I haven’t read anything by this author before but I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet concept of the romance and how the main characters’ relationship developed over time. Definitely something I’ll be thinking about for a while!

This was as delightful as a Hallmark movie! This was a fun romance with a touch of magical realism and a hint of spice. Campbell is a workaholic whose only goal in life is to work harder, she doesn't have time for love. When she meets Ben on a blind date she makes it clear that she isn't looking for romance. When they wake up the next morning, Cam and Ben are in the picturesque town of Heart Springs, straight out of a rom com. How are they going to get home? And can Cam fall in love?

I really enjoyed the concept and Cam's skeptical personality. Cam's banter with most of the other characters was hilarious, especially as she learns the quirks of her new town. The romance was slow burn but still enjoyable and I thought the ending was satisfying. A perfect Valentine's Day read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

Change of Heart is a cute Hallmark-esque romance story by Falon Ballard. A cynical work-aholic lawyer, Cam, gets thrown into a perfect little town, Heart Springs & told she is not able to return to real life until she completes her "task."
This is my first Falon Ballard story & I enjoyed the storyline, but it was a struggle to get into this story. It just didn't have a hook that makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens. Some nice sappy romance, a sprinkling of passion, & a whole bunch of self-reflection as Cam reforms her way of thinking.
Thank you, #NetGalley, as I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own & if you're a sucker for a good Hallmark movie with a little unrealistic settings, then do yourself a favor & read Change of Heart by Falon Ballard.

Oh wow! I unexpectedly love it!

The whole book was a sight to see because it's such a unique concept and the cover looks so beautiful.

I didn't like the FMC at first but she grew on me and the way her character evolved was great to see because it reflects us as a person. She felt real and authentic. This book reads more of a women's fiction with a dash of romance as we follow Cam's story.

The whole town was charming, like a Hallmark movie and Pleasantville combined.

The MMC was so cute and sweet. I wished we explored more depth to him and his character, but he's just so great.

The way the author wrote the book was so endearing. It was also fun and entertaining. Fast read!

This book is a little different than the typical Falon books. I wasn't sure what to expect and I have to say, this book wasn't one of my favorites. I had a really hard time getting into it, it seemed to drag but did pick up towards the end. The story of people magically waking up in a different world just isn't for me, I guess.

The premises of the book is Campbell works too much and is striving to become partner at her law firm. She goes on a date with Ben and doesn't really pay attention to him and blows him off. The waitress that served them that night makes a comment that she hopes to serve them again at another time, but Campbell has no interest in seeing Ben again. They both go their separate ways till they both wake up the next day in Heart Springs.

Lo and behold the mayor of the town who brought them to Heart Springs is the waitress from the night before. They both question her and ask her why they are there and how they are to get back to their normal lives. She gives them both a list of items that they must accomplish in order to leave Heart Springs if they wish.

The story follows them as they try to figure out how to accomplish theirs lists and the fun characters they meet along the way. Campbell finds out that the more time she spends with Ben, that he might not be such a bad match after all.

If you like books that transport you to Hallmark towns and want romance sprinkled in, then I would recommend this book to you. It wasn't one of my favorites but who's to say it might not be yours.

I think Campbell is my spirit animal. I absolutely love this one. Another great read from Falon Ballard. Thank you NetGalley.

I love Falon Ballard, all of her books have been 5 stars for me. This one I just couldn't even finish. First off Campbell is the most horrific person, she is so rude to absolutely everyone. Then she wakes up and is in this new world and it is just awful not my type of book at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, as always all words are my own.

4.25 stars

This was a cute, quick read. It was a fun premise with the two main characters waking up in another dimension in order to teach them something. I really liked Ben, I thought he was such a sweetie and you could tell how much he cared about Cam. He was so supportive of her and I loved how he called her sweetheart even when they “didn’t like each other”. Cam wasn’t my favorite. I get that she was supposed to be unlikeable at first because she needs to grow and change but I didn’t feel that much growth from her. She was kind of bland and annoying. I also wish we would’ve gotten more of a buildup in the relationship between cam and Ben. It felt kind of sudden and we didn’t see that much of Ben before, which was too bad since Ben was the best part of the book.
The rest of the plot also didn’t have too much depth, it was just Cam doing little things around town trying to find out how to get home. It would’ve been nice to have a little more development in this aspect. There also wasn’t a lot of resolution. The book ended kind of abruptly and with all the lessons Cam was supposed to learn I felt like we didn’t get much closure in her real life.
I did enjoy this book but looking over my review it’s possible that all my stars are for Ben. If you like the “very special episodes” of tv shows where a character gets hit on the head and they wake up in an alternate world you might enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group - Putnam for the ARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I have enjoyed the author’s other books, this one did not work for me. At all. Yikes, perhaps I should have paid closer attention to the synopsis rather than clicking “request” based on the author alone.

This was a cavity inducing hallmark Christmas movie wannabe. Overly saccharine town and dialogue that was just over the top. Oh, and I wish I had a dollar for everytime Ben said “sweetheart”. Ick. She makes fun of it, yet it still becomes a thing. We don’t really get to know Mr. Perfect, other than he’s obsessed with an awful person and gives up everything for her without any issues with the situation. Like he would give up his ENTIRE life for her. That’s not the type of selflessness that healthy relationships are made of.

The perfect hair, make up, and stereotypically feminine wardrobe gave total icky Stepford vibes and the reasoning for it was never explained. Like they were forcing her to fit into some Cold War era societal norms for no good reason.

Ok, that’s enough proof that this book wasn’t for me. If you’re obsessed with Xmas hallmark vibes with a perfect town, holiday themed romances, and second chances to become a decent human, then give it a try. Heads up, it’s rather spicy in parts.

In Change of Heart, Ben and Campbell go on an atrocious first date (entirely Campbell's fault), and the following day the pair are sucked into an idyllic small town that could have been ripped out of any cheesy romance movie. Campbell is tasked with falling in love or she can't return to her fast life as a lawyer. Very fun concept, right? Very Hallmark/Pleasantville. I enjoyed the town, and I liked seeing how a somewhat snappy lawyer would respond to some stereotypical Hallmark moments. Unfortunately, the stereotypes extended to the characters. Ben was a very flat MC, and he was too perfect? Perfect to the point where he didn't ever seem real. And Campbell felt like a grumpy lawyer, and her character rarely extended past that. The romance felt a little too rushed, too, because we never really get to know the depth of the characters. I still had a fun time, primarily with the side characters, but not my favorite of Ballard's books.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Falon Ballard is an "always, immediately yes" kind of author for me, and this book is just further confirmation of that!

It's her classic balance of wit and banter and giggles and (slow burnin') heat, and I loved every second. It felt like being dropped into a hallmark movie, but somehow it didn't feel cheesy or overdone - just sweet and light and cozy with a sprinkle of magic. Ballard writes the best characters and I inevitably fall in love with not only the leading lady and man, but all of the side characters as well.

I'm in a big "read for escapism" season right now, and I would gladly take a trip to Heart Springs any day! With a Feb. 11th release date, you'll want to take yourself out for a giant latte and tasty pastry, and devour this book for Valentine's Day. <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

Falon Ballard has become an auto-buy author for me, so I was really excited to see her newest novel pop up on NetGalley. I went into it blindly, I just knew it was hers so I had to read it. And while I love her writing and find her characters engaging and witty, this one wasn’t my favorite of hers.

The main character, Cam, gets sent to a magical, Hallmark-esque alternate reality where she has to change her heart in order to go back to the real world. While I enjoyed the concept, I do wish some of it would have been a little more fleshed out and focused more on the MMC’s (Ben) growth and journey than it did. I am a sucker for a man who falls head over heels and is supportive, but at times Ben just felt corny.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and thought it was a solid read. I just had a few issues and wanted a little more out of Change of Heart. But, I will definitely continue to read all of Falon’s books.

Change of Heart has a cute premise - a workaholic lawyer gets sent to a magical town and has to fall in love and become a better person before she can leave. Sent with her is a pediatric surgeon with whom she just happened to be on a date right before the magic happens.

Things I enjoyed - the small town vibes, Cam finding her way and the secondary characters like Emma. Things that were iffy - I couldn’t quite suspend my belief on the magical bits, and the chemistry with Ben didn’t develop as organically as I’d have liked. He seemed one dimensional and like he was just there for her — I would have liked for him to have a story arch, too.

Overall it was a quick read and I enjoyed Cam’s journey and the witty dialogue.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Falon Ballard for the ARC.

Falon Ballard is definitely becoming one of my favorite romance authors. This book is about a driven workaholic cynical lawyer who gets transported into a Hallmark type movie.

I really liked seeing the fmc, Cam’s growth through the book. I liked her friendship with Emma, and how much she wanted to help Emma. And how that friendship helped lead Cam to her true passion.

The mmc, Ben was perfect for Cam, especially in his support for her while she was trying to figure herself out. Ben was giving me all the green flags.,

I’m a fan of Falon Ballard’s writing and was excited to dive into this one, however it wasn’t my favorite. Falon’s writing is excellent and didn’t disappoint in Change of Heart, but the story and character development was just not there in this one.
In this story Campbell is a high-powered lawyer type who works too much and doesn’t care about anything else. She gets trapped in a hallmark movie world where she must complete 3 tasks to get out, and she’s also stuck with her most recent blind date, Ben. I felt like Cam’s point of view was hilarious and I loved how much she despised all the sweet, wholesome things about the town. I also think her storyline was great and her character growth was interesting. The problem is that she felt like the only fully developed character. It was almost like her problems and feelings were the only thing that mattered, and life literally revolved around her. Ben had no personality to me, no growth, no character arc whatsoever. There wasn’t even really a problem in their relationship or something for them to work through because it was just all about Cam completing her tasks. Her friends in the town and Mimi, the old lady orchestrating the entire thing had no personality as well. It was a bummer, because Cam had personality to spare. In the end it felt very much like a hallmark movie-predictable and a little boring.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Workaholic Cam doesn't make time for anything in her life. No time for friends, no time for love, no time for fun. She's being groomed to take over her grandmother's law firm and carry on the family legacy, and Cam has been busy living up to that expectation. After a blind date she had already decided was a waste of time, Cam wakes up in the idyllic small town of Heart Springs. The coffee shop is staffed by the same waitress she encountered on her ill-fated blind date, and this waitress, Mimi, challenges Cam to complete three tasks before she can return to her life in New York. She must find a career she is passionate about, she must become a valued member of the community, and she must experience true love. To add to the intrigue, Cam's neighbor is the man she rudely dismissed on her date, who seems to also be stuck in Heart Springs with a mysterious task of his own.

This book had so much promise but it fell flat for me. We have a very short time to get to know Cam before she arrives in Heart Springs, her character only appearing "bad" because of what the author tells us and because of how she acted on the very short blind date and not because of much character development. The town of Heart Springs was cute and interesting with its quirks, and the way that Cam tackled her tasks was funny. I did enjoy the friendship between Cam and Emma and there were some touching moments in the story. The character of Ben seemed unnecessary except to add spice to the story, and the ending was predictable.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Strangers to friends to lovers
Magical Realism
Found family
Fairy godmother
Self-discovery
Small town vibes
Hallmark movies

This is third romance book I’ve read by Falon Ballard and I just adore her writing. The previous books, Right on Cue and Just My Type, explored romantic relationships that didn’t work out, where this one places two strangers from a blind date into an idyllic world named Heart Springs where they must complete tasks in order to return to the life.

I absolutely adored this book!! I swear it really did feel like she was dropped in a Hallmark movie. Another feel-good light-hearted rom com from Falon Ballard! Definitely make sure to pick it up in February!

This was cute and different. I wish I would have read it closer to Valentine’s Day. I was really charmed with this one and can’t wait for the next Fallon Ballard novel! Would definitely recommend to everyone!

I’ve come to really enjoy Falon’s books. It took me a little bit to get into this one, but I was hooked when it really hit its groove.

Campbell is a workaholic lawyer who has no time for love. After a disastrous date with cutie doctor Ben, she winds up in a town straight out of a Hallmark movie. And Ben is right next door. To get home, she is tasked to do three things including finding true love. Ben is along for the ride to help her.

Cam was a little hard to root for her at first, but I wound up really liking her. And Ben was adorable as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5: Oof.

The initial premise sounded interesting but the execution fumbled and fell flat at every turn. The FMC was a little rough but fine, the MMC was fine, most of the side characters were fine. But the plot felt awkward and poorly paced, and the relationship aspect of the book struggled to feel real or understandable. So much felt really forced and there was a lot of missing context.

Lastly, I know this is a me thing, and not everyone will have the same hangup, but if I ever read the word "sweetheart" again, I will scream. It was too much. Every single time I read that word, it dragged me back out of the story.