Nora is a romance channel screenwriter so when her no-good husband leaves her and their two kids, she writes about it. She writes the best script of her life that's picked up for the big screen. Filming occurs at her house and she finds Leo Vance, the man cast as her ex-husband, drunk with a proposition to stay an extra week for a thousand dollars a day, Nora agrees. Those seven days change Leo and Nora's lives. But then complications, like work and kids get in the way of their love.

I read this in one sitting, which isn't that unusual, but part of that was because I had to know how it ended. Monaghan takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride that had me crying in the club. I loved that this focused on Nora's journey to find herself and heal from her past. I found Nora to be inspiring as she tried to keep it all together for her kids and as she searched for internal strength while her world was crashing around her. I was rooting for Nora from the beginning and this heartwrenching journey is worth the read.

CW: spousal and child abandonment

Thank you to Putnam Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub Day to this sweet love story! The last couple of romance books I've read have focused on the two characters being from two totally different worlds, and it's honestly becoming my favorite type of troupe, if that's a thing. Nora being from a "normal" lifestyle where her daily routine consists of shuttling kids to their activities, fulfilling her motherly duties as a single mother, all while trying to advance her career, is what made her so likeable to me. She truly cares for her children and just wants to be able to juggle her career with her role as a mother. Then enters Leo, a celebrity actor who is swoon worthy, and not a member of "normal" society, who just wants to hide away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood. The chemistry between Nora and Leo was fun and filled with witty banter. I sped through this one in only a matter of a few hours, and I have to say I loved every page.

I'm jealous of Nora's porch swing with a view of the sunrise! It sounds like the perfect reading spot to me, and not to spoil anything too much, but I feel like the best conversations between characters in the book, happened when they were sitting on the porch swing!

If you're looking for a lighthearted, fun, cute, and small town romance book, definitely give this one a try!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in return for my honest review!

Happy pub day! @annabelmonaghan
Nora Goes Off Script

This was such a cute read!! I loved Nora’s outlook on life. And I love a single-mom, main character!! Nora’s a screenwriter (think Hallmark romcoms) but after the wreckage of her marriage, she writes something much more dark and intricate and it makes it big. In comes Leo, the hot movie star to play the main character. They are filming the movie at Nora’s Teahouse and once done, Leo doesn’t leave. One thing leads to another & they fall in love. Or do they? Leo gets his next big break as a star in another movie and has to leave almost suddenly. At first things are fine, but then Leo ghosts Nora and Nora is left to pick up the pieces of her life.

Do they get a happy ending? You’ll have to read it and see! This was a quick, fun, cheesy-Hallmark read but I’ll take all the cheese every day 🧀

Thank you to @netgalley & @putnambooks for the eARC — out today!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 stars!

This book had such wonderful potential to be great. Perhaps even one of my favorites for the year. I plot and characters were strong and likeable. The specific setting the story wrapped around was unique. And I loved that both characters were in their late 30s. The dialogue was also good and I though writing style was strong as well.

That being said, there was almost no depth to this story. Everything, every interaction, every character building moment, every conflict, was all surface level. The author rushed through every moment in this book way too quickly. Each beat, each interaction between the main characters maybe last four sentences? Even the important ones. So when the characters said they loved each other, I was literally like, “wtf? Why? How?” There were many moments between the male lead and the kids that were very sweet and I loved, but the author passed over them so quickly, and over the story in general, that I felt like I had whiplash during each scene.

If the author had expanded the book, given us internal motivations and emotions during the scenes, this book would have been phenomenal. I just don’t understand why it was all surface level. There was so much potential here. I enjoyed it enough to give it three stars, but I know it could’ve easily been five stars if the author had gone deeper in even just a couple scenes.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Is the premise a little far fetched...absolutely. But isn't that what fiction is all about? I loved how Leo infiltrated the house and the family....his relationship with the kids is adorable. I think he truly fell for Nora, while I felt like hers was more of an infatuation with a star that grew into something more.
The miscommunication really frustrated me, but it is totally something I could see an 11 year old kid doing.

OVerall, this was a fun, quick, adorable read which had me smiling throughout!

I loved this book, and that took me by surprise. More books about moms in their late thirties taking care of shit, being awesome parents, and also getting a super hot romance because MOMS DESERVE!

Nora Goes Off Script was way more than I expected—at first it felt like just an excellent post-divorce romance fantasy, but then it also because this emotionally rich story and just…go read it!

Thank you @putnambooks for the e-galley!

[Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group Putnam and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own]

Nora Goes Off Script is a very meta Hallmark romance love story. Perfect for summer with just the right amount of unbelievability, wit, and charm. It’ll have you grinning and laughing. I’ve never been a “tabber” but I highlighted so many quotes while reading this book.

First, I loved the characters. Nora was great, she gave me Finlay Donovan vibes. I loved her children, especially Bernie and I really felt like all of the characters blended really well together.

Second, I loved the plot. It was so absurd and outlandish, but it somehow worked really well for me. Big time actor falls for the small town screenwriter (classic Hallmark) and then the drama ensues. It was excellently paced and just an overall fun read.

Nora Goes off Script by Annabel Monaghan is a funny and charming story. Nora is a thrifty independent woman who loves her two children and is working very hard to figure out her life after her husband left her. She writes romance scripts, and decides to cash in on her own life story. They are filming her latest movie at her house, and Leo, the main star, begs her to let him stay after filming for the next 7 days. She agrees.

I was enchanted by this delightful read. The great dialogue, funny everyday scenes and banter made me laugh out loud. The small town setting and Nora’s tea house were rather magical. I appreciated Nora’s neighbors, wonderful friend base, and her delightful and quirky family.

I loved Nora' s relationship with Leo, how she learned to love herself, and watching her become who she was supposed to be. This was the perfect read to start my summer. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of the book and not required to write a positive review.

Title: Nora Goes Off Script
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Nora Goes Off Script" by Annabel Monaghan
My Assessment:

'Nora Goes Off Script' was a good read where she was rearing her two children by herself since her husband had left her...now a single mom. Nora had a good job where her screenplay was sold to Hollywood. Currently, they are filming what happened in her book [about her marriage] in part of her house. When the filming ends, the male star asks to stay for a week longer. What will happen from this situation if Noral and Leo become involved? How will Nora's children Authur and Bernadette think of this? As time moves on and Leo has to leave due to his job, what will Nora's son do to cause quite a situation for his mother? I will say I wasn't happy with what that son did, but due to how his father had treated them, I guess one could understand this ten-year-old way of thinking. However, the grown-ups should have talked, and maybe questions would have been answered much sooner. You will have to pick up this good read and see how well this author brings it all out. The story will keep one turning the pages to find how well it turns out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

Nora is a screenwriter who writes primarily for The Romance Chanel (think Hallmark movies). When her narcissistic husband divorces her and leaves their family behind, Nora writes a screenplay based off her life that gets picked up by Hollywood. Next thing she knows, the production is filming on location at the tea house in her backyard and A List movie star Leo Vance is sleeping in her front yard.

This one had a slow start for me, and I had a hard time connecting to Leo at first, but once I was a few chapters in, I was completely hooked. So much so that I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish.

I loved the romance here. Biggest reason: It was just so authentic, which is something I wasn’t expecting from a celebrity romance. From Nora herself, to her kids, to the gradual build up between Nora and Leo and all the complexities that surrounded their situation. It hit me right in what I’m calling my “basic mom” feels. It felt so real and I could easily see myself in her position.

The conflict was heartbreaking and dabbled with the miscommunication trope, but the way the author explained it made sense and took away some of the sting. Honestly, it gave me all these Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift vibes, especially the music video for it, but with a wonderful happily ever after at the end.

Read if you like:

Small Town Romance
Celebrity Romance
Single Parent Romance
Heroine POV
Closed Door Romance

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for the eARC and the gifted finished copy.

By design, Nora Goes Off Script reads a bit like a Hallmark movie. Nora has sold a screenplay about her relationship with her ex-husband. When the cast shows up to film on her property, the male lead, Leo, asks if he can stay for a week to escape Hollywood. You can guess what happens next…

What I liked: This was a lighthearted contemporary romance and with how heavy the world seems right now, it was a good break for me (right book/right time).

Nora’s career allowed for the author to give a nod to traditional romance plot lines that the book actually followed to some extent - big city lead ends up falling for small town person, conflict, resolution.

Leo chaffing a bit at his celebrity profile and having fun doing normal things, like going to a hardware store.

The conflict wasn’t what I expected.

What didn’t work for me: Ben, Nora’s ex, is not very developed to the point I questioned what Nora ever saw in him. There’s a storyline where he calls saying he is going to get the kids in two weeks, and while the characters acknowledge prior to the call that he never follows through, it isn’t brought up if he shows up or offers an excuse as to why he didn’t.

I wish the relationship timeline was a bit more developed. Maybe I’m too overprotective but who lets a stranger (even a famous one) just walk in and out of their house at night when their kids are sleeping? The relationship goes from fling to serious fairly quickly. I wish Leo and Nora had said something during their misunderstanding.

The ending is a bit rushed.

Who should read it: You dream of renovating an old farm house during the day and watching Hallmark romance movies curled up next to (insert your celeb crush) at night.

This is a fairly closed door romance - the characters talk about having sex but you’re not getting all the steamy details.

Thanks lovearctually and GP Putnam’s Sons for my gifted copy. This is out June 7.

I absolutely loved this book! The writing is immersive and the plot, while unrealistic in some parts, overall is charming and hopeful and wonderful! Romance screenplay writer Nora is a character I really loved and found relatable. I enjoyed living vicariously through her as she developed a relationship with famous movie-star Leo. A charming and heartwarming story that was just what I needed right now.

A perfect summer beach read, the book to get you out of a reading slump, a feel-good sweet romance!!

This was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now! Light-hearted in the beginning to draw me in, realistic & relatable main character that I could see parts of myself in, charming small-town setting, and slowly pulling my heartstrings more and more!! I loved that Nora was a corny cheesy romance movie writer (I’m imagining Hallmark movies) and how the author leans into poking fun at the story cliches. Nora’s inner monologue was so realistic, funny, and natural.

The perfect concoction of escapism romance (I mean hello, former Sexiest Man Alive!!), witty dialogue, and all the heart hugs.

This was such a cute and endearing read! I felt the authenticity of Nora's character but it also had that hallmark vibe (mainly because that's the style she writes). The twist really got me! I also really want to see this tea house. I fell in love with both of her kids and thought all of the side characters made a great ensemble. Would recommend!!

Nora Hamilton is a wife, mother of two children and a romance writer. The kind that writes Romance movies for the Romance Channel. Her husband Ben is a narcissistic drain. He leaves her and the kids to go to Asia. Nora writes a book about it. It gets turned into a movie. The movie ends up being filmed in her backyard. Leo Vance plays Trevor aka Ben and decides to stay after filming ends. He offers Nora $1k a day for 7 days. Nora accepts because she needs the money.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I could not put it down. I laughed and cried. I was so proud of Nora for going on with life when her heart was broken. I loved the characters and the life Nora created for her family. Her house sounds like a dream. This was such a fun light hearted romance. I loved it so much.

Nora Goes Offscript
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/7/22
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 272
Goodreads Rating: 4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing a digital advanced readers copy of the book for me to read for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Nora Hamilton is a romance channel screenwriter. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage's collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. Then it is picked up for TV. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne'er do well husband Nora's life will never be the same. The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He'll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it's the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it's the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.

My Thoughts: This celebrity love to normal person trope, which I tend to love, felt real and lifelike. This is a bingeable book, quick read. This is more fiction than romance, but I loved it anyway. The story is narrated from Nora’s perspective. This could definitely be a Hallmark movie. The characters are well developed, have depth, charismatic, and the growth of Nora was fantastic. The author’s writing was complex, creative, intriguing, and it kept me engaged. I really enjoyed this quick read. I would read other books by this author as I loved her style.

Nora, a formulaic Hallmark-esque movie writer, takes her story to the big screen after her good-for-nothing husband abandons her and their two school-aged children. Filming brings Hollywood heartthrob Leo to her doorstep and rather than leaving with the crew after shooting wraps Leo asks to stay the week at her picturesque historic home, offering $1000 per day in rent. Nora needs the money so agrees. They strike up a romance that winds up in jeopardy due to miscommunication.

Nora Goes Off Script is an easy breezy, plot forward romance meant to be enjoyed quickly at fewer than 300 pages. I've seen it compared to Evvie Drake Starts Over which I can see, there's also a whiff of The Bridges of Madison County about it, which is actually mentioned in the book.

Prime summer reading as long as you're willing to just roll with the story, that is yes, pretty outlandish, but entertaining nonetheless - much like those romance movies Nora herself pens!

Thanks for the gifted book @putnambooks!

Nora Goes Off Script
By: @annabelmonaghan
Pub Date: June 7th!

Nora, who normally writes Hallmark-y movies for a living, writes a script about her marriage and subsequent divorce. Part of the filming takes place on her property in a building called “the tea house”. This is where she goes each day to write.

The filming brings with it The Sexiest Man Alive, who moves in with his airstream, but fails to depart when the airstream leaves. Leo has found peace in the sunrises from Nora’s porch swing, where she joins him each morning. Over time, Leo blends himself into Nora’s life, the lives of her two children, and the town of Laurel Ridge. That is until the day he gets a call for an audition in Los Angeles…

I was instantly drawn into this story and couldn’t put the book down. It made my heart feel a big range of emotions. It’s the best kind of love story. The characters are relatable. The writing was fantastic. The author sets up the scenery of the book so beautifully. I want to go myself.

Nora Goes Off Script is the perfect fun book for a poolside or beach read. It is fun and if you enjoy Hallmark Romance movies, this is the book for you. I found this book to be fun, well-written, and predictable. Not a bad formula for a good summer romance.

Book Review: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Nora Goes Off Script is a contemporary romance about a scriptwriter that falls for the Hollywood actor starring in her latest movie.

Nora is a divorced mother of two that writes sweet and formulaic tv love stories from the “tea house” in her rural New York home. When the script inspired by demise of her marriage is filmed on her property starring Hollywood movie star Leo Vance she will find herself romantically and professionally on a completely new path. Leo will try new things that a Hollywood hotshot never gets to do (like grocery shopping and directing kids in an elementary school musical) and Nora has a man truly interested in her for the first time in her life.

Nora Goes Off Script is a swoony love story for readers that want a romance about grownups navigating kids and careers in the twenty first century. The story never lags and I actually finished it in twenty four hours. Nora is the funny and relatable main character that we can all root for. And Leo is the type of male lead in a romance I enjoy reading about (kind, generous and utterly smitten). I highly recommend this for fiction lovers that also enjoy a little (or a lot) of romance in their reading.

Four stars