Thank you to Netgalley for the arc! This book is for people who enjoy light romcoms with magic realism. People who enjoy redemption stories will like this book. While I typically enjoy Falon Ballard's books, this one fell short in my list of favorites. I thought the characters lacked authentic depth, and on a personal note, I just don't enjoy magic realism; HOWEVER, I know this book will hold its fan base!

Many thanks to GP Putnam's Sons for the digital review copy of Change of Heart by Falon Ballard, which comes out on February 11th. Let's dig into my thoughts!

Oh, how much I wanted to love this book. It begins with a dedication to "unlikable women" and boy am I here for more books in which women are allowed to be unlikable. Our protagonist, Cam, is the hardworking, heartless lawyer who usually plays the villain role in a Hallmark movie, and it's a great concept for a romance. I love how the book balances her learning to prioritize the right things with letting her retain what makes her her.

The Hallmark-world premise is fun, and I enjoyed seeing Cam navigate its bizarre seasons and rituals. Watching everyone get mad at her for her mistakes adds depth to the character of the town in a way you don't often get from a Hallmark-inspired world, and I enjoyed that as well.

However, this book just didn't work for me. The main issue is honestly something so small that really got under my skin. The love interest calls her "sweetheart" in basically every line of dialogue. Yes, it starts out sarcastic and eventually evolves as their relationship does, but it was too much. It got distracting and made me cringe every time he was on the page, to the point that I just couldn't invest in him as a character or in their love story. I wanted to root for them, but I couldn't really get past this to learn who he was or what made him a good match for Cam.

Given that it was a romance, the love interest being a flat character with an irritating quirk like this took me out of it and made it hard for me to enjoy the book, despite it having some elements I really enjoyed.

Change of Heart didn't work for me, but that doesn't mean some readers won't love it! For those looking for a Hallmark-style world that gets interrogated by the tough lawyer character, this book might well scratch that itch.

I love Falon Ballard's writing style. This book has her signature style while going in a direction we haven't seen from her before. This book requires some suspended disbelief for the magical realism. The main character Cam comes off as unlikable to start. Cam is all black cat energy and I was angry with her when she got trapped in Heart Springs. Cam's character grows a lot during the book and discovers what she really wants from life. While there is a romance her I think the story is really about Cam's growth and the romance is supporting. Our love interest, Ben, is charming and sweet. He's really supportive of Cam and isn't put off by her grumpy tendencies. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for this eARC.

When I read the description of this book, I thought the premise sounded good.
Unfortunately, it just read a little strange. It fell very flat to me and the premise just felt very fake and weird. For this book to be considered a romance, it didn't feel like it had the spice, on or off the page.




Thank you Falon Ballard, Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for this advanced eARC!

This book was cute. Almost too cute. It was a mix of Pleasantville and every Hallmark movie you've ever seen.

I thought the characters were cute, and the messaging being about loving yourself very important.

That said, I don't like Hallmark movies. If you do, read this book!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

She was a cute read, though it did feel a bit long at times. It definitely has that cheesy, Hallmark movie vibe, which I’m always up for.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with both of the main characters. The FMC felt a little too grumpy and tough around the edges for my taste, while the MMC seemed distant and lost at times, leaving me wanting more from his character.

On a positive note, I really enjoyed the small-town setting and the whimsical, charming atmosphere of the town and its residents. There were also a few moments of spice that felt a bit unnecessary to the story, but overall, it was an okay read.

Thank you Netgalley for an early arc of Change of Heart. I love Falon Ballard. I have all of her books, I love her writing style. This was really cute and I would recommend it. I rated this 4.5 stars.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my early copy. All thoughts are my own!

I enjoyed this for the most part. I feel like the main female character was really unlikeable. I felt bad for Dr.Loving because he was awesome. I get its grumpy/sunshine trope but she was just plain rude. She was tolerable by the end.

I like the concept of the plot and I think the side characters were fun. I just wanted more I guess. Maybe if it had been longer and more detailed; I would’ve liked it more. Not to say this book was bad because it wasn’t. I read it in one sitting and would recommend to others.

I wasn’t sure about this book, but I loved the author so I kept going and I’m glad I did. Heart Springs grew on me as well as the main characters. The FMC matured throughout the story. I wished we had a little bit more of the MMC. I would say this is a 3.5 Star book but I rounded up.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

I’m a big fan of this author, but this book missed the mark or me. I didn’t care about the characters and I didn't see an actual connection between the characters. Also “sweetheart” was said so many times it made me literally cringe.

Fallon Ballard has been an auto-read author for me since she released Lease on Love, so I'm disappointed that her latest release didn't work for me.

I was not a fan of Change of Heart. I appreciated the magical realism and overall themes of the story, but the characters weren't well-developed, and I didn't enjoy the ending. Also, I am baffled as to why Ben called Cam "sweetheart" every three seconds. It was cute at first, then awkward, then infuriating.

This one wasn't for me, but I still look forward to Ballard's next book!

Did I get myself into another magical realism book without realizing it? Yes. Did I also enjoy it immensely? Also yes. This book follow Campbell and Ben from their blind date through to their displacement to a magical small town, Heart Springs, as neighbors. The only way home is to complete three tasks, one of which is to find true love. She's not convinced she would be able to find true love in this slow town when she's used to her fast paced lifestyle. This book was very reminiscent of a hallmark moving of a city girl falling in love with a small town boy, except in this case, he happens to be a city boy stuck in this small town with her. I found the story to be fun and reminded me of the movie Freaky Friday in a way. Overall, I very much enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the free eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live 06Feb25.

This book turned things on its heels, with the grumpy of the grumpy/sunshine trope being the female main character! Campbell is an arrogant no-nonsense workaholic with no time for anything but her family’s law firm. That is until she is knocked into a Halllmark movie-like town with no access to her previous life, except for her new next door neighbor – Ben whom she so rudely treated on their blind date. Given three tasks to complete in order to return home, Cam sets to work to complete the tasks as quickly as possible. But they might not be as easy to complete as she first thinks!
Along the way, Cam learns more than she expects and she comes to some harsh realizations about herself. And of course, despite their awful start, Ben becomes the one person Cam relies on. Notwithstanding the setting and the slow burn, there’s a bit more open door spice here than you’d get in a Hallmark movie!
I think Change of Heart focused more on Campbell’s journey and didn’t develop the romance aspect as usual in a romance. So if you’re expecting a sweet romantic storyline, you might find yourself disappointed. Because Cam was so unlikeable in the beginning, I’m not sure I ever really warmed up to her. And while Ben was the cinnamon roll guy next door, there wasn’t any vulnerability or depth to him.

This was a fast paced romcom that I had a good time with. I loved her writing style and how the book gave Halmark movies vibes!

Campbell is less than thrilled to be going on a blind date with Ben. She quickly makes it clear she is not interested, and heads home, only to wake up not in her home. She has somehow transported to this weird hallmark like town? Plus who else is her neighbor but her blind date Ben himself. Mimi gives her some simple rules to find a way home, but they seem harder than Cam can accomplish.

This was the perfect hallmark like book. I loved the small town vibes, and seriously wish I could wake up with my hair and makeup perfectly done, and open my closet to find the best outfit for my day. Sadly, I think that can only be found in Heart Springs. I really enjoyed following along as Cam tried and failed at many different jobs, as well as blind dates. This was a great, fun read and I definitely needed those vibes right now!

Thank you to @putnambooks for my gifted copy of this book!

I enjoyed this one. It was like groundhog's day meets any Hallmark movie with Ashley Poston's 'A Novel Love Story' and Wizard of Oz vibes.

I liked that we kinda had a grumpy/sunshine trope but in reverse. Our FMC is the uptight grouchy one.
Campbell Andrews has no time for dating. She is looking to takeover her grandmothers legal firm one day and she is focused. After a blind date goes awry, she wakes up in "Heart Spring" - a town straight out of a Hallmark movie. And now she must fulfill three tasks to get back to her normal life.

The pace of this book was pretty good - while it takes Cam some time to unthaw and adjust from her old ways, it was enjoyable to read through that journey and it was fun to see who she meets along the way.

The cover and title are cute, the plot was refreshing so this is a 4.75 out of 5 stars!

Falon does it again with the perfect Hallmark story! I always go into her books and come out having the most fun reading them!

Change of Heart starts with Campbell Andrews going on a blind date with Ben Loving, but as a partnered lawyer with a busy schedule who doesn't believe in wasting time on love, she's not interested in seeing it go anywhere. Even with Ben being a cute doctor, they get through the date and go their separate ways. Only the next day, they both wake up in Heart Springs, small town that was spit out from your typical hallmark movie. And the only way for Cam to get back home is to complete three tasks: find a career she's passionate about, become a valued member of the community, and experience true love. And for someone like Cam, that means looking at her way of life and making significant changes!

While they really couldn't get along at first, along the way of working their way through their tasks, Ben and Cam build a friendship that slowly transforms to more. And while they still have a lot to accomplish, even after they accept their feelings for each other, it was a heartwarming story of a woman realizing she really didn't like the person she had been raised to be, but found the strength and love to have a change of heart.

The slow burn between Cam and Ben was so nice to see and I love that we got to see them as friends before becoming more. I do wish we had gotten a little bit more of Ben's background, but overall I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Falon Ballard for the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Cam is a big-time lawyer who doesn't have time for things like love and dating. But her grandmother is obsessed with fixing her up so she can get married and have children/produce an heir for the family's corporate law firm. She gets fixed up with Ben, a pediatric surgeon who would fit all the criteria, but she is only going through the motions on the date so that she can say she went on it and get back to work. Except their waitress has other ideas and leaves a note encouraging them to give it another try.

The next morning, Cam wakes up in Heart Springs, a parallel world where the sun is always shining, her hair is always perfect, and Mimi (the waitress from their dinner) is her guide. In order to leave Heart Springs and return to her regular life, she has to find a career she's passionate about, immerse herself in the community, and fall in love. Oh and Ben is her next door neighbor.

Normally I can suspend belief and go with the story when magical realism is involved. But this one felt like step too far for me. It was so predictable and cheesy. And the relationship between was totally forced and lacked any chemistry whatsoever. I've enjoyed her other books, but this one was a miss for me.

Overall: 2.5/5 rounded up
Spice: 1/3

Campbell Andrews is ambitious, driven, and successful- let’s be honest, there wasn’t an option for anything else in her family. As a partner at her law firm, she has little time for hobbies, friends and definitely not love. After a disastrous blind date, Campbell not only wakes up in a strange bed but a strange town. It is like something straight out of a Hallmark movie. To get back her life and home, she must complete three tasks. For someone as hard working as Campbell, that shouldn’t be a problem except one of those tasks involves true love. Now that’s going to be impossible.

Pet names and nicknames give me the ick easily but the MMC was calling Campbell sweetheart almost immediately. They had been on one blind date, that went terribly, and the very next encounter he calls her “sweetheart.” He then proceeds to do it so many times that I found myself counting. He called her sweetheart thirteen times within the first 30% of the book and it was used a total of 66 times! I just cannot. That alone might’ve made me dislike the book. But then the story overall was flat, the female main character was annoying, there was no chemistry between the two main characters, the plot was ridiculous, there was no character growth, everything felt forced…need I go on?
Rating: Disliked

Cam is a successful lawyer, she has already made partner and continues to drive for results. She works 80 hour weeks, has no life outside of work and her family is part of the problem. The practice is a family business. Cam was groomed by her grandmother at a young age to be the tough as nails lawyer that she is today. The problem is one day Cam wakes up in the worst possible place she could possible be…a town named Heart Springs. This is a town just like all of the the ones in the cheesy Hallmark movies. Everything is a complete opposite to what Cam is used to or expects. Everyone is nice, people are trusting and help one another in this town. In order to get out of this hell she must complete three tasks—one of them is finding true love.

This was predictably cute and I loved the premise!! Cam is such an awful person, it is kind of like a Valentine’s Day version of a Christmas Carol, which I was on board for. The first half was great, I laughed at the ridiculousness of the town and the situation that Cam finds herself in. She learns some great lessons on humility and trust that help her on her quest. The last half seemed a little hurried and unraveled. I think the story departed a bit from the Hallmark vibe which made it fun. It went from fun and light to meh which is too bad because I really liked it from the beginning.

3 ⭐️