It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan was absolute perfection. I devoured this book in 24 hours as I usually do with Annabel’s stories.
The story is about Jane a child actor now all grown up trying to make it in Hollywood to get a script that she loves to be made into a movie. While also dealing with her archenemies, Dan, who crushed her dreams on a past script she brought to the table. They finally agree that this script is the one and have to work together to try and do anything they can to get the studio to produce it.
Jane and Dan’s chemistry and banter jumps off each page. I absolutely loved every moment of them together in this book.
I could help but think of Jeanette McCurdy while reading this book so I was not shocked at all to see that Annabel was inspired by Jeanette to write Jane’s character.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with this ARC read in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

If it’s something written by Annabel Monaghan, I know it will be great! I fell in love with her first book, and this one will be my second favorite of hers!
I loved Jane and Dan, and his crazy big family. The characters were very relatable and easy to love.
This was a sweet and true rom com with a cracked open door. I don’t remember Annabel writing openish door romances in the past. It was actually something that I cherished about her books. She could bring all the butterflies in her stories without any spice. It was nicely written, I just hope she didn’t feel pressure to write an open door romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putman’s Sons Penguin Random House for letting me read this ARC!

This was such a fun romance book. The story was easy to read and would be perfect for summer time. And their characters was wonderful!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this eArc! This is actually my first Annabel Monaghan book and I loved it! I laughed, more like giggled, stayed up late reading and just thoroughly enjoyed it. The mmc and mmc were child tv stars hoping to make it big. He does and she…well, she’s a thirty something year old still hoping to get her big break. If you love second chance romance, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, childhood trauma and a lot of insecurities because of it, this will be right up your alley. The Millennial in me loved it for these very reasons. It gave that nostalgia of posters on the wall of your favorite singer and day dreaming of what it would be like if you actually met them. For Jane, it’s been twenty years since she’s seen the now most popular pop star of their time. She needs just one song from him in her movie to make it the hit of her career.

Jane, desperate for her big break has to seek help from her grumpy and arrogant cinematographer Dan to hopefully reconnect with the mega pop star Jack Quinlan. They’re then forced to stay at Dan’s parent’s house, in the town where Jack will be performing and a whole series of events unfold.

An absolute enjoyable read and I can’t wait to pick up more of Annabel’s works!

3 50 stars

This is a cute rom com. I enjoyed how both characters become better and evolved once they became friends then lovers. I enjoyed the setting since I am familiar with it, and his happy family was endearing.
I do think the ending could have had a bigger wow moment, as well more in depth with her relationship with her mother but overall cute story.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Annabel Monaghan is one of my auto-buy authors and I was so excited to receive an ARC of her upcoming novel. Jane and Dan were such delightful MCs. Dan’s family was fantastic- I love big family dynamics. Their relationship felt organic and sweet. This is going to be a top summer read, I’m sure. There was depth to the characters, too. It wasn’t purely a fluff story and I felt like the issues were dealt with sensitively. I will definitely be recommending this book!

I finished this book on Sunday (three days ago) and the amount of times I’ve told myself, “You’re braver than that” is almost embarrassing.
But not, because I’m braver than that.
The emotional journey that Janey Jakes goes on in this book is only rivaled by the exquisite summer vibes, and immersive steamy scenes. White dress, pouring rain… need I say more?
It’s been a bleak start to 2025, but this book brought color to my days and made me hopeful for a bright summer.
I am a fan of @annabelmonaghan and this book blew my (already high) expectations out of the water.

This book was so fun! A perfect summer read (in February haha oops). The main characters were real & relatable & it was lighthearted while also touching on some heavy subjects. I will forever read anything Annabel Monaghan writes. The banter & wit were top tier & everyone should snatch this book when it hits shelves in May!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!!

This is the second book I’ve read by Annabel Monaghan. While I didn’t love Same Time Next Summer, I absolutely enjoyed It’s A Love Story.


The story follows Jane Jackson, a former child star turned Hollywood exec, who is desperate to get a movie free lit so much so that she blurts out that she can get pop star Jack Quinlan—her childhood crush and first kiss—to write a song for the movie, even though they haven’t spoken in years. To make it happen, she turns to cinematographer Dan Finnegan, who was the reason a previous script Jane loved wasn’t green lit with a messy history of his own. A week in his Long Island hometown forces Jane to face childhood insecurities, unexpected feelings, and the chance that love might not look the way she always thought it would.

I found younger Jane incredibly relatable, especially in her awkward adolescent phase. Dan’s character also resonated with me—his big, loud family and his feeling of not always fitting in made him feel very real. I really liked the story arcs for both Jane and Dan, though I wish there had been more background on Dan before the setting shifted to Long Island.

I know some readers felt the ending should have been different, but I think it was believable for the characters. The ending fit her personality, so I appreciated how it played out.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to fans of Annabel Monaghan or anyone looking for a great beach read with depth.

Thank you to Penguins Books, NetGalley, and of course, Annabel Monaghan for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Nora Goes Off Script, and I think It's a Love Story might be my new favorite Annabel Monaghan romance. Jane is neurotic and Dan kind of pretentious and I somehow adore them both. I really enjoy when characters have arcs like this — where they bring out the worst in each other, but in a way that builds chemistry and tension until eventually they bring out the best in one another.

I also loved the Long Island setting and how we really go to know Dan and his family. Jane's past as a former child star is interwoven with how she is as an adult so well. Our protagonists' imperfections felt real, but also made their coming together that much more satisfying. This should be a summer romance smash this year! Thank you very much to Putnam for the arc.

Definitely Annabel Monaghan’s best book yet! And I really didn’t think she could top Summer Romance for me. I’m crazy grateful to have landed an ARC so I could enjoy this one early. Jane & Dan and the entire cast of characters in this one are just top notch. I’m still processing how these characters aren’t real people, they feel like they should be! But truly Annabel’s ability to make things feel real but entertaining, relatable and still so thought provoking, I love it! Dateline, The Notebook, “Let It Go”, being “the worst” — just go read it!

Truly the only thing I didn’t love was the name of Jane’s childhood show, Pop Rocks. I thought of the silly (and gross) candy from the 90’s every single time.

I loved this book for so many reasons but I was so unsatisfied with the ending! I wish she wrote the hit song for the film and went on to win a big award for it. I wanted some big grand gesture moment.

This was cute, but I really disliked the third act breakup and the characters' reactions to it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for honest review.

I received a free copy of “It’s a Love Story” by Annabel Monaghan from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a cute rom-com, but has so much more. We have enemies to lovers, a friendship that they will do anything for the other, and a mother-daughter relationship that is so sweet, but also very complicated. The story has a bit of everything and I loved it!

This one wasn’t my favorite. I had a hard time getting into it, but I won’t be leaving anything less than five stars because all of her other books are my top tier favorites and I know that she’s just gonna write a banger next time.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

4.5 stars rounded down

Annabel Monaghan is a must read for me and I did really love this. A couple nitpicky preference things - one too many references to the notebook (was good for a while but found it got a little old) and I didn’t love the conflict. The found both Jane and Dan’s reactions a little immature (seriously, blocking someone??). I did love Dan’s family and the backstories so much!!

This is hands down my favorite Annabel Monaghan book so far! The story follows Jane, a movie creative executive and former child star, who stumbles upon the script of her dreams—but there’s a catch. In order to bring it to film, she needs to convince her childhood peer-turned-superstar to write an original song for the movie. To make that happen, she agrees to stay at her work nemesis Dan’s Long Island house for a week long family party. She quickly finds the maybe Dan is not as bad as she thought.

From the start, I felt an instant connection with Jane, and I quickly found myself falling for swoony Dan and his lovable family. The characters are so well-crafted, and Annabel’s writing style always seems to hit all the perfect romance notes without making it cheesy. I adored this book from start to finish and can’t wait to reread it on the beach this summer. It’s the perfect read for anyone looking for heartwarming romance and unforgettable characters!

Do you ever read a book and you feel like your heart got enveloped into a huge hug? This book is my new favorite hug! I can confidently say that Annabel Monaghan is a must read author for me now. Her characters, her settings and her backstories blend seamlessly into one beautiful tale that I wish went on forever. I want to follow these characters beyond the epilogue and stay with them to hang out. I want to get invited to a BBQ at the Finnegan house and witness their crazy family. I want to go to Friday night movies with Jane and her mom and do facials and makeovers afterwards. I want to see this love story continue on beyond the pages.

The book had a simple premise, a romance about a former child star who is trying to produce a movie and the opinionated cinematographer who needs to be a part of the project to save his career but it was more than simple in execution. After a meet-cute (that I absolutely adored) he then sticks his foot in his mouth and they turn bitter towards each other.

Jane was anxious and quirky but she was also very funny and endearing. I found similarities between myself and her. I also must leave the room to talk to someone on the phone– who knows why?! I also found her false confidence a personality trait that I think many people can easily relate to. As a former child star you would think she is comfortable in her own skin but she has her own doubts and insecurities.

Dan is very different from the rest of this family and didn't always fit in with the loud boisterous bunch. He liked the calm and the quiet of the solitude and found that with photography. The way he was open with Jane was refreshing and it caused them to truly understand each other.

Shoutout to the Owl Barn and Oak Shore! I would have loved to run into Wyatt and Sam but I loved that they were in the same universe (Same Time Next Summer)

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Annabel Monahgan
Genre: Romance
Troupe: Rivals to Lovers, Forced Proximity

This is such a delightful, feel-good romance with plenty of humor and heart! Jane Jackson, once the punchline of a sitcom, is now a Hollywood studio exec trying to get her first project off the ground. But when a white lie about landing a popstar to write a song spirals into a week-long showdown with her past, she ends up on Long Island with Dan Finnegan—the very man who still knows all her awkward moments from childhood. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the mix of old grudges, unresolved feelings, and genuine connection makes for a perfect blend of humor and emotion.

The heart of this book really lies in Jane’s journey of self-acceptance and redemption. Watching her navigate her past with the hilarious and charming Dan, while also trying to save her career, adds layers to the romance that make it all the more engaging. The dynamic between Jane and Dan is witty, sweet, and filled with banter, making their journey to find something real together incredibly satisfying. If you love a good second-chance romance with a healthy dose of humor and vulnerability, this one’s a must-read!

I have said it before and I’ll say it again—Annabel Monaghan writes with her whole heart. Big beautiful feelings and messy families and flawed people and enduring love. 🙌💙
•
Janey grew up as the punchline of every joke on a hit teen sitcom, and as an adult, she’s never quite found her footing. She’s looking for her big break as a movie studio exec, and the one thing standing in her way is Dan, an aloof cinematographer who’s making things difficult for her.
•
The beginning of this one did not pull me in like I wanted it to. I wasn’t connecting with the story and thought Dan came off super weird. Once they got to Long Island it felt like a different book. I absolutely loved Dan’s big family, their bursting with love home, and the beach setting. The sand, the waves, the small town feel, the diner, the bike riding, all of it felt magical and special and right. ✨
•
The pages went quickly because of the beautiful writing, but I just did not care for the LA setting. I wanted them to stay at the beach forever! 😆 I settled on four stars and think most readers will enjoy this story, but maybe not as much as her others. Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putman for the eARC!