Annabel Monaghan is a go to author me for me! This story starts off with Jane, a former child star known for being the second act not the main character. She is trying to make a movie that she feels strongly about enough to tell her boss that a former colleague of hers (Jack) would write the main song for it, even though they haven't spoken in years and he was pretty unkind to her then (when they were teens). Dan, a photographer "friend" of hers volunteers to have her go to Long Island with him and stay with his family so she can meet up with Jack, a now famous singer. While there Dan, who was just a friend seems to allow Jane to open up and discover herself aside from the character she once played on screen or who she thinks she needs to be in life. She let's go of the feelings of unworthiness until she meets up with Jack and they are brought to the surface again. Dan, who had become so much more than a friend, is pushed away by Jane but can the strength of their feelings for each other help them get over the past emotions that have come up?

I love this author and the fact that she can write a romance novel with just a hint of spice but still make you feel like it is incredibly tense is amazing! This book is a slow burn but it was worth it. I loved how it took them a bit to get used to each other but little by little the friendship starts to melt away into some serious feelings! I would highly recommend! 4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Annabel Monaghan, and Penguin Books Putnam for allowing me to review this ARC!

Annabel Monaghan is the queen of summer romances, and I absolutely loved this one! The cozy beach vibes, the raw emotion, the love stories, the character growth… so good! I wish I could read it for the first time again.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters felt relatable and while with romance you do anticipate a certain amount of the plot, I found myself falling in love with them, and wanting to feel the butterflies of new love again with them, down to the subtle details like hands resting on the small of the back, etc. Jane felt real from the beginning and cheering for her to succeed is a huge motivator.

Jane hates Dan because he’s another man who wasn’t a fan of her work. But the chemistry! I loved their slow burn romance.

Clem is Jane’s best friend and the only person who can see Jane for who she really is. I loved their friendship and how honest and kind Clem was.

I loved getting to know the Finnigans even with their big bold opinions! Reenie and Cormack were the perfect leading couple for Jane to have a good idea of what love could be.

I really enjoyed it! Dan and Jane felt like a real couple to me because they weren’t fireworks and roses. They were vulnerable and honest with one another (for the most part) and wanted to fully see each other! Loved it so much.

We meet Jane who is a washed up sitcom actress, trying to now make it by pitching scripts. Jane is living the life of through the fake until you make it mantra and ends up telling a lie that may get her into a lot of trouble.. can jane get jack (a famous singer get him to sing a song in her movie she pitched) Dan is Jane’s worst nightmare when it comes to pitching scripts due to a rough first meet. Dan ends up working with Jane trying to get the script green lit, will they be able to work together or will it fall apart.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so very relatable and I loved everyone of them. Jane was working hard to cover up who she really. Dan was the perfect mix of calm within chaos which is exactly what Jane needed to work through her childhood trauma as a childhood actress and what her father did. Dan’s family just gave me the warm and fuzzies. Clem, Jane’s friend, was so good for her. I loved it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC thank you Putnam publishing and NetGalley!

Wow. This book was so freaking good. I genuinely didn’t want it to be over. Even though the story unfolds over a short period of time, I felt completely immersed—like I had lived and breathed every single moment with these characters.

Dan Finnegan has officially secured his spot as a top-tier book boyfriend. I adored everything about him—his quiet strength, his honesty, and the quiet confidence he carried without ever trying to prove himself. And don’t even get me started on his family. Their warmth, humor, and unconditional support just leapt off the page. Watching Jane step into that space and be embraced by it was beautiful.

This story doesn’t shy away from emotional depth. It delicately explores grief, healing, and the long shadow of complicated parent-child relationships. The way Jane confronted her past and began rewriting the narrative she’d always believed about herself and her worth—it was moving and powerful and real.

There’s also something so magical about Annabel Monaghan’s writing. She somehow balances a warm, witty voice with meaningful emotional arcs that sneak up on you and squeeze your heart.

It’s a Love Story gave me all the feels. It’s a story about love in all its forms—romantic, familial, and the kind you finally allow yourself to feel when you start believing you deserve good things. I’m already counting down the days until this book is in the world, because everyone deserves to experience these characters and this love story.

This book is pure charm with a side of second chances and a dash of slow-burn romance. Jane’s witty voice and emotional vulnerability make her easy to root for, and the chemistry with Dan Finnegan is both tender and believable. Monaghan balances humor and heartache beautifully, crafting a story that feels fresh yet comfortingly familiar. A delightful, feel-good read that hits just the right emotional beats—perfect for fans of character-driven rom-coms.

4.5 stars

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This is easily my favorite by this author so far! I loved the characters and how we really get more in depth with their backgrounds and some of their traumas. The beginning was a touch slow for me but most of the book was pretty fast paced.

Would recommend!

Annabel Monaghan has become a must-read author for me since her debut, and this was no different! I loved the Long Island setting, the family side characters, and the romance. Pick this one up!

This book is a charming, laugh-out-loud love story with a unique twist. Jane Jackson, a former child TV star turned Hollywood producer, is stuck in a “fake it till you make it” mindset until a lie she told to save a project sends her back to the last person she wants to face: Dan Finnegan. Forced to spend a week together, Jane is confronted with her past, her regrets, and a surprising connection with Dan. The witty banter, emotional depth, and slow-burn romance make this a delightful read. If you like stories about second chances and unexpected love, this one’s a must read.

Swoon, Swoon, Swoon!!!!!! This book was everything a Reece Witherspoon movie is. A lighthearted and lovely book. I loved it. It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan is the perfect rom-com. This is a grab your ice tea and get lost type of book. Dan and Jane were both so likeable. I was rooting for them from the start.

Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth.

Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by embracing a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she claimed that she could get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan as she faces down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but he just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?

I look forward to a new book from Annabel Monaghan every summer, and "It's a Love Story" is my favorite of her books yet! Child stardom and absent father aside, a lot of Jane's thoughts and feelings resonated with me, as well as the whole experience of going home with Dan and meeting his family and their dynamics. I highlighted so many passages and will be re-reading and definitely be buying a copy for my library.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

5/5

This book was a lovely read. Jane and Dan might be one of my new favorite book couples. I absolutely love enemies to lovers, and I also thought the slower burn was paced really well. I appreciated how they opened up and became more vulnerable throughout the story.

The other characters in the book were also so delightful. Dan’s family is a character itself, adding a lot of comedy and vulnerability to this book.

The ending was slightly frustrating, but the issues were resolved and the conflict felt (mostly) believable.

A quote I will be thinking about for a while: “Love happens over breakfast.”


Thank you Netgalley, Annabel Monaghan, and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for my ARC!

Well I just don’t think this author is for me. If you’ve read her books before and loved them, you’ll eat this one up too. Enemies to lovers in less than a week but they were both pretty immature imo with very little character development. The main problem in this story also had a weird twist that ended up being… a relative? Idk.. glad I finished but not for me.

This was my first Annabel Monaghan read and won't be my last. The novel centers on Jane Jackson, a former child star turned polished studio executive, who finds herself entangled in a far-fetched promise involving music superstar Jack Quinlan—the very person tied to her most embarrassing teenage memory. This setup kicks off a series of chaotic, hilarious events that lead her straight into the path of Dan Finnegan, a charmingly grounded cinematographer who challenges her carefully curated façade.

Dan is more than just a love interest; he's the catalyst for Jane’s transformation. Through his honest communication and the warmth of his quirky, lovable family, Jane slowly begins to shed her performative perfection and embrace her true self. Their relationship, full of sharp banter and slow-burn tension, is a highlight of the novel. I found myself rooting for them—and wanting to yell, "just kiss already!" ...more than once I might add. - Ha!

What makes this book stand out is how it balances humor and heart. Jane’s journey from people-pleasing perfectionist to someone who can finally breathe and be real is both relatable and inspiring. While the plot includes its fair share of slapstick moments and enemies-to-lovers fun, it also touches on deeper themes—family, identity, and the bittersweet realization that our parents are human too and have made their share of mistakes but keep putting their hearts out there!

Though the final conflict feels slightly forced—more like an obligatory bump in the road than a natural crescendo—it doesn’t detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. This is perfect for fans of slow-burn romance and second chances, this book is a cozy, feel-good story with genuine emotional depth. A delightful pick for a quiet evening or a summer afternoon. ★★★★☆

Thank you to Netgalley & G.P. Putnam's Sons /Penguin Random House for this digital copy to read in exchange for my honest review

Summer is coming and this is the perfect beach read (and book club pick)! This book is just the right length filled with warmth, laughter, and two flawed but lovable characters Jane and Dan. You won't be able to put it down.

If you love Annabel Monaghan this book is for you. It is set between LA and a Long Island beach town (not the Hamptons or Montauk). Dan and Jane both work in Hollywood and are trying to get a movie greenlit, however, they need something big to market the movie. Enter Jack, famous singer and former romance interest of Jane. Dan and Jane track down Jack in Long Island, New York all the while their romance is building.

*Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC*

It’s a Love Story

“quiet and warm, like you want to climb right into it and stay forever. The small things are the big things. It’s the thing that happens at breakfast”

That’s how Jane describes Dan’s movie in the book—and honestly, it’s exactly how I feel about all of Annabel Monaghan’s writing.

Her books feel like drifting through a sun-drenched afternoon by the shore, time stretching lazy and long, with nowhere to be but here. They calm my brain in a way I didn’t know books could.

This one felt a little different at first—it took me a while to get into, and I wasn’t sure if it would hit the same notes as her others. But around the 30% mark, something clicked. The tone shifted, the writing started to sound more like *her*, and I was all in.

If you’re someone who loves stories where the quiet moments are everything, where warmth and tenderness sneak up on you, this one’s worth sticking with.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for one of my most anticipated reads!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 star read, my favorite book I’ve read by Annabel Monaghan! Great enemies to lovers story with the prefect characters- Jane & Dan. I found myself rooting for them the whole book and loved their funny banter. Their story and the family dynamics they are both carrying from their past were so relatable. I read this while on Spring Break at the beach and it was PERFECT for it! ❤️📖

I loved the entire story between Jane and Dan! The slow burn and friendship between the two was so special to watch grow. I have loved all of Annabel Monaghan's books and this one is no different! I would absolutely recommend this!!

**4-Star Review: *It’s a Love Story* by Annabel Monaghan**

Annabel Monaghan charms once again with *It’s a Love Story*—a heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable novel that explores love, timing, and the quiet moments that shape a relationship. With her signature warmth and humor, Monaghan delivers a story that feels both classic and refreshingly modern.

The characters are instantly likable, with authentic voices and a chemistry that grows naturally throughout the book. The slow-burn romance is satisfying and full of emotion, unfolding in a way that feels genuine and deeply rooted in the characters' personal journeys.

Monaghan’s writing is crisp and clever, full of quotable lines and poignant insights about love, career, and self-discovery. It’s a story that makes you smile, swoon, and maybe even tear up a little.

*It’s a Love Story* is a delightful read with heart, charm, and depth—a perfect pick for fans of character-driven romances with a thoughtful edge.