I'm between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one. Let me explain.

The premise and the story in general- adorable. The overall execution was hot and cold for me. There were a few aspects of the story that I grappled with.

For instance, the time that lapsed between Zac and Josie's last encounter and their reunion was only 2 years, during which Zac experienced a massive, life-altering event. However, two years, in the grand scheme, is not very long, particularly for someone to recover from such a traumatic experience. Yet, it's written as if they went 10+ years without contact. On the other hand, the present situation between Zac and Josie is only about 6 months and yet so much happens in such a short amount of time that, again, it feels like many years have passed.

At times, the story flies and at times it's tediously redundant, particularly with Josie's work and health issues. I wish there had been more current interactions between Josie and Zac rather than mostly experiencing their relationship through Josie's thoughts and internal dialogue.

That said, I really loved Zac and Josie's friendship. Their friends to lovers journey was really beautiful and I absolutely loved that they found their way to each other.

Certainly an interesting read. I'm glad I read it. I'm interested in what's next from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

The cover, the title, and even the summary make this book appear to be a lovely summer rom-com. It is much deeper than that. It tackles lost of serious topics, such as loss, grief, cancer, health anxiety, trauma, drunk driving and more. It's a good book but it is a bit of a shock to the system if you don't realize that up front. I don't read trigger warnings unless it appears to be a dark book, I've found most authors in romances are respectful and diligent about tackling serious issues, so I was caught off guard when the book was heavier on the issues and lighter on the romance.

That said, I really enjoyed it. Natalie took some very difficult circumstances her characters were given and fleshed things out to give them depth. A book could easily bring up all these issues but then also brush them aside to focus on the romance and the author didn't do that. Zac and Josie were three-dimensional, complex individuals who faced extremely emotionally taxing situations that affected their mental health and their relationships. I appreciate the respect the author gave them and also how we watched the characters have to work through everything.

The book jumped around from Present Day into different years in the past of Josie and Zac's friendship. The flashbacks weren't in any specific order, and were there to allow us to see pertinent parts of their relationship that were relevant to what was happening in the story at that moment. With tropes like small-town, friends to lovers, forced proximity and slow burn, this book was primed to be well liked by me. Miscommunication was unfortunately a part of the storyline... sometimes I just want to shake people in books to say what they really mean or ask for clarification instead of making assumptions, but all romances need a foil of some sort.

I could not relate to the health anxiety aspect of this book, but I did enjoy the overall story. It was a cute and easy read. I also loved the small town setting.

Josie moves out of Sydney to pursue her TV news career. This move also brings her to the same town as her estranged BFF, Zac Jameson. While Josie and Zac try to reform their friendship, more feelings are brought to the surface. While this was an extremely amusing story, overall, I had a harder time connecting with Josie as a character. This made the book a longer read for me.

Typically I don’t read a lot of contemporary but the description drew me into Love, Just In. This is a friends to lovers slow burn with some tragedy intertwined. I enjoyed this one.

This was a very cute book. Easy and light reading. Was reading this off and on because there were times the main character or interest character annoyed me but very “aww” ending.

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley from the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

I read Natalie Murray’s young adult novels, so I was super excited to read an adult romance from her! It did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Love, Just In! This friends to lovers, slow burn romance story is set in Australia and has great anxiety representation. It also talks about healing from grief and loss.

I related to the main character Josie and her anxiety, and I am thankful to the author for her portrayal of the character.

Josie and Zac are adorable, and the banter between them was wonderful!

If you enjoy romance, I definitely think you will enjoy this one too!

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray is the perfect read for those who love the friends to lovers trope, and if you enjoy flashbacks throughout a story line. Josie hasn’t spoken to Zac in over 2 years since the tragic loss of his fiance and is now living in the same town as him again. Overall, enjoyed reading about these two characters finding their friendship again, and also about the real life issues they both struggled with. Overall, a really good read and very enjoyable book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Natalie Murray and Allen&Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Lovely back and forth pining. Great depiction of medical anxiety and varied reactions to it from people around the patient. Always glad to read about women having friendships and not automatically being enemies just because of the men in their lives. Just enough sex. Fun change of pace with the setting being Australia, and thus the language containing Australian slang.

I was unfamiliar with this author prior to reading this, but I love a good friends to romance so I was excited to read it! I loved a lot about this book - I loved the setting, I loved the banter between the two main characters, I loved that anxiety was one of the hurdles in Josie's life.

What I didn't love were the typical stumbling blocks (i.e. miscommunication). Especially miscommunication. I know it's a common trope in romance, but I'm so tired of characters being unable/unwilling to communicate with one another.

3.5 Rounded up to Four.

Josie has been out of touch with her best friend for a while, but she's about to be working in his town after an on-air panic attack. Her feelings for him have been unrequited. She's also hiding a health issue, and it plagues her.

Zac has been living life in a small town since his fiancee died, not quite moving on emotionally.

The back and forth of their relationship--friendship and possible love--drives the story, even when they find other dates, until they can't deny what they have known for years. But, they each have secrets, and until they reckon with the past, they can never have a future.

Slow burn romance with an Aussie accent.

If you're a fan of friends to lovers romances and Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation, this is the book for you. It is the story of TV news report, Josie, who is feeling a bit lost in life and her best friend, Zac, who lives in Newcastle after losing his fiance. After an on-air panic attack, she is sent off to Newcastle to cover another reporter's leave and reconnected with Zac, whom she hasn't talked to in two years. This was a light and fun read, yet was able to tackle a heavier topic, like anxiety. It dragged a bit at times, but ultimately it was a great slow burn romance that I would recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I downloaded this on a whim when I spotted it as “Read Now” on NetGalley. Sadly, it was not the right fit for me. I really disliked the vibes between the hero and heroine, and I wasn’t rooting for them to end up together. For me, that’s the kiss of death in a romance. Also, the flashbacks were throwing off the pace of the book. It was so jarring! Once I realized I didn’t care at all about the resolution, I just decided to put it down.

Friends to lovers, will they or won't they, Australian setting, miscommunication, health anxiety, drunk drivers, past & present timeline

Josie Larsen, is sent to Newcastle after an on-air blunder when presenting the news.
Zac Jameson, her best friend since they were 13, also lives in Newcastle but they haven't spoken in 2 years.

Very emotional read about their past, and their present with many heavy topics addressed. Reminded me a bit of People We Meet On Vacation.

⛈️ REVIEW: Love, Just In ⛈️

Did you read and love Emily Henry’s friends-to-lovers romcom People We Meet on Vacation? If yes, read Love, Just In.

SUMMARY: When Sydney news anchor Josie gets assigned to the less than glamorous regional bureau in Newcastle, she’s worried her career’s headed in the wrong direction. Lucky for her, it’s also the home of her long-time best friend Zac. Will her proximity allow them to overcome the distance that’s been building between them?

[Chandler Bing voice] Could there BE any more angst in this book?

Answer: No. If you’re looking for a “will they-won’t they” story of two best friends who’ve known each other since grade school, this is the book for you.

One thing that I particularly liked about it was her pursuit of career success – and the realization that what you worked for isn’t necessarily what you really want. That said, this book made me an anxious mess. I have been less stressed reading psychological thrillers. Angst level: 11.

Check it out if you’re in the mood for:

🎤 He falls first
🎤 Friends to lovers
🎤 Anxiety rep
🎤 Present day + flashbacks

⭐⭐⭐.75

A delightful - even if heartbreaking at times - read! A great friends-to-strangers-to-friends-to-lovers read, if you will. Josie and Zac had such a wonderful rapport, all while grappling their own pasts and finding their way back to each other. This felt earnest, realistic, and heartwarming.

What can I say? I just don't think this book was for me.

I understand the miscommunication trope is very common in romances but I just kept yelling at both of them to JUST SPEAK UP AND SAY SOMETHING! Josie and Zac have been best friends since they were teenagers. He even asked her out when they were young and she rejected him. They remain best friends, live together while they go to university, and stay in each other's lives until Zac's fiancee dies in a car accident and she dies in his arms. He moves away and stops talking to Josie for two years until she temporarily moves to where he lives for a job opportunity.

I feel like the book dragged on quite a bit and I could not connect to the characters. Josie annoyed me with how impulsive she was and how stupid she was regarding Lindsay.

HOWEVER, I did enjoy the discussion about health anxiety and grief. I haven't read a book that portrayed health anxiety in this manner and it was nice to see that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Love, Just In is a friends-to-lovers romance, with a little bit of heat, a peek behind-the-scenes in a TV newsroom, and a few well-timed public health messages. As a dyed-in-the-wool Sydneysider, who wouldn’t move to Newcastle no matter how hot the paramedic boyfriend is, I felt a bit slighted by all the city slander and country life propaganda… but besides that, Love, Just In is a fun read with a resonant message about health anxiety.

People say that men and women cannot be "just friends." Josie Larsen and Zac Jameson appeared to defy the odds as they forged a friendship at age 14 that lasted into adulthood. They even lived together during University. Of course, the signs were present that there was an underlying attraction, but one of them usually had a relationship when the other one started having "feelings." Fast forward to their late twenties when they have grown apart through tragedy and location. When Josie is temporarily transferred to Zac's town, she hopes to regain their friendship. In traditional "friends to lovers" romance, there are starts, stops and stumbles as they figure out how they feel about one another. Natalie Murray does a great job of building the tension and releasing the tension. This is an open door romance that delivers.