4.75⭐️ Firstly, I would like to thank Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I am always on the lookout for new reads that fit specific seasons, and this one is perfect for summer! The story was heartbreaking and beautifully written. Jane’s personal growth was my favorite story arc; her journey to discover her true self was depicted so well. Dan was also a standout character for me. He felt so authentic and was absolutely perfect for Jane. The way their relationship formed and developed was beautiful to witness. The whole story felt incredibly realistic, which is something I always appreciate in an Annabel Monaghan novel. Although the beginning was a bit slow for me, once the story picked up, I couldn’t put it down; I just had to find out what would happen next. I love this book so much and will definitely read it again later this year!

Thank you again for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just want to hug this book. It's so sweet and cozy. Before I thought Annabel Monaghan wrote single moms better than singletons; but this one proved me wrong!

3.5 ⭐️’s

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. This was a sweet, no spice romance. It took too long to get into - about 50% in - but once I was hooked, I was hooked.

Jane has found a script that she NEEDS to
produce. There’s something in the way the love story is told that moves her and feels important. First problem, her boss is putting Dan Finnegan on the project as director of photography. Jane hates Dan and his arrogant demeanor. Second problem, Jane’s boss doesn’t think the movie is “commercial” enough to sell tickets, which leads Jane to lie and buy herself more time to come up with another plan to get the movie made. This lie brings Jane and Dan to his hometown for a week of loud chaos with his family and quiet moments with Dan.

I loved this. I read the book in one day. I do not have time to be reading books in one sitting. And yet, I could not. Stop. Reading. So sweet. So vulnerable. The tension between Jane and Dan was perfection, Jane’s insecurities gut-wrenching and Dan trying to be there for her completely heartwarming.

I literally cried twice from happiness while reading this, and that's beyond rare for me. I don't have emotional damage from Daddy issues, but somehow, I related to Jane throughout the entire book. I love her journey to self-discovery.

Dan. 🥰 He seemed like such an average guy but had so many moments that were completely swoon worthy. I loved his family so much, too.

"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."

Ok, but Finn Finnegan? There are plenty of other Irish boys' names 🤣

I would have liked to see more of Jane being there for Clem. It felt like Clem was being taken advantage of at times because we didn't get to see her asking for help, too. But. The bulk of the story takes place over 1 week, and that makes it feel much more believable that one friend might be more dependent on the other for a week.

“I have a quick thought that he looks like a bed you’d want to climb back into on a Sunday. Because it’s raining outside, and your body just wants to sink back into the warmth.”
Jane Jackson was a childhood actor: Janey Jakes, the funny girl in a Nickelodeon-type show, always the punch lines, the sidekick and the easy laugh. Sure, she had a golden voice that became a chart topper - but as far as the world is concerned, her costar was the voice behind the iconic song.
Now, decades later, Jane is a producer searching for the perfect script to bring to the big screen. When she finds it, she’s so inspired that she doesn’t even mind when the studio brings in her nemesis, Dan Finnegan, to help bring it to life. And she believes in it so much, she convinces the studio that she can get megastar Jack Quinlan (her secret duet partner from her childhood single) to write a song for the movie.
Sure, she may have exaggerated how close she and Jack are. So when Dan offers a chance to spend a week with his family in Long Island on a stakeout as Jack Quinlan plays the town’s annual festival, Jane has no choice but to accept. And if she gets to know Dan, his lovable family and the life she could have if she let herself believe in love off the pages of a script? Well, that can be managed too.
I adored this book. No one does likable, flawed characters like Annabel Monaghan. I’ve been fortunate to see her speak at author events, and her funny, hopeful personality comes through in every word of this book.
Her latest delivers on her swoon-worthy portfolio of smart, funny romances. Don’t miss this one when it comes out May 27, 2025. Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another perfect summer read from Annabel Monoghan!

For me, this book really started when Jane and Dan got to Long Island. That being said, I loved the way Annabel set up this story. We see Jane have a bad run in with Dan at work, but we don't know the backstory yet and for a minute there I wasn't sure if Dan or Jack was supposed to be the love interest. The more and more Jane and Dan interacted, the more and more I loved them!

I love all of the Finnegans and their chaos brought so much charm to the story - the way they and Dan were able to make Jane so comfortable that she acted like how she only acts around Clem was really special. While the work struggles and Jane's self-doubt loomed overhead, Dan's self-assurance and acceptance was the balance that held everything together.

The setting, the characters, the humor and emotions - I loved it all. This is another one where as soon as I finished reading, I immediately started it over again! Thank you to Putnam for the eARC!!

I absolutely loved this book! Jane and Dan had such great chemistry. The family dynamics added such a sweet and heartfelt touch. This book was such a great mix of sweet and funny. Such a great read! Everyone should pick this book up on May 27th when it releases! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.
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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, to the point that I wasn’t sure if he was even the love interest. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 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. ✨
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The pages went quickly because of the beautiful writing—Annabel Monaghan has a knack for big beautiful feelings and messy families and flawed people and enduring love. I just did not care for the LA setting/movie producing storyline. 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!

This is the PERFECT summer beach read. I love Annabel Monaghan books so I knew I was gonna love this one, and it did not disappoint.

I was pleasantly surprised, as reading the synopsis for this book, I thought it was going to end up being a love triangle between Jane, Jack and Dan, but that wasn’t the case at all. The one she actually has a love story with (to her surprise and though she fought it for as long as she could) is perfect for Jane in every way. I’m not quite ready to let go of these characters yet, and I hope they pop up again in a future book.

I also love when a cover has actual significance to a story, and the blue polka dot swimsuit sure does here! Jane was so relatable as a main character, a lot of the ways she reacted to things is how I would in the same situations. And the side characters are absolutely stellar. Everyone felt flushed out, it wasn’t rushed at all. Would definitely recommend this one!

This is a really solid 4-star romance, verging on five stars at times, but not consistently. I really did love the writing style, which is beautiful and atmospheric. I was fully immersed in the story from beginning to end and loved that the tone and vibe was maintained throughout. Dan is a dreamboat and a fantastic MMC. I loved him, his family, and I even loved Jack Quinlan, the bratty singer character. I'm not sure what's in the water, but this is the third book with a pop star character that I've read recently and I really appreciated that this one took a different approach to that character. The scenes with Jack are very memorable, although I'm not sure that someone with success at his level, with songs regularly playing on the radio, would be out surfing alone or performing at a very small barn venue.

On the flip side, Jane is not super likable, which kind of throws a wrench in the whole story, since it's about her discovering her worth and finally letting go of the lies that she is forgettable and unlovable. She is not someone I'd want to spend time with in real life. She's very emotionally immature for her age, and her behavior is much better suited to an angsty teenager or college student. It was very hard to believe that she's a grown women with a successful job, particularly when she continuously hides under her desk and mainlines candy bars. I would start to connect with her at times, and feel like - okay, I can root for your happy ending, but then she'd do something else immature or super judgy, and that would fly right out the window. For most genres, it's not a necessity to like the main characters, but in romance, that becomes more problematic, especially since we want to feel that desire to see the main characters come together by the end. In this case, I thought Dan was better off and should've kept her blocked.

Who dosen't love a summer romance. Annabel Monaghan is one of my favs in the romance genre. She always gives that warm felling when done.

thank you to penguin & netgalley for the arc!

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan is an enemies to lover, forced proximity romance that needs to be added to your TBR immediately!!

Jane Jackson AKA former teen star “Poor Janey Jakes” is trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by getting her first project off the ground. She promises the team that she can get popstar Jack Quinlan to write the song for the movie, despite not seeing him in over 20 years. She turns to her work archnemesis and cinematographer Dan Finnegan for help. Jane and Dan end up in Dan’s hometown for a week trying to track Jack down before a music festival, all while falling for each other and slowly letting their walls down. This book was fantastic! It took me a little while to get into, but once they were with Dan’s family on Long Island, I was hooked and in LOVE! The characters were wonderful with Dan’s family elevating the book to a whole new level. I loved how we got to know Dan and Jane, learn about their insecurities and personalities and how they come together to heal each other. Seriously, do not miss this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for this e-ARC.

I LOVED It's a Love Story. A 5 star read to add to your beach bag this summer. I have been a big fan of Annabel’s writing ever since reading Nora Goes off Script and she has become one of my auto read authors. It’s a Love Story had everything I love in a romance. Annabel's writing is both witty and heartwarming. I loved the main character Jane and the development of her romantic relationship as well as the development of her relationship with her mother.

3.75 stars

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It was a little boring and slow in parts but overall I thought it was a really sweet romance.
I went into this blind so at first I thought Jack was going to be the love interest and I was really disappointed because right off the bat you could definitely tell there was some chemistry between Dan and Jane. There was definitely some flirty banter beneath that “hate”.
I really enjoyed Dan’s family and how they immediately welcomed Jane. They gave her the family dynamic she had been missing in her life and showed her that she was worth being loved.
Dan and Jane’s relationship was so cute. Dan is just the sweetest person ever and I loved how he just wanted to be around Jane all the time. I liked how he encouraged her to trust and be honest and I felt like they really brought out the best in each other.
The finding Jack storyline was a lot less prominent than I expected so to most of the book not much is happening. You get some nice moments between the characters but other than that not much plot. It’s definitely a slower paced, more emotional romcom but it’s definitely got perfect beach read/vacation/summer reading vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group- Putnam for the ARC!

This was my favorite Annabel Monoghan book! I have read them all and they just get better and better. I love the storyline and the message that love isn’t always only a grand fireworks explosion. Love shows up faithfully, and love happens over breakfast! This will be the big book of summer. I have been looking so forward to it and I appreciate the arc!

Annabel Monaghan knows how to deliver a lighthearted summer romance and this book is her typical formula. Light and easy reading. I liked Dan, the MMC and his family (especially his parents) were just delightful. The majority of the story takes place in Long Island in the summer with Dan and his family and all of the summer beach vibes that you would imagine. I think Monaghan does a really great job of describing those nostalgic summer vacation beachy settings and this is no exception. The story was just OK for me. Readers who liked Summer Romance will also love this story. For me, I don’t know if we’ll ever get another hit like Nora Goes Off Script, but you know I’ll keep reading her books to try. A couple of things annoyed me about It’s a Love Story- mainly some of the repetition of plot lines / themes- the “Oof face” felt a little cringy and everything being compared to The Notebook just didn’t really land for me. I also feel like I read a lot about her clothing choices throughout the novel and I just don’t care about that and don’t feel like it really adds to the story (this was a similar ick that I had about Summer Romance as well). All in all, if you’ve read and loved her other works, you’ll love this one too. If Summer Romance annoyed you a bit, this one will too. And if you’ve never read Annabel Monaghan’s library, might I suggest you start with Nora Goes Off Script. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It’s a Love Story comes out May 27th!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a five-star read, but this book completely stole my heart! Annabel Monaghan is a brilliant storyteller, and I found myself wanting to spend every spare moment devouring the next paragraph.

I absolutely loved Jane and Dan—two perfectly imperfect characters whose chemistry was undeniable from the start. Their meet-cute was anything but traditional, turning into an instant enemies-to-lovers dynamic after they crossed paths professionally. Jane, an only child raised by a single mom, suddenly being thrown into the chaos and warmth of Dan’s big family felt like a big, comforting hug. And Dan—artistic and deeply passionate but always feeling like the odd one out in his blue-collar, job-security-focused family—was such a compelling character. These two were meant to be.

This book gave me all the feels. I only wish it wasn’t a standalone because I would love to spend more time in the Finnegan family’s world. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, engaging romance with rich character development and a story that sticks with you, this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had so much fun reading this book! Jane is such a relatable, witty, and wonderfully flawed character, and I loved following her journey. I could feel her determination, embarrassment, and sass jumping off the page, and I found myself cheering her on—even when her "fake it till you make it" mantra got her into some seriously sticky situations. The humor throughout the story had me laughing out loud, especially the moments when Jane’s quick thinking and big fibs led to even bigger consequences. The dynamic between Jane and Dan was everything I could have hoped for—full of sparks, tension, and unexpected moments of tenderness. Their banter was so sharp and funny, but what really got me was how their relationship slowly revealed deeper layers, making their connection feel both real and earned. And the tangled history with Jack Quinlan? It added just the right amount of drama and nostalgia to keep me guessing and emotionally invested.

This book was the perfect blend of humor, heart, and self-discovery. I couldn’t put it down, and I finished it feeling like I’d been on a journey of my own. If you’re looking for a smart, funny, and romantic story with a heroine you’ll root for every step of the way, this one’s a must-read!

I enjoyed this, however it’s not my favorite of Annabel’s. Still definitely recommend to anyone who loves her other books!