"This feels like wealth, I think. This is the thing you save up for. You live your whole life so that you can be surrounded by too many people in too small of a room and tell the story of how it all happened."

I absolutely LOVED Annabel Monaghan's newest book, "It's a Love Story."

Jane Jackson is a former child actress and current movie executive, desperate to make her new script a movie. Her coworker, Dan, shares the same desperation, but little else. When Jane over-promises a pop-star's involvement in the movie, she and Dan are forced to work together to try to make the lie a reality.

Monaghan explores enduring love, discovery of (and ultimately, appreciation of) self, and family trauma in this witty, heartwarming book. I adored the characters and devoured this sweet story. It's a MUST read--perfect for the beach or vacation too.

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Putnam and Annabelle Monaghan for this ARC. “It's a Love Story” is an enemies to lovers, close proximity romance between Jane and Dan. A former child star and current movie maker, Jane, has found the perfect script and can't wait to pitch it to her boss, but finds out that Dan Finnegan will be the cinematographer for the project. She can't stand Dan because he recently shut down a former project of hers. Therefore, she obviously doesn't want to work with him on this one. However, after taking a risk to make the boss happy and to make the movie a huge success, things change and Jane finds out what real love is all about.

It’s the way I laughed, kicked my feet, and screamed (in a good way). I LOVED Dan & his family!!!!!! Are you kidding? I honestly wanted their work trip to be even longer so we could have more of them. They reminded me so much of my own family and my 5 siblings😭

I loved Janes character development. There were points that I felt she lacked maturity, however I can 100% understand her trauma and carrying that over to her relationships with friends, boyfriends, etc. Dan was such a delight. I loved his banter and quirkiness. I loved that he is an introvert and moves at his own pace amongst his family/siblings. I wouldn’t call this slow burn per-say, but I loved the tension build up. THE FIRE-PIT DINNER SCENE - quite literally my fav part hahahahahahhaha and also the rainstorm and painting. Oh my gosh just so many aspects and parts of this book were so great.

If you’re looking for a palette cleanser or a quick paced, well written & sweet love story, please pick this up!!! This is definitely my favorite Annabel book by far.

Spice: CLOSED DOOR, no explicit scenes🫶🏻

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin group 🤭💕🥹

It’s a Love Story follows Jane Jackson, a former child star who was known as the goofy side-kick. The girl with food in her braces, the background girl and the butt of every joke. She was never the star and grew up sure she would never truly be the star of anything, even her own life story. She was always the girl who got too attached, always the girl who was overlooked never the girl worth staying for. In her adult life, she has decided that real and true love is simply not a thing that exists. Then a lie at work sets her life on a crash course between who she is now and who she was back then. And the handsome man who she was so sure she hated being along for the ride is a bonus for sure.

Oh Annabel Monaghan… This woman can write a cute romance with emotional depth like you would not believe. This is not my first of her books and it will certainly not be my last. I simply adore her stories and her relatable characters. I can see myself in them. Every. Single. Time. I see my fears and insecurities. I see my trauma and my imperfections. I see my resilience and strength. It is a truly special author who can evoke all of these feelings in their readers. Her books are full of perfectly imperfect people who find their way by embracing what makes them who they are.

I adored this book, it was genuine and fabulous. I will hear and accept no other alternative to that indisputable fact.

Huge thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for offering this title for review via Netgalley. One of my favorite ARCs to date. All opinions are my own.

It’s a Love Story is so relatable, charming and heartwarming. It follows former child star Jane Jackson whose life is centered on the idea of dressing for the job you want—however in her case, it leads to telling a lie that involves the world’s hottest music star to green light a movie script she’s determined to bring to life. In order to made good on her fib, she begrudgingly enlists the help of the man she is creatively at odds with the most, Dan Finnegan.

Annabel Monaghan’s writing doesn’t disappoint! You can feel the tension, the love that builds and the chaos that ensues the Finnegan household. Her writing transports you into that scene like you’re right there watching a movie scene unfold. Jane and Dan are both flawed characters that fall in love perfectly. I felt every single smile, laugh, sigh of relief and tear her characters shared. I loved reading every single word of this book!

Thank you again to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for a chance to read an advanced copy and give an honest review of this book!

4.5 — thank you Annabel Monaghan and Putnam for the eARC of this book.

I’m kicking my feet and smiling over this book. RTC

Annabel Monaghan, you genius. It’s a Love Story is exactly the kind of book that makes you forget the real world exists—until you look up and realize you’ve been grinning like an idiot for hours.

Jane Jackson, a Hollywood executive, is determined to secure a pop song for her first project, but to do so, she must team up with Dan Finnegan, a talented but frustrating cinematographer from her past. As their mission takes them to Dan's Long Island hometown, old tensions resurface, and an unexpected romance begins to bloom.

Let’s start with Dan Finnegan. He’s a twin. TWINS. This automatically makes everything 10x more fun, and the Finnegan family as a whole? I want in. Their potato farm, their warm chaos, their banter—I felt like I was there, squeezed into a too-small kitchen chair with a cup of coffee and no choice but to fall in love with all of them. And the family group chat, lovingly (and accurately) titled The Mob? A masterpiece of sibling energy. Cormack must be protected at all costs, and Reenie? A queen.

Then there’s Dan and Jane. The slow burn, the technically a love triangle situation that’s tangled up in sibling rivalry and long-held family dynamics, the forced proximity via one shared bedroom—Monaghan had me in a chokehold. And the way Dan and Jane are so fiercely protective of each other? Fully melted.

Monaghan also has a way of making every character pop off the page, no matter how big or small their role. The little details—the specificity of a fashion choice, the way someone moves through a scene, a single line of dialogue that tells you everything—make each person feel fully realized.

And let’s talk friendships. Clem is the golden kind of best friend, the one who makes you own your shit and helps you through the mess of it. And the family dynamics? Perfection - no pretense—just real, unfiltered love.

This is exactly the kind of love story I want to read, watch, and live. Annabel Monaghan’s best. Full stop.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Putnam for the early copy—I couldn’t have loved this more. It’s a Love Story hits shelves on May 27, and trust me, this one is a MUST.

Thank you to Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

This was a great summer beach read! I liked the bicoastal setting between Los Angeles and the sleepy beach town on Long Island. I really enjoyed the MMC Dan and his big, boisterous family, even though I had trouble keeping all of their names straight. I liked the FMC Jane, but I didn’t really understand what motivated her to say and do the things she did. Childhood trauma plays a big part in this book, but the way she acted made her seem more immature than anything. Also, she causes a conflict towards the end that felt very forced.

Overall, this was a fun, lighthearted romance filled with that signature Annabel Monaghan humor, beach town vibes, and entertaining family members.

4.5 stars. This is my second book my Annabel Monaghan, and she will now be an auto read for me. I enjoyed it immensely!

This book would be such a great beach read for the summer! I loved the male main character and his family, however I found Jane to be unlikable. She’s the reason I ended up rating the book lower. Jane somehow went from hating Dan to falling in love with him in the matter of days + the way she handled the third act conflict was frustrating. I would still recommend this book though!

This was a quick and light read- it would definitely make for a great summer beach read. The setting was perfect and I really felt immersed in the beach town vibe throughout the book! Although the FMC, Jane, was a bit odd and I’m not entirely sure I liked her all that much, I adored the MMC, Dan. His character was so sweet and I loved his big, lively family. The dynamics within his family felt incredibly relatable to me.

Although I’m a fan of enemies-to-lovers and enjoy a good forced proximity plot, the romance develops super fast in this story- within just a few days. This isn’t a spoiler, but I also wasn’t a fan of the conflict toward the end- it felt too forced and unnecessary.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted romance filled with humor, a charming beach town, and entertaining family dynamics, you may enjoy this one more than I did.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan was one of my anticipated reads for 2025 and I was lucky enough to get an arc from the publishers.

This was the first book I read by Annabel and it took me a couple chapters to get into the book but then I was absolutely hooked and it did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved Annabel’s writing style and have never found a more relatable character as I did with Jane. She experienced so much change and growth from start to finish, I felt myself cheering her on all the way through. Jane’s instant love connection with Dan turned workplace enemy was so fun to read and I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of how that mess came to be and how their story continued to unfold between them.

Overall, It’s A Love Story is a fun lighthearted read with plenty of humor in it. It’s a story about overcoming the past, finding love in unexpected places and learning to be true to yourself. Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Publishing Date: May 27, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, Publishers and Annabel for letting me read the arc 🥰

Annabel Monaghan is one of my favorite romance authors and her new summer romance does not disappoint. Do I love her books for new and creative plot lines, no I love her books because she makes you feel for her characters. They have baggage they have real reasons for being skittish about relationships, they have complicated lives.
For a romance the character development is strong, the story lines believable and there is humor to break up the sad parts. Highly recommend that you had to your summer TBR and go back and read her backlist while you wait for the new release !

4.25 stars for a "sweep you up" book. This is a quick story but one that you're sure to feel emotions in. Jane can never get to a 4th date . . . she has everything planned for the first three and knows exactly how to act but can never seem to get to the 4th date. Her preconceptions of love are skewed. Enter Dan, her rival at the studio where she produces movies. Well . . . you know what happens next, right? A slow burn begins but then heats up way too fast - say 7 days - fast.

I loved how Jane started second guessing herself about pre-conceived notions of love and life. She confronts her mom about a lie that has been continuing her whole life. I love how Annabel Monaghan created a male character who is different from his family and does it with care and gentleness.

The final bit was a bit contrived for me and seemed a bit out of place for this super sweet book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan and Penguin Group Putnam / G.P. Putnam's Sons for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. I'll keep reading whatever Annabel Monaghan writes.
1 like

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

LA chapters: 2 stars
Long Island chapters: 4 stars

I almost DNF'd this. Which killed me, because....Annabel Monaghan. I'm glad I kept going, although I disliked Jane throughout the entire story. She was so immature and, seriously, Jane, why aren't you in therapy?? Hiding under your work desk? Hiding in your bedroom closet? Yikes. Absolutely LOVED cinnamon roll Dan and his entire family. It felt like the two settings - LA and LI - were two different books smashed together. I recommend this for the sheer joy the Finnegan family brings.

Jane Jackson was the awkward teenage geek in a sitcom twenty years ago. Now she is trying to get movies produced. When she finally finds the perfect script, her nemesis, cinematographer Dan Finnegan, is called in to work on the film. In a desperate attempt to get the studio to green light the movie, Jane says she can get a famous pop star to write the title song. Dan asks her to travel to his family home on Long Island where the pop star is playing in a small festival. This is beautifully written with many likable characters. Jane, who is hiding a family secret, falls in love with Dan’s big, loud Irish family. They represent everything she’s ever wanted. Though Jane, Dan and the pop star experience some ups and downs, the novel reaches a believable conclusion. Much of the plot was predictable but I still found this engaging and enjoyable. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book is an absolute gem that had me grinning from ear to ear! Following the journey of Jane Jackson, a former child actress turned creative executive, this novel is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and personal growth. Jane's transformation from a perfectionist to someone embracing her true self is both relatable and heartwarming.

The chemistry between Jane and Dan is electric, with a slow-burn romance that keeps you eagerly turning the pages. Their witty banter and undeniable connection make their story truly captivating. The supporting characters, especially Dan's lively family, add depth and warmth, making the narrative even more engaging.

Monaghan's writing shines with its perfect balance of humor and heartfelt moments. The plot is engaging, and the pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're looking for a feel-good read that leaves you with a smile, this is the perfect choice. Five stars all the way!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an ARC

Thanks netgalley for the arc. I always love reading Annabel Monaghan books so I was excited for the arc. This was a cute love story that will be perfect for a summer read. I loved the book once they got to the East coast and it was very fun and light read. I would recommend for an easy summer contemporary romance!

Also posted to goodreads.

this book made me laugh and it made me tear up, this story has so much heart. it’s the perfect summer read and going into it i expected something light and fluffy with an enemies to lovers romance but it was so much more than that! fmc jane is so relatable trying to protect herself while life just keeps happening around her. the genuine connection and chemistry i felt while reading this really made it for me and i was so excited for dan and jane throughout the book.
thank you to netgalley for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited about this book since I've loved every other Annabel Monaghan romance I've read, but unfortunately, this one didn't live up. I loved the love story and the male main character's swoon-worthy falling for Jane. I really liked the enemies to lovers aspect and the idea of the teen actress now paving her way as a development executive. I liked the small town vibes and the big family reunion.
My biggest problem with this book was the female main character, she felt very one note. She spent her teen years being the plucky comic relief to the pretty, talented star but it didn't feel like enough reason for her to be so fearful of showing her true self. She also felt very contradictory, for example she repeatedly said she didn't believe in love but blamed herself for being the reason her mother lost her true love, then in one week she fell in love with Dan.
I was also frustrated that a huge part of the plot rested on the idea that as a cinematographer with almost no credits, Dan had the power to shut down a project in the development stage. At the end of the day, this one felt rushed and did not have the same magic her other novels had.
3.5/5 stars