Name: mariola's review of Just My Type by Falon Ballard
Item: Just My Type
Rating: 2
Author: mariola

Falon Ballard

To win the job of her dreams, a relationship-prone journalist needs to learn how to stay single in this heartwarming and hilarious new romantic comedy from the beloved author of Lease on Love. Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating & relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of 30, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging. That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history—and undeniable chemistry—they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever's is most popular wins a highly-coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line—it’s also their hearts.

Just My Type

mariola

As a fellow serial monogamist, this hit a little too close to home. 

Jenna

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed how it was written with the interspersed articles of both characters. It let me see a bit into the mind of the MMC who didn’t have a POV. Normally, I am not one to really like second chance romance’s, but this one was really well done. They had just enough tension as well as actual problems that it made it believable that they weren’t still together / couldn’t just quickly get over it all. It also made for really good Friends to enemies to lovers that I am a sucker for. Their banter was funny and adorable. I also liked the underlying plot of bettering yourself outside a relationship. Its kind of rare to see a romance book advocating to be single (even as a comedic devise), but I really liked it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend! I will also never look at a sunflower the same way again (if you know, you know).

Kendall V

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed how it was written with the interspersed articles of both characters. It let me see a bit into the mind of the MMC who didn’t have a POV. Normally, I am not one to really like second chance romance’s, but this one was really well done. They had just enough tension as well as actual problems that it made it believable that they weren’t still together / couldn’t just quickly get over it all. It also made for really good Friends to enemies to lovers that I am a sucker for. Their banter was funny and adorable. I also liked the underlying plot of bettering yourself outside a relationship. Its kind of rare to see a romance book advocating to be single (even as a comedic devise), but I really liked it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend! I will also never look at a sunflower the same way again (if you know, you know).

Tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, work place romance, “it’s always been you” 

A true rom com treat mixed in with a little Marvel dorkiness. I am a sucker for a second chance romance and it’s even better when they hate each other. I thought the banter was fantastic and showed character growth throughout the book. I think the family relationships were very important to the characters and were very well explained.  This was a slow burn, not my favorite, but it was worth it for that HEA. The grand gestures at the end were the cherry on top, I mean, besides that freaking epilogue 😍

Tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, work place romance, “it’s always been you” 

🌶️ 🌶️/ 5

A true rom com treat mixed in with a little Marvel dorkiness. I am a sucker for a second chance romance and it’s even better when they hate each other. I thought the banter was fantastic and showed character growth throughout the book. I think the family relationships were very important to the characters and were very well explained.  This was a slow burn, not my favorite, but it was worth it for that HEA. The grand gestures at the end were the cherry on top, I mean, besides that freaking epilogue 😍

another little romance book but it was an enjoyable read. I’ve read another by this author and like her writing style. 

Tori Albin

for starters some of the phrases in this book were reused so many times. and the things they said we so immature in a cringe type of way. they all acted like they were still in high school. 

reagan weissenburger

The column that Lana Parker has been writing for an online news site has been about love and relationships even though she has had several boyfriends who have left her.  Her ambition is to write about pop culture, and she is given that chance when her high school sweetheart, Seth Carson comes to town and her boss, Natasha suggests that they compete in a writing contest with the winner getting to write his or her own column for the LA Chronicle.  Lana has complicated feelings for Seth, and she knows this contest will only muddy the waters, but she reluctantly agrees in hopes of not only getting her dream job but also getting some emotional closure with Seth.

Just My Type does many things well - a second chance love trope, a personal growth story line, and a high stakes angst.  However, several parts of this book don't hit the right notes.  The writing competition, that could have included much more humor, comes off as a little sad and inappropriate.  The mother/daughter dynamic is underdeveloped, and Lana is a protagonist that seems immature and stubborn.  Overall, Just My Type would have been a much better story if it had focused more on the relationship between the main characters.

Lynn Braden

The column that Lana Parker has been writing for an online news site has been about love and relationships even though she has had several boyfriends who have left her.  Her ambition is to write about pop culture, and she is given that chance when her high school sweetheart, Seth Carson comes to town and her boss, Natasha suggests that they compete in a writing contest with the winner getting to write his or her own column for the LA Chronicle.  Lana has complicated feelings for Seth, and she knows this contest will only muddy the waters, but she reluctantly agrees in hopes of not only getting her dream job but also getting some emotional closure with Seth.

Just My Type does many things well - a second chance love trope, a personal growth story line, and a high stakes angst.  However, several parts of this book don't hit the right notes.  The writing competition, that could have included much more humor, comes off as a little sad and inappropriate.  The mother/daughter dynamic is underdeveloped, and Lana is a protagonist that seems immature and stubborn.  Overall, Just My Type would have been a much better story if it had focused more on the relationship between the main characters.

i really loved the character growth of lana throughout the whole novel. the conflict with natasha got me madder and madder as more was unveiled haha. i think i really would have loved to hear more about seth’s experiences throughout the tasks but i still think the pacing of the book was good overall!

kelly bee

I loved this read! I don't always gravitate towards second chance romances but this one takes the cake for me. It was the perfect balance of angst but also healthy communication and solid resolution. The main character Lana had true character growth in a way that was not heavy handed. The plot was perfectly paced and as a lover of spice I barely even noticed how somewhat of a low spice read this is because of how much I was enjoying the story and their reconnection. The one thing that could've made this better would've been having Seth's point of view/dual PoV, but that is no fault of the author just my personal opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC (like seriously, thank you, this is such a gift).

Abigail

I loved this read! I don't always gravitate towards second chance romances but this one takes the cake for me. It was the perfect balance of angst but also healthy communication and solid resolution. The main character Lana had true character growth in a way that was not heavy handed. The plot was perfectly paced and as a lover of spice I barely even noticed how somewhat of a low spice read this is because of how much I was enjoying the story and their reconnection. The one thing that could've made this better would've been having Seth's point of view/dual PoV, but that is no fault of the author just my personal opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC (like seriously, thank you, this is such a gift).

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I was so excited when I saw it available for request because I really enjoyed Ballard’s debut novel, Lease On Love. 

I liked this book, but it took me a little bit to get into it! I’m not sure why, but I couldn’t connect with the characters originally. I liked that Lana was so into sitcoms & Marvel (we’d definitely get along) but I didn’t feel much depth with her until later in the book. About 60% into the book I started to really enjoy her character. Confronting that fact that she’s a serial monogamous, Lana is told to write about single life at her job as a romance writer. It’s a job she’s been waiting to advance from & this assignment seems like the perfect way to do so, until she is told she’ll be competing against her first love/ex boyfriend, Seth. While she writes about staying single, he will be writing about settling down. 

This is a second chance romance with slight enemies to lovers vibes in the beginning & I really didn’t know what was going to happen between Lana & Seth. I had suspicions about certain plot points that would happen, but I really didn’t know how their relationship would turn out. I liked Seth from the beginning & only came to like him more as the book went on. 

This book is written from Lana’s POV, so you learn a lot about her past. Facing issues with her mother, ex boyfriends, & then her boss, Lana grows a lot in this read. I loved seeing into her therapy sessions & how she processed what was happening to her. I also loved her supporting group of girlfriends. 

Overall, I think this is a good read for anyone that likes a slow burn, second chance romance, or liked Lease On Love. It’s definitely a cute romance that’s worth giving a chance. It will be available in February 2023.

Lindsey Barnett

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I was so excited when I saw it available for request because I really enjoyed Ballard’s debut novel, Lease On Love. 

I liked this book, but it took me a little bit to get into it! I’m not sure why, but I couldn’t connect with the characters originally. I liked that Lana was so into sitcoms & Marvel (we’d definitely get along) but I didn’t feel much depth with her until later in the book. About 60% into the book I started to really enjoy her character. Confronting that fact that she’s a serial monogamous, Lana is told to write about single life at her job as a romance writer. It’s a job she’s been waiting to advance from & this assignment seems like the perfect way to do so, until she is told she’ll be competing against her first love/ex boyfriend, Seth. While she writes about staying single, he will be writing about settling down. 

This is a second chance romance with slight enemies to lovers vibes in the beginning & I really didn’t know what was going to happen between Lana & Seth. I had suspicions about certain plot points that would happen, but I really didn’t know how their relationship would turn out. I liked Seth from the beginning & only came to like him more as the book went on. 

This book is written from Lana’s POV, so you learn a lot about her past. Facing issues with her mother, ex boyfriends, & then her boss, Lana grows a lot in this read. I loved seeing into her therapy sessions & how she processed what was happening to her. I also loved her supporting group of girlfriends. 

Overall, I think this is a good read for anyone that likes a slow burn, second chance romance, or liked Lease On Love. It’s definitely a cute romance that’s worth giving a chance. It will be available in February 2023.

 is a second--or rather, third chance romance complete with palpable tension, a competition, and an amazing friend group to top it off!

Lana Parker-30-year-old serial monogamist ends up confronting her first love Seth Carson at their (now) mutual workplace--Always Take Fountain, where they are then pitted against each other in a fight to the death. Okay, not exactly a fight to the death, per se, but a fight for a spot as a columnist at the Los Angeles Chronicle. The catch? They each have a list of ten items to complete in order to succeed on their missions-Lana to become comfortable with being single after 4 failed long-term relationships, and for Seth, who has been traveling the past 12 or so years, to get himself ready for a serious relationship. But with unresolved issues between the two, there's a lot more at stake than just the news column. 

I absolutely loved Lana's friend group from the get-go--can we please have a spin off with Rob and Tessa? Pretty please? And May is the sort of best friend every girl needs! The friend group is full of empowering women who are super supportive and loving, not only towards Lana, but each other as well. 

Lana, on the other hand, I had to warm up to a little bit. She starts out a bit immature, but throughout the book (especially towards the end), we get to see her growth! She really learns about herself and her emotions--therapy is a godsend, y'all!

Seth also took a little bit for me to warm up to him, granted we only see him through Lana's eyes. Seth's motivations become a lot clearer throughout the book, and we have no choice but to stan a man that goes to therapy. Even if it was because it was an item on the list. I repeat, therapy is a godsend.

(one of my favorites!) and the general workplace romance. However, with the second chance romance aspect, I would argue this book sets itself apart from other workplace romances. One area I found this book lacking in; however, was the show-don't-tell aspect. There were moments where the banter between Seth and Lana was mentioned, but not described. This definitely got better throughout the book, but at the beginning, there was definitely a bit of banter to be desired. Some of the dialogue was cringy and the banter was cute at some points, but a lot of the romance aspects didn't really kick in until the end. I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I think that it was, in part, almost due to the lack of romance between the main characters until the halfway point and beyond.

 is a cute, fluffy romance with a bit of spice and steam and also has a deeper message about the importance of self-discovery and being comfortable with being single.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Holly

Just My Type is a second--or rather, third chance romance complete with palpable tension, a competition, and an amazing friend group to top it off!

Lana Parker-30-year-old serial monogamist ends up confronting her first love Seth Carson at their (now) mutual workplace--Always Take Fountain, where they are then pitted against each other in a fight to the death. Okay, not exactly a fight to the death, per se, but a fight for a spot as a columnist at the Los Angeles Chronicle. The catch? They each have a list of ten items to complete in order to succeed on their missions-Lana to become comfortable with being single after 4 failed long-term relationships, and for Seth, who has been traveling the past 12 or so years, to get himself ready for a serious relationship. But with unresolved issues between the two, there's a lot more at stake than just the news column. 

I absolutely loved Lana's friend group from the get-go--can we please have a spin off with Rob and Tessa? Pretty please? And May is the sort of best friend every girl needs! The friend group is full of empowering women who are super supportive and loving, not only towards Lana, but each other as well. 

Lana, on the other hand, I had to warm up to a little bit. She starts out a bit immature, but throughout the book (especially towards the end), we get to see her growth! She really learns about herself and her emotions--therapy is a godsend, y'all!

Seth also took a little bit for me to warm up to him, granted we only see him through Lana's eyes. Seth's motivations become a lot clearer throughout the book, and we have no choice but to stan a man that goes to therapy. Even if it was because it was an item on the list. I repeat, therapy is a godsend.

The vibes of this book are similar to You Deserve Each Other (one of my favorites!) and the general workplace romance. However, with the second chance romance aspect, I would argue this book sets itself apart from other workplace romances. One area I found this book lacking in; however, was the show-don't-tell aspect. There were moments where the banter between Seth and Lana was mentioned, but not described. This definitely got better throughout the book, but at the beginning, there was definitely a bit of banter to be desired. Some of the dialogue was cringy and the banter was cute at some points, but a lot of the romance aspects didn't really kick in until the end. I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I think that it was, in part, almost due to the lack of romance between the main characters until the halfway point and beyond.

Overall, Just My Type is a cute, fluffy romance with a bit of spice and steam and also has a deeper message about the importance of self-discovery and being comfortable with being single.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

mariola &
Just My Type by Falon Ballard

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