I always enjoy a cute little romantic love story around Valentine’s Day, and this book fit the bill. I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie from start to finish (which for me is a good thing)! The only bit that I didn’t fully latch onto was the “magic” element of getting stuck in the town, but overall I really liked this book.

This was about a workaholic that gets a new reality in order to reimagine her life. Cam is a lawyer who after one too many failed dates, gets placed into a town called Heart Springs. She is tasked with items that at the start feel too daunting, but are they really?

I enjoyed this! Cam felt like a relatable lead. She’s very career driven, but once she’s forced to take a step back, she is filled with a sense of dread and self doubt. She feels like she can’t do anything right. Her development throughout the story was refreshing. I liked how unrealistic and crazy the side characters felt to our leads, but then became fixtures of their lives once they eased into their new reality. Cozy book overall with some spice.

4.75 stars.

"And my oh my the tables have turned."
" I encourage you to approach everything and everyone with an open mind and open heart, it's the only way you'll truly find your way home."
"I think there is no one like you sweetheart."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have to say this story captivated me from the first page ,all the way to the last page. This was very much a rom com due to Campbell's snarky and hilarious smart mouth with anyone in the vicinity of her wrath, especially in the beginning of this story. This small town romance with a hint of magical realism was absolutely perfect, the author did an amazing job with incorporating a very simple but moving theme and point to the reader. Which is to love and accept yourself and live in the moment, and to take pride and time while we are living on this Earth. Campbell experiences numerous epiphanies throughout her self discovery journey, which is why I love her character so much because her growing pains are normal and relatable.
Campbell's character is extremely relatable because she goes on a journey with the three tasks she is given to be able to leave the magical small town, in order to get back to her life. But the more she stays in the small town, the more she slows down, and she slowly changes her outlook on life and takes in her own feelings. The set up and magical part of how Campbell's and Ben ironically are placed in the same small town was perfect, their connection and opposite personalities mesh very well. The friendships Campbell develops and the way she views herself and how her experiences with her family impacted how she lived her life all played a factor with her growth and complete 180 on how she conducted herself in the real world and work world.

The only critique I have is that I wish we got to get to know Ben a bit more. We get a few small bread crumbs with his character but we don’t get enough in my opinion!

Tropes:
Second Chance
Opposites Attract
Small Town
Magical Realism
Grumpy / Sunshine
Hallmark moving setting

I liked the story but it just felt undeveloped. It didn’t feature the things I loved from Falon in the past like banter and character development. Will try Falon in the future but hoping for more.

Thank you to Fallon Ballard, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Change of Heart in exchange for my honest review.

Change of Heart is such a fun, whimsical, rom-com with a just a sprinkle of magical realism included. Campbell is a workaholic who has been raised her entire life that work comes first, above all else. She does not believe in love because to put it simply, it would take away from work. However, her grandmother is determined that she find someone to marry and has been setting her up on dates. The most recent date is with Ben, and pediatric surgeon who lives a busy life, but still believes that there is room for love. After making it clear that she is in no way interested in love or giving Ben the time of day on their date, Campbell wakes up the next morning in the small town of Heart Springs, which is accurately compared to the Hallmark Channel. Campbell is given three tasks that she must complete if she ever wants to go back home, and to make it worse, the other person who is trapped in this town is Ben.

While I found this book to be fun to read, I did struggle a little bit with it. This book has both character development and plot to it, which can make it hard for me as a reader who prefers books largely with character development, or even plot heavy. I find when the writing it split 50/50 plot and character development, it can be not enough for me of either one. I will say that I loved the town of Heart Springs and some of the people in it. I do love a good small-town setting and even thought Heart Springs was not real, it made the book more enjoyable for that small-town setting. This was a fun read and I think there are going to be a lot of people out there who absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, it was something that I did have fun reading and have no regrets reading, but it is not my next favorite book if that makes sense.

📖: Change of Heart-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Falon Ballard

📅Publication date: 2-11-25 | Read 2-10-25

📃 Format: e-Book, 336 pgs.

Genre:
*Rom-Com/Contemporary Romance
*Adult Fic
*Magical Realism
*Fantasy

Tropes:
*grumpy/sunshine
*found family
*alternate universe
*self- discovery
*slow burn
*small town

👆🏾POV: 1st person, single-Campbell

⚠️TW: parental abandonment-h's mother

🌎 Setting: New York to Heart Springs

Summary: After a bad first date setup by her grandmother, Campbell and her date Ben are transported into a magical small town called Hearts Springs. In order to get home to New York, Cam must find passion beyond a career she loves, become a part of the community, and find true love. Ben has to make sure she succeeds.

👩🏾 Heroine: Campbell "Cam" Andrews-34, lawyer/ partner at Andrews & Associates

👨🏾 Hero: Ben Loving- cardiothoracic pediatric surgeon

🎭 Other Characters:

* Mimi-the mayor of Heart Springs
*Emma- bakery owner, Cam's BFF and employer
*Ethan-a teacher, Cam's 1st suitor
*Jason-Cam's 2nd suitor
*Noah Crenshaw-real estate developer, 3rd suitor

🤔 My Thoughts: I wished we got Ben's POV too. Cam's character was flushed out as she dealt with all her insecurities, while we only saw Ben through Cam's eyes.

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group| G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Falon Ballard for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading Change of Heart by Falon Ballard. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Campbell Andrews is perfectly happy with her life. She works in her grandmother’s law firm, as a partner, and she has everything set up just the way she wants it. She’s happy being single and working too much, but it’s important to her not to follow in her mother’s footsteps, who turned her back on the family firm and hardly speaks to anyone in the family. But every so often, Cam’s grandmother insists on setting her up on a blind date, and Cam half-heartedly agrees.

Tonight’s date is with pediatric surgeon Dr. Ben Loving, and he chooses an adorable café, the kind Cam would usually not go near. But she decided to go with it, as none of these men she goes out with are anyone she wants to get involved with. Best just to get the date over with. Cam shows up at the café and barely gives Ben a chance to introduce himself before she’s ordering and taking out her phone to return work emails. Ben tries to make conversation, but she shuts him out and they end up calling the date over about halfway through dinner. Their waitress, Mimi, covers their check but leaves a cryptic message for them to slow down and give love a chance. Cam can’t get home fast enough.

The next morning, Cam wakes up and immediately knows something is wrong. There is sunlight streaming in the room, waking her up. She is in a charming house and wearing coordinated pajamas. Her cell phone is gone, and there doesn’t seem to be a landline around either. The clothes in the closet are nothing like the clothes she regularly wears. She gets dressed anyway and goes out into the town to try to figure out what’s happening. Cam ends up in a coffee shop, where she is chided for the amount of profanity she’s using and is informed that she is in Heart Springs. She assumes it’s all just a bad dream and goes back to bed.

The next day, Cam wakes up again in Heart Springs. And the next. And the next. She spends the day eating junk food and binging movies on the one channel she can get on her television. And in each of those movies, there is a big-city girl stuck in a small town. And finally she realizes that’s who she is too. Cam is a big-city girl stuck in a fictional small town, and there is no way to just leave. Her next door neighbor, Dr. Ben Loving, of the disastrous blind date, tells her to go talk to Mimi. When Cam finally runs out of options, she heads back to the coffee shop to find out what she needs to do next.

Mimi tells her that she has to do three things: find a career she’s passionate about it, she must become a valued member of the community, and she needs to experience true love. At first, Cam is skeptical, but if it will get her home, she’s willing to give it a shot. Through some challenging career moves and hilarious mistakes, Cam tries her best to find a career she can be passionate about. She also agrees to dates with three men that Mimi has chosen. And she makes friends with Ben, feeling a little guilty about somehow getting him stuck in Heart Springs also.

But as she slowly opens up to new experiences, Cam finds that maybe she wasn’t as happy in New York City as she thought. And maybe this small-town experience can really teach her something about life and love.

Change of Heart is the hilarious new romance from Falon Ballard. It’s all about the Hallmark movies that we love to watch over and over, and while it certainly makes fun of some of the most obvious tropes, it also celebrates the values they represent, the ones that keep viewers coming back. Cam and Ben are both fantastic characters, and the story is filled with surprises and sweetness, as well as a little spice.

I absolutely loved this book. I have been a fan of Ballard’s for a while, so I knew I would be in for a good story. But the humor here is has so many layers that I was laughing out loud as I read it. These characters are smart, funny, and a little subversive in this small town, and it made me so happy to see how their being trapped in that movie set small town changed them. If you are someone who watches the Hallmark movies or someone who rolls their eyes at them, you will find something to love in Change of Heart.

Egalleys for Change of Heart were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Let’s get this out of the way right from the start. Change of Heart is super cheesy and pretty predictable. And I enjoyed the heck out of it. Honestly this reads like it’s a Hallmark Channel script. And I freely admit I’m a total sucker for Hallmark movies, so of course I thought this story was a ton of fun. Campbell is totally focused on work, it’s basically all she cares about. She’s doesn’t seem to want to care to look for love. But she will go on dates to appease her grandmother. But even when on the dates, her mind is on work to the point she she really comes off cold and uncaring and in that first chapter you are not going to like her at all. But after her latest date, she wakes up to find she’s been transported out of her regular life and is now living in a magical town small town where she’ll need to complete a number of tasks to return to her real life. Corny? Perhaps, but still a ton of fun. These tasks get her to look at the world in a different light and of course change her perspective or rather cause a ‘change of heart.’ Cheesy and predictable, perhaps, but in all the ways I enjoy. If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, this one is for you. I’d like thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Fallon Ballard’s Change of Heart.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2X0IGPIXKSV7H/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I absolutely adore all of Falon’s books so I knew I would like this one before I even started it. While this book is a little different than her others, I still loved it so much. The story was deeper than just a normal love story, it was about finding and loving yourself as well. Ben is my new favorite book boyfriend now, I just adored his character. I just can’t say enough good things about her work and this one definitely did not disappoint!

Thank you so very much for the ARC of this fantastic book!

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard is a sweet and enjoyable romance about love, forgiveness, and starting over. The main character is at a turning point in her life and has to figure out how to move forward. Ballard's writing is fun and full of humor, making it an easy read.

The characters are relatable and well-developed, each with its own quirks. The chemistry between the main characters is strong, and their journey towards understanding each other is touching. Ballard mixes funny moments with more serious ones, creating a balanced story.

The book explores the idea of second chances and shows that it's never too late to change your life. The pacing is smooth, keeping readers interested from start to finish. The setting is charming and well-described, adding to the story's appeal.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion. These thoughts are my own.

If Falon has no fans, I have gone to heaven. This was so much fun!!!!! I loved the premise and I wish I was Cam lol.

Calling all Hallmark Channel lovers, this book is for you! Ballard has tapped into all the Hallmark vibes for this book making it a fun, light-hearted and relaxing to read. There is plenty of banter, laughter and snark from Cam!

Cam is a workaholic who has no time for love. She has work goals and her focus remains there. When she ends up on a date with a pediatric doctor, Ben, she makes sure he understands this is going nowhere. Then, her entire world turns upside down and what she believes to be the absolute worst nightmare is not a nightmare at all. It is now her reality. Somehow, she has ended up in a town called Heart Springs with Ben in this new reality and she has no idea why.

Cam’s nature is to be in charge but she quickly learns that she is not calling the shots in Heart Springs and if she cannot follow the rules and complete the tasks in front of her then she may never return home. Ballard creates simple tasks with the funniest interactions and outcomes!

The more time spent in Heart Springs and with Ben, Cam finds herself falling in love. So, why doesn’t this seem like enough to bring both Ben and her home? Ballard follows the Hallmark rules and the happily ever after is the sweetest ever!

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and PRHaudio for my gifted copy and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.


I normally love Falon books, but this one I just couldn’t connect with. I didn’t really care for the characters, and I think the audio actually ruined the mmc for me. He said sweetheart too much, and in the audio it just didn’t sound right. It might have been better if there were two narrators instead of just one doing both parts.


I didn’t like the fmc at all. It was difficult listening to her for the first half of the book.

Overall it wasn’t horrible, but definitely not my favorite of hers.

I'm not sure why this book's rating is so low. I thought it was charming and adorable! I loved the touch of magical realism.

Cam is a SERIOUS CAREER WOMAN and she has no time for things like being nice on a date or having friends. When she goes on a blind date with Dr. Ben, she basically ignores him the whole night and it gains the attention of their strange server who leaves them a cryptic message. The next morning, Cam and Ben wake up in Heart Springs, a town straight from a Hallmark movie. In order to get back to real life, Cam has to complete a few tasks. Will she be able to achieve the growth necessary to get back to normal? And does she even want to get back to her old life?

I would call this book a gro-mance. Cam had a lot of life changes to make to be happy with herself first and then in a relationship. I thought the romance part of the book was a bit slow and wish Ben was a little more developed, but this was Cam's story and he was a sweet supporting character. My other favorite character in this book was the town. I loved how it basically had a personality of its own. I loved all the over the top seasons and holidays, the quaint Main St, and the caricature townspeople. Overall this was a quick, fun read that kept me entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam and Sons for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book but I could not connect with the female main character. She was selfish and annoying. This is the second book by the author I just didn't enjoy. But that cover intrigued me so I gave it a shot. The cover is gorgeous.

This book made me realize that maybe books with a little bit of magical realism are my happy place? I thought it was absolutely adorable.

For me, the likeability of the characters is somewhat more important than the actual plot and I just think that Falon Ballard's characters speak and react like real people, which I really appreciate. There's nothing worse than a main character who speaks in long winded monologues and uses vocabulary that people just don't use in real life. Cam speaks like a human being and I love her for it.

The story really reminded me of A Novel Love Story and The Love of My After Life with some elements of Pleasantville and The Good Place thrown in there. While the plot wasn't particularly thrilling, I thought the story was entertaining and heartwarming- very Hallmark-esque! Highly recommend for an easy lil' romance. Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a really enjoyable book! I love a book with magical realism!! There’s something so fun about it and this one had a magic closet so you know that’s a blast!!! I really liked the story, side characters, main characters and lesson. I think this is a good book to read after a heavy read because it’ll make you feel cozy!

I've been a big fan of several of Ballard's books in the past & I had hopes after her recent Christmas romance that I'd also love "Change of Heart." Unfortunately it really didn't work for me. I skimmed a lot in an effort to not DNF. I probably should have. I found it boring and the premise of being stuck in a magical Hallmark town/dream was not for me.

Campbell, a driven attorney, is reluctantly going on blind dates to please her grandmother when a date with a charming doctor, Ben, leads to her waking up in a magical small town. To return to her old life, Campbell must embrace a new career, help the community, and find true love with Ben’s support. This sweet, magical romance was a delightful read with a perfect blend of cozy vibes, humor, and slow-burn chemistry. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC