Let me tell you I ate this UP!!! I love Annabel's writing and the concepts of her books - and this was such a fun one. Solid 4.25-4.5 stars from me!!

I really enjoyed the qualities of both Jane and Dan, and the surrounding cast of characters. This book contained some of my FAVORITE tropes!!! Found family, second chance romance, forced proximity... it was just fun flirty and fantastic. The way that Jane surprised herself throughout this book, whether it was in liking Dan, in being her true self, in easily connecting to his family, really made me so happy for her and made me smile so much while reading. It was like her heart was going in one direction, and her brain was trying to stop it, but to no avail. Her thoughts on the page were so tender and funny to read, and overall I felt that the arc of her character was just incredibly well written. Her baggage was present and described, but it didn't hinder her or feel like it was overpowering everything else in her narrative. Again, just SO fleshed out!! While I don't necessarily have a preference between solo POV and changing POV, I would have really enjoyed some things from Dan's POV, specifically their almost date and first disastrous work run-in. It would have been so fun to get both sides!! Dan is SUCH A cinnamon roll!! I adore him!!

The banter in this book was so great because we knew it was Jane being the most true version of herself. It went against the pretenses she had set up for herself and for potential romances, but I loved seeing her come out of her shell. ALSO, Clem is SUCH A GIRL'S GIRL!!! What a bestie!! Thank you Annabel for writing in this amazing friend - who was real and honest and fiercely protective. That is a girl I would want in my corner.

There were 2 things that I didn't absolutely love in this book. The first was the way Jane's mom was written. I felt taken out of the story a bit with her dialogue and the way she reacted when Jane confronted her - and I wasn't sure if we were supposed to feel for her or be upset with her for why she did what she did. I also felt the third act breakup was too easily resolved/too quickly fleshed out. The time that passed until they were able to speak again was good, but I wanted Dan to almost make Jane wait after coming over and apologizing before they would patch things up. I thought she would leave and it would be a little more time passing before the resolution, so it was a little choppy for me. Overall, I loved this read!

So many quotes stuck out to me in this book - but here's one of my favorites: "There's something about the way he's looking at me that makes me think an impossible thing: I am interesting and true and beautiful." EEEEP

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books/Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read this eARC!

I was not expecting this book to make me feel so many emotions, but I definitely felt about every single one of them. This is a beautiful story with beautiful writing. Annabel Monaghan is definitely on my radar now!

Jane Jackson was once a child actor in a well-known television comedy series. Now, as an adult, she is trying to make it as a producer. So when she gets an amazing script she believes in, she'll do just about anything to get it produced, including maybe telling a slightly misleading lie about being able to get a famous musician (her co-star on the childhood series) to write the title song. Unfortunately, she hasn't been in touch with him in years. She teams up with Dan, a frenemy who is slotted to be the cinematographer of her production and he has a plan to help her. This turns into a fun, lighthearted romance that will definitely appeal to readers who also enjoy Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry.

Annabel Monaghan delivers once again with It’s A Love Story. In a journey to discover self-worth and self-love, I loved following along with Jane and Dan. A reminder that going after what you want isn’t always the easiest action or decision to make, but the reward often outweighs the risk, It’s A Love Story had me hopeful and hooked.

ARC via NetGalley

Goodreads review

Umm yesssss please!!! This has been a highly anticipated read for me this year and it did not disappoint! For anyone who absolutely loves a good enemies to lovers, forced proximity and workplace/co-worker love story, this one is for you. The MMC, Dan’s family is also equally as amazing as Dan and Jane together. They helped Jane heal and find herself in the crazy world after childhood stardom and I absolutely loved that. The dynamics were truly great throughout the whole story and that’s what made this book so bingeable and full of heart. It’s not very often that I pick up a romance novel and leave feeling more feelings than just love and warmth. I’ll say it time and time again, this book is going to be an amazing summer reread each time! I cannot wait for it to be officially out in the world. And it doesn’t hurt that the title is a nod to all the Swifties lol

light and easy read, not my favourite and maybe too unrealistic?
The romance more so the chemistry didn’t give many feels.
Potential for a lot of readers to love this one though so would recommend adding to the never ending TBR

Thank you for the arc!

"Love isn't a helicopter ride to Catalina; it's everyday care and treating the other person like they're your house keys"

5 Stars!!!

Annabel Monaghan does it again! This book had me gripped from the start and made me feel things deeper than any story has in a long time. If you want a story that has you crying and then kicking your feet in the same chapter, It's a Love Story is the perfect read for you.

Jane Jackson is an aspiring producer on the brink of getting her first script -True Story- greenlighted, When she promises that a child hood acquaintance turned superstar will write/sing a song for the movie track, Jane is swept on an adventure to the hometown of Dan Finnegan, her enemy and cinematographer for True Story, where she learns that her true self might be worth loving.

Jane Jackson went through a journey of finding herself and learning that the perfect appearance is not nearly as wonderful as love happening over breakfast.

"I'd like to be the person who could take all of your sad things and make them happy. Like I'd hunt them down each one and turn it over."

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!! Annabel Monaghan does it again. This story was so quick and easy to read while at the same time being so beautifully and poetically written. I'm not much of a highlighter when I read books but I have over 20 (!!!) from this book. Annabel Monaghan is such a master at creating real stories, relatable characters, and laugh out loud moments.

P.S. - we know I love a Taylor Swift comparison and this It's a Love Story is the book equivalent of the song The Bolter

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced readers copy! It's a love story debuts on May 27, 2025

My review is also posted on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7079699881

I have posted about this on my instagram story (3/23/25) and plan to post on my feed about it close to release day when I can purchase a physical copy.

I ADORED this book. Jane and Dan are a couple I never doubted for a second, and seeing them get their HEA had me giggling and kicking my feet. Each moment of them together was a perfect bubble of romance and I savored every page. This book is truly the perfect summer read!

Super cute romance! I loved the banter between Jane & Dan and the entire Finnegan family dynamic. They had some pretty good one-timers! I'd definitely recommend Annabel Monaghan's books to anyone looking for a summer romance with a beach-y setting.

I think Katherine centers new book & this book should switch titles. This was very readable and quick but I had a hard time connecting to it. Towards the end I did start understanding Jane’s character more and I understand why the reveal was done later but I think for empathy purposes it needed to be earlier and then maybe develop Dan later. I don’t know. lol. I’m a hater of romance books lately so it’s not the book ITS ME! This one did have some more depth than most. The watercolor painting scene did have me swooning!!

This book made me laugh, it made me teary-eyed, it made me swoon, it made me rush home after social events so I could keep reading.

Oftentimes in romance books, the miscommunication that inevitably leads to the conflict could be fixed by having one potentially awkward but simple conversation.

In It’s a Love Story, I like how the conflict isn’t (completely) about miscommunication between Jane and Dan, but rather about all of the baggage they bring with them from their lives up until the point they get to know each other.

Which is how every relationship works, but I love how Annabel Monaghan weaves that baggage into the storyline and we get to see Jane and Dan interact with that over the course of the book, as they also fall in love.

Basically, Monaghan writes romance for adults, and I’m here for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Annabel Monaghan has yet to let me down, but this was my favorite of hers by far. The emotional range of the characters went deeper this time. The story felt real. The FMCs quirks really shined through. I wish we got a little more depth from the MMC, but through his family and home we learned where he came from and that was enough for the plot to develop. I loved the Notebook references. I loved the sloppy happy ever after without everything turning out exactly the way you want. Easy five stars!

I just finished “It’s a Love Story” by Annabel Monaghan and I loved it! What a beautiful messy captivating romance!

It’s my favorite version of not-so-brutal enemies to lovers trope! The female main character, Jane Jackson, a former child actor, is flawed with her obsessive need to be seen as perfect, even if it means playing a role and being who she thinks others want her to be. Enter the male main character, Dan Finnegan, who is honest and frank and marches to the beat of his own drum. Cue the romance from there!

This book is so much more than a love story though…it’s the coming to terms with the events of your life that make you who you are…and taking risks and being brave and sharing your feelings.

The main characters were so beautifully told and I enjoyed getting to know them so much. This isn’t just a love story; it’s “complicated, resilient, and constant” as Annabel Monaghan writes.

I absolutely loved this romance and it totally earned 5 stars from me!! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy! This book comes out on May 27th, 2025. Go read it! I promise you it will touch your heart!

I loved this book SO much. Annabel’s writing speaks to me directly in the solar plexus, I just feel it so strongly. Her characters are so real to me and this one is no different. I absolutely adored the Finnegan family and how they drew Jane in. The setting of this book is delightful and the ending is perfect.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
0/🌶️ (behind closed🚪)

🎥🎤🎶👨‍👩‍👦‍👦

enemies to lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity

📖: A Hollywood producer teams up with her work enemy to convince a popstar and long-lost friend to write a song for her first big project.

💭: This was such a cute read! The start felt a bit slow, and for the first few chapters, I couldn’t quite tell who the love interest would be—Jane and Dan or Jane and Jack. The setup was a little confusing at first, but it eventually made sense. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope and how it played out with just the right amount of hate and bickering.

One line had me cringing: "I want this ... like some people want a Tesla." Not in this political climate 😭. There are definitely more relatable and less controversial things to reference than wanting to support a company with a problematic leader.

The grand gesture at the end was cute, but seemed a bit out of place. Their reunion and resolution felt rushed and happened a little too easily. I would’ve liked more tension and push-and-pull before they mended their issues, but overall it was an adorable story!

3⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Jane Jackson, ex child star and aspiring Hollywood producer, is trying to get her first movie project approved. She comes up with a lie about securing Jack Quinlan - rising musician and first kiss - for her project. Dan Finnegan is a cinematographer with a small connection to Jack and Jane is forced to spend a week with Dan and his family to save her movie script. Her and Dan share the week together and she has to decide whether something real may come out of this trip.

Overall, this book was just okay to me! The writing was absolutely beautiful in some parts, but unfortunately I didn’t feel a connection to the main characters. The plot itself was not something I was necessarily attracted to, so that lead to me to speed reading through most of it.

I did really enjoy Same Time Next Summer, so I will still continue to read Annabel’s books but this one just wasn’t meant for me.

Annabel Monaghan’s books are always *chefs kiss* in my eyes. This might be my favorite though. So different from her others but also so similar in the way her stories are navigated and carried out. Her characters always feel so real and you can always find a way to relate to them in some way. The angst in this one really had me. It felt like somebody was punching me in the stomach over and over again, I truly felt the characters’ insecurities.

I couldn’t put this one down. This is such a perfect summer read. The chapters are a great length and the story continually flows, i never felt stuck when reading. Both characters were so relatable and real in their own ways. I was crying about toward the end. I really tried to not to let the tears fall, but I was reading and the tears just progressed more and more with each word I consumed.

I actually love Dan & Jane so much along with all the side characters🥹

Also, first paragraph of the acknowledgements made me emotional and love this story that much more.

Is this the book of the summer?? Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons and #NetGalley for the advanced copy! It’s a Love Story is out May 27!

Jane is a former child actress turned creative executive in Hollywood. She has finally found a script she loves and is desperate to have it greenlit by her studio. Except they aren’t sold on it, with the exception of Dan, the would-be cinematographer on the project. Jane despises Dan. They could not be more different and he has already ruined one of her other scripts. So in an effort to convince everyone of her new script, Jane tells a small white lie. She tells her boss that Jack Quinlan, music star and her former love interest from when she was an actress, is going to write a song for the movie. Except Jane hasn’t talked to Jack in 20 years. Jane and Dan must travel to Dan’s hometown on Long Island to convince Jack, who’s playing a local festival, to write a song for the movie.

Just to be clear, this is not a rockstar romance! We follow Jane and Dan as they’re forced to stay in his small childhood home on Long Island with his big crazy family. This book is HILARIOUS and also so romantic. It legitimately seemed like I highlighted half of the book with quotes and hilarious lines. I also really enjoyed Jane’s character growth. At the beginning she is a flawed hot mess of a person who doesn’t believe in love. Her past trauma and years as a child actress has done a number on her. Dan of course is the exact opposite. He knows who he is and is not trying to fit into any mold. He has a quiet confidence that ultimately compliments Jane so well.

I laughed, I cried, I want to book a summer trip to Long Island?? This book was a beautiful love letter to romance and the quiet moments of love, “Love happens over breakfast.”

🧡 Second chance romance
💙 Long Island setting
🧡 Forced proximity
💙 Hate to love
🧡 Opposites attract
Spice: 🌶️ (chapters 26, 36 - mostly fade to black)

This book left me feeling full of joy. This is the first book that I have read by Annabel Monaghan and it won’t be the last. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance, the humor and the characters in it! While I felt it was predictable, I was happy with the entirety of the book. My emotions while reading this book were happy, sad, hopeful and lighthearted. The thesis was clear, the setting fit the story and it was well written.

It’s a Love Story is about a former childhood star named Jane Jackson and a guy named Dan Finnegan. Jane desperately wants to make it big and thinks that she isn’t worthy of love. Dan is the director of photography and completely turned down Jane’s first film deal. The story unravels and it turns out to be a great romantic comedy! I give this book a 3.75 stars out of 5 rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Annabel Monaghan, Penguin Group Putnam for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book is set to be published on May 27, 2025!