Romance is fiction genre that portrays a love story. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance novel should have two main components: “a central love story” and “an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending” ("About the Romance Genre." RWA.org). The main action of the plot should revolve around the central relationship.

Romance novels have a variety of characteristics and exist in various styles and sub-genres. Generally, romance novels are known for being one of the most formulaic literary genres. The storylines are often built on familiar tropes or reoccurring plot formulas, such as characters who start as friends and become lovers, or begin as enemies, or must overcome the challenges of forbidden love. Although some works of contemporary romance deal with darker themes, the overall result is generally a form of happy escapism for the reader, culminating in the optimistic ending.

Nora Goes Off Script is a contemporary romantic comedy that adheres to but also subverts the conventions of romance novels, walking the line between chick-lit and romance. Although the couple does get their happily ever after, the significant amount of time they spend broken-up in the middle of the novel threatens to derail the book’s romance.