Just My Type by Falon Ballard
Stars: 4
Spice: 3; nothing too crazy or shocking
Sexy Times: 4; because this was a second chance love story, the chemistry felt authentic and there was none of the awkwardness with the first time.
Ahh, this book was just fun and sunshine and everything I needed for an escape from reality. Who doesn’t love a second chance romance? This was a great set up; Lana works as a relationship columnist and is a serial monogamist. Just as her last long-term relationship implodes, her high school boyfriend, Seth, who dumped her right before they started college, gets hired at her website. To make matters worse, they are now competing to see who will get their own column, and each has to complete ten tasks that go against their dating types: Lana must stay single and Seth must search for a lasting relationship.
The ten tasks provide a great arc for the story and allow Lana and Seth to spend time together but also to realize a lot about themselves. Ballard writes about Lana's growth so well, showing not only what she can accomplish but that her strength and independence have always been a part of what makes her so amazing. And Seth is a cutey-pie, he did what he did for honorable reasons but he is mature enough to look back on his younger self and see where he went wrong.
I loved the other characters and I would like to petition that Ballard’s next book be about May. I also really enjoy when authors incorporate things like text exchanges and Slacks into books - this is how we live and how we share so much these days, it is a necessary part of how relationships evolve.
Finally, Ballard’s writing style drew me in. It was quick and witty; the pop culture references were spot on and I am a huge lover of pop culture references. I don’t normally quote books but I highlighted this paragraph and I have to share because it was too clever:
“Corey hands me Seth’s phone, which is open to a photo of Seth’s fish tank. Where there swims a red fish. And a blue fish. Not one fish, but two fish. I just got Seussed.” (pg. 206)
Tell me you didn’t just laugh out loud? Go read this book.
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