"Change of Heart" was actually my introduction to the work of Falon Ballard and I was definitely missing out.

This was such a lighthearted, fun read with elements of magical realism, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I actually immediately looked up her backlist and have since read another one of her works already.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Son for gifting me this ARC. I enjoyed it and I have already been recommending it to my friends.

"Change of Heart" was a lovely and perfectly binge-able romance novel that was perfect for Valentine's Day weekend. I read it in one day. This book is essentially a "Schmigadoon" retelling, where two people end up in an idyllic and picturesque town after a disastrous first date. Campbell reads a lot like a Hallmark movie heroine (by her own admission) who is far too focused on work to have room for anything else in her life. While this book was almost more focused on her development than the romance and she needed to start low to have significant room to grow, I did find her a little bit grating at times. Not because she was annoying, but because she truly was a complete bitch to everyone around her.

I say this about a lot of romance novels, but I think this one would have benefited quite a bit from being dual-POV. Yes, it's mostly about Campbell rather than both Campbell and Ben, but I thought that Ben seemed a bit one dimensional at times. I would have liked to see a little more of his own growth rather than him being (very literally) a vehicle for Campbell's character development.

I really enjoyed the magical realism elements of the book, though the characters had far fewer questions, and were far more forgiving, than I would have been in their situation. Out of all of the books I've read with this similar trope, I thought that this one was the most successful.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to Heart Springs! 🩷

Where every day is perfect and your every whim is met, but to return to your real life you have to complete three tasks, including finding your true love.

Are you up for it?

Check out Falon Ballard's latest for an immersive experience that turns all your favorite Hallmark movie trends on their heads.

I loved Cam and Ben and the magic they found in Heart Springs. I hope you do too.

Falon Ballard is my favorite romance author and she NEVER MISSES! I adored this book. Falon’s books are always fun and fast paced and the romance is always so realistic. It was like living in a Hallmark movie and I didn’t want to leave. I loved the characters, I think Falon has a way of creating fully fleshed characters that are real and flawed, but lovable. I cannot wait for more books from her!!

I have never read this author before but after this, I will be looking for more of her books. I am not even sure what trope I would call this. There is a romance, some fantasy, and very interesting characters. Cam is a high powered lawyer working at her grandmother’s law firm. She is set up on a blind date with Dr. Ben Loving, who is a pediatric surgeon. When they meet Cam is brusque, and frankly unlikable. While they stay to have dinner, Cam pays Ben no mind and instead answers emails the entire time. When they finish eating, their waitress gives them a note telling them she hopes that the next time they will be more present in life and choose love. What an opening chapter because the next chapter has them in a fantasy land where they find obstacles in their way to finding their HEA. A very interesting concept and an even more compelling story.

3.5 stars

Campbell Andrews is a lawyer/partner at a big firm in New York City and her life revolves around her career. She doesn't believe in love and doesn't do relationships. One morning, she wakes up and realizes she's in an idyllic town straight out of a Hallmark movie. She's told she has to complete 3 tasks in order to be sent back to her normal life (I won't spoil what they are).

I had low expectations for this book... the premise sounded cheesy, and I had unfortunately seen a few early reviews that were not very positive. However, I did end up enjoying it more than I thought I would and overall it was a quick/easy read. As long as you know going into it that it's a cliche Hallmark movie type of story and that's what you are in the mood for, I think you will enjoy this book!

I love Falon's writing, however, this one was unfortunately not my favorite.
The cover is beautiful and the title did tie well with the story. Chapter one had me sucked in and excited to see how things would play out after a disasterous first date. And then I got to chapter two and was lost. I didn't realize that this book was going to have magical realism, which was ok, but this other world was a little strange and stepword wives like. It took me a really long time, that included a short break, to get through this story. The last portion picked up a bit, but overall the book seemed drawn out but rushed at the same time. Scenes didn't seem complete. Cam's dates were fast, The fundraiser was fast, The cases she took on....fast. There was a huge overuse of the word "sweetheart" from Ben. It seemed ingenuine and slightly annoying by the end.
I did enjoy watching her friendship with Emma and realizing that she needed to love herself. Wanted more from the ending, especially a conversation with her grandmother.


Will post review on Goodreads & Instagram after March 1st, to allow amble time after publishing date.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I had a fun time with this book and while it was predictable, I found it endearing and still creative in its approach. I can relate to the FMC Cam as she loves work and is focused on her career, however, her journey in Heart Springs forces her to take a hard look at her career, her friendships, community and purpose in life. I thought Falon Ballard did a great job with developing Cam, I just wish we got to spend more time with Dr. Lovings and his character journey.

Overall I would recommend this as a fun romance read for when you might need a genre palette cleanser. It does lean on more of the cheesy side, BUT there's always the perfect time and place for that energy.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review!

I love fallon ballard she has become one of my autobuy authors for me as the years go on so it was a pleasure to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and the set up and i hope to re read this when i have more time

Falon is one of my autobuys. While this one wasn’t my favorite of hers (Just My Type and Right on Cue are the best!) I still enjoyed this. Short, sweet and I adored Ben, even if Cam is kind of the worst…

I love Falon Ballard and will continue to read anything she writes, but this was probably my least favorite of hers so far. The female main character was really hard to root for while the MMC was often too good to be true. Ultimately, the magical realism element did not land for me, but there were still bright moments between these two and I enjoyed the moments of growth for Cam. I think if you are a fan of magical realism this would be a much bigger hit for you!

I was soooo disappointed when I didn’t love this one! Falon Ballard has written some of my favorite rom-coms, but Change of Heart didn’t do it for me. I appreciated the struggle Cam was going through in terms of finding a career path that works for her and that she loves (I’m in that same boat), but overall she was not a very likable character. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Ben and Cam either, she was too damn mean and I think he deserved better.

2.5⭐️

I have loved magical realism recently! And this one was a cute, quick read. I will say that the FMC (Cam) is really annoying for the first half of the book. But I also think that’s kind of the point. About halfway through was when she starts to warm up. She starts really caring for others and has some real character growth. Cam is an extreme workaholic who never found herself wanting love… that is until she is forced to. She gets trapped in this adorable small town and cannot leave until she finds love. Ben was so sweet 🥹 I loved his character. I think this book would make for a really cute movie 🩷

This was sooo cute, def more on the cheesy thing so fyi if that bugs you but I thought it was really fun. I love the author and always enjoy her books and her writing style and while this wasn’t her best (for me) it was still worthwhile for me. If you like a little magic in your romance you may like this and the narrator is always so enjoyable to listen to.

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard is a heartwarming small-town romance with a touch of magical realism. The story follows Campbell, a driven attorney who unexpectedly finds herself trapped in Heart Springs, a town full of charm, quirky characters, and lessons in love. While Cam’s personal growth is engaging, the book sometimes leans too heavily on its ensemble cast, making it feel a little crowded.

The romance between Cam and Ben is sweet, and their opposites-attract dynamic is enjoyable. However, some moments feel a bit rushed, which might not work for readers who prefer a more natural progression. The writing is strong, but certain dialogue choices—especially the repeated use of endearments—can feel overly sweet and a bit cringeworthy. Additionally, the pacing slows toward the end, which dampens the momentum of an otherwise engaging premise.

Overall, this book offers a cozy, feel-good escape with an endearing protagonist and an enchanting small-town setting. If you love romance with a bit of magic and don’t mind a slower pace or a cast of quirky townsfolk, this one’s worth picking up.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5 stars, rounded to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately I was not a fan of this one, and it was 100% because of Cam. She was frankly such a raging bitch and that it was hard to even read. She was unnecessarily mean to everyone right from the jump. I get not wanting to be on a blind date set up by your grandmother but there’s no need to be nasty to service workers.

I’m sure they were written around the same time, because their pubs dates are only a month apart, but Prime Time Romance was a much nicer read with essentially the same exact plot.

Falon Ballard has become an auto-buy author for me, and I LOVED "All I Want Is You," and was so excited about Change of Heart. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. At first I was intrigued by the plot since it sounded similar to Ashley Poston's "A Novel Love Story" (ANLS) but as I read, the premise of waking up in the town didn't really seem to serve any real function—it felt really random and didn't feel crucial to the plot and ultimate lessons Cam learns, and didn't really feel meaningful to me. It felt like it just happened and we were supposed to go along with it, rather than have it have some sort of link to Cam's life or other reason why it was that town, that random server, etc. For example, in ANLS the main character stumbles into the town is meaningful because it's the town in her favorite book series. The town in Change of Heart and a lot of the characters felt replaceable, or could have been cut out and wouldn't have made much of a difference.

I also had a hard time with Cam herself—I love a story where the main character is on a growth journey, and I know she was meant to be prickly or "hard to love," but she didn't really show much growth or have many redeeming qualities. She felt like the people you come across in life who say they're straight-forward or direct, but are just rude. It just seemed like it was "this is who I am, take it or leave it" vs. reflecting on her behavior and how she interacts with others and evolving.

The chemistry between Cam and Ben just wasn't there for me either...the use of "sweetheart" was strange to me, and there wasn't any real relationship development between them. All of a sudden she realized she had feelings for him after not even interacting that much, and I wasn't a fan of the dynamic of Ben only wanting to make her happy. To me it felt like it was in codependent territory vs your partner's happiness being important to you.

Overall it unfortunately just didn't feel like a Falon Ballard book in almost every regard. While I didn't love this one, I'm still really looking forward to her next book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

What do you get when you combine the feels of Groundhog Day, Pleasantville, Schmigadoon, and a meddling but wise woman with Hallmark vibes? You get a cute and feel good romance where the main characters truly find what’s most important to them.

Cam is a driven, hardworking lawyer. She is hyper focused on being the best and making her grandmother proud of her (something she’s been trying to do her whole life). The problem is, that’s all she is focused on.

Her life takes a turn when a blind date with a doctor named Ben goes haywire. She wakes up the next morning not in her NYC apartment, but in a strange, very colorful house. And Ben is her neighbor! They both don’t really have much of a clue as to what’s going on until they see their waitress from the night before. She tells them separately what their tasks are to leave this perfect little bubble of a town. Every day is the same wake up and a quest to get out.

But do they really want out?

I really loved this book. It was fun, a tiny bit quirky, and shows what can happen when you’re truly denying what you need in life (whether it is love, a sense of community, inner peace…). We get wrapped up in all of the noise around us, and sometimes maybe we need to be swept away to a quiet, colorful, magical place to find ourselves.

I enjoyed this love story. It makes readers realize the importance of stopping and enjoying the life and people around them. This is an author who is an “auto buy” for me as I enjoy her books so much.

I purchased the final copy of the audiobook. The audiobook narrator’s voice and lack of voice inflection for the main character was a bit monotone and distracting for me. However, the story line was interesting, and I finished the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader digital copy.

A fun and quirky read. After a blind date that Can ends early, her and her date Ben end up in a small town, trapped until they can each meet criteria to leave.