What a breath of fresh air not to have three friends in a love triangle. I mean, the initial idea does involve a love triangle, as Lori has always been in love with her best friend Aiden. However, as he is getting ready to get married, Lori cooks up a plan to make him jealous. For that, she asks her best friend Jace to help her.

I love fake dating tropes, as well as friends-to-lovers, and Lori and Jace's relationship ticks almost all the boxes. I was a bit impartial to the fact that the two fell too fast for each other (although Jace had been in love with Lori all her life), and my personal preference would be to have more spice in Camilla Isley's books. I mean, there is a lot of fire leading up to those intimate moments, and then it turns out it's always a closed-door story.

Also, I wasn't very keen on the third-act breakup moment. Nowadays, there's no more need for drama, especially when it's about a misunderstanding that could've been solved with a simple conversation. Especially given how easily everything was solved afterward.

I loved Aiden was so in love and that there wasn't a moment where Lori and him gave their relationship a try.

It was a highly entertaining read, with likable characters, and I am always down for more Camilla Isley books. I LOVE that she's a Swiftie, and this one was right in my alley.

I've enjoyed Camilla Isley's book before, and her latest, "it's Complicated" sounded cute, so I requested it. It was a fun, quick & light-hearted read. A rom-com featuring friends to lovers, fake dating, love triangle tropes. And I really appreciated that it was a clean "closed door" romance, as I don't personally care for erotica in my daily reading, thanks. Recommend to those who enjoy similar. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the free DRC - my thoughts & opinions my own

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of It's Complicated.
Ohhh I loved this book. It's a fun read and I was laughing a lot. It's friends-to-lovers slash fake-dating. And it was a pure delight.

I'm in the minority here but It's Complicated just didn't hit me right. It is a cute, clean, fake relationship/friends to lovers romance. It's not exactly a love triangle, as one of them is unaware and marrying someone else. My biggest issue is I just didn't really like Lori. I thought everything that transpired was very childish and could have just been resolved with some communication and honesty. Jace definitely was book boyfriend material and he helped soften Lori. It felt like their relationship went very slow and then 0 to 60 in a few pages. The ending just didn't hit me right either. I'm definitely in the minority but this didn't completely work for me.

Dual POV
Love Triangle
Fake dating
He falls first
Its always been you
Closed door

Lori may have a book, cat, and chicken hoarding problem, but naming all her cats after Star Wars characters is amazing. Seeing as my first cat was named Jedi, I can’t help but love her cats and the sass they have

Lori choking on a mint and Aiden coming to her rescue, her internal dialogue of “And I swear, whenever I imagined Aiden bending me over fixtures, this wasn’t what I had in mind.” had me spitting out my drink laughing so hard. I would have choked if I was eating something.
Reading can be hazardous to my health after all!

Lori verbalizing she sees Jace as more than a friend and his response is “How did you think of me before? As an Ewok?” Ahh. My spirit animal.

I’m sorry. Jace did not get out of his car when he picked up Lori for family lunch. I need someone to explain to me why the biggest gentleman didn’t meet her even outside his car. Wtf.

Okay. So. Up until about, 80% through, I loved this book. It is my favorite book I’ve read yet by Camilla. And then… welp. It took a no brainer 4 star read to a 3 star read.

Massive miscommunication, disappearance for a week (and no one goes looking for them after confirming no arrests and hospitalization?!!!!), and automatic forgiveness. I am not sure if this was rushed due to a deadline or what happened, but all of a sudden it felt like a completely different book and characters.

It really was such a great, funny, easy read where you rooted for the MCs. I read this in one sitting, which is rare for me, as these characters pulled me in immediately and I couldn’t put it down. For my personal enjoyment, I wish the 3rd act disappearance/breakup and 4th acts could be rewritten.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was meant to be a five day buddy read that I accidentally finished in 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down and had to know what was going to happen! This had everything I needed, romance, twists, drama and rescue chickens! I loved the main characters and found myself really caught up in their lives and loves! Fabulous read!

Oh it's complicated alright!

Jace and Aiden are best friends with Lori and they all work together and have known each other since college. As the story unravels you see that something is stirring in Lori and what she took for granted as her feelings gives her a good shake up.

It's a story I would definitely read again and one I definitely couldn't put down at the same time.

5 out of 5 from me.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Three best friends, a wedding and an unrequited love. Or so it seems. Until Lori star fake-dating Jace to make Aiden jealous and he call off the wedding. But the more Lori interact romantically with Jace the more the lines between friendship and love become blurry. Funny, sweet, heartwarming love story, Jace and Lori are made for each other if they can be brave and face their feelings.

This enjoyable book is, as the title says, complicated.
A trio of friends with hidden romantic feelings kept me guessing and reading late into the night. Laced with friendships, family, unrequited romantic feelings, quirkiness, and humor, it's a book that has something for everyone. It is written with a dual point of view that flows effortlessly between characters, yet is never confusing for the reader. Emotionally charged feelings are diffused with humor, and what could be irritating traits become endearing. So many laugh out loud moments! It was delightful and I loved it.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. Opinions and comments expressed are my unprompted thoughts and opinions.

This was such a cute, lighthearted, fun read.

Read if you like:
-friends to lovers
-fake dating
-love triangle
-closed-door romance
-30 year old characters
-rescue animals
-he falls first

Spoilers below.

Even though the story was described as a "love triangle" it was more about two best friends falling for each other. I loved that it was a dual POV and we got to see both parties reactions to how the book was playing out. I couldn't put the book down and I actually finished this in 2 days. The way the book was written just made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next.

The only thing I wish was different would be that I wish it took Lori a little bit longer to realize her feelings for Jace. It seemed like she went from pining for Aiden for 15 years to instantly having feelings for Jace as soon as they started fake dating. It also seems like things went from 0 to 100 between the two of them - dating to married in a weeks to a month? I'm not sure the exact timeline but it felt extremely fast.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

💍 Book Review 💍

Lori, Aiden and Jace are best friends and have been since they met at uni. The problem? Lori is in love with Aiden and Aiden is now getting married. So Lori turns to Jace, who’s been her emotional support over the years. The second problem? Jace is in love with Lori.

So when Lori spends the night at Jace’s and Aiden wrongly assumes the two of them are getting together, Lori doesn’t correct him. Thinking that it might be a brilliant way to make him jealous once and for all. I think we can all see where this one is going…

⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I really really enjoyed this one, and honestly it was a 4⭐️ for me all the way through, and then the last few chapters happened. And I just couldn’t get behind it… it just felt a bit out of character (no spoilers! You’ll have to read it!)

I’d definitely recommend this one to any romance lovers out there. However I might not recommend reading the last couple of chapters!

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Camilla Isley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

ITS COMPLICATED by Camilla Isley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 A satisfying Krispy Kreme! Fluffy, yummy, and devoured it way too fast! This book hooked me immediately. I loooove a good friends to lovers storyline, and this one hit just right. It has so many fun romance tropes and kept me engaged and enjoying! I lowered my rating just from the last 20% of the book, the ending got a little cheesy and unrealistic to me, but overall was still a fun romcom you can enjoy in a day!

Lori, Jace, and Aiden have been friends since college and now share a medical practice. Aiden is about to get married, and feelings are tender as Lori has secretly been in love with him for over a decade. The other surprise is, Jace has felt the same way about Lori!

Perfect if you like:
•Love triangle.
•Friends to lovers.
•Fake dating.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️ (just kissing, fade to black)
Mood: 🍩🌮

Such a fun story! I really enjoyed the three best friends and the relationship they had between each other. The author did such a great job detailing the story that it was easy to get a picture in your head of the characters and what was going on. Jace was the on I was rooting for from the beginning and I’m so happy he gets his moment to let his feelings shine. Lori had her moments that made me start to not like her but she quickly redeemed herself. Aiden didn’t seem all that great. He came off boring to me. I wish Lori would have stuck up to Kristen’s older sister and shut her up cause she was super annoying.

I really enjoyed this story and think anyone who loves fun banter, secret pinning, and happily ever after this is a story for you!

What a sweet read! From the start, I absolutely loved Lori - she reminded me of one of my best friends who is a such a kind soul who always finds herself in some kind of crazy situation that I wouldn't believe if it wasn't coming from her. I'm a sucker for a fake dating trope, and her friend/situationship with Jace and Aiden cracked me up...their chemistry and friendship felt lighthearted and flowed naturally. I can usually predict how romantic comedies end (not a bad thing!), but this one had just enough of a twist to throw me off while still providing a satisfying ending. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from Isley - thanks for the ARC!

It’s Complicated is a fake-dating storyline told from a dual point of view. Lori is in love with her best friend, Aiden, who is getting married. Lori has the bright idea to fake date her other best friend, Jace, to see if it helps make Aiden jealous.

From the start of the second chapter of this book, I knew I would love this book because of Lori and Jace. Lori loves animals, Taylor Swift, and saving unwanted books from their demise. Jace seemed like the perfect best friend for going along with Lori’s crazy scheme and was the ultimate gentleman to Lori.

I loved the banter between the characters. It showed the true friendships between Lori, Jace, and Aiden. I liked how some banter changed from friendship to flirtatious to add tension between the characters.

And oh my gosh, the laughs throughout this book! I audibly laughed out loud at the chicken sliding down the closed window. 😂

We all know how fake dating tropes usually go, but I liked that there was an unexpected element that put a wrench in the works. And really, it made me feel like Jace was the main character in this book.

Thank you, Camilla Isley, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. This is my first book by this author and when I read the synopsis and saw the cover I was immediately intrigued. Lori, Jace and Aiden have been best friends since college. Lori loves Aiden. Jace loves Lori. What could go wrong? This was a very low stakes love triangle (quadrangle?). It was super cute and you knew how it all was going to pan out. The writing style was a little… I’m not sure how to describe it? Basic? Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing it just didn’t hold my attention in the way some do. But overall fun quick read.

It's Complicated-a standalone

By Camilla Isley- I've just read Baby, One More Time gave it 4 ⭐

Publication date 2-23-24, read 1-16-24

📃 Page count: 277

.Quick Summary: Lori, Jace and Aiden have been BFFs since freshman year @ Urbana University . Lori is in love with Aiden who is about to get married. Jace is secretly in love with Lori. They start fake dating with hopes to make Aiden jealous, but sparks fly between them.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:

⭐ ️friends to lovers
⭐️ fake dating
⭐️ clean romance
⭐️ love triangle
⭐️ rom-com/contemporary romance
⭐women's fic

🤔 My Thoughts: This really made me think of the movie Threesome from 1994. Not so much about the actual threesome, but meeting in freshman year, secret crushes, and the pact not to hook up with Lori. There's plenty of angst, mostly with Jace who used the fake dating to get Lori to see the real Jace. Misunderstandings and a 3rd act breakup make for a typical romance trope, along with a Taylor Swift mention. It's right on time for Valentine's Day💝!

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice level 2/5🔥🔥 (off page)

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC 💛! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Aiden, Jace & Lori met in college. 15 years later, Aiden is getting married and Lori has never declared her love for him. At least not to his face. Jace has heard all about her feelings for years. He’s had to protect his heart from the girl who has never seen him as more than a friend. What starts as fake dating might not be so fake after all.

This book was angsty but a very easy read. The dual point of view made the book for me. The chapters fly by and I loved reading how both of the main characters were feeling. It was a fun read with the perfect happily ever after!

I'm rounding up from 4.5, but it's still a great book. This is the second book I've read by this author and I wasn't disappointed. Aidan, Lori and Jace have been friends for 15 years, since meeting in college. They all became doctors and opened a practice together. Since they met, Lori has been in love with Aidan and Jace has been in love with Lori. Lori confided in Jace that she's in love with Aidan and he is friend zoned. Jace and Aidan make a pact to never make a move on Lori. It's purely selfish on Jace's part feeling that he'd never win out over Aidan. Fast forward and Aidan is marrying Kirsten, whom Lori doesn't like(obviously). She's in the bridal party and emotional hell. When her invitation arrives, she goes to Jace to cry her eyes out. She spends the night and the next morning Aidan comes and is surprised to see Lori there and assumes, and appears jealous, that she's sleeping with Jace. Lori sees this as an opportunity to try her last shot at Aidan. She begs Jace to go along with the fake dating and he reluctantly agrees since he's head over heels for her. They go along with this and Lori starts to see how amazing Jace is and maybe she's been looking at the wrong man this whole time. Jace confesses his feelings to Lori(thank God!) and Lori says they should give it a try, but she needs a little time to sort through her feelings. It doesn't take her too long to realize that Jace is THE ONE. Before she can tell Jace this, Aidan let's it slip about the pact. Lori loses her mind over it and fights with Jace. He assumes he's lost her and Aidan talks some sense into him and then her. Jace sees Aidan leaving Lori's after their talk and again assumes the worst. He goes AWOL for a week before the wedding. They reunite at the wedding and they finally talk things out and confess to each other that this is it, they are forever. They somehow manage to get married on the spot(a contributing factor to the 4.5 stars,lol). It's the ending they all deserved, albeit a tiny bit farfetched with the marriage aspect. I wouldn't have minded a little more of the dynamic of them after all this, or even then telling her parents, but it's ok. It was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it.

I was provided the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Best friends to lovers romance worth of swoons giggling!!! It was really fun and enjoyable and Jace was so freaking good!!! I mean … an almost love triangle with three best friends and one of them, Aidan, is about to get married only Lori has always been in love with him so, in order to make him jealous, she asks her other best friend, womaniser, Jace to be her fake boyfriend. What she does not know is that Jace has always been in love with her, but stood on the sidelines because he knew her heart laid with someone else!!! This book was a fresh fake dating, best friends to lovers romance that is perfect for the valentine season!! The main characters can be quite frustrating but also so funny and enjoyable. The romance between them complicated but also simple enough to get through. And the slow burn … I think this author truly has a thing for slow burn !!! I’m a fan basically and Jace … he is the tall, dark brooding guy whom you can’t help but fall for!!! Perfect book for every fan of My Best Friend’s Wedding but imagining her actually having her happy ending with the one who loves her!!!