Nora Goes Off Script

This author has a way of writing that captivates me. The descriptions are unique but unpretentious. The dialogue is natural and clever without trying too hard.

The plot of NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT is refreshing. A love story with characters that are actual adults? Thank you. Told from Nora’s POV we felt the intensity of her emotions even though she hid them from most of those around her. Loved the romance and the twists.

Monaghan’s story was richly imagined and perfectly paced, and I found myself on page 80 before I remembered that I was only going to read the sample before I went to sleep.

And the details were so resonant! Being pitied by an entire town is my nightmare, and Monaghan explored it, and other fascinating situations, with wit and grace. There were also whole sections that were fun to read a second time with fresh knowledge as well.

I’d seen another reviewer say that they thought the love story didn’t really build and just seemed to happen, so I had lower expectations on the romance front. After the first chapter, I decided it would be fine if this book wasn’t much of a romance because I connected to Nora and I liked her kids, which I figured would be enough. Turns out, I fully bought into the romance side of it as well.

Things between Nora and Leo do seem to just fall into place, but I found that comforting. Nothing over complicated. Leo likes Nora, Nora likes Leo, he takes to her kids right away and they like him. It’s really nice. However, I’m so used to romcoms dragging out the first kiss/romantic elements that I was thrown by how soon it happened. Also, this isn’t really a romcom. It’s more women’s fiction meets romance. There’s humor, but it’s dry. I appreciate dry humor, so I enjoyed the writing style. However, it does create a different rhythm. Nora is more matter-of-fact, so it’s like a calm wit.

Halfway through, I got a little stressed. Things were so good between the characters that I began waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s not like books where the characters don’t get together until the end, where the anxiety comes from wondering if they’ll ever figure it out. It’s stress from seeing that Nora and Leo have something really good, really nice…and hoping they’ll be able to keep it. There were higher stakes in the game. I’ve never read this author before and didn’t know if she was a happy endings person, so I didn’t know if this would be a La La Land situation.

Then things took an unexpected turn. And honestly, it was kind of cathartic because it meant that Nora got a chance to really feel her feelings, and also a chance to determine what it was she really wanted. Plus, with the catharsis came several laugh-out-loud moments for me in the conversations Nora has with her friend Kate and with her parents. I will say I found myself really confused for a huge chunk of time in the middle because I was trying to figure out what caused the shift in the story. When the penny drops and all is revealed, the light bulb went off and my mouth actually fell open for a few seconds.

I can’t explain why I loved this book so much because doing so would cause spoilers. It turned out to be so much more than I thought and there are so many good things about it. Nora’s kids, Arthur and Bernadette, are amazing. Her friends, her sister, her parents, the town…all great.

For those who take this into consideration - this is a closed door romance and there is some very light cursing, including the use of the F word a smattering of times. Also, those reading the kindle version should be prepared that the kindle percentage showing how far you’ve made it through the book may throw you off. I was pacing myself wrong because it turns out the book ended at the 87% mark since there are things like discussion guides after the book.

It turns out I read Annabel Monaghan’s books in the complete reverse order, this being her first of the 3 I’ve read, and the last that I sat down with, but I’m so glad I went on this journey because each book brought me joy, some frustration (good frustration) and a different perspective. I finished this book tonight at the perfect time, with my daughter falling back asleep on my lap after waking up scared “in the middle of the night”. The central role Nora’s kids play in this book felt so real, so honest, so perfect. They have each other above all else, and that’s what really matters, but of course, a HEA never hurt anyone either.

I needed a palate cleanser after the heavy and dark books I've been reading. This is a pleasant escapism book. Yes, it is a bit cheesy and unrealistic, but I greatly enjoyed the writing, storyline, and characters.

It is a fun and sweet rom-com, although it was just a tad witty with not much comedy. I found it heartbreakingly romantic, and I appreciate the focus on the children and their feelings. I felt the most for the children, I think, because I'm a mother of a boy going through the same as them.

There is a bit too much alcohol consumption and miscommunication.

I did finish this book with a smile on my face.

I thought this was a well written story with interesting characters who were well developed. And they weren’t your standard rom com characters which I found refreshing- especially the children. But one of my pet peeves about romance books is the “breakup due to a misunderstanding.” That fully took up 1/4 of this story and I found myself skimming past it out of frustration. It just wasn’t believable that at least one of the main characters wouldn’t have at least initiated one more clarifying text or phone call before falling silent for so long. There was also an event that was important in the story that I just do not believe the MMC would have missed, come hell or high water. That plot point didn’t work. If “big misunderstanding” breakups don’t bother you, you’ll probably really like this book. If they do, you might want to skip it.