Love, Just In

by Natalie Murray

In the vein of Emily Henry's You and Me On Vacation , Love, Just In is a friends-to-lovers romance with all the tropes that romance readers love best.

Sydney TV news reporter Josephine "Josie" Larsen is approaching 30 and coming dangerously close to failing at life. Lost in a vortex of other people's career milestones, engagement parties, and baby showers, Josie is perennially single, abandoned by her globetrotting family, and invisible to her boss - except for the one time he tuned in while she was mid-panic attack on live TV. As a punishment, Josie is shipped off to cover another reporter's six-month leave at a regional bureau in Newcastle.

But Josie has more waiting for her in Newcastle than yawn-inducing stories about bicycle lane protests. The city is also the domain of Zac Jameson - her best friend since high school. This should be a happy turn of events, but Zac has barely spoken to Josie for the past two years. Not since his fiancee tragically died in his arms in a car accident and he left Sydney to try and cope with his grief.

Now thrown back into each other's lives, Josie and Zac have to navigate their neglected friendship and secret attraction to each other while struggling with their careers and mental health.

Hilarious, sexy and heart-warming, this is the perfect romcom to sit on the shelves alongside Emily Henry, Sally Thorne and Ali Hazelwood.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Mental Health

462 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2024

About the author

Natalie Murray is a bestselling author of honest, heartfelt romance. Her breakout novel, Love, Just In, was published by Allen & Unwin in January 2024, followed by Lights, Camera, Love in August 2025. Her third novel, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, will be published in January 2027. Natalie is also the author of a time-travel romance series that’s currently in development for television, and co-writes heartwarming rom-coms with American author Jenny Fyfe, including their small-town romances Hating the Best Man and Loving the Worst Man.

Before becoming an author, Natalie was an entertainment reporter for Sky News, where she interviewed many high-profile celebrities like Elton John, Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, Dustin Hoffman, Matt Damon, Cameron Diaz, and Jerry Seinfeld. Natalie grew up in Sydney, Australia, and is the daughter of cookbook author Eva Stovern and the late Australian football icon Les Murray.

When she's not writing books, you can find Natalie clinging to her family (literally; she's super affectionate), packing or unpacking a suitcase, making lists of things she'll never have time for because she's too busy making lists, or playing on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. You can visit Natalie at nataliemurrayauthor.com.

Reviews

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

It always feels so special and homey to read books by Australian authors, set in Australian settings. This friends to lovers story felt heartwarming, and I love how much depth the story had. It had a great balance between flirty & fun moments, and serious & deep discussions. Both our love interests are dealing with some heavy things, and I felt like I really got to understand them as individuals.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I did feel frustrated by some of decisions made by certain characters, which held me back from really falling in love with the story. But if you're looking for a friends-to-lovers romance with a lot of depth, I do recommend this one.

Trigger warning - discussions of cancer, death of a loved one & health anxiety.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took the plunge with this one, a contemporary ‘it’ book romance. Not a common one for me, so I notice straight away all the things that obstruct the HEA, miscommunication, all the bloody stumbling blocks! I assume it’s a thing and you just have to plough through, even knowing it will all ok in the end. Which I suppose means I’m missing the point and overthink it! I know I’m not the target audience, but it was light and fun. Perhaps a tad long as it did seem to drag in parts. This was made more palatable by listening, and the narrators were fab.

Health anxiety was an interesting and valid theme as I always love to learn, and I have to say I’m grateful I’ve never had a problem with this. It was tricky watching Josie grapple with this as my experience is opposite. Just go to the doc! Now I understand it’s not this simple, more intriguing as the author states in her acknowledgements that she suffers from this, it is real.

The author, young and bubbly was an entertainment reporter in days gone by. I love when an author has experience in the content, I feel confident it translates well to the page.

Josie’s best friend from school has loved her forever, but they missed their chance. Tragedy has distanced them for a couple of years but now she’s back in Zac’s realm. She’s turned up in his orbit to do her best in landing a front facing reporting gig, with a contract at the local television station.

The location played a great role in this book, the author has really sold it as a fun mix of Melbourne cafes, mural art and awesome beaches. It’s not far from me and I want to visit soon!

I (mostly) loved the banter between Josie and Zac which was at times very humorous, and the comfort factor they had with each other gave the read the same vibe. On the other hand, I appreciated the more serious themes the author delved into. Drink driving played a big part here, though I did find myself surprised in Josie’s lack of insight into some of her involvement in this.

After much toing and froing between these two young and attractive main characters, some raunchy and spunky sex scenes which I thought were well written, this was a fun ride. Really slotting well into the trendy genre.

I think this will easily find its place into the current market and will be a valuable addition to those who love it and can bare the inevitability.

This was a funny quote, delivered in a perfect slapstick way. I needed to borrow the eBook to find the particular quote, which I found with ease (man, public libraries rock, as does Libraries Australia. The whole process took about 4 minutes).

'I might go on my own,' I decide. 'Go stag. 'I think only boys can go stag. That's why it's "stag", like a male deer.' 'Really? What about girls, then? Does that mean girls go "doe"?' Zac frowns. 'Maybe hen. You'd go "hen", I think.'

I listened to this via the Libby platform and my local library. Narrator Maddy Withington nailed it, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting the finale with Zac. The author is in the middle of her launch tour, and it looks like it’s been awesome.

3.5 rounded to 4⭐️

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray

Friends to lovers | Second Chance | Mental Health | Australian Author | Slow Burn

•Sydney TV News Reporter, Josie Larsen, thinks her life is at a standstill until she covers another reporters six month leave in Newcastle. Zac Jameson her best friend since high school also lives in Newcastle who she hasn’t spoken to in 2 years. Will this move to Newcastle bring Josie and Zac together?
•I enjoyed the beginning of this book but it then seem to drag in the middle. I am a firm believer of “he wanted to then he would”. I didn’t buy the chemistry between Josie and Zac. I felt like there were too many tropes that it took away some depth and heart from the storyline. I liked how the book switched between past and present. I’m on the fence with this one.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 out of 5 stars!

Did I hear that this book has 'childhood-friends-to-lovers' trope?

*smashes that to-read button*

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray

Friends to lovers | Second Chance | Mental Health | Australian Author | Slow Burn

•Sydney TV News Reporter, Josie Larsen, thinks her life is at a standstill until she covers another reporters six month leave in Newcastle. Zac Jameson her best friend since high school also lives in Newcastle who she hasn’t spoken to in 2 years. Will this move to Newcastle bring Josie and Zac together?
•I enjoyed the beginning of this book but it then seem to drag in the middle. I am a firm believer of “he wanted to then he would”. I didn’t buy the chemistry between Josie and Zac. I felt like there were too many tropes that it took away some depth and heart from the storyline. I liked how the book switched between past and present. I’m on the fence with this one.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

[Inés Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am telling you guys my heart grew legs and walked out of my chest to spend the day in this book. It was utterly emotional, a friend's to lovers romance that I never knew I needed.

The piece of anxiety in this story was relatable, it held my hand saying I see you. I loved this story to pieces.

[Noi (in & out)]

I need some fluff, is this going to be it?
------------------------
50% update: not fluff

- Health anxiety
- Death of a family member from cancer
- Death of a loved one from a car accident
- Alcoholism & driving while intoxicated
- Friends to lovers

Why I stopped:
- The FMC is being stupid
- The MMC didn't tell the FMC about the dude
- The FMC thinks about the MMC while dating someone else
- The FMC is ignoring red flags for way too long
- The guy the FMC is 'dating'

[aims.readsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not even slightly surprised that I enjoyed ‘Love, Just In’ as much as I did. It is, after all, set in my side of the world - and it’s a rom-com!

However, as the story went on, I also found myself appreciating the fact that the main character suffered a similar sort of anxiety to me - and unlike other instances I’ve come across in other books over the years, I feel like the approach to present such in this was written particularly well. Real and raw, but respectful!

Thank you to NetGalley, Allen & Unwin, and of course, Natalie Murray, for the opportunity to read ‘Love, Just In’ before its release yesterday.

Following Josie, a newsreader, who has relocated to Newcastle from Sydney for work for six months, the book takes us on the awkward at times journey she experiences settling into her temporary home.

In addition to adjusting to her new surroundings, and meeting the demands of her new job, Josie finds herself struggling more than ever with anxiety about her health - and as if that wasn’t enough on her plate, she’s also realising just how much she has drifted away from a long-time friend.

Zac lives in the same area now too, and although he is happy to help Josie find her feet, it’s clear to see that their connection has faded in the two years that they stopped speaking as frequently to each other.

Although Josie’s heart is broken by the revelation, and she’s sad to see Zac struggling with his own things too, she’s determined to do everything she can to rekindle what they’ve lost.

At risk of sharing spoilers, I’ll leave the synopsis there, but I will say, it features the friends to lovers trope, and it’s amazing what can come from a bit of time and patience.

‘Love, Just In’ is written with alternating timelines, and as mentioned above, I appreciated the depth added into the storyline. This wasn’t at times, a light read, but it was all through, a good one - and I recommend it!

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Just In is a friends-to-lovers romance, with a little bit of heat, a peek behind-the-scenes in a TV newsroom, and a few well-timed public health messages. As a dyed-in-the-wool Sydneysider, who wouldn’t move to Newcastle no matter how hot the paramedic boyfriend is, I felt a bit slighted by all the city slander and country life propaganda… but besides that, Love, Just In is a fun read with a resonant message about health anxiety.

My full review of Love, Just In is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good romance that deals with so many serious issues. Josie the fmc, is a newsreporter who struggles with health anxiety and seeing people in her life with cancer. Zac, the mmc is a paramedic who is dealing with grief and past trauma. They are also childhood best friends who drifted apart because of different things in the past. When Josie moves to the city that Zac is in, we see them start to rekindle their friendship even though things are different than it was in the past. This is written in Josie's pov with present and different past chapters, and we see how their friendship started, the more than friendship feelings about each other and events in their lives that have shaped them. The romance was cute, but it's a slow burn, there's some miscommunication and a lot of angst. I really liked the portrayal of health anxiety because I've been there, and I related a lot with Josie. I did want to see more of them together without any conflict, but overall, this was a very solid romance with real issues.

Tropes/themes:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Australian setting
- Mental health and anxiety rep
- Healing from grief and loss
- Some steamy scenes

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

[Jen's Quick & Dirty Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔️Single POV (except the epilogue)
✔️Set in Australia
✔️Contemporary romance
✔️Friends to lovers

This book follows two friends about 15 years out of high school. Zac and Josie have missed their chance to become more than friends many times. Now, they live in two different places, and Zac is dating someone else. Josie is batting hypochondria about developing cancer. Her fear of death has been developing since Zac’s college girlfriend died in a car accident — with Zac in the passenger seat.

The health anxiety takes center stage in the last third of the book. Josie finds a lump in her breast, and she is also assigned multiple breast cancer awareness stories in her work as a TV reporter. When her career and anxiety meet, she continues to mess up advancement opportunities with on-air panic attacks.

Starting a story in high school is not my favorite plotting device. It immediately makes the characters seem too juvenile for real romance. The non-chronological time jumps continue throughout the book. Leaps back in time can take you away from the building suspense and don’t always add to the story or character development. Editing these down could have make this 400+ page book tighter.

The love confession was truly beautiful, and there were a couple of exquisitely spicy scenes that made the wait worthwhile!

Rating: 4 stars!

Content warnings: Health anxiety; breast cancer

ARC copy acquired through Net Galley with approval from Allen & Unwin.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josie moves out of Sydney to pursue her TV news career. This move also brings her to the same town as her estranged BFF, Zac Jameson. While Josie and Zac try to reform their friendship, more feelings are brought to the surface. While this was an extremely amusing story, overall, I had a harder time connecting with Josie as a character. This made the book a longer read for me.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a great friends to lovers romance, this is the book for you! It has all the feels you could want.

Description:
Sydney TV news reporter Josephine "Josie" Larsen is approaching 30 and coming dangerously close to failing at life. Lost in a vortex of other people's career milestones, engagement parties, and baby showers, Josie is perennially single, abandoned by her globetrotting family, and invisible to her boss - except for the one time he tuned in while she was mid-panic attack on live TV. As a punishment, Josie is shipped off to cover another reporter's six-month leave at a regional bureau in Newcastle.

But Josie has more waiting for her in Newcastle than yawn-inducing stories about bicycle lane protests. The city is also the domain of Zac Jameson - her best friend since high school. This should be a happy turn of events, but Zac has barely spoken to Josie for the past two years. Not since his fiancee tragically died in his arms in a car accident and he left Sydney to try and cope with his grief.

Now thrown back into each other's lives, Josie and Zac have to navigate their neglected friendship and secret attraction to each other while struggling with their careers and mental health.

Hilarious, sexy and heart-warming, this is the perfect romcom to sit on the shelves alongside Emily Henry, Sally Thorne and Ali Hazelwood.

My Thoughts:
This was a rollercoaster ride of a romance. These friends since high school were both pushing each other in other directions, but they were the best of friends. Both Josie and Zac were dealing with their own different traumas they were trying to overcome. The traumas and their work had pushed them apart and their friendship was in peril. This is an emotional romance with both sadness and joy. There are some hot, steamy encounters that will get your blood racing. There are heart-warming interludes filled with love and honesty. If you like a good romance, you will love this one.

Thanks to Allen & Unwin through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 3, 2024.

[LindaPf · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Love, Just In” follows the path of a friends-to-lovers romance, but this story is multi-layered, emotional and very serious. Josie and Zac aren’t trying to overcome simple disagreements that have kept them apart, but some tragic moments that keep threatening their future. Fourteen years ago, teenaged Zac asked Josie out, but she passed. She didn’t pass on remaining as his loyal friend, though, through university. But the passage of time since their school days has torn them apart: she’s a newscaster with bouts of crippling panic attacks and an irrational fear of getting cancer and dying young. Zac was a successful paramedic until he lost his girlfriend in a car accident — overwhelmed with grief, he moved from Sydney to Newcastle. Newcastle wasn’t in Josie’s plans until it’s the last chance she has to keep her career after an on-air meltdown. She’s there for just six months (still gripped by health anxiety and hypochondria), but she and Zac find themselves re-exploring their friendship as flawed adults.

If you’re drawn to romances with lots of laughter and bantering, this might not be for you. This is a thoughtful, well-written narrative about love, friendship, grief and mental health and it’s guaranteed to produce a few tears. Yet, you’ll be rooting for this couple all the way. 4 stars.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Although it’s Zac with the golden-green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Josie’s friend Lola does bring herb a huge bouquet of native flowers.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Laraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, WOW!! I won’t actually say just how late I stayed up to finish this last night, but I literally COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It spoke to my heart and had me crying like a baby, so naturally, an easy 5⭐️!!

These characters were so multi-layered, each dealing with their own past traumas. Josie has crippling health anxiety and Zac is dealing with grief from a past relationship. They lean on each other and support each other so beautifully while each person is dealing with the fallout from traumatic events from their pasts. There were beautiful, light moments, but also some heart wrenching and heartbreaking moments.

I loved the text message exchanges, mental health representation, cute dog side character, and Josie’s and Zac’s sweet friendship most of all. This book was such a pleasant surprise! I did not expect it to be so phenomenal! Go request this on NetGalley now and grab it when it comes out this January!!

TW: grief, anxiety, car accidents, cancer

Thank you to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. 💕

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author Natalie Murray, publishers Allen & Unwin, and NetGalley for a complimentary digital copy. All views are mine.

Opening Quote: 'You can be with people and still be alone.' Loc.384

I don't think this book was too bad, but rather just really "not for me"!

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I like the hypochondriac element of the fmc's development. It's a fascinating form for her anxiety to take. Hopefully the author won't take it to a stereotypical or sanist place.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The style is, in part, overwritten. The narrator often describes the same detail twice or more. This tendency contributes to the book's bloated size.

2. Honestly, I cannot relate less to a character's motivations for a novel than this: Oh my god, is she right? Could I actually win this job? After that , all I would need would be to fall in love with an incredible man, get married on the beach in Hawaii, and be pregnant. All my ambitions achieved before I’m thirty— tick, tick, tick. Loc.477

3. I think this book is a bit sanist in how it looks at its fmc. For example, at Loc.1301, the fmc herself stigmatized her own socially acceptable behavior.

Rating: 😬😬.5 nervous leads
Recommend? not really.
Finished: Dec 31 '23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetG0alley
Read this book if you like:
💋 romance
🎥 journalism
💜 prose
🩻 characters anxious about health

[Mikaela (miks.only.books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

‘𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙊𝙆?’ 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙡𝙮. ‘𝙄𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩.’ 🥹

Wow, this book absolutely stole my heart and I could not put it down! It also had me laughing out loud & tearing up like a baby, and if you know me, you know that I only cry while reading if l've been able to connect to the characters on a deep level. And let me tell you - Zac and Josie had SO MUCH DEPTH 🥹

Josie, a Sydney TV news reporter, is feeling a little lost in life, is about to turn 30, and is struggling with health anxiety. After having a panic-attack on live TV, Josie is 'shipped off' to work at another news station in Newcastle. This is where she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Zac who Josie had lost touch with after an extremely traumatic accident. Both Josie and Zac navigate rebuilding their friendship and their undeniable attraction for each other, their careers and their mental health.

Oh Zac - the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful and caring man. The way Natalie was able to write Zac's character and his grief was awe inspiring; he is relatable, real and I was constantly wanting to learn more about him.

I really connected with Josie and her anxiety, which I felt was a very true and raw representation of mental health. The feeling of always putting others first so as not to let them worry about you, at the expense of your own wellbeing, is something I know a little all too well.

Zac and Josie had so much banter and humour, I was laughing out loud, smirking and kicking my feet! Also the scene where they fall asleep on the couch watching old music videos did something to my heart 🥹

If you're a fan of Emily Henry's 'You and Me on Vacation', then I think you'll absolutely love this raw, funny, steamy, heartfelt and incredibly deep friends to lovers rom-com.

Thank you Natalie for writing this book and I cannot wait to read more of your work!

❤️ Tropes: friends to lovers, forced proximity, he falls first, text messages, second chance romance.

❤️ Trigger warnings: grief, loss, cancer, mental health.

[Lily Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys SO FUN!!! a rom com emily henry vibes set in sydney/ newcastle.

not always a fan of friends to lovers but THE YEARNJNG !!! i was sat, fr read in one day

also i totally get the sydney girly vibing with newy, i too hate sydney traffic

Zac is SO hot (not charlie lastra but close) like fr he’s so kind and thoughtful, sadly fiction 😪

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mental health and anxiety!

Friends to lovers romance that’s complicated, heart breaking and strangely surprising. Set in Australia this is the tale of two friends.
Josie Larson and Zac Jameson have been friends since they first met years ago when Josie changed schools, from a private girls school to the local high school
They did everything together. When Zac asks her to be his girlfriend, Josie said No but even then she’d wondered about a Yes!
They went to university together, had too much to drink together, laughed and mourned—together.
Now it’s fifteen years later and Josie’s a television journalist. Recently she had a panic attack on air and froze. In an attempt to regain her mojo and prove she’s fine, Josie’s moving from Sydney down to Newcastle to consolidate her experience. She has an eye to reclaiming her reputation, and anchoring the Sydney desk in the near future.
Zac is in Newcastle, a paramedic. He’s been through a hard time with his fiancé dying in his arms after a car accident a few years ago. He and Josie had lost touch.
Josie makes contact with Zac and a new chapter begins with plenty of drama, treasured moments and surprises.
The story moves along at a fast pace, poised between the past and now.
An intriguing and absorbing read. I adored it.
There’s plenty of humor, hand in hand with more serious moments of Josie’s health anxiety, an illness that is real, obsessive and lonely.

An Allen & Unwin ARC invite via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

[Dwon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Josie and Zac have been best friends for 14 years, but have lost touch in the past 2 years due to living in different cities (Josie lives in Sydney and Zac in Newcastle). When Josie has to go to Newcastle for work, the 2 friends reconnect and catch up on what's been going on in each of their lives.
This is a very slow burn romance that deals with a few heavy topics (health anxiety, cancer, tragic car accidents). The story was enjoyable enough but it felt like it was a little too long. I understand going back and forth between the past and present to give the main characters a more detailed back story, but in my opinion a few of the chapters that dealt with the past could have been omitted without negatively affecting the storyline.
I also really wish the author would have had a character (any character!) mention that light beer doesn't mean light/less buzz (if you read the story you'll know what I'm talking about).
Overall a decent read.

[Sherry Bice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I was drawn to this book because of the cover, I'm a sucker for a cartoon cover and this is so bright it just draws you in.
Love, Just In is set in Newcastle, Australia which is my hometown! I was born in Newcastle and have always lived within an hours drive. I love seeing all the local suburbs pop up in this book, it make it super sentimental.
The FMC Josie suffers from major health anxiety which is something I can closely relate to. I feel like I was honestly MEANT to read this book!
This book made me feel less alien and that's an incredible feeling when your mind wanders off and you feel alone in your anxiety.
One of my favourite tropes is friends-to-lovers and this book hit that brief HARD. It was a beautiful journey that Josie and Zac went on, it made turning pages super easy and enjoyable.
This is a book that I will always recommend.
Thankyou to NetGalley, Allen & Unwin and Natalie Murray for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can't wait to buy it and re-read it again!

[Dona's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Melissa Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

So fun to read a book based in the city I live in! This was pretty cheesy at times, but a nice story and easy read.

[Nicole | nikiashreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve been interested in reading more books that are published or written outside of the USA. As someone who’s always dreamed of visiting Australia, I was excited to get a peek into the country and its culture through this book. Having the set-up of friends-to-lovers only sweetened the deal. However, this novel ended up being bittersweet—with an emphasis on the bitter.

The first three chapters of this novel were the strongest. The writing was clear, the emotions were coming off the page, and I was genuinely excited to learn more about Josie, Zac, and the tragedy that tore them apart. Murray did an excellent job of setting up the characters, the heartbreak, and Josie’s health anxiety (more on that later). But things derailed after those initial chapters.

The story derailed because of two characters: Josie and Zac. I’m not sure that I want to label this book as a romance because these two characters were so toxic and immature toward each other. They couldn’t seem to stop hurting each other or themselves in attempts to avoid their “romantic” feelings. They seemed insistent on avoiding their own feelings, miscommunicating (through failing to listen to each other), and never grew as people falling in love (i.e. lack of character development). Although, I will give Murray props for writing in a great example of boundary setting. When it came down to it, Zac was unafraid to set a boundary and place space between himself and Josie to figure out his headspace. And did Josie’s narration do a good job of expressing anxiety? Absolutely yes. And I say that because it triggered my own anxiety to the point that I had to set the book down and return to it when I was in a headspace where I could continue reading it.

I recognize that the author used this book to explore health anxiety—a facet of anxiety that is not wildly represented in media—and was presenting it in the best way she could. However, for me personally, I don’t think it was handled well. It is one thing to explore and represent anxiety, it’s another altogether to not provide enough page space to properly address how to care for yourself when living with anxiety.

As someone who lives with generalized anxiety disorder, I get it. Anxiety can make you illogical and fearful and emotional. But, at some point, something gives, and you must do better by yourself and the people in your lives. Which means facing anxiety and getting the help and support you need. Seeing Josie languish in her anxiety and refuse to do anything about it for 350+ pages made for a difficult and frustrating read. One, it was incredibly triggering to remain in that anxious headspace for so long (there should have been a trigger warning—more on that shortly). Two, there was a hampering of Josie’s developmental arc because she would not take the steps to treat her anxiety. The entire second half of the novel could have been different if her developmental arc had been reworked. And I say that because this story gave us 91% of Josie’s health anxiety and 9% of her character growth and doing something about her anxiety. (Yes, 91% is the percentage marker where Josie found her agency and began doing something about her anxiety.)

This is a statement I stand by: the book should have opened with the author’s note and a trigger warning. The author’s note was tucked away at the end of the novel with a justification that the note would have spoiled a major plot point if it was included in the front. For me, that justification was a weak one. At minimum, the entire paragraph about health anxiety should have been presented before the first chapter of this book.

Overall, I was let down by this book. I was expecting a fun romcom set in Australia. Instead, it was emotionally draining to read and failed to handle heavier topics utilized as plot points. And I certainly wouldn’t label this book as being like any Emily Henry book.

TW: health anxiety, death of a partner (off page), car accident

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Just In is an engaging contemporary romance novel from Australian Natalie Murray.

After having a panic attack while reporting live on air Josephine Larsen is banished to cover another reporter's six-month leave at the regional bureau in Newcastle. Nearing 30, perennially single, and steeped in anxiety, the only silver lining to her demotion is the chance to reconnect with her best friend, Zac Jameson, even though they have barely spoken for two years.

Friends-to-lovers is generally my preferred romance trope, and some of my favourite parts of Love, Just In were the flashback moments that showed Josie and Zac as teenagers and young adults. The ‘will they/won’t they’ of their adult relationship is far more complicated and there’s plenty of angst and miscommunication between the couple before they work things out. Zac’s hesitation in pursuing Josie makes sense, especially once certain information is revealed. Josie’s treatment of Zac frustrating at times, even knowing it stems from her own insecurities.

Murray touches on several serious subjects in Love, Just In including drink driving, grief, illness, and health anxiety. I found the latter to be an interesting topic that the author explored with sensitivity and compassion and I feel it’s something many can relate to at some level. There is some humour too, but I think the description of the story as a romcom is over generous.

I was a fan of the setting, since it’s familiar with Newcastle being just a few hours south of me.

I do like a happy ending, and though perhaps a tad long at over 450 pages, I found Love, Just In to be a pleasant and satisfying read.

[Seth (DramaKingBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend’s to lovers rom-com that will just tug at your heartstrings. Told with glimpses of the past and in the present day, at the start we meet Joise Lawson, now a reporter for a major news network in Sydney, Australia who’s been moved to Newcastle for 6 months on assignment. For 2 years she’s barely communicated with her best friend of 14 years Zac Jameson, who works as a paramedic in…well…Newcastle. Forced to finally face each other and deal with the trauma of their fallout and the past two years of sparse communication will they be able to salvage their friendship and maybe break the tension that’s existed between them for the past 14 years? You’ll have to find out.

Natalie Murray has crafted a delicate love story that tells a realistic tale of the intricacies of crossing the threshold from friends to lovers laced with tense moments and heavy emotional baggage that makes these characters feel so real. Joise and Zac both are prime examples of humans who have been through immense trauma and are dealing with the aftermath. While flawed and hurt, this does not define them however, through this story we see them work on themselves in order to finally, maybe, be together and continue their work as one.

On a personal note, as someone who has dealt with health anxiety in the past, Murray addresses is so beautifully, highlighting the reality of a serious situation in the midst of this gorgeous love story. I was so struck with how deeply I resonated with Josie in that way as she battles her anxiety to learn how to live her life again. Something I wish people still had more empathy for today.


A deeply touching, and intensely relatable rom-com that left me with trails of happy tears by the end, I highly recommend this book. Also, if you love Emily Henry’s work, this is a romance novel for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Allen & Unwin for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Scarf Rating: 🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣(5/5)

Taylor Swift songs I associate with this book: Now That We Don’t Talk, Out of the Woods, Style, How You Get The Girl, This Love, You Are In Love, long story short, Labyrinth, this is me trying, Sparks Fly, That’s When

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Just In by Natalie Murray. This is a new to me author.

Friends to lovers
Second chance
Forced proximity
OW / OM drama
Slow burn
Steam factor 3/5
The story is laid out well. Good character development and no major plot holes.
4 stars.

It took me a bit longer to finish this book than is typical for me. I struggled to get hooked on the story. The blurb doesn’t convey the level of angst and heartache the characters are contending with and proper trigger warnings need to be added. The story is told from Josie’s POV.

Josie and Zac are friends, former best friends. They drifted apart after Zac suffered a horrific loss.
Josie is a reporter in Sydney. She temporarily relocates for an assignment, putting her in Zac’s new hometown. She is desperate to make an impression and win an opportunity for advancement at her station. She is also hoping to reconnect with Zac and find her best friend again.

Josie suffers from what she calls ‘health anxiety’, which at times is debilitating and holding her back from enjoying her life. Zac has his own struggles, he is slowly finding his footing and rebuilding his life and career. Having Josie in town seems to be a mixed blessing. He clearly wants to spend time with her, yet it’s evident he’s holding back, leaving Josie very confused and more anxious.

The author spent a considerable amount of time sharing & explaining their history, which is told in flashbacks between the past and present. Josie and Zac needed to trust in themselves and each other, to open up and have the hard conversations they have avoided for the past several years. Until they do that neither one will truly be happy. The epilogue was an happy emotional bonus.

The constant focus on Josie’s health and mental state was at times overwhelming. I appreciated the author’s note at the end, explaining how this subject was a personal one for her.

[Liberty · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars feels like a harsh review for a rom com book but I didn’t like it, had to give up at 30%.

Main gripes:
- the female main character had no depth and was an asshole.
- the two main characters were both in relationships with other people but “joking” about how they wanted to fuck each other and they had a super inappropriate friendship which made me feel icky.
- trying too hard to be You and Me on Vacation.
- clunky writing and weird choices (the mushroom burger thing, the Halloween party, Zac’s T-shirts).

[Larissa Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgally for the ARC of this one. I *loved* it.

Rounding down to 4 because everything wraps up a little too neatly, and sometimes the characters were a little cheesy but it was the love story I didn’t know that I needed.

I relate SO WELL with the main character who is a hypochondriac to the Nth degree and convinced everything is cancer.

And the love story had me hooked from the very beginning, rooting for Zac and Josie to get together and screaming at them when they were being idiots.

So good & a little spicy warning at ~ 60% 😅

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.