Love, Just In

by Natalie Murray

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

While this book is compared to the likes of Emily Henry, Sally Thorne and Ali Hazelwood, it does march to the beat of its own drum - whether that is a positive or negative is up to the reader. With similarities of the People Who We Meet on Vacation (timeline jumps, historical reference, flashbacks), Love, Just In is a slow-burn tale of two people who are so embedded in each others lives, they can seem to separate friendship from real feels, giving way to a rollercoaster ride of emotions when the stars align and they finally collide. Natalie Murray does an excellent job taking away the rose colored glasses of what we wish romance could be and reveals the truth: It's messy, it hurts, and it isn't an easy journey to navigate.

Josie Larsen just wants to be an anchor! You wouldn't think it should be that hard but after an on-air mishap, she just can't seem to catch a break. Things go from bad to worse when she is reassigned to Newcastle to cover for another reporter. Leaving her friends, family, and home behind - she makes her way to purgatory to live out her sentence. The one bonus, she will finally be able to reconnect with her best friend from her childhood and college years. Thick as thieves once upon a time, a tragedy pulled them apart two years prior; but, she is hoping to rekindle their friend-mance - especially since he offered to pick her up from the train station (promising!) What should have been a long awaited reunion quickly turns into awkward silences, tense moments, and proof that what they once had may be long gone. Never one to back down from a challenge, Josie is determined for her and Zac to find their way back to each, never expecting the path she ends up on will change the trajectory of their bond forever.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I did not care for the characters. Josie was written to be a smart, well-rounded, down to earth, and likable person but Natalie made her far too clueless and obtuse. Sorry but no one can possibly be as oblivious as she often was throughout the story. I found her inability to read Zac continuously frustrating. This was her best friend since she was 13, clearly liked her enough to ask her out, and yet 16 years later - she still can’t seem to register that he holds a candle for her. Her off-color comments are hurtful but again, she can’t seem to stop proving that she would rather kiss or date anyone associated with him, but never him.

Zac wasn't an easy pill to swallow either. Again, Natalie attempted to portray him as the kind, loving, caring individual that got along with everyone but when you read his interaction with people - he often came across as a jerk. Understanding his feelings ran deep, he still lashed out at Josie with jealously, was rude to any man in her life, and was just not the charmer Josie described him as. 

Despite the disdain for the characters, the story itself was promising. Josie's struggle with anxiety and mental health issues was as real as it gets. I can see her in so many women who are struggling with genetic health fears and the dread of "ground hog day" - i.e. feeling stuck all while coping with the dreaded 30. Her impending reconnection with Zac makes you feel like it is going to be your typical second chance but Zac has been through the wringing and back again as paramedic dealing with his own grief and trauma. The injection of coping skills, therapy, and survival were enlightening throughout the story. 

I do applaud that Natalie did not shy away from the big issues, and instead tackled them head on. Again, health anxiety, grief, and trauma are all front and center. She jumps between past and present so that the reader can have a full understanding of what is happening and how the main characters have changed over time and what has made them who they are in the present (which was insanely helpful).

Speaking of the leaping timelines, the overall structure of the book made it just engaging enough that you didn't want to put it down; however, the story did have a tendency to drag out whenever we were in the present day - making some moments of the slow burn romance more dull than enthralling. 

Slow and frustrating at times, Love, Just In takes you on an emotional roller coaster, packing a punch with its deep dive into mental health, friendship, and second chances, all while perfectly capturing the essence of was is, what was, and what could be.