Annabel Monaghan (Nora Goes Off Script; Summer Romance) mixes Hollywood glamour with beachy, extended-family hilarity in It's a Love Story. Former child star Jane Jackson, who spent her tween years as Janey Jakes, the klutzy, butt-of-the-joke star of a sitcom, is now trying to be taken seriously as a studio executive. Desperate to get a movie script greenlit, Jane tells her boss she can get megastar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the project.
Jane's co-workers don't know that although Jack and Jane have an old connection, they haven't talked in years, following an extremely awkward moment. However, Jane's work nemesis, cinematographer Dan Finnegan, hails from the small Long Island beach town where Jack is playing a festival, which might be Jane's opportunity to get in touch with Jack again. So Jane hops on a plane and ends up staying in Dan's childhood home because all the hotels are booked.
Funny, charming, and with just the right amount of introspection, It's a Love Story is a pitch-perfect beach read. Jane finally starts to come to terms with her childhood fame and realizes that Dan is actually pretty great, and his huge Irish family is delightful. Monaghan nails the big family vibes, and readers will root for Jane to become part of the Finnegan clan. Perfect for fans of Carley Fortune or Abby Jimenez, It's a Love Story is summer reading at its best. --Jessica Howard, former bookseller, freelance book reviewer