Just My Type
“I brush by Seth on my way out the door. ‘I’m going to make you regret the day you ever met me.’
He snorts. ‘Who’s to say I don’t already?’”
I have not read anything by Falon Ballard before, but I went into Just My Type with high hopes after seeing good reviews for Lease on Love. However, after the third early 2000s romcom reference in the first two chapters, my expectations dwindled.
Summary:
Lana Parker doesn't know how to survive on her own. Since high school Lana's been in serious relationship after serious relationship, and has made a career for herself as a dating columnist for Always Take Fountain, an LA based website that she's been working for since college. But when her boyfriend of four years breaks up with her the night she expects him to propose, Lana can't bring herself to keep writing the same upbeat love articles she has been.
Then Seth Carson joins the ATF team--her high school sweetheart, the one boy Lana ever truly loved. Unlike Lana, Seth has been a serial dater since their relationship ended, traveling the country and living out of a suitcase, chasing stories to write and girls to sleep with. When their boss finds out about Lana and Seth's dating history, she comes up with a challenge to bring in readers: one month Lana needs to stay single, and Seth needs to settle down.
As part of the competition, Lana and Seth come up with specific tasks that the other needs to complete. Seth can't have sex the entire time; Lana has to kiss a stranger; Seth needs to take care of a pet; Lana has to go on a solo vacation; etc. With each of the ten tasks, Lana and Seth have to write an article about their experience, and at the end of the challenge, readers will vote to see who did a better job, with the winner receiving their own column to write about whatever they want. But when the readers find out that Seth and Lana are exes and start shipping them online, their boss once again interferes, changing the rules to ensure the two are in the same room as often as possible.
Thus begins Lana's worst nightmare. Suddenly she's back in high school, exploring LA and shopping for furniture at Ikea with her ex. Yet with each task they spend together, Lana finds herself remembering everything she loved about Seth, and he seems to be playing into their old dynamic. But Lana needs to keep her eye on the prize: her own column, where she can write about Marvel and books and celebrity drama to her heart's content. She needs to forget Seth, forget relationships, and focus on herself. Right?
Thoughts:
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The entire story was a combination of so many romcoms that it was hard for me to find a unique plot point. I also found Lana to be such a cringey character, especially with her constant Marvel-themed swear words and references. I liked Seth's character, but I personally did not see the chemistry or connection between him and Lana. I would have loved flashbacks to them as a couple in high school paired with their current timeline to add context to the relationship, but as a reader we weren't given a lot of backstory beyond Lana's attachment to Seth's family.
There were also times when plot points came out of nowhere. Halfway through the book Lana's best friend is suddenly harboring a long time crush on one of their coworkers, and Lana attempts to set the two up. Or, on the flip side, after her boyfriend of four years dumps her when she thinks he's proposing, it only takes one night drinking with her friend for Lana to get over him. Even if they were never really in love, I find it incredibly unrealistic that she could move on that quickly.
Finally, in my opinion the most interesting part of the book was Lana's boss becoming too involved in her life and overstepping boundaries, which Lana's therapist points out. While Lana does eventually accept that her boss is toxic, I wanted more of a conclusion with the boss. Was she like that with all her employees, or just Lana? Lana says her boss is a mother figure, especially after taking Lana in as an intern in college--show the reader more of that!
My Rating: 3/5
Goodreads Average: 3.89/5
Overall:
At the end of the day, I think this book was a little bit of a self-insert fanfiction. Lana's overly nerdy quirks and dream office in LA felt like the author was just describing herself, and the romance was unrealistic in the way that only fan fictions can pull off. Just My Type was a very cringey, trope-filled romance, so for those interested in a quick, fluffy read, it's perfect. But if you're looking for more meaning in your romance books, I wouldn't recommend Just My Type.
Information:
Just My Type by Falon Ballard (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780593419939