Oh I didn't realize I was behind on reviewing this one and it's out but I LOVED it. The anxiety and PTSD were a bit much for me at times, esp the health anxiety, which I've felt before but overall, it was a good story. The character were so likeable and I'm glad this book it out in the world for everyone!

As she nears her 30th birthday and compares her life to those of her friends and family, Josie feels that some of the decisions she has made have left her behind everyone else. She's anxious that her future looks anything but rosy. When she makes a major mistake on air, her TV newscaster job does not look secure either. But instead, she's moved to Newscastle for 6 months, a town not known for headline making news.
On the bright side, her best friend from school, Nate lives in Newscastle. Nate moved to Newscastle after suffering a traumatic loss and Josie has let their friendship lag, but she's determined to renew the relationship they had.
She will find that life has changed both of them. They are not the same people that they were before. With Josie's determination, what kind of relationship can they have moving forward? Well, this is a romance but the road to get there is pretty bumpy and they will both have to do a little more adulting before they get to the romance part.
Natalie Murray has done an excellent job of writing a romance that makes the characters work towards the goal of friendship first. The back story and the community in which they live places many restrictions on the characters that causes them to lean in and trust each other. Great story.

A summer beach read from Australia (it is summer-time in Australia right now while it is winter-time in the US). A fun friends-to-lovers contemporary romance. Well-written believable characters. Told in multiple timelines. I enjoyed the story as the characters deal with real-life issues such as mental health. If this is a trigger warning, please beware. I thoroughly enjoyed Josie and Zac's story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray is the first novel I've read by the author and let me tell you, I was INSTANTLY hooked!

Set in Australia, the story follows Zac and Josie who have been friends since they were teenagers. Despite Zac asking Josie out numerous times as teens, they end up best friends and even attend college together. But then tragedy hits and Zac and Josie's friendship is fractured.

Fast forward to Josie on the cusp of turning 30 and we find her trying to reclaim her confidence as a reporter. After having a panic attack during the middle of a live report, she is sent to another station to cover a reporter's six month absence. Zac, meanwhile, is currently living in the new town Josie has been transferred to. Feeling fragile already, Josie is hoping she can count on Zac to show her around and help her get settled in.

I swooned over this story and absolutely adored both Zac and Josie! This was one of those books I didn't want to end, it was THAT GOOD!

Love, Just In was released on January 3rd so don't miss out on this must-read, delightful, beautiful romcom!

Thank you NetGalley, Natalie Murray, and Akken & Unwin for the opportunity to immerse myself in the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers rom com. I loved Zac, the MMC, so much. I would have loved more of his POV. I struggled with Josie and her health anxiety as it isn’t something I can relate too but I felt the author did a good job representing it. I typically don’t like friends-to-lovers because the miscommunication is horrible but I felt it was pretty well done in this book which I enjoyed. I also love the Australian setting. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks netgalley for the free copy.

A sweet, complicated, childhood friends to lovers that'll probably frustrate as much as it makes you swoon. The characters were messy and full of realistic problems. At times those problems did overwhelm the story. One or two plot elements could have been removed to let others shine more and the flashbacks weren't entirely necessary but at least they were brief. The reason the two were apart for 2 years might rub some readers the wrong way. I did like the inclusion of the health anxiety.

4 easy stars

Josie and Zac have been friends since they were teenagers, but clearly, Zac has always wanted to be more. The former roommates drift apart when Josie moves to Sydney and Zac suffers a terrible loss, so when TV journalist Josie settles in Newcastle on a temporary assignment (where Zac just happens to live), their relationship is a bit strained and awkward.

The course of Zac and Josie’s friendship is revealed through short flashback chapters interspersed with modern day, resulting in a satisfying slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance that incorporates issues of health anxiety and debilitating guilt. Overall, the novel provides a not-too-cheesy, relatable story that has the reader rooting for the characters throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen Unwin for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

Childhood friends
He falls first
Second chance (kinda)
Slow burn

This story is so cute! I also enjoyed the personal traumas the MMC and FMC over come on their own with each other by their side. It was like real life. I will have to keep an eye on this author she is very good. The style and pacing of the book were great and the plots were amazing!


I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

This might be one of my favourite books of the summer. It is rare to read a good romance book set in Australia and this one was great. Full of angst and second chances. Two people who are desperately trying to hold on to their friendship and fight the romantic love they feel for each other. I felt like the grief, loss and mental health issues were realistic and this added to my love of this book. The fun times and the career issues were well written into the plot. I think Natalie has a great future ahead as an adult romance author (this being her first written solely by herself). All up, this was a great read, and I agree, Newcastle is not that bad!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Allen & Unwin and Natalie Murray for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Allen & Unwin and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a sweet friends to lovers story that had a lot of heart. This was a sweet slow burn of a romance featuring a second chance romance that also had a big mental health aspect to it also. The anxiety was written in a very relatable way. This was emotional and heartfelt!

Love, Just In is a cute rom-com set in Australia that touches on grief and health anxiety.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, but I found it hard to find a rhythm until about halfway through. Once things started to click and childhood friend Zac entered the chat, I found this a whole lot harder to put down.

Let me say, I loved Zac and felt he had way more depth than the FMC. I was hanging out for his POV, and felt like alternating with his perspective would have helped hold my interest a lot earlier in the book. However the developing friendships, miscommunications and personal growth of the MC made this a cute read that I really enjoyed. Huge thanks to the publishers for the Arc!

A few content warnings: health anxiety, unhealthy relationships with alcohol, cancer, and car accidents.

The first 50% had me invested in this story. But it kind of dragged in the middle and I think was a bit too long. This is a slooow burn and I think I would have enjoyed it more if the characters got together earlier in the book and we got to follow their relationship a bit more.

Also, I wanted to slap Josie into next week for most of the second half. Some of the decisions she made were DUMB. I have anxiety too so I could relate to the desire to bury your head in the sand about various circumstances but she was sabotaging everything and it made me want to scream.

So I wouldn’t say don’t read it, but unfortunately it won’t be a standout for me. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy

If you are looking for a sweet romance, check “Love, Just In” by Natalie Murray. What a wonderful story, it hooked me from the first page until the end!
This is a great slow burn, friends to lovers story. This story is like a Hallmark movie on paper.
This book will have you flipping the pages so fast to see what happens. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#LoveJustIn #NatalieMurray #NetGalley #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

This is a super cute friends to lovers. I found the story to be relatable with the mental health representation. The romance was slow burn and the anticipation built beautifully. Such a good book.

Love, Just In is a second chance, friends to lovers romcom. Super cute and a fun read, I was drawn in immediately. Josie is a character that is easy to fall in love with and I found myself laughing out loud a few times. If you need a mood lifter, this will do the trick.

On the one hand, I enjoyed the rom-com aspect of this story with the friends to lovers trope, but on the other hand Josie’s medical anxiety drove me crazy!

Do I battle anxiety? 100% yes. Is most of mine centered around my health or my family’s? Also, 100% yes so I’m honestly surprised that I found it annoying instead of relatable. However, I’m sure others won’t be so annoyed by that part of the storyline.

Her career just took a downturn, she’s on the home turf of the guy who used to be her best friend. What’s next?!!

Josie’s life is not where she had planned it would be as she approached 30. Not only that, it doesn’t even seem to be headed in the right direction. Her high-achieving sister is living a dream life in London, and her parents have retired and moved to Thailand. Josie’s happy for all of them, of course she is….she just feels a little left behind, the only member of the family still living in Australia. She’s is Sydney, working for a broadcast company to nail down her dream job as a news reader. Her friend and mentor Christina is sure that Josie has what it takes, and Josie does too. But Josie’s been dealing with some issues, in addition to the fact that she hasn’t hit her accomplish-before-thirty goals (not married, not in desired job, etc). She’s convinced that she is going to die young, probably of cancer (family history of that, after all), and it’s freaking her out. Privately, but unfortunately also on the air when she interviewed a doctor on a cancer ward and suffered a panic attack. While her boss, the man who can make or break her career, was watching. She’s now being sent from Sydney to Newcastle for a six month stint, not exactly an upward trajectory. Christina tells her its actually a potentially good move; Josie can use the time in a less competitive market to really showcase her talent, and prove that the on-air gaffe was a one-off thing. Newcastle is definitely not where Josie sees herself, though, it doesn’t have the pace and glamor of Sydney. Even more troubling, its where Zac Jameson, the guy who has been her best and closest friend since they were young teens, now lives. Two years ago, a tragedy in his life sent Zac running from Sydney, and he pretty much cut Josie out of his life too. Will Josie’s arrival in Newcastle be the end of their friendship once and for all, or is it a chance to repair the cracks and regain their closeness? Can she rebuild her professional life, and prove to all that she is the next great news reader? Find the right guy? And, you know, not die? Dodging a seriously weird roommate with nudist/exhibitionist tendencies, dating a guy of whom Zac seriously disapproves, and cataloguing all manner of health issues that she can’t help but think spell “life-threatening illness”, Josie has a lot going on.
Love, Just In was a really fun read. Josie is an appealing heroine, trying to achieve her goals even as life takes twists she didn’t she coming. Who amongst us hasn’t made an awful workplace blunder that we are sure at the time has ruined our chances? Author Natalie Murray’s background as an entertainment reporter for Sky News adds verisimilitude to the newsroom setting where Josie is trying to reboot her career….the competition for stories, coworkers less-than-perfect in support roles, and every now and again someone who is willing to help the person currently on a lower rung than the one on which they themselves stand. Josie’s health fixation at first seems just quirky, but as her story past and present unfolds it comes to make more sense and her struggles to cope with her version of mental wellness issues ring true. And then there is Zac, estranged best friend with his own struggles to recover from the incident in his past. He and Josie have history and there may be feelings that go beyond platonic friendship on one or both of their parts, but they have to decide if risking their friendship in order to have more is worth it. Can they achieve their dreams, even as those dreams seem to to change? Can they be there for another when neither is completely steady at the moment? Readers of Emily Henry, Emily C. Childs and Leah Brunner should pick up a copy of Love, Just In and give it a go, as should anyone who wants to root for a couple of appealing but somewhat broken friends who deserve a happily-ever-after with someone, even if its someone closer than they think. Many thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of Love, Just In.

Love, Just In is a sweet romance that explores some more serious topics (anxiety, PTSD, trauma response) very nicely. The friends to lovers trope is fairly well done but the slow burn romance burns very slowly. The part I enjoyed the least were the flashbacks- they felt redundant in that the majority showed Zac’s unresolved longing for the FMC. Overall this was an enjoyable read but felt like a slog at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the ARC.

This is a friend to lovers’ romance that also addresses serious issues including grief, loss of a partner, breast cancer and health anxiety. The story is set in Australia which gives the American reader enjoyable, unique language and references. Set in alternating timelines, the backstory on the friendship adds depth and nuance to the present timeline. The text exchanges included in the story (even some emojis) were fun to read. The friendship between Josie and Zac was beautiful. The two main characters were able to lean on each other, support each other and truly love each other prior to any romance. The story also included some spicy sex scenes! Overall, a fast-paced story with plenty of humor, drama and romance that also tackled some serious issues along the way

Really liked this. I know I and many others could see themselves in these characters as we are nearing 30. Characters are likable and relatable. Story is fun and you are rooting for the love story.