Let me begin by thanking Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

I can always count on Annabel Monaghan for a feel good story and It’s a Love Story doesn’t disappoint.

Jane Jackson grew up as sitcom character Janey Jake’s an awkward adolescent with a favorite punch line of “poor Janey Jakes” . Now she is trying to establish herself as a studio exec. Enter Dan Finegan a cinematographer who gets under Jane’s skin. Dan has an in with pop star Jack Quinlan, who Jane promised she could get to sing a song for her movie.

What unfolds is a cute enemies to lovers trope with all the feels that makes us love Annabel Monaghan.

I can’t believe I get to live in the same timeline as Annabel Monaghan. Reading her books has changed me. Full on altered my DNA.

Jane and Dan were PRECIOUS! I couldn’t get enough of these two. And I can’t believe that a bulk of this book took place in one week! The pacing was masterful! And don’t get me started on Dan’s family! Petition for Annabel to write Brian’s story next, please!

One of the best romance books I’ve read all year. 5 stars!

5 stars- this is my new favorite annabel monaghan novel...which dare i say is a bold claim considering i adored her previous work. her writing is so poignant that i found myself with tears falling onto my kindle. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of “It’s A Love Story” by Annabel
Monaghan. Fun read - I flew through it! This book will be a great summer read to take to the beach or the pool.

Jane Jackson was a child actor on a popular tv show. She was the comic relief - think Steve Urkel or Screech. While her co-stars went on to have careers and fame beyond the show, Jane struggles to move past her awkward pre-teen onscreen persona and find her own path in Hollywood. When her ability to get a script green-lit hinges on making it more commercial, she tries to hunt down the pop star she once sang with. If she can get him to write a song for the movie, maybe she’ll finally move on from her past.

Love the covers on all Annabel Monaghan books. They’re modern, fresh and enticing.
Ex-child actress, Jane Jackson, has a script she’d like to make and it’s going to be green lighted until thorn in her side Dan Finnegan sees holes in it, which causes Jane to lie and say she can get music star Jack Quinlan to write a song for it. Despite not believing in love Jane finds herself getting closer to Dan which scares her. A novel of finding love and allowing yourself to believe you’re worthy of it, and allowing yourself to change.

This was a very cute story with characters that grow on you. I found Jane a relatable character despite the fact that she was a child star who know works in the business side Hollywood. I also felt the connection with the love interest was well done, believable and properly paced. I give this book three stars because it took me a little time to fully get into it.

I love Annabel Monghan and her stories so much. It's a Love Story stars Jane and Dan as the MC's. I enjoyed reading this book and the connection felt between the 2 at their first interaction on the street. Jane is a former child star and is trying to make a name for herself as an adult, unfortunately Dan is standing in her way.

Some parts of this story were not my favorite. One being the way Jane so quickly latched onto Dan's parents, it felt a bit awkward? Insta-love is not my favorite either. Reading Jane become comfortable and opening up to her mom about what she's been hanging onto was really heartfelt. This was not a favorite of mine from Annabel, but it was still an enjoyable novel!

I love where the inspiration came from for Jane, check the acknowledgements!

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC

Jane is a former child star who really needs something to go right in her film career. On a whim, she agrees to convince her former co=star who is now a rock star to write a song for her new script. Her co-worker, Dan, offers to put her up in his family's home for the week. In the meantime, it is his parents' 40th Anniversary and the whole family is home for the celebration. Jane gets drawn in to Dan's family, and sees a different side of him as their feelings for one another start to grow. This was a sweet story about small towns, sensitive spirits, and love that has the power to last a lifetime.

The first Annabelle Monaghan story I read, NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, solidified in my mind what an amazing writer she was, and I knew she was my newest one-click author.

Her newest book, IT”S A LOVE STORY, has underscored and added exclamation points to that statement.

This story of a grown-up teen sitcom star and her feelings of inadequacy and irrelevance spoke so loudly to me. In fact, I’d just read I’m GLAD MY MOTHER IS DEAD and was thinking about the parallels to that memoir. Lo and behold, Monaghan cites that book in her acknowledgments with giving her the idea for Jane Jackson.

Grown-up Jane meets Dan Finnegan, and as any love story worth its salt, happiness, and sadness ensue.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot because this book needs to be READ – slowly, and while paying attention – but suffice it to say Jane’s back story wrecked me
And then Dan put me back together again.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and GP Putnam and Sons for a sneak peak at what will undoubtedly be another bestseller for Monaghan.
5 stars

Synopsis: A woman trying to get a movie green lit travels to her coworker’s family home to try to make connections.
Thoughts: Really torn over this one. Honestly I didn’t like the plot, and that storyline dragged, but I loved the romance. Annabel has a way of writing such palpable chemistry that spice isn’t even necessary.
If you love her other books I think you’ll still like this, just maybe not as much as the others.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc- it will release in May!

Jane was on a children’s TV show growing up and her Dad died early in her life. She has a lot of issues with trust and self worth. She’s working at a Hollywood studio trying to get a movie made that she feels strongly about. Her co worker Dan is a thorn in her side. Although he irritates her to no end, she agrees to go to his family home on Long Island to try and move forward on the movie. She finds herself in the midst of his large boisterous family and she sees Dan in a different light.
This book really picked up for me when Jane and Dan get to his hometown. I loved his entire family and how welcoming they were to Jane. I have loved all of Annabel Monaghan’s books and this is no exception. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

It’s a Love Story was a rom com done in the best way as it focused more on the main character, Jane, with the romance coming in the form of a guy who ended up helping Jane believe in herself but not due to their romance, but rather his belief in her. I love it when that happens.

Jane is in the movie business working to find scripts her studio will green light. She’s a child of show business having worked on a TV show in her youth which saw her as ‘the clumsy one’. The Urkel, if you will. That childhood had her type cast into trauma but when she finds a script she falls in love with she’s sure it will set her on the road to being known for her savvy in show business vs. her character’s hijinks (a feeling that’s largely in her head as Jane has some things to work out, including but not limited to hiding under her desk at work and taking calls that shes not comfortable with in her closet). Enter Dan, a cinematographer she absolutely detests for knocking down a previous project and who her boss wants on this one… if they can bring in a bang, whether with a literal explosion or a la the tiger in the Hangover. Jane digs her own grave by committing a very famous music artist who had a cameo on her show (also managing to treat her like total crud) to writing a song for the film, adding in the commercialism it needs. The journey to actually secure him of course involves Dan but that journey allows Jane to start crawling out from the proverbial desk/closet, and make the absolute best coming into your own story for Jane.

With some great supporting characters, humor and heart, and such a great premise, It’s a Love Story is that but also a lot more.

thank you putnam books for an advanced copy :)) i really enjoyed this! the finnegan household was so charming and stole the show in some places. this prob wasn’t my favorite book of annabel monaghan’s but she’s quickly become a must-read author for me and this book didn’t change that!

**ARC REVIEW**

Swoon, I will follow Annabel Monaghan into the dark. This one is going to be a H I T. Jane is a creative director on a mission to make "True Story," a big film, but when she gets to the meeting to get the show on the books is faced with her arch nemesis, Dan Finnegan a cinematographer who has crushed Jane's dreams one too many times.

Jane says (a little too confidently), she can get superstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie to make it a hit and to sell. Unfortunately for her to make this happen, Jane needs to go to Long Island to a music festival to track Jack down. She's shocked to find out that Dan is just as eager to make this script happen and so he suggests staying at his childhood home with his family to find Jack.

Jane is able to uncover a lot about who she is while she's away, and face some ugly truths that she's been keeping buried.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book. It was giving subtle Gilmore Girls references, child acting tea, and showing up for yourself. I feel like I saw a lot of myself in Jane, just a funny girl, who definitely doesn't have the best luck in the love department, who is just trying her best but without seeing it - is her own worst enemy.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for this gorgeous ARC in return for my honest review <3

Quick intro:
Jane, a former child star turned creative executive, has one week to convince a popstar to write a song for the movie she’s desperate to have made. Seems easy enough? NO. She and Jack knew each other when she was dorky Janey Jakes on TV, a persona she’s fought so hard to separate herself from. AND she’s staying with stuck-up cinematographer Dan’s (who she hates but also almost dated?!) family in NY while trying to catch the popstar at a music festival. What could go wrong?

Quick thoughts:
GUYS, Annabel writes the most charming, heartwarming, and just all around lovely books. This will be the sort of book where you come for the romance, but you stay for the whole cast of completely lovable and compelling characters. You will fall for Dan’s family and their warm (yet often sarcastic and playful) nature.

This book was just so warm and cozy and a delight. I found myself slowing down toward the end to savor the moments and steep myself in the imagery. To be honest, I sometimes struggle to picture books - characters/setting/etc. But I didn’t find that to be true with It’s A Love Story. Monaghan’s writing is so beautiful, I felt like I was just spending time with close friends for the entirety of the book.

This is a book that celebrates family, steadfast commitment, the small moments where love happens, individuality, and creativity. It’s a real grand slam of a story and I can’t wait for you all to read it when it comes out.

Read if you like workplace romances, rivals to lovers, fade-to-black, big loud families, New York in August, books with a peek into the movie making process,

A big thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

In Annabel Monaghan’s novel 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, Jane Jackson is a former child actress who once played the nerdy sidekick on a beloved musical teen sitcom. Now, as a 33-year-old creative executive and aspiring producer, she is trying to get a romantic film off the ground as her first big project. Though Jane is skeptical about love and has a careful, pragmatic approach to dating, she believes in the movie and is desperate to get it made. Her work nemesis, arrogant cinematographer Dan Finnegan, surprisingly feels the same way about the film and is willing to help her do what it takes to get their boss to greenlight it… including tracking down Jack Quinlan—popular musician and Jane’s high school fling—at a music festival and convincing him to write a song for the soundtrack.

Though overall I enjoyed the book, it was uneven for me. The beginning is somewhat flat with the introduction of the two leads as co-workers at a Hollywood studio—their surface-level quirks are a bit trite and their dislike of each other comes off a little forced. The narrative doesn’t really find its footing until the two go across the country to Oak Shore, Long Island—Dan’s hometown—for the music festival and they interact with his family and friends. Like with her other novels, Monaghan excels at describing environments, creating interesting and well-developed supporting characters, and setting dynamic scenes. Oak Shore is where Jane and Dan come to life on the page not only as a pairing but as individual complex, intriguing characters. Unfortunately, the magic of that dissipates some with a third-act break-up and a resolution that felt too protracted and heavy-handed.

While flawed, 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 is still a well-written, engaging romance good for a vacation or beach read. There are some truly beautiful lines and dialogue, and I also appreciated the themes of finding one’s sense of identity and worthiness and the importance of artistic integrity. I recommend this book to fans of Annabel Monaghan or of the tropes enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity, and small town romance. Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

If there’s anything that’s true in the world, it’s that Annabel Monaghan writes a good book!


It’s a Love Story follows Jane Jackson, a former childhood star turned movie studio executive hoping to really make it in the entertainment industry. In an effort to get a script she loves made into a movie she tells a little white lie: that she knows singer (and superstar) Jack Quinlan and can get him to write a song for the movie’s soundtrack. The problem? She hasn’t talked to Jack in decades. To add to that, the studio insists on adding Jane’s nemesis, Dan Finnegan, to the team as cinematographer. Desperate to get the movie made, Jane does everything she can to get Jack to sign on to the soundtrack, including spending a week in Long Island, NY with Dan and his family. But is Dan really her nemesis and can the two of them actually get her movie made?

I’ve read all of Annabel’s books and while Summer Romance is my favorite, It’s a Love Story is a very close second! I loved the little tidbits about the entertainment industry and found Jane’s character to be so complex but deeply relatable. Plus the nod to Taylor Swift in the title is chefs kiss.

I also loved the “enemies to lovers” vibe of Dan and Jane. The forced proximity adventures in Dan’s childhood home were so fun to read. The deeper moments, with Jane’s self-reflection and the conversations she has with Clem and her mother, were very moving. But my very favorite thing was the Finnegan family! It was so much fun to get to know each family member as the book progressed (with special shout outs to Reenie and Ruby)!

I really enjoyed this book overall and know that you will, too. Preorder or request this one from your library - you won’t want to miss it!

Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC!

I ate this book right up. I loved the slow burn and truly felt like this was such a relatable romcom (minus being a child star and all). I can’t wait for this to come out!

Annabelle Monaghan never lets me down.

I was crazy lucky and got an ARC for her newest book, “It’s a Love Story”, which releases May 27, 2025.

I read this SO fast! ❤️

Jane was “Janey Jakes” on the hit tv show PopRocks as a kid. She was the “nerdy, funny” girl, but not the leading lady. When she told her co-star, Will, that she loved him after basically one kiss, he laughed in her face and they haven’t talked since. Now they’re all grown up. Will is a superstar singer and Jane is still trying to find that one script that will hit it big.

And she think she’s got it! But, when stupid Dan Finnegan meets her in the elevator and tells her he’s looking to also work on the same project, her dream is shattered. But, not as shattered as when her boss says the film wouldn’t be commercial enough for their company. To try to save the project, she says she knows Will and can get him to write a song for the movie. 😬😬

Will happens to be playing a gig in Dan’s hometown, so Dan offers to let Jane stay with his family. Stupid Dan Finnegan starts to not seem so stupid….and maybe a little hot.

I loved this book. I love Jane and Dan. I love the Friday night movie night with her mom. I love the whole Finnegan family, especially the bagel loving Dad. I love flirty Brian. I love that the nerdy girl who normally fades into the background typically shines in the spotlight for the guy who really gets her.

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan is a laugh out loud romantic comedy. It’s filled with second chances and unexpected connections with Jane Jackson trying to prove herself as a serious Hollywood executive. But her journey takes a hilarious and heartfelt detour when a desperate lie forces her to revisit her awkward past. I love this author’s writing! It’s full of humor and poignant insights about self worth and the courage to face your past. The mix of romance and personal growth makes this more than just a love story. I look forward to her books every summer!