I really started off liking this book. I’m be been though an extremely similar situation as Nora and had many of her same feelings. Unfortunately, the book took a turn for me about halfway through. I’m trying to not be spoilery but I’m not sure how to convey where it went wrong otherwise. The entire story was of convenience. Everything just happened so easily for Nora. In the beginning she was a talented, strong single mom. Then she somehow falls in love with a man where there wasn’t really any concrete evidence as to why it was love over lust. He was nice to her kids? Then she spends more time mourning him and behaving like a teenager than the entire length of time she knew him. The reason they were kept apart could have been solved with a simple conversation. I’m just not a fan of older adults behaving like lovesick teens. Especially after what she had been through? Show a strong woman who confronts him or at the very least moves on and lives her best life. I had high hopes but it ended up being a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nora Goes Off Script is a love letter to motherhood, and discovering love later in life. Nora, the main protagonist, shows indifference to the degree of infuriation. I found her lack of passion to be off-putting, but then a couple of chapters in something changed. I found myself enthralled by Nora, and what she lacked in the beginning she makes up for in the end.

This book is an interesting take on separation, and how sometimes it is easier to stay in an unhealthy relationship rather than leave. The kids are adorable and have some of the best lines. I was extremely emotional and could not put the book down by the end. It is a slow start, so if that is not your thing then this book won't be for you.

Nora is a romance writer for a Hallmark-esq company, but when her loveless marriage is over, and her husband files for divorce (and has no interest in keeping his relationship with his kids) she channels that emotion into a Silver Screen Hit. She never expects to generate feelings for the Leo Vance, the movie star playing her husband in the movie. He's a bit of a lost cause, facing the death of his mom, and what he wants? To live in her small town to "recover," except he falls in love with Nora, her children, and their quaint little life in New Jersey. Except when he is called away for a big blockbuster audition everything gets called into question. She is devasted when he ghosts her, but has to pull it together for her kids, and try to help them move on from another man who has left them. Unfortunately this is not where the story ends, because they have to see each other at opening night and an awards night. They get through it awkwardly, but when her son Arthur reveals a secret he's been keeping, Nora and Leo find themselves questioning their whole past. Can they pull it together and live happily ever after? Or will his career get the best of them?

This book left me in all the feels! Seriously, such a rollercoaster! I'm not gonna lie and first I didn't think I was going to love this one. The main character is relatively older than I am with two kids and is divorced and I didn't think I was going to relate, BOY WAS I WRONG! I mean the emotions alone in this book got to me. The thought of hurting so bad after loss and not being able to release it, to have to keep it together for these two precious children. I loved how she wrote the kids too, they were so cute with Leo. I also loved the small town aspect of it all. It was perfect! She teaches him to grocery shop and he really becomes apart of the town and they all feel the loss when he is gone. Team Leo+Nora for life!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/7

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! When I read romances, I usually either end up annoyed or feel like they were just ok but not great. This one was a pleasure to read all the way through. I liked the characters, who felt like actual people and not romance tropes and who actually used humor in their conversations in a way that felt really natural. I liked the storyline, because it felt a little bit like a fantasy but also like something that could actually happen to the lead character. The author's writing style was so readable and smooth and I zipped through it in a day, but kind of wanted to make it last longer. I hope she writes another one quickly.

I loved Nora’s relationship with her children and how big of a part they had in the story. I also really thought Nora’s relationships with her family and friends was really special and helped to just show her good qualities and how much she had to offer to others. Leo’s character was great, but I found him to be a little bit unrealistic at times. I did enjoyed his interactions with Nora and how they both brought the best out in one another.

I enjoyed the banter about her Romance Channel movies and her process for writing her scripts. One of my guilty pleasures is Hallmark Christmas movies so it was fun to see that referenced in this novel! The setting was great and with the descriptive writing the author used, I was able to picture Nora’s house, the land, and the town so vividly. I only wish I could experience those sunrises!!

I’ve been enjoying celebrity romance reads latterly and this one was well done. The miscommunication in this one was frustrating but it all came together in the end! This was a solid read for me!

I had a tough time getting into this one.

I appreciate when an author can be concise and not have a drawn out book, but I felt like this was too short. We’re dropped in the middle of the story and are often jumping around to different plot points. It felt rushed.

But overall, I did think it was cute and I liked the ending!

Nora is a script writer for romance movies and this story was like a Hallmark movie script. That's not a bad thing. I happen to find them very entertaining. Nora is a script writer with more bills than she can pay and she rents her property to a movie company to film a movie based on a script Nora had written about her own life. Thinking it would be for a finite period of time, she is ready to see the movie company move on. She is ready to get back to normal life when she finds the lead actor drunk on her porch. She and her children form a relationship with the actor and things progress from there. I enjoyed the real-life aspects of this story and found it to be enjoyable reading. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a realistic romance.

After her husband left her and her children, film-writer Nora used their story as inspiration for her next script. When it gets picked up to become the next big Hollywood film, a whole production crew comes to Nora’s small town, including famous actor, Leo. After filming wraps, Leo doesn’t leave and asks to stay in Nora’s house. As they spend more time together, a romance between Nora and Leo starts to develop.

I sat down to start this book when I got it, and next thing I knew, I was over halfway through it. This book felt like a big hug - it gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings and made my heart so happy. It is filled with all of the goodness those tv romance movies are made of (looking at you Hallmark channel) and I could fully envision this one becoming a movie one day. The first half was a light, easy read. But about halfway through it took a turn and became more emotional, focusing less on the romance and more on Nora’s journey of healing and finding herself. This half ended up making me tear up. Nora was a fabulous MC. Even when her heart was broken, she managed to find strength for herself and her children. I was rooting for her and Leo from the start, but more importantly, I was rooting for her happiness. This was a great adult debut and I can’t wait to read more from Annabel Monaghan.

A huge thank you to Putnam Books for the gifted copy!

I loved this. It really shows how love is a transformative force and how love can positively impact people, without being The Single 'Thing Needed To Fix You. Having a romance where the MC's are older is really interesting, because they both have lives. They need to fit themselves into lives that already exist, and they have to work together to do it. There's a lived-in feeling that each character has. This was really, really great and incredibly sweet.

This book is a lovely representation of a woman's growth through love. Nora is a strong independent woman wanting the best for her children and in walks in a movie star, yes an actual movie star. Leo Vance is a man who knows that there is more to life than everyone picking out everything for him and he knows he needs Nora's help, and her Tea House to help change his view on life. These two have an intense relationship very quickly but then again, a good thing can be changed in an instant. I would say that the book was a little slow for me but I enjoyed the twist at the end of the book.

Nora is approaching 40, has two kids, and an old house. Her horrible ex left her, so she wrote a movie about it. She fully acknowledges she's better off without him, and her movie doesn't end in a coupled-up HEA.
Leo is the biggest movie star around and is playing the ex character in her movie. He shows up for filming at her house and stays afterwards. He starts fitting in to her life, and he enjoys being a regular person. Nora loves that he talks to her and cares what she says. Then it turns into more, but not without some heartache.
The book is from Nora's POV, and it is a great story of a woman who reclaims herself and her happiness. I love Nora's interactions with her kids, friends, and family. I loved Nora and Leo's relationship, even as she admitted it was so unlikely. A quick and enjoyable read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What got me right off was the voice. I loved the wicked, understated humor that kept this from being a sodden Women's Problem Novel, though it features a divorced mother of two. The author combines two gold-plated tropes: celebrity plus ordinary woman, and second chance at love, and pulls something really unusual--the requisite Bad Moment that seems de rigueur in romance these days comes at the halfway point, instead of at the 80% point. That's right, we get forty percent of the story before the resolution. Bold Move! Respect.

This might not work for some readers, but it worked for me because it permitted the reader to not only sink into the characters, but it also gave Nora, our protagonist, a chance to come into her own before the happily ever after ending that we expect of a romance. I also liked the impetus of the twist--when things got clarified, I was all, of course that happened that way.

I loved all the characters, I loved the voice, I loved the town. I really look forward to more by this author.

This was cute, but I really am over books being compared to Beach Read when its nothing like that.

I just found that this story had a really cute idea, with an execution that felt lackluster. I just never fully was invested in the story, the characters or the plot. Which was a let down, because I was really excited to read this one.

Overall it was a light read, but it felt like it dragged.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Annabel Monaghan's debut novel was full of heart, substance and so much more! When a "Hallmark movie"-esque screenwriter has her latest movie (not to mention the one based on the dissolution of her own marriage!) filming in her small town, the last thing she expects is Leo, ultra famous movie star, to take a liking to her - Nora, the mom, but that's exactly what happens!

It's hard to believe this is a debut and I certainly look forward to more from Monaghan in the future!

I’m sorry, but I was unable to finish this book, I wasn’t able to get to get pulled into they story. I’m disappointed as the story sounds so good.

I wish the author & publisher much success upon its release. I know there will be many getting lost in the pages during the summer months. I’m sorry I wasn’t one of them.

Read This If:
•Enjoy Nancy Meyer movies
•Want a quick read with some romance

Thoughts:
This book was so cute, it reminded me of a Nancy Meyer’s movie. I thought it was such a good story, that I didn’t want to put down. I loved the chemistry and dynamic between Nora’s family and Leo. The descriptions were so beautiful, I want to go to Nora’s home so I can watch that sunset and see the tea house. I loved Nora’s character so much, and her kids were so adorable.
 I wasn’t sure how this was going to end, which I enjoyed. It was such a quick read, and it just warmed my heart. I really enjoyed this one and will 100% be purchasing a physical copy.
 
DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS BOOK GUYS! I highly recommend!
 
Thank you @Netgalley & @Putnambooks for this advanced copy!

Nora Goes Off Script is a single mom who gets a second chance at love. I really enjoyed this one. Nora felt real and was very relatable to me as a mom; the guilt, navigating life, and trying to keep things together for your kids. I loved Leo and then I hated him and then my heart hurt for him just as much as it did for her. The miscommunication trope doesn't bother me at all, I liked it here and the time and distance it created between Nora and Leo. I wasn't prepared for all of the emotions packed into this book, it is on the shorter side and the romance is at the beginning and is a bit of a whirlwind. Ultimately this is a little hallmark reminiscent, but there is so much more in here, it's much more nuanced and real. It left me happy and warm and smiling at the end.

Nora is a movie writer for The Romance Channel (TRC). Think Hallmark with all of the recycled plots.

Her pr!ck of a husband recently left her and her two children, and she’s mainly okay with it because, well…he’s a pr!ck.

She recently stepped out of her rom-com box and wrote a screenplay based on their marriage and the ending of it. It is now a full-fledged Hollywood production with none other than the hottest actor of the moment, Leo Vance, playing the role of her ex-hubby. The movie studio decides to film at Nora’s house for a few days. She’s looking forward to that extra money.

All of a sudden, equipment trucks, wardrobe trucks, and Leo’s trailer end up on her front lawn. When he first meets her, he’s quite rude and walks right by her with neary a word. Two days later, when filming has finished at this location, he decides he’d like to stay with her for a week (he’s become quite accustomed to watching the sunrise with her on her front porch). That same day, he charms her children and asks to hang with her while she runs errands. A few days later, they’re in love. A perfect family of four, and it is so realistic…NOT! I wonder if there will be any conflict.

SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD
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Then, out of nowhere, they’re not together for about 40% of the book. Per usual, it turns out to be a ridiculous misunderstanding that any ADULT would have nipped in the bud by sending a simple text or making a phone call. But not here.
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END SPOILER

This is a rom-com that is rom for maybe 40%, and very little com…although I smiled once or twice. It’s completely unrealistic, and the ending had my eyes rolling as if on loop. Yet, I did enjoy reading it. I really liked the character of Nora and found her to be very fleshed out. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this has cheese written all over it. Nora could’ve written the story for one of her TRC movies. Did she?

Overall, an enjoyable rom-com with little rom-com, but excellent writing and a great main character to help balance things out.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 6/7/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me an advance copy of Annabel Monaghan’s romance novel, Nora Goes Off Script, in exchange for an honest review.

#NoraGoesOffScript is a heartwarming novel about a divorced screenwriter who writes romantic screenplays for a channel akin to #Hallmark. Unlike the trite Hallmark format, however, the novel offers several quips, twists, and turns that keeps the reader engaged and will surely have some beachgoers scrambling for suntan lotion late into the afternoon sunset.

I absolutely adored this novel and was squealing half the time like Nora’s eight-year-old Bernadette. This book is so left field for me in so many ways, and contained all the right ingredients to veer off-track, but kept managing to pleasantly surprise me. I would be absolutely shocked if this wasn’t at the top of everyone’s beach reading list; right up there with Emily Henry’s #BookLovers this year. Though very different tonally, the two authors know how to bottle magic between the pages.

Nora is a divorced, single mom to two kids in the suburbs. After her husband bails on their family, she seizes the opportunity to give meaning to the quote, “Art imitates life,” and writes an Oscar-nominated screenplay. The story opens immediately with Hollywood arriving on her front lawn to shoot several pivotal scenes, which results in the male lead, Leo Vance, overstaying his welcome long after the cameras are removed from her property.

Leo begins to sync into rhythm with Nora’s daily routine and her kids’ school schedules. One week soon becomes three and the two fall in love in her Tea House—the fictional setting of her movie and where her real-life marriage to her now ex-husband Ben fell apart.

When a sudden call from a studio to star in a major blockbuster beckons Leo back to L.A., Nora starts to unravel in a way that her first marriage never affected her. This prompts her to write yet another script about love in shambles and you’ll just have to read the rest to know how the story ends.

This is the perfect, sweet and indulgent read for a hot summer day! Nora is a screen writer and it's when she writes the story of her personal life for the big screen that big things change in her life.

Nora is recovering from a divorce and a husband that never really wanted her anyways. Her two children fill her days along with PTA, her daily run, and the cheesy romcom screenplays she continuously spits out. Life is good, life is normal...until...

The set-up was predictable, the story kept me guessing, and I didn't understand why until the end that made perfect sense so I approved. I read this at the right time to just indulge and enjoy this sweet, easy book for what it was. Pure entertainment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advance e-copy of this book.