What happens when a thirty-three year old love skeptic, Creative Executive for an LA film studio options the rights to a love screenplay and tries to convince her boss to make it into a movie? Lots of drama, laughs, emotional upheaval and personal growth. Jane Jackson has spent her life trying to run from the image of Janey Jakes , the sidekick, geeky character she portrayed as a child actress on a hit TV show. Her love life is well, non existent, as she feels unworthy of and inadequate to love. Dan Finnegan is a handsome, self assured cinematographer who has been assigned to work with Jane on securing a pop star to write and sing a song for the film she’s trying to make. The problem is pop star Jack Quinlan was Jane’s first teenage crush who she recorded a record with for her TV show. Jane and Dan travel to Long Island, where they stay with Dan’s large, noisy and loving family while they try to connect with Jack at a performance he’s giving. While filled with lots of romance references, this story is so much more as it delves deep into the personal inadequacies many people experience as a result of their upbringing and childhood experiences. Annabel Monaghan always delivers a solid love story and this one is no exception.

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/ G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with the opportunity to read an advance copy from one if my favorite author’s in exchange for my honest opinion. Publication date: May 27

This book brought back all the memories of falling in love with my husband. Janey and Dan bring together the thrill of instant attraction followed by real life annoyances. Traveling and staging with Dan’s family was an oddball route, but ended up working well. Jack’s character would be an interesting spin off. This book has series potential with the adorable brothers and corky friends. It was easy to read and easy to love. Similar to Nora Goes off Script in that sense. Cannot wait to watch the world go crazy over this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jane is such a lovable character. She has never felt completely loved or accepted until she meets Dan.
Through a week of hunting down a popular pop star they find the kind of love that you only see in the movies. The quote that made me cry was this “Cormack tells the story of meeting Reenie on the beach in Oak Shore when she was dating someone named Wallace. He talks through the various underhanded ways he tried to steal her away while Reenie holds his hand and laughs. 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. An old ache flares up in my heart, not for me but for my mom. I want to tell my mom that I'm starting to believe in love but that I think it's different from what she's described, that it's quieter and more powerful. But we've been lying to each other for so long about love, I would never know where to start.” 4.5 stars

So good and funny! You'll want to binge this in one sitting just like I did!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Annabel Monaghan is a master of character development. Her characters are fully rounded out with a depth that hints at backstories she knows but doesn’t tell us. I absolutely adored getting to know Jane and Dan but even more the extended Finnegan family. What a delightful read with complex, adult characters, delicious banter and perfect tension. Monaghan was already on my favorites list but this one moves her up to my must-read list.

It’s a Love Story follows Jane Jackson, a former child star whose impulsive lie to save her career forces her to confront her past—and spend a week on Long Island with her coworker (whom she despises) and his entire family.

Annabel Monaghan delivers yet another perfect romance. Her writing captures real, flawed characters that you’ll simultaneously want to strangle and hug. This book had me smiling, giggling, and cringing with secondhand embarrassment—and I loved every moment of it. The Finnegan family is absolutely charming, and I may or may not have developed a crush on each brother.

This story left me feeling warm and happy and I’m already excited for it to become one of my comfort rereads.

Thank you, NetGalley and Putnam Books, for the ARC!

<b>”being with you was the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me.”</b>

exceptionally lovable! hearts are about to explode. the quiet things are the things that move us. a bubbly kind of happiness! a must buy, must read book. going to be a top FAVE of 2025.

✨THINGS AND STUFF✨
-work place romance but in long island. it’s a work trip
-script writing & film making
-close proximity
-candy
-a possessive hand
-love happens over breakfast
-whipped cream in coffee
-boom. just like that, there’s only one bed
-the notebook
-#IsThisAKissingBook open door, non explicit. monkey hormones.

thank you prh for an advanced copy!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book because I have been LOVING Annabel Monaghan for the last year. I always think of her books as light, summer reads but boy was I wrong with this one. It made me feel so many emotions that I just was not expecting. I felt everything Jane was feeling from humiliation, to heartbreak, to butterflies. It felt like I was in Long Island, sitting at the table with all of the Finnegans and could feel the love radiating through the air. My chest was tight for 90% of the book, but in a that good, heartwarming way. It was definitely a beautiful read about letting go of your past self while opening up to the present and letting love in.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: May 27, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

Monaghan is a favorite and I am never steered wrong with her books. This was such a great one! For me it was a good palette cleanser and a fun fast paced romance. Annabel has the power to always leave me thinking about her books days after I read them, wanting to read them for the first time all over again. Dan & Jane are SO CUTE, and the storyline/plot/backdrop couldn’t be better. If you want a book that is going to give you all of the emotions, giggle, swooning and perma-smiling the entire way, the you need to put this directly on your TBR.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons.

This did not disappoint. This is my first 5 star book of the year. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn’t want to stop reading. I loved Jane and Dan. Dan’s family and the role they played was amazing. I loved the small beach town- the descriptions and the small town gave me the warm and fuzzies. I love the found family trope and this was done beautifully.

This was another great book by Annabel Monaghan! It took a little bit to get into, but once the main characters made it to Long Island, I was hooked. I loved the relationship development between Jane and Dan. They had great banter, an enjoyable setting, and the perfect family member side characters who included the FMC in their family right away. I love Annabel's writing style. It is super easy to read and I always finish quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC!

Jane is a former child TV star trying to overcome her awkward applied persona by proving herself as a film creative director. To get her a test film greenlit, she needs to win over her boss and find a way to work with her professional foe, Dan, a cinematographer with a critical tongue and exacting vision. To move things in her favor, she embellishes the truth of her relationship with a very hot pop star and needs Dan's help to track him down.

Rating: 4.25 ⭐
Spice: 1🌶️ (open door, vague)
Tropes: rivals-to-lovers, one room

This book was a slow start for me. The first chapter felt more tell than show, but once they hit the road in their adventure, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I loved the family. I loved how they overcame their pasts and learned to love who they are individually as well as a couple.

This was fun and will be a GREAT summer read for 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Annabel Monaghan for this eARC

It's a Love Story captures the essence of a true love story—flawed yet beautiful. The romance is perfectly crafted, with characters who feel real and relatable. Their imperfections make them human, and their growth together is inspiring and heartwarming.

At first, I found Jane a little obnoxious, but as the story unfolded, her personality made sense. Monaghan masterfully reveals her layers, and by the end, Jane's journey of self-discovery and empowerment is perfection. Watching her find her voice and inner strength is a rewarding experience.

The Finnigan family adds an irresistible charm to the narrative. They bring lighthearted humor and warmth, creating a delightful backdrop to the romance. Their presence enriches the story in the most wonderful ways.

Dan, the leading man, is quiet and complicated. His depth and subtlety make him the perfect counterpart to Jane. The chemistry between them feels authentic, and their connection is a testament to the beauty of imperfect love.

This story made me laugh, and cry. If you’re looking for a love story that’s as touching as it is unforgettable this one is absolutely perfect.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a Love Story is the story of Jane, a former child actress trying to break away from her past and prove she’s more than a joke and Dan, the artistic and thoughtful black sheep of his family. They join forces to get the movie they both care about made and throughout confront their pasts, insecurities and fall for each other. The story is filled with fun, family, and a sweet developing romance alongside addressing their pasts, others expectations and identities.

I devoured this book in one day! Such a wonderfully written story about finding yourself and finding love in unexpected places.

This is a truly top-tier romcom, with likeable and complex main characters, snarky banter, funny narration, and such a good love story at the heart of it. I love books where the leads are fully-developed adult humans, even if they don't always act totally maturely. We get some insight into the leads' personal histories and baggage, but not so much that it weighed the story down. The book spends lots of time with Dan's charming and raucous family, which I enjoyed a lot. This wouldn't really be Annabel Monaghan's usual style, but I kind of wish we could get novels about some of the other brothers, too.

It's definitely a lower-spice read -- the butterflies and chemistry are SO there, but no graphic details. Which honestly worked well for me because I was a little nervous about the fact that it was happening in his parents' house?

In any case, the book would be a great fit for fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center, and Carley Fortune.

There was something so warm and tender about this story. The characters were thoughtful and dynamic and flawed in the best way — and the story was sweet.

I need this book to hurry up and publish so I can read everyone the dissertation I’m prepared to write about Dan (and quiet love stories in general.)

While this definitely is a story about a relationship, I appreciated that Jane working on Jane took center stage. She was written to feel so raw and real, it was easy to experience the embarrassment and fear and progress right along with her.

*will post on Instagram closer to pub date* IT’S A LOVE STORY by Annabel Monaghan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Annabel Monaghan has done it again! This will be the perfect, most delightful romcom for you to take on your summer vacation this year! At the beginning, I wasn’t sure I was a fan of any of the main characters. Boy was I wrong! By the end I was in love with both of them and beyond invested. I loved Dan so much and how he was fully himself unapologetically. And that rain scene in the car!? YES!

Jane is an ex child actor who is now trying to get a script she loves turned into a movie. When Jane makes a promise to make it happen that she may not be able to follow through on, she is forced to rely on Dan, a cinematographer she’s not a fan of.

Pub. Date: May 27, 2024

Perfect if you like:
•Workplace romance.
•Rivals to lovers.
•Forced proximity.
•Slow burn.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Mood: 🍩🌮

🚪: 26 (minimal details)
⚠️: explicit language.

4+/5 ⭐️, 1/5 🌶️ (closed door), 2/5 💧

🎬 Complex Characters
🎬 Celebrity Experience
🎬 Workplace Romance
🎬 Big Family Dynamics
🎬 Single POV

I quite enjoyed this read! If you have read Annabel before, you know that she has a very distinct style of writing. I love how real and complex her characters are. They are not as perfect as you would expect in most HEA romance novels, but I think that gives her her charm. In fact, I found the main characters of this book to be unlikeable often throughout the book, but I was drawn in to how human they can be.

The love portrayed was a very quiet but consuming love, which I really enjoyed. I felt the chemistry even when I was frustrated with the communication (or lack thereof) and despite that, I could really see how people could act that way considering the circumstances (probably more in real life, rarely in fiction). I also enjoyed the journey of the main character as she grows personally.

I wish there was a bit more depth to the villain as he seemed pretty one dimensional to me. I found myself spending a lot of time trying to remember her other books to see if she will run into characters from Same Time Next Summer and was expecting something much more grand tying her books together, but I think I was reaching for something that wasn’t there.

It pulled some emotions from me, although I just finished the book and can’t tell you exactly why I was crying. Just like the love portrayed, it comes off as unassuming and just sort of hits you by surprise.

A good read, I would recommend if you liked her other books, or if you would like something a little more grounded in reality for a contemporary romance. There are still some very cheesy moments, but if you’re looking for a fluffy romantic escape where the MMC is swoon worthy perfection, this isn’t it! (He still has very swoon worthy moments tho - of course!!)

Holdddd up. This story gripped me in a way I wasn’t expecting it to. Butterflies while I’m reading? Check. Tears as I’m approaching the ending? Check. Elation over the love story? Check.

This was my first Annabel Monaghan book and I am sooo happy I applied for this ARC - I cannot wait to read the rest of her books if they’re anything like this one.

First and foremost, this is a true romcom. The banter between Jane and Dan was pure bliss. I absolutely lived for it and immediately was rooting for them to end up together after their first encounter (in a perfect enemies-to-lovers kind of way). I was undoubtedly smiling and laughing throughout this book like a crazy person to onlookers.

This novel was heartfelt focusing on the small moments that made love instead of those showy “insta-love” production moments. Monaghan did this beautifully between Dan and Jane as they shared little moments that led to intimacy and vulnerability.

Dan, perhaps, took the show with this book. I sound like Jane but the best part about Dan was that he was always his true self. He knew he was a unique member of his (beautifully) chaotic family, had his own interests, and viewed world in a different way that lent to his creative side. He was sure of himself, understanding, and confident without being cocky.

At times I can be critical about characters and the type of growth they encounter but I enjoyed Jane’s insecurities being worked through as a major conflict in her relationships and how her past was affecting her future.

This story is less of a rockstar romance and more of a small town feel to it in my opinion, and I absolutely adored it!