I absolutely loved this book. It had a unique story line. I loved the Finnegan family. It made me laugh. It made me hopeful. Wonderful writing, wonderful characters, I will definitely recommend it to everyone!

Former child actor "Janey Jakes" (real name Jane Jackson) tries to move past always being the butt of the joke and I was totally here for it. I felt for her so much. I love a good big, cozy family that takes to the only child protagonist trope dearly, can't be helped. I still hate The Notebook, and I'll stand by that, but it was a delightful contemporary romance.

“Love Happens over Breakfast.” 🥞


The thing I love most about Annabel’s writing is that it’s just so easy and bingeable while still packing a punch and ‘It’s a Love Story’ is a perfect example of that.

This book was the perfect mix of laugh out loud funny, sweet slow burn romance, and deep introspection that’ll have you grabbing for tissues.


🏖️ The Heart of the Story
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If you’re expecting a pop star romance or some grand Hollywood expose of Janey’s time as a child star you’ll find yourself disappointed. While we are given important glimpses into her past in order to better understand her childhood trauma, this is a story of self discovery and healing.

The highlight of ‘It’s a Love Story’ is without a doubt Dan’s family aka “The Mob” who had me laughing one moment and then tearing up the next. Just like Jane, I wanted to live in this world that felt like a warm loud hug. Surrounded by this band of oddball characters, Jane learns to open up, let down her walls, and strip away the unrealistic expectations of the perfect person she’d need to become in order to be wanted. 



Give this story time to cook. As soon as you’re whisked away to the beaches of Long Island you’ll be just as enchanted by the Finnegan’s as I was.



“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.” 🥰





🏖️The Romance
🏖️
“He has been unstitching me since we met- my rules, my pretending, and now my heart.”


This is the story of a woman coming into her own, dealing with the trauma of childhood abandonment and a lack of self-worth that’s caused her to shy away from opening herself up to more hurt. Along the way, she gets to know Dan who helps her reveal parts of herself she’d hidden and deemed undesirable. Without the pretenses of LA, she comes to understand how totally wrong she was about the quirky Dan and that she shouldn’t have been so quick to write him off. Jane learns to take risks, to “Let it Go” and to believe in love even if it comes with the possibility of loss. 

This book felt like it opened me up and shined a light into the deepest parts of my own insecurities. Needless to say, I was bawling in my bed at 3am because I couldn’t put this down.

The banter is funny, the romance is swoon worthy and the cast of characters are all so endearing you can’t help but root for their happily ever after.



“I am so beautiful. I am so wanted. Inside this kiss, I am all the things I have believed I am not.” 🥹



I loved it give me ten more, Annabel!



Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam and Sons for this advanced reader copy!

Adore all of Annabel’s books and this one was no exception! The plot took a total turn from the direction I thought it’d be going after the first few chapters (I’ll just say it’s much less focused on the relationship I thought we’d be reading about!) so the unexpected relationships that came about threw me off in the best way possible, and I could not stop reading.

Coming from someone who has no clue how moving-making works, I felt a bit confused on the two main characters roles professionally and how those roles interact at the company - I thought that could’ve been clarified more as it’s such a huge part of the book. That said, I loved this book as much as all of her others and enjoyed reading it!

Annabel Monaghan writes such high-quality beach reads. This one is about an L.A. movie producer named Jane who falls in love with a script, but her boss isn't buying it... until she says she can get a famous singer-songwriter to write a song for the movie. It's not as rash of a promise as it sounds, because she has a tenuous connection with said songwriter, whom she worked with on a TV show she was in as a teenager.

For Romance Reasons, the songwriter happens to be playing at a small festival on Long Island, right in the hometown of cinematographer Dan... who says she can stay at the house of his parents, who are planning their 40th wedding anniversary party. Dan is one of a large brood of handsome Irish-American sons, of course. He and Jane also have a history, which is initially undisclosed, and they have been at odds for some time.

When you lay it all out like that, it feels like it's going to be predictable: Slightly scattered FMC! Hot but pretentious MMC! Lovable Irish family! But in Annabel Monaghan's hands, none of it seems tropey. She writes beautifully and does subtle character work that elevates the story. She always makes me want to move to the northeast, too.

I finished this almost three weeks ago and gave it 4.5 stars, but for the life of me I can't remember why I took that half star off. So let's just call it five; I would happily reread this book.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam & Sons and NetGalley for the advance copy. It's a Love Story is out May 27, 2025.

I have read all of Annabel Monaghan’s books, and this one is just as solid as the others. I love that Monaghan includes characters’ families as major parts of her stories, and this one is no different. Dan’s family is hilarious and heartwarming and I felt myself getting comfortable at their house right alongside Jane. I hated the ending of Nora Goes Off Script and was glad this was nothing like that! A cozy romance read with some emotional depth!

Jane grew up as the “funny friend” on the tv series. The friend that is there for the laugh, and nobody takes seriously. Because of that, and the loss of her father, Jane does not believe in love. She does however believe in loving a script. Loving it enough to head across the country with her least favorite person, to ask a favor of someone that humiliated her during her childhood…this can only end well right?

It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me. During my normal reading life, this book would have been five stars. As many of you know though, my reading is on the struggle bus this year. Unfortunately that means that romance is just not hitting the same for me. I loved this book, it just didn’t scratch that 5 star itch for me, which is fully my fault and I hate it! The story, the characters, the hate, the love, the family, the friends, the scenery, seriously it was all just perfection! This one was as good as Monaghan’s debut Nora Goes Off Script which I also adored! Everyone should pick up this book!

Thank you to @putnambooks for my gifted copy of this book!

While It’s a Love Story wasn’t my favorite from Annabel Monaghan, I’m still a big fan of her voice, and this one had plenty of charm.

Jane, a former teen sitcom star turned aspiring producer, is determined to get her first film made. Dan, her grumpy cinematographer/nemesis, ends up helping her bring it to life—leading to a cross-country trip, some unresolved tension, and a surprisingly heartfelt collaboration.

The beginning felt a little rushed, and it took me a while to connect with the characters. But once the story shifted to Oak Shore and Dan’s family entered the picture, it found its stride. The setting, side characters (Clem was a standout!), and quiet emotional beats really brought the story home.

The romance leaned a little insta-lovey for me, and the pacing lagged in spots, but the final third was full of warmth and strong reflections on love, timing, and identity.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review!

Annabel Monaghan is one of the best romance authors right now. Every year she delivers!! She's great at stories set within Hollywood / entertainment industry. I liked that this one was set on Long Island. Dan is a great MMC.
This book did not stand out to me greatly, but it was a very enjoyable read and I cant wait to read Annabel's next book!

3.5 ⭐️ thank you to @netgalley and @Penguinpublishers for this ARC copy.

I hope I am in the minority with this review…

This is single POV, instead of duel 🫤

This took a while to get into, but what finally drew me in was the Long Island story line and as her and Dan grew together.

Jane- a lot of imagining how things will go and they don’t half the time. She knew how her ask with Jack would go - and it did, which I was a little disappointed that she didn’t call him out more in that brief conversation after he gave her his answer.
I understood her wanting a partner over love.

Dan- ugh the man bun. He was a bit boring. If he was obsessed with her show she did as a teen, how did not recognize her, but his brothers did? Your looks don’t change a whole lot from a teen.

Overall this was just ok. I couldn’t feel the chemistry BUT it was a very cute story and a good palette cleanser in between fantasy’s.

I also hope y’all like this book more than I did.
Happy reading 📖

Annabel Monaghan writes such special romances. They build up so nicely and while the characters on the surface feel so different, her stories are full of relatable moments that make my heart so warm.

absolutely enjoyed this!! thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc! second chance romances are a little iffy for me, but this just worked so well!! Annabel Monaghan knows how to tell a story! i wish i had connected more with the MMC. also that third act breakup… anyways! i definitely recommend this for the Summer!

A beautiful, compelling novel. I absolutely loved this and absolutely flew through it. Annabel Monaghan has a way with words that’s unlike any other. Her writing is real and authentic and feels like wading through water. I loved every single character and plot point and every feeling this book made me feel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the digital arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

I could NOT put this down! My first book by Annabel Monaghan, and it will not be my last! It’s a Love Story follows a grown-up child actress, Jane, as she tries to make a name for herself producing films. She battles the stigma of her childhood character as everyone around her struggles to take her serious. Coupled with being raised by a single mom in LA, Jane finds herself envious of the family of her coworker Dan, when she travels with him to his hometown on the east coast for work. I loved Dan’s family, the messiness of it all, and I loved that Dan was different from his family yet he still did not take them for granted. Dan and Jane’s relationship heats up while in his hometown, and we find ourselves rooting for their first kiss. Annabel paints the perfect picture of their first kiss, on the beach, and leaves us all wanting more. I loved the way she articulated the real emotions of Jane, throughout the story, as she works to unpack her childhood and as Dan breaks down the walls Jane has built up. Jane inevitably messes things up with Dan, and in true Hollywood fashion apologizes by billboard. Ofcourse, it’s adorable. This story was funny, heart-felt, and addictive. I did not want it to end. We need a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC!

3.75 // This was cute!! It did take me awhile to feel connected to the characters. I think this changed once we met the MMC’s family. I loved how a bulk of it was set in his childhood home with his big ass family & all the hometown adventures.

But the end of book break-up was crazy?? Honestly just so immature.. she just fled??? Lol dropped this below a 4 for me.

That being said, I am going to check out some of Annabel Monaghan’s other books, I have heard good things and this was enjoyable!

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

i enjoyed this story and the characters. i found the setting engaging , just not my typical setting / background , so i wasn’t enjoying as much in the beginning. but as the story progressed, i really enjoyed the writing style and how we got to know these characters individually and then as a *potential* couple. it was light hearted and didn’t take itself too serious which i appreciated, also a huge bonus for the minimal spice !

This one was just meh to me. It took a while for me to get into the storyline. I contemplated DNF but overall, I’m glad I finished it.

I liked the Finnegan family and their dynamic. The parents’ love story was cute. The setting was perfect for a summer read.

Some things I didn’t like: The writing was choppy and just didn’t flow well. Insta-love. Constant comparisons to The Notebook.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this! It started off a little silly but turned so sweet. I loved the way the author described the little moments because it made them so much bigger. Jane just wanting to see Dan next to the tile counter in her kitchen…*swoon*. Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I truly adored it.

I expected a light read after hearing some things about this one but this was not as light as I thought.

I felt things. I didn’t cry but it definitely tugged at my heart. The banter in this is amazing. Such a charming read. Can a book give u a hug and comfort you? Cause this one did! I love all the warm and fuzzy feelings!

I’m definitely going to have to go check out more of her books! Definitely recommend this one!

This started but rough with me. Maybe my mind set wasn’t right or I just was too tired. I don’t know why but the first two chapters I was not very into to story. After that the story picked up nicely until it didn’t. Pacing was so off for me. Or writing. This is one of those books I feel like shouldn’t be reviewing. Something was off for me. It was predictable which isn’t a bad thing we do want the happy ending with romance books but it was almost too sweet for me.

This was not a bad book by any means. Perfect really for summer romance reading in a vacation when you want to read fluff with romance. I think my timing to read this and review was just way off… or not? Idk if anyone else reads this as ARC or after publishing let me know your thoughts.