It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
This is only the second book of Monaghan’s that I’ve read and it made me excited to read more! I first read “Nora Goes Off Script” and felt it was a bit meh especially with the relationship development. So I was a bit nervous for this one but luckily it was much better and one I’d recommend.
The beginning is a little slow with the buildup of meeting our main characters, Jane and Dan. I was a bit confused by some of Jane’s mannerisms until I realized it was her anxiety coming into play. This made a lot more sense and added a wonderful depth to the storyline. Jane and Dan are both feeling trapped in past identities and find it difficult to be comfortable just as they are. It was wonderful seeing them both accept things about themselves and pushing past other’s expectations of them. There were several sweet and entertaining scenes and the banter was funny while still being realistic.
I was a bit disappointed near the end with the final conflict. It felt a bit forced, overdramatic and only lasted a few pages, so I felt like it could have been handled in a different way without the cliche third act break-up situation. There had been so much growth and emotional intimacy between the characters, so sliding so far backwards was really just for dramatic effect.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.
Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.
Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?