Jane Jackson is a former child star and currently trying to make her name know in the production world. She’s got an outfit for every event and a plan to get her current script green-lighted. There’s just one problem: she’s paired up with the oh-so-irritating Dan (a man she once almost dated), and she may or may not have exaggerated her connection to a famous pop singer who could make the movie a killer song and win it an Oscar 😅. She now has to go on a week long “work” trip with Dan to try and sell (or stalk) the pop star on their idea. Thankfully, Dan is just as sold on the script and has family they can stay with. What happens next is an engaging story of learning to revise your own ideas of success and love.

Monaghan has officially solidified her spot in my top-five go-to recommendations of authors who write gripping, fade to black romances. I’ve read her other three romances and they were wonderful! However, this one takes the cake. Five stars for sure. I love the quirkiness of Jane and Dan and how they each had this picture in their head of what love would look like and it was challenged within the story. The tension that was built was great!

Honestly though, what sold me on this book was the absolute warmth and love that sprang from the pages from Dan’s family. They were a family you wanted to get to know. They were really and raw and had their flaws, but also would do anything for each other.

I could keep gushing on about this book but I really want you to dive in yourself! Highly recommend!

Annabelle’s writing made me feel like I was reading lovely poetry without having to ponder on the meaning of what I was reading. The way she takes her readers and puts them directly in their character’s head is so exciting to read.

A huge shout out to @annabellemonahue, @netgalley, and @peguingroupputnam for the privilege of reading this as an ARC! It was a delight start to finish!

4.5 stars
Jane Jackson was a child actor, now Creative Executive hoping to create a love story movie she truly believes in with, unfortunately, Dan, a handsome cinematographer who Jane has continuously butted heads with. When she lies and claims that pop star, Jack Quinlan (who was also her first kiss and subsequently left Jane devastated/embarrassed), would write a song for the movie, she needs to go to Long Island with Dan to track down Jack and convince him to do it and save the movie.

Tropes:
(fr)enemies to lovers
second chance
close proximity
opposites attract
ANGST

Full of laugh out loud moments, and perfect if you have a The Notebook obsession. Jane is a badass who has worked to suppress her insecurities from her past and overcome the identity of her awkward TV character. She craves a certain organization and order in her life that Dan brings a wrecking ball to. While they have been at odds on the movies they want to help create, they balance each other while supporting and arguing with each other. Underlying the arguing and "hate" is a ton of chemistry between the characters. As Jane and Dan spend more time together, they begin to understand each other more and find some common ground. I appreciated how Dan persistently reached out and took the initiative to deepen their connection through little moments, even when Jane shied away, stepping outside her comfort zone. I loved Dan's big and boisterous family, and while Dan gets lost in the crowd of his many brothers, Jane sees him for who he truly is and consistently stands up for him. The angst and longing on Dan's part are subtly hinted but definitely there and I ate it up. The ending was perfect.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC!

📚 Book Review 📚

TITLE: It’s a Love Story
AUTHOR: Annabel Monaghan
GENRE: Romance/Fiction
RATING: ⭐️⭐️

It pains me to write this review. I so wanted to love this book, but alas, this did not happen.

I LOVED Monaghan’s first two novels. They were charming, sweet, touching, and heartwarming. I was, however, let down by her 3rd book, Summer Romance. I couldn’t connect to the story or the characters at all. I decided that her next book would be the dealbreaker as to whether or not I would continue reading her books. Unfortunately, I really disliked this one. It felt contrived and forced and honestly, not believable. It seems like once an author agrees to start writing a book every year, the quality and authenticity of their work greatly diminishes. I fear that’s what’s happening here. I won’t say anymore other than I am saddened that this is (most likely) the end of the road for me and Annabel Monaghan.

*Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for this advanced reader copy. This book is out on shelves May 2025.

So I need to start this by thanking Annabel Monaghan, because I’ve been in the worst reading slump, and this ripped me from it! I can’t explain how much I love this book. Dan is such a great mmc, he goes down as one of my ultimate book boyfriends. He’s no business and tells Jane exactly what he wants. It’s so refreshing! And Jane is such an easy character to relate to, I was able to empathize with her from the first page. I’ve always liked Annabel Monaghan, but I LOVE this. Fans will devour this!

I think it’s incredible how a book can find you in just the right time, and this is exactly what happened with “It’s a Love Story”.

Read this for: wholesome family dynamics, a FMC finding her true self, a realistic love story, relatable characters, and beautiful descriptions of falling in love.

Being with your partner for a long time can sometimes make you feel stagnant. What this book gave me was the possibility to remind myself how amazing it was to fall in love with my person (and I think kind of relive it in a way).

Annabel has a gift for love stories and I hope she keeps writing them forever; at the same time, I hope I will have the privilege to read them, and keep rereading them because that’s how much they always resonate with me.

I have hundreds of quotes from this book and will gladly share them all after the official release. Be prepared for love confessions of your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ok if there’s one thing about me, it’s that if Annabel Monaghan writes a book, I’m going to read it and I’m going to love it. Never have I been more excited to be an ARC reader than when I got the netgalley email saying I got approved for this book!

So for starters between the title and the first line being “fake it till you make it” (where my Swifties at?) I knew I was going to be obsessed with this one. Not to mention there’s a character named Reenie, which just so happens to be the name of my sweet baby girl. So basically I was an absolute swoon for this book. There’s a cool story line touching on how a childhood actress adjusts to life as an adult and the emotional impact it has on her. This sweet love story has an enemies to lovers/ slow burn thing going. You will love Dan and his big fam, and Jane’s character development will definitely make you shed a few tears. I was so sad it had to come to an end!

After spending her childhood being the silly girl with braces on a kids’ sitcom show, Jane wants to make something of her life in the adult world. She falls in love with a script she wants her studio to choose for a movie. Unfortunately when pitching her idea, her arch nemesis Dan is there as the potential cinematographer. To her surprise he loves it too and brings her back home to Long Island to try and track down the famous country singer Jack Quinlan (who happens to be her first kiss). If he agrees to make a track for their movie, will they both finally catch their big break? Will the forced proximity help or hurt the cause? Well you will have to wait until May to find out 😉

Truly this book is fantastic. Ms. Monaghan can do no wrong in the romance world!

Her best book yet! I adored this one. I loved the bits of Hollywood and child stars… I loved how funny it was. Dan might be my favorite MMC in the Annabel universe. Quiet knows what he wants Dan. And I need more from the Finnegans! Brian’s love story maybe? I’m not ready to say goodbye.

Growing up on tv as the geeky sidekick has left Jane with a lot of scars. Now as an adult she’s trying to make it as a producer in Hollywood. She has the script of a lifetime. The only problem? Dan Finnegan has been brought in on the project. Dan is arrogant, pompous, and continually sabotaging Jane’s career. To get her script green-lit, Jane promises her boss that she’d get a single written by a famous pop star from her past. Trouble is, she has no way of connecting with him. After filling Dan in on her dilemma he offers her the only logical solution. She comes home with Dan to Long Island where said pop star will be performing. And maybe Jane might just find out that she doesn’t hate Dan after all?

If Annabel writes it I’ll be reading it. I’ve loved all her books but I think this one might just be my favorite. The writing is sharp and funny. The characters had depth. And I’m just such a sucker for big families with lots of love. And I loved Dan being the lovable black sheep of the family. Honestly there’s not a single thing I can critique about this. I enjoyed Jane’s character arc a lot. I loved seeing her grow and fall in love. Just all around an amazing read.

Forced proximity
One room
Enemies to lovers
Small town

If you like books with sweet odd ball men, emotional character arcs, and a loving family dynamics this one’s for you.

Thank you netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt VERY different than Annabel’s 2024 release, but in very refreshing way?! I can’t even fully describe that, I’ll leave that to the writers, but it was a fresh way of speaking for her that I ate up! Found the characters engaging and enjoyable. The plot moved forward at a lovely pace.

As a fan of the author's previous works, this book did not disappoint. The romance was beautifully crafted, striking a perfect balance between laugh-out-loud moments and genuine, heartfelt issues. It's a book that stays with you long after the final page, thanks to its memorable characters and compelling story.

Don’t mind Jane, she’s just going on a week-long trip with her work nemesis to his family’s house so she can track down America’s favorite pop star to ask if he’ll write a soundtrack for a movie she’s trying to produce! What could go wrong? Except for finding out that your work nemesis is actually a kind, compelling man who likes that you make him laugh and makes you feel seen…

This is a lovely read - beyond the romance (which is wonderful!), there is a compelling self-discovery plot, and also a professional development one. I was rooting just as much for Jane to get her first project greenlit as I was for her to find self-acceptance and love. (There is a bit of miscommunication, or maybe non-communication that I didn’t love but I could see how it could happen). 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the aspect of family that the author incorporated. I also love how there was buildup to Dan and Jane's relationship because they built a connection with each other through the activities that they participated in before falling in love. I will definitely read more books by Annabel Monaghan. Overall, I highly recommend!

I have such faith in Annabel Monaghan's ability to write an incredible book that I didn't even read the description of this book before I requested the arc or started reading it. I literally despised Man Bun Dan at the beginning of this book, and I didn't even consider that he was going to be Jane's love interest. So, it's truly amazing that my heart was soaring by the end of this book. I loved everything about this, and I wish I could read it again for the first time. I laughed, I cried, and then I cried some more. Jane and Dan/Danny/Man Bun Dun have filled a hole in my heart.

5 stars, no notes.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Welp, I just stayed up way past my bedtime because I was physically incapable of stopping myself from finishing this book. It’s THAT good.

I’m stealing Carley Fortune’s words: anything Annabel Monaghan writes, I’m reading it. It’s that simple. She could literally share her grocery list with me, and I’d be happy.
Her writing is just so captivating, it has the power of holding my attention from the very first word—and that’s not easy, hello ADHD. I seriously can’t brag enough. I just love her.

I had HIGH expectations for this book and I’m happy to say that it was everything I wanted and more. Jane felt like such a real character, so relatable and raw. The same goes for Dan. Both of them were just so well written. I also loved all the other characters as well. The Finnegans, their whole family dynamic just had me laughing out loud and crying real tears. And Clem is the kind of friend everyone needs in their lives. I could go on and on but I don’t want to spoil it for everyone else. I just have to say I feel so lucky that I got to read this before it’s officially published.

Thank you NetGalley & Putnam for the early digital copy!

Annabel is incapable of writing a bad book. This is my fourth book by the author and third 5 star read. Possibly my favorite of the bunch. Her characters are so complex and relatable that you can’t help but get sucked in. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet one second and crying into my pillow the next.

The growth of the fmc and progression of the relationship and story always felt organic and well paced. There is one thing about Annabel’s books that I will always appreciate and it’s that she doesn’t have filler chapters or drag out the ending when there isn’t any story left. Every chapter, paragraph, and sentence has a purpose.

This book meant so much to me and I am so thankful to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

Loved loved loved everything about this book. The beginning was a bit of a slow start, but totally worth it once they started to build their connection. Sometimes chaotic family dynamics can take away from the romance but in this case it only strengthened the story.

Annabel does it again. Her writing style to me is unmatched, it does it for me every time. I really think this could be my new favorite from her. This was such a beautiful story, it had me hooked from the get go. It made me smile, laugh, cry, and feel anger all in one. That’s what you need in a good book, making me feel all the feels. I loved the characters, the romance was so well done. Obsesssssed with the family dynamic in this. I just couldn’t say more positive things about this book. I already have the physical book preordered, can’t wait to get it in my hands next year!

Can’t say thank you enough to Penguin Group Putnam, Annabel, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review. I feel like I won the lottery with this one!!!!

One of the easiest five star ratings I’ve given for a romance all year. This book gave me all the feelings and brought me through a myriad of emotions in its pages.

I felt so seen in the main character, Jane, as someone whose brain is constantly functioning at a rapid and spiraling rate. Monaghan does an amazing job mixing humor and seriousness when it comes to overthinking and how it can be such a big part of someone’s life.

Dan, our male protagonist, is so quietly loving and supportive and sure of himself and the way he helps to anchor Jane is SO SWOONY. I loved their love that somehow had just the perfect amount of insane chemistry and also slow genuine friendship and love. Dan’s family dynamics were so lovely to follow along with as well and I loved how effortlessly Jane settled in with them.

There were so many laugh out loud moments combined with more serious ones that caused me to shed more than just one or two tears. This book put me through the wringer in the best way. Annabel Monaghan continues to be one of my favorite auto-buy authors!!

Oh Annabel, you wonderful, brilliant gem… you’ve done it again. I’m so grateful I got the chance to read the eARC on NetGalley and I am counting down to my physical copy come release day. I’ve read and loved each of your books and this one brought me so much joy, just as the books before it. I’ve read plenty of books about screenwriters, actors, singers etc… but there’s always something that feels inauthentic… but I adored how this one touched on the struggles of being a child star and then not an adult star… a story we’ve seen so often in real life with the kids of Disney Junior fame. I loved Dan so so much, so genuinely and intentionally himself at all times, even when everyone around him wanted him to be someone else. Overall, this was a total win for me… again.

A very cute summer romance! I love Annabel Monaghan's book and flew this one as usual. As soon as the story moves from LA to Long Island, it really picks up and has you invested in the characters. The miscommunication trope is featured heavily which as a matter of personal preference is not a trope I generally enjoy so that kept this from being a five star read for me, but was still incredibly cute and enjoyable.