cute alternate universe story line. Book is kinda like the show Schmigadoon

Campbell and Ben go on a bad first date and their fairy godmother Mimi interrupts and sends them to an idyllic town. Will they figure out how to get home or be trapped there forever?


Thank you NetGalley for the arc

If you want a fun, sweet, magical romance without a lot of baggage or heartbreak, this book is for you. It's lighthearted and breezy to read through, and the spice was worth waiting for even though the author always pushes it farther than I want (I prefer less description and more imagination). What I really adored about Cam and Ben, the main characters, is that their friendship developed slowly over time before their romance became physical. The relationship build-up was perfect and led to a very cinematic reveal of true feelings that could have been mortifying if not reciprocated, but of course became romantic gold. As a reader, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster inching its way up to a great height, and I wasn't sure if the drop would disappoint and render the journey a waste -- but then I was blown out of the water by the thrill and excitement of it!

Cam's single POV was perfect. I liked not knowing how Ben felt about her and having to rely on his actions to discern his feelings. I don't usually enjoy dual POV because romance writers often make men out to be simple, tortured, and only motivated by their baser urges as a way to tell us how hot the female lead is. Ben does not fall prey to this. He is genuinely good and kind and we aren't supposed to know what his mystery assignment from Mimi is until the right time. It's easy to love him, and it's important to me that I'm not rooting for 2 a-holes to be together. Cam became a much better person throughout the story and I could really believe they were the right fit together by the end.

Not only were the two leads actually lovely people once they dropped their armor, but the people of Heart Springs, their fictional Hallmark town, were wonderful as well. This is absolutely my favorite Falon Ballard book. I can't say I love all her books, but she is getting to be a better and better writer. If you are a fan of romances where the leads get sucked into a fictional place, I would also recommend Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb. It's grittier and slightly insidious, but the love story in it is quite sweet.

Just a quick note: Ben is seriously dreamy, but all his "sweethearts" drove me mad. I can't help but hear that word sarcastically or condescendingly. I wish there could have been another nickname, or how about just call her Cam?

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for letting me read this ARC!

I’ve never met a Falon Ballard book I didn’t like, and this one is no different.“Change of Heart” is Hallmark meets “The Good Place,” and is a look at missing what truly matters in life. I’m not sure if it’s an immediate favorite like her others, but I loved it and swooned at the leads from the first pages.

Campbell Andrews is married to her work. She doesn’t waste time with relationships, so when she’s set up on a date, she doesn’t bother with getting to know him.

But, when she wakes up the next day, she doesn’t wake up in her own bed; She’s in a strange town, Heart Springs. Campbell is given a list of tasks to complete, including falling in love and finding something she’s passionate about. It takes her on a crazy ride through town; taking on new roles, meeting new townsfolk, participating in events and going on dates.

Can she find true happiness? Or simply keep doing what’s gotten her to this point in her life.
Does she want to stay? Or is the real question: Does she have anything worth getting back to at home?

Ballard knows how to create characters so well to the point you instantly fall in love with them. The chemistry jumps off the page from the first interactions of the FMC and the MMC, but it isn’t solely focused on the romance, which does add another layer of intrigue.

There are themes of searching for belonging, finding happiness, true love, living a real life instead of letting life happen to you and believing that your are more than enough. It isn’t the typical romance in that we see them go through the stages of dating, but there are plenty of sweet and spicy moments to keep you on your toes. The dialogue is just absolutely perfect in every way, too.

Overall, I’d give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Pre-order now or pick up a copy in stores on Feb. 11, 2025.

#NetGalley #ChangeOfHeart

3.5 ⭐️
1.25 🌶️

This was cute! I am a Falon Ballard STAN and jump on any and every opportunity to read her stories but ultimately, this one really fell flat for me.

To start, this book is a Hallmark movie in book form. It’s cheesy but the scene development really did paint a nice picture of the town. The FMC, Campbell (Cam), is a workaholic who is quite rude in the beginning of the story. Since this book is from her POV, it was nice to see her growth throughout the story and how she blossomed into a nicer and loving person. The romance that developed between Cam and Ben felt rushed at times and forced in others. Also, the fact he called her “sweetheart” more times during this book than he actually used her name really rubbed me the wrong way.

If you love Hallmark movies and rom coms, this book is for you!!!! It wasn’t my favorite I’ve read but I can’t wait for the next book Falon writes.

Thanks NetGalley and Putnam for an ARC of this book!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 A big city girl and a doctor matched on a first date get trapped in a fictional small town…it’s like like reboot of Pleasantville for grownups with all the responsibilities that they feel like they have to rush back to, they are tasked to have an open mind an open heart to find their way home. A dash of magical realism mixed with adorably flawed yet realistic characters that will endear themselves to readers and heartfelt storyline makes for an absolutely delightful read! Sometimes we need a healthy little escape from our own reality to appreciate all that we have…

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Another great book from Falon Ballard! I always enjoy her heartfelt books, and this one was no different. Cameron wakes up in a magical town after a disastrous first date, and with the help of new friends and neighbors she must find her way back to real life. The town was a treat to read about, and it was lovely to see Cam's character development throughout the book.

I am such a sucker for Falon Ballard's books. I drop everything I am reading whenever I get approved for one of her books. This one wasn't my favorite of hers, but I still really loved it. It oddly reminded me of A Novel Love Story that I read earlier this year, but it was done much better in my opinion. I started off hating Campbell, but she quickly grew on me. and don't even get me started on how much I loved Ben. If Falon has no fans, I must be dead!!!

"Change of Heart" by Falon Ballard was Superb!! Cameron or Cam as her friends call her is a workaholic high powered lawyer!! Then when she is set up on blind date with Dr. Ben Loving and Cam would rather be anywhere but there!! After all she has no time to date, just work, work, work!! When this mysterious waitress leaves them a note!! Both Cam and Ben wake up in Heart Springs an idealistic town!! They each have tasks to complete before they can go back home!! Will Cam and Ben be able to figure everything out and complete the tasks and make it back home? Loved everything about this story it's like a meet cute before it knows it's a meet cute!!! Falon is an Excellent storyteller and just love the Character development of Cam!!

💫THANK YOU to the Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for the
e-book in exchange for an Honest Review!!

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

#NETGALLEY
#CHANGEOFHEART

I am a self-admitted book worm, and I have been the majority of my life. Here lately, I gravitate towards suspenseful books. Ultimately, at my core I am still a fan of romance. Because of this, I was very excited to read this book.

Although I read Fallon’s previous book “Right On Cue,” I still didn’t really know what to expect with this one. I have to admit that the plot description definitely intrigued me. One thing that I will say is that this book completely blew away any expectations that I had. I was hooked before I had even gotten through the first chapter.

I absolutely loved this book, and am kind of sad that I am done reading it. While I adored the main characters in the book, there are a couple that I have some questions about in regards to either their backstories, or what is next for them. I’m guessing that it is our job to imagine those things ourselves. I definitely recommend this book.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

This book has kind of an “It’s a Wonderful Life” vibe to it. Don’t want to say too much to give things away, but it was a cute premise and I haven’t read another book like this before. Very unique.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Change of Heart to come out February 11, 2025.

Boy oh boy. I was really excited about this book. I usually love Falon Ballard’s writing, but this was not it.
I’m an absolute sucker for magical realism, but what the heck happened here 😭 first of all, it felt like everything here was rushed. Everything happened so fast, there was no context to why & how they ended up there. I cringed so hard in multiple scenes, also the whole “sweetheart” thing just felt forced. Forced and rushed, those are pretty much the two words that would define this for me. We barely got to know Cam, but we had absolutely nothing on Ben. I couldn’t even make myself root for them. It had so much potential though, I’m disappointed :(

Thanks NetGalley & publisher for the early digital copy. All opinions are mine & mine only ✨

probably my favorite of ballard's so far simply due to my belief in the central romance. this one feels properly romantic due to the stakes of entering into a magical city and needing to complete tasks to get back to real life. it just made me feel warm whenever cam and ben interacted because they have an ease that a lot of couples lack and when they were pulled apart, my heart hurt immediately. ballard's descriptions of cam's feelings made the book for me and i enjoyed the escape.

also, this is a small thing, but i've noticed that ballard tends to introduce characters (not just in this novel) by saying their race "white", "east asian", etc. but it never helps me picture the character better. it just feels out of place every time.

I fell in love with Falon Ballard’s effortless writing style when I read Right of Cue. Every single time I read her books I find myself lost in the characters and the story. She is truly one of the best authors and every book I read of hers is an instant favorite!

I went into this book completely blind and that was a bit of a mistake for me. For the first 20 or so pages, I really thought I was going to like the novel because it had a career focused main character who I could relate to. However, after 20 pages or so, the setting of the book changed to a hallmark like world. I love Hallmark movies but for some reason I absolutely hate Hallmark like books. I like romance novels where they are at least a little bit realistic, and this one was not realistic in the slightest, Another thing I can't get behind is pet names. The main character was called sweetheart no less than 200 times and I vomited a little inside each time it happened. I gave this one two stars purely because I was able to ultimately finish it and it was a quick read,

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this cute and funny book that feels like a mix of Hallmark and Pleasantville. I'm a huge fan of Falon Ballard and her charming and heartwarming romances. This one had magical realism, which was fun and creative.
The story centers on the idea of what if a cynical woman and a man from a disastrous blind date wake up in a picturesque small down with no escape.
The town was charming and wonderful. I enjoyed lead character Cam's journey. She wasn't quite easy to root for at first, but she became more likable as the book went on. The main male lead, Ben, was sweet and the most likable character, but I wish there a little more depth to him and his personal story.
The book was entertaining and an easy read. I recommend it if you're looking for a light and cute story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this story we follow our fmc Campbell Andrews, a ruthless lawyer who has no life outside of work. She's been magically transported to the town of Heart Springs, aka Hallmark town USA and Cam's version of hell. In order to get home, Cam has to complete 3 tasks and learn a few lessons along the way before she's able to return home to NYC and her own life. Until then, Cam has to put up with having no cell phone nor car, wear pastel clothing, and drink overly sugary coffee in this new town while also trying to win the approval of the local residents.

Cam is an ambitious, rude, and brash individual. She’s the type of character I would usually find a bit grating, but I actually was quite fond of her! She’s hilarious and unapologetically herself, and definitely has girl boss energy to the max. I was rooting for Cam, and just found her to be quite a delight despite her abrasive personality. As for our mmc Ben Loving (yes that is his last name), he’s a charming and kind pediatric surgeon who listens to Cam and is not easily put off by her quirks. He would've been the perfect book boyfriend if it wasn’t for the fact that he constantly called Cam 'sweetheart', even before he was anything to her. I know it's kind of a petty complaint but it gave me the biggest ick. IRL, if a man not my significant other called me by the endearment 'sweetheart', I would just find it so creepy and condescending.

I am most def a sucker for romance with magical realism, so this story was right up my alley! It was laugh-out-loud funny and pretty adorable! I will say the first half of the book was a five star read, but the story fizzled out for me a little bit in the later part. It just lost some of the fun and magical-ness that I was loving about Heart Springs. We weren't given as many details to remind us this was a magical town. It just kind of became a typical day-to-day life in any small town. I was also thrown off by the pacing in the very beginning, as Cam was immediately plopped into Heart Springs by chapter 2. I would’ve loved to see more of her backstory, and have more of a build up before she actually got transported to “pastel purgatory”.

Overall, I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and cozy romcom to enjoy!

Campbell Andrews is a cutthroat attorney who is extremely driven and bulldozes everyone in her way. When she is set up on a blind date with Ben, she brushes him aside immediately and is downright rude. The next morning Campbell wakes up in a Hallmark town where she is tasked with finding a vocation she loves, becoming a valued member of the community, and falling in love. In a Groundhog Day-esque situation, she wakes up each day wondering if she will ever make it back to the real world. Is following the rules the only way out? Or will she learn to follow her heart? 3.5 stars from me. I didn't *love* Ben's character. He was kinda creepy. I did love the premise of the book and the different plot line.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Change of Heart was the romance with a twist that I was looking for, playing with my favorite sub category of alternative timelines!

Campbell (Cam) is a workaholic lawyer in her grandmother’s firm, slated to take it over one day she doesn’t have time or the inclination for friends or true family relationships outside of those that come from sheer proximity at work. When she goes on a date with Ben, a surgeon, it’s just to see if she can get her rocks off for the night. Things don’t end in that direction and during the date she supremely pisses off a waitress, resulting in her and Ben finding themselves in a hallmark movie.

Naturally like any classic hallmark movie Cam has to figure out how to be a contributor to her community, find love, and find a job that is her passion (which is hard given her vocation as a lawyer is her passion). A Change of Heart treats Cam’s quest as the fun misadventure it is while delving a little deeper into why she’s wired how she is and the role Ben can play in this alternate world.

A great premise delivers, with funny characters and action points and the sweet romance that I’d expect from any hallmark movie (with an edge).

This story was a cute quick read. It had more storyline than just the romance which was juce. It was fun and well written. Definitely will recommend.

What the fuuuuuuuck this was so amazing it had me crying in my office at work 😭😭 I absolutely ate this book upppp! It had everything—big city girl, small town life, cozy autumn vibes, coffee shops and bookstores, friends to lovers, with so much self love and a hint of magic ✨