In this episode of Elena Meets the Author, I sit down with the brilliant and beloved romance novelist Annabel Monaghan to talk about her upcoming book, It’s a Love Story, which hits shelves on May 27th. We dive into her creative process and the inspiration behind her central characters—Jane Jackson, a former child TV star trying to find her footing in Hollywood, and Dan Finnegan, her arrogant (but undeniably charming) nemesis turned potential love interest.

Annabel reads a powerful excerpt from the book and opens up about the deeper themes of self-realization and challenging the beliefs we grow up with. We also chat about what makes romantic comedy both joyful and difficult to write, how she crafts characters that are flawed but lovable, explains how to write a sex scene, and tells us why date dresses and straightened hair aren’t necessarily the way to seduce your soulmate.

She even gives us a sneak peek at what she’s working on next—and shares some of her recent favourite reads. If you love thoughtful conversations about books, creativity, and the messy beauty of love stories, you’re going to enjoy this one.

00:14 Introducing Annabel Monaghan

02:38 Reading from 'It's a Love Story'

06:50 Inspiration Behind the Book

08:28 Writing Process and Challenges

15:17 Setting and Future Projects

20:08 Pitching the Book Idea

20:22 Jane's Date Dresses and Long Island Trip

21:51 Uncomfortable Crisis in the Story

22:40 Creating the Character of Dan

23:49 Writing Convincing Love Scenes

26:37 Mother-Daughter Relationship Dynamics

28:37 Potential Film Adaptations

31:36 New Book Project

33:35 Reading Recommendations and Writing Routine

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