Ben and Cam 🩷

I really loved this 2024 Pleasantville-vibe of a book! I laughed, and cried at the banter and realness of each of the characters.

Cam (Campbell) while not relatable at my current stage in life, has very relatable qualities. Not wanting upset anyone in her life and rolling through the task list to keep everyone happy. She was brutally honest, can definitely relate, but to the point where she pushed away others.

Ben, the cinnamon roll of a man, knew he needed to cut back on his work and live a little more. Searching out work-life balance he decided on a date with Cam which quickly went south.

With some divine intervention they are thrust into a small town with no electronics and told to complete tasks in order to get back home. I loved this. I loved that they had to try and fail and try and fail to see the bigger picture.

Spoilers:
Once they got home I was so happy they found one another at the place they met. Even though they were gone for months to them was only an overnight in the real world. And to bring Emma back, I cried. I was so glad the friendship they formed was able to continue even if they started over.

4.25 / 5 overall

Fallon Ballard’s newest book “Change of Heart” is the perfect palate cleanser and will make a great winter romance read when it comes out!

This book hit me from the start with a strong, independent New Yorker whose whit and fallacies wind her up in Heart Springs. The book is fast-paced, heartwarming, and just overall feels good. I was swept up in the world that felt a la Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. I enjoyed the magical realism and supportive, endearing characters Cam runs into as she journeys throughout the book.

The very slight knock for me was that I would have loved to see more of Ben’s perspective and a little less “sweetheart” throughout the book! However, it was easy to look past that and enjoy the book overall!

Thank you to Falon Ballard, Penguin Group Putnam, and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Cam is a workaholic. Who has time for love when there are deals to be made? Her goal of making partner at her law firm leaves little time for anything or anyone else. So when she goes on a date with man to satisfy her grandmother, who can blame her for getting to the point and cutting the date short. Well, my friends karma is a b$&?h. When she wakes up the next morning she finds herself in Hallmark Hell. Trapped in nowhere, small town she must complete the following three tasks: find a job she’s passionate about, serve her community, and of course fall in love. How hard can it be?

Ben is a pediatric surgeon who is looking to meet his person. His date with Cam is a disaster and while tries to salvage it, he’s effectively shut down. He wakes up the next morning to discover he is also trapped in this small town with Cam and has his own list of tasks to complete. His list is kept secret ,and we don’t discover what that is until much later in the book.

This book gave me real Pleasantville vibes, and it was fun to follow along as Cam tried to complete her tasks. Ms. Ballard does a great job of showing us Cam’s growth as she goes from trying to game the system to taking an earnest approach. As she and Ben work together to get back to their lives, they grow closer together. It was great to see the relationship progress at a natural pace, and the yearning! Oh my God, the yearning. That being said the pacing of the novel was just right, and I found myself devouring the novel to see how it all plays out for Cam.

The story has a powerful message that really resonated with me, and I’m sure will resonate with other readers as well. Definitely don’t miss out on this book!

This was very sweet!! I'm happy I got to read this early even though I didn't completely fall in love with it.

3.75 rounded up.

Falon Ballard always writes fun stories! This one was nothing short of that.

Campbell (Cam) and Ben are set up on a blind date and Campbell can’t be bothered to give him the time of day, leading to the two of them being transported to Heart Springs, a seemingly fictional town. They both receive “tasks” that they must complete to hopefully find their way home, and maybe fall for each other along the way.

I really didn’t like Cam at all for the first 30% of the book, slowly she got better and her grouchy, stubborn attitude was part of her character but I found it unpleasant to read. Even by the end, with her happily ever after and no pun intended, change of heart, I still didn’t love her character.

Ben is a pediatric doctor and is incredibly helpful to Can through the entire story, caring for her and lending help where he can. One thing I could not stand about him was how many times he called Cam sweetheart. First, mockingly then more adoringly but it gave me such an ick and really took away from their relationship for me.

I think I enjoyed the side characters, Ethan, Emma, and Noah more than the two MC. Emma plays a huge part of Cam’s character growth and development and is so kind to her even when she doesn’t deserve it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is into a bit of magical realism, fans of A Novel Love Story, and anyone who wants a fun romance.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I did not enjoy this one. It felt forced and rushed but also dragged. The "sweetheart" thing was massively annoying. I'm not a Hallmark fan, so this missed the mark.

I'm not really a fan of the whole Hallmark movie magic trope so I was hesitant to pick this one up despite Ballard being of my favorite authors. Falon, beloved, I'm sorry I ever even thought about doubting you. Once again a perfect romance that hits all the marks and leaves you swooning for more.

I wanted to love *Change of Heart* by Falon Ballard, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The story was just too sweet—like a Hallmark movie with fluff and very little substance. While that may have been the intent, it felt like a departure from Ballard’s usual style, which left me disappointed.

One of the biggest misses for me was the lack of depth in Cam’s backstory. The book briefly touches on her conflict with her grandmother, but we never really get to explore her relationships with the rest of her family. I kept waiting for more insight into her life before she arrived in Heart Springs, but it just didn’t come.

As for Ben, his reasons for getting stuck in Heart Springs felt flimsy. He deserved more of his own backstory, which could have given the plot more weight and made his character feel more fully realized.

Overall, this book just didn’t hit the mark for me. If you're looking for a light, feel-good read, it might be up your alley, but if you’re expecting more depth, you may be left wanting.

Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this cute and romantic story. It was entertaining and easy to read. It felt a little like stepping into a Hallmark movie. I would highly recommend this book!

4.25, rounded up because I do really like this author. This felt REALLY similar to a another romance novel I read recently (maybe the new Ashley Poston book? mixed with something else?) but I get it, the version of romance novel that relates to Hallmark movies is in the zeitgeist at the moment. I would have taken one more step of investigating the problematic tropes of Hallmark movies for women, but I liked the examination of the space between the most aggressive version of a self and the most fulfilling version.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful book, Cam is an irreverent protagonist, different from the usual and decidedly unforgettable. The Male MC is himself a sweetheart (if you read it, you'll know). The story goes smoothly, there's everything we could want, a bit of slow burn, a bit of grumpie vs sunshine, where the grumpie is her (I love when that happens). And the setting is completely adorable and perfect! Highly recommended.
Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishing house for giving me this ebook in advance.

This book was a surprisingly refreshing on a traditional hallmark romance! Campbell is a work obsessed lawyer who can’t even separate from her phone for thirty minutes on her blind date with Dr. Ben Loving. But after their awkward and uncomfortable date, Cam wakes up the next morning to discover she is in the idyllic town of Heart Springs.

While many people would be thrilled to land in a picture perfect town, Cam is deeply upset to be stuck there. But things take an even worse turn for her when none other than Dr. Loving is her next door neighbor. Initially the two have challenges getting along but ultimately they settle into a friendship.

Eventually Campbell learns that she must find true love to be able to return back home. This book tracks the ultimate cynic’s journey from a hater of love to someone deeply in love with both the small town life and the hot doctor next door.

If you’d enjoy a hallmark romance with a healthy dose of cynicism, this is a great read for you!

Cam Andrews doesn’t believe in love. She’s a busy lawyer that doesn’t have time for it, nor does she think it’s in the cards for her. So what happens when she wakes up in Heart Springs, which is her own personal Pleasantville nightmare?

This book was super cute and an easy read. I like the switch-up of our FMC being the one weary of love, and her progression through those feelings. The chemistry between Cam and Dr. Ben from the beginning was fire.

This was not my first Falon Ballard romcom, and it definitely won’t be my last!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam Books for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Falon Ballard's previous books like Lease on Love, but I had a really hard time getting into this one. The plot and the chemistry between the characters just felt a little forced for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for providing me this digital reviewer copy in exchange of my honest thoughts.

Cam is a workaholic lawyer currently working with her family in her grandmother's law firm. She was left by her mother when she was 12 and has issues with control. Ben is the ultimate golden retriever. He is a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and goes on a date with Cam set up by his cousin because she is the only person his cousin believes could keep up with him. Cam goes on a date with Ben to appease her grandmother and is standoffish and blatantly rude. The next day she wakes up in a Hallmark movie like town and given three tasks to complete to find her way home- plot twist Ben is there too!

This was a fun premise for a rom com. I enjoyed both of the main characters and the way their relationship developed. I loved the way that Ben supported Cam as she grew and learned to not be so callous. This is a fun romance read with a whimsical twist!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to the Penguin Group for this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Falon Ballard for the #gifted ARC.

Cam is a driven, over-worked attorney who hit partner in her grandmother’s law firm at age 34. She doesn’t have time for anything else - especially dating. She’s set up on a date with Ben, a nice Pediatric Surgeon which she agrees to only to make her grandmother happy. After making it clear she doesn’t want to talk to him but would rather work on emails the whole time, a meddling server leaves her with some advice.

The next morning she discovers she has been magically transported to a small town right out of the Hallmark Channel. She’s given three assignments to complete before she and Ben, her new neighbor in Heartland, can return home.

In a whimsical land where her makeup and complexion are always perfect and there’s a perfect outfit waiting in her closet for every occasion, Cam has to discover who she is and what she wants for her life.

It was an entertaining story that captured me from the beginning. I loved watching Cam’s journey of discovering who she was and the things that lit a spark in her. Her friendship with Emma was golden!

If you like Hallmark movies with a little more spice to them, this will be a fun book for you!

Romance content: open door not explicit and language.

This book is a very fun romcom with elements of magical realism. Campbell Andrews is a very serious lawyer who is committed to her job and doesn't have time for anything else. Her grandma keeps setting her up on dates she is not interested in. She meets Ben who is a pediatric surgeon and immediately tells him she's not interested. The next day she wakes up in a new town that gives big Gilmore girls energy. She has to do a couple of things in order to return to her real life including falling in love something she's sworn she'll never do. This book is adorable and full of great side characters that really help sell the small town feel! The MMC is a big softy and calls her sweetheart! Swoon. My issue with it is that the romance felt rushed at the end and they didn't spend as much time together as I would've liked but overall I enjoyed it very much.

These days I see the name Falon Ballard and immediately know that I have to read it. Change of Heart had an interesting twist that made it not only a romance, but almost an adult coming-of-age book (can't help it, I'm a school librarian). The story revolves around Campbell and Andrew. We meet the two on a blind date that Cam wants nothing to do with. She is a high powered attorney who works for the family business and is next in line to take over when her grandmother retires. She was raised by her grandmother after her mom left, not wanting to be a part of the business and instead be her own person, and she is a proud workaholic. Andrew is a pediatric surgeon. At their date, Cam is rude and immediately tells Ben it isn't going to happen and tells Ben she would rather just eat dinner and respond to emails on her phone. When they get the bill, the server has written that it is on the house with the hopes that next time they will be more present when they eat with each other. Strange start to a book. Hit chapter two and Cam wakes up in Heart Springs, a Hallmark-like setting, with a wardrobe that is nothing like her own. She quickly finds out that both she and Ben have been transported to this magical town and that she has to do 3 things in order to leave. Easy, right? But those three things are more challenging than she expects. She has to find a career that she loves, become a valued member of the community, and fall in love.

I enjoyed the relationship between Ben and Cam. It was also interesting to have a main character who didn't fit into normal ideas of women, especially those in romance novels. Cam is a strong woman who knows that she is good at what she does and enjoys working. What she has to learn is that enjoying your life is not the same as loving it. Feeling family pressure to be a certain person has not allowed her to be her true self. She has also missed out a lot by not having any friendships outside of work. I liked watching her change and figure things out for herself.

The bits that worked less well for me were that Ben lacked dimension for the majority of the story. He seemed completely ok with being stuck away from his life due to Cam's choices. I was also surprised that Cam didn't fight about her situation more. She didn't pull the lawyer card as much as I would have expected. Still, all in all, this was a sweet and unique story.

Falon Ballard continues to be a must-read for me. Campbell Andrews was so different from any of her previous FMC, and while she was meant to be unlikable, I felt so tender to her from the beginning. I also absolutely adored Ben and everything about him. He provided excellent balance to the story.

While I still loved all of the typical Falon Ballard greatness in this book, I did have a bit of issues with the magical realism. It felt like Campbell, someone who is set up as obsessed with control and plans and quite logical, just accepted the entire premise way too easily. I would have loved to see much more of her struggling initially with the fact that she was magically transported, but it seemed like after the initial shock, she was just like "Oh yeah of course this is fine." It felt a bit out of character for her to so quickly accept that magic was real. Throughout the book, Campbell's complacency with being in Heart Springs felt unbelievable and unfortunately kept taking me out of the story.

That being said, it does not change the fact that it was so, so enjoyable to watch Campbell and Ben fall in love, and to watch Campbell figure out who she is, and how she wants to exist in the world. I was so endeared by her journey, and she is one of my favourite character's Falon has written.

As always, I am so so excited to see what Falon Ballard writes next.

This was such a cute romance with a bit of spice! Very heartwarming. Fallon is the best!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!