I love a romantic comedy and this was perfection! This author has quickly become a favourite of mine! A great well written book!

This was such a cute little romance - I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a book basically entirely centred around a new living situation and a live-in landlord/housemate, but I ended up really enjoying how the narrative of Lease on Love was mostly domestic, as it helped to create a real sense of intimacy between Jack and Sadie, and allowed them to get to know one another more quickly than otherwise. I particularly liked the thoughtfulness between Sadie and Jack, of them understanding what the other needed, and even the little things like buying coffee or helping clear a space showed a real level of care between them which helped their relationship to feel authentic. I thought that Sadie's support system in the form of her friends was great, and I appreciated that Ballard didn't try and use the fact that two of her friends had been seeing each other as a vessel to create conflict within the narrative.

This was a sweet and delightful read that I really enjoyed. While it is a heart-warming love story, it also focuses on a lot of depth within mental health.

Apologies to the publisher and author. I read this book last year and somehow missed posting my review.

I have summarised my personal notes to enable me to leave an honest review.

The cover of this book really appealed to me and I was excited to get started.

I found the book difficult to engage with but as the romance started to build between the two main characters I found myself invested in the story.

The authors writing style was good, the story was well paced (once I was approx a quarter of my way into the book) and characters were well described and rounded.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Sadie and Jack are a slow burn. Nothing really starts to happen in their relationship till over 60% ish. I did really like how a friendship was built before a relationship even though there was definitely lust there the whole time.

Sadie's friends are a core part of this book and they add a good dynamic to it.

I do think far too much happened in the last two chapters of this book and Jack's secret feels under explored and developed. It felt like something had to go bad for them to work it out to be together.

Sadie's constant self doubt is sad to read about really, she's the first to insult herself even though she's surrounded by kind loving people.


OH and a big mention for sweet pea and Jack of hearts/ Jack pot

I'd recommend this book if you want a slow romance. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this✨

This one was a lovely read. I really enjoyed reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me

There has to be something wrong with me.

On paper this one sounds perfect and appeals to me on so many levels. However I've ended up dnf-ing it.

I honestly struggled with the main character and found her to be so frustrating.

However a lot of people seem to love this one so give this one a go if you like the sound of it+

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the friends to lovers trope and this book did it so well! The romance seemed genuine and. Natural which made the story really easy and enjoyable to read

This was such a sweet friends to lovers romance - it didn't feel like the romance was forced or awkward between the two and it felt so organic. I loved the tension between them knowing that they really liked each other and had the chemistry but putting off doing anything about it until they both felt that they were ready. I also enjoyed getting to see Fallon grow throughout the book with her business. My main issue was towards the end of the book where there was some conflict between the two main characters that seemed to just get blown up a lot bigger than it needed to be - I felt it was just a lot of unnecessary drama which wasn't required and did ruin the storyline slightly. Overall though, I really enjoyed this and thought it was a cute and fun romance.

This is a book which has captured my interest from the beginning. I love how this is written. It is filled with a mix of characters and has been a book I have been unable to predict.

I read this in a day and loved the slow-burn roommates to lovers story, with a charming group of supporting characters! A lovely story where both main characters grow and work through issues they have faced, supporting each other and leading to a heart warming conclusion. Definitely would like to read more about the group of friends in the future, as well as generally reading more from this author! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightfully sharp debut rom-com about a down-on-her-luck young woman who turns an innocent mix-up between a dating app and a roommate app….. This book was a thrilling ride from the beginning. The author’s style places the reader in the book in each scene for an entertaining journey.

Endless coffee consumption (☕️) a truly awesome friend group (everyone needs ride or die friends like Harley, Gemma and Nick) and two very likeable, messy, emotionally complex, slightly broken leads in Sadie and Jack made for a very enjoyable read. As well as the main focus on Jack and Sadie there was a cute glimpses into the development of Harley and Nick which helped flesh out the story and made the side characters feel more realistic. I liked the slow burn between Sadie and Jack from their initial awkward meeting to being awkward roommates, friends and eventually something more. I also liked that we got to spend a decent part of the book with them as a couple. Usually the characters don’t get together until the last pages so this made for a nice change. Both Sadie and Jack had a lot of trauma to deal with linked to their parents which I thought the author handled well even if they were both frustrating at times. Definitely worth a read (4.5 ⭐️)

I can’t resist a new rom-com and I am a complete magpie for covers like this. I didn’t need the read a synopsis to know that I’d be in for a light, fluffy experience and of course, I was right!

Sadie Green has spent an inordinate amount of time working herself to the bone at a finance firm to get a promotion. However, she has just been passed over for it in favour of the boss’ son-in-law and now she’s completely jobless. During a drunken night out with her best friends, she mistakes a roommate search app for a dating app, which brings her to Jack Thomas’ Brooklyn brownstone. Jack is still deep in mourning for his parents and isn’t a huge fan of socialising but he has a feeling that the chaotic, bubbly Sadie could be good for him. So, he offers her a room in the brownstone and Sadie is finally free to realise her floristry dreams. And she may just be about to realise something else too… that Jack is actually pretty cute.

Sadie’s friendship group is made up of snarky teacher Gem, calm and collected lawyer Harley and the very loveable, handsome, finance guy Nick. I loved all of her friends as individuals and together. Their group chat had me laughing several times and by the end, I really felt like they were my friends too. Initially, I thought that Sadie and Nick would end up together due to rom-com predictability but as time went by, it became clear that we weren’t going down that route and I was so happy! Ballard does an amazing job of writing lovely, authentic adult friendships and they were a joy to spend time with.

The opening chapter will resonate with any female reader who has ever been labelled ‘emotional’ for being rightly outraged by injustice. My mouth fell open when Sadie lost her promotion and the fact that when she voiced her anger about it, her job was swiped away from her spelt out that sexism is very much alive and well. This is reality for many women in corporate industries and it’s truly disgusting. I knew that this was an indication that Sadie was destined for bigger things though and I was excited to read on and see her journey.

An apartment in Jack’s brownstone is a thing of true beauty. I’m at an age now where beautifully presented flats and houses are hugely exciting to me, so I definitely felt the wonder that Sadie felt on entering the building. I wanted to settle down, fill it with books and let the day just pass me by. It’s exactly the safe haven that Sadie needed and I loved spending time in it with her.

Sadie and Jack go through quite a rigorous will-they-won’t-they thing and there were times when I wasn’t sure that they’d end up together. They do have a solid friendship throughout the book and I wondered whether that would be the end of it. However, they share such an intense chemistry and are perfect for each other, so I held out hope. I knew it would be a long process but I was here for the slow burn!

Lease On Love is a funny, relatable rom-com with some lovely characters and more than one pairing to ship. It is heartwarming and smile-inducing while also touching on the more serious things that make up flawed humans. There are parts that are quite sickly sweet, so if you’re not a fan of cutesy stuff, Sadie and Jack may be a bit much for you at times. However, if you love unique meet-cutes and hilarious friend groups, it’s certainly worth a try.

3.5 stars

The first 60/65% of this book.. yes! I loved it, I couldn’t put it down. Their friendship group, the group chats, that awkward first time meeting between Sadie & Jack and their subsequent interactions. It was definitely on track to be a 4-5 star read, however my interest waned as soon as they got together and it just wasn’t as fun to read anymore.

It went from a cute slow burn to insta love real fast! Sadie also really started annoying me with her constant “I’m a selfish asshole and a terrible person” talk, it was exhausting! Jack was a cinnamon roll but I would have liked to see his character fleshed out a bit more.

That ‘argument’ in the last 10% of the book also knocked down its rating for me, it was stupid and could have been solved with one conversation. It almost felt like the author quickly put it in at the last minute to add some drama, which to be honest just didn’t work and wasn’t needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Lease on Love’ was a fun and heart-warming love story.

While initially I couldn’t get into the book, and I wasn’t huge fan of the main character, Sadie, I warmed up to it as the story developed and I got to know the characters better. Part of me actually wished, we got to see some of the events narrated from Jack’s perspective as for me, he was the more interesting of two, but I definitely rooted for both of them.

While ‘Lease on Love’ is quite a typical romance with ‘following your dreams’ element, I did enjoy the fact that the book touched upon subjects of mental health and how that affects the person and people around them as well.

Overall, it was a lovely read and I would recommend to those looking for a nice cosy romance.

A slow burn, room-mates to lovers romcom --- Great Debut!

Sadie is a lively main character with a fun, dry and straight-up humour kind of voice. Jack is a pure sweetheart, and their growing relationship was equally sweet and steamy. Add to this a great cast of side characters and a New York setting (with a florist business!) and you've got a brilliant story.


I flew through the first 70% of this book and was on track to give 5 stars, but then... I just kind of lost interest.
As soon as Sadie and Jack got together, the spark disappeared. Because of this, I then started to get annoyed by other things, such as Sadie's repeated assistance on 'being an asshole.' Her backstory was only hinted at, I would have liked a little more detail, but for someone who is surrounded by great (rich and successful) friends with a high flying job and a place in New York, I just found her moaning more like attention-seeking.
Surely if someone really hates themselves or feels that insecure, they don't draw attention to it?

For the rest of the book, I found myself just waiting for the break-up. When it does inevitably happen, it felt forced and unnecessary and could easily have been solved with a conversation. Especially as both characters admit. to not really being bothered by it. However...

If you're looking for a few laughs and a feel-good book, go for it!
I'm looking forward to what Fallon does next...

I know how to roll on a Saturday night, a hot bubbly bath, and a new book!

I loved everything about this book, as debut novels go it was pretty damn good.

Sadie and Jack were the most likeable characters, relatable, and realistic. Why did it take them so long to get it on?

A fun, heart-warming light heated read. Highly enjoyable, and I can't wait to see what the talented Falon comes up with next. Me, I would love to see a continuation with our two protagonists, to see what life has in store for them next.

Many thanks to the publishers for my gifted copy, and my apologies for not posting on my tour date.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard

When Sadie gets drunk one night after getting fired from her job, she decides to start dating again. Thinking that she is matching with a cute guy on a dating app, she sets up a coffee date, but with the alcohol clouding her vision, what she doesn’t realise is that the “dating app” is actually a “find a roommate” app.

This book sounded right up my street, so I knew that I would enjoy it, but I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. This was a BEAUTIFUL love story.

If you enjoyed The Flatshare, you will love Lease on Love! Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, ugh it was all so perfect!

Sadie has quickly turned into one of my favourite main characters, within the first chapter I wanted the best for her and the inner voice telling her that she can’t do things that she definitely can was way too relatable.

I also had just as much love for the side characters, I want a book centred entirely around Gemma, her humour was everything I needed and had me cracking up!

At times I found myself tearing up, and I literally laughed out loud at multiple different moments. I will be recommending this to any romance lover!

Thank you to Headline Eternal for the gifted physical copy!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to review and all options are my own.
I really enjoyed this unique take on the classic romantic genre. The characters were well enveloped with both having issues to work through. The writing flows well and the story doesn't fell too forced. There is a good cast of characters, not only the main characters but their friends which also have stories of their own.
I recommend this book to any fans of contemporary romance.