It's a Love Story

Dan Finnegan is a primary character and the novel’s male romantic lead. Dan is 32 years old and lives full-time in LA, where he works as a cinematographer. He also dabbles in photography and painting, pastimes that convey his innately artistic sensibility. When Jane and Dan first meet, Jane is not only drawn to Dan’s attractive appearance but also to his devotion to his artistic vision. He risks getting hit by a car simply to capture an inspiring image of a hawk with his camera. Further, he is open, charming, real, and witty. The way Jane muses on his character during their initial meeting establishes her initial interest in him:

He’s a few inches over six feet, with that uncombed hair and those rectangular eyes. His face is sharp lines—high cheekbones and a square jaw. He’s striking, but take all of that away and you’d still notice him for the way his eyes were trained on a spot behind me. There was a certainty and purpose in the way he carried his body (67).

Dan has a commanding presence that gets Jane’s attention. At the same time, it’s Dan’s attention and focus that suggest his pure heart and capacity for empathy. Jane’s description of Dan’s physicality and demeanor implies that he is strong and stable, traits that ultimately will make Jane feel safe with Dan.

At the same time, Jane finds her and Dan’s professional disagreements repellent. Shortly after the two meet, she discovers that he is unwilling to sacrifice his ideals for the sake of making money or pleasing the studios he’s working with. His devotion to his vision comes into direct conflict with Jane’s willingness to do anything to establish her reputation and get the industry’s approval and validation. This dynamic creates tension between Dan and Jane, sparking their enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

Dan proves himself to be a loving, honest, open, and caring character. The more time that Jane spends with him and his family at their home in Oak Shore, Long Island, the more apparent Dan’s positive qualities become. He is one of five sons, a twin, and the proverbial black sheep. His brothers Aiden, Connor, Brian, and Finn love Dan, but Dan has a different way of carrying himself than they do. Because he’s protective of his distinct traits, he’s chosen to live on the other side of the country from his family. At the same time, Dan throws himself into family life when he’s home. He loves and respects his parents and even desires a relationship like theirs. He also invests in his nieces and nephews, his brothers, and their spouses. Observing these aspects of Dan’s character and family dynamics helps Jane understand him better.

Dan offers Jane love, validation, and security. He doesn’t simply love Jane because she’s beautiful and funny, but because he sees her soul. Their relationship ultimately functions well because the two are willing to share their vulnerability and shepherd each other through hard and happy times.

Clem is a secondary character, and she is Jane’s best and only friend. When Jane introduces her character, she asserts that Clem “was my first friend at UCLA, and maybe my first real friend anywhere” (28). Ever since the college days they shared together, the two have remained close. They even live together as roommates in the narrative present. Jane sees Clem as “a secret place [she can] go to tap into [her] inner underdog and feel like it [is] all going to be okay” (28). A classic best friend character, Clem offers Jane support. She validates Jane’s true self while also challenging her toward change. Because Clem knows Jane better than anyone—even Jane’s mother—Jane trusts her. Further, Clem’s responses to Jane’s stories, worries, and experiences provide a more distanced and less subjective perspective on Jane’s evolving identity.

Clem’s character also helps Jane to remember The Transformative Power of Friendship and Family. She doesn’t let Jane down, and her reliability and support are illustrated by her consistent responses to Jane’s text messages and phone calls. She encourages Jane, offers advice, and reminds Jane of who she is. Through Clem, Jane finds safety, peace, and courage. Clem is a static character, but her lack of change over the course of the novel is a sign of her consistency rather than her immobility. Jane can count on Clem to be strong, responsive, and honest, and her stasis facilitates Jane’s growth and offers her safety.

Jack Quinlan is a minor character. He is Jane’s former co-star on Pop Rocks. In the narrative present, he is a pop icon. He has risen to such popularity in the music industry that every time Jane “turn[s] on the radio,” she hears “Jack Quinlan playing” another hit song (6). Jane respects Jack’s career, but she’s also envious of him—unlike herself, Jack has an established reputation. His work from the past has ushered him on a pathway toward obvious vocational and artistic success. When Jane hears his music, she can’t help feeling disappointed and resentful, and with his example, Monaghan shows exactly what Jane considers success at the beginning of the novel.

Jack is also the antagonist of the novel. Although he doesn’t have stereotypically villainous traits, he does bully, degrade, disparage, and demean Jane. When they were young, Jack acted as if he was interested in Jane, but as soon as Jane admitted she had feelings for him, Jack insulted her. Ever since, Jane has believed that Jack’s assessment of her character is accurate and that she is inconsequential, unlikable, and antisocial. His outsized role in her adult life highlights the powerful effect of her childhood trauma.

In the present, Jane’s traumatic history with Jack complicates her ability to confront her past and overcome her insecurity. In order to realize her dream of producing True Story, she has to work with Jack. However, she fears asking Jack for help because the wounds he caused her years prior still haven’t healed. These dynamics create narrative tension and intensify Jane’s work to heal.

Jack’s character is static. When Jane sees him again, Jack is just as cruel as Jane remembers. His lack of change proves that he is an insensitive person at heart. Jane has to discard his insults to claim her true identity, and in doing so, she transcends Jack’s emotional power over her.