Book Review Wednesday: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

 I've had this novel sitting in my Netgalley for quite a while and I finally read it a few weeks ago and wanted to kick myself for not reading it sooner. Nora Goes Off Script is a quick, easy, romantic and heart-felt read that oddly kept me on my toes, made me cry, and left me wanting more. It was everything you want in a novel to pull you out of a reading slump while also breaking your heart. 

Nora Goes Off Script was published on June 7th, 2022, and is available for purchase now. If you love romance novels with epic twists and lots of miscommunication, I think you will love this! 

Publisher's Summary

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 husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns the collapse of her marriage into the best script of her life. When it's picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her picturesque Hudson Valley home, Nora's life will never be the same - especially after world-famous Hollywood actor and former 'Sexiest Man Alive' Leo Vance is cast as her ex-husband.

The morning after 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 an extra week. Seven days: it's the blink of an eye or an eternity, depending on how you look at it. It's enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart . . .

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.

My Thoughts

The plot of this book sounded so interesting to me -- a romance TV writer (aka Hallmark Movies) falls for the star of her first Hollywood film, who just so happens to play her disgusting ex-husband. It was too cute and too good for me to not be obsessed with.

This was a beautiful, confusing, slightly chaotic romance that was fast-paced; we jumped right into the story with Nora and her family and it felt like you were missing something, that's how good the writing was. I love a book like that, where there is not a lot of prep and story setup and you just dive into the main plot points.

The writing and story flowed from the very beginning and you immediately had a wonderful understanding of who Nora was; she was a great narrator and you felt her personality come off the page-- strong but soft, passionate, and level-headed... it was really nice to be inside her mind.

Of course, Nora and Leo fall for each other and then you are hit with a huge plot twist that knocked me off my feet. I was so lost, confused, sad, and angry but toward the end everything made sense. This was an in-the-clouds romance, it almost read like fanfiction which I'm fine with. 

Nothing about this book was realistic, or maybe it is in some world, but it made me feel all soft and warm inside. It was romantic and out there but somehow also deep - Nora was going through a lot, as were her children, and she fought for them to have a good, normal life while also trying to go after her dreams and follow her heart in Leo.

It was a really wonderful, quick read that made me incredibly happy as well as made me cry! If you need something light, fast, and adorable I cannot recommend Nora Goes Off Script enough! 

xoxo

B