I loved this book so much. I will be honest, there was moments where I was rolling my eyes at the MFC but by the end I understood her and found her endearing. I can understand her insecurities and felt so much of her fears about herself and love. I adored the MMC and his family. I would love a family like that. Also all the talk of the notebook. One of my favorite movies. This was definitely a love story.

very fun and likeable romance with generally good vibes and well-written / realistic characters. 5 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.

Jane Jackson knows how to get a laugh. Spending her childhood as the “butt of the joke” on America’s favorite television show, she believes in laughter, not love. Now she’s a creative director at Clearwater Studios and is trying to get her first project green-lit. But when she overpromises a song by the hottest popstar to sell the screenplay, she must ask for help from the last person she wanted to work with, Dan Finnegan. Dan is not only Jane’s former crush but also a cinematographer who dashed her dreams of getting a previous screen play made. However, Dan is the only one that has connections at the popstar’s next tour stop in his hometown. Will a week together chasing down the elusive pop star change things for Dan and Jane? Can Jane face her past and change her tune on love?

It’s a Love Story is a quick-paced, enemies to lovers, rom-com read. I can imagine being fourteen years old and going through some of the same things as Jane. As women, we often question our self worth so I love how Dan’s family showed Jane she was valuable. Dan’s family was so fun to read about as well. I think most people with siblings can connect with the back and forth between them. Overall, a great read.

4⭐️’s

Thank you to NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan, and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge Annabel Monaghan fan, and It’s a Love Story did not disappoint. It’s a story that felt good in my chest - the romance made me smile then settled down into comfortable content. Great chemistry, lovable side characters, and a relaxing setting made this a perfect book to curl up on a rainy day or at the beach.

I find Monaghan’s style similar to Emily Henry in that it’s more mature and character-driven than a lot of contemporary romance, which I enjoy. That said, it took me 50-100 pages to really connect with the main characters and get past surface level. This book also features similar themes, plot events, and settings to her other works, which is fine (her most recent three books were five star reads for me), but it did give a weird sense of deja vu a few times.

Overall, really lovely read perfect for this summer!

4 stars. ARC provided by Putnam via NetGalley

This is absolutely my new favorite Annabel Monaghan book! The story and characters had me captivated from the very beginning. Jane and Dan! Oh, how I love an enemies to lovers trope! Their lives and problems were just so relatable & just beautiful to see them fight for the lives they want.
Jane Jackson is a former child actor who is now working as a studio executive trying to get a script made into a movie that she so deeply loves. She makes a wild claim that her former child costar who is a hit musician (but he is also the guy behind her most humiliating teenage moment) will write a song for the movie … cue a trip across the country to speak to him!
Dan Finnegan is a cinemographer who also falls in love with the script but unfortunately he and Jane do not get along!! It turns out the musician is in his hometown for a concert so Dan and Jane decide to fly across the country together to get the song for their movie.
The story is so beautifully written watching both of their walls come down and letting each other see their true selves. The witty banter is top tier and you will be highly entertained with all of Dan’s family. You will definitely not want this book to end, but when it does, you will be smiling. Truly a five star read for me!
Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing an early digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! This book felt a bit different than Monaghan's previous books, but the writing was absolutely beautiful and made me feel allllllll of the feels. I'd love to spend a summer with Dan's family. Here's to letting go of your plans and finding the one who sees the true you and loves you even more for it.

I loved this book! One of my new favorites from AM. While reading it I had the thought that it reminded me of Jeanette McCurdy and her story of “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” The thought of a child actress and the way that they are portrayed in a certain light and how it bleeds into their adulthood and identity was such an interesting concept to explore. Combine that with AM’s writing and you have a winner!

Phenomenal - this author has such a clear voice and tells such a good story every time. This book is no exception!

My full & complete review from my E-ARC via NetGalley—

If you would’ve asked me one month ago, if I’ve ever read Annabel Monaghan, the answer would’ve been yes. But the truth is that last year, I listened to Summer Romance on audiobook. Had I known the lyricism of her writing would be reading me through the pages, I would have picked up that paper back in a heartbeat. I think the author read through my journal when writing the kind of character that she wanted Dan to be.

Dan is loud because he’s quiet. Jane laughs in her sleep. Dan loves looking through the window. Jane loves being the one he’s looking at. If I have one complaint about this story, it’s that the publisher approved a very confusing blurb for the back of the book. I practically went in blind, not knowing who and what I was going to be reading about…but…

This is the story of a woman who finds all the lovable parts of herself in the messiness of a man. Not because he is unruly or disorganized, but because he doesn’t care what other people think.

She’s known herself to have flaws. She’s also known herself to try to love those flaws and see the brightness in them. Dan elevated things for her. Made her aware that breakfast was and is the most important meal of the day.

This is a decent second chance love story. It does start slow for me and got a little bit better towards the end. After reading quite a bit of dark romance, this was a great palate cleanser. This has second chance romance, forced proximity, little workplace romance and I wouldn’t really say enemies to lovers but they definitely didn’t like each other in the beginning. I think if you’re looking for a love story with a hollywood twist, this is for you! ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam books for an ARC of this book.

Jane Jackson used to play the dorky comedic relief on a sitcom. Now, all grown up, she’s trying to make movies. Enter Dan. Cinematographer who killed her first movie attempt. Aspiring cinematographer on her next movie attempt. All Jane has to do is get the leading pop star to record a song for her movie to get it green-lit. Cue Dan and Jane having a whimsical week on Long Island at his family’s home while trying to hunt down said pop star.

Annabel Monaghan is an instant must read for me, and this one lived up to her status. Absolutely enchanting and heartwarming, I was transported to beach bike rides and lobster boils. Her books feel like summer. Can’t recommend this one enough!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I adore pretty much everything Annabel writes and this was no exception. The way she humanizes her characters and immerses you in their inner thinking is what hooks me. It’s A Love Story was the perfect beach read.

I will say this did not capture me as much as Annabel’s previous books, however. It was a bit slower/not as much happening throughout and I didn’t feel overly connected to either character as I have in the past. Still a great, quick read and I absolutely loved the parents and family bonds that were a through line throughout.

Another Annabel Monaghan delight! She has a way of writing romances that are cozy and feel good, without being boring, and It’s a Love Story follows suit.

If you haven't read a book by Annabel Monaghan, seriously, what are you waiting for? She is a queen of the romance genre, and It's A Love Story stands in perfect evidence.

Jane has been trying to get her first movie made for years, but something always gets in the way. This time, she's determined to make it happen, even if it means fudging the truth about her past relationship with Jack Quinlan, one of the biggest music stars of the era. She might have promised she could get him to write an original song for the movie despite not having spoken to him in a decade or two, and now she has to make it happen. Confronting her past with Jack is about the last thing on planet Earth she wants to do, and her partner for the movie, Dan, is the last person she wants to work with (seeing as he was the one to sabotage her last project), but Jane will make this project work come hell or high water. That is how she finds herself bunked up with Dan and his family on Long Island for a week, at the end of which she will have to confront her painful past if she wants the future she's worked so hard for.

I die for this book. It took me to places I wish I could bathe in indefinitely. That good book feeling I wish I could weave into an oversized sweater and wear everyday for the rest of my life. It is everything - everything - I want in a romance novel.

Jane doesn't believe in love. It was practically indoctrinated into her by a single mother with bad luck in love. And it was only reinforced by the few times Jane had a 'moment' with someone she thought was something special that ended up going down in flames before the week was out. Both times. And now she has to confront both of them.

Oh, the drama.

Let's talk about Dan. And his family. Oh my gosh. He's lovely. And his family is beyond lovely. The kind of big boisterous family everyone wishes they had that gives you constant shit, pushes each other out of their comfort zones, but is also there for you when you crash and burn. Their week in Long Island was frigging paradise despite the difficulties and I live for it.

Jane and Dan are both complex characters. They have deep emotional wounds that they're working on and they compliment one another in the best ways. I've read a lot of great books already this year, but I have to say these two are one of my top three romance couples I've read in a long time.

Annabel Monaghan, you're a genius, and I can't wait to read literally every single word you ever write. If It's A Love Story is not already on your summer TBR, girl RUN and grab this exquisite work of fiction. Thank me later!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Annabel Monaghan does it again!!!! Can she do wrong? No, the answer is lost definitely no. I loved this story so much!!! The main character was so relatable. So great!!

4.5⭐️ This one is for the girlies who don’t think they’re enough or don’t think they deserve love. This one really hit home for me because it also talks about her dad leaving because he didn’t want her anymore and I heavily relate to that!! Annabel always has such hard hitting one or two liners as well that got me all in my feels.

"When you smile at me, I feel like I want to capture it. But it's not the regular way like when I see something beautiful and I want to photograph it. When you smile, it does something to me, I feel it in my chest, and I just want to figure out how to get you to do it again."

^^^^ THISSSS 😫🥰

I really loved this book. I really considered giving it five stars but it was just towards the end where Jane really put it off for me. I know it was part of the story and how it was intended to be written, but I really didn’t like that when things didn’t go as expected she shut Dan out and ended things with him. Like, I felt Dan’s heartache, it hurt. And her doing that to him really pissed me off. Apart from that I enjoyed this book, Jane and Dan’s story. How they met, their “hatred” towards each other, sort of like frenemies (a bit more towards the enemies part) but turned into them falling for each other. The banter between them, arguing over nothing and everything at the same time. The Notebook talk and references throughout the book was 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼. ALSO, the thing about her curls?!?!!! Where in many books/movies the girl gets or starts to wear her curly hair when she starts to fall in love. That was definitely one of my favorite things!!
Seriously enjoyed this book so much, I felt many emotions that I always want to feel when reading a book.

Can’t wait for others to read and hear their opinions, and hopefully they love this book as much as I did. Maybe even more. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC! Former child star turned Creative Executive Jane is working on her first major project for Clearwater Studios. She may have over promised on her connection to a pop star Jack Quinlan and will need her work enemy Dan to make a last ditch effort to get Jack on board. Their trip to Dan’s hometown and interactions with his family are so hysterical that I loved every minute. An awesome addition to your TBR and classic Annabel story! Love love loved.

I have loved all of Annabel Monaghan’s romance novels (Nora Goes Off Script, Same Time Next Summer, and Summer Romance) so I was really excited to read her newest one. It’s a Love Story went far beyond my expectations. I absolutely fell in love with this book and couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way too late reading because I just had to find out how it ended.

I could really relate to Jane and her insecurities. Jane was a lot like me when I was in middle school- braces, not a lot of friends, excited when I thought a boy liked me and jumping to very wrong conclusions.

I loved Dan and his need for quiet. I also loved his family. I also am from a family of 5 kids so the craziness of family gatherings were so relatable to me. They were much like the family gatherings I’m so used to with my own family. I could also appreciate Dan and his feeling like he’s different from the rest of his siblings and feeling like he doesn’t quite fit in.

This book gave me all the feels. I was so emotionally attached to the characters and not just the 2 main characters. I loved all of the characters. Annabel creates such a wide range of personalities in her characters and does a fabulous job of making me feel so attached to them by the end. I felt like I was right there throughout the story watching from the sidelines. I was so emotionally invested and was cheering them both on through the whole book. I wanted to keep reading so I could get to the happy ending that I knew would be coming BUT I also didn’t want the book to end!

This is my 4th book by Annabel Monaghan and it is by far my favorite!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book should be a movie. I could not put it down! This story was so real and funny and had me swooning. The dialogue was written so well. I felt like I was actually a part of their love story, which is why I’m giving it 5 stars!