Classic Annabel Monaghan - a sweet story filled with lots of humor and the right mix of serious background for the MC. Jane, a former child star turned Hollywood executive looking for her big break movie, is forced to work together with her corporate enemy, trying to snag an old acquaintance to help them get a passion project greenlit. This involves Jane flying to Dan's childhood home and spending a week with his entire family. Ludicrous, but so adorable, and obviously leads to one of the greatest romance tropes as they are forced to share a small bunk room between the two of them. Jane learns more about Dan, and finds out he's not what she thought he was in the best way. She's also forced to reckon with her child stardom and the boxes she's been forced in her entire life. This is heartwarming and makes you want to visit Long Island in the summer, a perfect beach rom-com!

I cannot wait for this book to be released this summer! Annabelle always writes the best stories with relatable and accessible characters and love stories. Jane and Dan were the perfect opposites attract, silly, and ordinary couple. The setting was a rom com come to life and I loved The Notebook references, but with a new and different take, I loved seeing Jane’s growth and progression as she dealt with her past and grew into a healthy and beautiful version of herself. Highly recommend checking this out.

It's a Love Story is a delightful and easy read, with a side of realistic maturity. I love the setting and the loud, close-knit family as a character and as a foil to the main character. I do feel like the main character's realization of her "past trauma" is very quickly realized and resolved at the end, and that's what kept me from giving it a 4.5 rating. I appreciate how that resolution of past issues is a challenge to write and narrate, so the quick "oh I have issues! Let me fix them!" in mere pages seemed too convenient and tidy, and left me unsatisfied towards the end of the novel.

But this will be a big summer hit, and rightfully so.

If you’re feeling down, this book will instantly lift you up. It’s like that “favorite movie” you have that you can’t describe why you love it, only that it makes your heart happy. This book felt like the longest, most decadent desert. A really beautiful story about loving yourself before you can love someone else. I ADORED the large family dynamic of the Finnegans. The book completely sucked me in to the point like I felt like I was RIGHT there on Long Island with them. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time!!

Annabel Monaghan outdid her self with this one! It might be my favorite novel of hers so far! I definitely love all the interesting characters and fell deeply in love! I got the butterflies and the heartache of a good romance! You'll love this one!

Former child actor Jane is trying to jump-start her career with a script that her studio doesn't think is commercial enough. She claims she can get famous pop star Jack (with whom, it turns out, she had a defining moment during her teen stardom) to write a song for the soundtrack, which leads to her pairing up with Dan, a cinematographer who was a thorn in her side on a previous project. The two fly cross-country to Dan's family's home on Long Island for a week, hoping to corner Jack at a music festival there and convince him to write a song for the movie. As the week unfolds, Jane falls in love with both Dan's family and Dan himself, and discovers the power of being honest and vulnerable with herself (and with others). A wonderful, lighthearted romance, and just a very sweet story - the perfect escape for these times.

If Annabel writes it, I know I’ll love it, and It’s a Love Story is no exception!

With a fun twist of a premise, we meet Jane, former childhood star not trying to mend her reputation and make it in Hollywood as a Creative Exec. She’s given a seemingly impossible task- track down the famous Jack Quinlan and sign him on her next project. Dan Finnegan, trusty arch nemesis, joins her on her journey to sign Jack Quinlan and get their movie greenlit. But, can she do it? And is Dan really as awful as she thought?

The growth in this book was EXCEPTIONAL. I loved being able to relate to a character who I normally wouldn’t relate to at all, but her growth journey is what captivated me and I found myself laughing, crying, angry, sad, and carefree WITH her. Annabel has a way of making every main character relatable through their journeys, and this book keeps that tradition alive. Read it!

Annabel Monaghan can do no wrong. I had really burnt myself out on romance but as soon as I saw she had a book coming out I knew it would be just what I needed and I was right! The book was hard to put down and I am out of my reading slump!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. I have absolutely loved all of Annabel Monaghan’s other novels. This one was a lot of fun to read. It was captivating, funny and emotional. I love Annabel’s writing style. Please pick this one up!

Another heartwarming romance from Annabel was just what I needed. She has quickly become one of my must-buy authors!

Jane spends all her time trying to be someone else. Dan is focused on not losing himself. They were an unlikely pair but had chemistry from the start. There was something a little uncomfortable about Jane at the beginning that I still can't put my finger on, but I believe that the awkwardness was intentional. On the other hand, Dan is one of the most realistic fictional men out there. He was not about grand gestures but about small moments and honesty. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him AND his entire family. The Finnegan brothers were truly something else. Spending time with Dan's family and being forced to spend a week in close quarters with Dan really helped open Jane's eyes and heart to all the possibilities.

Make sure to add this to your summer TBR!

Thank you to NetGallery and Putnam Books for the opportunity to let me read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

1.75⭐️s I’m going to preface with that I don’t think this worked for me. I did not like how quick the romance fell into place between Dan and Jane. Especially with how angry she was with him in the beginning, then they kinda glossed over the details of it unless it was about ‘The Notebook’. I believe the bottom line is that this wasn’t the romance for me and not what I was looking for. I believe that it was nicely written but it did get repetitive at times. I think I would have liked this if it were a movie and not a book. This is a good summer setting type of book too if someone is looking for that. Unfortunately I didn't connect with the characters and was hoping for more and for me it didn’t hit the mark. Still thankful for the arc though and I hope this works for others.

Annabel Monaghan has a way of making you feel like you are a part of the story. Am I childhood actor? No! Did I still feel like I was Jane and wanted the best for her? Absolutely. Jane has a script for everything and after being a childhood actor she is used to having everything preplanned and picked out for her. Throughout 'It's a Love Story' you get to see her grow and learn. In true Annabel Monaghan fashion, another fantastic read.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Overall it was a great read! I really enjoyed the story. There were some very funny lines and I enjoyed all the humorous Notebook references. I thought from the description it was going to be more of a pop star themed romance but the pop star storyline was minor. It was more of dealing with life after being a teenage TV star. It reminded me a little bit of the book "I'm Glad my Mom died" ....which is funny cause apparently that was the authors inspiration for writing it. The books final conflict was annoying to me and dragged out a little bit but overall it was a good read.

It's a Love Story? Yes, it absolutely is.

I read lots of romance books, and many of them are lovely and forgettable, but not this one. What really makes this book shine is how much I wanted these two to find happiness. Their individual struggles feel real, and their romance unfolds in a way that feels earned. Even when the plot leans into the improbable, their chemistry and emotional depth kept me hooked.

If you love romance with heart, humor, and characters that stay with you, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

I absolutely adored this book! Annabel Monaghan knows how to write the perfect banter and is able to also provide depth and meaning to her romances.

It's A Love Story follows Jane, who is still trying her best to make it in Hollywood after being a child star on a TV show where she plays the quirky, awkward girl. To Jane, it feels like everyone around her is moving forward with life and succeeding, while she's still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do. After reading a script she feels passionately about, Jane tries to promote it to her boss - without much success.

According to Jane's boss - and the annoying cinematographer, Dan Finnegan - the script is not "commercial" enough for the company to make the movie. When she realizes the script isn't going to go forward, Jane blurts out that a popstar she worked with as a child, Jack Quinlan, is willing to do a song for the movie in order to promote the script. However, she hasn't spoken to Jack since they were teenagers. Dan, the cinematographer, always seems to be in the way of Jane's career. While he believes in this script that Jane is trying to get made, he also sides with their boss when he says it isn't "commercial" enough.

Jane, against her better judgement, teams up with Dan in order to convince Jack to make the song. They travel to Dan's family home on Long Island, where Jack is doing a concert nearby. With no hotels available on such short notice, Jane reluctantly agrees to stay in Dan's family home. Dan's family is loud and chaotic, whereas Jane is used to her small family of only her mother and herself. Before the end of the week, Jane has to figure out how to convince Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie, and she also has to figure out just who she is and what she wants from her life.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! It's A Love Story is out in bookstores on May 27, 2025!

4.5/5 - It’s really hard for a romance to be 5 stars for me, but I think this could have gotten there if it was longer and I had more time getting to know the characters. Nevertheless, Janey and Dan made my heart melt.

The premise was unique and compelling and I loved how all the details and backgrounds tied together! I find that a lot of contemporary romance novels (to me) have a hard time writing dialogue that reads naturally and captures current vernacular and cultural references, and I think Annabel Monoghan does a great job at that. Lastly, brownie points in my personal book for the adorable big Irish family.

I definitely had high expectations after Nora Goes Off Script, but this exceeded them!

What a delightful story about Jane and Dan who go from hating each other to finding their true selves in each other. The premise is that Jane and Dan are trying to convince their boss about making a movie but the only way he’ll invest is to convince Quinlan to write a song for the movie. Quinlan was a current pop star and Jane knew him from way back. Quinlan’s latest tour date just so happens to be in Dan’s hometown on Long Island. So off go this mismatched duo to Dan’s family home for a long weekend. Family fun ensues and both Dan and Jane learn a lot about themselves and each other. Jane does catch up with Quinlan but does he provide the song? Do Dan and Jane make a pair or are they too different. Just a delightful tale of our imperfections and to be lovable in spite of it . Thanks to Annabel and NetGalley for allowing me to read and recommend this book!

I loved this book! I think Annabel Monaghan always hits a home run though!

I truly thought Jack was the love interest here. I am so glad to say he isn’t! lol the story between Jane and Dan was a beautiful one. I loved the way they kind of slowly fell for each other in nice They arrived with his family. I loved the way Jane grew in her character to tolerate and even admit she liked Dan when she first met him. This story was a bit enemies to lovers and a little miscommunication trope. But well done. I could have done without the third act breakup lolBut either way I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it did not take me long at all to make my way through the book.

I absolutely love this story. The author created such a strong connection between the reader and the main characters. I loved their romance story but also the growth the characters went through. I loved their romance female friendships and the mother daughter relationship. It was a beautiful story that I can’t wait to reread.

Thank you for letting me read this early release! I adored it, but it did take a few chapters for me to understand what was going on and who the characters are/were. I adore the quick read and passionate characters. I always adore a love story by this author, and look forward to more from her!