"Love happens over breakfast."

"Romance happens over dinner. The candlelight, the wine....But at breakfast, everything's just as it is, in the light of day.... You bring your real self to breakfast."

Jane Jackson is a former child actor. Dan Finnegan is a cinematographer. When we meet them, they are enemies striving to get the same film produced, but there was chemistry in their past. Now, they must work together to get Jack Quinlan, a famous pop star and Jane's teenage crush, to write a song for the movie so it can be green-lit. To do this, Dan brings Jane home to his family - his parents, four brothers, and many nieces and nephews - because they live near a music festival where Jack will be. Comedy ensues, and sparks fly.

What I liked:
- I loved everything about Dan's family, especially the secret muffins and the relationship between Cormack and Reenie (Dan's parents).
- The conversations between Dan and Jane - especially late at night while on bunk beds - so much truth between them.
- Always: the Long Island Sound.
- Jane eating candy in her closet and sitting under her desk.

What I didn't like:
- Jack Quinlan and his stupid uncle.

Jane is a former child star working at a movie studio as an executive. She is on her last leg and desperately trying to to get a movie made. To do this, she tells a little white lie about knowing a famous singer and that she is able to get him to write an original song. Only she does know him, she professed her love to him after knowing him for 2 seconds as teenagers.

Dan is a co-worker who stands in the way of her getting her big break. We get to follow along as they take a trip together to try and save Jane's job and fall in love in the process.

This was a beautiful story about self discovery and love, quiet love. It is a slow burn but well worth the wait. The dynamics and chemistry between Jane and Dan were so real and relatable. There were no theatrics or gimmicks to their relationship, just unassuming love. Hope, if you will.


Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5

Absolutely loved this book! Annabel Monaghan always hits it out of the park. Her characters are so easy to love. This may be my fav of her books!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The setting in the film industry was interesting and helped develop Jane’s character. I loved the scene where the main characters met. The interactions with Dan’s family were also a highlight for me, especially the scenes with his parents. They were so sweet and really embodied what true love looks like. The drama did show a bit of immaturity, which isn’t my favorite, but I still loved the book and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Okay this really was a right book right time situation. I absolutely loved diving into this world that @annabelmonaghan so expertly created and to read it in on the beach myself was absolutely perfect 🌊☀️🍓🫐 Rating - 5/5⭐️ rereading this will always make me feel warms and fuzzy inside and take me back to my own beach adventure. Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for this ARC! Out May 27 🗓️

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it! After falling in love with Annabel Monaghan’s Same Time Next Summer, I knew I had to read this one as soon as it was available on NetGalley—and it did not disappoint! Monaghan’s storytelling is captivating, and this book is the perfect feel-good, heartwarming read. If you're looking for the ultimate beach read for the summer, this is it!

Another wonderful heartfelt summer read by Annabel Monaghan to absolutely fill every pocket of your soul. I’m not even sure I just made a proper descriptive sentence there to describe it, but that’s how I feel.

Jane and Dan are such flawed, yet, such perfect characters that you just absolutely love them. They’re us. They’re real. And they keep you rooting for them the entire book. I adored them, and I adored the cast of supporting characters around them who were there for both of them.

The main setting, ah, the main setting. The descriptions make me want to go and visit. I want to go have morning breakfasts with the Finnegan crew, ride my bike through town, and sit on the beach and relax the day away.

Another five star read.

Thank you NetGally and the publishers for the chance to read this one early.

I will follow Annabel Monaghan wherever she goes. I have loved her precious books and this one was also a joy to read. I found myself looking for excuses to pick it up and finished it quicker than I would have liked since it was such an enjoyable read. This is due to Monaghan’s quippy, thoughtful writing, which truly makes her books sparkle.

This is the enemies to lovers story of Jane and Dan (kind of a tough couple name I’m just now realizing), who are both working behind the scenes in Hollywood, which was an interesting context I didn’t know much about. The end up at Dan’s childhood home on Long Island where they are trying to find Jane’s first kiss who just happens to be a big pop star (that she met while acting in a sitcom as a tween). The cast of characters is great, including Jane’s wonderful best friend, Clem, who I hope Monaghan has a full-length story brewing for down the road.

The thing that kept me from giving this one five stars like I gave her others is that I found Jane to be a tough hang sometimes. I understood where her issues stemmed from, but her behavior was hard to read at times. I think this is kind of the point, because when’s she being herself she’s a delight, but when she’s trapped in her shame costume she’s pretty unbearable. Also, Dan is perhaps a little too perfect, though tbh I didn’t really mind (probably since Jane’s issues were all I could manage).

Overall, I heartily recommend this new one from Annabel Monaghan!

4.25/5!

This was delightful! I adore Annabel Monaghan’s ability to deliver a witty love story that really packs a punch.

Jane Jackson is trying to outrun her child-star days by making a name for herself as a big studio exec. However, when she accidentally makes a huge (fake) promise in order to get a script approved by the studio, she finds herself stuck in a lie with her least favorite person, Dan Finnegan - the pretentious cinematographer on the job, in order to catapult her career into success.

I loved all the characters in this story. Their frustrating traits/actions were developed and addressed by the end of the story, which made everything tie up really nicely. The chemistry between Jane & Dan was so sweet and gentle. I loved reading about these two!

I literally binged this in a day.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC! It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan is out May 27, 2025.

The story was captivating and I rooted for Jane throughout - both to get the guy and to make her project successful. Annabel Monaghan wove the insecurities of Jane's past into her current troubles in such a believable way, you can't help but hope that Janey Jakes gets what she deserves in the end. Although maybe in a slightly different way than expected! I would definitely recommend this author and this novel to my friends!

Annabel Monaghan has quickly become one of my favorite authors! This was such such a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the balance of the summer fun read with the emotional hook and punch. Nothing better! And the characters were excellent and I enjoyed all of them. Thank you so much for the advanced copy.

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐧

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓


“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.”

How can I possibly express this masterpiece into words? And do it without crying? (Help). The love story of Jane and Dan is real and oh so palpable, and it is the definition of “LOVE IS A CHOICE.” Most of us dream of that fairytale, love at first sight, “I will burn the world down for her,” type of love, but the reality of love is very different than the idea of it. And it takes time. It takes a lot of forgiveness and a lot of healing to get to the point that people can confidently say that “it’s a love story.” But it is, it’s all a love story, the love between two strangers at odds, dysfunctional families, friends, even the journey with one self.

I finished the story feeling raw, sunburnt and bruised. Annabel Monaghan wrapped the story up into one big message that left me SOBBING. I wasn’t just sobbing because of the writing, or Jane and Dan. I was sobbing because I resonated so much to the characters that it almost felt cruel to keep reading. A quote that really gave me pause because it felt like it was swiped from my personal journal:

“𝘐 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯.”


This definitely isn’t your typical “giggling and kicking your feet” love story, it will make you think and it will (in my humble opinion) serve as a healthy reminder that love comes in many forms. Please pick this story up!



Thank you to Annabel Monaghan, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

this is my first from monaghan, so i wasn’t sure what to expect. this is very much a classic romantic beach read— maybe with a little more gut punches than usual, but overall light and fluffy and airy enough to be a good summer-y read. i think this is definitely a seasonal book— reading this with snow outside definitely dimmed the experience of the pages.

I loved this book and it would be the perfect beach read. I enjoyed watching the progression of the main characters discovery to love. I also loved the found family for Jane and how it inspired her. Highly recommend this novel!

Thank you to Putnam books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

⭐ Rating: 3.5/5
🔥 Spice: 2/5 – Some intimacy and romance, but minimal explicit scenes.

Jane Jackson has spent her whole life trying to be taken seriously. Once known as “Poor Janey Jakes” from a cheesy sitcom, she’s now a Hollywood exec hustling to get her first movie greenlit. In a moment of panic, she blurts out that she can get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the film… except she hasn’t talked to him in 20 years. Now she has no choice but to ask for help from cinematographer Dan Finnegan—her ex-crush and total opposite when it comes to love. A weekend in his hometown is her only shot at fixing this mess, but the more time she spends with Dan, the more complicated things get.

What I Loved:
Emotional Depth: Jane’s struggles with self-worth and abandonment hit hard and made her feel like a real person.
Slow-Burn Romance: Jane and Dan’s love-hate banter and growing connection were super satisfying.
Character Growth: Watching Jane slowly break down her walls and confront her past was emotional but rewarding.
Fun Side Characters: Dan’s friends and family added warmth, humor, and some great moments.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
Pacing Issues: Some scenes dragged, especially the ones with Dan’s friends and family.
The Premise vs. Reality: I thought this would focus more on Jane trying to land Jack’s song, but that part wrapped up fast, shifting the focus to her personal journey instead.

Final Thoughts: This book ended up being more about Jane’s personal growth than the music industry drama I expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! While the pacing was a little slow at times, the emotional depth and slow-burn romance made it a solid read.

first of all, thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review! i was really looking forward to this - i've loved all of annabel monaghan's romances so far, and this one didn't disappoint.

jane and dan were both such likable protagonists with great chemistry, and his family was just as lovable. it was really lovely to watch their love and to see jane grow past her trauma and insecurities. i appreciated that the family felt fleshed-out and likable while still being flawed and giving the reader an understanding of dan as a person. this was a lighthearted, quick, fun summer read (that i read in march on a ski trip but whatever). my only gripes were that despite being the catalyst for the book and having a part in it, jack quinlan's screentime was minimal and he never got the comeuppance he deserved. i also wasn't super into the beginning, but by chapter 3 and 4 i was rocking and rolling. but these are minor bones to pick. this is fabulous and will be a real treat for romcom lovers!

Loved it! What a wonderful escape to everyday life. If you just need something light hearted then this is the book for you!

I’m definitely an Annabel Monaghan fan!

I really enjoyed this book. A quick read that will make you laugh, make your heart ache and makes you cheer for the characters.

It’s about finding your true self and having the courage to be show everyone who you really are.

I love this part of the author’s acknowledgements-

Thank you to the independent booksellers and the librarians who work so hard to connect readers to the right story. I have seen firsthand how you stop and listen and then place the exact right book in your patron’s hands.

We will be buying this book for our library!

I loved this book so much. So many lines really resonated with my soul. The book in its entirety really made my heart happy. This book deals with so much complex emotions that are incredibly relatable. I really enjoyed this and would definitely read more by Annabel!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and Annabel Monaghan for giving me an ARC of this book!

It's a Love Story is a witty, quick romance perfect for a summer beach getaway. Monaghan said she was inspired by Jeannette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died for the way it demonstrated how child actors can feel personally constrained by their roles. In It's a Love Story, we follow Jane, a former child star turned 30-something film executive who wants nothing more than to get her first big break. In comes True Story: a script so good that it might make a love-resistant Jane believe in love. Except getting the script green lit by her company might require her to team up with abrasive, rude and dream-killing Dan.

Hijinks ensue, love stories unravel and Jane is forced to confront the horrors of her child star past to secure the future she wants.