BOOK REVIEW: Lease on Love

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard
Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Plot: Sadie Green has spent the better part of her young adult life working towards a promotion. When she does not get it due to nepotism she reacts poorly and ends up getting fired. By chance she ends up meeting Jack, who offers her reduced rent in his gorgeous brownstone and she is in such a tight spot she can’t say no.

TW: death of a parent (off page; prior to novel, but discussed), grief, toxic childhood

WHAT I LOVED 

• The sense of found family in this novel
  • Sadie has created her own little family in New York and seeing her bring Jack into the fold was very sweet.
• I loved how Sadie was kind of annoying, but well aware of the fact.
• The millennial humor in this was excellent (as a millennial)
• I loved the group chats!!
• The friendships in this were the best part.
  • I did love Sadie & Jack’s relationship, but ALL the friendships in this were great.
  • Sometimes friends in romances get left behind (and I’ll admit, I don’t always care), but Sadie’s friends have their own plots and they are balanced in a way with Sadie’s plots that it works perfectly.
  • I just loved seeing them help with the business.
• The pacing of this one was longer (in terms of months) that what I usually like in romances, but it worked really well here.
• I also love a slowburn.
• This reminded me of a Sophie Kinsella novel but with a millennial vibe.
• This would make an excellent movie.
• I just had a fun time reading this one.
• The Thanksgiving dinners in this!!
• I liked seeing Sadie create her own business and appreciated how she talked about how hard it was. I often find that characters just seem to create their dream job out of thin air and everything goes fine. Here we see Sadie working extremely hard and the reader can see that, but it doesn’t slow down the plot.
• Sadie is literally living the dream. Who doesn’t want to find a gorgeous place to rent at a cheep price that comes with the sweetest roommate?

WHAT I DID NOT LOVE

• I wasn’t the biggest fan of the drama at the end, but I enjoyed seeing the characters work through it so it was fine in the end.
• I also wish it was longer.

I can see why not everyone would love this one, it’s a bit cheesy and the plot isn’t anything originally, but it was such a fun time. This is a testament to Ballard’s writing and I can’t wait to read more from her.

xoxo, Tree