I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I liked the book. Kate Watson did a nice job of pulling the reader in. The plot line was enjoyable and a good escapist read which is nice in pandemic era times. Hollywood is always of interest and the arcs in the story do a good job of engaging the reader.

This book has a great cover. The Book was also good. The story was interesting and it was an easy read.

Watson is impeccable at taking classics and make them contemporary. This is one of a few I've loved to read from her. The characters are wonderfully flawed and great to see progress through their stories.

In the third instalment of the Seeking Mansfield series, Watson gave us her own amazing take on Emma by Jane Austen.
Off Script was the first book I read in the Seeking Mansfield series.
It was an enjoyable, well-written book & I will definitely be picking up the other books in this series

This book felt way to dragged for me. I wasn’t not drawn into the story or characters and it didn’t help that i didn’t like the writing style. So in the end, i didn’t finish it. I tried but i kept putting it down. I was really hoping to like it🤧

Jane Austin's Emma retelling that sets in movie industry, a book that is both promising and interesting. This coming-of-age book is one of the books I feel like many people would enjoy. Even though Off Script is light to read and reminiscing youth's dream and hope, introduces me to the darker side of movie industry; the exploitation and abuse directed to women and minors. Kate Watson brought this issue in a manner where she neither romanticizing it nor sugarcoating everything, and I appreciate it.

Overall, a good book, although I feel like Kate Watson could still work on her characterization. The dialogue feels off to me, but other than, it's worth to read!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I usually always love Jane Austen modern adaptations and this one did not disappoint!

This book completely took me by surprise in how much I enjoyed it.
I love books that deal with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and life in the public eye and also the more nitty-gritty aspects too and this book delivered on both front.
My favourite aspect of this book is definitely Emma. It took me a long while to decide if I actually liked her which is great because it made her feel so real. She was flawed and I loved seeing her grow as a character and make amends and learn.
I also really enjoyed the romance. There were a few time when I was thinking "will they, won't they?" but in the end I was very happy with the endgame.
Overall I really enjoyed this book way more then I thought I would. I heard this is part of a companion series ??? I'm definitely interested in reading more.

Wonderful book!
Really liked reading this fresh and outstanding book. It was a real pleasure to read it.
Thanks for the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance

How prescient that this book was published shortly before the 2020 film version was released! I have to say that I prefer the film's version of our titular heroine, but this was a whip-smart take on the classic story that would make Cher Horowitz jealous. A greatly enjoyable read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'Off Script' is part of a book series, something that I found out later. I did not feel the need to know what happened in the previous books while I was reading this novel, however, I think some things would have made more sense if I did. This book is set in the glamourous life of attractive, well-off actors and actresses. However, there is more to it than romance between pretty people. 'Off Script' deals with the dark side of the entertainment industry.

Emma, the main character, is a young actress who has been raised in the industry. While in the first part of the book she might seem spoiled or bratty, it soon gets better. Emma's character grows and develops throughout the book and it soon becomes a much different person. Also, her relationships with other characters -boyfriend, brother, etc.- add some depth to the story and make it more compelling. I especially liked how the characters seem to have two sides, kind of what we would expect from real celebrities. On the one hand, they seem to be superficial and aloof, but little by little we get to know their real personalities.

As I said, this book also deals with sexual assault and abuse of minors. Emma is reluctant to speak about it at first, but then she realises how important it is for her to use her influence and position to help make it better for others. I was happy to see that bit of #MeToo in the book. However, it doesn't appear until the second half of the book, which made it a bit frustrating. Why wait so much to introduce one of the main topics?

The pace of the book is nice, which means that it can be easily read. It's a nice read even if we can assume the characters will get a happy ending pretty soon.

The first part of the book was hard to get through. The writing style (lots and lots of dialogue and not a lot of action) combined with a bratty selfish main character made it a little difficult. But it gets better! Emma goes through a real development throughout the book and especially in the end.

LOVED! Emma is one of my all-time favorites so I was so excited to see this fresh and modern retelling. The twist of the main character being a Hollywood starlet was so fun and equated well to the high society setting of the original. I would recommend this for all fans of the classic!

I... could not finish this. I got 75% of the way through the book, and could not motivate myself to finish.

I'll say that I came into this book without knowing anything about the series, and only gravitated towards the title because Emma is my favourite Austen novel. So take my review with the grain of salt that I'm not invested in these characters.

I did enjoy things in this book, I enjoyed Emma and Liam's dynamic, even though I wouldn't call it Emma and Knightley's dynamic. It can't really be that dynamic for me if there isn't the mutual affection and security that comes from having known each other forever. It was different, but enjoyable. I liked the updated Jane and Emma relationship/dynamic with Vic and Emma, I thought that this book adapted that element better than most adaptations I've seen. For about the 50-75% mark, it was what was motivating me to finish. Nothing about the adaptation felt like anything more than painting these existing characters into the plot points of the book, and nothing was innovative or inspiring enough to make me want to get to the ending.

I just. Wasn't enjoying it. This wasn't what I signed up for. I'm a little wary of 'feminist updates' of Austen, because she's already pretty feminist. To be fair to the novel, its technically true, but I don't particularly love feminist updating that adds a whole heck of a lot of abuse, sexism and sexual misconduct into a story that never had it in the first place. I don't think the discussion of sexual assault was handled with the proper level of nuance, nor were any discussions of parental abuse, which I would have liked to know was in the story before getting into it.

This book might be for some people, but it's definitely not for me.

Off Script by Kate Watson

Although I enjoyed this retelling with a more modern twist of Jane Austin's Emma I was left with mixed emotions towards the end.

There are parts that had me clinging more towards really liking where this story takes its characters but in the end I was left with the feeling that there should be a little more back story to it's characters.

Thank you #netgalley #flux for this copy in exchange for my honest review

I found this modern retelling of Emma by Jane Austen to be a fun exploration of what we can do to make the classics seem more relevant to the younger sector. Though it was initially hard to get into, I found that the characters and dialogue eventually led me to keep reading. I haven't read Emma (yet) so I can really only reference the other Emma retelling that I know very well - Clueless - when thinking about the plot and why it seemed to drag so much throughout the book. I did think that the topic of #MeToo movement in Hollywood was handled well, but like I've seen a few other reviewers mention, the topic of eating disorders was not given as much care and thought and felt at some times like it was making a joke about it.

That being said, overall I think that this is an enjoyable book with fun characters and well written dialogue. Despite it being the third book in a series, I had no problem falling in step with the characters and their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance in order to give my honest feedback.

Title: Off Script
Author: Kate Watson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Emma Crawford is a teen starlet home for the summer. She’s preparing for the role of a lifetime, playing matchmaker to her friends, and trying to keep her brother—also a star—out of trouble. Emma’s new assistant, Brittany, is her current project. She’s determined to groom Brittany for a future as a star—that’s what Brittany wants, right?

Liam is the only one brave enough to call Emma out. He’s a soccer star and brother to Emma’s former best friend, and Emma isn’t used to people who dare to criticize her. But as Emma finds out things in Hollywood that have always been hidden, she’ll need Liam’s honesty to help her make sense of this new world.

Off Script is an easy, fun read. It’s a re-telling of Emma, by Jane Austen, but it’s been so long since I’ve read it that the comparison is lost on me. The book is about Hollywood stars, so there’s a large amount of self-centeredness and self-absorption, but Emma is likable enough to counteract her ego (usually). Liam is sweet and funny, but none of the characters really grabbed me.

Kate Watson was born in Canada and now lives in Arizona. Off Script is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of North Star Editions/Flux in exchange for an honest review.)

I was completely charmed by Kate Watson’s debut. From her updated take on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park to Finley Price’s backstory, I loved every minute of Seeking Mansfield. The first companion novel, Shoot the Moon, was a bit of a let down after the high expectations that the first book set.

When I saw that Off Script was returning to the formula of the first, I hoped the magic would return.
On the one hand, Watson returns to Jane Austen for inspiration and her focus on some of the secondary characters in the first book is a draw. On the other hand, it can be tough to meet the high expectations after a book that isn’t as well-received.

Yet, in Off Script, Watson manages to take a character who, on the surface appears fake, superficial, and self-centered, and makes readers change their minds about her before the finish of the book. Hang out with Emma long enough, and it becomes obvious much of her behavior is a reaction to her pain and disappointments (many of which come from the people she should be able to depend on the most).

It takes a while to get there, but the growing pains Emma experiences are worth the journey. Add in Liam, who doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind and offer correction where Emma’s behavior is less than stellar and all of the correlations you can make between this book and Austen’s Emma, and Watson has managed to create another story I thoroughly enjoyed.

Content warning: There are several instances of cursing throughout the book

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I really like Kate Watson's writing and adaptations, in Off Script she brings the adaptation of the amusing Emma with her cupid and control syndrome.

Emma remains very attached to her brother Harlan and will need to adjust the mood between him and their friend, Liam, as they will need to work together. Harlan betrayed Liam's sister and even though he apologized, it still feels uncomfortable when he's around Liam.

Between recordings, parties, interviews and a busy schedule, Emma will need help and that's when she finds her new project, assistant Brittany, a dazzling country girl who quickly becomes a must for Emma and become her faithful friend too.

A cute story about love, friendship, strength and about knowing the right moment to support or not a loved one.

4/5 stars