Member Reviews

This was a fun read and a nice escape. The characters could have been a bit more well-developed. It really demonstrates how important communication can be.

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I absolutely adored this book, the characters, and the Tea House. All of it.

Nora, a single mother of two, is a screenplay writer that hits it big with her first drama being filmed in her (literal) own backyard.

Big Hollywood star Leo Vance stays behind after filming, soaking up the sunrise and day to day life. “I swear Leo is going to ruin us for normal men.” Oh, and he does.

I loved Nora’s strength (from the start I might add), sense of routine, utter devotion to her children, and growth throughout the story. Nora as the narrator felt very right, and I loved every minute of her.

I also enjoyed Leo his overt happiness and joy of being given the chance to do small things, like buying bananas and bath towels.

While I loved Leo and Nora’s relationship, I enjoyed them best as a family unit with Bernadette and Arthur. They were characters I rooted for and wanted to be friends with. Well done.

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So good. Like, given the description, you are a expecting a good romance read, but bam! This book way over-delivers. It's like your favorite Hallmark movie with a deepness and realness that you aren't expecting, and, still, Hollywood! Just do yourself a favor and read this book-you won't regret it!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

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After Nora Hamilton's marriage falls apart, she struggles with writing her 'formula' romance scripts for the romance channel. Instead, she writes about the sorry state of her own marriage and how it broke up. Amazed when it gets picked up to be a feature film, Nora is even more surprised when the movie studio wants to film at her home.

Leo Vance, one of the biggest male leads in Hollywood, is cast as the leading man. The surprises continue for Nora as Leo stays on after filming ends and they become first friends, then lovers. Nora is crushed and heartbroken when Leo disappears quickly from her life. She thought they were going to be permanent. Even her children loved Leo. But, they tried hard to protect their mother.

Eventually all's well that ends well, as a good romance novel should. This read had it's ups and downs but was a lot of fun and hard to put down. Recommended for those who want an escape for a time.

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There was so much I liked about this story — Nora's wry sense of humor, the gorgeous description of her property (the tea house!) and her career as a romance movie screenwriter. However, I kept getting caught up in the narration. It's hard to describe, but at times it felt stiff and too formal compared to the story itself. It overpowered Nora's voice and perspective for, which is a shame because I really liked her as a character.

All of that said, I'm sure this book will be a hit with many other readers. It just didn't spark for me.

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So thankful to NetGalley for access to an advanced copy of this amazing book!!

Simply put, I absolutely loved this book! Screenwriter Nora Hamilton writes scripts for a TV Romance channel but then hits the big time after the story, based on the dissolution of her marriage, gets made into a major Hollywood movie. The production films on-location on her small town property with hunky movie star Leo Vance and what follows is an unexpected whirlwind romance between the two.

One of the many things I love about this book is its predictability, yet many surprising elements. Part of it reads like a Hallmark-ish movie, with it’s highly unlikely romantic scenario, but it’s so well put together that for several moments throughout the story you start to believe that it’s totally plausible. I also found myself fully invested in the characters whose emotions just leapt off every page. Nora is a strong, and resilient mother and this really resonated with me. Her children are enduring. And the relationship that deepens between her and Leo is sweet and intense all at once.

Nora Goes off Script is thoughtful, sincere, and a whole lot of fun. One of my favorite books so far of 2022!

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Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of Nora Goes Off Script. What a sweet, lovely, yet thoughtful and human confection of a romance. Nora has recently ended a loveless marriage and has written a very honest screenplay about it. Enter Leo— the actor playing her ex. Like the romance movies Nora normally writes (which Hallmark or Lifetime versions I happily admit adoring for their formulaic simplicity), things unfold. Until somehow, they don’t.

What makes this book go beyond formulaic romances are the characters. Nora is strong but makes mistakes; her kids are human and funny and definitely make mistakes; Leo is lovely but also makes mistakes. The dynamics, humor, charm, and underlying truths about trust, heartbreak, and fear all come together in this well-baked cupcake. I literally did not put this book down.

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Sweet, light, emotional romance! I came away with my heart full just like I do every time I watch a Hallmark movie!

I did find the beginning a bit slow and silly. However, I really felt the pain and emotion throughout this book.

Also, I wish there was a little more romance and a little less of the emotion but this book scratched my romance itch!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I cannot say enough good things about this book! One of my favorite of 2022 so far. The book was marketed as being for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Beach Read, two fantastic books, and I definitely got Evvie Drake Starts Over vibes. The plot seems to follow a fairly prescriptive plot (as hinted at by Nora’s job as a writing of Hallmark-style movies), but does a fantastic job keeping readers in anticipation. The writing was excellent and I absolutely cannot wait for Annabel Monaghan’s next book.
Many thanks to Negtalley and the publisher for a n eARC in exhange for an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Nora Goes Off Script is a warm, tender story of second chance love and new beginnings. Nora is a screenwriter of happy TV romances when she decides to write the story of her failed marriage. The script catches the attention of Hollywood and megastar Leo is cast as the lead. When they come to Nora’s cozy home to film, she is shocked to find Leo still at her home even after filming. Leo falls for Nora and her two children, but will their love be like the movies or will real life get in the way?

This romance had Evvie Drake and Lease on Love vibes. I love a romance that is funny and swoonworthy, but also a bit bittersweet. Nora and Leo are two flawed characters that are somehow perfect for one another. Nora’s house (especially her tea house) is the perfect setting that you just want to crawl into. Such a heartwarming story full of lovable characters. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

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“And second, that the best things come back. Sometimes its right after the commercial, sometimes it takes longer. But time and sunshine bring growth, and life unfolds just the way it's supposed to.”

Nora Hamilton is a 39 year old single mom of two, who lives in small town NY in a house that resembles The Notebook. She is a screenwriter who usually writes light romantic comedies (think Hallmark channel) but gets her big break after she writes the story of her dissolving marriage and divorce.

40 year old actor, Leo Vance, gets cast to play Nora’s husband in the movie which is being partially filmed at her home. Leo finds himself falling in love with Laurel Ridge and the home Nora has made for herself and her children, Bernadette and Arthur. He begs Nora to stay for 1 week to enjoy the quiet peace of her home and since Nora needs the money, she agrees. But Nora gets more than she bargained for when they start to fall for each other.

And I am going to stop there, because I don’t want to give any more of this story away- there are unexpected twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

I started to worry towards the end of the book, that we weren’t going to get the ending that Nora and her children deserved, but I stand corrected. I was very satisfied with the ending/ epilogue.

This book is really unique since it doesn’t follow the standard romance novel recipe…. Meet cute, get together, fight/ falling out and resolution. Nora Goes Off Script is a mini roller coaster but one that you will look back on fondly!

Thank you to Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

*Review has been posted on Goodreads. I will post on Instagram closer to the publication date.

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Wow, I loved this book so much. It’s the perfect balance of romance, women’s fiction and humor. The characters are great and all the relationships, from the parental to the romantic, are on point. If you love Hallmark movies and are looking for something like those but realer then this is the book for you, I can’t wait to read what comes next from Monaghan.

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Nora Goes Off Script is a delightful peek behind the scenes of the romance genre in publishing and movies. Allegedly it is aimed for women who don't normally choose romance, and whoever decided that hit a bullseye with me! I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Certainly wasn't expecting as much substance in the plot and characters. What a lovely surprise!

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So many parts of this book squeezed my heart with nostalgia, laughter and pure happiness from watching Nora's antics with her family and Leo. This book was overall a well-written novel with some insightful lines that made for great quotes about life. I loved the whirlwind romance too, but some of the aspects of Leo and Nora's relationship didn't feel deep enough for me to believe that they actually fell in love so quickly. The chemistry between the two lovers didn't really reveal itself until they actually started a relationship, which didn't make much sense. I wanted to see more evidence that they were pining for each other before they actually got together.

A lot of this book also centers around the miscommunication trope which is by far my least favorite in romance novels. There's a deeper reason behind the miscommunication (will not mention here to avoid spoilers) that helped clear things up a bit towards the end, but it was still frustrating that this trope was included because it really stunted the romantic development in the story.

Overall, I give this book somewhere between 3.5-3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars. I loved Nora's family, learning more about her script-writing work and the pining between her and Leo, but some aspects of the book like the miscommunication and lack of detail in describing the beginnings of the Leo/Nora relationship made it a less than perfect read for me.

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Loved this one. Nora is a screenplay writer, the breadwinner for her family of four - until her unhelpful husband ups and leaves. This change leads her to write her best script yet, and part of it is to film on her property.

When the crew arrives, Nora is unsure about it all. After they've wrapped filming, the lead actor, Leo, decides he's moving into her tea house for a week, to get a break from the spotlight. She accepts because she knows she needs the money he's offered. She doesn't know that they're about to fall in love.

This book has a cast of smart and believable characters, tender and dynamic kids, fun small town antics, and a little Hollywood glamour. I really liked this story.

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I really loved this one! Once I started reading I couldn't stop. I am a fan of reading about single moms finding love again and Nora Goes Off Script did it so perfectly. It was nice to see Leo building a relationship with the kids right from the beginning instead of just with Nora. He was so involved in their lives and activities. Plus the interactions between Bernie and Leo made me laugh. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope but I could understand this one. At least they admit that a text or phone call would have solved their problems. The ending was so great! I don't want to give away spoilers but ahh, it was so sweet. I had to reread the last couple of chapters because it made me so happy. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it!

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4.5 I loved this book. It was definition a feel good love story. At times it felt a bit rushed, but honestly I liked the length of the story and I’m glad it wasn’t any longer in the end. It was short, sweet and had me falling in love with both Nora and Leo.
Someone said it was like a set of a hallmark movie and that perfectly describes it, in the best way.

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I really enjoyed this book! I found Nora to be a very strong character: she’s a hardworking mom who is doing her best to give her kids the best life after her ex husband left them. Arthur and Bernadette are adorable and I loved how the story didn’t focus just on the relationship between Nora and Leo, it was about the four of them becoming a family. I didn’t connect much with Leo though, I just didn’t feel like there was a lot of personality or back story given to him.

I feel like after the “twist” in the romance it took a while for the story to get moving and get to the good part. There were A LOT of events that unfolded, we probably didn’t need that much. Other than that I liked the writing and the development of the romance. It really was just short of 5 ⭐️!

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I was able to get access to this book before hand through NetGalley! The book and story is easy to read. I loved how the MC is a strong and independent mom of two. I resonated with that. I had a small issue with the writing itself since it would change scenes quite fast and I didn’t liked that. I felt it needed a bit more story telling before it got switched to the next scene. Overall, the story was cute and a good read. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a happy ending just like in the movies (hint hint)!

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You know it's a good book when you find yourself emotionally invested in the characters. The romance between Nora and Leo that develops over sunrises and routine days will draw you in. The raw emotions of Nora and her kids, Arthur and Bernadette, really stand out throughout the book. You will root for their happiness and feel their heartaches. It's believable and witty. A delightful, can't put it down story. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

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