I was so excited to see the approval come through for this ARC! This was my first Annabel Monaghan novel and it did not disappoint. I went in with some pretty high expectations just because of the amount of praise I see this author get from those I trust for book recs. It was no surprise that I loved this.

Jane struck me as a bit of a crazy person at first - she had panic attacks and trust issues and overthought everything. But she was driven, and between that and her child actor back story, I found her enduring. Dan was just a stud from the get go. He was a little rude, sure, but he warmed up oh so nicely. I loved the chemistry between Dan and Jane - it was annoying and chaotic, and sweet and dramatic. Jane’s mom was fine, though she felt a little like a justification filler for Jane’s primary trust issue - wish there was a little more time showing how they got to and maintained that closeness status despite her mom telling her something that affected her for years and years. Clem though? She a ride or die. I loved how she was willing to drop everything to be there for Jane.

I loved the beachy vibes. I really need to do a re-read in the spring/summer. All the craziness with Dan’s family had me daydreaming about being a part of that family. There were a couple part where I was questioning some morality with the brothers and the ex, but they were charming enough, and Jane was aware enough, to not take it seriously. I read through this super quick and enjoyed every minute!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this eARC!
Publication Date: 05/27/2025

I love Annabel Monaghan's books and this is no exception. This book was funny, cute, and everything you would want in a rom-com. There was a bit of a miscommunication plot that was not my favorite aspect of the book. The MMC was also a bit too grumpy and unlikable at times imo. Other than that though I had a really good time reading this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you Net Galley, Annabel Monaghan, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC copy of It's a Love Story.

Oh, how I enjoyed this book! It is so sweet and emotional as a woman tries to get her movie green-lighted by adding a song from a hot pop star from her past. If you enjoyed The Notebook, you will love this book as the two main characters make multiple references to this movie and Noah and Allie's beautiful love story. Both of the main characters are so lovable. The other characters in this book bring so much life to the story, especially 'The Mob.' I love Jane's character so much, especially how she learns the meaning of true love from a partner and love from a family. SUCH A GOOD BOOK!

This book was a slow start for me, and before I knew it I was wrapped up in the story and truly in love with the characters. I really enjoyed watching the characters fall in love, essentially over breakfast, as noted in the book. The Finnegan family reminded me of my own in-laws and I love ANY book set in my favorite place: Long Island.

And Jane's friendship with Clem is so beautiful. Truly a friendship that any woman would be lucky to have. If Annabel gave us a story about Clem and how she is picking up and moving on after her divorce, I would read it in a heartbeat.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book! I adore Annabel Monaghan's books!

I truly don’t think Annabel Monaghan could write anything i would not like. Up there with Emily Henry for me in the way she writes about love and life and family and friendship in the most relatable, raw way. Very fortunate to have gotten the arc, hope my friends are ready to hear me rave about it constantly until it releases

This is a must read!!! This book pulls you in from the start.
Jane Jackson, a former child star, is trying to find her way as a creative director at Clearwater Studios. She promises to get pop star sensation, Jack Quinlan, to write an original score for the project. However, Jane hasn’t spoken to him in years. She travels with her nemesis, cinematographer Dan Finnegan, to stay with his family in Long Island, NY, because Jack will be preforming at a nearby festival.
I enjoyed the development of Jane and Dan’ relationship. They are very relatable characters as is Dan’ family. In addition, I liked Jane’s character arc and her growth throughout out the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ GP Putnam’s Sons for the advance copy.

Read this all in one sitting... pulled me in from start to finish. I was completely compelled by every character, the writing, the story and the setting. I wanted to be friends with thr Finnegan family and wrap Jane in a big hug! Well done and perfect amount of butterflies and tension.

This was not my favorite Annabel Monaghan book but I enjoyed it. The main characters had great chemistry and I liked all the secondary characters, but the backstory of them being coworkers trying to get a movie made just didn’t feel like it fit with everything else for me.

As always, Monaghan’s writing remains truly wonderful to read. She has such a pleasant voice that comes through nicely without being preachy. I love her character choices. This is gonna be 4 stars only because I never really relate to a “non-believer-of-love” heroine (Maybe because I read so much romance?). I loved Dan and his introverted frankness. I feel like we were cut from the same cloth.

i felt like i could smell the salty air and sunscreen while i read this book. i was transported to summer even though i read it in the freezing temps of winter. an absolutely lovely story that showed what real love can sometimes feel like: slow and steady, but an eventual explosion. i fell in love with the characters, but also fell more in love with love from this book.

I received this as an ARC.

Ahhh! I loved this one such a nice and easy read I was able to finish it in one day. A predictable read for me but also was such a nice palette cleanser.

I think this one will probably end up on a lot of shelves for summer 2025.

I went into Annabel Monaghan’s newest read, It’s a Love Story, expecting a quick, light-hearted romance. About halfway through the book, I realized it wasn’t as light-hearted as it was heart-warming when I became attached to several of the characters framing our main storyline.

Initially I had a difficult time relating to Jane - she came off super judgmental from the jump, especially toward our MMC, Dan, for seemingly no reason. As we get to know Jane more throughout the book, she starts making more and more sense. I’m still not sure I fully understand why she was as harsh as she was at the beginning, but I was glad to see her development by the end of the story.

While I enjoyed Jane & Dan’s relationship, it did feel a little insta-lovey. Ironically, Jane mentions later in the book how their love ISN’T insta-love, but that’s exactly how it came across as a reader. She “hates” him, it’s not reciprocated by Dan, then suddenly she’s super attracted to him and in love. I think her change of heart needed a little more explanation for it to fully make this a believable love story. Dan just seemed like a quiet, nice guy who would’ve liked Jane from the start. His family and the time spent on Long Island is what made me grow to love Dan & ultimately their relationship - by the end of the book, he felt like a very tangible character.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It feels like the perfect beach read for summertime and an enjoyable read for most that like love stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam books for allowing me to be an ARC reviewer!

From a writing perspective alone, Annabel Monaghan is one of my favorite authors. She gives the reader the exact amount of story and emotion to make us fall in love and feel HARD for these characters. I really enjoyed It's a Love Story and the unraveling (or ravel-ing?) of Jane and Dan's story. I was swept up in their love story that I had a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced reader copy.

If I could absorb myself into this story and make it reality, I would.

Annabel has such a beautiful writing style - I was sucked into the story & emotions in a way that had me hoping it wouldn't end.

Loved!

4/5 stars!! I received this ARC a few days ago and was sooo excited to dive in! The first 40% I really wasn’t sure if I really was going to enjoy this book, as there wasn’t as much happening. However, the longer I read about Jane and Dan, the more I was rooting for them! I absolutely loved their dynamic, and I loved how this “meet cute” wasn’t automatically deemed love at first site. I finished this in a day as it was a fun enjoyable read that I just had to finish up and find out how their love story ended. This book had me feeling all the feels by the end. Jane’s character drove me a bit crazy at times, but I did love Dan so much. You could just feel how Dan was feeling throughout the entire book and it melted my heart. This is going to be a great summer read! Thank you Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a feel good love story. It involves how love can make you feel when the other person doesn't feel the same way as you. This book brought me all the feels!!! Definitely worth a read!

Adorable - this story will make you smile and is perfect for a day at the beach or pool!

It's a Love Story is about a former child TV star, Jane, trying to find her way as a film producer while finding love with the man she least expects, her coworker Dan. His family will make you giggle as they have to stay with them for a week to try and get help from a former co-star of Jane to get a script both Jane and Dan love produced. The confidence that Jane develops through the book and watching her love develop with Dan is prime Annabel Monaghan and I'll continue to insta buy all of her novels. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Wow, I cannot express how much I loved this book. This is my first read from Annabel and I’m RUNNING to add the rest to my TBR. The characters are so realistically and lovably written and I found myself relating to this book in so many ways.

I picked this up expecting to have a cute, fun read and ended up going through a bunch of emotions. I felt some feelings, but Jane is now maybe one of my favorite romance FMCs.

Cannot recommend this enough, loved loved loved this book and kind of wish I could read it again already.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advanced reader copy. Spoilers below.

I was captivated by this story, I read it in the bleak of January while sick in bed one afternoon and it brought the warmth and buzz of summer love.

I saw so much of myself in Jane, although I didn’t go through anything she went through (fame, parent death, a parent leaving). However, I definitely felt that I too sometimes didn’t want to be “just” the funny girl or felt that I often times talked too much and it turned people off. I’m glad as a young 30 year old, I too did the self work eventually to push through that.

Dan. Dan. Dan. I LOVED this character, it was a fresh take on the artsy quiet man- he wasn’t just automatically brooding or grumpy and that was somehow EVERYTHING. He said just the cutest tenderest things and just slowly showed Jane who he was, never apologizing for it and we all fell too Janey!

4.9999999 stars, my only complaint was a minor detail in the epilogue that didn’t feel believable but had nothing to do with the HEA

4.5/5 stars
There's a reason why I have read every single one of Annabel Monaghan's books, and that's because I just love how she writes her female leads as these relatable, incredibly funny, imperfectly perfect women I wish I knew in real life. Surprise, surprise - this one was no exception.

When we first meet Jane, she's living the gotta-fake-it-til-I-make-it mantra and boy, she did! As a previous child actor turned creative executive for a movie production company, she's on the cusp of having one of her favorite scripts greenlit to the big screen. The only thing she has to do is find a world-famous musician (and a blast from her past) and convince him to write an original song for the movie worthy enough for her bosses to agree to pilot the script. Simple enough. The real kicker? She has to do it with Dan Finnegan, the annoying artistic cinematographer, who doesn't always see eye to eye on her ideas.

Monaghan writes this book like a movie director - slowing panning you out of the shot to give us more and more character details along the way. I loved how we got to know more about Jane's past through well-intentioned flashbacks in her memories rather than a big ole information dump in the beginning. And ole misunderstood Mr. Finnegan. He was the ying to Jane's yang, but in the best of ways.

Many thanks to Penguin Random House, NetGalley, and Annabel Monaghan for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.