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Thank you Boldwood books and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super cute, light hearted read. Three best friends, Lori, Aiden and Jace. Jace secretly loves Lori, Lori secretly loves Aiden and Aiden is getting married to another woman!!! I enjoyed the multiple POV to gain perspective from both the MMC and FMC.

Now... did I find the romance in this book to be a bit sudden and unrealistic? Yes, at times I did. But did I enjoy and devour this books anyways? HECK YA I DID!

If you're looking for a light hearted, friends to lovers, "it's always been her" type of book, I would highly recommend this one!

It's Complicated: ★★★☆☆ (3)

Pub date: Feb 23 2024 - preorder yours now!

I LOVE this book so much!! It is an easy read, constructed with a lighthearted and delightful story providing all the tingly feels of of love & romance.

Lori, Jace & Aiden have been best friends since college and since college, Lori has been pining away for Aiden. But there are no reciprocated feelings; Aiden’s wedding really solidifies this fact.

Jace has always been her rock through the years of secretly loving Aiden. Due to a misunderstanding, both Lori & Jace find themselves fake dating. Spending time fake dating Jace has Lori seeing him in a very new way. She has always wanted Aiden, but now she is confused; all the new emotions make her question if Jace is the love she has been looking for all this time. But it’s complicated - new feelings arise, new discoveries are made and working out all these feelings and emotions has Lori spinning.

The book is filled with romance and love all over. Plus, Jace always says the right thing to Lori. Jace is so swoon worthy when he expresses his feelings and the promises he makes just make your insides melt.

Camilla Isley never disappoints with her perfect love stories. This is definitely a great love story especially for Valentine’s Day!

I would like to thank netgalley and Goodwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable book from the author.

This book is a breath of fresh air! Seriously, the characters are adorable. Their dynamic, interactions and banter are jealousy inducing. The complications of relationships and friendships are done in a lighthearted and enjoyable way. It was just overall a well done, cute romance. A perfect and quick Valentine’s Day read!

Jace, Lori and Aiden have been best friends since college. Aiden is getting married, which is breaking Lori’s heart. She somehow manages to convince Jace to be her fake boyfriend and wedding date. But Jace is the perfect fake boyfriend and all of a sudden Lori is looking at him in a different way.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

There's only a few books that make me laugh and let me tell you this one made me laugh out loud. I read Its Complicated in one sitting it was such an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. I think the friends to lovers trope Is so sweet and in this book it was such a fun play on the trope. The characters were very likeable, and the books was easy to follow and fast paced. I felt like near the end it was a bit rushed and I would of liked to see more of the couple being together near the ending. If you are looking for a read that will make you laugh out loud then I highly recommend Its Complicated.This is the second book I have read from this author and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

4 Stars !

* Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of It's Complicated by Camilla Isley in exchange of an honest review.

"It's Complicated" by Camilla Isley is a heartwarming and delightful romantic comedy that explores the complexities of love and friendship. The story follows Lori and her two best friends, Aiden and Jace, who become entangled in a complicated love triangle. With Aiden's wedding on the horizon, Lori concocts a plan to make him jealous by fake dating Jace. However, as their fake relationship progresses, Lori finds herself caught between her feelings for Aiden and the unexpected connection she develops with Jace. Camilla Isley skillfully navigates the intricacies of emotions and delivers a story that is both captivating and humorous. This romantic comedy is a feel-good read that will leave readers with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

This is another great rom com from Camilla Isley - she's great at writing romantic tension, though some readers will be disappointed at the lack of payoff in terms of spice - sex scenes fade to black. Still a great read for those looking for romance without the spice.

Three friends, two secret crushes, one wedding… it sure does sound complicated! Immediately my mind goes to the worst options. Love triangle? Unrequited love? Second choice? How will this work?! But fret not my friends, Camilla takes care of us.

Wow, just wow. This was so much fun! Think of the rom-coms you loved in the 2000s-2015. The strong characters, the witty banter, the swoon worthy guy we all sigh for. Now picture Elle Woods’ excitement when she received her LSAT scores, because I’m pretty sure I had the same reaction a few times while reading this book.

We went from gnome larceny to the flying chicken incident and everywhere in between. And let me tell you, I was engrossed for the entire thing. Along the way, there was a charming love story about discovering what’s been in front of you all along and the power of friendship.

And if you’re thinking “now Shannon, I can’t do a majority of a book being unrequited love and then have a second choice option”. Don’t you worry my lovelies, that is not even close. We know from the get go where everyone stands. And as things progress, we’re kept well informed of everyone’s feelings. The story is so much more beyond that, they are out of the way quickly.

I loved the relationship these three had, the banter developed from years of friendship and dare I say the maturity?! THANK YOU! We love mature characters around here. They COMMUNICATE. They PROBLEM SOLVE. They act like ADULTS. One more time for the people in the back - COMMUNICATE. And sure, Lori could be a little quirky in the beginning but she quickly mellowed out. I honestly don’t have any complaints about these characters. Plus a little jealousy never hurt no one. 😂

This is my first book by this author and it was such a breath of fresh air; so different from anything I’ve read recently and I’m a big fan. It’s lighthearted, it’s endearing, andsweetandfunnyandcute. You won’t put this down without having a smile on your face.

I’m normally not a huge friends to lovers trope girlie because so much of the story is spent in flashbacks trying to prove the characters’ feelings. And in those cases, I’m generally not a fan. With that being said, I loved how they were handed in this story. They were efficient, they were told in present day, as if you were thinking back on a memory, and they were important to the development but not overused. I really enjoyed how the author gave us a glimpse of how these three came to be. And with that ground work, I never once questioned the feelings they had for each other which then made the friends to lovers/fake dating even more successful in my eyes.

The one thing I’ll say I noticed was the language used was at times repetitive. Aiden and Jace couldn’t speak to each other without adding “man” on the end of every sentence. Hey, man. How’s it going, man. Thanks, man. Good game, man. You get the idea. And the use of the word “gosh”. You look at that and think okay, how is that offensive? 0/10, it’s not. However. When it’s used over, and over, and over, and becomes increasingly noticeable, it’s a problem. By chapter 3/4 I was already picking up on it. I believe it was used 32 times in the book. So things like that can be a little much, but I started pretending they weren’t there and boom, problem solved. :D

To recap:
Cover - love it
Story - lots of fun
Author - will definitely read more!
Spice - none, and I’m more than okay with that, just trust the process
Tissues - not required
HEA - yes
Laugh out loud moments - several
Communication - we love people who talk about their feelings
Trope - unrequited love, fake dating, friends to lovers
Chickengate - I’m not kidding when I tell you I was cackling

If you need something charming like The Princess Diaries, laugh out loud funny like She’s The Man, or heartwarming like The Proposal (with a little Taylor Swift sprinkled in for good measure), you need to try It’s Complicated.

Besides, it’s not that complicated after all.

It's Complicated by Camilla Isley is a delightful read, characterized by endearing, cute, and charming storytelling. Isley has a knack for creating lovable characters that readers can't help but root for, making her books fast-paced and entertaining.

In this particular story, Lori, Jace, and Aiden have been best friends since college. However, when Aiden, the object of Lori's affection, announces his upcoming marriage, Lori devises a plan to fake date Jace. She hopes to capture Aiden's attention and perhaps ignite a spark of jealousy. Predictably, this scheme leads to a series of amusing and unexpected developments, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Camilla Isley books are always a cute, fun time! Just enough fluff to be a light read but also a cute plot with some laughs and swoons!

Take three college friends, two guys and a girl. For fifteen years they've studied and then worked together and all that time Lori has been in love with Aiden and Jace has been in love with Lori. Only when Aiden gets engaged to another woman does it all start to get complicated.
This is a fun, light-hearted read that flows along really well. We get both Lori's and Jace's point of view, and they're both fully-formed, rounded characters with excellent chemistry, so much so that the supporting characters almost feel a little two-dimensional in comparison. The plot played out pretty much how I thought it would... until the very end, which I did not see coming, but still worked. It did feel like Lori's feelings underwent a transformation in a very short space of time; I would have liked a little more reflection from her on the underlying reasons for that, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to have an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have officially found a new author I thoroughly enjoy reading! This book was so much fun to read and I pictured a sappy rom com that actually made me giggle throughout the book!

I loved the story between Lori and Jace and couldn’t wait to figure out what happened next!! This is the perfect book to put you in the Valentine’s Day mood!

This was a fun play on the friends-to-lovers plotline crossed with a fake romance plotline. What I liked was getting the POV from both the hero and heroine of the story. And I also liked that the heroine’s obsession with the third best friend in this plot is also a nice guy. They’re all nice. There is no portrayal of the heroine having been fixated on someone totally unworthy of her. Instead we have three best friends who went through med school together and then opened up a medical partnership together. The only problem is that the woman in this group is in love with one of the guys and the other guy is in love with her. And they’ve all kept quiet about their feelings until now.

The most unbelievable part of the story is that these three friends, none of whom seems to come from great wealth, are able to open up a practice in downtown Chicago together after finishing med school. There are several mentions of their college loans and having to pay those back. So where did they get the money to open up a practice in a great location, hire employees, and get the supplies for a modern medical office? It was just super unbelievable.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Aiden, Jace, and Lori have been best friends since their college freshman year. Their bond remains tight through medical school, residency, and now a medical practice partnership. Their dynamic has always been an interesting one. Lori has been secretly in love with Aiden, and Jace has secretly been in love with Lori. Aiden has been seemingly unaware of it all.

When Aiden gets engaged, Lori makes one final attempt to get Aiden to see her as something more than his best friend. She convinces Jace to fake date her to make Aiden jealous. The only problem is that it doesn’t feel fake and Lori enjoys the Jace Barlow experience.

I loved Lori and Jace's friendship. The banter between these two made me laugh out loud and smile throughout the book! The dual POV enhanced the story as you always knew what each one was thinking.

I must say that I loved Jace. If you've ever had unrequited feelings for a good friend, you will immediately identify with him. I couldn't help but want him to get the happily ever after that he so deserved.

Lori and Jace's journey from friends to lovers is realistic, messy, swoony, and full of vulnerable moments. And, I was here for all of it! The ending was absolutely perfect!

I was totally surprised by how much I truly enjoyed It's Complicated! This quick, entertaining read is funny and heartwarming. It has My Best Friend's Wedding vibes without the over the topness of the movie. I look forward to reading more books from this new to me author books soon.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book.

This was such a sweet story, and I really loved Lori as a main character. If you love a love-triangle romance, and want something fun and light-hearted, then I highly suggest you read this book by Camilla Isley.

As always I love the way Camilla writes, so funny and so lovely story.
I really enjoy the book and his characters.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my book

This is such a light hearted but still enthralling romcom. I enjoyed every second of it. While it may be a tad predictable, I enjoyed following along as the mess that was their lives and friendships got cleared up. Deep love was found and it was a good time by everyone. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a light hearted, funny, entertaining rom com.

The beginning of any great friendship....stealing garden gnomes 🤣

Friends to fake dating to lovers. Y'all. This was so so cute. And so so sweet. Dual POV, fade to black but the amount of chemistry and butterflies falling off the page 🥰🥵🥰.

Jace and Lori's story reaffirmed that friends to lovers I think is my favorite trope. They've along with Aiden have been besties since college, through med school, into opening a practice together. She's been in love with Aiden, Jace has been in love with Lori. But when the invitation to Aiden's wedding arrives, Lori is devastated, hiding out at Jace's but when Aiden stops by some assumptions are made and she ropes Jace into the fake dating scheme. He reluctantly goes along with it, all along trying to mask his feelings, but when she starts to fall for him for real.... 🫠🥰🫠

I wish there was a bit more in the future epilogue but y'all the promise ring grand gesture(s) on both their parts was so perfect and true to their relationship that it made the ending that much sweeter.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

It’s Complicated by Camilla Isley might just be one of the cutest, closed-door romances of the year. So if you’re a fan of the following tropes (friends to lovers, fake dating, love triangle), I strongly recommend you pick this up for a quick read that’ll leave you with entirely UN-complicated feelings about how much you love these characters.

Lori is a simple woman — animal lover, successful doctor, two best friends… oh right, she’s actually in love with one of those best friends. And has been since meeting him in college. The problem? He’s engaged to someone else and is entirely unaware of Lori’s feeling towards him (oh sweet, simple Aiden).

Lori is SPIRALING about attending his wedding and watching the love of her life slip right through her fingers. So when hanging out with their other best friend, Jace, Lori tells a little white lie to Aiden about her and Jace being in a relationship. Jace goes along with the plan because he knows how much Lori is hurting and he’d do anything for her. Why? Because Jace is madly in love with Lori. And has been since meeting her in college.

For a story with a fairly messy premise, the dynamic we get to watch between Lori and Jace is so neat and lovely. They’re just adorable. And believable, which feels like it’s a lot to ask in romance novels nowadays.

The plot is fairly predictable but I’m at the point where I don’t care as long as the writing is strong and the characters are lovable. Camilla Isley does a fantastic job here of giving us exactly what we want, when we want it.

Do yourself a favor and snag a copy of this — you definitely won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this advanced reader copy!

Three friends. A pact and a secret unrequited love. This fast paced novel focuses on the friendship between three doctors, Lori, Aiden and Jace. They’ve grown older together and now work together. Lori has always longed for Aiden but with the arrival of his wedding invitation, she decides to fake date Jace. This story has many tender moments. I did feel on some occasions the gushing went over the top and felt a bit unrealistic. It was fun read overall and a real page turner.