While the idea of high school best friend turned love interest 10 years later is a desirable trope, this one had me rolling my eyes more than I realized. Josie is back in contact with her bff after a two year hiatus. They try to pick up right where they left off, but there are a lot of awkward situations that get in the way. And then she ends up living with him temporarily. They both have their own vices. Josie sometimes has dibilating health anxiety, enough that it has interrupted her career. And he is dealing with the loss of his fiance.
All of things things makes for a great rom-com. However, I did find all of his punny t-shirts a little over the top. And she made some annoying decisions that had me shaking my head. That being said, these two were friends for a reason. They stayed in touch because they were meant to. I am glad I stuck with it because this was a cute story.

DNF’ed at around the 30% mark. Nothing wrong with the book - just my annoying mood reader tendencies.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy!

I think the friends-to-lovers trope is super underrated in the romance genre, and LOVE, JUST IN is exactly why! This was such a fun and sexy story -- more from Natalie Murray please!

Such a sweet and lovable book. This was a quick read and perfect for the summer. I enjoyed reading these characters journeys in this friends to lovers romcom. If you loved Emily’s Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation, you’ll love this one!

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray started a bit slowly, but picked up quickly and I could barely put it down. The story had great pacing, good character development, and a storyline that I loved. It is the story of a tv reporter, Josie, working at a station in Sydney when she experiences an on-air blunder and is sent to a smaller-market station for what she believes is punishment. Newcastle is a couple of hours from Sydney, but world's away in terms of excitement and opportunity, as far as Josie is concerned. There is one draw though, her childhood through college best friend, Zac, whom she's lost touch over the past couple of years after a tragic event. Josie and Zac, once pretty much joined at the hip, feel super awkward around each other and have to work very hard to try to get back any semblance of the friendship they once had.

Murray's writing is engaging, with vivid descriptions and an emotional depth that pulls readers in. However, while the book offers an enjoyable experience, it sometimes falls into predictable patterns, and certain plot developments feel clichéd. The characters, though relatable, could have been more fully developed, and some of the emotional beats feel rushed. That said, the book succeeds in evoking a range of emotions and offers a sweet, uplifting conclusion. Fans of romantic fiction will likely find it a pleasant read, though it may not offer much in terms of originality.

Miscommunication is my most hated trope but I did like this story. Add in the fact that the author put parts of themselves into the actual characters made it more dimensional likable

I think the idea was good, but the execution lacked substance. I didn't buy into the romance/friendship of the two characters.

Josie and Nate are childhood best friends who’ve lost touch over the past couple of years and are now going to be living in the same place again.

I liked the premise of this book, and enjoyed the Australian setting. I also appreciated the health anxiety representation and thought this element of the story was handled with care and thoughtfulness.

The relationship between Josie and Nate was the part of the story that felt underdeveloped to me, the level of miscommunication between them had me feeling that they were still the teenagers they were when they first met. I thought the chemistry between the two of them relied quite heavily on tell, rather than show too.

Overall 3 stars, I liked the premise and would be interested to read other books by the author.

Josie and Zac have been friends for 14 years. There were times when they could have been more, but it never went beyond friendship. Two years after tragedy made them drift apart, Josie gets sent from Sydney to Newcastle to cover a reporter's leave and it's her chance to prove that she can handle reading the news. But her health anxiety and denial of her ever-growing feelings for Zac are making her question everything about her life.

It's not bad, but it felt like a chore to read because even the loving interactions feel weighed down by Josie's anxiety. It's a very anxious book and while I appreciate the focus on something that many people silently endure, it didn't exactly make for a relaxing read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the read!

Friends to lovers can be really hard to do, in my opinion but I really loved the tension and build up here. Murray did a great job with these characters and this love story!

I enjoyed reading Love, Just In b y Natalie Murray. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Love Just In is a fascinating friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance that essentially takes place over fourteen years, though it is the six months during which the romance finally sparks that is central to this story. TV reporter Josie Larsen has been posted to Newcastle for six months to fill in and possibly get her big break as a TV news anchor. She’s slick and professional and outstanding at her job, except when reporting on cancer-related issues. Having lost her aunt and her grandmother to breast cancer, Josie is morbidly fearful that she will be the next one to die. As the story progresses, this crippling fear dominates her thoughts and actions more and more, affecting her work and her budding relationship with best friend Zac Jameson. Zac has his own demons to slay having survived the head-n car crash that killed his fiancée two years ago. As a paramedic, he’s lived with the guilt of not being able to save her life and he’s spent the past two years trying to rebuild his life in Newcastle. Josie’s arrival on the scene is one more challenge he has to deal with. These two are fabulous characters. They share quirky and snortingly funny text messages but struggle at times to have a simple conversation. It’s clear they’re both a little mixed-up and also clear they are in love with each other, even if neither seems willing to accept that fact and move from best friends to something more. I loved watching their journey, while the flashbacks through the story filled in the gaps as to what led them to this point. This is a complex romance with a secondary thread that adds depth. I really loved this story.

This book definitely came across with a similar vibe to Emily Henry's You & Me On Vacation. I really loved the mental health representation in this book with our protagonists struggles with anxiety/panic attacks. Natalie Murray did a great job incorporating scenes from different stages in the characters history with one another as they navigated reconnecting after years apart.

Overall, this book is a heartwarming journey that captures the essence of romance, making it a perfect choice for anyone looking to lose themselves in a love story. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the genre or just looking for a feel-good read, this novel is sure to leave you with a smile.

I enjoy reading a book set in Australia. The mental health rep in this story was very well written & the anxiety the fmc felt was very relatable. The dual timeline pov really provided a lot of depth to the relationship between Josie & Zac

This book wasn’t my writing style. The plot and characters were good but I couldn’t get over words that were being used and the flipping between different pov. Nothing abbots this author just this one wasn’t for me,

This story was emotional, raw, and beautifully written. I loved how it tackled heavy topics like health anxiety, grief, and loss with such compassion. The characters were rich and full of depth, and even the side characters made you feel for them. I’m usually not a fan of friends-to-lovers, but this was the exception—the tension and angst were everything. I found myself rooting for the characters to finally catch a break and be together. I’m definitely reading more from this author; I’m impressed!

If it bleeds, it leads.

Synopsis: Self-centered, pick-me TV news reporter Josie and boring paramedic Zac are childhood friends to lovers with an extremely inappropriate, immature friendship along the way. Josie suffers an on-air panic attack in Sydney and takes on a new assignment in Newcastle, where her old bestie Zac lives.

What I liked: I was all in when I read the book is in the same vein as Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation. (Yes, there are some similarities.) I appreciated that this book’s FMC dealt with health anxiety, as I do too, and I haven’t yet read a novel with that as an aspect. As well, I enjoy reading rom-coms from other countries (like Dolly Alderton). A much more heavy book than would be assumed from a cartoon cover.

What I disliked: With this being a rom-com, there were too many serious topics that were presented that just didn’t work with the tone of the rest of the book. Sexual harassment and driving under the influence are too breezily swept under the rug. Then, Josie does whatever she can to get ahead at work, even treating incredibly serious events (m*rd**r, cancer, house fire, etc.) without basic empathy, all in the name of work deadlines. Also, Josie and Zac have a very inappropriate “friendship” that is disrespectful of their partners — and Josie’s partner Lindsay is awful in his own way, too. Josie constantly asks why Zac isn’t paying attention to her when he, a paramedic, has a history of trauma, both in his personal and professional lives, and he’s obviously mentally preoccupied. (Josie needs a lot of self-reflection and therapy for her anxious attachment style.) Like other reviewers have said, the setup was great, but the payoff was not.

TW: health anxiety; grief; mentions of childhood death, cancer, car accident, drunk driving

Thank you to #NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for the advanced reader copy of #LoveJustIn.

Was in need of a cute romance and this book was exactly that. I loved the basis of best friends turned to lovers, and they fact they were friends for so long. I also enjoyed the health anxiety aspect and the hiding it from friends and family, it seemed like a realistic issue instead of the silly ones that are usually in romance novels. Can’t wait to read more from this author.