Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group (Putnam) for this advanced copy.
I always enjoy Monaghan’s style each time because the story welcomes the reader on the sidelines and you are always in tune with the main character, Jane, while also finding ways to identify with the secondary characters, Dan and Clem, too..
This time I admired how the author crafted the storyline that brought them together so they would get to know one another slowly. A chance encounter sparks interest, but a business deal quells the chance for a first date. Yet, they find they both want the deal to go through and that is what provides them a chance to get to know one another. A trip to Dan’s family home and close proximity allows Jane and Dan to get to know one another and ignite the attraction again. No spoilers from me, I’d like the readers to discover this wonderful story on their own
(I Would have read this straight through except for obligations, so be warned you might be up late reading Monaghan’s latest!)

Another heartwarming read from Monaghan! I loved Dan and Jane and the witty banter and depth of both characters. I did find the beginning to get off to a fairly slow start, which is why I give it 4/5 stars. Thank you Penguin Group Putnman and NetGalley for the arc!

Annabel Monaghan delivers another sweet and funny rom-com with It’s a Love Story. Jane Jackson, a former child star, learns to embrace her messy past while navigating hilarious and heartfelt moments. It's another enemies-to-lovers trope, but I'm here for it.

This book has themes of family, forgiveness, and second chances and this story celebrates life’s little moments and having the courage to grow. If you've loved Annabel Monaghan's previous books, add this one to your list: she's developed her style and this one is certainly in the same vein.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an eARC!

Jane Jackson, the female main character is inspired by Jeanette McCurdy's memoir. She was a child star in middle school on a sitcom as Janey Jakes, who was not taken too seriously. Now in her 30s, she is in a new career. Jane is determined to make her new project into a film, even telling a lie to Dan Finnegan, a cinematographer, to make it happen. They end up up on Long Island to try to track down Jack Quinlan, mega popstar & Jane's first kiss, to write a song for the movie. During this time, Jane gets to know Dan & his's family and may discover that there may be sparks between her and Dan.

Annabel Monaghan works her magic in her latest novel! The story had me captivated from start to end and focuses on contrasts family dynamics between Jane's & Dan's, emotional vulnerabilities, flaws, finding your identity, and a slow burn set in a small town on Long Island. Readers will want to root for Jane to see her movie come to life & for a possible relationship between Jane & Dan.

𐙚 Enemies-to-Lovers
𐙚 Forced Proximity
𐙚 Small-Town Charm

Such a heartwarming rom-com complete with banter, character growth, and unresolved tensions. It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan delivered a story that is as charming as it is deeply emotional. Jane Jackson, a determined heroine, and Dan Finnegan, the swoony, infuriating cinematographer who knows just how to get under Jane’s skin share an electric chemistry with a perfectly blended dynamic of enemies-to-lovers tension, mutual respect, and unspoken feelings.

The emotional core of the story lies in Jane’s journey as she is learning to embrace her messy, complicated past and own her identity, quirks and all. Her mantra, “Fake it till you make it,” leads to both hilarity and heartfelt moments. The story explores themes of forgiveness, self-discovery, and the courage to take risks, both professionally and personally.

Rating: ✰✰✰✰.5 /5

Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

Annabel Monaghan is a treasure, and I will read whatever she writes. This love story is so tender and the word choices are so exquisite that readers will feel their hearts beating in time with the heroine’s. It’s a Love Story is closer to Same Time Next Summer than Nora Goes Off Script or Summer Romance, but it still features an appreciation of children and family that readers will recognize.

Our FMC is a complex child star a la Jodie Sweetin or Jeannette McCurdy with a great sense of humor that gets her far in her career, but not romantically. When she needs a favor from a musician she met in her youth, she’ll have to confront her childhood fears and shame to gain a better tomorrow. Expect a lot of references to The Notebook and be ready to fall in love with the small stuff, the little moments over breakfast, on Long Island.

First off, I can’t believe I was approved for this ARC, yay!
Second off, I’ve read all of Annabel’s novels and they are always so well written, easy to read, and keep you captivated throughout the entire story. I love how she captures realistically awkward moments so well. She is and continues to be an autobuy author for me. She is one of very few fade to black authors that I will read 😂

There were so many moments that I was completely sucked into the story, but for some reason something would happen that would pull me out of it. It’s like when you’re getting ready to catch a wave and you start to ride it, but then it doesn’t take full flight. I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t relate with the FMC or if there was just some depth missing.

I will say that I admire her ability to make me forgive the third act breakup. The resolution in the way they made up was really cute.

This is the first love story I've loved in awhile. I caught myself smiling at the page and I teared up. It was relatable in a way that a lot of love stories aren't and was still fun in the parts that weren't. It'll be a perfect beach read when it comes out next Spring

One note though as a person from Long Island: people from Long Island say "ON Long Island" not "IN Long Island." There were a couple of "ons" but majority "ins"

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC, it's a good one.

It’s a Love Story is one of the loveliest novels I’ve read in the past year. It’s certainly a candidate for best beach read of 2025! Sure, it’s starts with the old trope of initial hatred between 2 thirty somethings and moves on to lust/love, but I enjoyed every moment of the trip! The main character Jane, is an ambitious former sitcom star who is aiming to become a film producer. When she feels an art director is getting in her way, she makes a promise about bringing a former beau, now a rock superstar on board to write a song for the film. It is Danny, her nemesis who has a brother who can grant access to the target.

The two take a trip to Danny’s hometown on Long Island and every reader, along with Jane, falls in LOVE!

I highly recommend this charmer to be tucked in your beach bag and give as a gift to your friends! Absolutely a super romance that will make every reader happy.

Thank you Netgalley for another winner from Monaghan!

She’s a former child sitcom star and he’s a creative filmmaker. There’s an enemy to lover’s trope, a beautiful beach setting and humor that had me laughing all the way through! It started out slow but sped up into a lighthearted romcom and I loved it.

Jane Jackson was a child star who starred in a middle school sitcom and was famous for being the one in the show who made everyone laugh. Now, she’s thirty-three and working hard in her new career to get a script she loves made into a movie. Unfortunately, she stretched the truth when her boss told her she needed something big to make the movie viable. She said that she knew Jack Quinlan, a famous pop star, and could get him to write a song for the movie. But she has a problem because she hasn’t talked to him in almost twenty years and she needs the help of Dan Finnegan, an award-winning cinematographer and her enemy, to help her find Jack.

Jane and Dan first met when he was taking a photo of a hawk and they had planned to go on a date together until they ended up in a meeting where he criticized her project (he called it trash) and it was squashed. Now, a few months later, she has a new project she loves, but this time Dan, surprisingly, likes it too and wants to help her see it made into a movie. Jane shares with Dan about her fib and how she needs to find Jack, the pop singer. Dan tells her that Jack will be doing a concert the next weekend in the beach town where he’s from and when there are no hotel rooms, he offers her a place to stay at his family’s home - this is where the story really takes off!

Dan is an introverted artist who loves painting, photography and movies. His family is loud and boisterous and are thrilled that he has come home and also brought a girl, (even though Dan tries to tell them they just work together). Dan takes her biking around town and to the beach as they search for Jack. My favorite parts are when Dan’s brothers and their friends have a big lobster feast on the beach. I also found it very moving when different characters discussed what love is to them. There are a few things that Jane and Dan need to work through in their love story, but other than the awkward beginning, (the different timelines were confusing to me at first), as layers were peeled back and secrets were revealed, I couldn't put the book down. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. My full review will be at All About Romance closer to the release date.

I'm not typically one for highlighting lines to revisit later, but there were a bunch of moments in It's a Love Story that deeply affected me in a surprising way, and I had to keep track of them. This was my first Annabel Monaghan read, and I liked it so much I just requested the rest of her collection at the library.

The setup: a former child star turned film executive is determined to bring her dream project to life. But, of course, there’s a catch—she needs help from not one but two people she’d rather never see again. One is a ghost from her past, and the other is a man she’s convinced she loathes with every fiber of her being. Spoiler alert: this is... a love story, excuse the pun, so you know what that means.

Annabel Monaghan is funny. I laughed out loud several times as I made my way through the story. What will really stick with me, though, are the quiet, poignant moments. This book is not just about romantic love—it’s about all the messy, beautiful ways we connect with life and each other. I think I experienced the full range of emotions as I read the scene when Jane is belting Let It Go to help Ruby gain the confidence to perform her original dance at her grandparents' anniversary party. Moments like that abound in this book (e.g., watercoloring, making the pe, Jane's texts with Clem, the billboard scene at the end, etc.). I know I'll be returning to them again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC! 💛

It’s a Love Story
If you want to read about love that feels like a movie, feels safe, and exhilarating read this book. It might make you blush a little ☺️ but is not explicit. Annabel writes in an easy to read, comforting and entertaining way.

This is a story for the person that needs to feel like they are worth sticking around for. For the person for needs to be valued for who they are. The person who needs to work through their insecurities so they can dive in.

If you love these tropes:
-forced proximity
-rivals to lovers
-workplace romances
-close knit loud families

should you read this this? The answer is “yes”

I am such a huge fan of Nora Goes Off Script and Summer Romance, and while I don’t think Annabel could write a bad book, this was not my favorite of hers.
I felt like in the beginning of the book we are hustling thrown into the story line and it takes a little while to really get a good grasp on the main characters and how the current story is setting up while also getting a feel for some of the background stories that affecting how the current story is playing out.
A couple of the story lines just felt like a bit of a stretch as they all wholly depended on past miscommunication and hurt feelings.
While I had hoped for more, I also know that perhaps my expectations were really high because of how much I’ve loved Monaghan’s previous books.
Definitely worth the read. Her stories are always sweet and thoughtful and really a delight.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley!

The perfect lighthearted fun keep you smiling summer romance read. Loved the way these two helped each other be their best selves, the found family aspect, the fun intertwine of west coast and east coast styles. Seriously such a heartwarming story that still had depth and emotion.

Closed door but super fun back and forth and the relationship build was well written and pulls you in.

Jane is a creative executive/producer for a movie studio in LA and is trying to get approval to make a movie out of "the perfect" script. She really believes in this script and needs this big break. You see, Jane was a teen-actor in a kids comedy show (think ‘90s Nickelodeon shows) as the cringey and butt-of-the-joke character. As a result, she feels nobody has ever taken her seriously and is carrying a lot of baggage from her social and familial rejection as a child. Now, as a 30-something, she is living her life with a mask on, trying to mold herself into what she perceives everyone else expects and does not believe in love. In a desperate attempt to get the script greenlit, she suggests a crazy idea that leads her on a “business trip” with her workplace nemesis, and the shenanigans unfold.

The way I found myself smiling constantly while reading this book! This is my fourth Annabel Monaghan book and each time, I’ve thought she has this way of writing in a simple, yet warm and captivating way. It’s like you’re watching a movie unfold, rather than reading. This, like her other books, has so much heart. Yes, some of the events and characters’ actions are a bit over-the-top and sometimes cringey, but the characters' internal worlds are so relatable. Our main characters, Jane and Dan, are both carrying a load of insecurities and are simply trying to find their place in the world - where they can be themselves, and be seen and appreciated for who they are. I wasn’t too excited about the third act conflict, because it felt a bit out of character from what we had seen from Jane, but no spoilers here. The way these characters helped each other become the main characters in their own life definitely had me crying at the end.

Lastly, my inner teenager was so giddy at the recurring theme of discussing <i>The Notebook</i> as a backdrop of the movie script and Jane/Dan’s own love story. That’s probably the part that had me most smiling to myself like a weirdo. While I think differently of that movie now than when I initially watched it as a teen, it worked SO well in this book.

Thanks to Putnam Books (Penguin Group), via NetGalley, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 5/27/25

3.5/5 stars


thank you netgalley for an ARC of this book!! excited to get my hands on a physical copy in 2025z i loved her past books and i think this was one of my favorites. it’s a love story follows a lie that a producer has to enlist the help of a former childhood friend turned pop star to help write a book for a novel. read this mostly in one sitting, i loved the quick wit and romance in this one. the main characters struggles were relatable and heartbreaking. my only complaint i do felt the storyline was a bit quick — the whole book mostly happened within a week or two. otherwise, so excited to continue reading more of annabel’s books!

At the beginning of the book, I was a little afraid of the plot and then a few chapters later, the magic happened. - Always trust the author-
I can't describe how much I love the way Annabel writes her characters. I know that not everyone will like the FMC Jane, myself included, she has immature reactions but that's her personality. And then, we get attached very easily to the other characters, they are so "loud" but we love them.
It was a fun read but I especially liked how Annabel Monaghan has written the story of two people who think they are not lovable and who, little by little, come to see each other for who they really are.

I highly recommend this book especially if you are looking for a beautiful romance with summer vibe.

This story warmed my heart during the cold winter of the last few days.
And I will re-read it when the physical copy comes out, because I need to soak up some quotes that touched me.

Annabel Monaghan, you're definitely my comfort read, I read all your books this year and love them.

I'm very grateful to have received an advanced copy, so thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam.

PS: after finishing" It's a Love Story", I read "The Notebook" and I also saw the movie adaptation of the book, and I understand Annabel Monoghan's love for The Notebook. And the title is so obvious, it was very well chosen.

Such an incredible and heartwarming story with one of the best character arcs I've ever read. Please give the book justice to warm up and get started, about 20% into the book.

The voice has this mellow and warm drag to it in a way that makes the artsy part of the book come to life. Once you get used to it, it is so beautiful and unique. It has a real-world feel and doesn't feel like the typical cheesy romance.

I love the welcome to the family vibe and the huge emotions that the book takes us through to have such a great and deep overall meaning to the story. There's so much good stuff in here. It would be the perfect book club read.

I wish there was spice, but the slow burn chemistry between the characters makes up for it.

Definitely recommend and urge everyone to read that likes a good romance with great characters and character growth.

This was my book choice of the week to read during my lunch breaks. I honestly did not want the story to end. It is such an adorable love story and I struggled to put it down as I was wanting to know if Jane and Dan were ever going to go from enemies to lovers. I am truly jealous of Dan’s family as I have always wanted to have a large family gatherings. There are topics throughout the book about losing a parent and having a parent abandon you that I think many readers are going to connect with and make them love the book even more. So excited for its release in May! Definitely a book you want to keep an eye out for.

Everything Annabel writes is magic!!

I love how Annabel so expertly weaves nostalgia into her heartwarming stories of family, friendship, and the human experience. This story of belonging, rediscovering yourself and voice, and blazing your own path tugged on and wrapped itself around my heart. I found myself wanting to wrap Jane in a hug and my heart ached for her as she fought to find her footing while wrestling with past hurt and insecurities. Jane’s journey and growth was immensely relatable and her longing for home, family, and acceptance is something that all readers can understand.

This story will leave your heart tender but so full of hope and encouragement, and I am grateful for Annabel’s message that there is a community full of love and acceptance for each of us.

AND!! My god. Annabel writes the most delectable tension and explosive kisses that have you squealing and kicking your feet in delight!