I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I was attracted to the premise of this book - a single mom has a movie (that she wrote) being filmed at her house. The trope of famous person vs. normal person romance is a fun one, I also loved the protagonist of this book - a (somewhat) older woman who is capable and independent. It was easy to root for her. The author's writing style lends to this. I felt like Nora and I were having a conversation.

I recommend to someone who likes romance but is looking for something a little bit different. In addition to the story of a romance, it's also about a women who is succeeding at making it on her own. I should also note this has pretty much zero spice, especially by today's Booktok standards.

It's always interesting to read a romance novel where the main character is not a fan of insta-love and that makes fun of it while also being someone that makes a living from writing about love. Nora is a script writer that makes those super cheesy hallmark type movies where she uses her love equation that creates the perfect set up. Her life though is everything but romantic, more in the I-DONT-CARE-ABOUT-FINDING-LOVE-AGAIN-ILL-GO-THROUGH-LIFE-ON-MY-OWN. I want to assume that Nora had been someone who believed in love, who wanted to have that perfect story but unfortunately ended up with the wrong partner to try that with. She likes stability because of her kids, of knowing what will happen at what time and being able to be at home and enjoy that time. I enjoyed her character, she was a mom who really did put her kids first before herself. unfortunately she was someone who was ok with staying where she was and let things happen around her. The end of here marriage, the start of a new relationship, the end of the relationship and then fixing that was not her doing but it was done to her. Even toward the end she still her everyone decide what she should be doing.

Leo on the other hand is someone who has everything but stability, he does what he wants. When he arrives at Nora's house to film her movie he is burned out, not knowing where life is leading or knowing who cares about him because its hard to know when you have money and fame. So Nora is the complete opposite of his personality and to be honest its a bit hard to understand how they fell in love so quickly but i suppose it was because she had everything that he was missing so I an in a way understand why he fell in love.

I saw some people be a bit annoyed about the fact that she thought a lot about money and well i actually understood that part, not from experience but from seeing it happen to someone that I now. of them working so hard trying to provide and seeing their partner spend that money without a care to purchase a pair of shoes ( or any other material thing) and not even use or need it and at the same time complaining that the reason they are struggling with money is because of her. Noras relationship with her ex seemed so real that I could picture them as someone i knew.

towards the end though I had lost a bit of interest, I'm not sure where they lost me but somewhere past the first half I was just not as invested. the twist that caused all of their issues was not even surprising, what surprised me more was the fact that Nora did nothing... she didn't try to talk to Leo instead she waited until HE reached out to her otherwise they might not have gotten back together

It was an enjoyable story to pic up but one that I might not think about unless its in front of me.

I am a little late to the party, but this was a home run. It was so witty and fresh. This felt like the perfect romcom.

Swoon worthy! A complete and total delight.

“Have you ever felt like you’re disappearing? he asks. Like you’re sure one day you’re going to wake up and find that the truest parts of yourself have been replaced by someone else’s plans?”

Most of the time, I grab rom-coms for an uplift. I want to laugh. I want to fall in love. And many times, I just want to escape from real life.

And that is nice. But you know what’s even better? A rom-com that lets you laugh and fall in love while also being in the middle of the hard parts of real life.

Nora might write the perfect love stories for others to adore. But her own life took a very different turn, and now she’s muddling through the unexpected with her two kids. Leo Vance, Hollywood hunk, is adored by millions. But in reality, he’s unfulfilled and lonely.

But those early morning sunrises (7 of them) that Nora and Leo share on her front porch… they suddenly put both of them on a different (exciting) trajectory.

This was a special story. It had all the things I love (witty banter and steamy chemistry). But it went beyond that. The scenes around the dining room table. The grocery store trip. The late night texts filled with longing. The afternoons spent with the kids.

The way Monaghan wrote “real life”… it showed the *beauty* in the mundane. It showed the real, heart exploding in your chest, fulfilling type of love that we all long for. The kind that lets you grow as a person while also growing as a couple. The kind of love that lasts. Oh Nora and Leo! 💗

I was smiling from ear to ear as I finished this one. I absolutely loved it.

Nora Goes Off Script is a heartwarming and insightful novel about love, work, and family. Monaghan has crafted an engaging story that will resonate with readers long after turning the last page. The characters are richly drawn, and the dialogue is sharp and witty. The romance between Nora and Leo is both believable and electric. I was rooting for them from the very first chapter. If you're looking for a feel-good read that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love, look no further than Nora Goes Off Script.

I really loved this book! It was well written and love the dialogue in the book. The author did a great job in writing the characters and the relatability.

Four stars. Delightfully Hallmark-y with heart. I'm so glad this book found me, it's the perfect way to start of the new year! I thought I knew where it was going, but I was so wrong! Light, breezy, a perfect way to reset!

I hate to say this but this book bored me! I couldn’t get my way through it, and I am a romance / meet cute lover! I love books that fit this typical description but this one didn’t hit it for me,

This was cute, but I didn't LOVE it. Nora started to really bother me toward the middle, and not in a good way! I like when books have complicated main characters and narrators, but here I felt like Nora was just going in a completely different direction. There was a bit of "insta love" between her and Leo and I didn't love how involved her kids got with him, because...he's there for a short period of time and also a huge celebrity? Girl, what are you DOING! I was yelling at the page! I wish the relationship was fleshed out a bit more, I would have liked more character background from Leo to understand him a bit more.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for my copy, all thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed this! I think it could have been 50 pages longer because the ending felt pretty sudden. But I got very invested in the characters and their story, so overall a fun read!

LOVED THIS ONE!

It is so refreshing to see books that feature an actual middle aged love interest!!

Nora is 40, and was just dumped by her good for nothing husband Ben. Nora knows she's better off without him and she takes control of her life. She is a TV screenwriter who is always writing the picture perfect hallmark happy endings, but now she decides to write about real life, literally HER life.

A major studio picks up her script and her home is used as one of the locations for shooting!! Her home is now not only filled with the camera crew, but also the extremely good looking star actor Leo!

Leo makes himself at home and even stays longer than that initial filming time!! They go through a bunch of ups and downs, and you will have to read to find out how it all ends!

Definitely recommend this one to anyone who is looking for a loveable hero & heroine while still knowing it is real life!

Thanks to netgalley and Annabel Monaghan's team for an ARC!

What an awesome romance. So real and so well written. I loved the characters and the miscommunication issue felt right. Can’t wait to read more from this author

Romance isn’t usually my genre of choice, but gosh, did I enjoy this book. Nora is such a likable main character, and I absolutely loved her dry, sarcastic sense of humor. This story was just so lovely and wholesome—perfect to cuddle up and read on a cold winter day.

What a fun little rom com book! Nora writes screenplays I’m imagining for tv like lifetime or hallmark. Her husband, Ben leaves her with the kids and she ends up writing the story of their relationship. Enter Hollywood star Leo and a major life change that happens to this normal family.

I loved the fun story and the ending.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

Nora's novel about the tragedy of her won love life is picked up for a movie set to be filmed at her own house. At the end of the film, the lead actor pays her to let him stay for a little restcation. No one is more surprised than Nora when her relationship with the reclusive actor starts to veer into more. I loved this one. It was a little bit Hallmark but also had some grit. Kind of like the novel Npra wrote in the first place. I loved the characters and didn't want to leave the charming setting.

I really really enjoyed this! Good amount of steam, great family “drama” realistic and I didn’t see that ending coming. Another fantastic read of mine in 2022!

I have recommended this book to so many of my friends/family already. I have already added Annabel Monaghan's next book to my TBR and wrote it into my planner. I could not stop reading this story until I finished, all while dreading it to end. Monaghan expertly weaves grief, love, anger, stubbornness, selflessness, resentment, and forgiveness. She took the classic movie-star-falls-for-the-small-town-simple-life trope and spins it into a unique and engaging story. I will be re-reading this book along with anything and everything else Monaghan releases. To say I am impressed and hooked is an understatement.

This was such a fun book! The main character was lovable, and I really enjoyed her strong opinions. She stuck with her decisions and I think that’s a really incredible example.

I’m in love with this story! It reminds me of a Hallmark movie, which I’m obsessed with. I definitely recommend it.

Wow. I absolutely adored this story!

I must be honest; I kept putting this book off to the side based on the general premise and, yes, I judged the book by its cover.

What I had expected was a trite little rom com with the (imo, overdone) celebrity-falls-for-the-normal-person trope.

What I got was a much deeper, much more meaningful, heartfelt story that was more about being allowed to be who you are-warts and all-unconditionally. This is about what it's like to find freedom in being authentically you without having to put on a face or put on airs. I found this story to be un-put-down-able and refreshingly different.

Well done, Annabel Monaghan! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻