one failed long term relationship to another while the other hooking up from one person onto the next.

Finally they are reunited in a work competition, where they both learn who they’ve become and how the past shaped each of them.

This book made me laugh and cry, in the best way. Happy tears 🥹

I think what could of made this a 5 star read for me is if there were chapters in Seth’s POV since the book is read form Lana’s POV.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this one. Falon Ballard is an auto-buy author for me from here on out. I absolutely adored her debut, Lease on Love, and Just My Type did not disappoint! Second chance romance isn't usually my favorite genre, but I really enjoyed this one. This is like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in book form. I really enjoyed the competition aspect of this story. I loved both Lana and Seth. The pacing of the book was really good, and I felt like the time devoted to completing each task was just right. One thing that I didn't like as much was that the storyline with her boss seemed to catch me by surprise. I wish there were more clues about the inappropriateness of the relationship prior to her boss coming up with the idea of the competition.