This sorry definitely had potential, but I unfortunately didn’t love it. It was a very cute romance but some parts almost felt a little forced and unnatural to me. I found myself rolling my eyes at the decisions people were making and some of the dialogue.

I did enjoy parts of it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

A cute story overall about 2 best friends.
Heavy theme of health anxiety which i found interesting and relatable.
The back and forth timelines got a bit co fusing and hard to follow at times.
3.5-4 stars overall.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Love, Just In.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the decision to include flashbacks to earlier moments between Zac and Josie. I thought it really helped to give a better perspective of their friendship.

I think including the health anxiety was really relatable and gave the book some extra depth.

I would definitely recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book! Josie is a news reporter moving up the career ladder, and she is temporarily locating for her job to the city that her best friend, Zac, has run away to after the tragic loss of his fiancee. Josie is desperate to find out what caused him to cut off all communication with her and make amends. When the two reconcile and start moving on the path of more than friends, they have to come to terms with all that entails - long distance, grief, anxiety, dreams - and decide whether or not to take the risk.

To say I loved this book is an understatement! It's been a long time since I've read a book that I just legitimately did not want to end but I was struggling between not wanting to put this book down and not wanting it to be over! Josie was such a well fleshed out character. I loved her so much. As someone who struggles with anxiety I felt like the author did a great job portraying Josie's health anxiety throughout the book. I usually prefer dual POV but for some reason I felt like doing the single POV just worked so well for this book. I loved that it was more mysterious as far as knowing what was going on in Zac's head. I definitely felt closer to Josie because I felt like her where I was wondering what Zac was thinking. This book was so much fun and such a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the advanced reader copy of “Love, Just In” by Natalie Murray. This friends to lovers story takes place in Australia and as I haven’t read a stories with Australia as the location, I was pleasantly surprised.

Josie and Zac have been best friends for years, and after two years of near silence, they are living temporarily in the same location. This book reminded me in all the best ways of “People You Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry. If you lived that book, you will love this one.

Zac and Josie are characters you will fall in love with-separately and together. This book also uplifts some serious issues (trauma, health anxiety, alcoholism and grief) with aplomb. All were well researched and written extremely well. Both characters are flawed, thankfully, but their “flaws” are what make them human. This is a beautiful love story and well worth the read. I finished it in one day!

This friends-to-lovers trope was cute! I loved its exploration into health anxiety, something I wasn’t really aware was a thing.T he setting in Australiait was a fun change in setting. The spicy scenes are very hot (fans self) and perfectly written. This author is new to me and she didn't disappoint in any way, I look forward to reading her future work. There were a few cringey parts between the two main characters and their texts back and forth, but overall I liked Zac and Josie’s relationship.

Love, Just In is a love story between Josephine "Josie Larsen and Zachary Jameson, two best friends who fell out of each other's lives for a time, then now finding themselves falling back in. While I like the premise and the fact that it is in "Regional" Newcastle.

Story wise, it is a nice, warm-hearted- "I've always been in love with you" vibes, but the delivery was less than desirable. The story flips between 3 timelines. What's worse: 3 timelines have different stories and they don't exactly converge properly for a smooth transition.

I am also slightly unable to marry some facts/ details that the book has because of the varying timelines. But I feel it is too much hard work to actually plot which goes where, especially it is just a romance story.

Josie and Zach have chemistry, enough, but it wouldn't burn the house down for sure.... It's a nice enough read though.

I loved this book! Friends to lovers is my favourite trope. The main characters Josie and Zac are both so relatable, and I wanted so badly for them to find their happiness. The spicy scenes are very hot (fans self) and perfectly written. This author is new to me and she didn't disappoint in any way, I look forward to reading her future work. My ARC copy of this book was sent to me by Net Galley, and I will be happily recommending it to all of my bookish friends.

First up, I am so so glad to see romance being taken a bit more seriously here in Australia! Especially rom-coms, which are my absolute favourite. Especially when they are set in Australia too!

Here in Love, Just In, Josie, a late 20s TV presenter, moves back to Newcastle after an on-air panic attack sends her spiralling. Back in Newy however is her old friend Zac who she hasn't spoken to for ages. We all know what that means!

I'm not usually one for alternating flashback scenes, but Murray delivers them well enough within the plot. Josie is at times a frustrating character until you remember she's just as human as we all are - it's funny how sometimes we want relatable romances, but not *too relatable*. Something was just missing from the romance however, and maybe friends-to-lovers/second chance romance just really doesn't tick my boxes as much as I wish it would.

Overall, a great, easy read that will be perfect for summer!

*I received this book as an advanced reader copy*

Josie and Zac have been best friends since high school. Now in their late 20s, tragedy has seen them drift apart. But a job opportunity sees Josie pack up her bags and move from bustling Sydney to the quieter Newcastle, which just so happens to be where her estranged best friend now lives…

What follows is a heartwarming story about people overcoming trauma, facing fears and realising that sometimes the answer is right in front of them.

Add in some adorable pet names and you’ll be swooning in no time.

Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Overall rating: 4/5

SPOILERS:

I really identified with Josie; as a fellow 28 year old navigating life, and feeling a bit behind those around me. Josie is a likeable protagonist, who is quick witted and flawed. She’s not too perfect, makes mistakes, and is a tad blind at times, but I think it makes her more likeable and more REAL.

Zac was harder to like at first, as I really wanted to dislike him for hurting my girl Josie. However, as the reader learns more about him as a character and the trauma he’s been through, it’s clear WHY he’s acted the way he has, and it’s easier to understand him. He comes across as a really incredible friend, and it’s clear from very early on that he adores Josie, even if she’s blind to it!

Josie and Zac have a really sweet relationship and I really loved how he supported her through her health issues. And I think the way the author wrote about health anxiety was so important and powerful. Zac is incredibly supportive of Josie throughout the story, even when she’s making bad (and sometimes destructive) choices. I also think it accurately portrays the way people with anxiety often put on a front to avoid making others worry, often to their own detriment. Zac communicates his feelings (albeit sometimes a BIT late) and doesn’t let Josie trample him with her misguided goodwill.

I also think that the book touches on some interesting issues around paramedicine and trauma, but since it’s Josie’s story, these aren’t really explored in great detail. I imagine Josie doing a report on it though! I think it would’ve been interesting to touch more on Zac’s trauma post car accident but I think the writing was super respectful and tasteful about trauma victims.

It took me a little while to get into the book at first, particularly since some scenes are strictly text messages between the main characters and there’s quite a bit of jumping around between past and present. I almost think the past scenes would be easier to read if the tense was shifted to make a clear distinction.

I didn’t love the Lindsay/Josie story arc, particularly because I felt like the references to Lindsay’s drinking needed to be either more overt, or more subtle. The weird middle ground made it seem like Josie is an idiot for not realising he’s a functioning alcoholic, given the story is written from her perspective.

I also felt as though the character of Lola doesn’t really serve a huge purpose in the story, and as the reader, we don’t really develop a relationship with her. Similarly, Ross plays such a major role in the plot, yet his character arc is so small I forgot who he was. However, I really loved the relationship between Josie and Christina, and the way it portrayed female friendships. And the sort of mending the bridge with Meghan towards the end was really lovely, as it showed a lot of growth in Josie.

Overall, this book was a great read that definitely got me emotional at times and I would definitely recommend it!

3.5⭐️
Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Netgalley for this arc.

Josie is a tv presenter in her late 20s who has made the move from Sydney to Newcastle following an incident during a segment. Coincidentally, her high school / uni best friend Zac (who she hasn’t seen for a couple of years since he moved away following an accident) also lives in Newcastle and she takes the opportunity to reconnect with him following a period of no contact.

The book switches between current times and flashbacks, usually showing scenes that one of the characters has referred to beforehand, and this was done pretty well.

I’m not going to lie, I found Josie a bit irritating throughout, but this may be because I found some parts of her anxiety a bit too relatable (as I’m sure a lot of people will l, particularly in this day and age). She also made some questionable decisions in the earlier part of the book. And the slow burn was pretty slow (and a bit frustrating, sometimes I just wanted to slap some sense into them! Haha.).

I did like that it was set in Sydney and Newcastle, as I could picture the places they were talking about. I also loved Zac, and the way their relationship grew was quite cute. There was also some funny scenes with her housemate which broke up the serious parts quite well.

Overall, I found this to be a nice (and quick) read.

This is a friends to lovers romance that is set in Newcastle, Australia, a couple of hours from Sydney. Best friends Zac and Josie have been friends for 14 years, and multiple times have felt an attraction toward one another. Zac stopped communicating with Josie when his fiancée died in a car crash a couple of years ago. When Josie moves to Newcastle for work, she ends up reconnecting with Zac.

The story is told through alternating timelines, one in present time and the other cataloging key moments in Josie and Zac’s relationship. I liked getting that background and found it necessary to get invested in their history.

This is not just a breezy romance though — we deal with Zac’s PTSD over losing his fiancée and Josie’s health anxiety. Those extra layers help turn this into a deeper dive on the relationship between our two leads.

I would say the comparisons to Emily Henry are fair — the book is easy to read, but thoughtful and smart. There were definitely moments I was super frustrated with Josie, but we see her grow throughout the book. Zac of course is the perfect book boyfriend and there were times I wasn’t sure Josie deserved him!

Spice level is pretty hot a couple of times in the second half of the book.

Overall this was a solid debut and I look forward to more works from Natalie Murray.

Thanks to Netgalley, Allen & Unwin and Natalie Murray for the ARC.

title: Love, Just In

author: Natalie Murray

publisher: Allen & Unwin

publication date: January 3, 2024

pages: ? (It's not out in paperback yet. My phone said 308, but that doesn't always seem accurate.)

peppers:  (on this scale)

http://www.caritagardiner.com/219-why-netgalley/

warnings: 

car accidents with fatalities
drunk drivers
a house fire with fatalities
vomit
cancer and cancer scares
mental health issues, mostly health anxiety

summary: Josie and Zac have been best friends since they were thirteen. The story, in Josie's point-of-view, goes back and forth in time between moments of importance in their past and the current six months, during which she ends up living and working in his town.

tropes:

friends-to-lovers
pining for one's fated mate
trying to fall for the wrong guy
don't want to lose my best friend
friend's having a baby

what I liked:

Zac's clearly been pining for Josie forever, but since we're in Josie's p-o-v, we can see her not get that.
They have great banter by text and struggle to say what they're thinking in real life.
Good portrayal of health anxiety.


what I didn’t like: 

Josie repeats the "I don't want to mess up our friendship" thought too many times. 
Josie gets into a car with someone Zac has all-but said might drive while drunk. I didn't buy that she'd fall for the "they're just light beers" line.

overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)

From the very first page, I was committed to Josie and Zac's relationship and seeing it unfold. I so loved their true friendship, especially in their younger years. After being distant for two years, two best of friends since high school reconnect, but this time, it's different. Josie sees Zac in a different way, and is she willing to do something about it?

They always have and still freely and openly tell each other everything and anything, including all their firsts, except when it comes to their feelings for each other. At times, I just wanted to talk some sense into both of them so they would just acknowledge that they are meant to be together!! I appreciated the depth and complexity to Zac and Josie and just adored Zac. First time reading work by this author and looking forward to her next book.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

💓Second Chance
💓Illness anxiety rep
💓Newsreporter x paramedic
💓Forced proximity
💓SLOW BURNNNNNN 🔥
💓He fell first AND fell harder

In this new Romcom that gives vibes of Emily Henry and ‘Love, Rosie’ (the movie), you’ll fall in love with every character you meet. (Except Oliver). Anything Natalie Murray writes is something I will read. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover of the book? It’s stunning.

I couldn’t get into the book fully until page 100, but the push was so WORTH it. I’d say it’s medium paced with so much slow burn, and the slow burn is PAINFULLL. Straight up so painful🥲. I believe that’s why it was difficult for me to actually read in the beginning.

There’s so many things that happened in this book that made me feel giddy. I loved Zac, but be prepared for how incredibly VAGUE this man is, until the last 50 pages of course. We don’t get to see his point of view but I think it gives him the mystery we keep reading to uncover.

Josie is struggling with illness anxiety, googling her symptoms everytime she senses something wrong with her body. I went in blindly so at first I didn’t understand why she was feeling and thinking those things about. It eventually clicked and my heart broke.

Everything in this book came together so nicely and was such a lovely read. I loved the banter and the friendship between Josie and Zac. Each chapter went back and forth between “today” and memories from years ago. That added so much depth to the story. Seeing who they used to be made me fall in love with them, and the whole time I was hoping with every page turn, one of them would give in to each other.

I’m so grateful for Natalie Murray (and her publisher) to have this ARC available on NetGalley so I could read and provide this review🥹💓

This book releases in January of 2024, so put this on your TBR now!

**TW include: death, cancer, car accidents, grief**

I thought this book had a lot of potential. The story was good, but the characters fella a little short for me. Overall it was an enjoyable read, though!

3.5 stars

This friends-to-lovers romance was cute! I loved it’s focus and exploration into health anxiety, something I wasn’t really aware was a thing. I’m not sure if I’ve really read any other books set in Australia, so it was a fun change in setting. There were a few cringey parts between the two main characters and their texts back and forth, but overall I liked Zac and Josie’s relationship and I think “sunbeam” as a nickname is adorable!!

Love, Just In portrays an issue that often goes unnoticed. This compelling narrative not only sheds light on Josie's challenging circumstances but also prompts us to contemplate our own reactions to such situations (as evident from my earlier frustration). The power of awareness cannot be underestimated, and cultivating compassion for others is truly a remarkable quality.

This book was honestly so good. It was cozy, it was warm and fuzzy - while there was still struggle and strife, it wrapped everything up so beautifully.

The awareness of a lesser talked about mental health struggle was refreshing to read and I’m sure will resonate with anyone struggling with medical/health anxieties.

Loved this book. Will definitely recommend.