Change of Heart was an okay read. While there were several elements I enjoyed, I unfortunately just couldn’t connect with the story or characters.

It’s in the heroine’s POV only, which I did feel like it hindered the story at times by not having the hero’s POV as well. There were some great tropes though like, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, a black cat heroine, and a small-town romance.

The overall premise was decent. The magical realism aspect was pretty enjoyable and all the side characters were great. However, the main characters especially the hero felt very one-dimensional. There was a lot happening as well, which did make it a bit difficult to see where the plot was heading.

The romance felt very underdeveloped as well. We were told instead of shown their romantic development. They did have some good banter and spice though.

There were also several subplots that were rushed at the end. But the conclusion was still cute. Overall, a decent read just not my favorite from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be honest, I was disappointed in this book. While it has all the right ingredients for a cozy romance, I feel like it fell into the Hallmark movie trap. The love story isn’t believable, they don’t have chemistry because Ben’s character isn’t developed enough and falls flat. I’ve really enjoyed her other books, which is why I’m so surprised that I’m having this reaction to this book. Cam is unlikable and entitled and her character arc isn’t warranted, it all feels so forced. TBH, I’d rather watch The Merry Gentlemen again than read this, and that’s saying something.

This was pretty cute! At first I didn’t love the FMC, but that was kind of the point, and we did see growth in her character. I loved the mmc but I wish there was a bit more substance to their friendship stage. Despite that I had a really good time!

A sweet, Hallmarky rom-com with a touch of magical realism. I found this novel to be a bit on the predictable side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. What would you do if you were a career focused woman who gets transported to a Hallmark-esque town after a tolerable first date? Well Campbell Andrews gets to find out in this cute tale of grump versus sunshine. Cam has been agreeing to dates to appease her grandmother but this time it’s backfired and she wakes up in a new reality where finding love is supposed to be her only focus. A lighthearted story about finding your priorities as well as happily ever after.

Once again, Falon has knocked it out the park.

I found myself literally giggling while reading this whimsical story. Ben and Cam have an attraction stronger than magnets pulling together. From Heart Springs the fantasy world to New York - their story is charming. While Ben is tasked by Mimi to keep tabs on Cam - it is Cam that flips the script, literally but ends up finding herself and true love.

The story and scenery is so well described that I could visually see this being a Hallmark movie with better plot twists than on tv.

Definitely a book to get your hands on when it comes out… I am so glad I got another one of Falon’s books early!

2.5 stars (rounded up because I like this author)

I think this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately the finished product did not work for me personally. I like an unlikable FMC but this one was just openly rude and hostile from the jump (yet lets basically a stranger touch her lower back to leave the disaster date??). And being as hostile as she is, the fact that she didn't punch the MMC in the throat with the first condescending "sweetheart" shocks me. Speaking of that, I think I could've done with like 25% of the usage of sweetheart because it was....often. The MMC felt too nice and a bit flat to me which had we maybe had his POV we would get to see his personality more. Because when Cam mentions his banter and sarcasm, I couldn't recall it at all. They were also trapped in the town for WEEKS on WEEKS on WEEKS and were not completely freaking out...Ben was basically not freaking out ever. Which...what? I actually think had they gotten back to the real world around 60% and had the last bit of the book be reconciling the return and the change of their attitudes would have been really interesting (plus sometimes the stuff in the town felt both too slow and too much happening) and learning how to be together in the real world too. I'm really bummed though I wasn't a fan of this book because I do really like this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Thank you to Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I love how Falon Ballard dived into magical realism with this one. The characters were well drawn out and even though magical realism makes no sense to me, I eat it up like candy.

The MFC, Cam is blunt and has zero time for anything other than work. Even when she goes on blind dates to appease her grandmother, she has her eyes glued to her phone and no interest in making small talk with any potential suitor.

When she wakes up in the book version of Pleasantville, to her utmost shock, her blind date from the night before (Ben) is also stuck in this alternate universe. The control freak in her has to learn to let go. She has to learn how to be a human with actual feelings and actual relationships.
Ben plays the part of a side character throughout the book, offering Cam a listening ear and helping hand as needed.
This is a really slow burn, but worth the wait as Cam and Ben form a deep bond figuring out how to get home.

I think this book is made for anyone who is a fan of Pleasantville and strong female characters who are on a path of self-acceptance and discovery.

I’m not going to lie- I had a hard time engaging with this one. The lead character starts off with such a tremendously bad attitude that it was hard to become invested in her. I had an instantaneous dislike to her and how she treated people that it was hard to root for her. I appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish but it was too much- readers need to like her a little bit at least but there was not a lot to work with there. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the antics. However, this one was not for me.

i wanted to like this book so badly because every one of falon’s other books were 4/5 stars for me but this one was just not it. 🫠

i was genuinely interested in the plot for the first few pages but then when the main character woke up in a magical dream world, the author lost me. if there’s one thing i hate it’s magical realism. fun fact. 😅

after a date gone wrong, campbell was looking forward to getting back to work and focusing on things that mattered aka not finding true love. well mimi, the waitress in the restaurant witnessed the date first hand and thought cam and ben were destined to be together so she freaky friday-ed them into a third world dimension and they woke up in heart springs — a literal dream world.

campbell had several tasks she needed to complete before mimi was going to let her go back to the real world. while cam was working on her tasks she began wondering if she should even return to the real world or whether her family even missed her. with tasks to complete, cam had a lot of self-reflecting to do while in heart springs. would she complete the tasks or stay in heart springs forever?

Falon Ballard is one of my favorite romance authors and nothing has changed with her newest book, Change of Heart. I absolutely love her fresh voice, easy-breezy prose, realistic and flawed characters, and fast-paced plots. I absolutely loved the premise of this one and the magical/speculative spin. Full of sharp and hilarious banter, heart-tugging moments, and plenty of steam, Falon Ballard has solidified her place on my auto-read list!

Cam is a workaholic lawyer, trying to please her family (especially Grandmother). Without a work-life balance, the dates she goes on are set up by her Grandmother, as well. When Cam meets her date, Ben, at the cafe, she is engrossed in her phone and replying to emails rather than holding conversation with the handsome pediatric surgeon. Even their server, Mimi, notices.
Mimi even takes care of the bill, with a note saying next time she hopes they "will be more present and accept the love that surrounds" them. Cryptic? Yes. Next time? No.
But when Cam wakes up in Heart Springs the next morning, she learns she's stuck in the small town with 3 tasks to get home. Who is the task master? Mimi. Who is also there, and her neighbor? Ben.
Will Cam complete the tasks and return to NYC? Or, will she learn a little about herself and stay in Heart Springs?
Not my favorite Fallon Ballard book, but does have her great character development and relatable story.

This actually hurts me. I really didn’t like right on cue and this falls into the same category. Our MMC says sweetheart 67 times. No joke. The magical realism was fine, kind of like ground hogs day but with a series of 3 tasks to complete before returning home. There’s nonstop sitting on the porch drinking a beer or having a glass of wine (mentioned 45 times). The FMC Cam is your hallmark mean lawyer turned good after spending time in a small town and realizing her life needs to change. Our MMC Ben was so flat. We learn nothing about him and he literally only exists to make Cam happy? We dig so much into Cam’s background (but not really at all???) and she has to overcome her perfectionism and pressure from her grandmother who runs their multi-million dollar law firm. There’s an old magical woman Mimi who puts them in the small town to begin with who is your old wise grandma character that was mysterious and pulling the strings. I wish there was more focus on when they got out of the small town and went back to real life. There were moments that were funny and I literally read this in under 6 hours but it just didn’t do much for me. Nothing was memorable.

Cam is a high powered lawyer and Ben is a pediatric surgeon. They go on a blind date, but Cam immediately writes Ben off saying she’d rather work through their dinner than converse with each other. The next day they end up in a new town. Cam has a new look and new wardrobe but has no clue where she is or why. The town mayor has given Cam three tasks she must complete before being allowed to return to reality. This book was not my favorite. The magical realism really threw me and I couldn’t figure out where the book was going for the better half of it. Cam is the grumpiest FMC I’ve ever read. However, I really liked all the secondary characters. I loved their stories and personality. If magical realism is for you, check this one out!

It really hurts me to write this, because I have enjoyed most of Falon Ballard’s books, but I hated this. I powered through and finished it hoping for a redemption and it never happened. I don’t mind an unlikeable character but the FMC in this was so immediately off putting and like over the line unlikeable. The MMC was a generic blob. I could go on, it was just not good for me at all. I’ll still keep reading her books but this was a hard miss for me.

I adored this book, Falon has to be one of my favorite authors. I don't usually love magical realism but it was done really well in this book and had really fun Hallmark vibes. Ben and Cam were such sweet, loveable, and complex characters that you couldn't help but root for. Will be recommending this on my Tiktok.

Sadly this one just wasn’t for me. Cam is beyond unlikeable and Ben is so boringly perfect. The magic town made no sense. It was too cheesy and I just didn’t like it. Which sucks because Falcon’s first book blew me away, Just my Type was a 2000s rom com delight for this millennial! I’ll try again but I hope she gets back to her original style. Book boyfriends don’t need to be doormats to be good MMC.

Do you like Hallmark movies? Do you like racey romance novels? This is the amazing mixture of both! Cam is an ambitious, workaholic lawyer with no time for love, and Dr. Ben Loving is a pediatric surgeon looking for the love is his life. They meet on a blind date, their waitress gives them some advice, and then she transports them to a magical world of Heart Springs, which is like living in a Hallmark movie parallel dimension. Cam must complete tasks if she wants to return home and one of them is finding love… An amazingly great read by Fallon Ballard. I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This one was definitely different. Don’t get me wrong, I love magical realism!! Especially in romance!! But this just didn’t quite work for me.

The story follows Campbell Andrews, a dedicated workaholic with zero interest in love, dating, or anything that might slow her down on her climb to the top. After a disastrous blind date, she wakes up in Heart Springs—a pastel-hued, picture-perfect small town straight out of a Hallmark movie. The catch? She has no idea how she got there, and she definitely doesn’t belong. Everything from her wardrobe to her coffee order has changed, and the only way back to her real life in New York is to complete a set of mysterious tasks. Her reluctant partner in crime? None other than Ben Loving, the pediatric surgeon she barely tolerated the night before.

I started this book last year, and honestly, it took me forever to finish because Cam was insufferable, and Ben was just there. Cam’s rude, self-absorbed introduction made it hard to root for her, even with her later growth. Ben, meanwhile, was sweet to the point of feeling flat. Their romance had some charm, but overall, it felt one-dimensional. I kept reading mostly to see how it would all play out—would they be stuck forever? Would they lose all memory of Heart Springs once they returned to their real lives? The ending was satisfying, but the characters just felt disconnected. Also, the excessive use of “sweetheart" (seriously, at one point, I wondered if Ben had a contractual obligation to say it every other sentence) and the oddly eerie beginning threw me off a little.

This one comes out in a few days, and honestly, if you don’t mind some cheesiness, it’s worth a shot! A special thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Change of Heart is a heartfelt romance with great character growth and chemistry. Ballard’s writing brings depth to a beautiful story about love, change, and second chances.