I absolutely loved this book! Jane and Dan had such great chemistry. The family dynamics added such a sweet and heartfelt touch. This book was such a great mix of sweet and funny. Such a great read! Everyone should pick this book up on May 27th when it releases! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Janey grew up as the punchline of every joke on a hit teen sitcom, and as an adult, she’s never quite found her footing. She’s looking for her big break as a movie studio exec, and the one thing standing in her way is Dan, an aloof cinematographer who’s making things difficult for her.
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The beginning of this one did not pull me in like I wanted it to. I wasn’t connecting with the story and thought Dan came off super weird, to the point that I wasn’t sure if he was even the love interest. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Once they got to Long Island it felt like a different book. I absolutely loved Dan’s big family, their bursting with love home, and the beach setting. The sand, the waves, the small town feel, the diner, the bike riding, all of it felt magical and special and right. ✨
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The pages went quickly because of the beautiful writing—Annabel Monaghan has a knack for big beautiful feelings and messy families and flawed people and enduring love. I just did not care for the LA setting/movie producing storyline. I wanted them to stay at the beach forever! 😆 I settled on four stars and think most readers will enjoy this story, but maybe not as much as her others. Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putman for the eARC!

This is the PERFECT summer beach read. I love Annabel Monaghan books so I knew I was gonna love this one, and it did not disappoint.

I was pleasantly surprised, as reading the synopsis for this book, I thought it was going to end up being a love triangle between Jane, Jack and Dan, but that wasn’t the case at all. The one she actually has a love story with (to her surprise and though she fought it for as long as she could) is perfect for Jane in every way. I’m not quite ready to let go of these characters yet, and I hope they pop up again in a future book.

I also love when a cover has actual significance to a story, and the blue polka dot swimsuit sure does here! Jane was so relatable as a main character, a lot of the ways she reacted to things is how I would in the same situations. And the side characters are absolutely stellar. Everyone felt flushed out, it wasn’t rushed at all. Would definitely recommend this one!

This is a really solid 4-star romance, verging on five stars at times, but not consistently. I really did love the writing style, which is beautiful and atmospheric. I was fully immersed in the story from beginning to end and loved that the tone and vibe was maintained throughout. Dan is a dreamboat and a fantastic MMC. I loved him, his family, and I even loved Jack Quinlan, the bratty singer character. I'm not sure what's in the water, but this is the third book with a pop star character that I've read recently and I really appreciated that this one took a different approach to that character. The scenes with Jack are very memorable, although I'm not sure that someone with success at his level, with songs regularly playing on the radio, would be out surfing alone or performing at a very small barn venue.

On the flip side, Jane is not super likable, which kind of throws a wrench in the whole story, since it's about her discovering her worth and finally letting go of the lies that she is forgettable and unlovable. She is not someone I'd want to spend time with in real life. She's very emotionally immature for her age, and her behavior is much better suited to an angsty teenager or college student. It was very hard to believe that she's a grown women with a successful job, particularly when she continuously hides under her desk and mainlines candy bars. I would start to connect with her at times, and feel like - okay, I can root for your happy ending, but then she'd do something else immature or super judgy, and that would fly right out the window. For most genres, it's not a necessity to like the main characters, but in romance, that becomes more problematic, especially since we want to feel that desire to see the main characters come together by the end. In this case, I thought Dan was better off and should've kept her blocked.

Who dosen't love a summer romance. Annabel Monaghan is one of my favs in the romance genre. She always gives that warm felling when done.

thank you to penguin & netgalley for the arc!

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan is an enemies to lover, forced proximity romance that needs to be added to your TBR immediately!!

Jane Jackson AKA former teen star “Poor Janey Jakes” is trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by getting her first project off the ground. She promises the team that she can get popstar Jack Quinlan to write the song for the movie, despite not seeing him in over 20 years. She turns to her work archnemesis and cinematographer Dan Finnegan for help. Jane and Dan end up in Dan’s hometown for a week trying to track Jack down before a music festival, all while falling for each other and slowly letting their walls down. This book was fantastic! It took me a little while to get into, but once they were with Dan’s family on Long Island, I was hooked and in LOVE! The characters were wonderful with Dan’s family elevating the book to a whole new level. I loved how we got to know Dan and Jane, learn about their insecurities and personalities and how they come together to heal each other. Seriously, do not miss this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for this e-ARC.

I LOVED It's a Love Story. A 5 star read to add to your beach bag this summer. I have been a big fan of Annabel’s writing ever since reading Nora Goes off Script and she has become one of my auto read authors. It’s a Love Story had everything I love in a romance. Annabel's writing is both witty and heartwarming. I loved the main character Jane and the development of her romantic relationship as well as the development of her relationship with her mother.

3.75 stars

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It was a little boring and slow in parts but overall I thought it was a really sweet romance.
I went into this blind so at first I thought Jack was going to be the love interest and I was really disappointed because right off the bat you could definitely tell there was some chemistry between Dan and Jane. There was definitely some flirty banter beneath that “hate”.
I really enjoyed Dan’s family and how they immediately welcomed Jane. They gave her the family dynamic she had been missing in her life and showed her that she was worth being loved.
Dan and Jane’s relationship was so cute. Dan is just the sweetest person ever and I loved how he just wanted to be around Jane all the time. I liked how he encouraged her to trust and be honest and I felt like they really brought out the best in each other.
The finding Jack storyline was a lot less prominent than I expected so to most of the book not much is happening. You get some nice moments between the characters but other than that not much plot. It’s definitely a slower paced, more emotional romcom but it’s definitely got perfect beach read/vacation/summer reading vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group- Putnam for the ARC!

This was my favorite Annabel Monoghan book! I have read them all and they just get better and better. I love the storyline and the message that love isn’t always only a grand fireworks explosion. Love shows up faithfully, and love happens over breakfast! This will be the big book of summer. I have been looking so forward to it and I appreciate the arc!

Annabel Monaghan knows how to deliver a lighthearted summer romance and this book is her typical formula. Light and easy reading. I liked Dan, the MMC and his family (especially his parents) were just delightful. The majority of the story takes place in Long Island in the summer with Dan and his family and all of the summer beach vibes that you would imagine. I think Monaghan does a really great job of describing those nostalgic summer vacation beachy settings and this is no exception. The story was just OK for me. Readers who liked Summer Romance will also love this story. For me, I don’t know if we’ll ever get another hit like Nora Goes Off Script, but you know I’ll keep reading her books to try. A couple of things annoyed me about It’s a Love Story- mainly some of the repetition of plot lines / themes- the “Oof face” felt a little cringy and everything being compared to The Notebook just didn’t really land for me. I also feel like I read a lot about her clothing choices throughout the novel and I just don’t care about that and don’t feel like it really adds to the story (this was a similar ick that I had about Summer Romance as well). All in all, if you’ve read and loved her other works, you’ll love this one too. If Summer Romance annoyed you a bit, this one will too. And if you’ve never read Annabel Monaghan’s library, might I suggest you start with Nora Goes Off Script. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It’s a Love Story comes out May 27th!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a five-star read, but this book completely stole my heart! Annabel Monaghan is a brilliant storyteller, and I found myself wanting to spend every spare moment devouring the next paragraph.

I absolutely loved Jane and Dan—two perfectly imperfect characters whose chemistry was undeniable from the start. Their meet-cute was anything but traditional, turning into an instant enemies-to-lovers dynamic after they crossed paths professionally. Jane, an only child raised by a single mom, suddenly being thrown into the chaos and warmth of Dan’s big family felt like a big, comforting hug. And Dan—artistic and deeply passionate but always feeling like the odd one out in his blue-collar, job-security-focused family—was such a compelling character. These two were meant to be.

This book gave me all the feels. I only wish it wasn’t a standalone because I would love to spend more time in the Finnegan family’s world. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, engaging romance with rich character development and a story that sticks with you, this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had so much fun reading this book! Jane is such a relatable, witty, and wonderfully flawed character, and I loved following her journey. I could feel her determination, embarrassment, and sass jumping off the page, and I found myself cheering her on—even when her "fake it till you make it" mantra got her into some seriously sticky situations. The humor throughout the story had me laughing out loud, especially the moments when Jane’s quick thinking and big fibs led to even bigger consequences. The dynamic between Jane and Dan was everything I could have hoped for—full of sparks, tension, and unexpected moments of tenderness. Their banter was so sharp and funny, but what really got me was how their relationship slowly revealed deeper layers, making their connection feel both real and earned. And the tangled history with Jack Quinlan? It added just the right amount of drama and nostalgia to keep me guessing and emotionally invested.

This book was the perfect blend of humor, heart, and self-discovery. I couldn’t put it down, and I finished it feeling like I’d been on a journey of my own. If you’re looking for a smart, funny, and romantic story with a heroine you’ll root for every step of the way, this one’s a must-read!

I enjoyed this, however it’s not my favorite of Annabel’s. Still definitely recommend to anyone who loves her other books!

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
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“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!