A review by abbey_marie
Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such an interesting read! I had a certain idea of what it would be going in, and it was different than I was expecting but still very charming and wonderful in many ways. I have a lot of thoughts, so here goes…

WHAT I LOVED:
  • Hallmark Vibes - I really loved the Hallmark vibes in this one. The town of Heart Springs was quite charming. I love that most of the book was set there and we get to spend a lot of time exploring that world. It’s very Hallmarky in the best way and it made this book quite the cozy read, especially around the Christmas season and particularly towards the end of the book where Christmas season is actually happening in the plot, which I loved!
  • Humor - There were some major laugh-out-loud funny moments in this book, particularly towards the beginning of the book when Cam first arrives in Heart Springs. She’s very snarky, and that made for some great banter and funny dialogue moments that I appreciated. She’s an interesting character for sure, and though I have mixed feelings about her, I think the snarky part of her character was pulled off very well by the author.
  • Emma - Okay, do we love Emma or do we love Emma? Girl, you’re perfect! You’re a goddess, a baking queen, and a freakin’ awesome friend! Do we love her or do we love her? I personally want to read more of her please. So sweet and such a kind-hearted person!
    And I hope you and Ethan end up happy!
  • The Little Moments + After They Got Together Moments - I love it when a book doesn’t just end with the characters getting together - where we actually get to SEE them together and those little mundane moments like sharing coffee or having a conversation or the little habits and routines they form together. It’s very cozy and this book has that. I loved those moments!
  • Discovery - I loved seeing the two main characters discover more about each other over time and learn each other’s likes and interests.
    By the end of the book, they’re very much in sync and it’s pleasant to read that journey of them learning each other on both a physical and psychological level. They were also really respectful of each other’s physical boundaries and consent was handled with care, which I always appreciate. Enthusiastic consent is great to read!

WHAT I LIKED:
  • Cam’s Character Development - I really liked seeing Cam grow throughout the story. I think by the end, she was a pretty likable character and she felt authentic and relatively well-fleshed out in numerous way. I will say her aha moment at the end of the book felt kind of rushed, and there are times when the internal dialogue didn’t feel authentic for the character, but I think overall she’s an interesting character who goes through a big arc of character growth that seems realistic (I mean, for a Hallmarky book, that is lol).
  • Ben - Ben was a great love interest and I liked a lot of his qualities. He’s very supportive of Cam, and a great book boyfriend for sure. I liked the way he calls her out on her behavior throughout the book, but was still really respectful and kind about it.
  • The Plot - I think the whole idea of having Cam have “quests” to complete was really interesting and moved the plot along in a way that kept the pacing quick but also entertaining and engaging. I will say that was part of the appeal once I got into the book to keep reading - to see how her passion/jobs and community engagement was going and how it would all shake out, particularly once she got better established in Heart Springs.

WHAT I DISLIKED:
  • Lack of Character Development for Ben - While I liked Ben, I echo other reviewers’ statements that he really didn’t have much of a personality other than his endless love and support for Cam. While that makes him perfect for a romance book in some ways, it also meant that he lacked dimension and we didn’t really get to learn much about him, his family, his struggles, and what brought him to Heart Springs. It almost seems like he’s a convenient side character or only there for Cam’s journey, which seems a bit unfair to him. And he adjusts to Heart Springs so quickly that it just seems a little too good to be true. I would have liked to see more of his real personality - his faults, his anger/sadness at being in Heart Springs initially, his family, his upbringing/background. He felt more like a side character, as others have said, and while I get that this is Cam’s story of transformation and she’s the narrator, I feel like we should’ve seen more of him and his different emotions/dimensions of his character.
  • Mimi - Okay, this one might have just been me, but I didn’t really like Mimi. I didn’t hate her, I just didn’t like her. Especially towards the beginning of the book, where I feel like she’s kind of cast as an “angel in disguise” type character - she just seems  like she’s very irritated with Cam and judgmental towards her and her lifestyle (which, I mean, I get - yes, at the beginning Cam is pretty much an a-hole) but something about the way she was looking at and treating Cam and even Ben felt arrogant and not like the kind of heartfelt sweet angel character that these types of stories usually have. Now, it seems like this might have been somewhat of an act in some ways to push Cam and Ben together, but still it just rubbed me the wrong way. I dunno, I just got a bad vibe from it. 🤷‍♀️ Maybe it’s just me, haha.
  • The Ending - The ending felt sort of rushed for my tastes. I wish it was a bit more drawn out, as much as I adored spending the majority of the book in Heart Springs (and would have loved to stay there). I also feel like Cam’s interaction with her family was a bit too tied up in a bow and too perfect. I wish there had been some hard conversations in there, and we got to see Cam standing up for herself and what she deserved
    especially to her grandmother - I mean seriously woman! I would like to have seen her kicked in the pantsuit! To just have her understand and make up all nice seems unrealistic and less satisfying for the reader.
  • The Writing Style - I liked this book. I liked the fast pacing. It took me a while to get used to it, but once we got rolling I was in and it was pretty good. There were some minor times the flow felt interrupted and throughout the book I really wish some scenes had more detail. I’m a visual thinker and tend to have an easy time imagining things from few words, but I know some people struggle with that so I think the book would have benefitted from more description overall.

Okay so I normally don’t include this section *sigh* but here goes…

WHAT I HATED:
  • “Sweetheart” - I cannot get over this. I know I’m not alone, though some readers may not be bothered by it, but I was a lot throughout the book. I eventually got somewhat used to it, and if it was used sparingly I wouldn’t have minded so much but I hated Ben always calling Cam “Sweetheart” from like the very beginning of the book to the very end
    and in the intimate scenes which is just - ewwww - I cannot handle that! I was reading and I was like gosh he’s calling her that a lot and then I was like, but he better not do that then…and then I was severely icked out and disappointed. I’m sorry, maybe it’s just me but that’s wayyyyy too paternal for my tastes particularly in a sex scene - no way! That is not hot, it’s just gross and it gives me bad vibes. Ben’s golden retriever character made up for it, but on its own that kind of creeps me out. We will just leave it there. Another sidenote: this book made me realize I don’t love graphic sex scenes as much as the romance part of these types of books, so that’s something for me that was interesting to explore and learn through reading this!
    In a word, it’s too paternal. It feels like something your dad would say to you, not your boyfriend
    or lover. Nope nope nope!
    I really hated that and I’m so sorry but I cannot forgive that lol! I am not okay with that. That being said, I eventually got used to it like 75% of the way through, though it did ruin some scenes for me haha. (Not too bad though, but some were just NO). Now, I HAVE TO NOTE that this is an unreleased copy I’m reviewing. This may change before publication. Please don’t take this and say, “Oh, that’s it! Nevermind! This is still a pretty interesting, fun, entertaining Hallmarky story and I don’t know if this may change before publication, so take what I’m saying with a grain of salt, try it for yourself and see if you like it. Falon is still a pretty cool writer - this one detail just personally got on my personal nerves but that’s me and it may not be you and you might love it so there, two cents given! 🪙

So yes, there were some things I didn’t like about this book, however I still gave it 4.25 stars because it was really inspiring to see Cam change over time, Cam and Ben’s relationship is quite sweet, her finding herself and finding friends and growing in the community is heartwarming to watch, and I just loved reading about Heart Springs. I could actually live in the world of Heart Springs forever and I want more please!! Thank you!
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