This story explores single motherhood, new love, the difficulties of parenting, and so much more. Set in a small, Stars Hollow like town outside of New York City, you'll want to pour yourself a glass of wine and drink in this story with a smile on your face. Definitely recommend, and hope that everyone out there looking for a closed door romance that'll make your heart burst picks this one up.

If you are a fan of Hallmark romance movies, this will be an absolute delight for you. It leaves the readers with a smile without being too cheesy. And a lot of characters that are lovable and cute as well. Nora, a tv romcom writer, a single mom of two super cute kids inadvertently ends up with a movie star, Leo as their paying guest. Leo who is tired of fake celebrity life walks into Nora's life full on and ingrains in their lives but at a point, Nora is confused if this all was an act or was it for real. Leo is that clearly generous, lazy, outwardly snobby Hollywood celebrity who wants a family and a happy home and finds it all in Nora. But they have some issues and separate and now they need to hustle a bit to resolve their issues.

I totally enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, cute read!

I loved pretty much everything about this book. I loved the telling of Nora’s failed marriage and how freeing it can be to face the reality of the failure, that the failure of a marriage can open up new vistas. I loved her kids, the realistic portrayal of people in the community, friends, family, her description of her career…. all of it. And the relationship that ensues between Nora and Leo elicits all the feels. Couldn’t ask for a better quick, enjoyable read that still sheds light on home truths!

Oh, I LOVED this summer-y romance so much. My only complaint is the cover! It’s so schmaltzy. I know there’s a target audience for this book & that the cover plays to that group but really so many people would enjoy this one. Loved the characters, loved the plot, will definitely be recommending!

Wow I did not expect to devour this book in one sitting. I loved the famous person/normal person romance. I especially loved Nora and her sweet family. But what I loved most was that emotional second half. It felt so raw and real.

went into this book expecting a little more rom-com and a little less women’s fiction, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this book, and I’m so glad I picked it up. It really was the perfect combo of women’s fiction and romance.

When we first meet Nora, she’s divorced from her selfish, money-hungry husband, enjoying her life as a screenwriter, and living alone in the cutest little fixed-up house with her two kids. A screenwriter for a Hallmark-adjacent channel, she loves writing happy endings from the comfort of her little tea house. But this last script she sold for real, and she’s got a full movie team showing up at her house to film this week. Enter Leo Vance, movie star, smile faker, and flirt, with his bottle of whiskey. After sharing a sunrise with Nora, he decides he likes the house and he’s not leaving, paying her to stay in her beloved tea house. Over the week that he spends there, he tags around with Nora, learning more about her and her kids and how to live a normal(ish?) life. After the week is up, he decides that he’s not leaving. That is, until Hollywood calls and he packs up in a hurry, leaving a mystified Nora and two heartbroken kids behind.

If you liked Evvie Drake Starts Over, this is a must read! It made me feel all the feels, and I loved how realistic it seemed, even if the premise itself seems unlikely. Annabel Monaghan did a great job with this one.

This was a cute, lighthearted story. It did feel a little bit like I was reading a Hallmark movie script at some points. I found the story a little predictable. I don’t think this is the fault of the author, more that this just isn’t the type of book I typically read. It was a cute read though, a nice light beach read!

Nora Goes Off Script is a quick and fun read. I chuckled quite a bit at the back-and-forth between Nora and Leo. I thought their connection was well-written. I also enjoyed the fact that the title tackled a romance involving a mother of slightly older children. The ages of Nora's kids necessitated them being a big part of the story - in terms of having to get to know Leo, and also just the fact that kids take time. I felt the author did a great job with this aspect of the story. Would definitely recommend this title to others.

I don't normally give romance books 5 stars, but this isn't a typical romance book. In fact, the protagonist, Nora, writes romance hallmark type movies for a living and explains the formula. If you give her a gender, location, and profession, she can tell you the entire plot. Romance in her own life hasn't gone so well, and she is actually much happier after her ne'er-do-well husband leaves her. She writes an anti romance book about the experience and it turns into a major motion picture movie with hot stars. Enter the male star of the movie who is looking for a break from his life and the author's simple life appeals to him. While much of this book appears to follow the romance formula, there are a few interesting twists. This book really makes you root for Nora and her children. You might also fall in love with the tea house on her property. I never knew I needed a tea house, but I do now. I couldn't put this book down and actually read it one day.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

“…and second, that the best thing come back. Sometimes it’s 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 screenwriter for a romance network – when her latest script about her failed marriage is turned into a Hollywood A-list film, Nora’s very rigid day to day schedule is about to be turned upside down when the movie is set to film on location at Nora’s 100 year old home. When former sexiest man alive, Leo Vance is cast to play Nora’s deadbeat husband – life as Nora knows it will never be the same.

As soon as filming is wrapped up, Leo asks Nora is if he can stay for just a week to clear to his head and enjoy life away from the city.

Seven days: 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 – it could go by in a blink of an eye, or last an eternity depending on how you look at it.

Enough time to fall in love, or have your heart broken.

THIS BOOK WAS SO DARN CUTE!

Nora’s kids, Arthur and Bernadette completely stole my heart!

This book made me happy and sad at the same time – but it was also SO relatable, funny, witty and charming!

Simone Says Read This if you enjoy:

*hopeless romantic love stories
*second chances
*Hollywood
*The Oscars
*Children’s theater
*bananas

this novel could be made into a hallmark movie! the way leo was so eager to trade his hollywood swagger for a more simple lifestyle reminded me of the disney channel movie, “starstruck.” i adored how leo was patient with each of nora’s kids and quickly turned into a father figure for them. i think it would be cool to read a pov of leo just so that we can see how he adjusted to the nora’s quaint hometown.

i wasn’t the biggest fan of the pacing of this novel. some chapters spanned an entire day while others jumped through weeks. at times that right when i thought i was getting connected to the characters and the storyline, the plot would switch to a completely new event. however, i appreciated the authenticity of leo and nora’s romance. love doesn’t happen in the span of one week or one month, but it continues to develop throughout the years. i would have enjoyed this novel if there had been more consistency in the timeline

Inhaled this romance and especially loved the empowerment of the female lead. Nora and her 8 and 10 year old kids have been abandoned by her ex-husband and she is doing just fine. Her screenplay was sold and they are even filming part of it at her home. The extra cash is a welcome gift in paying down some of her debts. The romance that follows is completely unbelievable but so incredibly sweet I didn’t care. And it is important to note that the love story is just a small section of the overall tale. It is about Nora’s resilience, her dedication to her kids and the support of family and friends.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. Like I said in another review this week, I don't normally like romance with actors. But Holy Shitz, I absolutely adore this one!

I requested this one on a whim after seeing a fellow bookstagrammer’s positive review, and I am so glad I did.

Nora is a screenwriter who writes scripts for basically Hallmark romances, formulaic and always with happy endings. Her latest script, The Tea House, is different though - it’s the story of her previous marriage to her ex husband, who left their family to pursue whatever flight of fancy strikes him.

The Tea House was sold to become a movie with a big director and movie stars, and they film at her house. It’s there that she meets Leo, the star of her movie, interrupts Nora’s tightly scheduled life and finds his way into her heart.

This novel was sweet and heartfelt. I loved the dynamic between Nora and Leo, I loved the beautiful descriptions of the home and the town she lived in. I loved how much Nora cared for her kids and went out of her way to protect them. The only thing that wasn’t present was some spice, which I would’ve enjoyed.

I read this book so fast! It was fantastic! Reminded me a lot of the book “Ghosted” which I loved.

At around 50 % into this book I thought “oh no- my heart is about to break isn’t it?” So from then on I had to sit and finish this book. I can’t say much else without ruining this book for others.

I think this book was just what I needed after a tough week. It made me happy and sad. And happy.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

Nora goes off script is a quick & cute read. I was very invested in the story and wanted to know how it ended. I really loved Nora and her family and how much her kids were involved in the story. However the romance between Nora and Leo felt a little forced and flat. I found it hard to picture them as a couple and then when their “mishap” occurs the timeline of it all gets choppy. The misunderstanding trope was flat for me.

Overall a cute read and truly felt as if I was watching a hallmark movie. (Oh the irony!)

Nora, who writes what are basically Hallmark Channel movies, often mentions the formula those movies follow. Somehow this book manages to follow the same formula while feeling fresh and original. Nora’s voice is charming, witty, and relatable. The romance is swoon-worthy, the characters are lovable, the setting is adorable. I loved this book.

Thanks to Penguin Random House and Net Galley for this advanced reader's copy of Nora Goes off Script! I absolutely loved this book. I can already tell that this is one of those that I'm going to be thinking about for a couple days or weeks! I think this one is definitely worth reading when it comes out on June 7, 2022!!

I don't want to spoil anything, but I will just leave it at I HATE THE TROPE THAT IS IN THIS BOOK. But this was one of the times that it was better done! I kind of understood and appreciated how everything ended up, but I was definitely thinking "REALLY????" for a chapter or two.

In the wake of Nora's husband leaving her and her two children high and dry one day after years of an unfulfilling marriage, Nora welcomes Hollywood's biggest names into her home to film the script she wrote and sold to pay off some of the debt her husband wracked up. The leading man has more to him than he lets on to his scores of adoring fans, and he ends up hiding out at Nora's country home a while after filming wraps. Nora learns more about herself, we learn more about this Hollywood star, and an all-consuming romance follows.

Nora's journey of self discovery, watching her kids find confidence again and seeing Leo become a real human being was so heartwarming. I felt genuinely sad, happy, hopeful and heartbroken during this book, but it was simultaneously an easy read, Loved it!

I loved this book from the beginning! I loved Nora, and her kids, and Leo, and all the characters (almost) haha.

Nora is a TV film romance writer, and her assignments for the channel are written with a set formula. After her husband Ben leaves her and their two children, she writes a story that isn’t a Hallmark TV film, but a rendition of her own experience of the breakup of her marriage. When Nora’s screenplay is filmed at her home, she gets much more than she bargained for. Can a highly sought after leading man, Leo Vance really be interested in her?

I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were so believable and had such redeeming qualities. There’s reflection, humor and so many heartfelt moments. I laughed, I cried, I rooted for characters and the relationships. I highly recommend this one and I look forward to the author’s next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam books for the advance readers copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. Nora was a likable character. I felt every emotion while reading. At times I felt bad for Nora because of her lazy belittling ex, but she was able to put it behind her and come out on top. This is definitely one I will be recommending.