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Lease on Love
Beach Read meets The Flatshare in this warmly funny and 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 into a new chance at love.
After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.
Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.
After getting passed over for an overdue—and much needed—promotion, Sadie Green is in desperate need of three things: a stiff drink, a new place to live, and a one-night-stand. When one drink turns into one too many, Sadie mixes up a long-ignored dating app for a roommate-finding app and finds herself on the doorstep of Jack Thomas’s gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone. Too bad she’s more attracted to his impressive real estate than she is to the man himself.
Jack, still grieving the unexpected death of his parents, has learned to find comfort in video games and movie marathons instead of friends. So while he doesn’t know just what to make of the vivaciously verbose Sadie, he’s willing to offer her his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet. And with the rent unbeatably low, Sadie can finally pursue her floristry side hustle full-time. The two are polar opposites, but as Sadie’s presence begins to turn the brownstone into a home, they both start to realize they may have just made the deal of a lifetime.
332 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Falon Ballard
5 books1,374 followersFalon Ballard is a Los Angeles native who has been writing stories her whole life. After graduating with a degree in Creative Writing, Falon embarked on an eight-year teaching adventure before opening her own event planning business. When she’s not trolling Etsy for the latest merch from her favorite fandoms, she’s hanging out at Disneyland with a pretzel and beer in hand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,648 reviews
September 15, 2022
Witty, sexy, sweet, heartwarming, roommates to lovers, second chances novel I devoured in one sit! This is GOOD! I went back and forth between 3 stars and 5 blazing stars during my laugh out loud reading journey with lots of awww, hmmm sounds!
It was so close to get five stars: because both Sadie and Jack O’lantern ( or in the box: I have serious issues about those nicknames Sadie gave) were adorable, damaged from family dramas, so likable characters!
Sadie a quick witted, energized, focused, hot tempered, entertaining, sarcastic and Jack; quirky, ultra sensitive, shy, observant, extra sweet, caring.
The group texts in this book deserves five stars! The author also publish a sequel consists of those texts and I’ll happily read it!
The chemistry between the MCs are steamy, powerful!
And Sadie’s full gang earned brownie points with their support to their friend who’s struggling with her life decisions ! Caring public defender Harley, mischievous, spontaneous Gemma with her dark and witty sense of humor ( she’s my favorite) and extra nice, handsome Nick are the best fictional friends you dream to hang out with!
Those are the strengths of the novel.
But there are some facts made me hesitate to enjoy this book more;
Sadie is portrayed like a young woman who is so confident, powerful, knowing how hot she’s and her effect on the men. We understand she comes from toxic family and she has her own insecurities but some of her manners define her characteristics conflict with her insecurities. She is raised by a narcissist father and she keeps saying she’s asshole. But her father has coded that she couldn’t achieve anything good or deserve any better. If she thinks so little about herself, she cannot act like selfish asshole.
Her beliefs and the way of sabotaging her relationships aren’t matched!
And Jack’s extra trauma about losing her parents were a little overrated. Of course losing your loved ones affect you differently and the wounds of losing someone never heals but after seven years, I didn’t understand his reasoning to wait too long to decide looking for a roommate. ( he does what his shrink told him) I just looked for something more earth shattering, traumatic about his life and his reasoning to stop living at young age.
Another thing picked my interest is after the big revelation, why Sadie apologized too much! She’s gone a little too far but things she’s said we’re completely right!
And my final question is: the meeting way of MCs. The idea of drunk Sadie’s mixing dating application with roommate finding application was brilliant! The friendship starts with misunderstandings is great troupe. She meets with Jack at cafe shop while she’s thinking she’s on a date with nerdy guy with weird hairstyle and lord of the rings t-shirt ( actually I’m looking exactly like Jack on my lazy Sundays so Shane on Sadie for being so judgmental 😂)and she realizes Jack is looking for a roommate for his dreamy mansion ( this amazing place deserved to be called as mansion) at Park Slope for really funny amount of rent. It’s extra too good to be true. And poor guy still wanted to move her in after her humiliation and breakdown!
I think there was lack of conflict between the characters. Of course they had their own issues and Jack keeps things himself but there are not big obstacles to keep them apart.
But in my opinion positive things about this book exceed the plot holes so I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 entertaining, hilarious, heartfelt, hilarious stars!
I liked the brilliant mind and sense of creative humor of the author! I will definitely love to read her future works!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
It was so close to get five stars: because both Sadie and Jack O’lantern ( or in the box: I have serious issues about those nicknames Sadie gave) were adorable, damaged from family dramas, so likable characters!
Sadie a quick witted, energized, focused, hot tempered, entertaining, sarcastic and Jack; quirky, ultra sensitive, shy, observant, extra sweet, caring.
The group texts in this book deserves five stars! The author also publish a sequel consists of those texts and I’ll happily read it!
The chemistry between the MCs are steamy, powerful!
And Sadie’s full gang earned brownie points with their support to their friend who’s struggling with her life decisions ! Caring public defender Harley, mischievous, spontaneous Gemma with her dark and witty sense of humor ( she’s my favorite) and extra nice, handsome Nick are the best fictional friends you dream to hang out with!
Those are the strengths of the novel.
But there are some facts made me hesitate to enjoy this book more;
Sadie is portrayed like a young woman who is so confident, powerful, knowing how hot she’s and her effect on the men. We understand she comes from toxic family and she has her own insecurities but some of her manners define her characteristics conflict with her insecurities. She is raised by a narcissist father and she keeps saying she’s asshole. But her father has coded that she couldn’t achieve anything good or deserve any better. If she thinks so little about herself, she cannot act like selfish asshole.
Her beliefs and the way of sabotaging her relationships aren’t matched!
And Jack’s extra trauma about losing her parents were a little overrated. Of course losing your loved ones affect you differently and the wounds of losing someone never heals but after seven years, I didn’t understand his reasoning to wait too long to decide looking for a roommate. ( he does what his shrink told him) I just looked for something more earth shattering, traumatic about his life and his reasoning to stop living at young age.
Another thing picked my interest is after the big revelation, why Sadie apologized too much! She’s gone a little too far but things she’s said we’re completely right!
And my final question is: the meeting way of MCs. The idea of drunk Sadie’s mixing dating application with roommate finding application was brilliant! The friendship starts with misunderstandings is great troupe. She meets with Jack at cafe shop while she’s thinking she’s on a date with nerdy guy with weird hairstyle and lord of the rings t-shirt ( actually I’m looking exactly like Jack on my lazy Sundays so Shane on Sadie for being so judgmental 😂)and she realizes Jack is looking for a roommate for his dreamy mansion ( this amazing place deserved to be called as mansion) at Park Slope for really funny amount of rent. It’s extra too good to be true. And poor guy still wanted to move her in after her humiliation and breakdown!
I think there was lack of conflict between the characters. Of course they had their own issues and Jack keeps things himself but there are not big obstacles to keep them apart.
But in my opinion positive things about this book exceed the plot holes so I’m still rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 entertaining, hilarious, heartfelt, hilarious stars!
I liked the brilliant mind and sense of creative humor of the author! I will definitely love to read her future works!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/ G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
February 9, 2022
Lease on Love seduced me with it's magnificent cover and promising premise, and I couldn't wait to devour the story.
In fact, I was so excited I asked my friend Amanda to read it with me, expecting we would have a blast.
To be fair, it is always good experience reading a book with my favourite reading buddy, but if I told you we liked the book, I would lie.
If I'm being honest, I think Amanda liked it little more than I did, but we both agree the book could have been better.
My main problem with the book are the characters. Sadie being just too selfish, self centred person who use people around her and doesn't give anything back, but the author keeps pushing on us (readers) how damaged she is from mental abuse and how good friend and giving person she actually is.
But not one time did Sadie show any of those things.
Yes, she had that little voice that tells her she isn't good enough, but the way she acts this whole book is all about her, her, her, and more than too many times she talks about herself being hot, awesome, great in bed act.
She has no problem using her friends for free labour, putting them into fire, pushing her all life and friends to someone else's house, and never, ever apologise when she is wrong. Oh, and she never even asks people how they are.
When she had a row with her boyfriend, all the messages she sent were about her, not once did she ask him how he was or what was he doing, and she even dares to get mad when she finds out about other's past that never included her.
On the other hand, Jack was so undeveloped it paints to think how much potential there was, but author decided to make him fairytale, unbelievable boyfriend without his own story whatsoever. Ok, by the end of the book we did find out where his money came from, but it felt like the author used last two chapters to make dull row between the two of them and also add the puzzle that was missing, but I wasn't impressed.
Slow burning romance was not good, it was pointless because it didn't have a strong reason for it. It missed the core of why they would wait so long, Jack being one who insisted on it.
His depression and him working on himself was the reason he used, but to be honest, his words were everything we got. He never changed his behaviour (except he became even more lame when he became official boyfriend, acting like Sadie's assistant who makes her bath while she isn't even home yet because God forbid if she'd have to wait a minute or do it herself), he was the same person at the end of the book that we met at the begging.
If the author chose to make him addict who was in a program and has to wait until he commits to someone, if she decided to put one of them in relationship with someone else, that would make sense why the wait.
Damn, even him hiding a micropenis would be a better reason!
As for the friends, they were okay, but it bothers me that one was black just so we can tick that representation from the list, and the other character had to find herself a girlfriend in the epilogue (just briefly mentioned there, I guess for the sake of representation) even though she never showed interest in girls or had any comments that would include lgbtq themes, so one more thick there.
I decided that my review is already too long, and since I don't have anything nice to say I will wrap it up here.
Judging by the rates, more people enjoyed the story than not, but I personally don't recommend it.
In fact, I was so excited I asked my friend Amanda to read it with me, expecting we would have a blast.
To be fair, it is always good experience reading a book with my favourite reading buddy, but if I told you we liked the book, I would lie.
If I'm being honest, I think Amanda liked it little more than I did, but we both agree the book could have been better.
My main problem with the book are the characters. Sadie being just too selfish, self centred person who use people around her and doesn't give anything back, but the author keeps pushing on us (readers) how damaged she is from mental abuse and how good friend and giving person she actually is.
But not one time did Sadie show any of those things.
Yes, she had that little voice that tells her she isn't good enough, but the way she acts this whole book is all about her, her, her, and more than too many times she talks about herself being hot, awesome, great in bed act.
She has no problem using her friends for free labour, putting them into fire, pushing her all life and friends to someone else's house, and never, ever apologise when she is wrong. Oh, and she never even asks people how they are.
When she had a row with her boyfriend, all the messages she sent were about her, not once did she ask him how he was or what was he doing, and she even dares to get mad when she finds out about other's past that never included her.
On the other hand, Jack was so undeveloped it paints to think how much potential there was, but author decided to make him fairytale, unbelievable boyfriend without his own story whatsoever. Ok, by the end of the book we did find out where his money came from, but it felt like the author used last two chapters to make dull row between the two of them and also add the puzzle that was missing, but I wasn't impressed.
Slow burning romance was not good, it was pointless because it didn't have a strong reason for it. It missed the core of why they would wait so long, Jack being one who insisted on it.
His depression and him working on himself was the reason he used, but to be honest, his words were everything we got. He never changed his behaviour (except he became even more lame when he became official boyfriend, acting like Sadie's assistant who makes her bath while she isn't even home yet because God forbid if she'd have to wait a minute or do it herself), he was the same person at the end of the book that we met at the begging.
If the author chose to make him addict who was in a program and has to wait until he commits to someone, if she decided to put one of them in relationship with someone else, that would make sense why the wait.
Damn, even him hiding a micropenis would be a better reason!
As for the friends, they were okay, but it bothers me that one was black just so we can tick that representation from the list, and the other character had to find herself a girlfriend in the epilogue (just briefly mentioned there, I guess for the sake of representation) even though she never showed interest in girls or had any comments that would include lgbtq themes, so one more thick there.
I decided that my review is already too long, and since I don't have anything nice to say I will wrap it up here.
Judging by the rates, more people enjoyed the story than not, but I personally don't recommend it.
November 5, 2021
3.75 stars. Okay, my thoughts on this one are a little bit complicated so strap in! Let's start with what I loved, which is basically the entire first 90% of this book lol. Sadie and Jack were absolutely EVERYTHINGGG to me and their romance was somehow both insta-lovey (in a good way, promise) and slow burn at the same time? Which sounds like it shouldn't work but it SO did and I was all about it. The tension of them knowing all along how they felt about each other but waiting until the perfect moment to act on it was *chef's kiss*. They had so much chemistry and this book was truly just my romance cat-nip. I absolutely ate it up. With all that being said....... I really, really didn't like the way this book ended and I am SO bummed about it. I'm obvs not going to spoil anything, but there was a BIG out of character moment riiiight at the very end of the story that felt like it was added just to sprinkle in some final act conflict and I truly hated how that all went down. However, despite my disappointment in the ending, I thought this was a phenomenal debut and I really did enjoy the heck out of the book as whole. I am looking so!!!!! forward to reading more from Ballard in the future and I definitely recommend giving this one a chance when it comes out in February!
CW: death of a parent
CW: death of a parent
November 27, 2022
“you’re a badass bitch” “bitch we love you” “bitch yes” “yikes” “wow that guy is so hot” “ugh I hate my job” “check me out” “easy peezy” “I am so crazy I love getting drunk with my friends and puking my guts out” “I want to stay home with my plants and Netflix”
Too forced. Tried too hard. Too millennial quirky with the most OBNOXIOUS, selfish, shallow and insufferable female main character.
She added the word SHIT every 10 sentences.
“Shit dude! You’re rich!” “Are you shitting me?” “I have to find a new job and shit”
I don’t know how I was able to read so many pages of her inner monologues.
Underdeveloped and unsympathetic characters.
If your FMC needs to say: “If you haven’t noticed, I’m super quirky” out loud, then we have a problem.
Yes, we did notice the quirky-ness being forced down everyone’s throat so no one would have to work hard into giving these characters an actual personality.
Is Netflix sponsoring this book? I didn’t even know you could make watching Netflix a personality trait.
Anyways, obviously, not my cup of tea.
February 19, 2022
millennial girlboss humor 👎
* jack is a fucking loser
* jack has the personality of a wet rag
* the writing was dogshit
* there is literally not a single interesting thing that happened. so very snore snore snore
* every piece of dialogue was also very snore
* how did they not regularly piss their pants from the constant coffee and wine they consumed
* jack is a fucking loser
* jack has the personality of a wet rag
* the writing was dogshit
* there is literally not a single interesting thing that happened. so very snore snore snore
* every piece of dialogue was also very snore
* how did they not regularly piss their pants from the constant coffee and wine they consumed
February 3, 2023
why did she say the word orgasm so much?
April 22, 2022
All right. We are ROASTING Lease on Love today because apparently my toxic trait is hate reading romance books.
This book was terrible (IMO). Everything about it was cringe worthy. The overuse of so many words, like "low key" low key killed me. If the author was trying to sound cliché millennial, she succeeded.. terribly.
Sadie was INSUFFERABLE. She may be my most hated character, ever. She is so self centered and selfish. She literally describes herself as hot and great in bed LOL. Her entire personality is calling herself an asshole and stating how everyone hates her, on every page. "I don't deserve anything good" but she gets handed EVERYTHING. The self deprecation was really only used to have her entire group of friends (which she used for free labour the entire book), to adamantly tell her SHE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST PERSON ON EARTH. Vom. She did not deserve those friends.
What can I say about Jack. He was so one dimensional, he was purely written as the perfect male specimen. He existed to serve Sadie. He had no depth. When the author needed to build his character, she literally send him off to Connecticut and it was all done off page lol. Which meant more time with Sadie, ick. The entire reason for the "tension" in the last 20 pages was so dumb. OMG MY BF IS A MILLIONAIRE AND DIDNT TELL ME HOW HE BECAME A MILLIONAIRE lololol.
An example of how truly despicable Sadie is: after her best friend Nick invested in her floral business, Bridge and Blooms, aka BaB's (Barf), she thinks: "It's temping to throw in the towel now. Quit before I really have a chance to fail. Nick would lose all his money, but it's not like he doesn't have enough to fall back on" OUR MAIN CHARACTER LADIES AND GENTS.
And the nicknames. Dear god the childish nicknames. Every concoction fused with Jack (jack o lantern, jack in the box, jackpot), and florals (sweet pea LOL), and maybe the one that bothered me most - Sade.
This book was terrible (IMO). Everything about it was cringe worthy. The overuse of so many words, like "low key" low key killed me. If the author was trying to sound cliché millennial, she succeeded.. terribly.
Sadie was INSUFFERABLE. She may be my most hated character, ever. She is so self centered and selfish. She literally describes herself as hot and great in bed LOL. Her entire personality is calling herself an asshole and stating how everyone hates her, on every page. "I don't deserve anything good" but she gets handed EVERYTHING. The self deprecation was really only used to have her entire group of friends (which she used for free labour the entire book), to adamantly tell her SHE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST PERSON ON EARTH. Vom. She did not deserve those friends.
What can I say about Jack. He was so one dimensional, he was purely written as the perfect male specimen. He existed to serve Sadie. He had no depth. When the author needed to build his character, she literally send him off to Connecticut and it was all done off page lol. Which meant more time with Sadie, ick. The entire reason for the "tension" in the last 20 pages was so dumb. OMG MY BF IS A MILLIONAIRE AND DIDNT TELL ME HOW HE BECAME A MILLIONAIRE lololol.
An example of how truly despicable Sadie is: after her best friend Nick invested in her floral business, Bridge and Blooms, aka BaB's (Barf), she thinks: "It's temping to throw in the towel now. Quit before I really have a chance to fail. Nick would lose all his money, but it's not like he doesn't have enough to fall back on" OUR MAIN CHARACTER LADIES AND GENTS.
And the nicknames. Dear god the childish nicknames. Every concoction fused with Jack (jack o lantern, jack in the box, jackpot), and florals (sweet pea LOL), and maybe the one that bothered me most - Sade.
June 22, 2022
I read this because there were so many good reviews on it and I found it...ok. I didn't love it. I think I just didn't love the main character, Sadie. She wasn't horrible in anyway but just very brash and I just don't connect with that I guess? I did really enjoy the friend group and the romance was a sweet friends to lovers one.
The ending had a conflict that didn't need to be a conflict at all but with most romance books there usually is one so I get it.
Overall I liked it, I just didn't love it.
The ending had a conflict that didn't need to be a conflict at all but with most romance books there usually is one so I get it.
Overall I liked it, I just didn't love it.
July 17, 2022
3.25 stars
Do you ever read a book and think… this could have been SO GOOD if just a few things were different. Ugh. I have such mixed feelings with this one. The hero, Jack… perfect. The heroine. Oye. I understood why she was the way she was but Sadie was insufferable just as much as she was likable. The beginning was slow, the middle was fantastic, and I didn’t love the conflict at the end.
Do you ever read a book and think… this could have been SO GOOD if just a few things were different. Ugh. I have such mixed feelings with this one. The hero, Jack… perfect. The heroine. Oye. I understood why she was the way she was but Sadie was insufferable just as much as she was likable. The beginning was slow, the middle was fantastic, and I didn’t love the conflict at the end.
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.25 stars
Narrator: Addison Barnes
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 9h 7m
June 12, 2022
Sophomoric and Offensive.
Coined as a rom-com, I'd say that Lease on Love missed the mark, at least for me.
As an educated, strong woman, I found this book to be highly immature and idiotic. The characters used swear words in almost every single sentence to describe their thoughts and feelings (about life and each other) and while researchers have found swearing to be a sign of intelligence if used in the proper context, I don't think this is what they meant. No conversation in this novel could be had without saying such things as "I'm sure as f&ck" and "F&ck man."
There are lots of reviewers that loved this novel and found it charming, witty, and funny, thus I'd simply say, this book was not for me and that perhaps this author is not my cuppa.
A buddy read with Kaceey.
Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam - G.P. Putnam's Sons for the arc.
Coined as a rom-com, I'd say that Lease on Love missed the mark, at least for me.
As an educated, strong woman, I found this book to be highly immature and idiotic. The characters used swear words in almost every single sentence to describe their thoughts and feelings (about life and each other) and while researchers have found swearing to be a sign of intelligence if used in the proper context, I don't think this is what they meant. No conversation in this novel could be had without saying such things as "I'm sure as f&ck" and "F&ck man."
There are lots of reviewers that loved this novel and found it charming, witty, and funny, thus I'd simply say, this book was not for me and that perhaps this author is not my cuppa.
A buddy read with Kaceey.
Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam - G.P. Putnam's Sons for the arc.
March 9, 2022
Lease on Love wasn’t altogether a bad book. I really, really wanted to like it, because it has so many positive reviews here. There were just a lot of little things that didn't work for me and they added up to an underwhelming and occasionally frustrating final product. The bones for a great novel are all there, I just felt like it maybe could have just used a few more rounds of revisions.
This is ostensibly a slightly heavier romance novel about Sadie, a twentysomething woman who loses her job, and the reserved, nerdy fellow named Jack that she met when she drunkenly swiped right on what she thought was a dating app. It was actually a roommate-finding app, and the suddenly rudderless Sadie decides that living in his amazing Brooklyn brownstone for pennies while she gets back on her feet again sounds like a good deal. She moves in, they become friendly, Jack offers support when Sadie decides to start her own business, and obviously all of this eventually leads to romantic feelings.
The main source of tension between these two love birds is that they both have experienced a lot of trauma (Sadie was raised by an emotionally abusive father; Jack lost his entire family in a car accident when he was 20) and neither is ready for a relationship because of all this baggage. And that’s all fine. The problem for me was that we basically see none of Jack’s supposed baggage other than the fact he doesn’t want to talk about things and he sometimes disappears for a night or two. He’s described as awkward and keeping to himself, but he doesn’t really come across that way, like at all. He keeps telling Sadie that he wants to work on himself before he can take the next step with her, but that part of him is never really shown – one day, he just decides that he’s ready even though his behavior and interactions with Sadie haven’t changed at all. He comes across as introverted more than someone who needs to work on their personal issues before getting into a relationship. He’s basically the poster boy for why “show, don’t tell” is the cardinal rule of creative writing classes.
The impact of Sadie’s trauma is much more obvious, which makes sense as the book is from her first-person POV. After 18 years of emotional and verbal abuse from her father, she struggles a great deal with thinking the worst of herself. She’s constantly referring to herself as a “selfish asshole,” which is clearly what her father told her (though making that obvious might have been helpful – I often found myself wishing there had been some scenes that fleshed out Sadie’s relationship with her family). She has a great support system of friends who make it clear that she’s not really a selfish asshole, but intense doubt has crept back after getting fired. All that makes sense, and we actually see it playing out on the page.
I worry it might sound like I truly hated this book, but I promise you I didn’t! There were a lot of things that Falon Ballard did very well. The chemistry between Jack and Sadie was fantastic and I mostly enjoyed the slow burn of their romance. Sadie’s friend group was fun (even if not particularly fleshed out), and I enjoyed the dynamics in the group text threads. I also really enjoyed the subplot about Sadie finding a new career and trying to figure out how to make it all work. Like I said, the bones were all there for a great romance novel. And I might have enjoyed it enough to give it a higher rating until the last thirty pages or so. Warning, this is going to get a littler spoiler-y.
So, all rom-coms have a point in the third act where the two protagonists have a fight about something or something comes between them and it looks like they might break up, right? We know they’re not going to break up, but it’s part of the formula and we all expect it. The thing is, it kind of feels like Ballard got to the end of her book and realized she’d forgotten to include a scene like that, so she tacked it on to a story that already hit its happy ending moment. Then she immediately resolves the issue again within a few pages.
To get into specifics: .
I don’t necessarily have an issue with any of these plot twists, but they needed to come to light before the last five percent of the book. Combined with the lack of character development for Jack, the whole thing ultimately just felt way too forced.
This is ostensibly a slightly heavier romance novel about Sadie, a twentysomething woman who loses her job, and the reserved, nerdy fellow named Jack that she met when she drunkenly swiped right on what she thought was a dating app. It was actually a roommate-finding app, and the suddenly rudderless Sadie decides that living in his amazing Brooklyn brownstone for pennies while she gets back on her feet again sounds like a good deal. She moves in, they become friendly, Jack offers support when Sadie decides to start her own business, and obviously all of this eventually leads to romantic feelings.
The main source of tension between these two love birds is that they both have experienced a lot of trauma (Sadie was raised by an emotionally abusive father; Jack lost his entire family in a car accident when he was 20) and neither is ready for a relationship because of all this baggage. And that’s all fine. The problem for me was that we basically see none of Jack’s supposed baggage other than the fact he doesn’t want to talk about things and he sometimes disappears for a night or two. He’s described as awkward and keeping to himself, but he doesn’t really come across that way, like at all. He keeps telling Sadie that he wants to work on himself before he can take the next step with her, but that part of him is never really shown – one day, he just decides that he’s ready even though his behavior and interactions with Sadie haven’t changed at all. He comes across as introverted more than someone who needs to work on their personal issues before getting into a relationship. He’s basically the poster boy for why “show, don’t tell” is the cardinal rule of creative writing classes.
The impact of Sadie’s trauma is much more obvious, which makes sense as the book is from her first-person POV. After 18 years of emotional and verbal abuse from her father, she struggles a great deal with thinking the worst of herself. She’s constantly referring to herself as a “selfish asshole,” which is clearly what her father told her (though making that obvious might have been helpful – I often found myself wishing there had been some scenes that fleshed out Sadie’s relationship with her family). She has a great support system of friends who make it clear that she’s not really a selfish asshole, but intense doubt has crept back after getting fired. All that makes sense, and we actually see it playing out on the page.
I worry it might sound like I truly hated this book, but I promise you I didn’t! There were a lot of things that Falon Ballard did very well. The chemistry between Jack and Sadie was fantastic and I mostly enjoyed the slow burn of their romance. Sadie’s friend group was fun (even if not particularly fleshed out), and I enjoyed the dynamics in the group text threads. I also really enjoyed the subplot about Sadie finding a new career and trying to figure out how to make it all work. Like I said, the bones were all there for a great romance novel. And I might have enjoyed it enough to give it a higher rating until the last thirty pages or so. Warning, this is going to get a littler spoiler-y.
So, all rom-coms have a point in the third act where the two protagonists have a fight about something or something comes between them and it looks like they might break up, right? We know they’re not going to break up, but it’s part of the formula and we all expect it. The thing is, it kind of feels like Ballard got to the end of her book and realized she’d forgotten to include a scene like that, so she tacked it on to a story that already hit its happy ending moment. Then she immediately resolves the issue again within a few pages.
To get into specifics: .
I don’t necessarily have an issue with any of these plot twists, but they needed to come to light before the last five percent of the book. Combined with the lack of character development for Jack, the whole thing ultimately just felt way too forced.
August 12, 2023
3.5 ⭐⭐⭐ The novel is one of those rarest romcoms that is spot-on Comedy.
The Story: Sadie confuses a dating app for a roommate-finding app while being drunk after she is fired and finds Jack, her future roommate that has a high chance of becoming something more.
Things I liked:
💙 The story. It's a very nice romcom read that was written very sarcastically.
💙 The friend group. All the secondary characters are one of the best friendship groups I've read. Especially, Gemma. Loved her.
💙 I liked the comedy in this book.
Like this scene: “Hi, yes, I’m going to need you and Gem to come meet me at that address I sent you.”
“Oh shit, are you getting kidnapped? Are they selling you into sex slavery?”
💙 The first half of the book is the very best. The meet-cute is superb.
Things I didn't like:
🔵 The main lead. She was kinda 'in your face'. And though, there's nothing wrong with that. The personality isn't likable to me. I loved every other character other than her, tbh.
🔵 Hated the cheesy, cringy Nicknames that leads gave to each other. Like: Baby, Pink Poeny, etc.
🔵 The romance is there in the book. But, it isn't the best. I mean, the male lead, Jack is sweet. Actually, too sweet for me. Plus, it's slow.
The Story: Sadie confuses a dating app for a roommate-finding app while being drunk after she is fired and finds Jack, her future roommate that has a high chance of becoming something more.
Things I liked:
💙 The story. It's a very nice romcom read that was written very sarcastically.
💙 The friend group. All the secondary characters are one of the best friendship groups I've read. Especially, Gemma. Loved her.
💙 I liked the comedy in this book.
Like this scene: “Hi, yes, I’m going to need you and Gem to come meet me at that address I sent you.”
“Oh shit, are you getting kidnapped? Are they selling you into sex slavery?”
💙 The first half of the book is the very best. The meet-cute is superb.
Things I didn't like:
🔵 The main lead. She was kinda 'in your face'. And though, there's nothing wrong with that. The personality isn't likable to me. I loved every other character other than her, tbh.
🔵 Hated the cheesy, cringy Nicknames that leads gave to each other. Like: Baby, Pink Poeny, etc.
🔵 The romance is there in the book. But, it isn't the best. I mean, the male lead, Jack is sweet. Actually, too sweet for me. Plus, it's slow.
August 26, 2022
I ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ADOREDDDDDD THIS BOOK. as far as romance books go this was like perfect to me.
from the beginning i definitely related a lot to sadie. her internal monologue and a lot of the self doubt she had was just super relatable to me.
jack as well was just the sweetest ever. his backstory kind of broke my heart, and i love him.
i loved the way sadie & jack met, it was such a cute meet cute heheh.
more than anything, this just felt so refreshing. something i loved was that even when her & jack were having issues or what not, they always communicated effectively. they always clearly set boundaries for each other and respected them which just felt so nice to see. i think a mature & healthy line of communication between love interests is just important to see.
the progression of their relationship felt so natural and real as well. the chemistry and tension between them was PALPABLE.
overall, this was such an enjoyable, quick read. it felt like more than a romance book to me. it was also about grief & healing & self doubt & acceptance & a lot more. the love story was AMAZING & there was also just the sweetest found family.
from the beginning i definitely related a lot to sadie. her internal monologue and a lot of the self doubt she had was just super relatable to me.
jack as well was just the sweetest ever. his backstory kind of broke my heart, and i love him.
i loved the way sadie & jack met, it was such a cute meet cute heheh.
more than anything, this just felt so refreshing. something i loved was that even when her & jack were having issues or what not, they always communicated effectively. they always clearly set boundaries for each other and respected them which just felt so nice to see. i think a mature & healthy line of communication between love interests is just important to see.
the progression of their relationship felt so natural and real as well. the chemistry and tension between them was PALPABLE.
overall, this was such an enjoyable, quick read. it felt like more than a romance book to me. it was also about grief & healing & self doubt & acceptance & a lot more. the love story was AMAZING & there was also just the sweetest found family.
February 17, 2022
Once I got through the millennial word vomit this book spews and all of the unnecessary cursing, all I saw was an insanely selfish leading female character. She thinks so highly of herself from how hot she is to how amazing she is at her previous job. The author makes claims that she feels inadequate about herself and isn’t selfish, but her actions speak louder than words. She never considered others and took from her friends repeatedly without giving anything back in return.
Too many assumptions were made about men from male bosses always hitting on younger female employees to villainizing “nice” guys who prefer relationships to hook ups.
I also wonder if this woman is an alcoholic. She’s drinking wine every single day—even on nights where she works the next day. It was cringy.
I’m also tired of all of these rom-com novels with super fit men who never work out. And the pet names they used for each other were annoying. It was funny with the Jack-in-a-box and whatnot names, but sweat pea sounds childish. It’s literally what I call my own kids.
This book used terms like hipster and bang to an extreme. It was just as annoying as all of the millennial talk.
The ending solidified how much this woman’s character is unlikeable. Jack has a past and wasn’t ready to share it yet. But “sweet pea” took offense and threw his parents’ death in his face. She made his past all about herself because she thought she was entitled to all of his history, even if he wasn’t ready to talk about it. Why would she care that he use to be famous? Why does that affect her opinion of him so much? And why does she see that as lying? He isn’t a liar. He’s entitled to have his own past that he tells her about in his own time. She also revealed that she hadn’t told him everything about her own past either. Pot, meet kettle.
Basically she’s manipulative and self centered. She’s so much more like her dad than she wants to admit. The only thing I liked about the book is the idea of repurposing items as vases. That’s a cool idea.
Too many assumptions were made about men from male bosses always hitting on younger female employees to villainizing “nice” guys who prefer relationships to hook ups.
I also wonder if this woman is an alcoholic. She’s drinking wine every single day—even on nights where she works the next day. It was cringy.
I’m also tired of all of these rom-com novels with super fit men who never work out. And the pet names they used for each other were annoying. It was funny with the Jack-in-a-box and whatnot names, but sweat pea sounds childish. It’s literally what I call my own kids.
This book used terms like hipster and bang to an extreme. It was just as annoying as all of the millennial talk.
The ending solidified how much this woman’s character is unlikeable. Jack has a past and wasn’t ready to share it yet. But “sweet pea” took offense and threw his parents’ death in his face. She made his past all about herself because she thought she was entitled to all of his history, even if he wasn’t ready to talk about it. Why would she care that he use to be famous? Why does that affect her opinion of him so much? And why does she see that as lying? He isn’t a liar. He’s entitled to have his own past that he tells her about in his own time. She also revealed that she hadn’t told him everything about her own past either. Pot, meet kettle.
Basically she’s manipulative and self centered. She’s so much more like her dad than she wants to admit. The only thing I liked about the book is the idea of repurposing items as vases. That’s a cool idea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2022
so bad omg hated Sadie or whatever, there was a strange plot twist the book screams 2017 millennial and not in a good way if that can be good.
September 3, 2022
TL;DR резюме: Много сладък романс залагащ на формулата „от съквартиранти към приятели към любовници“.
Романс: ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Пиперливост (да, имам предвид кекс): 🌶 🌶 🌶
Корица: 12/10, разбира се.
За тези, които си падат по книжна логорея:
Кой е любимият ви романтичен сюжет? От врагове до любовници? От приятели до влюбени? Втори шанс?
Обичам романсите и романтичната литература и определено се радвам на разцвета, който изживяват в последните години. Огромен жанр, който постоянно (пре)открива нови поджанрове – колкото и да не допада на снобите и по-консервативните читатели, от редиците на young adult и романтичната литература (и хибридите от двете) най-често са феномените произлизат феномените, които пренаписват правилата на играта, задават тенденции и оформят книжния пазар в книжарниците.
Това е прекрасно за читателите, но признавам си, понякога трудно за редакторите. Пре�� последната година изчетох доста романси – както такива издадени от колеги, така и в процеса на проучване. 👀 Някои от тях ме накараха да пусна някоя и друга сълза, с други се смях, имаше такива, на които и една звезда им е много, и такива, заради които исках да си издера очите (една с креативна употреба на коледни лампички се откроява тук…).
Обаче.
Всичко си струва, когато попаднеш на книга като „Съквартиранти по любов“. Признавам си, че я подцених в началото – поредната книга за съквартиранти, които се влюбват, чели сме такива. Да, ама не. Точно такава поне аз не бях чела.
Сейди Грийн е примерна корпоративна служителка. Доброволно работи от сутрин до вечер, както и през уикендите. Никога не повишава тон и винаги се старае да не изглежда твърде емоционална. Ос��ен това прави убийствени електронни таблици. Всички показатели сочат, че ще получи заслуженото повишение и ще сбъдне мечтата на всеки американски милениал – да изплати студентските си заеми. Когато позицията получава бъдещият зет на шефа – младеж без никакъв опит, Сейди дава воля на огнения си характер и мигновено се оказва безработна и в търсене на нова квартира.
Когато по-късно същата вечер с приятелите ѝ давят мъката с няколко коктейла повече от разумното, Сейди обърква приложението за срещи с такова за намиране на съквартирант. И така се оказва на среща с Джак.
Сейди е герой, към когото моментално се привързваш. За разлика от героините на романтичните романи, тя не е неуверена патка, която припада при всяка житейска несгода и чака някой да дойде да ѝ оправи живота (и нея). Сейди е умна, смела, устата и готова да рискува, за да последва единствената си мечта – да изгради устойчив бизнес с цветя. Иронично за човек без корени, живеещ в най-големия мегаполис в света, но Сейди се чувства най-добре в градината и сред цветята. Те са нейното бягство, нейната страст. Но всичко това е фасада, зад която се крие наранено сърце и човек, който не вярва, че заслужава нещата, които е постигнал.
Джак е коренно различен от Сейди. Той е тих, спокоен и явно предпочита видео игри и филмови маратони пред общуване с хора. Джак притежава жилището мечта за всеки нюйоркчанин и си търси съквартирант. Най-хубавото е, че наемът е нищожен и ще позволи на Сейди да послуша сърцето си и да инвестира в мечтата си за собствен бизнес с цветя.
Кой обаче всъщност е Джак и защо с години е отбягвал близки отношения с хора? Могат ли изобщо две пълни противоположности да съжителстват заедно? И най-вече възможно ли е да останат само съквартиранти, когато помежду им разцъфва не само приятелство, но и неудържимо привличане?
Образът на Джак попада в категорията „too good to be true”, макар че авторката казва, че е базиран на съпруга ѝ (блазя ѝ, ако е вярно). Той също си има травми и блокажи. Мъката по родителите, които е загубил млад, го е парализирала в социално отношение и го е превърнала в странен самотник, който отчаяно се нуждае от приятели.
Противоположностите се привличат и приятелството, което разцъфва между двама им е изпълнено с подкрепа и хумор. Обаче… в един момент става прекалено важно и за двама им. И идва следващата житейска дилема – рискуваш ли приятелство като това, за нещо, което може да се окаже голямата любов. А може и да не се, и да развали всичко.
Романтичната връзка между двамата се разгръща бааааааааааавно. До степен, в която читателят е готов да ги заключи в някоя спалня и да ги държи там, докато най-после преодолеят задръжките и притесненията си и направят това, което всички чакаме 250 страници и което бозайниците правят по Дискавъри.
Това стана много дълго, затова ще приключа тук с важната информация, че книгата е преведена от безупречната Ирина Димитрова, редактирана от Русанка Одринска, оформена от Надя Тошева и с корица от Фиделия Косева.
Цветя на промоция има всеки петък в Lidl.
Романс: ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Пиперливост (да, имам предвид кекс): 🌶 🌶 🌶
Корица: 12/10, разбира се.
За тези, които си падат по книжна логорея:
Кой е любимият ви романтичен сюжет? От врагове до любовници? От приятели до влюбени? Втори шанс?
Обичам романсите и романтичната литература и определено се радвам на разцвета, който изживяват в последните години. Огромен жанр, който постоянно (пре)открива нови поджанрове – колкото и да не допада на снобите и по-консервативните читатели, от редиците на young adult и романтичната литература (и хибридите от двете) най-често са феномените произлизат феномените, които пренаписват правилата на играта, задават тенденции и оформят книжния пазар в книжарниците.
Това е прекрасно за читателите, но признавам си, понякога трудно за редакторите. Пре�� последната година изчетох доста романси – както такива издадени от колеги, така и в процеса на проучване. 👀 Някои от тях ме накараха да пусна някоя и друга сълза, с други се смях, имаше такива, на които и една звезда им е много, и такива, заради които исках да си издера очите (една с креативна употреба на коледни лампички се откроява тук…).
Обаче.
Всичко си струва, когато попаднеш на книга като „Съквартиранти по любов“. Признавам си, че я подцених в началото – поредната книга за съквартиранти, които се влюбват, чели сме такива. Да, ама не. Точно такава поне аз не бях чела.
Сейди Грийн е примерна корпоративна служителка. Доброволно работи от сутрин до вечер, както и през уикендите. Никога не повишава тон и винаги се старае да не изглежда твърде емоционална. Ос��ен това прави убийствени електронни таблици. Всички показатели сочат, че ще получи заслуженото повишение и ще сбъдне мечтата на всеки американски милениал – да изплати студентските си заеми. Когато позицията получава бъдещият зет на шефа – младеж без никакъв опит, Сейди дава воля на огнения си характер и мигновено се оказва безработна и в търсене на нова квартира.
Когато по-късно същата вечер с приятелите ѝ давят мъката с няколко коктейла повече от разумното, Сейди обърква приложението за срещи с такова за намиране на съквартирант. И така се оказва на среща с Джак.
Сейди е герой, към когото моментално се привързваш. За разлика от героините на романтичните романи, тя не е неуверена патка, която припада при всяка житейска несгода и чака някой да дойде да ѝ оправи живота (и нея). Сейди е умна, смела, устата и готова да рискува, за да последва единствената си мечта – да изгради устойчив бизнес с цветя. Иронично за човек без корени, живеещ в най-големия мегаполис в света, но Сейди се чувства най-добре в градината и сред цветята. Те са нейното бягство, нейната страст. Но всичко това е фасада, зад която се крие наранено сърце и човек, който не вярва, че заслужава нещата, които е постигнал.
Джак е коренно различен от Сейди. Той е тих, спокоен и явно предпочита видео игри и филмови маратони пред общуване с хора. Джак притежава жилището мечта за всеки нюйоркчанин и си търси съквартирант. Най-хубавото е, че наемът е нищожен и ще позволи на Сейди да послуша сърцето си и да инвестира в мечтата си за собствен бизнес с цветя.
Кой обаче всъщност е Джак и защо с години е отбягвал близки отношения с хора? Могат ли изобщо две пълни противоположности да съжителстват заедно? И най-вече възможно ли е да останат само съквартиранти, когато помежду им разцъфва не само приятелство, но и неудържимо привличане?
Образът на Джак попада в категорията „too good to be true”, макар че авторката казва, че е базиран на съпруга ѝ (блазя ѝ, ако е вярно). Той също си има травми и блокажи. Мъката по родителите, които е загубил млад, го е парализирала в социално отношение и го е превърнала в странен самотник, който отчаяно се нуждае от приятели.
Противоположностите се привличат и приятелството, което разцъфва между двама им е изпълнено с подкрепа и хумор. Обаче… в един момент става прекалено важно и за двама им. И идва следващата житейска дилема – рискуваш ли приятелство като това, за нещо, което може да се окаже голямата любов. А може и да не се, и да развали всичко.
Романтичната връзка между двамата се разгръща бааааааааааавно. До степен, в която читателят е готов да ги заключи в някоя спалня и да ги държи там, докато най-после преодолеят задръжките и притесненията си и направят това, което всички чакаме 250 страници и което бозайниците правят по Дискавъри.
Това стана много дълго, затова ще приключа тук с важната информация, че книгата е преведена от безупречната Ирина Димитрова, редактирана от Русанка Одринска, оформена от Надя Тошева и с корица от Фиделия Косева.
Цветя на промоция има всеки петък в Lidl.
March 21, 2022
I’m personally offended that this book’s description starts with “Beach Read meets The Flatshare” yeah… it’s a no for me luv. I’m sorry girl but you are simply NOT on the same level as those two books and it’s not even close 😭 Jack was such a boring character who was way too perfect and acted like a Sadie’s robot assistant for the entire book. Sadie kept calling herself a selfish asshole in every other chapter while her friends kept trying to convince her that she’s a good person but honestly… Sadie was making some points 😬 I’ve been screaming at her to go to therapy so I’m glad she actually did at the end. But overall the one thing that pissed me off the most was the lack of chemistry!!! This should not be called a romance because it fell soooo flat. It was a slow burn romance with absolutely no tension between the characters and also no reason for it to be a slow burn?? Jack was all like “Sadie I need to change for you before we can be together” BUT THEN HE WAS THE STILL SAME PERSON WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER??? Infuriating!!!!
June 26, 2022
4 stars!!! It was a realistic slow burn romance that I really enjoyed. Our heroine was someone I either really liked or didn't like at times. She spoke out a lot and put her foot in her mouth but she was so so so considerate of others. Our hero was a recluse and quiet but he treasured his time with our heroine. Their interactions in the house was also so cute.
September 26, 2023
2.5⭐
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ New York
Publication date ~ February 1, 2022
Page Count ~ 349
Audio length ~ 9 hours 7 minutes
Narrator ~ Addison Barnes
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ debut, parental verbal abuse, slow burn, roommates to lovers, friends to lovers, minimal steamage, excessive swearing
*quick review to get this Libby listen out of my drafts*
Sadie is jobless, homeless and broke, and not very likable with selfishness.
Jack is her new roommate. He's rich and lonely, and let's Sadie stay with him for cheap.
The 3rd act crap was probably the worse one I've ever read and I've read many. It made absolutely no sense why Sadie was upset. And Jack was away for way too long.
Overall, fine-ish for a debut I suppose, but for sure not a favorite.
Narration notes:
She did fine job.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ New York
Publication date ~ February 1, 2022
Page Count ~ 349
Audio length ~ 9 hours 7 minutes
Narrator ~ Addison Barnes
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ debut, parental verbal abuse, slow burn, roommates to lovers, friends to lovers, minimal steamage, excessive swearing
*quick review to get this Libby listen out of my drafts*
Sadie is jobless, homeless and broke, and not very likable with selfishness.
Jack is her new roommate. He's rich and lonely, and let's Sadie stay with him for cheap.
The 3rd act crap was probably the worse one I've ever read and I've read many. It made absolutely no sense why Sadie was upset. And Jack was away for way too long.
Overall, fine-ish for a debut I suppose, but for sure not a favorite.
Narration notes:
She did fine job.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
December 22, 2022
** One of my Top 20 of 2022 Picks on www.JeevesReads.com! **
It took all of five minutes for me to realize that I was going to love this debut author's work, and love it I did. This was excellent - light, swoony, and slow-burning, with depth that sneaks up on you and a focus on mental health. I adored the roommates to lovers dynamic, and this hero is fantastic, the perfect book boyfriend. The funny thing is that I was worried this was going to be too women's fiction-y for me, but that concern was quickly put to rest when the f-bombs started flying in the first chapter, lol. It felt fresh, modern, and yeah, everything millennial dreams are made of... because I'll be the first to admit that the storyline is pure fantasy in some ways. The sense of found family and community was really heartwarming, and the book just felt so unique.
The story follows Sadie, a woman who has been working herself to the bone, assuming that her efforts will pay off somewhere down the line. But when she's passed over for a promotion, Sadie has an outburst that leaves her jobless and reeling. Drowning her sorrows in alcohol, Sadie matches with a guy on what she believes to be a dating app... but is actually a roommate-finder app. Jack is definitely not the type of guy that Sadie would date - he's nerdy, broody, and nice - but he's seeking a roommate to live in his luxurious brownstone for next to nothing, and he doesn't seem like a serial killer. As the two strangers become roommates, their new friendship blossoms into more.
Something about the blurb and cover had me thinking this was going to have a more serious feel, but that assumption went out the window within the first chapter. Our heroine is bold and bright, the splash of color that livened up this NYC romance. Paired with a quiet, loving, and genuine hero, the combination had me glued to the pages. The slow burn love story built in such a fulfilling way, with a growth in intimacy that kept me swooning. And it's sexy! Slow burn lovers will appreciate the quiet moments, but there's plenty of steam later on. It's not an overly long book, but the story felt rich and deep in a way that I don't always find in romance. The tone remains light for much of the story, but there are some emotional moments that give this weight. I loved the focus on mental health and how these two "broken" people come back to life as they grow and heal together. The transformation from start to finish was fantastic, and the heavier moments just gave this more depth. If this is the author's debut, then I am absolutely looking forward to more. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this roommates to lovers romance.
It took all of five minutes for me to realize that I was going to love this debut author's work, and love it I did. This was excellent - light, swoony, and slow-burning, with depth that sneaks up on you and a focus on mental health. I adored the roommates to lovers dynamic, and this hero is fantastic, the perfect book boyfriend. The funny thing is that I was worried this was going to be too women's fiction-y for me, but that concern was quickly put to rest when the f-bombs started flying in the first chapter, lol. It felt fresh, modern, and yeah, everything millennial dreams are made of... because I'll be the first to admit that the storyline is pure fantasy in some ways. The sense of found family and community was really heartwarming, and the book just felt so unique.
The story follows Sadie, a woman who has been working herself to the bone, assuming that her efforts will pay off somewhere down the line. But when she's passed over for a promotion, Sadie has an outburst that leaves her jobless and reeling. Drowning her sorrows in alcohol, Sadie matches with a guy on what she believes to be a dating app... but is actually a roommate-finder app. Jack is definitely not the type of guy that Sadie would date - he's nerdy, broody, and nice - but he's seeking a roommate to live in his luxurious brownstone for next to nothing, and he doesn't seem like a serial killer. As the two strangers become roommates, their new friendship blossoms into more.
Something about the blurb and cover had me thinking this was going to have a more serious feel, but that assumption went out the window within the first chapter. Our heroine is bold and bright, the splash of color that livened up this NYC romance. Paired with a quiet, loving, and genuine hero, the combination had me glued to the pages. The slow burn love story built in such a fulfilling way, with a growth in intimacy that kept me swooning. And it's sexy! Slow burn lovers will appreciate the quiet moments, but there's plenty of steam later on. It's not an overly long book, but the story felt rich and deep in a way that I don't always find in romance. The tone remains light for much of the story, but there are some emotional moments that give this weight. I loved the focus on mental health and how these two "broken" people come back to life as they grow and heal together. The transformation from start to finish was fantastic, and the heavier moments just gave this more depth. If this is the author's debut, then I am absolutely looking forward to more. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this roommates to lovers romance.
Currently reading
November 30, 2023FOUND THIS IN A LENDING LIBRARY
I've been so lucky with what I've been finding lately omg
I've been so lucky with what I've been finding lately omg
June 20, 2022
I seem to be reading quite a few roommates romance books lately and I’m not mad. It’s a great trope with lots of potential for some delicious romantic moments! Lease on Love gave me exactly what I wanted out of it and even more!
I don’t know what kind of luck Sadie in Lease on Love has but I’d very much like some of it myself. After being fired from her job as a result of a verbal vomit session post being passed up for a promotion, Sadie finds herself drunk with her friends. This ultimately leads to her thinking she swiped right on a dating profile and showing up the next day to said-date with Jack. Only, it turns out that what she had signed up for was not a dating app but a roommates-search app. Luckily for Sadie, Jack actually owns an incredible brownstone and is only asking for pennies in rent.
A HOT MESS OF A HEROINE THAT I LOVED
This was a very fresh book to me mostly because of Sadie and her potty-mouth. Not that potty-mouthed or hot mess heroines are new to romance or anything, but it’s been a while since I’ve read a character who cusses as much as Sadie does. She’s very funny and has some really inappropriately humorous dialogues throughout the book. She also comes with her own emotional trauma and baggage because she grew up in an emotionally abusive parental relationship and that really shows in how she describes herself. While she’s living with Jack, so she explores a new career avenue in the form of a floristry business. You see her navigate the ups and downs that comes with starting a new business from home.
A SOFT CINNAMON ROLL HERO
Jack is almost the complete opposite of Sadie in that he is much quieter and reserved. He is an actual ooey-gooey cinnamon roll though when he finally does open up and I loved him so much!! In Lease on Love, he is grieving the loss of his parents who passed unexpectedly and his inability to move on from that grief. He had a tight bond with them so it hit him hard to point he doesn’t socialize much anymore, which is why Sadie makes an entrance in his life at the right time.
ROOMMATES-TO-LOVERS MEETS OPPOSITES ATTRACT ROMANCE
The fact that these two are so different to each other is what helps bring balance into their relationship. They obviously don’t go in expecting to fall for each other, but Sadie and Jack forge a friendship that develops into mutual love. I mean, duh! They already had chemistry together. Add to them being forced into proximity, it was bound to happen! The way Jack cares for Sadie is so sweet and it’s in the little domestic things he does for her like make/bring her vanilla lattes! Sadie is also good for Jack because she brings him out of his shell by bringing him into her friend group. He needed that group and their presence to work on his own issues throughout Lease on Love.
WHEN FRIENDS MAKE A BOOK
Speaking of the friend group, what an amazing group. I love their support for each other so much and I’d love to see them make appearances again in the future through their own books maybe? I don’t know I just know I need more of them. I love friend groups where you can tell that they’ve become proxy families to each other and Sadie’s group is definitely one of those. Makes my heart melt!
Lease on Love was a great debut and I really enjoyed Falon Ballard’s voice. I look forward to reading many more books from her and can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeves. If you’re into the roommates-to-lovers + friends-to-lovers tropes, I’d highly recommend this one!
Content notes: death of parents, grief, unemployment, on-page sex
Relationship disclosure: Falon Ballard and I are mutuals on social media.
I don’t know what kind of luck Sadie in Lease on Love has but I’d very much like some of it myself. After being fired from her job as a result of a verbal vomit session post being passed up for a promotion, Sadie finds herself drunk with her friends. This ultimately leads to her thinking she swiped right on a dating profile and showing up the next day to said-date with Jack. Only, it turns out that what she had signed up for was not a dating app but a roommates-search app. Luckily for Sadie, Jack actually owns an incredible brownstone and is only asking for pennies in rent.
A HOT MESS OF A HEROINE THAT I LOVED
This was a very fresh book to me mostly because of Sadie and her potty-mouth. Not that potty-mouthed or hot mess heroines are new to romance or anything, but it’s been a while since I’ve read a character who cusses as much as Sadie does. She’s very funny and has some really inappropriately humorous dialogues throughout the book. She also comes with her own emotional trauma and baggage because she grew up in an emotionally abusive parental relationship and that really shows in how she describes herself. While she’s living with Jack, so she explores a new career avenue in the form of a floristry business. You see her navigate the ups and downs that comes with starting a new business from home.
A SOFT CINNAMON ROLL HERO
Jack is almost the complete opposite of Sadie in that he is much quieter and reserved. He is an actual ooey-gooey cinnamon roll though when he finally does open up and I loved him so much!! In Lease on Love, he is grieving the loss of his parents who passed unexpectedly and his inability to move on from that grief. He had a tight bond with them so it hit him hard to point he doesn’t socialize much anymore, which is why Sadie makes an entrance in his life at the right time.
ROOMMATES-TO-LOVERS MEETS OPPOSITES ATTRACT ROMANCE
The fact that these two are so different to each other is what helps bring balance into their relationship. They obviously don’t go in expecting to fall for each other, but Sadie and Jack forge a friendship that develops into mutual love. I mean, duh! They already had chemistry together. Add to them being forced into proximity, it was bound to happen! The way Jack cares for Sadie is so sweet and it’s in the little domestic things he does for her like make/bring her vanilla lattes! Sadie is also good for Jack because she brings him out of his shell by bringing him into her friend group. He needed that group and their presence to work on his own issues throughout Lease on Love.
WHEN FRIENDS MAKE A BOOK
Speaking of the friend group, what an amazing group. I love their support for each other so much and I’d love to see them make appearances again in the future through their own books maybe? I don’t know I just know I need more of them. I love friend groups where you can tell that they’ve become proxy families to each other and Sadie’s group is definitely one of those. Makes my heart melt!
Lease on Love was a great debut and I really enjoyed Falon Ballard’s voice. I look forward to reading many more books from her and can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeves. If you’re into the roommates-to-lovers + friends-to-lovers tropes, I’d highly recommend this one!
Content notes: death of parents, grief, unemployment, on-page sex
Relationship disclosure: Falon Ballard and I are mutuals on social media.
May 23, 2022
this was such a good book! if you love YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER, you would love this one to be honest. the heroine are quite similar and you know that Naomi is so chaotic and wild. Sadie is like that! She believe she is an asshole, though, like she is always selfish, but in reality, Sadie helps so many people and she's so caring concerning her loved ones.
Lease on Love is a romance featuring a woman who just got fired from her job and that same night while going drinking with her friends, she accidentally matches with a guy in a roommates app. She thinks she's matching with someone in a DATING app lmao though. But no, the next Saturday she meets this guy and she like fully believes they're on a date but he just wants a roommate. So, when they finally realize what's going on, he shows her his beautiful brownstone and it's a done deal. He's going to rent her a room for such a cheap price on Brooklyn? Sadie needs to say yes right there.
And so it begins their roommates to lovers story. It's so cute and I love the pace of this book. I love knowing all her friends and how much time they spend together. I love how she's adapting in this new place, with a new person who is basically a stranger. I love Jack, he's so shy and nerdy. But he's like super rich too. I love the dynamics between them. Sadie is definitely the chaotic person in this relationship, she constantly talks about every single thing and Jack is the one who always listens to her and stays quiet.
Content warnings for death of parents (before the story starts), grief, and parental verbal abuse.
Lease on Love is a romance featuring a woman who just got fired from her job and that same night while going drinking with her friends, she accidentally matches with a guy in a roommates app. She thinks she's matching with someone in a DATING app lmao though. But no, the next Saturday she meets this guy and she like fully believes they're on a date but he just wants a roommate. So, when they finally realize what's going on, he shows her his beautiful brownstone and it's a done deal. He's going to rent her a room for such a cheap price on Brooklyn? Sadie needs to say yes right there.
And so it begins their roommates to lovers story. It's so cute and I love the pace of this book. I love knowing all her friends and how much time they spend together. I love how she's adapting in this new place, with a new person who is basically a stranger. I love Jack, he's so shy and nerdy. But he's like super rich too. I love the dynamics between them. Sadie is definitely the chaotic person in this relationship, she constantly talks about every single thing and Jack is the one who always listens to her and stays quiet.
Content warnings for death of parents (before the story starts), grief, and parental verbal abuse.
March 7, 2022
this was soooooo cheesy, and not in a good way. It definitely is a quick and easy read but there were so many cringy moments, i just couldn’t deal with it.
October 30, 2021
When Sadie Green gets passed up for the promotion she has been working so hard for - she lets it all out and is unfortunately fired from her job. Sadie is unsure what to do, but she has a great group of friends that rally behind her and lift up her spirits. When a swipe right that was supposed to be for a potential online date actually turns out to be a swipe right on a roommate, Sadie ends up meeting Jack. The owner of an impressive brownstone in Brooklyn.
Sadie and Jack agree to the terms and Sadie decides to turn her life around and attempt floristry. Something she's always been interested in. Jack lays low and hasn't really had a lot of friends/relationships since the death of his parents a few years ago. He's still grieving and Sadie gives him all the space that he needs.
But soon the forced proximity of living together has these two looking at each other in a different light. Will they be able to make a relationship work, when both of them are trying to work out their own issues?
Oh how I loved Lease on Love. The writing by Falon Ballard was funny, heartfelt and I couldn't stop reading this book once I started. Sadie and Jack were both characters that had so many layers to them. Not just them as individuals, but their backstories, their friendships and what made them the way that they are.
Although Lease on Love was a slow, slow, slow burn I never felt that it was going too slow. Sadie and Jack truly started off as roommates that progressed to friends and then to something more. Their relationship took a natural course and I was never bored or willing them to go faster.
One aspect of books with so many side characters is that sometimes it's too many people and voices. But in this case I loved Sadie's group of friends. The text messages, the ribbing, the way they loved each other unconditionally was so perfect. Found families in books can be hit and miss, but it was a total hit in the case with Lease on Love
Overall I truly enjoyed Lease on Love. I wasn't completely sold on the final conflict in the story, but still loved the story enough to round up my rating to five stars!. I can't wait to read what Falon Ballard writes next!
CW: grief, parental death (off page), parental verbal abuse/abandonment
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Sadie and Jack agree to the terms and Sadie decides to turn her life around and attempt floristry. Something she's always been interested in. Jack lays low and hasn't really had a lot of friends/relationships since the death of his parents a few years ago. He's still grieving and Sadie gives him all the space that he needs.
But soon the forced proximity of living together has these two looking at each other in a different light. Will they be able to make a relationship work, when both of them are trying to work out their own issues?
Oh how I loved Lease on Love. The writing by Falon Ballard was funny, heartfelt and I couldn't stop reading this book once I started. Sadie and Jack were both characters that had so many layers to them. Not just them as individuals, but their backstories, their friendships and what made them the way that they are.
Although Lease on Love was a slow, slow, slow burn I never felt that it was going too slow. Sadie and Jack truly started off as roommates that progressed to friends and then to something more. Their relationship took a natural course and I was never bored or willing them to go faster.
One aspect of books with so many side characters is that sometimes it's too many people and voices. But in this case I loved Sadie's group of friends. The text messages, the ribbing, the way they loved each other unconditionally was so perfect. Found families in books can be hit and miss, but it was a total hit in the case with Lease on Love
Overall I truly enjoyed Lease on Love. I wasn't completely sold on the final conflict in the story, but still loved the story enough to round up my rating to five stars!. I can't wait to read what Falon Ballard writes next!
CW: grief, parental death (off page), parental verbal abuse/abandonment
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
February 9, 2022
This was pretty average to me!! I enjoyed reading about Jack and Sadie slowly falling for each other and joining in a relationship, and I think the pining was one of the best parts of the story. I do think at times the story dragged a bit pacing-wise, which is half explained by character development needs but also half just felt like the characters dragging their feet for no reason which got to be a bit frustrating.
I really loved reading about Sadies journey with her mental health, as well as her dynamic friend group. I loved her as a protagonist, and thought she was super fun to follow.
I did find myself wishing at times that this novel was a bit more women's-fictiony than it was (think Beach Read by Emily Henry) because I think both of these characters had a lot of potential for introspective growth which felt a bit rushed in favor of romantic angst, tension and furthering relationships.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this to somebody, but I also wouldn't actively discourage anybody from reading it either.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC!
I really loved reading about Sadies journey with her mental health, as well as her dynamic friend group. I loved her as a protagonist, and thought she was super fun to follow.
I did find myself wishing at times that this novel was a bit more women's-fictiony than it was (think Beach Read by Emily Henry) because I think both of these characters had a lot of potential for introspective growth which felt a bit rushed in favor of romantic angst, tension and furthering relationships.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this to somebody, but I also wouldn't actively discourage anybody from reading it either.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC!
January 31, 2022
Rating 4.5
Isn’t this cover gorgeous?! The colors used are eye-catching. I immediately requested to read this book without knowing more than the cover. The first line literally had me laughing out loud. Sadie’s character is so full of personality and humor. Trust me when I say she is a lot and honestly, I found her to be a breath of fresh air. I haven’t read a romance book with a character like hers in awhile. The same can be said about Jack’s character. His innocence and how he differed from Sadie’s personality was so cute. I love that he knew she would be a handful but yet he took on the challenge of having her be his roommate. He was desperate to add some much needed change in his life.
This book had me smiling and laughing from almost every page! Only one minor, minor complaint and it’s a me thing not a book thing. I didn’t like how long it took for them to finally get together. I know this is a slow burn but it was too slow of a burn. They knew how they felt about one another really early on but never gave it a go. I do understand Jack’s reasoning behind it but I felt like they could have taken a chance on one another sooner. Again, this is just a me thing. Overall, this was a great friends to lovers/slow burn romance. It had unique main characters and lovable side characters. I would definitely recommend this book and will be reading more from this author in the future.
**Thank you so much @PutnamBooks for the #gifted copy on #NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
Isn’t this cover gorgeous?! The colors used are eye-catching. I immediately requested to read this book without knowing more than the cover. The first line literally had me laughing out loud. Sadie’s character is so full of personality and humor. Trust me when I say she is a lot and honestly, I found her to be a breath of fresh air. I haven’t read a romance book with a character like hers in awhile. The same can be said about Jack’s character. His innocence and how he differed from Sadie’s personality was so cute. I love that he knew she would be a handful but yet he took on the challenge of having her be his roommate. He was desperate to add some much needed change in his life.
This book had me smiling and laughing from almost every page! Only one minor, minor complaint and it’s a me thing not a book thing. I didn’t like how long it took for them to finally get together. I know this is a slow burn but it was too slow of a burn. They knew how they felt about one another really early on but never gave it a go. I do understand Jack’s reasoning behind it but I felt like they could have taken a chance on one another sooner. Again, this is just a me thing. Overall, this was a great friends to lovers/slow burn romance. It had unique main characters and lovable side characters. I would definitely recommend this book and will be reading more from this author in the future.
**Thank you so much @PutnamBooks for the #gifted copy on #NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
January 24, 2023
Lease on Love is a roommates-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract HEA (with a cinnamon roll hero) set in Brooklyn, NY.
Jack + Sadie ♥️ I devoured it in one day. This tale has so much going for it.. hero pining, supportive gal pals and sooo many laugh out loud moments. It’s everything I love in an HEA wrapped up in a pretty little bow 🎀. Kudos to Falon Ballard on her fantastic debut👏🏻!!!! ❥ 5 stars — Pub. 2/1/22
Jack + Sadie ♥️ I devoured it in one day. This tale has so much going for it.. hero pining, supportive gal pals and sooo many laugh out loud moments. It’s everything I love in an HEA wrapped up in a pretty little bow 🎀. Kudos to Falon Ballard on her fantastic debut👏🏻!!!! ❥ 5 stars — Pub. 2/1/22
April 20, 2022
they cannot be fr with those nicknames...
also, we get it! the mc is an asshole! we get it we get it we get it
also, we get it! the mc is an asshole! we get it we get it we get it
November 7, 2022
The billing "𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦" is on point. This slow-burn from strangers-to-roommates-to-friends-to-lovers debut romance was unapologetically millennial. Would this story ever happen in real life? I highly doubt it- but that's the beauty of fiction. I still found it emotional, sexy, witty and simply entertaining. It was exactly the escapist rom-com I was craving and I gobbled it up in a day.
l do have two hang ups- 1. I wish the 3rd act had a little bit more conflict before the resolution. I craved a bit more strife. 2. The author used the phrase low-key at least 6 times and every time it made me low-key roll my eyes. GenX problems. 🤣
If you're looking for a rom-com with a sarcastic, humorous tone, a brilliant friend group and a bit of steam- this might be the book for you.
l do have two hang ups- 1. I wish the 3rd act had a little bit more conflict before the resolution. I craved a bit more strife. 2. The author used the phrase low-key at least 6 times and every time it made me low-key roll my eyes. GenX problems. 🤣
If you're looking for a rom-com with a sarcastic, humorous tone, a brilliant friend group and a bit of steam- this might be the book for you.
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