Okay let me just start by saying that I love Falons books, her last book was super fun and left me with high hopes for this one. I wanted to LOVE it so much, but It just didn’t work out for me. I struggled to connect with Campbell, her character development felt rushed and forced at times and It was hard connecting with her and feeling empathy for her situation. Additionally, Ben’s character felt underdeveloped—I wanted more from him.. and this might be a personal ick but I got really annoyed with him calling her “sweetheart” so much. It was too repetitive.

While the novel has its entertaining and humorous moments, I can't help but feel let down. I had high expectations, and although many readers will likely enjoy it, I don't think it's the author's best work.

This was a very cute and quirky book! When I first started, I was very thrown off that Cam and Ben were thrown in to an alternate universe. I wasn't sure how it was going to play out but I think Ballard did an excellent job of creating a whole new world. In the beginning, Cam was so incredibly unlikeable and I found myself getting really annoyed with her. She was so stuck up and hard to relate to. I loved that the premise behind the plot was getting her to open up and figure who she really is. Ballard did a fantastic job of turning an unlikable character to likable. My biggest complaint is that I wanted more Ben. I felt like there were supposed to be two main characters and I wanted more of him. He just felt flat and very distant. I loved when they finally came together in the ending, but it also felt rushed. I would have loved to see Ballard fluff out the ending just a little more. The ending was too abrupt. Overall, a very enjoyable and entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

This book was really cute and had an interesting story. The downside for me was that I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Ben and Cam. It always felt to me like they had a friend energy, but I didn’t feel the romantic energy. I did love Emma and Cam’s friendship, and Mimi was a fun character!

Let me preface this by saying I am a Falon Ballard STAN. All of her books have been 4 or 5☆ ratings for me. Which truly pains me to say this book is one giant mess.

The premise is so promising! A no-nonsense, high-powered lawyer has no time for anything in her life besides her job. She wakes up one morning smack dab in the middle of a Hallmark-worthy town and must complete tasks that will help her become a better person to get back home and find true love along the way.

But... YIKES. Cam is one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read. She's absolutely insufferable, and her journey never feels believable. Her bad attitude remains firmly in place from start to finish. It felt like she never actually learned her lesson, and throughout the story, she was basically spoon-fed everything she needed to do to get back home. Which was necessary because she was too self-absorbed to take one minute to think about anyone else or how she could fix things herself.

And Ben. Oh, sweet Ben. I swear to God, if I had to read him saying "sweetheart" one more time, I was going to smash my kindle over my head. I looked it up via keyword search... sweetheart was used SIXTY EIGHT TIMES. It was overused and not cute at all. On top of that, we never really get to know Ben on a personal level beyond he's a doctor and does woodworking on the side. He's not a book boyfriend, but more like a side character to move the plot along. He is just dry toast and nothing more.

They have zero chemistry. Nothing gave me butterflies. How did they fall in love? I had no idea reading it, and I still don't know.

The moral of the story is good. The plot had promise. The execution was, unfortunately, poor. I dont know where this one went wrong, and I hate to say it, but I do not recommend this book.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy from Netgalley.

Tags:
-magical realism
-Black cat × golden retriever
-self discovery

Spice: 1.5/5

First person
Single POV

This is a fun read - I enjoyed it so much. Perfectly plotted and incredibly engaging! This is a must-read!

Campbell's life is her job. She eats, sleeps, breathes it and she absolutely does not have time for her meddling grandmother's attempts at matchmaking. A blind date with a doctor is not on her bucket list so she writes him off as soon as they sit and can't wait to demand the check. Cam wakes up the next morning in Stepford Wives style Heart Springs with a "fairy godmother" demanding she complete three tasks (fall in love, find a passion for a job, make a difference) in order to return to her life in New York. And surprise, surprise, her next-door neighbor, Ben, is the date she couldn't flee from fast enough.
I'm a big fan of Falon's but unfortunately this one didn't hit that magic that her others have for me. It makes me a bit sad to say, however, I don't think it's a BAD book. It's an easy read that I wanted to binge the whole time I read and definitely deserving of the rating I gave it. If I compare it to others in the genre, it's entertaining and fun - I do love a cynical heroine slapped in the face with everything opposing her worldview - but if I compare it to others from her, it lacked the emotional punch I expect from her writing. I read another review prior to starting that said they thought Ben needed more page time and I don't agree. But I do think I needed more of a character arc from him. What I did enjoy was Campbell. Her character is the funny kind of take-no-prisoners, so I did snort laugh quite a few times. Her shark-like mentality gets the softening she needs without making her less than.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

BEST ROM-COM OF THE YEAR!!! Ok, I am writing this review in January, and the pun was unfortunate, but it is true. I feel like I have been in such a rom-com reading slump and this book really made me fall in love with them again. Truly a fantastic read with short chapters that are easy to fly through and a compelling storyline that makes it hard to put down!!

This book wasn’t for me. I know characters have to go through growth but Campbell was very off putting at first and it was hard to get on her side.

She then gets transported to a “hallmark” town where she has to fall in love to get back to her real life.

This book just wasn’t it.

Thank you PENGUIN Putnam Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Did someone say small town Hallmark movie vibes because that’s exactly what this book gave me. This book had the perfect amount of romance and realism. I wish Cam and Ben’s romance was explored more deeply, but their character development was still satisfying. Change of heart was definitely a breezy read for me and left me wishing I could escape to a small town like heart Springs. Falon really did a great job of bringing the story to life and made me feel like I was a part of the story.

I was real flippin' excited for this one because well, I love me some Falon Ballard. But this one fell flat compared to all her other ones. I really, really didn't like how our FMC Campbell was kind of... a jerk. She was meant to be grouchy, I get that, but she was just so over the top that it made it difficult to really root for her character throughout the story, especially when Ben made his entrance into her life. Does the FMC grow throughout the book? Absolutely, and honestly, that's her savings grace and redemption for making this book being able to get the rating I gave it. Our MMC (Ben) was the other saving grace because without him, I'd have DNFed the story and moved along. Again, not my favorite, but I'm glad I read it! Thanks for the opportunity!

Campbell (Cam) is a no nonsense lawyer already a partner at 34 she is workaholic who puts career first- one night she finds her self in another world a perfect little Hallmark town called Heart Springs where in order to get her life back she must do a few things including finding love- this book is about growth and fi ding out what and who you are (would have liked a little more about our MMC - but I get it it wasn't his story)

Tha k you netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review

I briefly struggled with the premise of this book when the main characters woke up in a world outside of their normal reality, but I love Falon Ballard's writing and kept reading and really enjoyed the story once I settled into it.

I have read and loved previous Falon Ballard's books, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC from NetGalley! However this book was not for me.

I generally disliked Cam. The FMC is a workaholic lawyer who tries to appease her grandma by going on a blind date with Ben, the MMC. On the date, Cam is dismissive - literally just sits on her phone and silences Ben.

The next day Cam and Ben wake up in the fictional Hope Springs learning that Cam was sent there to complete a series of task. The way they got to Hope Springs is all a mystery which took me out of the book. In addition to not liking Cam, I did not like the person who was orchestrating all of this.

What was also missing is Ben's POV. I think the book would have benefited from his perspective because from just Cam's POV it doesn't make me understand Ben and his feelings.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an electronic advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Cam Andrews doesn't have time for love. She doesn't even pretend to be interested in Dr. Ben Loving when she is set up on a blind date with him. However, the next morning she wakes up in the Hallmark-esque town of Heart Springs. And her new neighbor just happens to be Ben! Before she can be sent back to her real life, Cam must complete 3 tasks: find a job she's passionate about, become a vital part of the community, and experience true love. Can she complete these tasks or will she be trapped in Heart Springs forever? When she starts developing feelings for the handsome doctor next door, is leaving Heart Springs really what she wants anymore?

This was such a cute and quick read! I'm a sucker for magical realism and Falon Ballard definitely delivered on that part! I will say I struggled a bit with feeling invested in Cam and Ben as main characters. Cam is not a likeable character at the start and even though she changed over the course of the story, I just never fully got onboard with her. Ben had a TON of promise, but the story was so focused on Cam, he felt more like a minor character. Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend!

3.75 🌟 Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group Publishing for the advanced copy of Change of Heart in return for my honest review.

I was so excited for this book because I have really been enjoying Fallon Ballard's books this year. Her Christmas book All I want is You, was one of my favorite holiday reads of 2024. Unfortunately, Change of Heart did not quite live up to the hype I had in my head.

Change of Heart follows the story of Campbell Andrews, a woman who has no time for frills, love, or dating. Poised to take over her grandmother's law firm one day, Cam has her eye on the prize and is annoyed with anyone or anything that seems to get in the way. After a particularly abrupt blind date with a pediatric surgeon named Ben, Cam finds herself waking up in a small town where all her priorities and comforts are turned upside down and replaced with pink dresses, sugary lattes, and lots of socializing. Cam quickly learns that her only way to make it out of this "Hallmark" style town and back to her regular life is to complete the missions given to her by the local waitress who seems to be the town's twisted fairy godmother.

The premise of the book is the absolute cutest, and I really thought this was going to be a new Valentine's annual read for me. Unfortunately, Cam was SO unlikable at the beginning that even once her arc came around and she began to change, it was still hard to really like her. Ben, the literal boy next door, was so sweet and seemingly perfect and yet, I still could not really get on board with their pairing. The concept was there- workaholic serious woman discovers what is truly important and falls in love with the man who saw her for who she could be all along - but the execution just didn't do it. I didn't find myself emotionally attached to the main characters and therefore, couldn't really root for them.

The other odd thing was that, while Cam was stuck in this magical small town, she was told not to disrupt their way of life by talking about her assigned missions, but it seemed that the whole town already knew about it. They also seemed trapped to follow along with whatever this fairy godwaitress decided for them, but were ok with it? It was a bit odd for me, but I wasn't reading this book for realism, so I could ignore it :)

On a positive note, the idea of the book was great, and I loved the side characters in the story. I think I could read a whole book dedicated to Emma's new bakery. The banter and quips from Cam were funny and I enjoyed the conversations and misadventures she had throughout the town. All in all, I didn't love this book, but I'm glad I read it.

This was definitely a fun read and very different from what I am used to reading. This was my first magical realism story and I can say that I really enjoyed it.

Cam is a lawyer and is completely obsessed with her job. She has no time for anything else and dedicates her whole life to pleasing her grandmother. After a disastrous date with Ben, Cam wakes up in this picturesque, Hallmark style town called Heart Springs. But, she is not alone. Ben is with her. They both are now on a mission to get home, but the only way home is for Cam to find what truly makes her happy.

From the first page I really wanted to dislike Cam. She was rude, brash, and completely out of touch with reality. But once she arrived in Heart Springs, the personal growth was great to read. I loved how once she really tried and made an effort, she made friends, good friends, and even fell in love. She wanted to help others and when she realized what she really needed from life, I knew she would stop at nothing to ensure she had it.

This was my first magical realism read and I am so happy I was able to read it. It was funny and real and I fell in love with the town and the characters. It was so well written and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Cam and Ben find themselves in a super cheery town, Heart Springs, after a disastrous date but can’t figure how to get home. Heart Springs is giving hallmark vibes and is very picturesque.

We mainly see Cam’s development. She is a workaholic and a bit of a grouch. I didn’t love all of her self deprecating thoughts/humor but I suppose it fits into her character and growth journey. Overall I didn’t end up loving Cam as a character.

Ben! I wish we got more insight and back story on him. He seemed like a nice guy but him saying “sweetheart” all the time was a huge ick.

The book is a quick and entertaining read with some funny moments. I lol’ed at the bookstore scene with Cam’s book recommendations.

Cam, despises a lot of things, and doesn't have patience, but one day she is set up on a blind date with Ben, and is so rude, that the next thing she knows she is in Heart Springs, with Ben. She can't get away from the place until she learns a few things. It is an interesting read to see if she can figure out things, see the person she has become, and change. She wants to be able to go back home, but while reading, I can see why it isn't happening.
There is so much more I would like to write, because there is a lot she tries, some she fails at, some she succeeds at, but they are things that make the story so interesting. Sometimes what is happening here, happens for a reason, and even in real like it happens, and can start out one way, and see all the changes, but you can't focus on doing things for someone else, you have to see what you are have been doing and are now doing. You will have to read the book to see if and when she discovers what she hasn't been seeing, which will propel her to a life that changes her and fulfills her.
I received an ARC from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley.

While this hurts my heart to write Change of Heart was not my top read by Falon Ballard. I did enjoy the characters and the cozy little town that she created in this story.

My biggest struggle was at times I didn't know where the story was going or what the purpose was. It all started to click really well about 60% through after re-reading the synopsis a few times.

One thing that Ballard ALWAYS excels at is the crafting of characters that readers will always love. In all of her books I have always felt like I've known the characters so well to the point that I wish I could grab a cup of coffee or in this books case a glass of wine with the main characters.

I am still a super big fan of her writing and work and don't want one three star review to throw any reader off of this book because it could easily be a 5 star reader for any other reader. I do still look forward to all future works that she comes out with and will always recommend her books to my friends and followers.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

The premise of this sounded so interesting and I am typically a big fan of Falon Ballard; however, this did this did work out for me at all.

As other reviews have stated the FMC (Cam) is awful. She’s so cruel to others… no amount of tragic background information could excuse her behavior or explain why the MMC (Ben) was willing to forgive her. I had to force myself to keep reading through the 40% mark because I just didn’t see a world in which the book would get better.

My other gripe with this book is how UNDEVELOPED Ben’s character was. He is a doctor and it’s a hard job… we learn he liked wood working… we learn his hard job makes it hard for him to open up to people…. Full stop.

The last 20% was basically just a montage of Cam becoming “good-guy lawyer”.

Overall I did not enjoy this book but it was well written and the plot was fresh and interesting so I will probably continue to read Falon Ballard’s new releases.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.