✨ Review ✨ Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Hollywood comes to Nora's house to film on site at her 100-year-old house in the production of a screenplay she wrote about her crappy husband leaving her and her kids behind. Leo Vance, smoldering Hollywood star, is starring in the film, stays behind after filming, paying Nora $1000/day to stay an extra week at her home and enjoy the quaint remote town. Leo quickly becomes involved with Nora and her kids, connecting with them all...but will this relationship stick?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: romance, women's fiction
Location: remote town on the East Coast
Reminds me of: Beach Read
Pub Date: June 7, 2022

I LOVED THIS BOOK. This is described as "Evvie Drake Starts Over meets Beach Read in this heartwarming and hilarious novel about a divorced romance channel screenwriter whose script about her marriage’s collapse just might help her reclaim her life and find love."

I haven't read Evvie, but there's something in the structure and writing of this book that reminded me of what I loved about Beach Read, a book that digs deeper in emotions and character development and reads more serious than most romances. There's more introspection and personal growth outside of the relationship I think, which felt compelling.

I love how Leo folds so neatly into Nora's family, becoming a part of her kids' lives. There's something really beautiful about this - a Hollywood character outside of a Hollywood setting. This was a gorgeous book and I highly recommend it!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ romances that dig deeper into character's inner development
⭕️ family stories - Nora's kids are a big part of this story
⭕️ slowing down and watching the sunrise
⭕️ smoldering Hollywood heroes

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

Brief Synopsis: Nora is a romance channel screenwriter, who lives paycheck to paycheck. Her marriage to a self-absorbed narcissist has just ended and she is starting the next chapter of her life. She recently wrote a screenplay about a crumbling marriage, which was optioned by a major movie studio and is shooting at her home. The studio cast “sexiest man alive Leo Vance” as her former husband. As part of his contract Leo requested to stay on her property in a camper. After the first day of shooting she finds Leo making himself at home. After the final shoot, she finds Leo on her porch, half a bottle of tequila in. He offers Nora a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. Nora immediately accepts.


My Thoughts: Nora is a character you truly root for; she has had so many struggles and gives everything to her children and her work. I really enjoyed this second chances romance. It was an easy read; I was able to read it in one sitting. The ending was a bit choppy for me, I would have loved for some of the loose ends to be tied up.

Not only does Nora go off script but so does this book. With the premises, you would assume this would have been an exaggerated story with the unattainable idea of a movie star romancing the commoner, but what this author does right is the simplistic tone of Nora’s story. The author doesn’t dramatize this story, but rather she focuses on the emotional connection of the characters in a realistic way. The author took the glamour and unfeasible notions and replaced them with realistic characters with emotions that are universal to feel rather than fictional ones.

This did take a while to get into, but once you got to the heart of the story, it completely sucks you in. Nora and Leo are equal parts captivating and charming. Their natural chemistry exuded from the pages and I really adored Nora. I felt empathetic towards her situation, but I loved how she was able to make something meaningful out of it. Overall this book had charismatic characters and a story that easily connects with its reader. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC

I loved this book from the start. Nora’s so very aware of her surroundings and has built a life that didn’t work for her ex, but seemingly works perfectly for her. She’s quick witted and says the things you wish rolled off of your tongue at the perfect moment.

She’s given all of herself to others for so many years—first her ex, then her kids. And now here’s a man, Leo, so used to everyone giving their all to him, but Nora is done giving.

Then their dance begins.

I was completely engrossed in this novel and read it in two sittings. I simply couldn’t put it down. But it wasn’t just the story (which is absolutely wonderful) that compelled me. It’s the writing. There’s something so natural, yet refined in the storytelling that you’re effortlessly swept from page to page.

I loved this book from the start and I loved it until its very last word. Absolute, utter perfection.

This felt like a really fast read. I loved the jokes about how formulaic Hallmark movies are, as I like to watch them and make fun of how similar all the plots are. I felt like the end wrapped up really quickly though, and without giving any spoilers, the reason that kept them apart ends up feeling really weak (though it is joked about in the future).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sexy and fun read of second chances with a bit of pop culture.
Nora and Leo make a bargain and of course - emotions get going and it makes everything complicated. After a divorce, Nora is left with her children and busy job. Can she learn to be in love again? Leo is a hottie and Hollywood loves him. After posing as Nora's husband on screen, he finds himself wishing it were real and not just a movie.
If you like modern-day romances with second chances and sexy sudden moments then reach for this one!

As this wonderful book begins, Nora is a screenwriter for a romance channel (think Hallmark). She is very successful, but is made to feel "less than" by her selfish husband, who has just abruptly left her and their two young children. When one of Nora's scripts is bought for a real Hollywood movie, the filming takes place at her quaint upper New York State home, and she meets the movie's star. This is a great romance, with a strong female character who actually cares about being a good parent in addition to falling in love. I look forward to recommending this story.

Grab yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, snuggle into that big Adirondack chair of the porch and drink in this charming, funny & fresh novel. Perfect Vacation Treat! Author Annabel Monaghan straddles the line between a novel grounded in the real life of a single, post-divorce Mom and straight up fantasy that serves the story and delights the reader. Nora, a screenwriter, is reeling after her husband abandons her, the kids and their mountain home. Enter Leo ( yes, Leo like THAT Leo..) , A List movie star in need of some grounding himself. The plot unfolds with romance, career victories, funny lines and lots of sunrises. Nora Goes Off Script is on point.

Really enjoyed this book! The perfect compliment to the season of Hallmark Christmas movies. An easy read with a lot of heart; it took me about 50 pages to really get into it, but once I did I finished in two days. Would definitely recommend this to others!

I'll be honest I can't tell if I love this book or not. It seemed a little bit like Sally Rooney writing but with an objective happy ending, which I love, so I'm gonna operate under the assumption that that was the intention. Nora is a heroine that you want to root for, whether it be for her parenting skills, career, or just her love life. I found Leo super charming, and I wish this was a dual POV instead, so we could see his perspective for a lot of this novel, but I understand the first person POV makes the story a little more realistic. I felt like the wrap up was a little too fast, considering the development that we see Nora go through, but I'm always a sucker for a happy ending.

Thank you again to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adorable! There’s so much humor and charm. It was a book I didn’t want to put down. Easily could be considered a comfort read.

It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I was in, I was in and couldn’t put it down. I became obsessed with Nora and Leo and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened with their story.

I love books with a Hollywood element, and this one definitely delivered. The writing had a whimsical element to it. I found this hard to connect to at first, but really appreciated it once I got used to it. This is a great read. Truly recommend!

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun book about a woman who falls in love with a movie star who is living on her front lawn. Since the main character is a movie writer for "The Romance Channel" (think Lifetime/Hallmark) it was only fitting that the book was written in a similar style. We all know the typical formula for holiday movies, which is why throughout the book I wondered if this book would too. The adult characters in this book were fun, but the kids definitely stole the show. My only concern with this book is the ending. The ending was extremely abrupt, and I would have loved for it to have been a little longer and more thought out.

This book was wonderful and I couldn’t put it down! The middle to end plot not knowing what the missing piece of the story was kept me on edge. Loved it

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! When Nora's husband leaves and she is alone with their two children, she is relieved. Their divorce is a gift. She has been supporting Ben both emotionally and financially for years with nothing in return, thus she cannot miss something she never had. She channels her feelings into her writing and before she knows it, her life story is a best selling script for a blockbuster movie and the cast/crew is descending upon her home for a few days of filming.

The star of the movie, Leo (coincidentally playing the role of Nora's ex-husband) is at a crossroads in his real life. His mother has recently died and Leo needs to regroup and reset his life. He offers Nora an absurd amount of money to stay on her property for an extra week while he refocuses. Wanting the extra financial cushion that this agreement will bring, Nora agrees. She soon finds Leo inserting himself into her home, her family, and her heart. So much so that when Leo is called away on another project, Nora is devastated - even more than when her husband left.

Annabel Monaghan has a writing style that I adore. I could hear Nora's voice in my head - and for the record, Nora is a sharp, sarcastic, and overall relatable woman. Reading her story is something that I could relate to in so many ways. Her honesty and authenticity was refreshing. Nora Goes Off Script is a great and easy read. Leo is *sigh* dreamy and wounded. Nora is hilarious and also wounded and together they begin to heal each other's wounds. Her kids are lovely and I enjoyed the overall story of this book very much!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I felt like I was in one of Nora’s Hallmark movies for the first half of the book and then was quickly deeply invested in the second half of the book. It came together a bit quickly at the end, but hey that’s romance right.

When Nora, a cheesy romance screenwriter, writes a much more serious script depicting the tale of her divorce, she never believed it would get turned into a movie starring two of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood. When Leo needs a respite from the chaos of the film industry, he finds solace in Nora’s small town home. Bound by their mutual love of porch swing sunrises, they are faced with new insights and obstacles.

This book was such a delight to read! It reminded me of “The Idea of You” meets the contemporary romance genre that readers such as myself have been raving about. The development of Nora’s personal arc, as well as her relationships in the book, were very well written and mirrored that of a movie script, which I thought was a nice touch. I was constantly rooting for Nora and found myself gasping at the twists and turns this journey takes her on. I was particularly fond of Nora’s children, Arthur and Bernadette, as well as the cast of other supporting characters that gave the story plenty of dimension. This was a like the ultimate female fantasy as Nora confronts and conquers many different aspects of her life- her family, her love life, and her career.

I think this book will appeal to all romance readers, but particularly stick out to women in their 40s. Many popular romance novels feature younger main characters in their twenties and early thirties, but Nora Goes Off Script gives us the sweet package of romance that we love on top of a MC who's a little older, divorced, and a mom of two. It's refreshing and I think will resonate with many female readers.

4.5 Stars
This book took a little while to get into but it turned out to be SO good! It included such an honest look at life and the roller coaster it tends to be. I just LOVED Nora and Leo together - the “worlds handsomest man” and a romance screenwriter. A wonderful combo for a killer romcom.

I will say the miscommunication trope was REAL in this one… if it hadn’t have lasted so long I would’ve given this book 5 stars.

Thank you to Penguin and Net Galley for this arc!!!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at about 51%. I loved the idea and the premise, however the writing style was not for me. It felt like there was no detail or break. Essentially it read like; "This happened, then this happened then we did this, then this happened, etc, etc" over and over again. From the direction it was going I had a feeling the story line was going to be like the movies Nora talks about/writes. I love a good romance, and I loved the characters in this book, however the writing style was not for me.

This book was pretty predictable once I started it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I really did like the relationship between Nora and Leo, and I liked that each character was a little older. I liked the relationship between Leo and Nora’s kids too. You could see the twist coming from a mile away, but I will admit I was surprised as who the person was that carried out the expected twist. Overall it was a fun read.