Member Reviews

If you're looking for a fun, sweet, friends to fake dating to lovers book, grab this NOW!

I loved "It's Complicated" - it had such an authentic feel to it throughout that most people could find relatable. Three best friends from college who have spent years together working on their careers as doctors. Sometimes the best impression and most down to earth people aren't really the ones we need. Sometimes the bad boy of the group has a secret crush.

I loved Lori - she's quirky, smart, professional, and awkward (yes it's possible to be all of the above). She has two best friends, Jace and Aiden, and the three of them are inseparable. Until one day a wedding invitation arrives.

Camilla does a fantastic job of beautifully telling this story of second chances in love, and friendship, and I fell in love with Jace.
I could not get enough of this book and was a little sad when it was over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 23 Feb 2024

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'It's Complicated' by Camilla Isley.

Read and reviewed for Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books, Bold Book Club, Book & Tonic, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources Tours.

Publication date 23rd February 2024.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely wont be my last!!

This novel consists of 39 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book has fantastic descriptions that set you straight in the scenes. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

OMG!!! I absolutely LOVED this gorgeous page turner and I cannot WAIT to get stuck into more of this fantastic author's previous and future books! In this fantastic book we meet 3 people who have been best friends for most of their lives. However, some of them feel more than friendship for others than they keep close to their hearts. Camilla brilliantly executes the storyline through the multiple protagonists of Lori and Jace and weaves their chapters together perfectly giving the reader a bigger picture of how they are feeling and what they are thinking. In this friends to lovers and love triangle book of romance Lori is in love with Aidan but Aidan has no idea she feels this way. Jace is in love with Lori but knows about her feelings for Aidan so keeps his feelings close to his heart. However, when Lori convinces Jace to begin a fake relationship with her in order to make Aidan jealous and realise it is her h really wants and not Aidan's fiancee Kirsten, well things get very, very complicated indeed!! Will Aidan and Kirsten marry? Will Jace find happiness? Will Lori fall in love with Jace? Well, you will just have to grab your copy of this fantastic page turner today wont you! I absolutely adored the unique storyline which is hard to come by when it comes to romance books as there are so many out there but Camilla has created an absolutely gorgeous storyline which I absolutely loved!!!! The storyline is stunning and is ram packed with friendship, romance, secrets, fun, miscommunication, love triangles and so, so much more!! It truly is is an absolutely fantastic, fun, romantic read!!! This is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is looking for a gorgeous and relaxing read that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely LOVED the realism of this storyline which made it so easy to picture everything that was going on which had been helped by Camilla's fantastic evocative writing skills. I cannot wait to get hooked into more of Camilla's books so I hope she is busy writing her next page turner while I get stuck into her previous books!! This is definitely one of those books that will turn a frown upside down and make life seem a lot brighter. Grab your copy today and fall in love with It's Complicated today!!!

I absolutely fell in love with all the characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I was completely invested in them all. It also makes them more realistic, believable and made me feel even more for them than I normally would. I adored watching the dynamics, friendships and relationships develop and change between Jace, Lori and Aiden. i was rooting for poor Jace from the start to the end and I thought he was an absolutely perfect gentleman who even dodged many opportunities that could have helped him. My heart also went out to Lori though as it must be absolutely heartbreaking for her to watch her best friend that she has fallen in love with in a realtionship and planning a wedding with somebody else! I was just so invested in them all and lost count on the number of times that I was shouting at the pages to Lori and Jace determined to make them see what i could!! They were all just fantastic and memorable characters that had me laughing, shouting, smiling and so much more thanks to Camilla's emotive writing skills and brilliant characterisation. It is obvious that Camilla actually cares about which shines through in the depth of her writing and is something I always love seeing when I read a book as it makes me even more invested in them when they are so realistically created!! They quickly felt more like friends than fictional characters which led to the only downfall of the book and that is that these amazing characters live only on the pages of this brilliant book. However, they will also live on in my mind for a long time and I already miss them! There were just so many amazing characters that I loved getting to know that I could write about them all day but I don't want to bore you so I'll start to wrap it up here. Camilla's fantastic evocative writing skills ensures each of the characters come to life in front of your eyes as you turn the pages. Each of the characters are memorable and unique in their own ways and they are a group that I wont be forgetting any time soon! I am gutted I may not meet them again but am definitely looking forward to more fantastic characters created by this absolutely brilliant author!! Well done Camilla!

Congratulations Camilla on an absolutely fantastic and fun read that I just could not put down!!! I cannot wait to read more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Camilla's 'baby One More Time' which promises to be just as gorgeous as this book. It is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!

Overall an unputdownable, gorgeous, fun page turning book filled with sass, romance, fun, laughter, friendship and so much more!! A perfectly relaxing and stunning read!!!!

277 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback at time of review via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I have read and enjoyed several of Camilla's books, but this one was love at first chapter! I practically inhaled this story! It was just so darn cute! I loved Lori and her special hobbies and her whole personality right from the start and her fake date, one of her best friends was just lovely. You couldn't have picked a better male leading character! I couldn't wait for Lori and Jace to fall for each other and hopefully they would get their HEA.
I smiled and swooned away and just enjoyed every second of this story!

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This was a ton of fun, all of Camilla's books just have that entertaining quality to them. I was hooked right from the beginning. Jace was so in love with Lori and seeing him agree to fake date her was so funny. It's a very fast paced book but I loved it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

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Favorite Quotes:

Kirsten’s smile in response to our confirmed dinner plans is blinding. All that fake ceramic in her mouth should come with a potentially-damaging-to-the-eye warning.

On a scale of one to ten, my femininity is at a solid six, seven when I make an effort. Kirsten is an eleven. Kirsten and her bridal party combined are six figures.

...she studies me. Like a cheetah would study a gazelle she can’t wait to eat alive.

“I promise to love you, your four cats, six hens, and thousand rescue books for as long as my heart shall beat… I promise to love you even when you finish all the hot water in the shower and sing Taylor Swift at the top of your lungs for half an hour non-stop.” “I promise to love you even when you kick me under the covers at night and hog all the blankets.” “I promise to always be there when you need me and be strong when you’re vulnerable. I promise to never lie to you, to always tell you the truth, even when it hurts.” “I promise to keep on loving you every day, until my last breath, even when you get gray hair or when you lose your teeth, because you are the love of my life... and I will never stop loving you.”

My Review:

I reveled in this divinely amusing tale, it sparkled with clever humor and endearing characters. I adore Camilla Isley and I declare this book is her best missive yet. The gal has seriously strong word voodoo and never fails to pull me into a delightful vortex of quirky and authentic characters with real-world problems that are so much more fun than my own.

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Camilla Isley is my go-to author if I want to read some quick and sweet romance. I didn’t know what to expect by reading the blurb because I don’t really like love triangles. But this proceeded my expectations. Jace is such a dream, he loves so deeply. The air was crackling with electricity when he and Lori spent time together. They couldn’t be more perfect for each other. And Lori is such an unique character. She’s smart, quirky, down-to-earth and loveable. Her feeling a bit being an outsider is kind of relatable. The angst was just the right amount I think, and I was really pleased with the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

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A great laugh out loud romance read that will have you laughing from start to finish. It’s Complicated follows the story of three best friends embroiled in a know/unknown love triangle.

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A light-hearted book with lots of pining, 4 cats and multiple hens. A love triangle or unrequited love with three best friends, Jace is in love with Lori, who is in love with Aiden, who is getting married to Kristen. An entertaining read how Lori realizes who she really loves.

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I steamed through this from friends to lovers romcom in a couple of evenings (I stayed up slightly later than I planned I was enjoying it so much😳)

The three main characters are all beautiful doctors who in their spare time volunteer in a free clinic. The plot which is written in alternating points of view by Lori and Jace is mostly lighthearted and fun, with the odd bump or two along the way.

If you want a fun book to escape into this would make a perfect choice.

Thanks to @netgalley for the early opportunity to read this fab book.

The blurb
Lori has been in love with her best friend Aiden since college. Now Aiden (handsome, fair, All-American dream doctor) is getting married, and Lori desperately needs a date to the wedding.
So she asks the best man, Jace (tall, dark, and brooding), to pretend their platonic friendship is something more not to have to face the worst day of her life alone.
Fake dating one best friend to forget the other should be easy… Plot twist—it’s not. When Jace starts acting like the sweetest, most attentive boyfriend, Lori begins to wonder if she’s been seeing him wrong all this time?
They’ve been an inseparable trio since freshman year, but now everything is changing — and that’s not even bringing Jace’s feelings into the mix.
Basically? It’s complicated.

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Lori needs a date for her best friend’s wedding, and what better way to get over your best friend than to date his best friend?
But things soon get complicated when unrequited love is thrown into the mix.
Isley gives us another fantastic novel. I loved this narrative, this was a really fun and quick read full of fake dating, lots of secrets and a happy ending to keep everyone smiling.
I loved the character of Jace, and felt for him throughout the novel, while the character of Lori had a growth throughout the novel, while the character of Aiden was the balance to the friendship.
This author never disappoints and will look forward to reading more by them in the future.

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4.5⭐️


I love Camilla Isley. Her books are interesting and engaging and I haven’t found one I didn’t like.

It’s Complicated follows the story of three best friends embroiled in a know/unknown love triangle.

With tropes such as friends to lovers, fake dating, love triangle, workplace romance and the dreaded miscommunication, we are taken on a journey of love, secrets and discovery.

I enjoyed the book and I love Jace, Lori and Aiden and their long friendship and the ease with which they relate with each other. I love Jace’s family and how accommodating and accepting they were.

This was funny. I was giggling to myself most of the time. I particularly liked Lori’s POV. Her thoughts, wit and unfiltered energy and words were spot on.

The ending could have been done a little slower so we could savour the moments, memories and victories with this couple.

I would love to see an extended epilogue- to catch up with the characters and see how they are getting on.

I received an advanced copy via Netgalley but I read this via Kindle Unlimited and the review is mine and voluntary.

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There is something very satisfying in knowing that when you pick up a book by an author you are going to love it, which is how I feel about Camilla Isley's books, I never have to worry because I know it is going to be an enjoyable read. It’s Complicated is no exception, I loved this story and I honestly didn’t want to put it down, I was excited to get back to it any chance I could.

I could tell that it was going to be a fun story as soon as I started reading because of the banter between the characters, even when it feels like the worst day of Lori’s life she can be witty and sassy and has this wonderfully easy chemistry with Jace and Aiden. Then Lori manages to, in the spur of the moment, create a fake dating scenario between her and Jace to try to make Aiden jealous and I knew I would be hooked.

Especially because the chemistry between Lori and Jace starts to sizzle very quickly, they were magnetic and I could tell it was very quickly going to become…complicated. They are opposites in certain ways, but that makes them more endearing as a couple.

I loved getting the perspective of both Lori and Jace because we could see how they had misread each other throughout their platonic relationship and then throughout the fake dating journey. I also appreciated being surprised by Jace’s character, all of my assumptions about him were thrown out pretty quickly and I loved how sweet he was.

There is so much more I could say about this book because I thoroughly enjoyed it but I don’t want to spoil too much. It’s Complicated is a humorous, light-hearted romance with wonderful characters, that left me feeling very happy, I highly recommend this book.

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You all know how much I love a @camillaisley book and I was so excited to read this one as it sounded perfect…

And it was!! I have to say, i think it’s been my favourite read of the year so far, it is just everything that I want from a romance!

It’s so fun and sweet and swoony and I loved loved loved the main characters!

We’ve got friends to lovers, with a little bit of a possible love triangle thrown in too 😉

Friends to lovers is one of my absolute favourite tropes but I think it’s one of the hardest to do right but @camillaisley did it perfectly! I didn’t want this one to end and I know I’ll definitely have reread it by the end of the year as well!!

Out now to buy and on KU too ✨

From the blurb -
Lori has been in love with her best friend Aiden since college. Now Aiden (handsome, fair, All-American dream doctor) is getting married, and Lori desperately needs a date to the wedding.

So she asks the best man, Jace (tall, dark, and brooding), to pretend their platonic friendship is something more not to have to face the worst day of her life alone.

Fake dating one best friend to forget the other should be easy... Plot twist-it’s not. When Jace starts acting like the sweetest, most attentive boyfriend, Lori begins to wonder if she’s been seeing him wrong all this time?

They’ve been an inseparable trio since freshman year, but now everything is changing - and that’s not even bringing Jace’s feelings into the mix.

Basically? It’s complicated.

*ARC from NetGalley

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Another fantastic story from Camilla Isley I loved the characters and the realistic plot

This one has
friends to lovers
fake dating
love triangle

So it definitely has some of the best tropes in romance!

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I have been a fan of Camilla's work for a while although by no means have I read everything that she has written. I love the way in which she writes such fun and light hearted romantic comedies. I read the synopsis of 'It's Complicated' and it certainly sounded like an interesting read. I couldn't wait to start reading and so without further ado, I grabbed my cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed reading 'It's Complicated' but more about that in a bit.

It took me no time at all to get into 'It's Complicated'. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first few pages I knew that I was going to find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I warmed to the characters from the start and they ended up feeling more like friends rather than characters in a book. My Kindle wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen so of course I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. I became so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'It's Complicated'. I found 'It's Complicated' to be an lighthearted and funny story, which certainly kept me guessing.

'It's Complicated' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Camilla Isley. Camilla has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Camilla's books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. Camilla clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. As I mentioned earlier on in this review, the characters ended up feeling more like friends than characters in a book. I love the way in which Camilla makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. I can honestly say that I started chuckling away to myself at the start of the story and I kept chuckling all the way through the book. 'It's Complicated' is perfect, escapist reading, which will certainly put a smile on your face.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'It's Complicated' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Camilla's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

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Three friends since college, two secret crushes and one wedding invitation is just begging for me to say ‘on your marks, get set, go’, especially with how fast I raced through this book.

It’s not complicated how I feel about this author’s books. They are fun, easy romances with great characters and packed with my favourite tropes. This one has fake dating, friends to lovers and a love triangle.

Also I didn’t realise how cute unrequited love could be and Jace loves her just the way she is. Bridget Jones eat your heart out.

But will things turn complicated when the three doctors who share the same practice reveal their secret longings? Will Jace’s life become as messy as Lori’s home? (He’s a neat freak so this will be fun). Will the wedding still go ahead?

There’s only one way to find out so on your marks, get set, read!

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Somehow, I thought this was going to be a 'Love, Rosie' like story; the FMC is in love with her best friend for yeaaaars and was unrequited for years as well. But nope, it wasn't like that. There were a lot of things I assumed in this story and none of those happened (for the better I guess because I don't like clichés)

Lori
Not going to lie but she annoyed me at first. I just feel like her introduction as a character isn't that likeable. She used her other male friend to go along with her shenanigans to make the other guy jealous. She's also the type that says, 'I am not like other girls.' But as the story goes, she became tolerable.

Jace
Oh dear, I didn't expect him to be the type who often assume someone's feelings for him. He doesn't communicate himself and then misinterpret a lot of things and then sulks. But I guess 15 years of having unrequited love does that to you. Poor dude, tbh.

Aiden
He's not really the main character but I just want to give him a spotlight for being so patient with his friends (where does he get that kind of patience? Idk but I would want to know and I'll buy a pack of it) No, seriously. And he also speaks well. I feel like he balances the group. Also, I understand why Lori likes him.

Plot
It's not as complicated as the title says and I am very happy about it. Everyone in this story is very mature (well, Lori is debatable 😅) and everything worked out in the end because of that. There's also no 'other woman' here (I was worried because of the other side character but she's not a threat after all).

Overall
I love the story! It's a light and quick read. Definitely recommend it if you like
- long unrequited love
- golden retriever guy
- fake dating
- best friends since college
- close door romance

What irks me a bit were the pop culture references specially Taylor Swift songs. Got nothing against her (I also listen to her songs) but reading about her on a book specifically using her song to end the story somehow takes all the attention from the plot. It felt like the author had no idea how to end it so she used Taylor Swift to save it. I just feel like if you are not a fan, you won't understand some of the references.

💎 Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood books for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily

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Lori Jace and Aiden have been best friends since medical school and now have a practice together Laurie has had a crush on Aiden since then and Jace has had a crush on Laurie since then when Laurie finds out Aiden is marrying his longtime girlfriend Kiersten she is obviously upset and goes to Jay’s to comfort her when they’re caught the next morning by Aiden waking up together she begs Jace to pretend to be her boyfriend and of course he agrees. Soon Laurie finds herself seeing and feeling things for Jace she’s never felt before but when he kisses her she starts to think that instead of Aiden… Jace could be the one. That is until Aidan lets it slip that he and Jace have had a packed and when she demands to know what it was and he explains the pack is that neither one would date her. Lori immediately goes to Jason‘s apartment to yell at him and do the whole “how could you” routine only to leave saying she never wants to see him again but after Aiden talks to her and smooths it all out. Unfortunately she isn’t prepared for Jace to go missing after she was ready to profess her overwhelming love for him, not knowing he is sad and depressed with a dead cell phone at his parents thinking she and Aiden are now together despite everything Aiden told him before hand. There are many things I didn’t enjoy about this book and many things I did. I did think that it was ridiculous that these three accomplished doctors and adults would still play such childish games I mean Lori is a doctor a grown-up and for 15 years she’s had an unrequited crush on Aiden… I found that to be quite unbelievable but having said that they were many parts of this but I did enjoy I love Camila Isalys riding in the way she paints a picture really makes the funny parts much funnier but I am not big on second chance romances or close door love stories I think the only thing that saved this book for me was the authors writing the funny moments in the great ending because if a book makes me swoon it was so worth reading it and this one totally did. Though I am not big on Insta love I am big on romance. I want to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

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It's Complicated is a quick and fun read. Fake dating plus friends to lovers equals a great story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

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Lori, Aiden and Jace have bern best friends since college. Now they all work together in a private practice in Chicago. Unfortunately Lori has secretly been in love for Aiden for all these years and now he is about to marry another woman. What can Lori do to prevent the wedding? Maybe make Aiden jealous by pretending to be in a relationship with Jace?

I loved this book sooo much! It is entertaining, fast-paced and full of relatable characters. I felt for Lori and Jace being in love with somebody who has no idea about your feelings. I adored Jace, he is the perfect book-boyfriend and I rooted for him from the start.
If you like friends-to-lovers romances with a twist of fake dating this book should definitely be on your TBR-list!

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