Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

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.

Review:

Lately, I've read several romance novels.  I found Book Lovers, by Emily Henry, to be unrealistic with the characters having too much angst (I swear, in Book Lovers, every  decision (big or small) the main character made was fraught with haunting memories of the past.  It was just too much ).  And although I enjoyed The Treehouse on Dog River Road, the characters were annoyingly perfect.  I think I found the right balance of angst, fun, and romance with Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan.   There's the angst of Nora's divorce and it's effect on her kids.  There's the fun of Nora being a screenwriter and having a film crew at her home.  And the romance is swoon-worthy.  Could the hottest actor in Hollywood actually want to hang out with Nora in her very normal small town?  Is he interested in her, or just wants a break from his glamorous life?  

This was a really fun book to read.  I liked that everyone had their issues (even Nora's kids), but that they were all just people trying to get on with life.  There were many big moments, such as some of the characters winning awards, and small moments, like the kids participating in school plays and sports, that made this book both realistic, and super entertaining.  This would be a great summer read.

What I liked:

Settings: 

I enjoyed Nora's small town where everyone knows everyone else's business.  People know all about Nora's divorce from her husband Ben.  He was a dreamer who belittled Nora's writing talent, and wouldn't hold down a job.  And there was a mix of people who were supportive, pitying, and judgemental.  Nora is happy here with her kids, and the stunning sunrises that calm her each morning.

Other moments in the book take place in Hollywood.  I appreciated that this wasn't filled with too many cliches about fake people.  In fact, I would say that this was the opposite of that.  Nora meets some really big movie stars, and gets attention.  But she doesn't feel out of place.  She knows that this isn't something she can get used to, and just enjoys it for what it is.

Characters:

I really liked Nora and her family.  Nora felt like a whole person to me.  Yes, she falls in love with a movie star, and has her doubts about if this could turn into a long-term relationship.  But she never doubts her self-worth.  She had an ex-husband who constantly tried to undermine her, calling her writing cheesy. But, as she rightly points out, her writing has given her the ability to take care of herself and her kids. 

Since we're seeing Leo through Nora's lens, it's less clear what kind of person he is.  Is he a down-to-earth guy, or a narcissistic sociopath?   Their romance is sweet and doesn't seem too Insta-lovey to be real.  And he does seem to genuinely care about Nora and her kids.

Story:

This is about as formulaic as it gets, girl gets boy, girl loses boy girl gets him back.  But there's a reason that there are these roadmaps.  The stories work!  I liked that Nora and Leo actually have good conversations with each other as they fall in love.  And I really liked that Nora figures out a path forward when she loses him.  Their getting back together is a bit of a fantasy, but it was also really entertaining.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  

Release Date:  June 7, 2022

Author:  Annabel Monaghan

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Page Length:  272 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A fun, romantic summer book. You will love Nora and Leo!

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Twenty-eight-year-old Hannah Spencer wants nothing more than to change everything about her life.

After ten years of living in cities, Nathan Wild has just moved back home to Vermont and doesn’t want to change anything about his.

Recently laid off from her depressing job in Boston and ready for a challenge, Hannah heads to Vermont for the summer to take care of her sister’s kids and do some serious soul searching. There, against the stunning landscape of the Green Mountains, she embarks on an ambitious project: building a treehouse for her niece and nephew. As she hammers away, she formulates a plan to jump-start her life with a new job out West. But will Nathan-next-door complicate her desire to change course? A witty, romantic, and inspiring story of a young woman taking control and making tough choices about love and work to build the life she wants, The Treehouse on Dog River Road will have you rooting for Hannah every step of the way. 

Review:

The wonderful new novel, The Treehouse on Dog River Road, by Catherine Drake finds two attractive people in their late twenties who start a summer fling.  Hannah and Nathan can keep things light, no problem.  But as the summer progresses, and they get to learn more about each other, each finds that, perhaps, they've met "The One".  Sounds great, right?  Well, not exactly.  Hannah is trying to find a career that has more meaning than just a paycheck.  She wants to relocate to a new city and make a fresh start.  But Nathan just bought a house and is looking to establish roots in the small town where he has lots of family.  That's the main (really the only) conflict in this book.   

I liked that both Nathan and Hannah's extended families were a daily part of their lives, and that Nathan had a strong bond with his dog.  These are details that are often missing in books.  The ending, which I will not give away, really elevated the book.  Powerful events take place that change everyone's lives, and cement Hannah's feelings for Nathan.  

If I had any criticism of this novel, it's that everyone is a little too perfect.  It's as though the author couldn't bear to give Hannah or Nathan (or their families) any flaws.  But these are great characters who I think people will enjoy reading about.

What I Liked:

"Clean" Romance:

As much as I love romance books, I am usually conflicted because the emphasis in these novels are mostly on detailed descriptions of sex (always the best of their lives!), and less on how well the two people actually get along.   While there is quite a lot of sex in this book, it's without the play by play that I often see in other novels in this genre.  I would say that this is a "clean" romance, which I really appreciated.  But for some people, sex scenes are a big reason to read romance novels.  Hey, whatever floats your boat.  If your looking for graphic sex scenes, you will be disappointed with this book.

Story:

I liked that Hannah's experience babysitting her niece and nephew wasn't all puppies and rainbows.  Hannah doesn't have any familiarity with children, so the first few days are rough.  Sometimes books go from one extreme to another with this kind of storyline.  Either the main character is naturally great with kids, or they are bumbling idiots.   While Hannah is on a learning curve dealing with kids all day, she is not incompetent. 

Using her skills building homes with Habitat for Humanity, Hannah is determined to build the ultimate treehouse for the kids.  While there is the usual sexist comments from some men questioning her knowledge of building, there was a nice balance between that and Hannah actually asking for help on some of the tasks.  

Hannah and Nathan take their time getting to know each other, which I liked.  Of course, they both felt an instant attraction, but their attempts to move things along are often interrupted by the kids, or just regular things like having to do their jobs.  This was a much more natural flow than the insta-romance, that these sort of books usually go for.

The final quarter of the book takes a dramatic turn as the region is hit with a hurricane.  Both Hannah and Nathan find out how easily life can change based on events that are beyond their power.  Learning to make the most of what then can control is a life lesson for us all.

What I Was Mixed About:

Story:

It might have made for a more interesting story if Hannah and Nathan's roles had been reversed.  What if Hannah had been the one to have just bought a house, and Nathan had to consider finding a job to stay near Hannah?  I would have loved for the guy to be the one who might need to compromise, rather than (always) the woman.

Lack of Conflict:

The only problem for Hannah and Nathan is where Hannah might be moving to.  Everything else was a little too perfect.  No one has problematic relatives, or bad habits, or hidden issues.  Now, I don't necessarily need people to have dark secrets.  But everything is a bit sugary-sweet in this book.  For instance, there are hints that the people in Nathan's family drink excessively, but no one has a drinking problem.  Nathan's home is messy, but the author emphasizes that he is not a hoarder.  Why couldn't he be?  I wouldn't have liked him less for this.  It would have made him more human.  

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 10th, 2022

Author:  Catherine Drake

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre:  Romance

Page Length:  356 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  A "clean" romance that is sometimes a little too perfect.  The ending elevated this to a stronger recommendation for me.