It's a Love Story

Once again, Annabel Monaghan knocks it out of the park. This book is everything you want a romance book to be and more. One of the things I love about her books is that her main characters are in their mid to late 30s, which just makes them seem more reliable and relatable. This book is a quick and fun read, and everyone will be able to relate to either Jane or Dane and the feelings of not being good enough, or not knowing where your life is headed - even at an age when you feel like you should. This story is full of heart and fun, with the supporting characters providing a wealth of comedic relief. And despite the closed-door nature, the sexual and romantic tension between Jane and Dan is exceptional.

I've loved a couple of Monaghan's books but this one didn't really do the same things for me, because I found Jane both exhausting and exasperating. She has no idea who she is as a person (or even who she wants to be) and is covering it a terrible mix of pretending to be what she thinks people want her to be and never really being honest with herself or letting anyone in. But I know that I have a low tolerance for this, so it may well work brilliantly for other people. In the afterword, Monaghan says that she was inspired to write this after reading Jeannette McCurdy's memoir and once I knew that, it made a lot more sense to me and would have been handy to know before I read it in terms of knowing what you're letting yourself in for. And so I leave this note here in my review in case it helps other people with their decision!

I received this from NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons. I enjoyed the overall character dynamic between Jane and Dan. I really loved them going to his hometown and being with his family. That dynamic reminded me of my own big family! The romance was a slow burn but I enjoyed this one. There was the right balance of friendship developing into something more. I have enjoyed all of Annabel’s books I have read! Looking forward to her next one!

I really loved Nora Goes Off Script, however, this book lacks the witty banner and character development. Sadly, I had high hopes for this book.

Annabel always crushes it with her summer romances. They give off the perfect summer vibes and I always love what she writes, and this was no exception! Another great one from her!