I was drawn to the book because I love friends to lovers and I loved the setting. Very refreshing and it's always nice to connect with Sydney and Newcastle. But I felt the book was lacking. The sex scenes was incredibly formulaic to the point of uninteresting unfortunately. You could have copy pasted the sections and it could have been any book. The second problem I had is a bit less solid. There were a lot of aspects that felt so forced and awkward. Conversations between characters, how the character's career was talked about. There seemed to be some disconnect that distracted me. Really novel subplots though and it attempted to take on a lot of heavy and important topics.

Loved this Australian rom-com. It was realistic and held a lot of emotion. Loved the characters and getting to know them. Their actions and emotions were relatable and understandable. I like how the author paced their growth emotionally and romantically. Would definitely recommend.

“Love, Just In” was the perfect feel good story! Natalie Murray did a great job highlighting health anxiety and multiple other sensible topics. I loved the story of friendship in this fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

✦ Childhood friends
✦ Forced proximity
✦ Friends to lovers
✦ Mental health rep

Trigger warnings: Cancer, death, car accident, drunk driving, death of a child, house fire, suicide

I absolutely adored this book! It made me laugh and cry and laugh even more!
I can’t believe how fast I got through this book. I just didn’t want to put it down.

Josie and Zac are the most adorable couple and from chapter one you want them to be together.
Josie was a very read and relatable FMC. I could feel a lot of myself in her.
Zac just makes me want to give him a hug he’s so precious!

I also loved reading a book set in Australia! I’m from Tasmania and I rarely read books set in Australia so it was nice to have a familiar setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Love, Just In by Natalie Murray!

I am here for cute little rom coms with adorable and cheesy covers! Adding this one to the enjoyable list! I devoured this story and left my heart wide open. You WILL feel all the emotions with this story and you’ll either hate it or love it! The focus on mental health was done very well.

3.5⭐

There were times when I got absolutely lost in this book and adored it, but it also kind of stressed me out. I have the BRCA2 gene and I'm no stranger to scanxiety and medical anxiety. Josie has crippling medical anxiety and I empathized with her but didn't enjoy reading about it, if that makes sense. I'm thinking someone else who might not have a personal connection to cancer may enjoy this more.

Read if you like friends to lovers, flashbacks, long time friendships, and HEAs. ❤️

I would read another book from this author for sure, when it was good, it was really good! The subject matter and the amount of time.our main characters were sad and depressed wasn't for me. Again, I do think another reader might really enjoy it and connect though..

In this novel, Josie is an Australian television news reporter. After suffering a panic attack during a live interview, she is relegated to a small town tv station in Newcastle. Fortunately, or possibly unfortunately, her estranged bestie Zac resides in Newcastle. This would be a great opportunity to reconnect and discover what actually happened with their relationship. The story is told in a dual timeline with flashbacks that reveal their backstory.

Josie’s struggle with health anxiety will cut close to home for many, I’m sure. Zac was a great friend, always wanting more but trying to protect himself from hurt. Both characters were likeable. A sweet and poignant friends-to-lovers story with some serious side topics. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this. I loved that it was set in Australia (Newcastle specifically).
I think the characters are both likeable and the second chance romance didn't seem forced. I actually liked the use of flashbacks too.
I have health anxiety and this book triggered it a little (as it tackles that subject). But, although a little triggered, I think it is definitely tackled realistically.
I have read the authors YA series but this was her first adult romance i've read and I think adult romance is her genre!

This was a great romance, that covered a lot of serious issues as well. Josie is a news reporter sent to a small town location after a slip up at her job trying hard to redeem herself. Josie is facing some potential health issues, and is struggling with some health anxiety. When she gets to New Castle she is mildly optimistic it will be the start of reconnecting with her former best friend Zac. Zac and Josie were close as could be growing up, but after the tragic death of Zac’s fiancé two years ago and Zac moving away they lost touch. When Josie gets to New Castle and meets Zac she is sad to find that her and Zac are not going to pick up where they left off. But as they get to know each other again, she realizes maybe there is a possibility for more. This story was a sweet friends to lovers romance with a beautiful connection, but with some dark topics thrown in. An interesting love story that has cancer, tragic loss, health anxiety, and mental health stories for those that wish to avoid those topics. I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Thank You NetGalley for an advance E-book of Love, Just In by Natalie Murray in exchange of an honest review.
Love, Just in by Natalie Murray is a delightful friends-to-lovers rom-com that will sweep you off your feet. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Australia, this story follows Josie, a TV presenter who relocates to Newcastle after a work incident. When she reunites with her best friend Zac, whom she hasn't seen in two years, their friendship reignites and gradually transforms into a heartfelt romance. Murray's writing skillfully captures the slow-burn nature of their relationship, allowing readers to savor every moment of the budding romance.

While Josie's occasional bouts of immaturity can be a tad frustrating, it's worth noting that her behavior is grounded in her struggles with anxiety, adding depth and authenticity to her character. On the other hand, Zac emerges as a rock-solid source of support and understanding, further reinforcing the charm of their dynamic.

Murray's storytelling transports readers to the enchanting landscapes of Australia, depicting the city of Newcastle and its vibrant culture with vivid imagery. It's evident that the author has a deep connection to the setting, which enhances the overall reading experience.

Overall, Love, Just in is a delightful novel that combines humor, heart, and a touch of vulnerability. It's a refreshing take on the friends-to-lovers trope, with characters who feel like old friends. This was my first journey into Natalie Murray's writing, and I eagerly anticipate diving into more of her work."

I absolutely enjoyed this book! This is such a good, heartfelt, and emotional friends-to-lovers story, with some excellent mental health representation

Zac and Josie have been best friends for 14 years - nearly half their lives. After a horrible accident two years ago, the pair have hardly spoken.. Zac has left the city and seemingly moved on with his life, while Josie is left trying to find security in her job at a local news station. But after Joise has a panic attack on the air, she is shipped off to a smaller affiliate station for six months, which of course happens to be in the same small town as Zac. Will they be able to rekindle their friendship after two years apart, and what happens to their fragile friendship if they both end up wanting more?

This book was really wonderful.. Josie and Zac has such a meaningful relationship that I think felt really real in how close they were, and how they fell apart. Especially in the years after college/uni where people are pairing off and beginning their own lives, it can be hard to keep those friendships alive, and even more complicated when there is grief and unresolved feelings involved. I also enjoyed the alternating timelines of the book - we get the story in the present, and also glimpses of their relationship in the past, which I think really helped the reader understand their history and make sense of the present situation.

I also thought that the mental health representation in this book was really well done. The characters are dealing with some heavy topics, from grief to medical anxiety and panic attacks. As someone who suffers from anxiety, just getting through each day can be a challenge. Seeing how these characters struggle, and ultimately support each other in getting the help they need was wonderful and refreshing.

Thank you, Natalie Murray and Allen & Unwin for the eARC!

I liked the authors writing style and the issues addressed within, and that’s why I gave 4 stars.
I’m apparently not a friends-to-lover trope fan, Especially spanned so far apart, flash backs, and dating other people. But just because the trope is not my cup of tea, doesn’t diminish the quality of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for this ARC. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I don’t think I’ve actually ever read a book based in Australia- but this perfectly captured it’s essence and what life is like here.

Zac was emotional and kind and dreamy, and Josie was fun and relatable and confident, Natalie Murray wrote such real and relatable protagonists who are living such normal lives. It was really refreshing.

It always lovely to read a book for the first time that focuses on something that you would never think to be addressed - health anxiety is so common and is such a barrier into so many taking care of themselves. I liked that is was uncensored anxiety - and that she created scenes that could be so realistic for someone living with it.

Being a journalist myself, it was interesting to see how she would approach Josie's work as a journalist, and what avenue she would take her down. I loved that I was able to see how tough and ruthless the media industry is from another lens, and how someone with trauma and anxious experiences like Josie pushes through them, to then ultimately find comfort and love in her work.

It was exciting and sweet and I loved both the protagonists, especially because they never gave up on each other.

This is such a solid friends-to-lovers romance! 4 stars.

Synopsis: Josie and Zac are 14-year best friends who have drifted apart in the past two years after the two both go through two difficult life experiences - Zac experienced the tragic loss of his girlfriend Tara, while Josie, who suffers from debilitating health anxiety after losing two family members to breast cancer, experiences a bit of an on-air freeze-up during a story filmed in a hospital. But Josie takes the chance to move to Newcastle for a reporting job, the town that Zac lives in, and despite a bit of an awkward reunion, the two eventually found their groove and their friendship fell back into place. Zac is dating one of Josie's coworkers, and Josie starts seeing Zac's arch-nemesis and former roommate Lindsay. So why are there lingering glances between these two best friends? Where is this chemistry and tension coming from?

What a heartwarming story between these two best friends turned lovers. I love the way they know each other so intimately, and how they know how to support each other in just the right ways as they both face their traumas head on - the health anxiety and Zac's loss of Tara. Their personalities as individuals and as a couple are so endearing, with some great banter and some spicy caliente scenes.

There were a few characters/storylines that I didn't feel were necessary - I kept forgetting who Lola was, and I don't feel like Ross was necessary either. But I loved the relationship between Christina and Josie - what a sweet example of female friendship. This is such a sweet story all around!

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great read which has a little bit of everything. My heart ached, cried and stressed along with Josie. I could really connect with her. The ups and downs of love had me nodding my head along with the wins and the losses.

I could picture the characters and scenes in my head. I really enjoy reading when I am able to do this.

I loved the fact that this was an Australian author as I love supporting those from my country.

Love, Just In is a really sweet and emotional story of two childhood best friends who lose contact after tragedy and reconnect two years later. Josie and Zac’s connection is undeniable and runs so deep; their shared history lends itself to a really engaging story that is at times so fraught with emotion in the best way. Josie’s struggle with health anxiety is portrayed well in my opinion and I felt myself unable to put this book down, waiting to see what would happen while rooting for their happy ending. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I absolutely loved this book and stayed up until 4AM last night to finish it in one sitting.

This book follows two best friends (Josie and Zac) of 15 years who have been estranged for two years - ever since Zac's fiancee died in a car accident that he survived. Josie, a TV news reporter based in Sydney, gets relocated to the beachside town of Newcastle (where Zac just so happens to live) for six months following a panic attack mid-air. Throughout the book we watch as Josie and Zac navigate being back in each other's lives after two years of silence and Josie manage her way through her work struggles and medical anxieties, which the author does a great job of bringing to life.

✨ Single POV (minus the epilogue)
✨ Slow-Burn Friends to Lovers
✨ 4.5/5 stars

TY NetGalley for the eARC!

Love, Just In is a story about long time friends Zac and Josie. For whatever reason they haven’t talked in two years until Josie takes a job that’s close to Zac.

The timeline is a little wonky. One chapter will be present time then the next chapter will be a certain of years in the past. It was odd that the chapters going back in time were a little random. The event the past chapter details is hinted at before we dive in so that helped me somewhat keep up with the timeline. These chapters also really help get a better picture of Zac and Josie.

These characters are NOT perfect. They both have issues- some of them are a little annoying and some are relatable but I think it’s what makes them good characters.

I received a copy of Love, Just In via NetGalley to read and review.

This is a very incredible book that deals with illness anxiety. The story of Josie and Zac covers the topic with sensitive detail. Josie suffers from it and the effects have a huge impact on her life.
Zac has been Josie’s best friend for fourteen years even though a two year stretch of no contact happened. When she is transferred to his town they reconnect. As they get to know each other again, they find a deeper connection than before. Zac, a paramedic, wants to help Josie but her anxiety and her uncontrolled thoughts stifle her.
It is a very up and down tale that will make your heart ache at times, be joyous at others.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.