Just My Type
By: Falon Ballard

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 1.5/5

Am I still grinning from ear to ear after finishing this book? The answer is yes, this book has become one of my favorite reads in 2022. I finished it in a day that’s how hooked i was.
Looking for a second chance, enemies to lovers romance? This is the book to read!
I really enjoyed all of the rom-com mentions, they all fit the scenes. The Legally Blonde start was perfect, that being my favorite movie had no role to play in that fact, I promise!
Lana learned a lot about herself throughout the book, it was great to see her become independent. I would have left the speed dating to watch my shows at home too, can’t blame her there. The group chats she had with her friends had me chuckling. They were a funny bunch.
Seth was perceived as a player but once the competition started you could just tell he still had love for Lana. My heart melted when he said “We both know you don't want him, Parker." His possessive side came out and the tension was chefs kiss.
Throughout the competition they grow in their own ways to better themselves for each other. That ending was beautiful, I would have never predicted that. I was so shocked!!
I can’t wait to purchase the paperback!

"Is my new Ektorp sofa the key to all of my romance woes? Now that I own a dining table AND four chairs (hold your applause until the end, please), will I finally find the woman of my dreams?"

I read "Lease on Love" earlier this year and could not wait for "Just My Type"! First let me say, I really enjoy Falon Ballard's characters. I think they have great chemistry together, and I think she does a great job of creating memorable side characters. I'm a big fan of found family and both of Falon's books have that. Second, this is one of the best instance of third act conflict that I've ever read. It was so realistic and it fit perfectly into the plot. It was so seamless and in my opinion, most books do not pull that off.

My only qualm is that I didn't really buy into the idea that Seth was a playboy before coming to LA. The characters told us but nothing in Seth's actions showed us. Does this affect how much I seriously LOVED him and Lana together? Absolutely not. I mean, how could you not love them together after reading the speed dating scene?!

Just my type introduces us to our main heroine- Lana. She’s an author of a dating column for a local online website. And hasn’t been single once since the love of her life ended things with her 12 years ago. After being dumped by the guys she’s been with for 4 years- she gets a mysterious message from the one that got away- Seth. Of course , true girl fashion, she ignores It.

At work the following day she finds out her company has been bought out by another large LA publisher and they’re bringing someone in for a possible job .. oh yeah you guessed It - Seth.

So before going into more- here is where I would like to say I truly with this book was written in a dual POV. I think It helps the story SO much to know what both characters are thinking. Although Fallon does a great job having Seth say what’s on his mind for the most part, I think It could have added to the emotional connect between Lana and Seth.

Anyway- they find out that their both fighting for a column with the new parent company , one that gives them complete range in writing.

The story gave me huge how to lose a guy in 10 days vibes which I’m totally okay with since that’s an amazing movie. It’s written so well and the chemistry between Lana and Seth literally comes off the pages. I won’t go too far into the story line, but I absolutely loved this read. There was a lot of inner issues that both characters address and work on. Again, this is where dual pov would have been helpful but Fallon does do a good job including Seth’s inner thoughts in his dialogue.

There was a little steam in this book- to me It was the perfect amount. Seth’s pretty damn swooony I will totally say.

Overall, I would definitely consider just my type as a re-read and totally recommend this for anyone whose a fan of second chance romance, cute ass writing (the sunflower I fucking died) and a lot of nerd speaking from Lana.

HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam / Putnams Sons for the ACR of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Just My Type" is a very cute and enjoyable second-chance and enemies to lover romance. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
3,75/5

I absolutely LOVED Just My Type. There was so much of this story that I could relate to with my husband as well when it comes to second chances. There was a lot of self growth with Lana that I know a lot of women around the world can relate to, as well as office place disrespect that can happen with those of us who are people pleasers. I will be preordering and making sure I tell all of my friends!

I really liked this book! It kind of reminded me of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"! The beginning started a little slow for me because I didn't feel like I really got to know Seth until the second half. He seemed like a jerk! The Seth from the first half of the book and the Seth from the second half were like two different people! But I ended up loving him and really rooting for him and Lana.
Tropes:
-Work place romance
-Second chance romance
-Enemies to lovers
-Competition
I really liked Lana. She was a very relatable FMC. I also really loved a lot of the secondary characters - May, Tessa, and Corey. A very supportive and funny group of girlfriends! The relationship between Lana and her mother and the way it bled into all other relationships for Lana was also interesting to me.

Such a cute exes to lovers trope! I was hooked with the dating competition lists and loved that they both wanted to be with each other after all of these years!

Lana and Seth were childhood friends, to high school sweethearts, who broke up after Lana went away to college. A run-in at their high school reunion two years ago also ended... Badly. Lana is convinced she hates Seth. She was also convinced her current boyfriend of four years was going to propose - not break up with her. Lana is clearly wrong about a few things. And then Seth comes walking back into her life, and they are competing for the same role. Let the hijinks and pop culture references ensue.

I loved the pace of the novel and growth in both characters, especially Lana. She has been a serial monogamist and is challenged to stay single during the competition. Personal growth and introspection are weaved through, along with a heavy dose of yearning and decades-old miscommunications. The side characters are also excellent and I'd love to read about their journeys to HEAs if this were to become a series.

I devoured this book in about a day and recommend. One thread/ loose end that wasn't tied up - who is/was #LongTermPotential?

I read this book as an advanced readers copy through NetGalley. I mostly enjoyed this book, I really liked the side characters and the diving into finding yourself separate from a relationship. I did feel anxious a bit while reading, there was a lot of fighting that didn’t really resolve until the very end and after every fight I felt like I was holding my breath waiting for the relief to come and it didn’t it just stayed upsetting. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily bad, it did what I was supposed to by making me feel something. Overall I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to whatever Falon Ballard puts out next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 🌶🌶 on the spice I’d easily read another book with these characters.

This story follows two millennial journalists (a story after my own heart because I am a journalist and I love two writers together) who are unexpectedly thrust into a workplace competition. The background? They were high school sweethearts. Lana and Seth totally took over my mind as I read this book. I genuinely laughed out loud. There was so much great banter and quick wit. Plus all the Marvel references? I am SOLD.

I love a second chance romance and there were so many things I enjoyed about Ballard’s writing style. The characters felt so palpable and all the slack messages were a great way to move the plot along. And the sunflowers 🌻 that was the perfect addition to this story and I won’t spoil what happens but OMG.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of the plot:

Lana is a serial monogamist. She has jumped from relationship to relationship, so she has never had the time to really be single. Insert Seth: Lana’s ex boyfriend who broke her heart and is now her competition for a column at the writing company they’re working at.

The competition? Seth has to complete ten tasks that are related to commitment and long term relationships. Lana has to complete ten tasks related to being single. At the end of each week, they write an article and whoever gets the most votes and views wins.

But to spice things up, some of the tasks, they have to do together. And yes, it forces them to hang out when they “clearly hate” each other.

Things I liked:
✔️ Characters that add to the plot
✔️ Good forced proximity, second chance romance
✔️ Moral of the story: being single for an extended period of time can be good for you
✔️ Mature scenes of people apologizing to each other
✔️ Promotes therapy as a good thing

Things I didn’t like:
❌ Lana still isn’t single for that long (about 10 weeks?)
❌ The competition (definitely rubbed me the wrong way, but it makes sense to the moral of the book I suppose)

Overall, a fun and cute read!

Would I recommend this book? Sure.

I want to start my saying that I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must say I loved this book, I love the banter between the main characters, the pop culture references and the ending was exactly what I hoped for.

Great romance read with just the right amount of comedy and spice mixed in for good measure!

The characters were easy to relate to, and it was fun to follow along their journey throughout the competition. The author did a fabulous job of giving us glimpses into their past, and how that helped shape who they were in the present. I'm a sucker for second chance romances, so it was easy for me to root for Seth and Lana to rekindle their lost love.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.]

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.

*arc from NetGalley*
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Pub date: February 7,2023
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Is this my new favorite book?? I mean, I think it might be…
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Just My Type follows Lana and Seth. High school sweethearts who broke up right before college. They both become writers with Lana living in LA for the last 12 years and Seth moving around the world for the last 6. But now they’re back together in LA…
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I immediately connected with Lana from all of her Marvel and Star Wars references. And her office at home sounds like something I would be obsessed with! Can’t get rid of her books, bookish/movie/tv show merch all over the shelves, and a book cart by her desk for her tbr books?? Check, check and check! ✅
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The scene after speed dating had me like 😅💕😭😔😩🥰
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And Lana finally having a conversation with her mom was the other scene that really got to me.
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This was such an amazing book, and I loved every second of it. Now I really want to have a book for Tessa and Rob 😝
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Another smash hit from Falon Ballard! I absolutely love the way that she writes and the characters she creates. Icing on the cake was a second chance romance (one of my personal favorite tropes). I adored Seth and Lana! Their relationship was something that I don't think a lot of authors do typically well with it being a second chance romance and them being high school sweethearts. Not to sound like every other book reviewer but it did truly feel similar to Emily Henry's "Beach Read". Truly a solid high paced read!

I love books where you are able to see the interworking of some kind of writing profession, so having them do the competition for the column was amazing. It allowed readers to see the competitive drive between them which connects back to their high school days. Additionally, the small little pop culture references made for people obsessed with books such as the Ripped Bodice or popular romance books was so FUN! I feel like a lot of authors try to relate to pop culture and it ends up being very cringy but Falon Ballard was able to do it perfectly. I think that definitely enhanced my enjoyment when reading despite it being such a small thing. Absolutely adored this entire book start from finish and would highly highly recommend.

READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY.

I received this ARC from NetGalley earlier this week and holy cow, I plowed through this. Just My Type included enemies to lovers (my favorite trope), witty banter, a strong female lead and a twist I wasn’t expecting at all (in a good way.)

Lana was so insanely likeable, I felt for her every single chapter. She shared her true heart and feelings and also, had true emotions that actually felt like something I would go through too. The characters were authentic and relatable and I absolutely could see how each one felt throughout the journey.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t explain how much happiness it brought me - I’ll definitely recommend this to my friends and fellow readers!

Just My Type by Falon Ballard is fun, emotional, sexy, and just so good!!
I loved both Lana and Seth. I loved the side characters, setting, plot and how much it made me root for this story, in general.
I hope Falon Ballard continues to write more contemporary, adult romances.
In short, I adored this book. As slow-burn hot as it is achingly heartfelt, and overall charming office romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ok, so I have a soft spot for stories dealing with journalism. I'm not sure that's ever been established. I'm a big pile of mush if my books have one or more person writing for a newspaper or magazine. It's not secret that those stories are close to my heart because I spent 9 years as a newspaper reporter, and I studied English and Journalism college.

Let's christen this story friends to lovers to enemies to bigger enemies to friends to lovers? There was a lot going on in Seth and Lana's relationship over the course of their lives, and their emotions were rollercoasters. Seth was way more verbal about everything than Lana was, but I think Lana was too caught up in trying to prove she didn't need, want or love Seth that it made her seem more cold, more reserved. There really wasn't a miscommunication trope - it was more Seth thinking he knew what Lana needed and wanted without taking into consideration that all Lana really needed and wanted was for Seth to be there.

The competition aspect reminded me a bit of Love The One Your With by Lauren Layne - well, not exactly, but, you know, the competition aspect. I loved the twist of them vying for a job. It was plain to see their true feelings the whole time, and I love how Seth never wavered once the truth left his lips. The side characters know what's at stake, and one side character has only the worst of intentions. That part made me kind of angry. It felt like this person preyed on Lana, and the more I think about it, that's exactly what they did. The fact hat Seth took a stand too just cemented him in Book Boyfriend Hall of Fame. Oh dang, I think I'm on to something there...

Anyway, this book left me gooey inside, I won't lie. I enjoyed it very very much, and it is at least in my top 10 of the year. It might have pushed its way into the top 5 once I think more on it. There is sexy time, but it's not much and doesn't happen until almost the end of the book. There is loads of banter, fun and text exchanges that made me giggle. I'll definitely purchase a paper copy for my shelves.

Books about writers are so fun to me! As you can imagine, I loved this one! I thought that the storyline was unique and so adorable, even if it was a little predictable. The last articles they wrote were definitely a little swoon worthy for me. Plus, there was a humorous side to the book that made it even better. Definitely recommend.

🌀Synopsis
Lana gets dumped on the night she is anticipating her engagement. She doesn’t really want to marry him but she also doesn’t know how to be single. When her boss presents her with the opportunity of a lifetime she finds herself in a competition with her first love, Seth.

Seth is the playboy wanderer that got away. The two are competing for their dream job writing serious articles in LA. While Lana has to remain single for the challenge to find herself, Seth has to settle down and make himself ready for marriage.

What’s worse- their boss now requires them to work together on a list of tasks.

The tasks help them find some common ground and present opportunities to work through the things in their past. The past, it seems, isn’t as dead as Lana had initially thought though but with the competition between them there is no way for them to make amends. Or is there?