It’s a Love Story

Release Date: May 27th

What to expect:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Childhood TV Star
Second Chance
Fade to Black Romance
Found Family

Jane Jackson is a former teen star known for her goofy character now struggling as an adult to be taken seriously in Hollywood. When her dream is close to being canned, Jane over promises and now must work with her former lover turned rival to make it happen. The two have one week in Dan’s hometown to track down a superstar to bring Jane’s script to life.

My thoughts:
I was immediately drawn in by this gorgeous cover and when I discovered Annabel was inspired by the memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died I was sold. I loved how this book showcases childhood stardom and the aftermath.

It’s a Love Story is a beautifully written story of self-discovery and finding love in the unlikeliest of places. This book gave me all the feels and I absolutely loved it. The character growth was amazing, Jane was such a relatable character and watching her come into her own was heartwarming. I loved the Dan’s family and how they loved Jane, the found family in this book was so refreshing. Jane and Dan’s love story was not easy but was so heartfelt and beautiful.

Overall, It’s a Love Story is the perfect beach read. This is a cute and easy to read RomCom packed with emotion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peguin Group Putnam for allowing me to read this title early!

I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t hook me as other Annabel books have done. There was something missing.

Jane Jackson spent her early teen years as a actress known as Poor Janey Jakes on a popular teen show. She was the goof ball on the shown she is now working as an executive trying to get a screen play filmed. Dan Finnegan works at the same studio and has already shot down a previous script from her. The new script needs a wow factor to get filmed, so Jane says she know the latest hot singer Jack Quinlan and will get him to write a song for the movie.
Jane doesn't actual know him has not seen in him nearly 20 years. Dan tells Jane that Jack is performing in his hometown, and he can get her in to see him.
The story is about Jane learning to adult and Dan taking her home to his family as just a friend. They both are hiding the attraction to each other.
This story was not one of my favorites and I have read Annabel Monaghan before; so maybe it's for you?

3.5/5 - I am a FOREVER fan of Annabel's and her books have been consistent 5 star reads for me. Her voice is so personal, descriptions so tangible, feelings so genuine. I typically want to jump into her books and be best friends with her characters, and think about them fondly post-read.

That being said, I did not feel that way about Jane. She's a flawed and finnicky FMC, and while I understand where her trepidation, hesitation and insecurity comes from, the first 25% or so of this story was more quirky than I anticipated. And the dudes were such dicks! Once the story shifted from LA to Long Island, I felt a shift, and the characters really came alive. Perhaps this was somewhat intentional and representative of larger themes.

Overall, there were some beautiful moments in this story, especially between Jane and Dan. I loved his family and the dynamic that unfolds in the Finnegan universe. T=And while there certainly was chemistry, I simply wasn't as swept away by these two. The ending, while satisfying, felt a bit abrupt, and left me wanting a bit more.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

It took about 10 pages of Nora Goes Off Script for me to become a fan of Annabel Monaghan back in 2022. I look forward to her books each year. I really really enjoyed this one, it felt like a departure from her previous works while still remaining true to her roots. It was everything a fourth book from an author should be.

Synopsis:

”Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth.Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by embracing a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.Except she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she claimed that she could get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.Now Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan as she faces down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but he just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Characters—I love a big family of messy, loud, involved characters and Dan’s family fit the bill. I loved how they interacted with each other and I also loved the main characters and their romance. It all felt deliciously summery while still being real.

The Pacing—If there’s one thing this author has mastered, it’s pacing. It astounds me every time how each word counts and no parts are overwritten. It’s a true talent.

The Freshness of the Story for the Author—Like I said, this felt familiar and new at the same time, which fit for the characters as they were in a familiar and new place together.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Ending/3rd Act Break Up—The reasoning didn’t quite land for me and it felt like we were reaching a bit to hold onto Jane’s need for perfection an order. She’d let go of so much of that throughout her time on the East Coast, it felt forced to go back to that.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

death of a parent, abandonment,

ARC Review: It’s a Love Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“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.”

First and foremost, thank you to Penguin House Publishing for an ARC of It’s a Love Story by Annabelle Monaghan! After reading and absolutely devouring Summer Romance last year, I was so excited to get an early copy of her latest release!

It’s a Love Story is classic Annabelle Monaghan. You'll find women’s fiction (gut punches all around), soul-searching, and a love that is so gentle and soft, it's all-consuming. Let me just say—this book is absolutely a one-sitting read, but I wanted to savor it, so I stretched it out over two days instead. 🤭

Our FMC is a former child star still trying to make it in Hollywood as a producer. She’s discovered a script she loves and is determined to get it made.

Enter our MMC, Dan, the production company’s proposed cinematographer—someone our FMC has a work (personal?) rivalry with. I was hooked from the start by their dynamic. The push and pull, the unraveling of why they clash (even though it’s obvious there’s something simmering underneath), and the quietness of their love was amazing to watch unfold.

Annabelle perfectly executes a women’s fiction story that includes a love story you’re rooting for the entire time.

That said, I did struggle with the third-act breakup. As we all know, I’m notorious for hating them 😂 so I was definitely thrown when our FMC self-sabotaged. I wanted to throttle her!

Overall, It’s a Love Story is the perfect summer read, and I cannot wait to see everyone get their hands on this beautiful story!

🎥 Women’s fiction
🎥 Self-discovery and growth
🎥 Work rivals
🎥 Forced proximity

Thank you again!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an eARC in exhange for a honest review!

3.5 stars for me, a cute romance that has all the right tropes. Closed door romance, work trip, small town romance, found family.

Cute banter and summertime atmosphere makes this an easy read for your next trip. Publishes May 2025!

All the feelings! I loved It’s A Love Story!

I instantly connected with and rooted for Jane Jackson, our former child star heroine and the narrator of this wonderful love story. There’s a touch of enemies to lovers at the start, and it was so sweet to see Jane, a producer, and Dan, a cinematographer, get to know each other and fall in love as they endeavored to turn their script into a movie. They even had the most random, perfect meet-cute!

Annabel Monaghan’s writing style is so descriptive that I feel like I just watched a rom-com, rather than read one, and she wrote another incredible main character in Jane — I finished her story encouraged and inspired by her bravery! Cannot wait to sing all the praises of this book to my book club!

It's a Love Story brings the charm, the vulnerability, the relatability, and the romancing to wonderful satisfaction. This is my third Annabel Monaghan book and just like the rest, I breezed right through it! There is something so special about her writing that allows the reader to easily stay engaged from beginning to end.

Jane is a former child star turned creative executive at a movie studio where she seeks to green-light the script for her first big movie project. Things are looking down until she weaves a tall tale that she can get the biggest popstar in the world to sign on to write a song for the movie. She reluctantly teams up with her nemesis and colleague cinematographer Dan as his hometown is hosting the popstar. The duo head out to find the popstar, but the true journey is how they find each other, and Jane finds herself, along the way.

I so adored Jane. There is such a vulnerability to her that immediately had me feeling empathetic, understanding, and protective. Jane is a character whose insecurities and self-doubt seep through into her actions and decision-making, at times steering her off path and onto incoming traffic. This is where love interest Dan shines most, as he comes to see through her armor of self-deprecation and help right her course.

I was thrilled by the biting chemistry between Jane and Dan. They start off very rocky, but it's so clear how attracted they are to one another. How much they complement one another. Staying in Dan's home town and parents' home allows Jane to see Dan from a new perspective, easing down the walls she built to keep him out. I loved how they came to explore one another in so many ways. I especially adored how Dan helped reshape what love is to Jane. They fit beautifully.

I only wish Jane had confronted a bit more the hurt others unintentionally hit her at times, as well as shared more (specifically with Dan) the direct hurt from her childhood stardom and adolescent love. It felt a bit unexplored. I do think my feeling this is simply due in feeling so incredibly protective of Jane. Even when she was in the wrong I never once wanted to stop supporting her. I just got her. I got her. I felt her, I felt for her, and what I wished most throughout the book was seeing her find true happiness and success. Because she deserves every bit of it!

Annabel Monaghan is and will forever be an instant read author! I know her words will always carry me through. I know her romances will always inspire the swoons. And I know I will journey through her works with great satisfaction and heart.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Ultimately would very much recommend this book. The story is as much of a love story as it is about the main character figuring out herself. It was wonderful storytelling and I found myself cheering for Jane right away. My only issue (and why it’s not 5 stars) was I felt like I was starting the book in book 2 of a series or mid book? This is my first book by Annabel and I had to make sure it wasn’t a second in a series (it’s not). Once I muddled through the first 40 pages-I couldn’t put it down.

Another wonderful read from Annabel Monaghan!

I think this book takes the second-favorite spot of hers after Nora Goes Off Script. Monaghan has a way of making a novel like your favorite comfort food; a story that weaves you into the fabric of characters so comfortably that you are sad to leave them once the book is finished. This book has so many of my favorite themes sprinkled throughout: found family, tremendous character growth, and just unique personality traits that were celebrated/embraced. You won’t regret picking up this endearing summer rom com.

I am always down for an Annabel Monaghan book and this one sure did not disappoint. I can even begin to express how lucky I feel to have gotten to read this book early. I think this might be one of her best works yet. I have recently found it hard to relate to female main characters, but I can not express enough good things about Jane. She was funny and relatable and not cringy. I thoroughly enjoyed the instant connection between Jane and Dan. The relationship between them was relatable and believable which I feel is a hard thing to find nowadays. I could not put this book down. It was witty and easy to follow, and just an overall wonderful book to read in my free time. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, and Annabel nailed it. I can not wait to read everything she continues to put out in the future.

This was a fun, sweet read perfect for summer! Jane is a former child star trying to make it in the movie making business. When her latest script is in jeopardy of not being made she is determined to get her former co-star, Jack, to write a song for the movie. In order to get a hold of him she has to work with her nemesis, Dan, staying with him in his childhood home to find Jack at a music festival. But what she finds is Dan knows her better than anyone, including herself. Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is only the second book of Monaghan’s that I’ve read and it made me excited to read more! I first read Nora Goes Off Script and felt it was a bit meh especially with the relationship development. So I was a bit nervous for this one but luckily it was much better and one I'd recommend.

The beginning is a little slow with the buildup of meeting our main characters, Jane and Dan. I was a bit confused by some of Jane’s mannerisms until I realized it was her anxiety coming into play. This made a lot more sense and added a wonderful depth to the storyline. Jane and Dan are both feeling trapped in past identities and find it difficult to be comfortable just as they are. It was wonderful seeing them both accept things about themselves and pushing past other’s expectations of them. There were several sweet and entertaining scenes and the banter was funny while still being realistic.

I was a bit disappointed near the end with the final conflict. It felt a bit forced, overdramatic and only lasted a few pages, so I felt like it could have been handled in a different way without the cliche third act break-up situation. There had been so much growth and emotional intimacy between the characters, so sliding so far backwards was really just for dramatic effect.

Loved it- unexpected depth! When I started reading It’s a Love Story, by Annabel Monaghan, I expected a light, summer read. In many ways, that was the case, but this story also had a lot of depth and was very thought provoking. The book tells the story of Jane Jackson- former childhood star, cast as the funny sidekick- who now works on new project development for a movie studio. Jane finds a script she absolutely loves and has to partner with her work nemesis, Dan Finnegan, to try to get the project green lit. Jane and Dan travel to Dan’s hometown and family home to track down Jack Quinlan- pop superstar and Jane’s 14 year old crush. The story ends up being about so much more- with Jane learning to release old narratives about herself and embrace the woman she has become. Dan has many hidden depths and it is fascinating to see him stay true to who he is, in spite of his family, who loves him but wants him to conform to their vision for his life. The love story between Jane and Dan is very moving and contains hidden depths. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Like all of Annabel's books, I loved it. I love that she actually writes safe romances that you can turn to for an enjoyable read, with just the right amount of drama to keep you actively reading, but not over the top so that you're heartbroken and crying as you turn the pages.

I found myself a little confused at first because I felt a little lost in the context of the book, but once I started I couldn't stop. I loved the journey the characters took to get to their happy ending, and Annabel's writing made it a very quick read. I devoured it in a few hours.

Totally recommend it.

This is my first book by Annabel Monaghan and I feel like I will soon be picking all her books.

This book might be a summer romance which looks like breezy and fun but once I was invested I could see the depth in quotes and how the character developed.

Read if you like:
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️former childhood actors
▪️Hollywood romance drama
▪️forced proximity
▪️relatable characters
▪️dual timelines

Thank you so much Netgally for providing me with an ARC of It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

Annabel Monaghan is such an amazing author at writing women at so many different stages of their lives. Her characters are always enjoyable, funny, and relatable!

This time around I unfortunately felt this book to not interest me as much as her previous novels. The main character Jane was not nearly as relatable or enjoyable to read about as past protagonists and the story felt like it did not brush the surface on depth like her previous books have lead readers to expect.

I also was not nearly as interested in the setting that this book took place as I have been previous works of hers. Jane is a script writer trying to make her big break and the story felt almost lacking stakes. It also read rather juvenile compared to other texts of hers with her having to face her childhood crush along side her annoying work nemesis who she would never fall in love with…

Overall this was a book I think certain people could find very entertaining and enjoyable, but I was not one of those people. I want to note that I still love Annabel Monaghan’s writing, think she is incredibly talented, and look forward to what she has in store next, but this book was just not for me.

I really enjoyed this book. The romance was sweet and I liked seeing how the FMC came into her own as an individual. I also liked how she overcame her insecurities and learned how to open up to others. I would definitely recommend this book. It was funny, sweet, and endearing.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for this eARC. Publication date is May 27, 2025. All opinions are my own.

I stayed up way too late reading this book. This is the story of Jane and an unexpected trip that obviously leads to love. It wouldn’t be a love story without it! In true love story fashion, things got complicated and feelings got hurt. However, true love is always enough.

I loved the relationship that developed between Jane and Dan. I laughed with them during family events. I felt sad with Jane when finally talking to the famous musician Jack. Don’t forget Clem, with the witty text messages and her actions that show what true friendship is.

I highly recommend this book for a fun, relatable love story.