I read a lot of rom-com/chick-lit, and this could be my favorite one of the year. It will definitely be one of my most recommended books. It's a second-chance romance between Nora, an "average" mom of two whose marriage recently collapses, and Leo, who is the famous movie star playing the lead in the movie being filmed at Nora's house. Like all good romance books, there is some substance behind the characters (even the two kids- who I loved). This reminded me of The Idea of You, with a little less sophistication and glamour and more "realness."

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an advanced copy to review!

Although thousands of similar stories already float around, this book did the trick for me. I enjoyed it beginning to end, and it made for a very quick and breezy read. The plot was beyond predictable (at least how it ended), but the characters were likable and the writing style was easy to get into. All in all I can definitely recommend this.

Thank you, G.P. Putman’s Sons, for my ARC and Penguin Random House Audio for my ALC copy of Nora Goes Off Script. I enjoyed following Nora as she navigates being a recently divorced mother and seeing her screenplay come to life while it’s being filmed on her property. This was more of a women’s fiction story with closed-door romance. It gave me all the hallmark movie/Hollywood story vibes I wanted. I love the dating a celebrity trope. I also enjoyed the audiobook narration for this story. I would recommend it.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a celebrity romance. There’s just something about the improbability of it. But also, the glimpse into a glamorous life while also celebrating the simple things. Either way, this was a good one. I liked Nora a lot as a character. I felt like she was a great mom and it was clear that that’s the role she holds dearest above all others.

Secondary characters didn’t get as much of an explanation as I would have liked. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Penny was Nora’s sister and not just some girl she grew up with.

I also felt like the pacing could have been a little better. I thought the play was really rushed through and the ending felt a tad rushed as well. But I did like the way that the story played with those cliche romance movie tropes.

Overall, I think I read this book at the exact right time. It hit almost every note for me.

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has to be one of my new favorite rom-coms of all time. I hesitate to even call it that. I feels like more. The depth of character for Nora and her children…their lives juxtaposed to Leo’s life made for an interesting twist to this story.

I don’t typically like books that are centered around the topic of romance, so I find myself surprised to be giving this five stars.

Nora writes movie scripts for this book’s version of the Hallmark channel. Despite this, she is a very down to earth single mom living in a small town just trying to make ends meet after her ex-husband spent all her money. The producer of her latest scrip wants to film some scenes at her home, and Nora reluctantly agrees because the money she will receive for just a few days of Hollywood coming to her home is too good to pass on. After filming, she find the main star has decided to stay for awhile longer. He seems to need the peace and quiet of her small town life and easily falls into her routine with her two children.

Very engaging storyline with characters you’ll find yourself liking very much. I loved it!

Nora writes romance movies (think Hallmark Channnel style) until her own marriage falls apart and she writes something a bit more dramatic and dark. Once Hollywood buys her script, the director decides to shoot the final scenes at her actual house where the story takes place. The actor playing her ex-husband winds up slowly inching his way into Nora and her children’s lives and she can’t help but question if their romance can survive their different lifestyles.
Is this another romcom? Absolutely. Was it fantastic? Yes! The character of Nora was so relatable and enjoyable and all the characters just worked. It was also cute how it was a little tongue in cheeky, clearly mocking the happily ever after genre. For sure a great easy summer read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

Nora Goes Off Script was just the book I needed to put me in a different mood. It was beautifully written and impossible not to like Nora.

Nora is a divorced mom of two kids. Her ex-husband was a major jerk and did some psychological damage to Nora (and the kids). Nora is a screenwriter for The Romance channel, however she writes a screenplay about her marriage and it ended up becoming a film instead. We start as they are using Nora's tea house to film many of the movie scenes.

This was such a strong start and where we meet Leo, (the actor playing her ex-husband) who ends up extending his stay. I loved how their relationship developed over these few weeks, as well as Leo's relationship with the kids. Leo ends up landing a big roll and things kind of fall apart from there, but I'll leave that a mystery.

I adored not just Leo and Nora, but her kids and the surrounding friends as well.

I loved this book! Such a great bunch of characters!! Nora is used to being a divorced mom of two and depends on her routine. Once Leo enters her life things totally go off script and she allows him in to her thoughts and dreams and also her kids lives. I really loved getting to know these people and be a part of their lives. Nora Goes Off Script was a joy to read and I would suggest it to any one who wants a nice light read!

It was cute and sweet and light and had all of the feelings. I really liked the twists, all the while coming back to the comfortable and predictable sunrise with a blanket and a cup of coffee.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This was an enjoyable story with the main character working as a screen writer. When she writes the story of life with her ex-husband, it’s made into a movie and becomes a hit. The ex-husband is a jerk, doesn’t show up for his children but it sounds like that was almost the best thing he could have done. Most children wouldn’t feel that way but when an adult makes plans and routinely never shows up, it definitely affects them.

The actor that plays her husband in the movie, Leo, needs a respite from his Hollywood life and asks if he can stay and will paya great deal of money. Nora needs that extra money for work on her older home but soon realizes that Leo is a distraction to her writing schedule. I loved how he wanted to go on errands with her, became a part of the family and involved with Nora’s children. Sitting each morning on the front porch watching the sun come up made me want that same view!

Close to the end you find out something that caused a heartbreaking time in Nora’s life and for Leo also. I didn’t understand why one of them didn’t reach out to talk vs letting so much time go by thinking something incorrect.

The book was similar to a Hallmark movie in that there’s family, fun, conflict and a happy ending.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

Immediately recommended this book after finishing! Realistic love story, parent/child relationship, and family + friend circle. Nora and Leo rang so true. Loved everything about this book.

I'm posting an honest review after reading an advanced readers copy of this story.

It was nice to have a romance writer have a super romance of her own. Nora writes mostly for The Romance Channel & yet her big angst kinda autobiographic novel is what beings her Leo. Leo is a talented but aimless wandering actor. He's good at acting but his life has gone off track & he doesn't know how to fix it, until he meets Nora. I love how she describes Leo's signature look...smoldering. He smolders at all his costars and even his parents in one movie. How romantic hero can you get...

#NoraGoesOffScript #Annabel Monaghan #romance #Netgalley #G.P. Putnam's Sons #contemparyromance

I really enjoyed this book and since I love Hallmark movies, I think this really pulled me in!
Nora is a divorced Mom who is a writer of romance movies for TRC (Hallmark type movies) , who writes a romantic screenplay that is being filmed at her home. The lead actor stays awhile and they develop a relationship. The kids love him, she loves him, the whole town loves him….
And poof, he leaves. Over time, we speculate what might’ve happened and wonder how this could have a happy ending….
Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this great book!

Oh my gosh! I loved this book. ⁣
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⁣I picked up Nora Goes Off Script yesterday afternoon and just finished it eighteen hours later! It’s adorable, sweet, funny and emotional!⁣
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⁣Single mom and divorcée Nora is a romance screen writer who cashes in after her husband leaves her- writing a great movie. When the producers offer her more money to film it at her home, she signs up happily. After the filming wraps up, former Sexiest Man Alive and the star of her movie, Leo, offers her a thousand dollars a day to stay at her home for a week. Leo charms everyone he meets- including Nora’s two children and Nora begins to wonder if he might be her forever. ⁣
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⁣I loved their messy romance. The characters were fresh, likable and just a little bit cheesy! It was exactly what I needed to read today. ⁣
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⁣Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you @netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Son for an ARC of Nora Goes Off Script. It’s available now! #NoraGoesOffScript

Thank you for a story about a woman who is my age who is not unhinged or hopeless or falling apart. So often a woman has to be a complete mess in a novel, but Nora took the cards she was dealt, her narcissistic husband walking out on her and her children, and made it into something greater -- pulling her out of her formulaic romance script writing into something grander and stronger. And why shouldn't she get to have a lot of lovely sex and move on in her life with a Hollywood actor? Sure, things fall apart again, but Nora does what most women would do.... have a good cry, then put on really cute shoes to make us feel better, and keep going because our children need us. I love a happily ever after and loved how this one ended.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

LOVED THIS! Such a good beach read - I’m honestly not sure why this book hasn’t gotten more press yet!

Nora writes screenplays for the Romance Channel. Sticky sweet stories of two people falling in love and living out their own happy endings. When her own husband, Ben, abandons her and their children, Nora does what she does best - writes a screenplay about it. When that screenplay gets picked up by a major movie studio - Nora suddenly finds her home and her life filled with movie sets and actors that she’s only seen on screen, like the lead actor, Leo Vance.

Leo Vance, sexiest man alive, has had enough of Hollywood. He’s tired of fake relationships, staged apartments, and not even being able to buy his own bananas. When he finds himself living on Nora’s property in a trailer, he suddenly finds he has no desire to leave. The simpleness of her life is everything he’s been looking for.

But as quickly as Nora and Leo’s love story starts it suddenly comes to a grinding halt when Leo up and ghosts her. Is Nora another victim of Hollywood’s fickle movie stars or was there really something between her and Leo Vance?

I really can’t do this one enough justice - it’s not a cheesy romance and definitely has vibes of Stella Got Her Groove back or Steel Magnolias. Themes of motherhood, abandonment and partnership are strongly present and are clear throughout Monaghan’s writing.

This NEEDS to be on your summer reading list.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, Annabel Monaghan and NetGalley for this unexpected treat of an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nora Goes Off Script

Every imagine having an epic love story with a celebrity?!

Well Nora does just that in this adorable, honest, and incredible story.

Nora just a regular single mom writes a major screenplay that is picked up by a big company and her house more specifically her tea house becomes part of the set for her film. She meets dreamy Leo superstar actor who’s playing the lead in the film and well he basically never wants to leave and asks to stay a little longer after filming has ended. He falls in love with the simplicity and scheduled life of Nora and her two kids as well as them.

I thought the audio was perfect and I found myself wanting to finish it right away.

I loved Nora and how strong and independent she was. The storyline was great and overall it was a great romance with a lot more depth.

A charming love story! Imagine a Hallmark movie crossed with a Primetime TV drama. The storyline is simple, you know exactly what’s going to happen, yet you still devour every single line. If you don’t like the “closed door” romances, this one is for you. The romance is sweet and won’t make you worried to read it at the salon with someone looking over your shoulder. It’s predictable and funny, yet completely satisfying.

After husband Ben leaves, Nora writes their break up into a screenplay, sells it to Hollywood, and receives the sweetest revenge ever: a paycheck! Additionally and never in a million years would she have guessed that she'd hit it off with Leo, the very hot, very sexy actor who plays the role of her deadbeat husband. But, will their love be strong enough to survive once real-life complications such as work, her two kids, house repairs, etc intervene?

In order to celebrate the First Day of Summer, I challenged myself to read a short book on the longest day of the year, and this was the perfect choice! The premise was cute, and I enjoyed the banter between the characters as well as the humor about cheesy, predictable Hallmark movies. The energy and romance between Nora and Leo was sizzling and romantic. And, I loved how respectfully he treated her kids, 10 year old Arthur and 8 year old Bernadette. If you love a good romance with a happy ending, then be sure to add this quick read to your list!

"Time and sunshine bring growth, and life unfolds just the way it's supposed to."

Location: Laurel Ridge (1.5 hours from New York City)

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.