Our lives are made up of one moment to the next – moments that are mostly logical and organic as they happen. If we’re not careful, those moments that make so much sense up close may lead us down a path we never wanted for ourselves. Sometimes we have to zoom out to make sure we’re on the right track. You can do it yourself as part of your planning, goal-setting, or self-care regimens…
*OR*
you might be forced into an alternate dimension by a magic waitress that forces you to examine your life in new ways.

That’s what happened to Campbell and the blind date her grandmother set her up with. She was out on another obligatory date, which she had no time for and blatantly blew off, even still at dinner with him, without having had any attempt at conversation with him. Then she wakes up in Heart Springs, a tiny warped town she’s stuck in like a waking dream until she fulfills all the right criteria. She must find work she loves, participate in the community, and experience true love. Oh, and the blind date is there too, with his own mission.
Sigh.
If you’re looking for a straight up Hallmark movie in a novel, you’ve found it. Exaggerated, but fun if you don’t look too closely and syrupy sweet.
We start with a character who is straight up unlikeable, and by the end she learns important lessons ‘the hard way’ before her inevitable happily ever after.
I had a few problems with it.
- The love interest didn’t make any sense. He was pretty much only in Hope Springs as an accessory. He was far underdeveloped and a huge wasted opportunity.
- Campbell was just too unlikeable. She doesn’t really redeem herself. Her motivation is purely to do whatever she has to to get back home to her shitty New York existence. She changes, but I’m not convinced she’s really learned anything long-term. It ends too quickly for someone so flawed, in my opinion.
- I didn’t care enough. Due to the first two problems, I just didn’t really care what happened. There would obviously be a happy ending, and the details didn’t interest me much.
Now, this isn’t Falon Ballard’s first book. In fact, I have two others on my bookshelf right now that I haven’t read yet and have been looking forward to. I’m still going to read them and I’m hoping she’ll blow away my expectations with those, because this one…didn’t.
I can see how this book might appeal to younger romance readers, or ones with a penchant for whimsy. It just didn’t work for me.
Onwards and upwards, my friends.
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Change of Heart
Author:: Falon Ballard
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: Carly Robins
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: February 11th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 2-Stars
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