"Nora Goes Off Script" is a charming contemporary YA novel that explores the themes of friendship, family, and finding your voice. The story follows Nora, a high school senior with dreams of becoming a screenwriter, as she navigates the ups and downs of adolescence while grappling with her father's unexpected illness. Filled with humor, heart, and plenty of cinematic references, this book was a delightful read that should have broad appeal to a range of differently-aged readers. Monaghan captures the trials and triumphs of teenage life, creating a story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, with a protagonist who is both endearing and authentic. As Nora embarks on a mission to make her mark in the film industry, she learns valuable lessons about the importance of staying true to herself and following her passions, even in the face of adversity.

Leo and Nora Forever!

This book is absolutely perfect. Cannot wait to read more from Annabel Monaghan.

I loved every minute of this book. Nora is a highly relatable character, and I was rooting for her from start to finish. Great story about a single mom finding her footing and finding love again.

Brilliant and perfect! How much I enjoyed this story, my first with this author. Nora is a script writer of cheesy romantic stories. This is how she kept her family afloat while her deadbeat husband went after one brainless investment after another. After her husband left her, she wrote a script that’s darker, because she just needed to write their story out of her angry soul. This won her a Hollywood contract for a movie starring Hollywood’s most famous couple.

They came to film the breakup scene in her tea room, the primary reason for her marriage failure and the place where her marriage actually ended. And in so doing, she met the man who would make her deliriously happy and give her what her loser husband never did, complete focus on what she says and feels. Until another movie contract called him away.

There were so many things I loved about this story that the list seems endless. I loved their mornings, sipping coffee in Nora’s back porch watching every day’s sunrise. I loved how Leo took to Nora’s kids and helped with Arthur’s school play. He fit so seamlessly into their lives that I was as aghast as Nora when he ghosted her. I suffered right along with her and the kids during his absence.

This book truly took me through all the feels and I loved the author’s writing style, not fussy, with some brilliant, poetic descriptions that fit right into a description of what her life was like at the moment. One such example, my favorite: “There are two ferns at all times, one dying and one getting started, on a regular rotation of grief and replacement.”

I got a huge satisfaction from completing this story and can’t wait to read more from this author!

NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT is such a fun read. The characters were delightful and the wit oozed off the page. Monaghan really created a smartly crafted novel with all the humor and heart needed in a story like this.

The amount of romance is "just right" in this book. The characters and story are well developed. The story flows such that I found myself reading for hours without taking a break. Flew through it and recommend!

This book draws you in easily. We all want Nora's fantasy, right? Definitely a shining gem of a book in the middle of a reading rut. I believed all of it and I rooted for Nora the whole time, even when it all seemed impossible.

This story was incredibly adorable. I loved the movie star meets writer trope. I wish I would have fallen in love a little more with Nora, but it was absolutely adorable!

4.5 This was a cute woman lit romance my only issue was for a large part of the book I was so annoyed with the main characters. This story follows Nora a single mom who writes romance movies for the equivalent of the hallmark channel. When she meets Leo the star of one of her movies who ended up staying at her house during filming her life was changed.
I loved the characters in this book I really cared what happened to them and hope to see more about them in future books. The writing was also very fast paced and easy to read. My only complaint was for a large part of this book the miscommunication made no sense and I was so frustrated with the character’s decision’s but once I finished I really ended up quite enjoying it and it made more sense. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book 🥹 it just made me smile.

Nora is a screenwriter who mainly writes Hallmark romance movies. However, when she writes a screenplay about her recent divorce, the movie attracts a lot of attention and big stars. While filming scenes at her house, she falls in love with the main movie star. The story reminded me of THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST a bit.

NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT is short, sweet, and a total feel good romance book. It is about family, self love, and soulmates. If you need a little pick me up, I suggest picking up this book.

This was a fun yet thought-provoking, and at the same time, entertaining book. I really do enjoy books where the female main character discovers herself while dealing with life’s unexpected misfortunes. I loved her journey, and the romance aspect of the book were appealing as well. It’s a fun book that I would take to the beach.

I saw a lot of hype around this book, and I ended up liking it a lot. I really enjoyed both of the main characters in this story and thought this was a cute rom-com overall.

Nora Hamilton writes television romances. The formulaic ones that take place in a small town, where the big city woman has to come to the small down and falls in love with the local baker/vet/bookseller/fireman. And then she has to go back to the big city, but finds herself dram back to the small town, to the fireman/bookseller/vet/baker. Nora’s made a good life for herself and her family writing these movies.

Those television movies paid for the house where Nora lives with her two kids, Bernadette and Arthur. She bought the house when she was still married, and her husband Ben hadn’t fallen in love with it like she had. It has a tea house out back, which Nora uses as her writing nook. That’s where she wrote her latest movie, The Tea House. The script is basically the story of her marriage ending. Her agent had loved it and sold it not to the television production company Nora usually wrote for, but to a major studio. And hey decided to film it at Nora’s, in the actual Tea House.

And that’s how Hollywood heartthrob Leo Vance came to live in her tea house.

Leo was the male lead in the movie, and he and Nora struck up a friendship during the filming. She would get up every morning to see the sunrise, and when he found out, he would join her. He was fascinated at how she would go to the grocery store and make meatloaf and help her kids with their homework. He likes the quiet country life and Nora and her family, so when the movie wraps, he offers her some money if she’ll let him stay on in her tea house. They spend the next weeks watching the sunrises and going to Bernadette's soccer games and Arthur’s baseball games and talking about the price of bananas. And when Arthur gets a role in Oliver Twist, Leo gives him some pointers. And Leo stays on, helping direct the middle school production.

But then, Hollywood calls, and Leo has to leave. He’s up for a part in a big movie and has to go to Hollywood for a week. He promises he’ll be back. But he doesn’t come back. And Nora doesn’t know why.

As the weeks go by, then months, with no contact, Nora tries to figure out what went wrong. She knew what went wrong with Ben. That’s what she wrote The Tea House about. So she decides to try it again, and puts all her pain and confusion on the page. But is there any way this movie can have a happy ending?

Nora Goes Off Script is a smart take on romance, about a real woman and her ability to stay grounded when Hollywood drives up and parks in her front yard. It’s about falling in love without losing yourself. It’s about taking your heartache and making it into at. And it just makes you feel good. Nora is strong and devoted to her children, down to earth and hard-working, good-natured but flawed. She is very easy to root for, and I was rooting for her and her kids through the whole story.

I listened to this on audio, narrated by Hillary Huber, and I thought she was amazing. She voices Nora as a little dry, a little knowing, and it fits exactly with who I pictured Nora being. She made Nora sound smart and strong and determined but also vulnerable and emotional and honest. It’s a stellar performance, and I recommend listening to Nora Goes Off Script on audio, or listening to anything else Huber narrates.

I absolutely loved this novel. It was exactly the kind of romance I wanted. It was lovely and warm but also true to Meatloaf Wednesdays and kids with homework and having to pay the bills. It may not a typical romance, but I think it’s exactly the sophisticated romance I need in my life, and I will be watching for more books by Annabel Monaghan.

Egalleys for Nora Goes Off Script were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks, but I bought the audio myself through Chirpbooks.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. It's a cute concept but I just couldn't stay engaged with it. Hope to pick it up again someday.

Such a great read… Norah Hamilton knows how to write a romance script. She is a romance screenwriter and she is great at it. But when her husband leaves her and her two children.. she is at a loss. How can she pick herself up and start writing again. But Nora rallies and writes the best story of her life. It is so good that it has been picked up to be a film. How can things get any better.. well it does.. the Sexiest Man Alive gets picked to be the lead and Norah couldn’t be happier. Leo Vance is a blessing in disguise.. he will make her movie a tremendous success and he actually wants to stay at her house ($1000 a day for a week) to hide out from the world. Nora can’t believe her luck.. this money will help ensure she pays her mortgage and has some breathing room. Seven days can break you or make you and Norah handles it like a pro. This is such a cute love story. I read it so fast, I had to see how Nora makes out. This was a 4 1/2 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and Annabel Monaghan for my copy of Nora Goes Off Script, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

What a fun story. A hot Hollywood star, Leo, is called to the home of Nora, a writer that wrote a screenplay of her divorce. He is to star as the now ex husband. Nora asks writes screenplays equivalent to Hallmark movies that don’t really get much credit. Leo and Nora find love and Leo prefers the quiet quaint life that Nora leads. He becomes part of her family and her children fall in love with him too. But as all stories goes-Leo is called away for another film and Nora is left wondering if she will ever hear from him again. This was a feel good read with lots of love. Great story. I definitely recommend this one.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! It had some pretty standard romance tropes but overall it had decent character development and pacing.

Very endearing and charming story. I loved the family dynamic and enjoyed the story overall. It was an easy story to get lost in, fast and fun read.

From the publisher: Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story—the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.

I loved every page of this book! I am a Hallmark movie kind of a person and this was the perfect Summer read for me. If you are as well, this story of Nora finding her second act is a fit. The characters were relatable, the tone light, and the ending happy. It will leave you with a smile on your face and in your heart.

This was delightful! It reads (somewhat purposely) like a Hallmark movie, and I loved the main character, Nora. I loved the depth Annabel Monaghan gave to the characters, namely Nora, outside of the romance plot line.