This book was okay.
It felt pretty slow. You wanted to yell at the characters to get together already.

It was cute but I think if it was faster paced it would have been a better read

This is a best friends-to-lovers romance between Josie and Zac, although the two have not seen each other (and barely spoken) in two years. Zac is dealing with losing his fiancee and Josie is dealing with severe health anxiety.

This book was a struggle for me. I would up liking it, but I initially wanted to DNF it and only pushed through because it was an arc. It was hard to get into when they were both dating OW and OM for almost half of the book. I knew there would be OW drama to an extent due to his late fiancee, but also adding in another woman in the present timeline was overkill. "It's always been you" is also a very hard trope for me to believe because they were both dating other people the entire time they knew one another. He was engaged to another woman. Even in the present that's an issue.

I did end up enjoying the second half of the book after that was over. I liked when it focused more on the two of them, their pasts, and their individual mental health issues.

~2.75-3/5

I have very mixed feelings on this book. Love, Just In follows our main character, Josie, as she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Zac, whilst also juggling work stress and health anxiety.

I really liked the health anxiety rep. I have suffered from this and I appreciated it being shown here. I also enjoyed the tension between the two main characters. However, I feel like it took me a really long time to get into, and even when I was into it I would go through hot and cold moments where I felt like I was having a really good time, and then I really wasn't. I think Josie was a little on the annoying side, and I did not enjoy the spice at all (feels like the MMC's personality switched up a lot during them). The flashbacks were somewhat similar to Emily Henry's people we meet on vacation, which is not a book I enjoyed much either, so perhaps it is just a writing style preference. I can definitely see this being a book many people would enjoy.

Josie and Zac have been best friends since they were fourteen, but they have never taken the step beyond friendship into something more. When Zac’s fiancée tragically died in a car accident two years ago, however, everything changed. Zac moved away, he and Josie stopped talking, and Josie herself became wrapped up in the terrible thought that she, too, would die young. But fate reconnects the two in a small town two hours from Sydney, and it is there that Zac and Josie begin rebuilding their friendship and ultimately discover what was waiting for them all along.

This charming, slow burning friends to lovers romance incorporates a wide range of feelings throughout its delivery. Jealousy, anger, grief, and humor are just some of the layers that find their way into the story, and each one makes the narrative more enjoyable. Told in the first person from Josie’s perspective, the reader gets a clear view into her thoughts, feelings, and anxieties, but everyone else only becomes more visible when they interact with her directly. Josie is a significantly flawed character, but through her experiences and her willingness to finally open herself to her true feelings, she is able to emerge stronger than ever before.

The story unfolds as a series of flashbacks interspersed within a present-day narrative, which gives readers insight into the characters’ backstory in an intriguing and piecemeal way. This permits the momentum of the novel to continue in a forward direction while still providing essential context at opportune moments. Though the romance is slow-burning to begin with, there are frequent references to sexual acts and observations featuring other characters, and the heat between Josie and Zac sizzles as the story progresses. Altogether, this is an enjoyable novel that will satisfy both readers who appreciate steamy romances and those who value the plethora of emotions that affect the human spirit.

I had seen some good reviews for this book so I was excited to get the ARC but it just wasn't for me. I think I am not a fan of friends to lovers. I feel like I read this book the entire month of November. I would just read a chapter here and there. I was not getting pulled in at all at the beginning. When I read a romance I do not want to read about the main characters dating other people. Half the book was them with other people so I did not start getting interested until toward the end. This book takes place in Australia. Josie and Zac have been best friends for a long time. They were even roommates at university. Zac sadly lost his fiance and had to move away from Sidney and stopped talking to Josie. She did not understand why he just stopped talking to her. Well, it is 2 years later and she is moving to his town for 6 months for her work and they will see each other again. She has no idea if it will be awkward or not. They strike back up their friendship, but both start dating other people while having feelings for each other. I will say I appreciated that Josie knew they had to talk about real things. She was going to be moving back to Sydney so what would their relationship look like in the future? Also Josie has health anxiety. Zac already lost someone he loved so what would happen if they get together and then she dies. She has cancer in her family and is constantly worried about herself getting it. I suffer with anxiety so I totally understood her fears even if some of them were irrational. She definitely had things to work through. So I liked the second half better but overall it was okay for me.

-"...when we become very afraid of something ending, nothing else can really begin."

-"Just remember that when you're afraid, the fear is often worse than the danger itself."

-...but I understand for the first time that I'm not a screw-up. I have a condition that's diagnosable and treatable.

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray offers a refreshing take on romance with its unique plot twists and authentic character dynamics. I particularly enjoyed the author’s captivating writing style, how she skillfully navigates emotions, and the Australian setting. Overall, a solid read for anyone craving a heartwarming love story with a hint of unpredictability.

Three Stars! ***

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Love, Just In has alternating past and present timelines which made it difficult for me to get into. Josie and Zac are long time best friends who have lost touch and reconnect when Josies moves to Newcastle for work. There are some heavy topics. The concept of Josie having health anxiety isn't something I've read much so I liked that. Overall, Josie was too wishy-washy for me. Her voice seemed too immature for a 30 year old. She just seemed too boy crazy.

This was a just OK read for me.

3.75 reporter anxiety stars

I enjoyed this one with Josie Larsen as our main character. Josie’s on track to be a TV anchor in Sydney until she blows an on-air opportunity with a panic attack. She’s sent to a smaller town to see if she can pull herself together.

It just so happens that she’s sent to Newcastle, which is the town where her best friend Zac lives. However, they’ve been estranged for the last two years after he lost his fiancée. Will this give them a chance to patch up their friendship?

As Josie and Zac grew closer, I wondered what would happen when her time was up in Newcastle. I was rooting for them, but there were a lot of roadblocks in the way, starting with acknowledging their real feelings.

I enjoyed this “friends to lovers” story and thought it had good complexity. Josie has health anxiety, and this made for a compelling read. This isn’t an anxiety I know much about, so I found it fascinating. I also enjoyed the angle of Josie being an on-air personality, reading and reporting the news.

I have not read a book that surrounds a character with health anxiety before, but I feel that the author did a fantastic job allowing that to be a focus of the book while not allowing it to be the only thing we see in Josie. The balance her having a career that puts her front and center and forces her to face those fears and sometimes not be able to push pass the anxiety made her feel real. The quick wit, humor, and banter we get to see from her also makes her a lovable character, but one that isn't without flaws (and we get to see those).

Seeing her and Zac come together and rekindle their friendship and allow it to potentially grow into something more was a fun ride, but it didn't come without stress or tension. NM also did a great job showing how 14+ years of friendship between Zac and Josie could evolve while remaining the same and highlighting the fears that can come along with the possibility of seeing your best friend as more.

Love, Just In was a breath of fresh air. It is a well written friends to lovers novel, but tackles themes of grief, anxiety, and overall mental health. I really liked the representation in that aspect, but I can see how some of the main characters decision making throughout the book could trigger some feelings. This book made me smile and made me cry, which I really look for in a book. It made me feel all of the emotions and would recommend it to anyone!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I was lucky enough to receive this ARC and wow it was an absolute gem!! I would definitely rate it with the likes of Emily Henry and Tess Bailey.

The story follows Josie and Zac, friends since they were 14 and the story is written in past and present context.

I simply adored the characters and the effort put in to create their rich backstory, it was so detailed and you could really connect to the characters and their past.

I couldn't put it down and devoured it quite quickly, I am very much looking forward to seeing what comes from Natalie Murray in the future!

This friends to lovers trope was so darn sweet!! Zac asked Josie out back when they were 14, and when she lets him down and decides on wanting to date someone else (teens are so cruel) they decided to stay friends. We go back and forth between their friendship in the past and now, and I was slowly withering inside because this was the slowest burn ever when it came to romances, these two have been dancing around each other all these years!!! And Zac is perfect and she never bothered to after him?? There was so much going on and then to bring in the whole “breast cancer” scare? I felt it was not really needed….. what made me love this story more was Zac….. can he be ANY MORE FREAKING PERFECT!!! 😍😍😍

First of all, I loved this story and its characters. Josie and Zac are not just friends but lifelong best friends so it’s the ultimate friends-to-more trope. Mental health is a huge topic in this book, in many different ways, which I appreciated. Highly recommend for those who love rom-coms that dig deeper

This may feel like blasphemy to a lot of romance readers but…I’m not sure friends-to-lovers is the trope for me. There’s too much “Why am I feeling like this? But he can’t possibly feel the same way!” when he so obviously does. I didn’t love Josie as a main character and thought Zac seemed a little weak at times as well. I feel like he didn’t stand up for himself much especially when it came to Josie. I don’t know that I loved how the whole Tara thing ended up working out either. And overall I thought it was a tad long.

Note: I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a tough one for me—the health anxiety subplot was so achingly familiar to me that it was a struggle to read, even though it was well crafted. I loved the love interest however, once the main character drove several times with someone who clearly shouldn’t have been behind the wheel, I lost any patience or sympathy I had for her.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
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This is the first book I’ve read from this publisher and author, and it was an interesting change of pace to have a non-American voice on the page. The descriptions of Australia made me want to visit and experience the culture for myself. Josie and Zac have been best friends since they were in high school, but after a car accident leaves Zac’s life in tatters he moves away and they have barely spoken in two years. Josie is an on-air newscaster who recently froze up on camera and has been sent to Newcastle for a six-month fill-in position. The pair suddenly find themselves very much back in each other’s lives and sparks previously ignored are larger than ever.
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Zac is still processing the loss of his fiance, just now finally getting his life back on track two years later. Josie suffers from health anxiety, whether she wants to admit that to herself or not, and this pulls the book into darker territory for sure. I didn’t need every other chapter to be a flashback to their previous history, some were great additions, but others felt unnecessary and distracting.

Cute book, and I enjoyed the deeper topics within this romance, but it just didn't work overall for me. As a young adult suffering from major health anxiety, there was a lot of personal comparisons I could make with Josie. However, she was a character that just kept making bad decision after bad decision. She was childish and jealous, and pretty selfish. It made it hard for me to root for her in the long run and to see how Zak would want her. The hold up between the two main characters would have been solved with just a single conversation, but instead it drug on throughout the whole book. I feel like if the chapters that go back in time were cut, the book would have been smoother for me and kept my interest more. These scenes didn't necessarily add much to the romance and I wanted more of the romance from the current period. I think there are readers that will really enjoy this novel and especially the complexity with the deeper topics such as health anxiety, and drunk driving.

This book caught me off guard! (in the best way). It was surprisingly emotional, while still being cute and funny the whole way through. Josie and Zac have been best friends for years, but have been out of touch for the past two years (I won't spoil why!) their bond is shaken, but certainly not broken. What ensues is a adorable friends to lovers story, with plenty of pining, mental health struggles, and sweet moments.

Josie and Zac come off as super relatable, both with their own struggles and needs and they had me pretty emotional throughout! This was my first read by Natalie Murray and I can't wait to dive into more!

Love, Just In, by Natalie Murray, is a good book to grab for a fun quick read. Fun characters, banter, and a bit of serious add up to an interesting story.Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow.
I could not put this book down. It made me laugh, it made me cry, I loved it.
I could relate so much with Josie with her health anxiety and anxiety in general, it felt good to be reading about a character a little bit like me.
Asides from that, the tension between Josie and Zac almost killed me. Knowing they were both perfect for each other but not quite there yet had me not putting the book down until I could see if they'd figured it out.
Natalie Murray is definitely on my auto buy author list now.
Big thank you to Netgalley and Allen & Unwin for providing me with the advanced copy of this book.