I’ve adored every Monaghan book I’ve read and couldn’t wait to read this one. And it didn’t disappoint. Loved Dan - he’s my new book boyfriend! - and the dynamics in his big, boisterous family. Loved all the feelings this evoked on me. Can’t wait until her next novel.

Another absolute gem from Annabel Monaghan! I loved these characters and their story. I am an absolute sucker for an “immerse yourself into a big warm lovable new family while fake dating their son” storyline so this was a total win for me. I got all of the warm fuzzies at the end, and Monaghan remains an auto-read author for me!

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than a lot of the romance I have read lately, The characters, despite having jobs that really seem like a reach for the stars kind of dream in the book, still feel very relatable and real. I ike when the author has the ability to do this because it makes connecting with them so much easier. I had a lot of fun with Jane and Jack's love story. Annabel Monaghan has done it again!!! I can't wait to see what she does next.

It’s a Love Story is such a sweet, fun, slow burn romance that I enjoyed so much!! Jane is now one of my favorite romance book FMCs. One minute you’re laughing with her and the next you’re crying. This one packs a big emotional punch. Within the first 10% or so of the book, I was not too sure if I would like it. But I hung in there, and ended up loving it! It had more emotional depth than I had anticipated and I was there for it.

After reading the script for a new romance film that truly spoke to her, Jane knows that she has to produce that movie. After being matched up with cinematographer “man-bun” Dan, Jane must find a childhood acquaintance, Jack the rock star, and convince him to write a song for her movie. The catch is, she must travel to New York with Dan and stay at his parent’s home where she is thrust into a larger than life family atmosphere so different than how she grew up with just her mom.

And the romance!! I loved it 😍

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! I was so excited to receive this because I absolutely loved Nora Goes Off Script!!

I received an ARC of this book and am happy to report that I really enjoyed it. While it didn’t quite hit the same level as Nora Goes Off Script and Summer Romance for me (which were both five stars), it was close. I continue to appreciate everything Annabel Monaghan writes!

Such a fun, big-hearted story. The dynamics of Dan’s big family were so fun to sink into. Some of my favorite tropes here: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity. I found myself rooting for Dan and Jane, but mostly for Jane to discover her own courage and worthiness of love. I loved this book! THE BATHING SUIT, 😂👙OMG Jane is so funny. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Annabel writes such beautiful stories. Her prose is inspiring, heartfelt, and sentimental at best. Jane’s journey in Hollywood after being a child star isn’t very relatable, but her insecurities, determination, and self doubt are. I was rooting for her the whole way through to find out who she truly is. I instantly loved Dan. His blunt humor, sarcasm, and blatant crush on Jane (even though he would never admit it to himself) were endearing. Their story is full of banter, humor, self reflection, and pure love and respect for each other once they get out of the surface level.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the e-ARC
Pub Date May 27 2025

If you love rom-coms with sharp wit, questionable decisions, and top-tier banter, this one’s for you—main character Jane Jackson is a beautiful disaster!

Jane has spent years perfecting the art of faking it—until one (massive) lie threatens to blow up her career. Now, to clean up her mess, she’s stuck spending a week in close quarters with the last person she wants to deal with. Tension? Absolutely. Sparks? Let’s just say the line between annoyance and attraction gets very fuzzy.

What I Loved:
✅ Witty, self-deprecating heroine—Jane’s inner monologue is pure gold.
✅ A perfectly infuriating love interest—smug, sharp, and secretly sweet, just how I like them.
✅ The unraveling of a well-placed lie—watching Jane scramble is a delight.

What Didn’t Quite Work:
❌ Mild secondhand embarrassment warning—if rom-com cringe makes you squirm, be prepared.
❌ Some side characters needed more page time—one in particular felt underdeveloped.

Bottom line? If you love quick wit, slow-burn tension, and a heroine just trying her best (bless her heart), this one delivers!

I had randomly applied for this arc on NetGalley (thank you so much for this arc it actually changed my brain chemistry), and let it sit on my Kindle for a couple months before actually diving into it. If I had known what a gem this was, I would've read it the second I got approved!!

I cannot believe I briefly considered not finishing it around the 15 to 20% mark just because I thought it was just "ok". I'M SO GLAD I FINISHED IT OMG.

This book made me cry. I hardly ever cry in books. And when I say that I cried, it's not because it was sad necessarily, but because the emotional sucker punch I felt was just too much for words.

The slow burn intimacy leading up to when the main characters finally get together was (tears are literally in my eyes rn trying to write this) magical. Think Mr.
Darcy's hand flex, but the modern version. A light hand on the hip, soulful eye contact, crackling tension, it was PERFECT.

The non-romantic intimacy was also so beautiful with Dan's family. Seeing Jane be apart of a controlled chaos large family where she only had her mom growing up squeezed my heart in the best way.

Lastly I'll say that throughout the book I got major Jannette McCurdy vibes, and I was so pleased to see in the acknowledgments that Jannette and her memoir (both of which I LOVE) were major inspiration for this book!

I had the best time. My whole body felt this book. I'm crying again and I wish I could explain my feelings better. For my first Annabel Monaghan book, this was an absolute hit!

There is something wonderful about a book that makes you escape reality for a bit and relate to the main character(s). The FMC, Jane, makes you both want to laugh and cry with her. I found myself wanting to be her cheerleader. There are parts of her that each of us struggle with in some capacity, such as the desire to “make our mark” in this world, get past our own insecurities and hurt, and find the courage it takes to love and be loved. The MMC, Dan, might be a favorite book boyfriend. Any man that encourages a woman to just be herself is a winner in my opinion. I also loved the supporting characters and found myself particularly thankful for my own “Clem.” Dan’s “people” added so much humor and fun to this story as well. Overall, this has been my favorite rom-com I have read in a while. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for my eARC.

This was a cute little romance, not too heavy or steamy. I thought the characters were very likable and I especially liked Dan's family dynamics. I thought the crossover aspects from Monaghan's book Same Time, Next Summer were fun.

“They’re the thing I aspire to, and I’d like to find that kind of love.”

“Love happens over breakfast.”

Annabel Monaghan’s books have become must reads for me.
Looking for a beach read, well this is the book for you
I loved the flawed, relatable characters.
Jane was a child sitcom star who felt irrelevant and inadequate. She's now trying to become a Hollywood executive and be taken seriously.
Jane has so many issues, insecurities, yet I found her lovable.
Jane meets Dan Finnegan and their love story begins.
A story that will pull on your heartstrings. Second chance romance, a fun beach town on Long Island, love.
A page turner with a feel good ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this book.

I adore Annabel's writing and plotlines. She masters the small town romance trope without being overly cheesy. What I didn't love is the conflict between Dan and Jane. For some reason, I dislike when conflicts stem from self sabotaging and the MMC doesn't do anything wrong. Something feels very manipulative/crafted about it instead of believable but that's just a personal pet peeve. Overall I really enjoyed the book!

It’s a Love Story was a delightful whirlwind of second chances, banter, and just the right amount of rom-com chaos. Jane was a lovable disaster in the best way—armed with Hollywood ambition, a slightly unhinged determination, and a past she’d rather not revisit (especially if it involves her former teen-crush-turned-rockstar). And Dan? The grumpy, maddeningly talented cinematographer who challenged her at every turn? Swoon.
The forced proximity, the hilarious high-stakes lie, and the undeniable slow-burn chemistry made for a highly entertaining ride. The only thing keeping it from five stars? I wanted just a bit more emotional depth in certain moments. But overall, this book was a sharp, witty, and utterly charming rom-com—perfect for anyone who loves a little Hollywood chaos with their happily ever after.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4 ⭐️
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Putnam Penguin Group for giving me an early copy of this book!
What I really enjoy about all of Annabel Monaghan’s books is the cover looks cute and unassuming. But when you open it up and read it, it packs and emotional punch and really gets you in your feels.
I really liked following our FMC Jane and loved watching her carefully placed walls slowly start to crumble around her as she learned to become comfortable in her own skin after trying to be this perfect version of herself for everyone around her.
Dan was such a great realistic MMC and I loved how he was a introvert vs his loud and proud family. The family had their differences but he always was proud of who he was, even if it wasn’t who they wanted him to be.
Dan’s family was also so important for only child Jane to grow and realize how special it is being apart of such a big warm group and helped her to melt and feel this love she had been desiring since she was a little girl.
The third act break up was really the only issue I had with the book because it felt a little forced/rushed. But I adored the ending and love where our characters end up and how much they grew from the beginning to this fulfilling end.
There is incredible summer vibes in this book and I think this will be the perfect book to bring to the beach or the pool to laugh, smile, and cry to this summer season!
This book is bingeable, a second chance with a twist, has great relatable characters, and a heartfelt love story you need to read this summer!

4.5 stars! This book! Annabel Monaghan does it again!!
As this book started out, I knew it was going to be a good one. The first 50% was really good but I felt a little disconnected to what was going on but once we hit that 50% mark… it kept going up and up for me. The last 50% of the book kept me so invested. Dan is everything and everything Jane went through had me in tears. I could not stop crying the last 20% of the book because I felt that connected to these characters, their pain, and also their joy. I’ve only read two books by Annabel Monaghan but she is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. READ THIS READ THIS WHEN IT COMES OUT IN MAY!!!!

‘Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth.’

Fresh, enjoyable and endearing, It’s a Love Story is positively swoon-worthy. You’ll definitely wanna
make sure Monaghan’s latest is beach-tote secure for your warm, sandy, sunny summer!

Arc provided by PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!

Pub: 5.27.25.

ITS A LOVE STORY ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Jane was a child actress, always the funny comedic actress. As an adult, she’s working for a studio and has found the perfect script, she just needs to make it marketable. She tells a tiny fib that she’s still close with a former co-worker from her childhood and needs to convince him to participate in the script. Cinematographer, Dan, has an “in” with the man needed to get this script greenlit. Jane and Dan go to Long Island to hunt down this huge star, on a mission to convince him to come aboard. So, at first I was not convinced I was going to like this book, it was a tough start for me. But, halfway through, the way this book displays the simplicity’s of love, the every day, complicated, simple, unnoticeable acts of true love, I was hooked. I was engaged in 6 months over 10 years ago, and find love exactly like they discuss it in this book. I loved how true love is described in her writing. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

It’s a Love Story follows Jane Jackson, who is determined to make her first project a huge success—but she lies about securing an artist, Jack Quinlan, a popstar who supposedly promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. The problem? They haven’t spoken IN YEARS and never had the kind of relationship where she could just casually reach out and ask for a favor.

When Jane hears that Jack will be performing at a festival on Long Island, she sees it as her chance to reconnect. There’s one thing though, she has to go with Dan Finnegan, her one-time crush because aside from the festival, it’s also his hometown.

I had such huge expectations for this book because I’ve read so many good reviews about the author—but that’s on me for setting the bar too high. I should’ve been more balanced with my expectations.

Dan. He loved The Notebook! It’s not always you get to read a man who enjoyed romance and cried because of it. His character had a laid-back vibe—he didn’t seem to care much about other people’s opinions of him or his life, probably because he knew himself better than anyone else.

Jane. Her character really showed how hard she tried to be “perfect” in every aspect of her life—so much so that when things didn’t go as planned, it completely threw her off. I could relate to her on that level, but there was something about her that just kind of annoyed me.

Adding more the review is Dan’s family. They perfectly embodied the kind of chaos that comes with being surrounded by loved ones—but in a good way. This book highlighted that it’s okay if your family doesn’t always understand you, but only to a certain extent. On another note, I really loved seeing Jane’s relationship with her mom develop. It was clear how much she loved her, but there was a strain between them that wasn’t obvious at first. They managed to find their balance by being honest and open with each other, which made me really happy.

Some issues are:I can’t get past about the fact that she’s sick of everything that is happening but not doing anything to make it stop or change for the better. Literally, knowing about something and pretending not to know about it will eat you alive and that’s what it did to her. It affected everything in her life, most especially how she views herself.

Another thing—I didn’t really feel the romance between them. It was there, sure, but it could’ve been stronger, you know? Given the title of this book, I expected more.

Overall, this story really showed how self-sabotage can keep us from getting what we deserve simply because we believe we’re not enough. It was cute and lighthearted, with some fun banter, but I have to admit—it felt a bit underwhelming since it took so long to actually grab my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Wonderful!
I am all for the anxiety ridden, the quiet, the loners and the different and that's what this book brought to me. Child actress all grown up wanting to remake herself and hide from her past. I'm happy to say it didn't focus on her childhood celebrity past it was just enough to make you love and understand her better. It's a super sweet romance that had me swooning and hopeful. #MFEO #TWINS #bigfamily #soulmates