♡ Thank you for the free audiobook, PRH Audio. Thank you for the free book, author Annabel Monaghan and BookSparks.
Synopsis
Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.
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?
Thoughts
I have enjoyed many of Monaghan’s previous romance books, so I was thrilled to read this perfectly-timed summer story. Jane and Dan’s slow-burn romance unfolded through sharp banter, shared vulnerabilities, and moments of genuine connection. The low spice romance felt especially refreshing. Pick this up if you enjoy old crushes, workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, or just need a quick summertime read.
★★★★☆
☊ Listening to this story via audiobook was lovely. Narrator Hillary Huber did a great job.