This was a title I was invited to view and I loved it!

Nora is single mum of two and a screenwriter. Not the Hollywood kind, more The Romance Channel type. But when her semi-autobiographical script is turned into a movie, A lister Leo Vance in chosen to play the lead role and film at Nora’s home. When the time comes for him to leave, Leo decides to stay and the pair grow close. Until Leo is forced to leave……

I loved Nora’s character and the life she led with her children and her work. I loved how the story unfolded and her life grew.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for inviting me to read this lovely book.

Nora writes her own life as a script. Hollywood make it into a film and Leo plays the central role as leading man and becomes Nora's leading man. A cute romance but I didn't really see the connection between Leo and Nora. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest review of the book. Thank you to Annabel Monaghan and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read Nora Goes Off Script before it’s release.

Nora Goes Off Script follows romance screenwriter Nora Hamilton as she navigates life after her divorce. With two kids to look after and piling debts courtesy of her ex husband Ben, Nora turns their failed marriage into her best screenplay yet. When filming begins in the tea house behind her home, she meets the esteemed and very attractive Leo Vance, who acts in the role of her ex husband.

What was meant to be a simple few days of filming turns into much more when Leo decides he likes the appeal of Nora’s life. The two make a deal; Leo will stay for a total of seven days, paying Nora $1000 a day for the experience. But no deal is ever simple and as the days pass, the two grow close and Nora’s children Arthur and Bernadette get involved, the group looks set for the most interesting week of their lives.

This story gave me the same feeling as the type of scripts Nora typically wrote and I genuinely thought it was a pleasure to read. I found the characters to be likeable – aside from Ben, and while the miscommunication between Leo and Nora drove me insane for a period, I found Leo’s relationship with Arthur and Bernadette to be particularly wonderful.

The emotions of Arthur in particular felt realistic; after being left by his father it is completely understandable that he would be so cautious and scared regarding any future happiness, despite his young age. The scars Ben leaves on both his children; while he himself is absent, are so clear and potent that I felt furious at him on their behalf.

This was a lovely, easy read that I enjoyed and has truly got me wanting to watch a Hallmark romance.

This book was a lovely light read, great for reading on holidays, a nice romantic read for anyone that likes romance ..

An easy to read romance. Nora is a script writer and falls in love with the leading man from 9ne of her movies. An easy to read book, perfect holiday reading.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc 🥰😍

I really didn’t have any preconceptions of this book. It was great going into it with a clear mind and boy, did I love it!! 🥰🥰

Nora Hamilton is a loving, caring and hardworking screenwriter and mother who, despite her wonderful nature, has been unlucky when it comes to marriage. Enter Leo Vance, the most famous movie star on the planet who’s stunningly handsome and who happens to be playing the version of Nora’s ex husband that she’s written about in her newest script…awkward much? Um apparently Leo wants to make it a little more so when he asks Nora if he can stay at her house for a few days after filming has wrapped…😏😍

This book is absolutely brilliant!! 🥰🥰 I instantly loved Nora, she’s the perfect MC and her relationship with her children is so loving and fierce that I just want to sit and have dinner with them (I guess I’m a bit like Leo there…) and as for Leo?! He’s a complete babe 😍😍 There’s such a loving warmth to the story, it’s just so homely and cosy, I truly love it ❤️❤️ Seriously, pick this book up immediately!! I read it in one evening, I couldn’t put it down!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Nora is a screenwriter, who finds herself in the centre of a movie set - her home is used as the location for the film she has written about the breakdown of her marriage. Movie star Leo stays on set, and asks Nora's permission to stay on in the peace for a while longer. Can they help each other find a happy ever after?

This book really wasn't what I was expecting from the blurb. I was expecting a romance novel, but it was a bit more serious than that. I found the whole romance aspect very rushed, and I didn't really connect with the main characters. The premise however was an interesting one, and Nora's thoughts about her marriage breakdown were thought provoking.

This is an easy read and although quite predictable a lovely fun story with a nice ending
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC

This was a really easy read about a romance channel writer whose best script was actually less of a romance as it was based on her own failed marriage. Based around the tea house in her garden, the movie is filmed at her house for a few days but the main actor stays behind to avoid the world for a while. This is a really cute read but with more depth than your standard romance channel movie, that said you can’t avoid that overall feeling as it’s got many uplifting moments and a really strong, stands on her own two feet female lead.

I enjoyed this book about a scriptwriter and her writing journey. Well written and amusing with a great set of characters. Nora as the lead character was fun and her travails were great to follow along with empathy.

Like the concept of this, and some truly brilliant moments, but the middle dragged on a bit and for me lost its way. Nice to see a different take with an unusual job from the protagonist.

An enjoyable read, thank you for the opportunity NetGalley to read Nora Goes Off Script.

Refreshing, summery, romantic. It left me full of smiles, a definite page turner.

There’s a lot of emotion, I feel it straddles womens fiction / romance to an extent but as I love both that wasn’t an issue

I ate this up! It was such a fun trip into genre writing that made fun of it gently, subverted it slightly but was wholeheartedly part of the form.

Nora Hamilton is a divorced mother of two, she writes formulaic small-town romances for The Romance Channel. Her ex-husband came from old money which had been frittered away, he has always spent her earnings on anything he wanted (cars, golf clubs, get-rich-quick schemes) leaving her to scrimp and save. When he finally announced he couldn't "do this anymore" or words to that effect, Nora felt nothing but relief, finally she would be free from a drain on her emotions and finances. His leaving also led to Nora writing a dark screenplay about their lives and eventual separation which is being made into a film starring heart-throb Leo Vance. Nora may just have a soft spot for Leo, having seen many of his films and can pinpoint each of his smiles to specific films. The one thing she is less keen on is his trademark smoulder, although it got him noticed it seems to appear in every film, sometimes at inappropriate moments.

Nora has agreed that the film crew can spend two days filming at her run down home in Hudson Valley, particularly in the picturesque Tea Room which features so prominently in the breakdown of her marriage. What she didn't envisage was just how entitled (and drunk) Leo was going to be, or that he would offer her $1,000 a night to stay on after filming. Whilst everything in her screams to reject Leo's request, the lure of having enough money to fix the guttering, or to cover next year's taxes wins out.

Leo is endlessly fascinated (and sometimes horrified) at the minutiae of everyday life: going to the grocery store; choosing bananas; Meatloaf Wednesdays; only buying steak on Sunday when its on sale; laundry; after-school activities, etc.

Can a single-mom and a world-famous Hollywood actor fall in love? And will it last?

I'll be honest, I loved it. I loved Leo and I loved Nora - not a very insightful review I know! My first book by this author but I will definitely look out for others.

I was invited to read a free copy of the book by Hodder & Stoughton, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I must preface my remarks by mentioning that the name of the hero - our Hollywood star hero - is Leo Vance. His name was almost identical to Leon Vance - the Director of the NCIS (in the TV series of the same name), that I kept being thrown out of the story every time it was mentioned!!

this should have been perfect. The premise was fabulous - screenwriter's story based on her own marital breakup is filmed in her own house an that's how the hero Leo comes into her life. Nora who lives with her two children has coped with being married to a selfish jerk and herr subsequent divorce and the arrival of Leo in her life - sets her on an extraordinary journey of self discovery. Leo's introduction to and involvement in the lives of the family and the small town was beautifully done.

This was definitely a book of two halves. the first was excellent and I was drawn into the story and the characters and really enjoying it. Then we hit the black moment which lasted almost for the rest of the book and poor Nora pines, is miserable and her self confidence is even more battered than before.

***spoiler alert***

After TEN MONTHS separation, Leo and Nora meet up with Nora making all kinds of assumptions options about Leo. Finally her 10/11 year old son confesses he told Leo that his father had come back and everyone was happy.Leo stayed away because he loved the kids snd wanted them to have a happy family ending.

I understand the 'big misunderstanding' trop and I hate it. a proper conversation by our hero and heroine could have sorted this all out. I was well on the way to giving this book 5 stars because of the well written first half.

Sadly, I was so annoyed at the farcical misunderstanding - I've reduced it to 3 stars. very disappointing after such a brilliant beginning.

I really enjoyed this romance - predictable but lovely.

Nora writes screenplays - the one of her marriage breakdown to Ben - is made into a film. During the filming she meets Leo and falls in love. However he disappears leaving her and her two children hurt and disappointed again.

A further screenplay and an Oscar award on and the reason behind the breakup is revealed - to give the much awaited ‘happy ending’.

Lovely characters and a beautiful setting - what more could you wish for?

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read which was perfect for getting me out of a book slump!
The book follows Nora, a single mum of two and Leo, a Hollywood actor as he arrives at Nora’s house to film scenes for his upcoming film which was also written by Nora and is based on her relationship with her ex-husband. I found the development of their relationship believable and enjoyable. I also enjoyed the relationship with the two children and how they added a depth to the family dynamic and storyline.
Overall this was an enjoyable romance that I read quickly and would recommend to anyone looking for a fun and easy romance.

I didn't connect with any character. I read it as tho Nora was a 40 year old woman while Leo was a 20 year old. It felt forced. I dunno, I just didn't enjoy this book at all.

I received an ARC of, Nora goes off Script, by Annabel Monaghan. I thought this book was ok, I did not really connect with Nora or Oliver.

I loved this book! It was a great little palate cleanser after a romance novel I read that annoyed me no end. This book riffs off 'Heartburn', Nora Ephron's masterpiece about the end of a marriage. Nora ( clearly a hat tip to the inspiration) writes scripts for The Romance Channel ( clearly Hallmark), and lives with her 2 children in a small town near New York. She's just written a Heartburn-like book about the end of her marriage, that's been optioned for a big budget movie with Hollywood superstars, and a few scenes are going to be filmed at her house. She strikes up a bond with the lead actor, Leo Vance, and how this plays out forms the rest of the plot. I love that the book appreciates the domestic labour and effort and logistical skills involved in motherhood and running a house, and a romance novel hero making it a point to fall in love with that is lovely! Their relationship grows organically and the children aren't overly cute- they're perfectly natural, and even the third act romance novel conflict plays out very well. There's some excellent writing on marriages, publishing, the nature of celebrity and most importantly, some great analyses of what makes romance novels/ romcoms so popular. As a huge fan of the genre, I'm sick of the snobbery associated with romance as a genre, when it explores the lived experience of women, and desire, in a way few other genres do. I really liked a bit in the book, for instance, where Nora notes that in the drama genre, a romantic conflict would leave the female protagonist devastated while romance novels show them moving on supported by friends or family, and still get a happy ending! The book I read before this was also a romance novel that engaged with acting and Hollywood and celebrity- and was so awfully written and pretentious that it left me annoyed for so long. This book was the perfect antidote to that, and I'll definitely look out for Annabel Monaghan's books!!