I have read all but one of Annabel Monaghan's adult releases, and I am continually impressed by her growth! I loved both Jane and Dan throughout the novel and thought Jane's personal story weaved throughout the romance was endearing, heartbreaking, and completely relatable. I additionally appreciated Annabel's author's note at the end discussing how Jennette Mccurdy's memoir inspired pieces of Jane's backstory. Thank you to the publisher!

I was so excited for this Arc! My first Annabel Monaghan was Summer Romance and I was instantly obsessed! This absolutely lived up to my expectations and I can't wait to read more by this author

Loved it! Annabel Monaghan is must-read immediately author for me. She writes characters that are real and so relatable.

It's a Love Story is from Jane's perspective a child actress working in the movie industry and has underlying shame about being unlovable and easy to leave that fuels every move. I could easily relate to Jane, she overthinks everything and builds up stories in her head. Dan also works in the movie industry, during their second encounter he says the movie Jane wants to make is trash. Which of course makes them enemies in Jane's mind. Four months later they are working together to try and get a different movie green-lit, and travel to NY and spend a week at Dan's family home.

I loved Dan (hate the name but...). He's quiet and introspective, which leads him to make decisions from his heart. He feels like an outsider in his family, but he also know he has to be himself or he will get lost in the family chaos. He shows Jane its safe to unmask and truly be yourself, instead of always playing the role she thinks people want to see.

I loved the ending. I thought the grand gesture was adorable. I love that she had to be so vulnerable in the moment. Gah. Great story. You must read it.

I was so excited when I got approved for this ARC! This has everything you'd want from a summer beach read. Such a cute, sweet story and still swooning over "...love happens over breakfast...".

Definitely would recommend!

This was my first Annabel Monaghan book and I loved it!! It was the perfect slow burn and I loved watching the former child star Jane’s walls come down! Jane and Dan compliment each other so well and the banter is great! This book is such a cozy read and is sure to keep you smiling.Thank you Putnam books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Jane Jackson was a childhood actor and is still trying to make it in show business as an adult. She can’t shake the image of her character was always the butt of the joke. She is no longer acting but trying to get movies made in a different avenue of the industry. She needs help from one of her acquaintances from her acting days, but Jack Quinlan is now a country superstar. She has not had contact with him since her teenage years. Jane needs help from a workplace rival to get in contact with Jack to help get Jane’s movie made.

This book was just okay for me. I have a hard time connecting with the characters when they’re so unlikeable, and it’s not obvious that they’re supposed to be unlikeable. Jane constantly jumped to conclusions, was whiney, and she was judgemental towards Dan right from the start. She judges books by the cover and is very reluctant to check out what’s inside. I almost DNF’d this book at 30% but I wanted to see it through. I have read other books by Annable Monaghan and I’m not sure if she’s an author for me, her books seem to fall flat. It did get slightly better at the 30% mark, but by then it wasn’t enough to get me invested. I would still recommend this book to fans of rom-com books. It’s slow to start, but it does have good banter and humor after it gets into it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a DRC of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.

Y'all Annabel Monaghan DOES IT again 👏😍 This romance really fast forwarded me right into summer.

It tells the story of Jane, who is a former child actor trying to find her way as an adult, and Dan, who is an introverted photographer/artist who knows exactly who he is. A white lie from Jane to her boss ends up with them both on a summer trip to Long Island to stay with his family.

The romantic tension and jokes between them had me smiling while I was reading. Both main characters are likeable and also flawed, which made them really relatable for me. I loved how quirky Jane was and how she grows throughout the book.

There are so many beautiful themes and moments in this story. I had a happy glow while reading this whole book, and I didn't want to put it down. Mark your calendars for your next beach read this summer!!

Thrilled to receive an ARC of this book, which quickly became something I couldn't put down! At first, I thought - oh, a MMC with the name Dan (no offense to any Dans) - can I really get into that? Turns out I absolutely can. What a beautiful love story about two complex characters. Dan's gentle and sincere nature made him so endearing and a perfect complement to Jane as she rockily uncovered her authentic self. Jane's humor comes to life on page, and I found myself laughing out loud at several points! Monaghan's beautiful writing had me jotting down several phrases and conversations because I wanted to remember how perfect the words she chose were to describe an event or feeling. Cannot wait for a re-read when the book releases later this year!

This is my first Annabel Monaghan novel, though I have been interested in her previous books, and I really, really enjoyed it. The plot of this one was interesting, and our two main characters were fun and quirky, which I enjoyed, but I feel like I wanted it to go a little deeper with each hard hitting moment that Monaghan wanted us to feel. I read this super quickly and had a great time doing so, but also when I finished I felt like I didn't get enough from what it was trying to do. I've seen other reviews say this one didn't go as deep as her others, so I'm eager to get to those to see if they give me just a little bit more of that lasting impact that I'm looking for in a 5 star read.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the eARC!

I've yet to be disappointed by an Annabel Monaghan book, and "It's a Love Story" is no exception! It's a feel-good rom-com with depth, and I enjoyed every minute. While I liked the main characters, the supporting cast was just as loveable. That's always a big pro for me. I'm already looking forward to her next book! 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! I’m so thankful for the early sneak peek at this book! It’s absolutely perfect! From start to
Finish and every moment and character and turn I devoured it!!! A must read that left me smiling! Fantastic beach read!

Wow, I absolutely love this book. I teared up a few times and just related with Jane in different circumstances. I loved Dan’s family mainly his parents and just how she wrote their love. It was beautiful. I was laughing at the notebook references and thought it was interesting she was inspired from Jeannette’s memoir. I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first book from this author and I am excited to read her backlog and will be preordering my book trophy for this book. Thank you for allowing me to read this early

This is the second Annabel Morgan book I’ve read and safe to say not the last. I thought that this couldn’t top “Nora Goes Off Script”, this is definitely my new favorite. I loved seeing a little bit of behind the scenes on movie making. I think Annabel does a great job with writing her characters and making them relatable (even if they tend to be somewhat famous). I will definitely be picking up any book by her in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

My favorite romance writer has done it again. In Annabel Monaghan's It's a Love Story, Jane Jackson—a former TV punchline turned Creative Executive—is hell-bent on leaving her awkward past behind. But a white lie about a song from popstar Jack Quinlan—her first kiss and biggest shame—threatens to unravel her carefully crafted persona.

Enter Dan Finnegan, a talented cinematographer with whom Jane shares a complex past. Desperate to cover up her fib, Jane reluctantly enlists Dan's help to secure the elusive song. A week together on Long Island forces Jane to confront her past and navigate the unexpected chemistry with Dan.

Monaghan crafts a clever, heartfelt story about the power of vulnerability, the risks of hiding behind a facade, and the possibility of finding something real amidst the lies. It's a Love Story will make you laugh, cringe, and ultimately root for Jane as she discovers that sometimes, the most unexpected truths can be found in the most unlikely places.

Whenever I’m lucky enough to get an ARC for any of Annabel’s books, I immediately know I’m in for such a treat, and It’s a Love Story did not disappoint. I LOVED this book. The writing is so, so beautiful, the plot is fun yet emotional in all the right ways, and the characters are just so loveable. I have no bad things to say about this book and am already itching to reread it.

3.5 rounded to 4. This is the story of lovable butt of the jokes Janey jakes from a Disney type tween show. And how that type cast and personal life insecurities shaped her into the 33 year old stunted adult she is now. When Jane is paired for a work commitment that brings both her past self and current nemesis into play things get interesting. The relationship that develops with her "enemy" Dan is the best part and I loved their connection. This is a beautiful story of self growth and owning your truths.

Thank you Netgalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of this book! ‘It’s a Love Story’ was such a fun, sweet, feel-good romance that I truly enjoyed reading. It was initially a little challenging to get into, but quickly became a book I looked forward to picking back up to read. I loved the growth that Jane had throughout this book, and felt like her story was just getting started with all of the challenges she conquered in the last few chapters. I would definitely recommend this book, and look forward to reading more by Annabel Monaghan!

I don’t even know how to start, but I have to say that Annabel outdid herself. I truly fell in love with this book so much. I still think about it even to this day. And I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s truly so freaking good that it will make you sob while also making you smile at the same time. There is no in between when you start reading this book.

I won’t give in too much. It will spoil the whole thing, but I will say that these two characters are definitely rivals with each other. Jane and Jack may not like each other too much, but they have a common goal: saving their movie by getting a famous singer involved. Bad thing, Jane and Jack have to spend time together in Jack's hometown since the singer is going to be there. Cue in the forced proximity trope. Trust me, the forced proximity between Jane and Jack builds their tension even more. It makes the romance so much sweeter and better when they finally say, ‘fuck it,’ and just kiss. It’s literally the best way to read rivals to lovers with the forced proximity trope.

when i saw i got the arc for this story i nearly fainted! thank you netgallery for allowing me a glimpse into what im sure will be one of the hottest romances in the summer! okay tbh at first i thought the love story was between jane and jack and thankfully it was her and man bun dan! i liked how they didn’t have a traditional enemies to lovers arc but more of a “we both really need this job” story that brought them together. i could picture dan and his brothers so well and jane too, annabel is such an amazing visual writer. i definitely wish we got more about clem and more fun moments between them because they have such a great dynamic. i devoured this book and cannot wait for the next one because anything annabel writes she turns to gold! cheers to my first five stars of 2025 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. The main character’s journey to love herself really resonated with me. This might be my favorite Annabel Monaghan book yet!