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.

From Penguin Group Publishing: Campbell Andrews despises exactly three things in life: incompetence, tardiness, and love stories. Making partner at her law firm at thirty-four, she has no time for anything or anyone else. And certainly no respect for those who choose love over work. That is, until she wakes up in Heart Springs—her own personal hell.

The good news? She’s not dead. She’s been magically transported to a small town straight out of the Hallmark channel, complete with a meddling mayor, seasonal festivals, and friendly townsfolk. Cam can’t stand it, but in order to make it back to her real life, she has to fulfill three tasks . . . foremost among them, experience true love. It seems impossible. But anything’s possible with a change of heart.
***********************
My review: Ballard has written 5 books and I’ve read them all. This one took me a little longer to get into because it's an alternate loop/travel kind of fantasy. Cam knows what she has to do to get back to her real life and you can see where this was going a mile away. Ben of course had to play into it. It took me a while to get into because Cam is basically not a really engaging woman. She is mad, judgey, and swears too much (I swear a lot and her unnecessary use of the f word constantly got annoying to me). Also, Ben incessantly calling her "sweetheart" seemed condescending when he didn't know her that well. Then he kept at it throughout and it irked me for some reason.

The book kept me engaged and by the end I was rooting for Cam's new found interests and life. She was just not my favorite Ballard MC.

3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

I don’t say this lightly, but this book is my absolute favorite book I have ever read in this genre. I already wish I could rewind time and read this book for the first time all over again. I cannot stress enough how this surpassed any expectations I had. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t read romance often, and has to really be in the mood to read it because I don’t generally vibe with the genre, but my love for terrible hallmark movies and the enticing nature of the magical realism subplot is why I picked this up. And this book ended up being the absolute best of any book that I’ve read in the romance and romantic magical realism genre. Not that I was expecting it to be bad, but it was far better than I was expecting. The best way I can describe this book is that it’s like Gilmore Girls meets a hallmark movie with the whimsy of an Ashley Poston novel. But a million times funnier and more entertaining.

For anyone who has wanted to live inside a hallmark movie, loves shabby chic, vintage, or grandmacore, what is Cam’s nightmare would be a dream come true. She wakes up in a little pink dollhouse cottage with white wicker furniture wrapped in floral fabric, a closet is filled with soft pastel ruffly dresses, and her face is always perfectly made up, blemish free, with naturally rosy cheeks and lashes that look fake but are somehow real. Honestly all this sounds too good to be true, living in a picture perfect hallmark movie dreamworld but for Cam (being the grumpy hater she is, who hates sunshine and pastels and happiness and thinks that a bright, warm and cozy house is gross) Heart Springs is an actual nightmare. I, on the other hand, if I was ever so lucky to find myself in Heart Springs, would want to stay in this magical unrealistic land forever. Waking up with perfect hair and makeup (this even counts after showers, you step out of the shower completely ready and makeup done and perfect. Amazing.) Calories not counting and never gaining a pound despite the abundance of baked goods and honey lavender lattes from local shops on Main Street. Hangovers don’t exist and you wake up looking perfect every morning. It’s an unrealistic version of perfect. And I’d never want to leave!

Heart Springs is a dream, complete with a coffee shop that specializes in lavender honey lattes and offers pumpkin spice all year round. but Cam thinks she’s in literal hell. Me and her wouldn’t get along but to be fair, she’s a total (self aware) bitch who hates everything and doesn’t really get along with anyone, at least not until she gets to Heart Springs. She’s the definition of a grinch to the worst degree, super unlikable, but it’s entertaining watching her react to happy and cute things and watch her go on these tirades. This book had some of the funniest dialogue I’ve ever read and some of her tirades had me dying laughing.

Humor is one of the biggest highlights of this book. It’s genuinely one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Picture if you plucked a character with an antagonistic and negative attitude and plopped her into a Hallmark movie. Obviously, hilarity would ensue. And in this book, it does, and we get to witness every entertaining moment of it. It was so enjoyable, there was so much diversity with the characters, and the romance is well paced.

I would’ve liked more answers, like how Heart Springs came to be, is it in another dimension or connected to earth, are the residents able to leave or is it its own little world, and can anyone ever come back and visit? Lots of unanswered questions that I wanted answers to, but these types of romance magical realism books rarely will give all the answers. Yes, the lack of answers at the end frustrated me, but I enjoyed this book too much to deduct any stars because of it. This book not only was probably tied with one other book for my favorite book of the year, it also made the goodreads list of my all time favorites, a VERY rare achievement that usually only a couple books get per year (and as someone who reads over 200 books a year, that’s means chances are slim). I want everyone to experience this book. Almost as much as I want a sequel with someone else who ends up in Heart Springs, plus more questions answered especially with that ending.

Whatever expectations I had, this far surpassed it. I was not expecting this to be a 5 star read but this story was a stand out in a way I wasn’t expecting. I do think this book would resonate more to a certain type of reader, a lover of small town hallmark movies in particular, and I happened to fit the bill. But still, I think anyone intrigued by the plot should give this a chance. If anything, you’ll enjoy the fact that this book is probably the most amusing and hilarious thing I’ve read in a while. And I am baffled that there are not more 5 star reviews.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This did not work for me. The concept was fun (as a big hallmark movie fan) but I did not feel the chemistry between Cam and Ben at all. His overuse of the word “sweetheart” gave me major ick and he came off condescending (not that Cam was some angel). The ending resolution once they return feeling rushed and unsatisfying. A real miss all around.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a beautifully crafted exploration of love, second chances, and personal growth. From the very beginning, I was drawn into the characters’ lives and their emotional journeys. Ballard’s writing is both engaging and heartfelt, making it easy to connect with the characters and their struggles. I found myself discussing their choices and the twists in the plot long after I finished reading. The themes of forgiveness and transformation resonated deeply.
It was a fantastic read that sparked meaningful conversations and left me feeling uplifted. If you’re looking for a story that combines romance with depth, this one is definitely worth picking up! Go pick it up!!

I can finally say I’ve read a book with magical realism that I loved! I didn’t think this would ever happen. I’ve dabbled a tiny bit in magical realism and I’ve liked certain aspects of books in this sub-genre but I’ve always enjoyed the romance piece and not the magic piece so much. Change of Heart has changed my perspective on magical realism in a romance, and I loved how it fit perfectly in the plot.

The story starts out with our career driven FMC, Cam, being set up on a blind date with Ben, and she has no interest in actually getting to know her date and only agrees to appease her grandmother. She ends up being transported to the fictional world of Heart Springs. In order to return to her regular life she has to meet three conditions: find a career that is fulfilling, become a valuable member of the community, and experience true love. The first two she decides will be no problem, the third however, is laughable.

I found the FMC to be very relatable and saw a lot of myself in her. I then later read some reviews on Goodreads that criticized the book saying the main character was too unlikeable…not sure what that says about me, but I’m going to choose not to reflect on that 😂

Will post on IG closer to pub date

Change of Heart finds Campbell a workaholic lawyer has no aspirations to do anything but her job. She is magically whisked away to a small town where she needs to find herself. I greatly enjoyed this book. Falon Ballard does it again!

Thank you Net Galley and G.P. Putman’s Sons for this arc.

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard is a rom-com featuring magical realism, in which a workaholic, Campbell, and her love interest, Ben, get stuck in a Hallmark movie style town after a disastrous first date. Campbell has to complete 3 seemingly impossible tasks in order to return home.

I am a big fan of this author and was thrilled to be given an e-ARC for her latest novel (coming in February 2025). Ms Ballard has always delivered on sweet rom-coms with great banter and chemistry. Unfortunately this novel was a bit of a miss for me. I never felt fully connected with Campbell, who was initially meant to be a Grinch-like character, however her character growth didn’t feel sincere. And I didn’t feel that I was given enough description or overall development for Ben. He almost immediately started calling her “sweetheart” and the overuse of the nickname felt off to me.

Overall, I feel somewhat disappointed by this novel. I had such high hopes, and it IS entertaining and funny at times. I think many will enjoy it, but I don’t feel it is her best work. 3/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.