I loved this one. The characters, while flawed, felt so read. When I finished I felt like I had people missing from my life.

Leo’s growth as a character was my favorite part, and I loved the relationship with Nora. The chemistry between the two was well written, then the story moved quick.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 ⭐️// I knew I wanted to read this book when the description said that it’s a combination of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Beach Read. I can attest that the classification is spot on!

After Nora’s husband leaves her and their kids, she uses her storytelling skills to write about their marriage. Instead of her agent sending the script to the romance tv station like normal, the agent decides the story could be chosen for the big leagues, and they were right. The script was picked, and they started filming at Nora’s home. Leo, the actor playing her husband, keeps finding ways to get under Nora’s skin, but soon, they’re learning more about each other and spending more time together. What could go wrong?

After starting chapter one, I knew it would be good book, but I was not prepared for just how great it would be!! I laughed. I shed some tears. I felt all the feels, and I didn’t want it to end. Be prepared for this book’s publication on June 7, 2022!

Read this book if …
🎥You’ve dreamed of writing Hallmark movies
☀️You wake up everyday to see the sunrise
🛖You want a she-shed
🏃‍♀️You run for fun
🍷You appreciate good wine

TW: marital/family abandonment, alcoholism

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First I have to say it’s refreshing to be reading the story of a 39 year old woman. I truly feel like there is a lack of stories about this age group out there on the market. On top of that this story is unique. I’ve read lot of books and it’s wonderful to read something that isn’t just a retelling.

There were parts of this story that ripped my heart to shreds. I knew it was going to happen… it just didn’t happen like I expected it to. The twists 😳 I really want to talk about it but I don’t want to spoil the ride you are going to go on! I felt so much love during this story too, and moments of laughter. Truly I felt a full spectrum of emotions.

Honestly this story was even better than I could have anticipated… simply I loved it! Only two things I wish for - I can’t imagine Ben not having some sort of reaction and for more 😍. I’d love a futuretake about this family!

Overall I’d give this 4.75 stars.

I received this book via NetGalley for free for my honest review which is posted on GoodReads and StoryGraph.

I really related to Nora as the main character and loved reading her journey. I hope I can gain her courage soon!

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan tells the story of Nora, a newly single mother. She makes scripts for Hallmark type movies. The cheesy ones that always have a happy ending. But she writes one about her failed marriage and that is the one sold to Hollywood. They come to town to film the movie in her actual home and her routine life is turned upside down. The leading man , Hollywood heartthrob Leo, quickly finds his way into Nora and her children’s hearts. But things get quite tricky when he leaves to film another movie.

I enjoyed this novel very much! Nora was such a well written and realistic character. The way the love short between her and Leo progressed was so fun to read. Nora’s children were hilarious and sweet. I enjoyed all the scenes with them in the novel. The second half of the book lagged a bit for me. The conflict could’ve easily been resolved, which I didn’t love. I hate bad communication being used as a plot point. Other than that, this book was really well done!

*Thank you Putnam Books & NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book*

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! This felt like a Hallmark movie and I loved every minute of it. Leo is so hot. I want my very own Leo. My only thing is that the romance between H and h felt a bit rushed. There wasn’t much chemistry beforehand.

Nora Goes off Script by Annabel Monaghan is a refreshing contemporary romance with complex characters. Nora is a writer who makes scripts for "hallmark" type movies. Her real life is far from a romance. She is a middle aged mom of two trying to move on from a passionless marriage and stark divorce. The story of her ex husband leaving has inspired her newest script. When Hollywood comes to her small town farm to film her script she inadvertently begins a relationship with the Hollywood actor who is playing her ex husband. Nora and Leo must navigate a relationship once he leaves her farm and goes back to the real world.

This book had a little of a slow start for me. Once the relationship started, it was hard to put down. I really enjoyed how real Nora's life was portrayed. I don't generally enjoy romances with kids in them but Nora's children were smart, funny, and endearing. I felt like the separation and conflict between Nora and Leo went on for far too long. The resolution wrapped up extremely quickly in the end. It was all a misunderstanding that could have easily have been resolved with a simple conversation/text/phone call. Overall, I enjoyed Monaghan's writing and story telling. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Annabel Monaghan, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m kind of conflicted about how to review this book. The first 50% of the book was absolutely perfect, in my eyes. It’s one of my favourite things I’ve read. It was entertaining, witty, and swoon-worthy. But then the romance novel complication comes in. Just like the screenplays Nora writes, there’s always a complication but then the couple comes back together. And that’s fine! I know that, I like that. But I found that the complication in this story just lasted so long, and when it finally did get resolved, the book was basically over.

I will say that I had no idea how the author was going to pull me back into the romance by the end, because I honestly was really upset and angry about how things developed, and she did. Which is wonderful! I love that it wasn’t predictable, and still had a happy ending. I just wish things resolved faster, and earlier in the book

With all that said, I still very much enjoyed this & highly recommend it. I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy of it when it comes out in June. Nora and Leo were both great characters, all of the side characters were honestly a joy to read about as well, and it was a different story than I’ve ever read. I also found that the comparison to Evvie Drake Starts Over was accurate. I adored that book, and I totally felt the similar vibes that Nora Goes Off Script to that book.

Thank you to Putnam Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

This is a book I want everyone to read. I will sing it from the rooftop if I have to! It’s the perfect mix of heartfelt and humor all wrapped up nicely in a contemporary romance. It’s also very reminiscent of the movies on Hallmark, which makes it even better as the main character is a script writer for movies like that. All in all, it deserves every star!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Nora Hamilton. She is a single mom of two who has come out of a failed marriage. Her job as script writer gives her a chance to make cash out of her broken life and she takes it.

I loved everything about Nora. She was very relatable which made her so real. I can’t say that I have ever been in her shoes but it didn’t stop me from feeling for her. Her situation also showed how strong she was when it came to her husband leaving and picking up the pieces after to show her kids that they were better off. Those kids were her number one.

Since she is a script writer for a romance channel, it wouldn’t be a real plot without her finding love. The romance in this book was perfection. It isn’t a slow-burn and maybe it happened quickly but it all felt right! Maybe it was the romantic in me cheering for that happy ending. There are precious moments and shot at the picture perfect life, not only for her but also for Leo. It isn’t always sunshine and rainbows though. They do have something go wrong but it wasn’t overly dramatic and it had me continuously reading to find out when they would be in each other’s arms once again.

Leo, the man of the hour. He was perfect in every way. He was everything her ex-husband wasn’t and then some. He had his faults but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I liked that he had his own plotline about finding normalcy and wanting to learn to do things on his own. He didn’t care if people recognized him and came up to him. He just treated everyone so well and was a great listener.

There are many other great characters, smaller ones, but still added a lot to the book. Her kids and family were great and strong supporters of her. Nora’s sister was there when she reached out and needed that extra nudge. Plus, I could relate to her wanting that happy ending! She definitely was a romance movie watcher and it showed, haha. Even Nora’s friend Kate was great. She was a shoulder to cry on and a listener. Leo’s family didn’t get much spotlight but I did like that they were introduced eventually.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and one I want to keeping reading again and again. It filled my heart with joy and also had me crying at parts. This was also a book I never looked once at the percentage I was on and couldn’t believe how fast I devoured it. It was just way too good to put down.

received galley from a different source, reviews posted on Amazon, GoodReads, Instagram, Indigo, and Literal

Women fiction and romance has got to be one of my favourite genres. And this book fits the bill. I was super stoked about it, right after reading the blurb. And, not gonna lie, it’s been quite some time that I have been enticed like that. I enjoyed the book. I loved Nora as a character. The supporting characters were literally quite supportive. Although, I felt the beginning a bit slow and the middle quite dragged. Despite that, it was one fun read. And, especially, after that ending, there definitely has to be an epilogue!!

Nora’s life is about to get a rewrite…

Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. 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. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. 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.

A thoughtful romance that dives into the grief of painful divorce, navigating a new life with her two children, and finding freedom and renewal in her own independence and strengths. Along the way, the actual love story is a heartfelt delight!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Nora Goes Off Script is pitched as Evvie Drake Starts Over meets Beach Read. Nora is a romance screenwriter who is recently divorced, and sold her first non-romance movie. She has two adorable kids, and lives in a small town in an old house with a tea house out back. The Hollywood film crew, with huge stars, comes to film at her house, and she meets Leo - a big movie star, and “Sexiest Man Alive.” Leo ends up staying at her house, paying her $1,000 a day to sleep in the tea house after production has wrapped.

My first thoughts were that this is totally Hallmark-movie esque, just with a big Hollywood component. I didn’t mind that, I love Hallmark movies and I think that’s the intention! The characters are great - I love Bernie and Andrew, and the friends Nora has in town are great side characters with funny tidbits attached.

I will say the relationship/love interest seemed a bit rushed and out of nowhere. There wasn’t much chemistry beforehand, and it seemed a bit “insta love.” I’m not a huge fan of books where the biggest issue could be resolved just by actually talking about your feelings BUT I do think that’s a pretty common theme in romance so I’m learning to let go of that pet peeve (while also simultaneously telling book characters in my mind they’d really truly, benefit from therapy).

The ending of the book did drag on for a bit, but it made sense why in the end. I loved seeing Nora grow and work with her family. It felt like real-life characters.

This book will be released June 7, 2022!

Get your coffee and wine ready!!! I absolutely adore this book! I debated on four or five stars but I thought the ending was too quick. Nora is a screenwriter for the romance channel. She finally hits it big and falls for one of the actors.

The middle of the book continued to build, the character development is wonderful. I love Nora and her family. I love the perspective of a suburban mom falling for a movie star. I can’t wait to re-read the published book.

Published: June 7, 2022
A special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, GP Putnam’s Sons, for this early e-ARC.

Very touching and excellently written with an art imitates life feel to it. The characters of Nora, Leo, Arthur, and Bernadette are true to life and so easy to enjoy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✨ 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.