It’s A Love Story is a love story about the making of a love story–a fun Hollywood romance that takes place mostly outside of Hollywood and explores the consequences of childhood fame. A bit kooky but ultimately really fun! Check out my It’s A Love Story review below!
My It’s A Love Story review
Annabel Monaghan is one of my favorite romance writers–It’s A Love Story is her fourth book and, for me, she’s four for four. Annabel has wonderful talent to write middle age heroines who feel really real. They’re not sad sacks or frazzled moms–they always just feel like honest, grounded women who allow romance into their lives in unexpected ways. And although the heroine in It’s A Love Story is younger than her previous characters, she still feels complicated, well rounded, and grounded. Such a breath of fresh air in a romantic comedy.
That main character here is Jane–Poor Janey Jakes to her fans as she was the comic relief on a campy kids show as a pre-teen. Now in her 30s, Jane is trying to shake off that image by building her career as a movie studio executive. She’s finally found a script she knows will be a huge hit–one her boss is ready to green light until cinematographer Dan Finnegan undercuts the script (even though he loves it too) in a meeting. Desperate to get the script back on track, Jane promises she can deliver a song for the movie from huge popstar Jack Quinlan, a co-star of hers from her adolescence. Problem is, Jane is not in contact with Jack and has no way of connecting with him. When Dan tells her that his brother is working one of Jack’s shows in his upstate New York hometown, Jane decides to go back with Dan to his family’s home where everyone is gathered to celebrate his parent’s anniversary. Connecting with Jack is make or break for Jane’s career, and hopefully, with Dan’s help, she’ll be on the road to a big romantic hit on screen and off.
So this premise is kind of far-flung (why does Jane need to stay with Dan’s family for a whole week in order to approach him at one concert?) but it’s the kind of kooky that’s just fun and easy to enjoy. I like the idea of exploring the consequences of fame on child performers now that they are adults in a somewhat light way (the author references the Jeannette McCurdy book I’m Glad My Mom Died as inspiration. Laura Hankin also wrote a beautiful book in this world called The Daydreams). Part of Jane’s journey is going from allowing herself to be the butt of the joke to taking herself seriously, and that is a complicated journey. Her backstory is rich and fun and empathetic.
I could appreciate Dan as well, though he definitely didn’t feel like my favorite MMC in recent history. Dan’s an artist and the kind of person who speaks first, thinks later. He is sweet to Jane once he starts warming up to her, but I felt immediately off put by his attitude in those initial green light meetings that it was hard to come back from. He was the reason Jane was in this mess to begin with, which I felt like both characters promptly forgot. The fact that Dan’s brothers and parents are so caring go a long way to redeeming him for me, as they do for Jane.
(On a side note, I wasn’t sure why Annabel had written Dan as a cinematographer and not a director? It seemed like a very strange thing for a studio to bring on a cinematographer to a project before bringing on the director. It actually made very little sense, and he basically functions as a director, so I’m not sure. This may be one of those things that bothered me as someone who works in Hollywood and maybe wouldn’t trip up anyone else).
The romance here is a nice slow burn, and there’s believable growth for both characters. The third act conflict is the only thing that I felt was overly manufactured. It wasn’t a misunderstanding (the absolute worst) but it was the kind where I felt like Jane’s actions all of a sudden felt really big and out of character for her. Still, I was already sold on Jane and Dan throughout, so it didn’t overly affect my enjoyment of the story.
It’s A Love Story was another winner for me for Annabel Monaghan (my favorite is Nora Goes Off Script so it was fun to see her come back to a Hollywood story here). This was such a fun read and I think romance lovers will enjoy this one a lot. The title thinks so too!
My Rating for It’s A Love Story
4.5 out of 5 stars
Romance Recipe Pairing
I’m working on a recipe that will be a perfect pairing for this! Check back for the link.
Synopsis for It’s A Love Story
Synopsis (from Amazon):
Love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth.
Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive by embracing 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 claimed that she could get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. 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, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan as she faces down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but he just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?
Buy your copy of It’s A Love Story for Kindle here.
