Nora Goes Off Script

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ .25 Stars

Nora, a recently divorced mother of two who writes scripts for The Romance Channel, insert every typical Hallmark Movie plot here, has written a script that a big Hollywood studio has bought and will be filming for a couple of days at her house about the end of her marriage appropriately titled The Tea House. When the production team arrives and the scruffy handsome star Leo, playing her ex-husband, takes a liking to Nora’s tea house, porch and the sunrises there, he asks to stay awhile longer. In the small town of Laurel Ridge, where everyone knows your name and your business, Nora goes completely off script, being taken off guard by Leo who is the complete opposite of the only man she had ever really been with, her husband.

While the book at times may be predictable, it is easy to get lost in this story of love, loss, an unexpected misunderstanding and at its heart family. Both Nora and Leo love with all of their hearts and family is the love that sustains us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher G.P. Putnam’s Son for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #GPPutnamsSon #NoraGoesOffScriprt

Nora Goes Off Script was a nice light romance novel with a catching storyline. Things started to go south pretty early in the book so I wasn't sure how they were going to come to a resolution. I didn't see the ending coming in the sense that I wasn't sure how they were going to get to the ending I knew would eventually come as this is a cheesy romance novel and they tend to be predictable. So I enjoyed that there was an aspect of the unknown in there. I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars because while I did enjoy it there seemed to be something missing.

Okay just to preface, I went into this book with the wrong idea. This is not a romance book. It's more along the lines of a women's fiction/self-journey book. Because of this notion, I can just say that I did not fully enjoy this book the way I wanted to. The pacing felt very odd for me and the level of miscommunication was very frustrating at times. The minimal romance aspect of the book was too insta-love for me, so I can't even say that that aspect of the book was enjoyable. I did however appreciate Nora's growth throughout this book. I always love seeing female characters grow and bounce back from what set them back.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Goes Off Script is the perfect beach read! There are some deep topics covered, but the overall feel of the book remains light and the romance factor was perfect. The characters felt authentic and genuine.

Who knows love better than a romance channel screenwriter? Nora Hamilton makes her living writing happy endings for those cheesy romance movies that everyone secretly loves. When her no-good husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora seizes the opportunity and draws on it for inspiration to write a different style story. Her new script, based on the collapse of her marriage, is to be filmed by a big screen producer who wants to shoot the movie on location at her 100-year-old-home. Needing the cash to get back on her feet, Nora accepts. This decision will change her life forever.

 Leo Vance, the hot and sexy movie star with a smoldering smile, is to star as Nora’s ex. He is nothing like she expected. After finishing filming, the cast and crew clean up their mess and leave. Early the next morning, Nora finds sexy Leo asleep on her porch swing, wrapped in his duvet, with a half-empty bottle of tequila by his feet. Leo has a proposition for Nora. He will pay her seven thousand dollars to stay at her home in the country for seven days. Leo needs time away from his life and craves the normalcy he finds in her family. Nora knows the money will help her out tremendously and accepts. It is only seven days. How bad can it be? Seven days ends up being exactly the time it takes for them to fall in love.

Is their love just a passing fling or will it stand the test of time?

Filled with love, compassion and a little misunderstanding, Nora Goes of Script is my favorite type of love story. It is chock full of realistic love. Every day love that is complicated by kids, work and the emotional burdens of life. The flawed characters are endearing and delightful. I adored the major role Nora’s children played in the plot. It was definitely a feel good family story. The love scenes were romantic and sweet. There were interesting twists in what seemed like a predictable story. It was a welcome surprise. The story made me laugh; it made me cry. It had all the things I love. This is an enjoyable read for romance lovers. It was a 5-star read for me.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group, for the digital ARC of Nora Goes Off Script. This novel was a delightful surprise! Heartfelt and smartly written, Nora tells a tale of empowerment and the magic second chances. The coupling of a celebrity and a suburban mom may seem implausible, but author Annabel Monaghan’s clever prose can turn a cynic into a believer. Nora Goes Off Script is so much more than just a typical rom com, the characters are well developed and the plot delves deeper.. I read this book in a day, and I look forward to recommending it widely upon its publication in June!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the premise of this book and flew through it in no time! I can't wait to read more from Annabel!

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for my E-Arc of Nora Goes Off Script. I give this book four stars! In this boom Nora is a writer who mostly sells her stories to made for tv Hallmark movies but has sold her most recent script to a large studio and part of it is being filmed on her property at the Tea House. This is where Nora meets famous actor Leo Vance. After filming wraps, Leo asks Nora to stay for a week if he pays her $1,000/ per day. Nora agrees and their dynamic grows from there. This book was charming and sweet and you could really feel the emotion, especially the love Nora has for her children. About a third into the book I couldn’t put it down until I found out how it ended. This was a great story about love, loss, heartbreak, rebuilding, trust and family.

Okay, Jenna and Reese, grab this book as a potential club pick. This is a feminist fairy tale, as sweet and charming as anyone could want for a summer read.

When Nora writes a script about her horrible husband decamping, it becomes a film. Ironically, this movie is shot in part behind her ramshackle house. The man, the idol, who is the male lead stays on. The romance between Nora and Leo is immediate, but of course, not smooth.

The author does a great job portraying the family, especiallythe precocious children. I admired Nora who managed, despite setbacks, to be a formidable single parent. The author got me to love the family and cheer for Nora’s successes. Best of all, I found myself happily enmeshed in a satisfying closure.

Thank you Netgalley for this summer delight.

Lovely book! I adored all that characters and the development was great throughout. Kept me wanting more. The push and pull between Nora and Leo was addictive and so fun to read. I would definitely recommend!

What I story! I was quickly invested into Nora’s tale and read it throughout one day in between my daily tasks so I could find out what happened.
An enjoyable slow burn romance with Hallmark vibes but with more realistic emotions & situations that make it relatable.
I am a sucker for a Hollywood leading man falling in love with an ordinary mom story.
I loved what drew Nora and Leo together and how much Nora’s children were part of the tale.
So many emotions felt. It made me laugh, awww, get frustrated for Nora, feel for her heartbreaks and cheer for her successes.
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam books, I really enjoyed reading this! All opinions expressed are my own.

first of all, i'd like to say that this book managed to make me feel invested in the story so much so that i read it one sitting, i just needed to know how everything would end. the start is a little bit slow but good, it immediately made me care about nora, but i have to point out that the pacing made the timeline a little bit hard to follow, there are a lot of time jumps (not years, but weeks and months), sometimes even in the same chapter. the romance was a bit too fast-burn for my liking, and even though i am not the biggest fan of miscommunication, here it was executed in a way that didn't bother me much, but it was still the part of the book that i enjoyed less. im a little bit conflicted about what rating to give to this book because i enjoyed reading it but there are all these details that did not like so i might change my mind in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a great slow-burn romance. I’m a sucker for any book that is related to Hollywood, and one that features a screenwriter was the perfect pick for me! I usually stay away from books where the main character has kids, just because I don’t have any myself and it’s a hard head space for me. But the characters were absolutely charming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author gave scuch beautiful, vivid imagery that I felt truly transported to this beautiful home that Nora has. The emotions came through and I felt myself going through all that Nora was, as well. It was definitely a rollercoaster of a read in the best way. Some fun light hearted jokes thrown in from time to time made a great balance. If you like movies, this one is definitely for you!

Quite simply a delight. This is a story of the relationships between Nora and the men in her life, but also more importantly a story of Nora's relationship with herself. Through this story we get to watch her grow, discover new things about herself, break patterns of behavior and learn to take better care of herself.

The beginning premise is a bit unsteady- a single mom is just totally cool with a man she doesn't know hanging around her kids? And apparently never locks her doors as she keeps finding him in the kitchen? But it's easy to look past that as the relationship between Leo and Nora develops. They help each other remember parts of themselves that have been lost over time, and uncover new parts that will help them both to have a brighter future whether they are together or apart.

I appreciated that the author made it a priority to feature Nora’s kids as fully developed beings rather than just accessories to her character. We get to know Bernadette and Arthur’s personalities and enjoy how much their little quirks add to the story. They’re incredibly endearing and I found myself rooting for them just as much as for Nora. Annabel Monaghan does a beautiful job of capturing the essence of single parenting and the complexities that can arise in children who have experienced being abandoned by a parent.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read that is heartfelt, sweet and grounded.

Nora Goes Off Script feels like a Hallmark movie on paper, and if that's your thing, then you'll love this book.

I enjoyed the plot of this book, and the meta aspect of Nora writing her life into a movie, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the story.
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Thanks to NetGalley, and Penguin Group/Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book!

I loved Evvie Drake Starts Over, so I figured I’d love this one, and I was right! Nora writes an amazing script that gets filmed at her house, and Leo Vance is the leading man who asks if he can stay the week after. Romance ensues, along with missed connections and misunderstandings. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what happens between Nora, her kids, and her leading man!

I have two main comments about this book. The beginning and second half is hard to put down. The middle drags. Nora writes a movie script based in her marriage and Leo the main star decides to crash on her property. Obviously a romance develops but not in the expected way. I rate this 3 stars and recommend you read this just for the price of bananas!


*************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion. ********

Nora Goes Off Script is about a humble, recently divorced romance screenwriter whose script about her failed marriage leads to a surprising bond with the gruff A-list actor portraying her toxic ex-husband.

It's already generating comparisons to Beach Read by Emily Henry not only for its emotional depth but because it blurs the line between romance and women's fiction. The focus is on Nora re-centering her priorities and finally being able to breathe after her emotionally abusive, textbook narcissist husband leaves rather than the sparks between her and Leo, former Sexiest Man Alive. That's what pushes this book into the intersection of the Women's Fiction vs Romance Venn Diagram - there's elements of both, but it's difficult to box it into one genre because it's 50/50.

It's a short book, which is a tad problematic because some areas are noticeably underdeveloped and fell flat, but it's a whirlwind story that's cute and enjoyable. The characters are lovable, despite their voices all sounding the same but I digress. Nora is emotionally reasonable, independent and approaching life with a healthy mindset, a near rarity for the "recently dumped" FMC archetypes that tend to be basket cases, and Leo is a surprising cinnamon roll, aka an endearing, ultra sweet MMC that needs to be protected at all costs.

I can't say much else about this book without spoiling it, so you'll just have to read it for yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Love this title. Love the trope. Love the Tea Room and want one really, really bad. The characters were realistic and flawed and oh, so lovable. What a great read. Can't wait to see more by this author!

Single mom Nora is fresh off writing a screenplay about her divorce and now the Hollywood production for the film is parked on her beautiful lawn. But when superstar Leo Vance asks to stay longer than the production, will Nora get a Hollywood happily ever after?

I really liked this book! I loved Nora and her family. It felt real and complex and I appreciated that the story was told from her perspective. Leo was a bit of a mystery for me at the beginning, but I slowly fell for him alongside Nora. I loved that this book wasn't super predictable - there were times when I didn't know where it was going and I loved that. It felt fresh and not formulaic. Plus, I loved the send-up of various Hallmark Movie tropes (as an unabashed fan of their cheesy romances). It was so on point and some of the comments were laugh-out-loud funny.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a non-formulaic romance book with an awesome heroine and amazing supporting characters.