don't give up on your love story

Jane Jackson has found the script she wants to produce. The first one she’d chosen hadn’t gotten the backing she thought it should, all because of Dan Finnegan. In a meeting about it, he shot it down, saying it had no soul. And because he was the cinematographer the director wanted to work with, the script—and Jane’s dreams—were shot down on the spot.

Jane had been working hard to change her image in the film industry. As an awkward teenager, she was part of the cast of Pop Rocks, a show about a group of teenagers who formed a rock band and hit it big. Onscreen, she was the nerdy friend who got all the laughs. Offscreen, she was the voice of the band, singing their biggest hit with Jack Quinlan for others on the show to lip sync. No one knew about that except for the people involved in the show. And no one knew what happened between her and Jack except for those closest to them. But Jane had walked away humiliated and ashamed and forever changed from that day on.

In the years since Pop Rock, Jane had become a producer, looking to make her first feature film. And Jack had become a huge breakout musical star. Jane thought she had found her script in True Story. And when she doesn’t get the green light yet, she digs deep and uses Jack’s name to try to make it happen. She suggests that Jack could write a song for the movie, which would get enough attention to make any film a box office hit. Dan Finnegan is in on this script, and he’s happy when Jane offers up a Jack Quinlan song. Until she admits to him that she doesn’t really have the song yet and is trying to find a way to get ahold of him.

But Dan knows people too. His brother is an electrician helping at a music festival where Jack is scheduled to make an appearance. All they have to do is go to Long Island for a week and try to catch Jack somewhere around town to talk him into doing the song. And since everything on Long Island is booked this time of year, they’ll have to stay with Dan’s parents. Jane isn’t sure about that, but it’s their best chance of getting a few minutes to convince Jack to do the song, which may be the only way she can make her movie.

What Jane isn’t ready for, though, is Dan’s large family and their easy love for each other. Jane had lost her father when she was young, and it had been just her and her mother ever since. She’s not used to the large Irish family eating, laughing, and teasing each other every day. And she also wasn’t expecting to have to share a room with Jack. But it turns out that a week of bike rides, pancake breakfasts, beach time, painting, and arts and crafts are exactly what Jane needs to drop her Hollywood mask and just be herself. And as that mask slips away, she finds herself uncovering feelings for Dan, despite his early sabotage of her career.

But there are secrets in Jane’s past that she hasn’t told Dan about, and they could blow up her idea for a song from Jack, meaning there would be no movie. And when she’s faced with the choice of her career or her heart, just how far will she go to find her Hollywood ending?

It’s a Love Story is the latest romance from bestselling author Annabel Monaghan. She wanted to explore the life of a child star, the experiences that shape them and how they (sometimes) find their way out of the shadow of their early success. It’s beautifully written, with strong characters and funny scenes, with a genuine love story that shows how love is about the small moments of life. It is heart-warming and sweet and perfect for summer reading.

For me, Annabel Monaghan is one of those authors I think about during stressful weeks. When I’m feeling down, I know that I can grab any of her novels and I will find myself in a world where people are kind (not all the people, but the important ones) and feelings are respected and there is an overall warmth to the world. Her books are like the softest blanket and a warm drink (or a cold drink, if it’s hot out), and It’s a Love Story was no exception to this. I loved Jane’s backstory, being a child star, and the way she met Dan. I loved how she finally found the strength to face her past and move on. And I loved all the Finnegans. This is the kind of book that can heal my soul, and it was the perfect read after a difficult week at work.

Egalleys for It’s a Love Story were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.