Quote from the book the perfectly summarizes this story: "You're going to spend a week hunting down a guy who you're terrified to see while shaking up with another guy you can't stand?

The book cover and title gives Taylor Swift vibes... No T-Swift refences in the book though.

I loved this love story! We have an enemies to lovers trope, but not overly done or cringe. The characters act like normal people would act if they didn't like each other which was refreshing to see this trope not overkilled. Our main character, Jane, was a child star and we get to see how this has affected her in her adult life- relationship, peers, and self-worth. Loved her part in this story.

It is a fall in love in a week situation, which is far fetched, but it works!

Very much a mild spice to this book.

Would definitely recommend if you need quick read to get out of reading slump, a beach read or travel entertainment. This was my first book I have read by Annabel Monaghan and I would certainly read more of her books!

While I appricate the writing style and not adding a lot of fluff to the story, some parts of the book seemed to not flow as well as others. Kinda jumpy. Also did not like that all the text messages were not written consistently...some were written as texts, some were in dialogue format and others were just embedded in the paragraphs. Could be an ARC issue though, so take that with a grain of salt.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I LOVE this book 😭😭 Finished it in one day and I have already promised to buy my sister a copy when it comes out. This is my first book by Anabel Monaghan and I will absolutely not be my last. I laughed, I cried, I used the highlighter function on my kindle liberally (blue for quotes I liked, pink for making me laugh out loud, yellow for quotes about love that felt like summer sunshine).

It felt like a romcom and I could picture everything so clearly! Loved the setting and the summer vibes, and Dans family reminded me so much of my own (loud & laughing) so I loved that element as well.

Only (minor) issue is that Jane’s behavior was a little unhinged at times, especially for a woman in her 30s, but viewed through the lens of her being a child star who never got a chance to discover her true self as a child I was able to forgive her. Dan was perfect, steadfastly himself and I loved him for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC. All opinions are honest & my own.

This has possibly been my favorite Annabel Monaghan books. I loved the quirkiness of both main characters, the side characters had me laughing out loud. I loved seeing their insecurities and the actual reasoning behind them- it felt very real. I cannot wait for this to come out

I will always read anything Annabel Monaghan writes. I love her thoughtful character arcs and authentic love stories. Her side characters always deliver a smile and she just has a knack for completely transporting me to a different place. This latest book “It's a love story” rings true on all those same accounts but it hits a little bit of a different note from her previous three books. Once again we return to New York but this time we also spend a good chunk of time in LA. It was fun to see a new setting (although I’ll never get tired of NY) and the back story for the FMC is something completely new and different. I loved the sense of family and support in the various ways it was shown. And of course the love story was fantastic. Monaghan has a gift for unfolding a genuine love story that feels so realistic and completely effortless. Dan wasn’t perfect, and neither was Jane, but they were perfect for each other and I loved that. Speaking of, the love story that really shone here was Jane being able to love herself. She had a lot of work to do and it was painful to watch at times but she learned what she was made of and it was so satisfying to watch. Also, Jane learned what love is and what it really isn’t. I wish more books and movies did what this book did in showing what day-in-and-out love looks like.
A few things to note. While this FMC has a robust character arc she is pretty unhinged for a lot of this book. So unhinged that it affected the believability and stopped me from really connecting with her. She’s hurting and has a lot of baggage that she didn’t ask for (nor deserve) but she’s also in her thirties and kind of psycho, and has serious anger issues.
One more thought of something I loved; the message of giving your past self grace and crawling out from the shadow of old regrets and who other people used to think you were. I was really touched and surprised by how much I resonated with Jane when she fell back into old insecurities when confronted with people from her past.
In summary, I enjoyed this. The FMC kept me from loving it like I love Monaghan’s other books, but there is plenty to enjoy and I read it in one day and couldn’t put it down.

I have never truly subscribed to the idea of good or bad writing until I read Annabel Monagan. Of course, some books have better passages while others were borderline unreadable but reading this book reminded me of being in college and wanting to highlight everything because it’s all important but instead of political theories, it’s beautifully written passages. I would go as far as to say that if no one has crowned her the queen of prose, I will, as she is the queen of prose.


One of my favorite aspects is that while the book is clearly romance first, it also has undertones of a woman’s fiction novel. I loved that Jane’s past is a part of her but it does not have to define her and Dan really helps show her that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing while she in turn does the same thing for him with his family. I will say that while the plot line about getting the song from was interesting, I did find myself not caring for it as and reading through it to get back to Dan and Jane.


It’s lighthearted in the perfect way; sometimes when someone says a book is lighthearted, it means it has no substance, but this one does it in a way that makes you want to laugh and have a good time but then you also spend the rest of the night with the characters stuck in your head. I’m also usually the kind of girl to finish a book in 4 days and if I don’t, I lose interest but with this book, I found myself wanting to take my time and enjoy it, only reading a chapter or two a night. It has been truly wonderful to enjoy and while I am sad it’s over I loved the journey of watching Jane and Dan fall in love.

This was a summer, enemies to lovers romance with forced proximity and former childhood Hollywood actors. This book is quiet but the love the story behind shines through. It's about understanding that being yourself is powerful and attracts the people and feelings you want in your life. The story connects more to Jane than Dan, and I think I was missing a little bit of that experience. Such a cozy read, def worth a re-read and one I will keep on my shelves.

I love Annabel’s book and since discovering her have been quickly reading anything by her.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

really loved a lot of this book! But some of it seemed too immature to fit with the rest of the adult vibes of this book. The drama of the MC being a child tv star and chasing down her old costar was very much giving something you could find on Disney Channel. If you know, you know 😂 (which is why I rated it a 3.5) but the adult side of it was GOOD. Man bun Dan sounds 🔥 but getting to know Dan’s family in this book brought all the cozy coastal vibes. There were a few non descriptive intimate scenes—alluding to more adult activities, that I personally feel ✨adults✨ would be fine reading. I really wouldn’t consider them open door scenes though.

This one had a lot of really good tropes: meant to be, enemies to lovers, forced proximity 🔥

I LOVED this story so much. Janey/Jane's story is one that resonated with me a several levels. While I was not a child actor, I had always felt the the "supporting character" in my own life, surrounded by friends with "main character" energy. This was a beautiful story and written so well. The build up of the romantic tension between Jane and Dan was palpable and it was wrapped up so wonderfully!

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book! I absolutely love Annabel Monaghan's writing style, the characters she produces, and the subtle ways she makes profound comments on emotions and the way people operate. I really enjoyed the setting of this novel and the idea of a vacation/getaway that brings two people closer together who do not quite vibe prior to said trip. I will say this was not my favorite of hers and I had trouble connecting to either of the main characters. There were a couple moments/lines where I was quite invested and had chills but my general feeling as I was reading was detatched. However, I have been in a bit of a reading slump and would like to reread this one closer to release day!

I had a hard time getting into this in the beginning, but once I got going I was hooked. I loved the found family for Jane. Dan was top tier “book boyfriend” material, and I love that Jane made her own happy ending. The miscommunication trope is not my favorite, so I was annoyed that Jane would simply not speak her mind. Otherwise I enjoyed another fabulous book by Annabel!

Thank you Putnam books and NetGalley for an ARC In exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fun and easy read and I enjoyed the theme of second chances and enemies to lovers. It’s a very charming book and a really quick read.

Annabel Monaghan is exceptional at writing families and developing the intricacies of relationships. I would read 10 books about Dan’s family just going through their day to day. Though I did really like this book, I had a hard time being invested in Jane. It took until about 40% into the book for me to start liking her and then I was teetering on the fence with her the rest of the time. She felt like the most exhausting friend I’ve ever had. That being said, the rest of the characters were perfect as usual (except the pop star whose name I literally already forgot because he was the worst) and the writing was beautiful. As always, I felt like the way Annabel Monaghan writes emotions and relationships teaches me so much about my own.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and Putnam books - I was ecstatic to receive this ARC.

Annabel Monaghan has absolutely done it again with It’s a Love Story! This book had everything I love in a rom-com—sharp banter, swoon-worthy chemistry, and a heroine who you just can’t help but root for. Jane, a former teen star turned movie executive, is desperate to get her passion project greenlit, but there’s one little problem: she may have exaggerated how close she still is with pop star Jack Quinlan. Enter Dan, the cinematographer she once crushed on (who then crushed her dreams), and suddenly, they’re on a whirlwind trip to the East Coast, chasing a celebrity connection that might not even exist. The forced proximity, the growing tension, and the way Dan’s big, loud family welcomes Jane in—it all made my heart melt in the best way.

What really made this book stand out for me was Jane’s emotional journey. She’s spent so long seeing herself as the quirky sidekick, never the star, and watching her slowly recognize her worth (with Dan’s unwavering belief in her) was so satisfying. And Dan? He’s the perfect mix of grumpy and sweet, the kind of guy who clearly fell first and fell hard. Their back-and-forth kept me grinning, but there were also moments that hit unexpectedly deep. Jane’s insecurities, her fear of failure, and the way she almost pushes away something good—it all felt so real. By the end, I was completely invested in their story, and that final grand gesture? Absolutely perfect. This is one of those books I’ll be recommending to everyone—Monaghan just gets how to write romance.

Annabel Monaghan has absolutely done it again with It’s a Love Story! This book had everything I love in a rom-com—sharp banter, swoon-worthy chemistry, and a heroine who you just can’t help but root for. Jane, a former teen star turned movie executive, is desperate to get her passion project greenlit, but there’s one little problem: she may have exaggerated how close she still is with pop star Jack Quinlan. Enter Dan, the cinematographer she once crushed on (who then crushed her dreams), and suddenly, they’re on a whirlwind trip to the East Coast, chasing a celebrity connection that might not even exist. The forced proximity, the growing tension, and the way Dan’s big, loud family welcomes Jane in—it all made my heart melt in the best way.

What really made this book stand out for me was Jane’s emotional journey. She’s spent so long seeing herself as the quirky sidekick, never the star, and watching her slowly recognize her worth (with Dan’s unwavering belief in her) was so satisfying. And Dan? He’s the perfect mix of grumpy and sweet, the kind of guy who clearly fell first and fell hard. Their back-and-forth kept me grinning, but there were also moments that hit unexpectedly deep. Jane’s insecurities, her fear of failure, and the way she almost pushes away something good—it all felt so real. By the end, I was completely invested in their story, and that final grand gesture? Absolutely perfect. This is one of those books I’ll be recommending to everyone—Monaghan just gets how to write romance.

This is my 3rd Annabel Monaghan book and as usual I really liked it! It will be a great summer beach read. It took me a little bit to really get into the story, but once I did, I stayed up late into the night reading so I could finish it. I loved Dan's family and overall the book was really cute. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC

Thank you Putnam books and NetGalley for an ARC of this fun, light, beachy vibes rom com.

This was my first book by this author, so I’ll definitely check out some of her other books.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked Jane - self conscious, anxious, struggling to find her footing in the world of Hollywood movie scripts after being a childhood actor. Jack, a big pop star with ties to her childhood, might just be the key to getting her first project green lit… but in order to reach him, she’ll have to turn to her work nemesis and one time crush, Dan. Dan was slower to grow on me, but he did - and his family helped show him in a different light.

Read if you’re into:
🩵enemies to lovers
🤍forced proximity
🩵unconventional Hollywood romance
🤍organic and natural chemistry
🩵second chance romance

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

A childhood actor grows up to become a movie executive and finds her perfect movie script. Unfortunately, she’s exaggerated some connections and must partner up with a cinematographer from her past to try to make it work.

It’s such a cute, fun and vulnerable story. The characters are imperfect and lovable with great character development. The dialogue is funny and real. I had a hard time putting it down and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted, but complex rom com.

I really love how reflective and the melancholic tone of this book. I can see how it can affect someone who struggles to show who they are to people and hide behind the mask. It’s a beautiful book with raw characters. Someone who self sabotages and another MC that wears their heart on their sleeve.

I loved watching the MCs slowly connect throughout the book (enemies to lovers with an adorable meet cute), so slowly I almost didn’t realize it. It did feel at times that the romance was a sub plot, which I’m not complaint about. I loved learning about the FMC and all the “unlovable” parts she keeps for herself. Beautiful story!

Another great book from Annabel Morgan. I couldn’t put this one down. You will be rooting for the main character the whole book.

I don’t believe I have read any other books by this author. This was a good beach read. I liked the characters, but didn’t feel attached to them.