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Off Script

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A chance rideshare. A once-in-a-lifetime spark. A love story neither woman saw coming.Roxanne Cruz has a Tony Award, a crushing case of writer’s block, and a growing fear that lightning won’t strike twice. Arabella James is a publicist with a pristine reputation, a Rolodex full of A-listers, and zero interest in dating.

Neither of them is looking for a relationship. But when a chance rideshare turns into late-night conversations, shared glances, and undeniable chemistry, their connection is impossible to ignore.

What starts as a spark becomes something deeper—just in time for Arabella to take on Roxanne as a client.

In a moment of desperation, Roxanne proposes a fake relationship with her famous friend to stir up buzz. Arabella’s job? Sell the romance. Even if it means standing in the wings while the woman she’s falling for plays pretend with someone else.

As jealousy bubbles, headlines spin, and their private feelings threaten to become very public, Roxanne and Arabella are about to learn that falling in love is the easy part.

Sparks fly, secrets smolder, and love goes wildly off script in this swoony, sexy sapphic romance about ambition, vulnerability, and choosing each other when it matters most.


560 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2025

21 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Ava Freeman

19 books63 followers
Ava Freeman writes contemporary romance that centers the Black queer woman’s experience. Through her stories, she strives to give readers rich, complex characters that always find their happily ever after.

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5 stars
20 (54%)
4 stars
14 (37%)
3 stars
2 (5%)
2 stars
1 (2%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Stuffl.
124 reviews9 followers
August 10, 2025
4,5 stars

This book is a beautiful and moving love story with all the trimmings. It takes us on a journey with Broadway playwright Roxanne and PR agent Arabella, who shared a taxi. I liked the structure of the plot, starting with a tentative and almost fateful meeting and repeated encounters, then tender feelings and the development into something much deeper. It was so beautiful to watch them give in to their feelings and slowly fall more and more in love with each other.

The relationship between Roxanne and Arabella felt real; it wasn't all sunshine and roses, but there were misunderstandings, miscommunication, mistakes on both sides, and jealousy. And oh my god, how I suffered with Arabella. Her jealousy and always wanting the best for Roxanne. It was an inner conflict that was so palpable. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, something else happened. That's why I couldn't really put the book down, because I had to know how it would continue and how Arabella would cope with it all. And at the end of the book, the relationship felt complete. With many books, I feel like something is missing, but that wasn't the case here.

Due to the length of the book (over 500 pages) and its focus on the two women, the relationship had great depth. But it wasn't just the relationship that was complex; both characters were also wonderfully complex. Each had their own story, especially about their childhood and their relationship with their parents. I liked that both were examined so thoroughly and that I learned so much about them.

And can we talk about the cover??? It’s sooo beautiful!!

A book that I really enjoyed! Therefore, I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Ava Freeman for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Andrea.
331 reviews10 followers
October 3, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4. I want to say, I’m proud of the author for kind of going against the grain with the set up of romance novels. Usually a fake dating trope includes the two MCs , this story didn’t. It usually happens in the beginning, this one didn’t. I appreciated the venture from the norm.

I did find myself frustrated though. I know it’s the plot of the story, but I found myself thinking, why are we becoming her publicist and having Roxanne fake date someone that Arabella has been insecure about after they’ve been dating for months at this point?? It made no sense to me, except to cause issues(which yes, it’s a book, there’s supposed to be drama). I do think a lot of it has to do with my expectations of how a novel flows and the fact that the angst and conflict was realistic maybe? I think it frustrated me because I think I prefer less angst? Or at least angst between the two MCs. Of course it’s easy for the reader to see what the fake relationship was doing to both women, so I think that added to the frustration. It did wrap up nicely and I think the resolution helped with the frustration

It was a good story! It was great writing. I’ll definitely read more of Ava’s work. I just don’t think this book was for me.
Profile Image for Emilie.
185 reviews38 followers
October 1, 2025
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of Off Script! As always, all opinions are my own and this review is being left voluntarily.

4.75 stars rounded up

Adult Sapphic Contemporary Romance
✨ Third Person, Dual POV
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Standalone
Rep: Black x Puerto Rican MC, Black MC, bisexual SC

I recommend if you enjoy…
- Realistic, genuine romance
- Fake dating
- Successful MCs
- Slow burn
- Spice with feeling

Content warnings after review.

Initial Thoughts
This is the first book I’ve read by Ava Freeman, but I was instantly interested once I heard of the book. A romance between an award winning playwright and a successful publicist? Yes, please. Not to mention, two Black leads? I was majorly looking forward to this (and I wasn’t disappointed).

Plot
This romance is a bit on the longer side compared to some, but every page is worth it. The plot starts out easy allowing the reader get to know the characters before more of the drama unfolds. Then comes in the workplace romance aspect and the fake dating plot. I liked that the fake dating plot wasn’t between the main characters, I thought it was a bit of a different spin on that trope.

Characters & Romance
I loved Roxanne and Arabella. They come across dry real and their romance very genuine. Two things that really impact my enjoyment of romances (if you’ve seen any of my other book reviews). I also loved that the characters felt so mature and established in a lot of ways. The drama didn’t feel unnecessary or blown out of proportion for the conflict. The way Roxanne and Arabella love each other is so beautiful and loving (and hot at times). I couldn’t get enough of how their love story unfolded.

Final Thoughts
Roxanne and Arabella are amazing. I closed the story feeling the warmth of their love, which says a lot about Ava’s writing. I absolutely would read another book by Ava, and I highly recommend this book if you’re interested in a genuine, mature romance that centers queer Black women.

(beware potential spoilers below)

Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
casual racism, mention of cancer related de*th, biphobia
Profile Image for Heather.
693 reviews9 followers
October 31, 2025
This was a lovely story! Relatable in its ups and downs, miscommunications and sweet meetings.

The MCs were well thought out and showed growth and beauty in a well paced developing romance.

The story is long and plentiful with great depth and emotions and character to keep you invested and entertained from beginning to end.

I very much enjoyed getting to know these characters! Recommend!
28 reviews
August 4, 2025
I read Off Script. I love it and couldn't put it down. I have
suggested it to my friends. The first page pulled my right in to the
characters. The most poignant part was realizing that your parents have
such a life long pull on your life,for me even after my parents are
gone. The spicy scenes are some of the best I've read.For a fiction
book, it made me ponder life and touched me in ways that surprised me.
Shawn
Profile Image for Ivy.
134 reviews5 followers
September 24, 2025
I have not enjoyed a romance this much in a LOOONG time! The believability, the character work and the unpredictability - this book was wonderfully done.

We follow a split POV between Roxanne, a playwright who feels stuck in a role and with her writing - struggling with the weight of writing another hit - and Arabella, a senior publicist feeling stuck in her professional armour.
A chance meeting during a shared taxi ride brings them together and sets their worlds alight.

One of the biggest things that worked for me in this book is the character work - Roxanne and Arabella's POVs have different narrative voices, and they feel like real three-dimensional people, with tangible histories as well and three-dimensional friends. This made me genuinely care about our leads and helped me to feel truly encapsulated in the world. I loved having leads in their 30s, with maturity and very real conflicts. The inclusion of their respective communities was also fantastic.

EVEN BETTER: I could actually feel the tension between Roxanne and Arabella, which is something I often struggle to feel. I ACTUALLY HAD BUTTERFLIES AT SOME OF THIS TENSION!

There were some grammar and editing mistakes which worsened throughout the second half of the book, but these were generally easy to ignore and may have been changed on release of this book as I read an early copy.
There were also some instances of stilted dialogue and slightly the wrong word choice (e.g. someone is late but is 'strolling' to get there) as well as some differences in Roxanne's age and how long ago she wrote her first play. There is also a point where Roxanne mentions Arabella and calls her her own name.

The conflicts in this book were SO REAL, I was engaged the whole way through, and we watched as seemingly small decisions catapult our leads and domino to everything breaking down. We have an ending where we have seen their personal growth and watch them choose each other, trying to change their behaviour for each other, AND I LOVED IT. Their personal growth was also woven wonderfully into the plot.

I adored this book, have been thinking about the characters regularly since finishing it, and I will be buying my own physical copy - thank you to the author - I will end by saying... THAT LIBRARY SCENE!!🔥🔥🔥
Profile Image for sapphicliteratureirl.
54 reviews4 followers
September 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶🌶🌶

📚 ARC Review 📚 Thanks to the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This swoon-worthy sapphic romance follows the dual perspectives of Roxanne and Arabella, who meet by chance in the very first chapter (which I loved) and spark instant chemistry⚡️The flirting comes naturally, and the attraction is irresistible.

Both women are ambitious, confident, and magnetic, working in Manhattan’s entertainment industry 🎭 At its heart, the book is focused on two badass women falling in love - but there's also a look at what happens if you put a career before a relationship... 😬

And the romance is a slow burn: patient, tender, and romantic as both women mix business with pleasure. (Slight spoilers ahead) - But once the passion ignites, it is 🔥! Their chemistry is palpable and the dialogue is written so so well; one particular scene after a work meeting had me checking no one was watching me read! And I think one of my favourite 🍆 scenes may now be in this novel!

At over 500 pages, it took me a while to settle in, but once I hit the 35% mark, I was hooked. The author's detail gives us layered, interesting, gorgeous characterisations alongside narrative depth - with side characters, subplots, messy family dynamics, and of course, Roxanne and Arabella’s own fears and ambitions. By 70%, I was so invested I felt every moment of angst - every pang of jealousy, longing, and heartbreak 💔

There’s angst, fake dating, blurred boundaries between work and love, and a third-act breakup - but it's also a love story that isn't formulaic - and there is a heartfelt, satisfying happily-ever-after ❤️
Profile Image for Zhane’l Speaks.
8 reviews
October 11, 2025
Let me start by saying, WOW! This was such a beautiful read. I’ve been excited to dive into this book ever since I saw the cover reveal, and it did not disappoint.

As a writer myself, I tend to read with a writers eye, paying attention to tone, structure, and every small detail. And what I loved most about this story was how real it felt. It wasn’t some fairy tail version of love. It was honest and grounded. The romance was built on authenticity with real conflict and emotion that felt human. Even the side characters were relatable and layered.

I’ve been looking for a WLW story that doesn’t rely on stereotypes or center the entire plot around sexuality. This book focused on connection, no labels. I also loved that it featured two feminine women without being overly sexualized. The intimacy was written beautifully, it was natural.

It’s the kind of story that reminds you love can be slow, tender, and imperfect.

My only small critique is that I wish each chapter was written from the main characters internal perspectives instead of a general narrator. I really wanted to sit in their heads and feel their thoughts more deeply. And at times it felt a bit tricky to tell the women apart in certain moments, but that’s just a minor note.

Overall, this was such a sweet and honest love story. I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end.
33 reviews
September 24, 2025

I received an ARC from the author but all opinions are my own.

First off, Off Script is over 400 pages long so if you are a one-sitting reader like me, you might want to plan accordingly, lol.

One of the things that stood out about this novel is that the romance does not dominate every chapter, and I was surprised by how much time the MCs actually spend together (romantically speaking) on the page.

There are side plots about work, family and friends that kept me engaged and made me understand just how much family, culture, and community shape who we are and made the story of the two MCs fuller and more realistic.

I also liked the different take on fake dating and how everything played out. The emotions from each character's POV, the tension and the conclusion of that subplot were just wow.

My only downside for the novel was Arabella’s handling of some tough family issues towards the end. It was written so well that by the end I just wanted to reach through the page and give her a hug.

Final thoughts, this was a really good read and I'd recommend it especially to romance readers who like a mix of love story and family dynamics.

543 reviews5 followers
September 24, 2025
I received this book as an ARC and I am so very glad I did! Ava Freeman is a new author to me, one that I will be following. This is actually a really well thought out story, real emotions, and enough angst to keep my interest from page one. Yes it is a love story, and if you like those you will love this one. Happily this genre is one I do enjoy, and I have absolutely no complaints with this one. The MC’s are interesting and and their journey to love is creative and credible. If you read the jacket, you will get a nice preview. You will laugh, cry and laugh some more. Could a real relationship really begin in a rideshare? Gosh, who knows? But, why not? I loved the concept and the writing is excellent. Enjoy.
Profile Image for Wes.
51 reviews
October 16, 2025
This is the second book I’ve read by Ava Freeman, and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her characters and dialogue feel so real. I can listen to her characters speaking in my head all day. The dialogue is funny, emotional, sad, dramatic, and heartfelt. Off Script features two intelligent and powerful, but flawed women making it in a white man’s world in New York City. I really loved Arabella and Roxanne. It’s an emotional but satisfying journey for them to come to grips with their careers, their families, and their love life. There’s a great cast of characters with them. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read my next book by Ava.
385 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2025
The characters Arabella and Roxanne meet by chance and reconnect again making them wonder if fate is at work. Both characters are complex, Arabella more so, and the length of the book takes us on their journey as they meet and fall for each other.
The main arc to the story is what is real, what is fake and when can fake be accepted as reality would be and when is it unacceptable.
I really liked Arabella but I wasn’t all that enamoured with Roxanne but was happy to see Arabella work on herself just as much as her relationship.
2 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2025
This book delivered a really satisfying love progression that felt natural, with moments that built beautifully over time. The characters of color were written with authenticity and depth, making their journeys feel realistic and relatable. The story had a nice flow that kept me engaged without dragging or rushing. The spice level sits at about a 3/5—enough to add heat without overpowering the emotional core. Overall, it’s a grounded, enjoyable read that balances heart, representation, and romance well.
Profile Image for Demetrica Boling.
336 reviews6 followers
September 18, 2025
This romantic was a can’t put it down. From beginning to end you’re in a chokehold. When I say the spice was spicing!!! There is an awesome family dynamic going on. Morals and heritage played a big part in the life of these two ladys. Omg the way the relationship slow burned had me wondering who will be the first to put their guards down. Kind of hard with to dominate women lol. This was a must read! Thank you Ava for the BOOKFUNNEL ARC.
23 reviews1 follower
September 24, 2025
This a beautiful story from start to finish. It has all the elements of a mature love story: beauty, attraction, doubt, tension, strong sexual energy, confronting the things that hurt and the courage to change. Throwing in the family dynamics of brokenness, reconciliation and healing makes the book complete. I absolutely recommend this book if you're looking for a story that lacks nothing. Bravo Ava!
Author 1 book15 followers
October 1, 2025
Roxanne, a playwright struggling with her second play, meets Arabella when they share a Uber. Both are weirdly drawn to the other, even though they only talk a few minutes.

Public relations whiz Arabella can't seem to get Roxanne out of her mind, especially once she realizes who she is. They meet again after she gets ill from a meal, and Roxy stays to help.

Convoluted fake dating arc too

Kind of meh. I didn't feel the book sold me on them. 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for readingatwork.
69 reviews
October 29, 2025
The relationship between Roxy and Bella felt complex and complicated in all the best ways. Some of their problems felt very avoidable and did not align with Arabella’s characterization from the beginning of the story. Though some of the actions were questionable it did make the characters feel real me the story captivating.
802 reviews19 followers
July 29, 2025
Wow what a phenomenal story I loved the main characters their chemistry shined throughout but their struggles were explosive, I cried in parts you could feel their emotions deeply i couldn't put it down definitely must read congratulations
Profile Image for Julie.
85 reviews3 followers
August 5, 2025
Off Script is a beautiful romance, likeable characters I did like . The spark between Roxanne and Arabella was breathtaking the moment their eyes met in the cab from the beginning. It's warm, there are struggles , but it's very romantic and some spice
Thank you to Ava Freeman and Bookfunnel for ARC
Profile Image for Aiesha Cannon.
57 reviews1 follower
September 24, 2025
I loved this entire book when I say page turner I truly mean it. If you are looking for a story that grabs your attention right away from the first page then this is for you I also loved the playlist which I turned on while reading the book.
Profile Image for Kasley.K.
109 reviews3 followers
September 3, 2025
Off Script is a wonderful read featuring two equally admirable women. Sometimes, you keep reading a book mostly for the plot, and sometimes you do it mostly for the characters.
Off Script falls into the second category. That is not to say that the plot wasn’t interesting. No. But I was taken right away by how Arabella and Roxanne are driven by the same determination and how they fit together. The fact that both are successful women of color was just the icing on the cake.

I love it when books embrace the characters’ cultural identity, so many of my favorite parts of this book feature their families. I’ve also greatly appreciated Arabella and Roxanne’s journey, especially how the tension helped our couple grow as individuals.
I truly enjoyed Off Script.
15 reviews
September 29, 2025
This was a great read! I loved the relationship in the beginning how they were getting to know each other and their interactions. Roxanne at times worked my nerves and I think she started compromising herself and relationship because she felt unsure about her career. Arabella a people pleaser to everyone but herself. I liked the growth of both of them and how the family dynamic eventually changed.
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