4/5 stars!! I received this ARC a few days ago and was sooo excited to dive in! The first 40% I really wasn’t sure if I really was going to enjoy this book, as there wasn’t as much happening. However, the longer I read about Jane and Dan, the more I was rooting for them! I absolutely loved their dynamic, and I loved how this “meet cute” wasn’t automatically deemed love at first site. I finished this in a day as it was a fun enjoyable read that I just had to finish up and find out how their love story ended. This book had me feeling all the feels by the end. Jane’s character drove me a bit crazy at times, but I did love Dan so much. You could just feel how Dan was feeling throughout the entire book and it melted my heart. This is going to be a great summer read! Thank you Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a feel good love story. It involves how love can make you feel when the other person doesn't feel the same way as you. This book brought me all the feels!!! Definitely worth a read!

Adorable - this story will make you smile and is perfect for a day at the beach or pool!

It's a Love Story is about a former child TV star, Jane, trying to find her way as a film producer while finding love with the man she least expects, her coworker Dan. His family will make you giggle as they have to stay with them for a week to try and get help from a former co-star of Jane to get a script both Jane and Dan love produced. The confidence that Jane develops through the book and watching her love develop with Dan is prime Annabel Monaghan and I'll continue to insta buy all of her novels. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Wow, I cannot express how much I loved this book. This is my first read from Annabel and I’m RUNNING to add the rest to my TBR. The characters are so realistically and lovably written and I found myself relating to this book in so many ways.

I picked this up expecting to have a cute, fun read and ended up going through a bunch of emotions. I felt some feelings, but Jane is now maybe one of my favorite romance FMCs.

Cannot recommend this enough, loved loved loved this book and kind of wish I could read it again already.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced reader copy. Spoilers below.

I was captivated by this story, I read it in the bleak of January while sick in bed one afternoon and it brought the warmth and buzz of summer love.

I saw so much of myself in Jane, although I didn’t go through anything she went through (fame, parent death, a parent leaving). However, I definitely felt that I too sometimes didn’t want to be “just” the funny girl or felt that I often times talked too much and it turned people off. I’m glad as a young 30 year old, I too did the self work eventually to push through that.

Dan. Dan. Dan. I LOVED this character, it was a fresh take on the artsy quiet man- he wasn’t just automatically brooding or grumpy and that was somehow EVERYTHING. He said just the cutest tenderest things and just slowly showed Jane who he was, never apologizing for it and we all fell too Janey!

4.9999999 stars, my only complaint was a minor detail in the epilogue that didn’t feel believable but had nothing to do with the HEA

4.5/5 stars
There's a reason why I have read every single one of Annabel Monaghan's books, and that's because I just love how she writes her female leads as these relatable, incredibly funny, imperfectly perfect women I wish I knew in real life. Surprise, surprise - this one was no exception.

When we first meet Jane, she's living the gotta-fake-it-til-I-make-it mantra and boy, she did! As a previous child actor turned creative executive for a movie production company, she's on the cusp of having one of her favorite scripts greenlit to the big screen. The only thing she has to do is find a world-famous musician (and a blast from her past) and convince him to write an original song for the movie worthy enough for her bosses to agree to pilot the script. Simple enough. The real kicker? She has to do it with Dan Finnegan, the annoying artistic cinematographer, who doesn't always see eye to eye on her ideas.

Monaghan writes this book like a movie director - slowing panning you out of the shot to give us more and more character details along the way. I loved how we got to know more about Jane's past through well-intentioned flashbacks in her memories rather than a big ole information dump in the beginning. And ole misunderstood Mr. Finnegan. He was the ying to Jane's yang, but in the best of ways.

Many thanks to Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and Annabel Monaghan for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was such a cute story! Typically I do not gravitate towards enemy to lovers books because they all feel the same to me and we all know how they are going to end. I do not regret reading this one and I’m glad I received the ARC of this. Loved the banter between Jane and Dan and I laughed out loud multiple times. This has minimal spice and would be suitable for a young adult to read as well.

Annabel Monaghan knows how to write feel good romances!

Jane was a little off at the beginning, so was a bit nervous I wasn’t going to like her, but the whole premise of the book was her coming out of the shell she puts on herself and being more free and open.

Being the quirky side kick child actor put her in a box and she is trying to make a name for herself by trying to be who she thinks everyone wants. Jane is trying to produce a movie script and takes a trip with the project’s cinematographer back to his hometown to try and convince her childhood crush that ruined her on love to write a song for the soundtrack.

I loved her experience falling in love with Dan. It was a slow burn that hit just right. Dans big family was so fun and endearing. It was like reading a perfect montage of favorite rom com movie scenes curated just for Dan and Jane.

Third act fight was expected but a little much. Parts were definitely needed for her to move through her issues but didn’t think she needed to push him away so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the ARC! I always look forward to reading this authors books and definitely recommend!

I always enjoy Annabel Monaghan’s writing, and while I found a lot to appreciate in this book, it didn’t quite make it to the top of my list of favorites from her. I loved the enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but it took me a little while to really get into the story. The third act felt a bit sluggish, but overall, I would still recommend. I especially loved seeing Jane’s character growth and the delightful dynamics within Dan’s family. A big thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the ARC!

This was my kind of romcom. It gave me "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" vibes with an extremely lovable family, an "always right" best friend and a beautiful mother daughter relationship (beautiful not perfect). I also loved all of The Notebook references. I wanted to be in Long Island with Dan's family and a part of all the warm family moments. My favorite quote was from Cormack, Dan's dad, "Love happens over breakfast." Overall I loved the feel good, heart warming, grinning from ear to ear romance in this book.

I love reading anything from Annabel Monaghan. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and the enemies to lovers trope, but I didn’t find this to be one of my top Annabel Monaghan stories. The third act dragged a little, but I would still recommend reading it when it comes out on May 27, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC of this book.

Just finished my ARC of this book and let me tell you, it's SO GOOD! I loved the characters, the plot, the personal take on love and dealing with childhood trauma. 10/10 recommend!

LOVED this book. The family dynamics with Dan and his family were realistic and fun. I really loved Jane and Dan's relationship, but dreaded the breakup. Such a fun read.

This was a lot of fun!
I have read most of Annabel Monaghan's prior novels and they have all been delightful. This one no exception.
I really enjoy a well-written rom com with characters you can believe and root for. It is surprisingly difficult to pull off, but Ms. Monaghan does it. The female protagonist in particular was so vividly drawn that I felt I knew her. The stakes are genuinely high, and the "thing" keeping or lovers apart feels heartbreakingly real. There is also plenty of genuinely witty banter, which (IMO) is a large part of what makes the book such a delight.
This is a love story, but it is also about breaking free from your past, and becoming the person you are supposed to be.
I do not want to gush, but I really loved it.
Highly recommend.

Sigh, it’s just that good. I’m always blown away by Annabel Monaghan’s beautiful romances - her depth of feeling gets me every time. If you were to ask me what my favorite part of a romance is, I would say it is the quiet moments when the heroine and hero fall in love. Only the great romances have truly exceptional quiet moments. This book not only talks about the quiet moments but shows us the beautiful quiet moments. Sigh. Love is messy and wonderful. I have no doubt that this will be on my favorite books for 2025. Thank you for sharing this lovely ARC with me, the opinions are all my own. #itsalovestory #NetGalley

Thank you so much to Putnam and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan.

Jane, who was part of a sitcom in her adolescence, has since moved on to other pursuits in Hollywood. Currently, she’s looking to establish herself as a studio executive. In an effort to have her first project made, she indicates she could get popstar (her former costar) Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. She partners with cinematographer, Dan Finnegan, to help her find a way to get back in contact with Jack to ask him to write the song for the film.

It’s such a joy to be approved for an eARC of a book by Annabel Monaghan! Goodness, Dan sure stole my heart in this one. I really enjoyed the set up for our main pair, and it was so well executed in bringing them together. I loved how they were both drawn to this film for their own reasons and it brought them together in tracking down Jack. I loved the moments that Jane and Dan had with his family - those scenes were a highlight of the story for me. The romance between Jane and Dan was so lovely and melted my heart.

Excited for the release on May 27, 2025!

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

I honestly didn’t know what to think when I started this, but as I got further in I was absolutely entranced by Annabel’s words (like every book I’ve read of hers). She has a way of crafting incredibly unique storylines, but making the romance so raw and realistic. Her writing is so descriptive and stunning!!! These characters were a delight and I really thought this story was a bit unpredictable & it turned into a beautiful love story. Definitely recommend this one!!!! Perfect summer read — and Annabel has cemented herself as one of my fav romance authors ever!

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan releases on May 27! Thank you to Penguin Group - Putnam for the advanced copy.

Well, I think I'd say I give this one a 2.5 or 3, but I'm stuck between the two. This was my first Annabel Monaghan book, and I don't think I see much of a unique voice in it. Even before I got to the acknowledgments, I knew this was inspired by Jennette McCurdy, and ironically my daughter was watching Sam & Cat in the background when I read the acknowledgments. I would have liked to see the daddy issues explored more deeply, which may just be because I have daddy issues. But I feel like she just scraped the surface. Lots of tropes going on here at once - enemies to lovers, only one room, etc - which made it painfully predictable. The only thing that really made me feel anything was the painfully awkward exchanges between Jane and her douchey childhood crush turned rockstar. That guy isn't even worth me mentioning his name, but it really hit me in the feels when he so bluntly turned her down after she bravely approached him to write a song for her movie. I was really happy with the resolution at the end re: the option and the script, I'm happy the film was made and she was able to see it with her mom.

ALSO - thank you to the author for not making the steamy scenes too much. Thank you so much.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

You know how there are times when you start reading a book and you just know you're gonna love it? That was me reading 'It's a Love Story.' I absolutely loved it!!! I knew very quickly this was going to be a 5-star read for me. It's about a former child star, Jane, known for being the butt of the joke trying to get a script she's found green-lit, but the only person who can help her is a man she hates, Dan. Jane and Dan travel to Dan's hometown in hopes of connecting with someone Jane worked with in the past to write a song for their movie... then things occur of course! This book is going to give you the cutest of meet-cutes, some enemies-to-lovers action, and some found family. I'm telling you that meet-cute..... oh. my. gosh. I'm obsessed. I adored both Jane and Dan- I feel like sometimes you can get mad at characters for their refusal to communicate or they seem to dwell on their issues for too long, but I never found myself getting frustrated with either of them. You get to know Jane and Dan both pretty well, and they just complement each other so well- they are my new couple goals. I don't know how else to describe this, but you know how in 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' Andie's hair gets curlier as she fall in love?!?!?! You'll get to see that happen to Jane too (SOB!!!) I also really appreciate a closed-door romance, which is what you'll find here. I was also a big fan of Jane's best friend, Clem, who reminded me a lot of my best friend who knows when to call me out but also how to be there for me. Overall, I liked this book so freaking much that I went and bought another one of Annabel Monaghan's books before even finishing this one. I 10000% will be recommending this book to everyone I come across. Annabel Monaghan, you are going to be the talk of the town this summer and I cannot wait for what you write next- this book has secured me as a fan for life.

I love Annabel Monaghan, and I felt like the build up to the couple getting together was fun to read with some good tension and banter. I also liked Dan's family dynamics. However, I felt like the third act was unrealistic. I mean, it's a romance, so realism isn't exact what the author is usually going for, but it didn't real earned. I still feel like the story was enjoyable to read.