I adored this book! If I had to assign an adjective for this book, it would be "soft". Crazy word, yes, but perfect word to describe the love of these two characters! This was my first read by Annabel Monaghan and I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this book! Such a sweet read about finding love in more ways than one. I loved how the main character not only found the love of her life but she also found a family and again everything just felt so "soft" and gentle! Great book!

This is one of the best romance books I’ve read in a long time. I did not want to put it down; I wanted to crawl inside of the story and stay there. Something that has become clear to me after reading a couple of Annabel Monaghan’s books now is that she writes mature, stable, adult characters who are clear-headed and communicate well. To read a book like this one, with relatable well-developed characters and a relationship with substance, is so refreshing. While the plot was centered on a work crisis that started an unexpected journey and forced Jane to confront her past, so much growth and self-reflection happens along the way, and THAT is what allows Jane to grab what she wants and hold on tight, both in her career and in her personal life. The way I loved Jane and Dan, Clem, and the entire Finnegan family… I may never get over it. This book was so tender and honest and FUNNY and like coming home.

This romcom was so fun and sweet while simultaneously dealing with a load of emotional trauma.
The story was easy to follow and the characters were easy to like. This rivals to lovers story felt so lighthearted and was refreshing to see how the mc’s worked through their baggage and strove to communicate well.
Overall would highly recommend for a perfect beach read that will pack an emotional punch.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin for the arc.

I finished this book with tears in my eyes and a big smile on my face. Loved it so much! This is my first Annabel Monaghan read and will surely not be my last. I already added her other books to my TBR.

The writing was just superb! I love all the perfectly imperfect characters. She wrote Jane and Dan like real people I actually loved getting to know.

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚.

Oh Jane! She’s endured so much. She kept something that was weighing her down for so long. I ached for Jane and I was so proud of her when she was finally able to let that go and embrace everything she deserved. I love how she is with Dan. And I love how perfect they are for each other.

Overall, "It's a Love Story" is a fun, lighthearted read with plenty of heart. It's a story about overcoming the past, finding love in unexpected places, and learning to be true to yourself.

“𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒆𝒔”
and I love that it’s not just the title, but the lyrics of Love Story really fits this book. Because Jane’s answer to Dan will always be “Yes” even before he asks. 😍

It's a Love Story just made me smile the whole way through. I laughed, I happy cried and loved Jane! I was so happy to be on this journey with her. I love that this author can always add depth into her novels, while still keeping the story light and fun. Well done!

The same mix of emotion, humour, and depth I've come to expect from Annabel Monaghan. This story took me a little longer to get into than Summer Romance, which I adored, but by the time the character got out of Hollywood and into a small town with a wonderful cast of side characters I was hooked. I loved Dan's family dynamic and the way it juxtaposed Jane's somewhat empty life. I also found her ability to get in her own way and hold on to old hurts to be so well written and relatable. A great read for summer or anytime you need a little extra sunshine in your life.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. The beginning was a little confusing. There are a ton of side characters and it was hard to keep track of who was who. We do finally get to the romance part and there were a lot of parts I enjoyed about that, though. Dan’s family is fun, but I had a hard time keeping track of them all. I do think the MMC is one of the stronger ones she’s written, but I had a hard time connecting with the FMC at times. And the conflict at the end was just not for me. I think I enjoy Annabel’s books about older FMCs more. I was able to relate to them.

3.75 stars! I adored Dan’s family and the love you could feel amongst them all. This book won’t surpass my love of Nora Goes Off Script as my favorite of Annabel’s, but it was still such an enjoyable and sweet read.

If you're looking for romance with depth, substance, and feeling, It's a Love Story is not to be missed.

The complexity of Jane's abandonment issues read as believable and not over-the-top conflict. But when Jane connects with Dan, has she found someone to blow her perceptions out of the water? And Dan. Safe to say still waters run deep. *fans self*

Beautiful setting. Flowing and descriptive writing. Absolutely delightful supporting cast... Clem and the Finnegan family? Would love more.

Highly recommend for a feel-good story full of the best hallmarks of women's fiction and love story (obviously!).

This was my first book by Annabel Monaghan, and I absolutely loved it. It reminded me of all the books that made me fall in love with romance. It's beautiful, pure, honest, and funny. I think it was Emily Henry who said it's harder to make a reader laugh than to make them cry, and I definitely laughed at some of the dialogue. I love Jane's imperfections and how her failures made her feel relatable. In the beginning, she somewhat reminded me of Jennette McCurdy and her confessions from I'm Glad My Mom Died, and I got goosebumps when I read the acknowledgments at the end and discovered Managhan was inspired by Jennette's memoir when creating her main character. This was such a sweet and cozy romance, and I loved every part of this book, especially when her relationship started to change with Dan, Some of the tropes in this book include enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and workplace romance. I can't wait to read another book by Annabel Monaghan!

It's a Love Story
by Annabel Monaghan
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exhange for my honest opinion.
All I can say is Monaghan! You know you're going to love it!
Her characters are always so relatable and real, they feel like they can exist off the page just as perfectly as on it. Jane and Dan are so fascinating. Their insta connection turned workplace enemies was way too much fun and I could not wait to get to the bottom of how that mess came to be. And while this is of course a rom-com, the serious and more emotional notes, hit you right in the heart as we go back in time to experience the loneliness, humiliation and longing Jane felt being a childhood star.

I could not have loved this one more and highly recommend it!

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

I absolutely loved this book!

When I first started reading this I wasn’t sure which way the story would go (was Dan going to be the main interest or her first love that she was trying to track down), but as soon as they got to Long Island it became clear who the main characters were in the love story!

The romance in this book is wonderful, but I also loved The Mob (his family). They felt real and very believable. The book started out a little slower than other books I have read by this author but I loved it and thought the ending was fantastic.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. It was quite simply, sheer perfection. The yearning, the tension, the self-doubt, the humor. Annabel Monaghan once again manages to capture the raw emotions of being a woman.

I loved the exploration of teenage awkwardness, the pains of first love, and those traumatic childhood moments that inform the story of your life. I loved watching Jane open up to Dan and the safety he provided with his family and his love. Truly relationship goals! This was such a mature exploration of romance, workplace ambitions, and the never-ending comparison of yourself against the perceived perfection of others’ lives. Dan’s and Jane’s banter was everything and I adored every single individual in the Finnegan family. A romance that is food for the soul in so many ways!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!!! I loved Annabel Monaghan's 2024 release Summer Romance and also completely loved and devoured this book! This would make the perfect book to read while traveling. My only minor complaint is that the love story took place over too short of a time period to fully buy into their love and their character growth.. It was clear even when they were sparring and "hated" each other at the beginning that Jane and Dan had great chemistry and I loved seeing it build. This book had it all - a quietly swoony MMC, a FMC you could root for, great side characters in Clem and Dan's family, laugh out loud humor, a fun meet cute, heartwarming emotional depth and a sweet romance with great tension early on.. Would highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really like her writing style and how fast her books read. I do definitely prefer Nora Goes Off Script and Summer Romance to this book, but it was still a fun and quick read.
The reason I did not like this book as much is I felt there was not a lot at stake/ the third act break up was kind of silly and unnecessary. I completely understand her lack in confidence, but I feel like the TABU was kind of unwarranted. She finally really liked a guy and then she just storms out kind of out of no where and then he blocks her (pretty much over nothing).
Something about that just drove me a littleeeee crazy, but other than that, i gave the book 3.5 stars rounded up. I loved the story, writing, pace, and message, this just was not my favorite of her books.
Will definitely still recommend!!! (Especially for a summer beach read)
I am going to wait to share on socials till closer to summer to recommend for a beach read!

Annabel Monaghan does it again! Such a gorgeous love story, a fluffy enemies-to-lovers with a beautiful sentiment of family and the chaos of Hollywood and childhood stardom. A really wonderful read, just the right amount of everything you’d want. Thank you so much to Annabel Monaghan, Penguin Random House, and G. B. Putnam’s Sons for sending me an advanced copy. Highly recommend it, pick it up for the perfect summer read coming in May! ☀️

Annabel Monaghan’s newest book, “It’s a love story,” is beyond delightful. She does it again! It’s a balm to your soul that just makes you feel comforted and cared for from page one till the end. I could not adore the two main characters more than I do with Jane and Dan. Dan is a swoon-worthy lead who is romantic, emotionally available and exactly what Jane needs. Jane is a strong, but slightly timid woman who is looking for a thing she thinks she’s been missing her whole life - compelling love and adoration. She’s braver than she thinks and the evolution of her character has you rooting for her the entire time. The secondary characters are just as lovely and the Finnegan family charms you from the first meeting and has you rooting for a HEA, just because of who they are and what being a part of that family could mean - true, unconditional love. I adored this one and couldn’t recommend it more.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and am grateful to Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to share my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC!

I really enjoy her books. Her last one was one of my faves from last summer. This one did not reach those heights but was still fun. The love interest is a cinnamon roll with a man bun (not currently, but sometime in his past) and that could be the reason why this not strike my fancy.

Definitely give it a try if you have enjoyed her other books. 3.5

I need to know what Annabel puts in her books. Incredibly hard to put down. She manages to always put a serious element in her books. The way she writes her FMCs is real. I can see myself in all of them especially in Its Not A Love Story. Jane tries to rewrite her past with adapting a fake it till you make it attitude and it spirals with one lie. Everytime I think there is no way to save herself from this, I get proven wrong. I loved this book so much. Annabel can do no wrong

This book made my heart happy! It was the perfect mix of humor and romance. The main character is perfectly flawed and relatable. Her career and love life are a bit of a mess but she’s trying to manifest a better version of both, especially the right life partner…Queue the quiet, introverted, & broody main male character and my new book boyfriend! I think one of my favorite elements of this story was the involvement of the side characters that happens to be a big lovable family! This is the first book I’ve read by Annabel Monaghan and I’m already looking for more of her books to add to my library!

I would like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam|G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to review this advanced readers copy.