Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan @annabelmonaghan @hillatious @PRHAudio

the setup…
Nora Hamilton is a screenwriter for the romance channel (think Hallmark). She’s a recently divorced mother of two who decided to write something other than her usual formulaic story, this time more close to home and personal. It’s about the end of her marriage to Ben, a man who never worked during their relationship and was, at best a casual father to Arthur and Bernadette. Turns out that real life has its rewards as that script was optioned for big screen development and filming will be at her 100-year old home. Even more exciting is the casting of film star Leo Vance in the lead role. But, when filming ends, Nora finds Leo left behind on her front porch, offering serious cash if she’ll allow him to stay for one more week. What could go wrong?

the heart of the story…
Unlike most women whose husbands leave them, Nora remembers that day as liberating. It was the moment when she stopped being a pleaser and began embracing her own needs, wants and dreams. Leo was obviously searching for something and likes the ordinariness of Nora and her children’s lives. Though initially wary of this man who oddly seemed to like her lack of glam, Nora came to see his inner soul and slowly let him worm his way into her family’s lives and her own heart. I kept waiting for the inevitable and when it came, I remember thinking, “I knew it.” But then the script change I hadn’t anticipated came and everything went in unpredictable directions. I was on pins and needles, wondering if Nora and Leo could ever find a way back to what had been special and lovely.

the narration…
I enjoyed Hillary Huber’s performance (I always do) but really loved her voice for Nora. Before she was even described as being like Carole King that was who I’d envisioned in terms of style and personality because that’s what I heard. She nailed her as well as everyone else.

the bottom line…
I delayed listening to this story because I didn’t think it would live up to my expectations borne from the hype. Silly me because I fell in love with the story, characters and emotional journey almost from the start. I liked who Nora became, even when she felt victim to the predictable behaviors a broken heart can force you into. It’s a tender, unusual love story that blossomed from the ordinary patterns of life but with two people who didn’t seem to be a likely couple. Be careful of stereotypes as you may just miss your destiny, just like I almost missed out in listening to this book.

Book Info

• Release Date: June 7, 2022
• Narrator: Hillary Huber
• Audio Length: 6 hours, 57 minutes
• Publisher: Penguin Audio

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