I went into this book completely blind and that was a bit of a mistake for me. For the first 20 or so pages, I really thought I was going to like the novel because it had a career focused main character who I could relate to. However, after 20 pages or so, the setting of the book changed to a hallmark like world. I love Hallmark movies but for some reason I absolutely hate Hallmark like books. I like romance novels where they are at least a little bit realistic, and this one was not realistic in the slightest, Another thing I can't get behind is pet names. The main character was called sweetheart no less than 200 times and I vomited a little inside each time it happened. I gave this one two stars purely because I was able to ultimately finish it and it was a quick read,

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this cute and funny book that feels like a mix of Hallmark and Pleasantville. I'm a huge fan of Falon Ballard and her charming and heartwarming romances. This one had magical realism, which was fun and creative.
The story centers on the idea of what if a cynical woman and a man from a disastrous blind date wake up in a picturesque small down with no escape.
The town was charming and wonderful. I enjoyed lead character Cam's journey. She wasn't quite easy to root for at first, but she became more likable as the book went on. The main male lead, Ben, was sweet and the most likable character, but I wish there a little more depth to him and his personal story.
The book was entertaining and an easy read. I recommend it if you're looking for a light and cute story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this story we follow our fmc Campbell Andrews, a ruthless lawyer who has no life outside of work. She's been magically transported to the town of Heart Springs, aka Hallmark town USA and Cam's version of hell. In order to get home, Cam has to complete 3 tasks and learn a few lessons along the way before she's able to return home to NYC and her own life. Until then, Cam has to put up with having no cell phone nor car, wear pastel clothing, and drink overly sugary coffee in this new town while also trying to win the approval of the local residents.

Cam is an ambitious, rude, and brash individual. She’s the type of character I would usually find a bit grating, but I actually was quite fond of her! She’s hilarious and unapologetically herself, and definitely has girl boss energy to the max. I was rooting for Cam, and just found her to be quite a delight despite her abrasive personality. As for our mmc Ben Loving (yes that is his last name), he’s a charming and kind pediatric surgeon who listens to Cam and is not easily put off by her quirks. He would've been the perfect book boyfriend if it wasn’t for the fact that he constantly called Cam 'sweetheart', even before he was anything to her. I know it's kind of a petty complaint but it gave me the biggest ick. IRL, if a man not my significant other called me by the endearment 'sweetheart', I would just find it so creepy and condescending.

I am most def a sucker for romance with magical realism, so this story was right up my alley! It was laugh-out-loud funny and pretty adorable! I will say the first half of the book was a five star read, but the story fizzled out for me a little bit in the later part. It just lost some of the fun and magical-ness that I was loving about Heart Springs. We weren't given as many details to remind us this was a magical town. It just kind of became a typical day-to-day life in any small town. I was also thrown off by the pacing in the very beginning, as Cam was immediately plopped into Heart Springs by chapter 2. I would’ve loved to see more of her backstory, and have more of a build up before she actually got transported to “pastel purgatory”.

Overall, I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and cozy romcom to enjoy!

Campbell Andrews is a cutthroat attorney who is extremely driven and bulldozes everyone in her way. When she is set up on a blind date with Ben, she brushes him aside immediately and is downright rude. The next morning Campbell wakes up in a Hallmark town where she is tasked with finding a vocation she loves, becoming a valued member of the community, and falling in love. In a Groundhog Day-esque situation, she wakes up each day wondering if she will ever make it back to the real world. Is following the rules the only way out? Or will she learn to follow her heart? 3.5 stars from me. I didn't *love* Ben's character. He was kinda creepy. I did love the premise of the book and the different plot line.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Change of Heart was the romance with a twist that I was looking for, playing with my favorite sub category of alternative timelines!

Campbell (Cam) is a workaholic lawyer in her grandmother’s firm, slated to take it over one day she doesn’t have time or the inclination for friends or true family relationships outside of those that come from sheer proximity at work. When she goes on a date with Ben, a surgeon, it’s just to see if she can get her rocks off for the night. Things don’t end in that direction and during the date she supremely pisses off a waitress, resulting in her and Ben finding themselves in a hallmark movie.

Naturally like any classic hallmark movie Cam has to figure out how to be a contributor to her community, find love, and find a job that is her passion (which is hard given her vocation as a lawyer is her passion). A Change of Heart treats Cam’s quest as the fun misadventure it is while delving a little deeper into why she’s wired how she is and the role Ben can play in this alternate world.

A great premise delivers, with funny characters and action points and the sweet romance that I’d expect from any hallmark movie (with an edge).

This story was a cute quick read. It had more storyline than just the romance which was juce. It was fun and well written. Definitely will recommend.

What the fuuuuuuuck this was so amazing it had me crying in my office at work 😭😭 I absolutely ate this book upppp! It had everything—big city girl, small town life, cozy autumn vibes, coffee shops and bookstores, friends to lovers, with so much self love and a hint of magic ✨

4.5 stars!
I sometimes have a way with words but for this one the main thing I can say is cutie book alert!

I was a little skeptical when I read the synopsis, but in Falon we trust, so I obviously had to read it immediately. I loved the characters and all of the love stories (romantic and platonic) bc both are so important.

I will definitely be recommending this bad boy. Team CamBen forever <3

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for this eARC!

Who has time for silly love stories and dating these days, certainly not Campbell. She didn’t work her butt off to make partner at her law firm only to give it all up for love. That’s until Cam wakes up in Heart Springs, her own personal hell straight out of a Hallmark movie. She’s forced to complete a series of tasks in order to make it back to her real life. At the top of the list is finding true love. It seems impossible but maybe she’ll have a change of heart.

Romance gets a bad rep for being predictable and all about the fluff which is fair in some cases but Change of heart is so much more then that. The alternate universe is an interesting plot line that forces the characters to face their demons and take a critical look at their lives back home. It changes Cam fundamentally and it was a joy to see her grow and slowly become a better version of herself, the woman she wants to be. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t say more then that.

The story kept going after the point I expected it to wrap up which was a pleasant surprise. The romance between Cam and Ben is a big part of the story but not the only thing that matters in the end. I might have cried a little when I finally understood the underlying message. This is one to look out for, romance readers will eat it up it but so will others who decides to give it a shot.

Read this if you like
✨Opposites attract
🩷Self discovery journey
🏡Small town
🔥Spice

The premise of this book held a lot of promise as a fun take on some classic tropes, and may hit the mark for some, but there were some characterization misses that let me down quite a lot. The style of writing was far too action-descriptive for me to really be immersed or feel any kind of sympathy for Campbell when her hard headedness and blunt (arguably rude) traits are out in full force - it didn't make me want to stick around to see her growth as a person.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This is a cute premise with all the usual Fallon Ballard delights. However, the characters fell flat. I didn’t feel compelled to root for Cam and Ben barely had a personality beyond calling Cam “sweetheart.”

A quick and sweet romance! While the book is not a holiday read, it still manages to giveHallmark Christmas vibes as a workaholic lawyer wakes up in a small-town on a mission to find true love. It was very fun to read Falon Ballard write magical realism and, as usual, I'm looking forward to her next book!

This book is an absolute gem! I fell head over heels for Campbell Andrews and Ben. Watching her navigate the charming town of Heart Springs, reluctantly opening herself up to love, was both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny. The quirky characters and magical setting add so much charm, making it impossible to put down. It's a perfect blend of humor, romance, and personal growth. I loved every second of it.

3.5 rounded to a 4

Campbell's whole life resolves around her work as a lawyer and consistently chooses her career over love. On her blind date with Ben, she makes it clear that she doesn't really believe in love and dismisses him. The next day, she wakes up in Heart Springs, a quintessential small town that's cheery and where everybody knows each other - really the opposite of Campbell's personality. And Ben, for some reason, appears to have been transported as well. Campbell is given 3 tasks to complete to return home/reality, one of them being to find true love. As someone who doesn't believe in love, Campbell is forced to challenge herself in more ways than one and along the way, discovers the unexpected.

I like Falon Ballard's books, but this one was just ok for me. Campbell's character was relatable but also a little rude, especially in the beginning to Ben. Despite that, she does have a good heart. I wish Ben's character was explored more so that we got more of why he has trouble trusting others/finding love. He was sweet and clearly wanted to find his partner in life. It was kind of cringey for me when he calls Campbell "Sweetheart" out of nowhere, but I was still rooting for both of them and I loved seeing Cam's character development through the book. I've found that I really like magical realism books and overall, this book hits that spot. I always like to see how the characters go back to reality and what it means for their relationship.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5

Synopsis: A ball busting NYC lawyer wakes up in a Hallmark-like quaint town. To get home she must find something she is passionate about and experience true love.
Pros/cons: Guys I’m sorry, this book doesn’t come out until February 🙈 but I was so excited to get the arc from NetGalley I couldn’t wait.
Falon Ballard always writes stories with super cute plots, this was no different! However, her books always seem to miss the mark for me somewhere. While I enjoyed this storyline the characters were a bit cheesy/cringey. The female lead drops way too many F Bombs and the male- well, we know basically nothing about him except for he calls the female “sweetheart” the ENTIRE book and it was nauseating, truly. Don’t get me started on the second scenes. Bleh!
So, mixed emotions. Worth a read but cringey all the same.

This was the BEST book I've read all year.
Nope - wait.
I meant ever. It's sooo-o good!
First, Cam's personality is on fire right from the first page and it comes across as mildly annoying but you still love her for it. And then there's Ben who is just a happy go lucky kinda go with the flow guy. He wasn't a wimpy beta boyfriend but also didn't have to be a douchebag alpha male to get you to like him.
Second, loved the concept of this book. I've been looking for something like Irish Wish for a while now and this did not disappoint.
Seeing Cam try out all different jobs was fun and I was totally jealous of the perfect hair and makeup every morning.
Falon Ballard is my new favorite romance author!

I’m a huge fan of Falon Ballard. I’ve read all her works and loved each one. This is a good story, but it wasn’t my favorite.

This story follows Cam, a workaholic lawyer who is a bit (or a lot) rude. She goes on a blind date with a pediatric surgeon Ben and completely ignores him the whole night. The next morning Cam and Ben wake up in a magical town and are given a list of tasks to accomplish in order to get home. Will they be able to complete their lists or will they be stuck in the pastel-colored town of Heart Springs forever?

I’m typically a huge fan of magical realism, but this one was harder to fall into. The whole point of magical realism is to understand what is happening is impossible but you believe it and don’t question it anyway. This story it just happened too fast and was hard to accept.

Ben was a likable character but he felt a bit flat. I think the book would have benefited from a couple chapters from his POV. The only time I didn’t like him was when he made fun of Cam in character 5.

Cam was just an ok character. Yes she is rude, but I also think she may just be very direct and to the point. I am sort of like that too (but I’m also a people pleaser so…). I was rooting for her to get a HEA.

Overall this is a good book. It has Ashley Poston and Sarah Ready vibes. I appreciate Ballard venturing out to try something new. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ballard’s mastery of the slow-burn romance is on full display here, with a story that brims with tension and charm. Their gradual, heartwarming journey from sorta friends to lovers kept me captivated and rooting for them every step of the way. The whimsical plot adds a fun, enchanting twist, making each page a joy to read. I was completely swept up in their story, and their chemistry made me fall in love with every moment.

Oh my goodness, I am utterly enchanted! This book had me completely spellbound from start to finish. The reverse grumpy sunshine dynamic was a refreshing twist, and the magical realism added such a whimsical touch. The slow burn romance was sheer perfection, building delicious tension that kept me on the edge of my seat. I laughed, I sighed, and my heart soared. This story was pure magic, and I loved every single second of it.

thanks so so much for the arc! another cute read by falon ballard - definitely a cozy romcom that has you rooting for the FMC throughout. you might have to suspend reality for this one (are there no I-9's in Heart Springs?? where cam's money coming from???) overall, i definitely enjoyed this book, the couple, and the premise. looking forward to ballard's next!