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Off Script
Fake dating your best friend to save the school play? Easy.
Falling for him in the process? That was never part of the script.
When a video of Athene and Roman’s rehearsal goes viral, they agree to pretend to date to keep the attention, and the ticket sales rolling in. Roman plays the perfect boyfriend, complete with jealous stares and dates. Because for him, none of it is fake.
Athene doesn’t see him as anything more than a brother…
until one day she discovers something and suddenly everything feels real
Falling for him in the process? That was never part of the script.
When a video of Athene and Roman’s rehearsal goes viral, they agree to pretend to date to keep the attention, and the ticket sales rolling in. Roman plays the perfect boyfriend, complete with jealous stares and dates. Because for him, none of it is fake.
Athene doesn’t see him as anything more than a brother…
until one day she discovers something and suddenly everything feels real
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 1, 2025
3 stars 💖⋆.˚ / dnfed at 71%
i dnfed it but the book was really good, but i wasn't in the mood to read the rest of it. roman was soooo sweet!!! there was just some spelling & formatting errors, and athene was kinda insufferable at times. 😬 but overall it's just me being a mood reader lol. 😭
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ִ ࣪ ˖ ࣪ pre-read ! ᰔ ִ ׄ
i'm alr in the book and i'm LOVING it!!!! 🤭🩷
i dnfed it but the book was really good, but i wasn't in the mood to read the rest of it. roman was soooo sweet!!! there was just some spelling & formatting errors, and athene was kinda insufferable at times. 😬 but overall it's just me being a mood reader lol. 😭
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ִ ࣪ ˖ ࣪ pre-read ! ᰔ ִ ׄ
i'm alr in the book and i'm LOVING it!!!! 🤭🩷
September 23, 2025
I finished this book a while ago but I am gonna review it now so this book is one of the bestest romance i have read ever. The characters, the scenes, the everything was just perfect and I love how it wasnt slow. this is a much recommended book to everyone
March 29, 2026
SUCH A CUTEEE BOOK 💖💖
this book made me feel so cozy!! AND ROMAN?!!
... BEFORE I GET INTO THE REVIEW I JUST WANT TO SAY WRITING AN ENTIRE BOOK IS INSANE AND U R INCREDIBLY TALENTED FOR PUBLISHING THIS DEBUT BOOK 💖
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I wanted to leave a critical and actual honest review... especially since the author has so much talent and potential!!
WELCOME TO THE REVIEW!!!!🌈🌈🌈 *MY OPINION*
Off Script is this cutesy YA clean romance about a fake relationship between Athene and Roman created due to their theater production.
GENERAL FEELINGS
I really liked the story line. However to be blank the beginning chapters did take me out of the story a lot. I was so SHOCKED when I saw the improvement in writing throughout the book. THE LAST LINE ABOUT THE TEN DOLLARS WAS GENIUS and I truly believe there was no better way to end this book. 🙈🙈🙈
I felt like the book really found it's voice to the nearer end, where in the beginning I personally (this is just an assumption) felt like some specific styles of writing were derived from books like SHATTER ME and LIGHT LARK. in fact the one snippet of the "Sweetheart" scene felt similar or basically identical to the one in SHATTER ME. I just wanted to point this out not to discourage inspiration but because I know that this can happen without the author intending it to. Of course books will be inspired by one another but it's important not to accidentally plagiarize.
I really liked when both Athene and Roman both talked about each other using personification; I thought that was a really cute artistic choice on the authors part. 😛😛
I LOVED HOW THEY WERE BOTH ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER BUT NOT IN ONLY IN A PHYSICAL SENSE
They both liked each other's personalities and they actually cared about each other not just for lust. It's so rare to find a romance book that isn't just crappy p0rn nowadays so I felt so uplifted when I saw that this was a properly written ROMANCE romance.
OH AND I LOVE FAST PACED I FINISHED THIS SOOO FAST!!
CLARITY
I got confused as to what the story of the play was. it was never really described properly and all we know is that Athene and Roman have to kiss.
I honestly thought that Roman would die or was dead😭😭😭 because of the past tense that was used so much
on page 78 Roman and Athene have this really cute scene where Roman tucks her hair that was supposed to be in a bun... but then he says "I'll always be here Adeline. No matter how hard you try to run."
... Who's Adeline??
I'm assuming this was like an auto correct thing but it really took me out of the story
Not much conflict? there isnt anything preventing Athene and Roman from getting together than Athene herself 🤷♀️🤷♀️ There was no external pressures or anything preventing them from getting together so I was confused when Roman made a big fuss about their fake relationship he proposed and became invisible
How big is this academy thingy for the arts? It's never mentioned how prestigious it is. I'm assuming its like Harvard for the arts??
GRAMMAR
I went into this book knowing that there was going to be grammar mistakes. However they weren't how I expected to be. Simple mistakes such as forgetting to capitalize the Is were made. I honestly think this would be an easy fix. (Gabby if u need free peer-editing. . . I got you 😛😛)
The author forgot to punctuate some of her sentences, indent paragraphs, but these are very easy fixes. something that did concern me throughout reading the book however was the use of past tense even the things happening were present. If you switch between past tense and present tense strategically it's okay. However, if it's completely random it definitely does throw you off and take you out of the story here and then.
I think the grammar affected my review a lot. if it weren't for the grammar my rating would have been a 4/5!!
CHARACTERS
Love Roman!
Love Athene!
but the things they do or say is never really explained (I will talk about this later)
is there no teachers? I mean it is an academy but there seems to be no people of authority.
Side characters are so supportice and sweet!! 🥹🥹
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MISSES
Athene mentions that she doesn't want to be the main character, but then she also wants to pursue acting which kind of confused me because if she doesn't want to be an actor for a main role that kind of like mentality there doesn't really match up. I'm not against the fact that she doesn't want to be a main character. I think that's actually really interesting like character value, but that's never brought up ever again and I was kind of disappointed because I was really interested in her perspective of acting and roles.
Roman tells Athene that she can't run away from him no matter how hard she tries, which is pretty toxic and I was actually really intrigued by the fact that he even said that. I thought that was like an opportunity for Roman's character to be further developed by it showing his flawed side rather than him being like the perfect book boyfriend. I felt like this was a lost opportunity and made his character kind of flat.
Roman also mentions that he hates acting but we never find out why he hates acting. we just know that he hates acting but then he forced to act because some people drop out and he automatically gets the main role. Not to forget that he's a natural. He's usually a director and he's also a great actor but he's not into acting? I feel like some kind of family drama or something. maybe some OC lore trauma could have been involved and it could have been talked about more just so we know who Roman is as a person.
Furthermore, I think Athene could have talked about her family too because in the end I really like that one paragraph. the author wrote about how she never really understood what true love was till she met Roman, but we have no evidence to back that up.
I also felt like Roman's not really scared of anything. The only thing he's really scared about is losing Athene... which is okay I guess, but I feel like Athene was a more well-developed character.
PROS 👍👍👍
- there's a lot of pros in this book. it's really cozy. you don't really have to worry about anything or comprehending which I really liked!
- I remember my jaw literally dropped in shock when I read the confession scene in the rain.
you will not regret reading this book!
- this is way better than any romance book on BookTok that has way too much lust way too much 69 way too much everything. I honestly think this was the perfect amount of cutesy and love and romance
- Roman bought a dozen books for her
NOT SO PROS 😔😔😔
- lots of grammar mistakes
- no crazy conflict
IMPROVEMENTS ❤️❤️
I FEEL LIKE THIS BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN. THE ONLY THING THAT'S STOPPING IT FROM ITS FULL POTENTIAL IS IT'S GRAMMAR. I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD PEER EDIT THIS FOR FREE SUCH AS ME, AND A REVISION LIKE EDITION WITH MAYBE LIKE A SLIGHTLY NEW DESIGN THAT WOULD GO SO HARD.
less pressing issues such as rather character, backstories and all. I guess. I wish I would have saw more in this book. because her and Roman in the beginning theyre best friends but they already act like a couple and it doesn't take. it takes like 2 seconds for Roman to be like you know what. I'm going to start calling you sweetheart. from now on I feel like there could have been more yearning and more of that slow burn, especially for this romance novel that's centered around this romance. I feel like it was way too fast for fast paced like I feel like the pacing could have been less fast but still fast paced if that makes sense cuz the sweetheart thing was a bit too quick and I kind of got the ache because there was no chemistry before that.
(I used text to speech so please forgive me if this doesn't make sense LMAO)
I kind of hope that there was an external pressure that kind of forced Athene to put aside this relationship with Roman because the only thing that caused conflict in this like relationship that Roman wanted was Athene herself....
last thing last thing while I was reading it. I really wish that there was some kind of playlist for all the songs that were being quoted so that like readers can go back to them!!!
🌈🌈🌈
CONCLUSION💖💖💖
A THREE-STAR REVIEW FOR ME IS ACTUALLY A REALLY HIGH RATING. it means that the only thing I had a problem with was either how the story ended or just the writing in general. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to read it and to all my friends. thank you so much for providing me a free PDF of this book 💖💖💖🥹🥹🥹
can't wait for your new books to come!!!
this book made me feel so cozy!! AND ROMAN?!!
... BEFORE I GET INTO THE REVIEW I JUST WANT TO SAY WRITING AN ENTIRE BOOK IS INSANE AND U R INCREDIBLY TALENTED FOR PUBLISHING THIS DEBUT BOOK 💖
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I wanted to leave a critical and actual honest review... especially since the author has so much talent and potential!!
WELCOME TO THE REVIEW!!!!🌈🌈🌈 *MY OPINION*
Off Script is this cutesy YA clean romance about a fake relationship between Athene and Roman created due to their theater production.
GENERAL FEELINGS
I really liked the story line. However to be blank the beginning chapters did take me out of the story a lot. I was so SHOCKED when I saw the improvement in writing throughout the book. THE LAST LINE ABOUT THE TEN DOLLARS WAS GENIUS and I truly believe there was no better way to end this book. 🙈🙈🙈
I felt like the book really found it's voice to the nearer end, where in the beginning I personally (this is just an assumption) felt like some specific styles of writing were derived from books like SHATTER ME and LIGHT LARK. in fact the one snippet of the "Sweetheart" scene felt similar or basically identical to the one in SHATTER ME. I just wanted to point this out not to discourage inspiration but because I know that this can happen without the author intending it to. Of course books will be inspired by one another but it's important not to accidentally plagiarize.
I really liked when both Athene and Roman both talked about each other using personification; I thought that was a really cute artistic choice on the authors part. 😛😛
I LOVED HOW THEY WERE BOTH ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER BUT NOT IN ONLY IN A PHYSICAL SENSE
They both liked each other's personalities and they actually cared about each other not just for lust. It's so rare to find a romance book that isn't just crappy p0rn nowadays so I felt so uplifted when I saw that this was a properly written ROMANCE romance.
OH AND I LOVE FAST PACED I FINISHED THIS SOOO FAST!!
CLARITY
I got confused as to what the story of the play was. it was never really described properly and all we know is that Athene and Roman have to kiss.
I honestly thought that Roman would die or was dead😭😭😭 because of the past tense that was used so much
on page 78 Roman and Athene have this really cute scene where Roman tucks her hair that was supposed to be in a bun... but then he says "I'll always be here Adeline. No matter how hard you try to run."
... Who's Adeline??
I'm assuming this was like an auto correct thing but it really took me out of the story
Not much conflict? there isnt anything preventing Athene and Roman from getting together than Athene herself 🤷♀️🤷♀️ There was no external pressures or anything preventing them from getting together so I was confused when Roman made a big fuss about their fake relationship he proposed and became invisible
How big is this academy thingy for the arts? It's never mentioned how prestigious it is. I'm assuming its like Harvard for the arts??
GRAMMAR
I went into this book knowing that there was going to be grammar mistakes. However they weren't how I expected to be. Simple mistakes such as forgetting to capitalize the Is were made. I honestly think this would be an easy fix. (Gabby if u need free peer-editing. . . I got you 😛😛)
The author forgot to punctuate some of her sentences, indent paragraphs, but these are very easy fixes. something that did concern me throughout reading the book however was the use of past tense even the things happening were present. If you switch between past tense and present tense strategically it's okay. However, if it's completely random it definitely does throw you off and take you out of the story here and then.
I think the grammar affected my review a lot. if it weren't for the grammar my rating would have been a 4/5!!
CHARACTERS
Love Roman!
Love Athene!
but the things they do or say is never really explained (I will talk about this later)
is there no teachers? I mean it is an academy but there seems to be no people of authority.
Side characters are so supportice and sweet!! 🥹🥹
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MISSES
Athene mentions that she doesn't want to be the main character, but then she also wants to pursue acting which kind of confused me because if she doesn't want to be an actor for a main role that kind of like mentality there doesn't really match up. I'm not against the fact that she doesn't want to be a main character. I think that's actually really interesting like character value, but that's never brought up ever again and I was kind of disappointed because I was really interested in her perspective of acting and roles.
Roman tells Athene that she can't run away from him no matter how hard she tries, which is pretty toxic and I was actually really intrigued by the fact that he even said that. I thought that was like an opportunity for Roman's character to be further developed by it showing his flawed side rather than him being like the perfect book boyfriend. I felt like this was a lost opportunity and made his character kind of flat.
Roman also mentions that he hates acting but we never find out why he hates acting. we just know that he hates acting but then he forced to act because some people drop out and he automatically gets the main role. Not to forget that he's a natural. He's usually a director and he's also a great actor but he's not into acting? I feel like some kind of family drama or something. maybe some OC lore trauma could have been involved and it could have been talked about more just so we know who Roman is as a person.
Furthermore, I think Athene could have talked about her family too because in the end I really like that one paragraph. the author wrote about how she never really understood what true love was till she met Roman, but we have no evidence to back that up.
I also felt like Roman's not really scared of anything. The only thing he's really scared about is losing Athene... which is okay I guess, but I feel like Athene was a more well-developed character.
PROS 👍👍👍
- there's a lot of pros in this book. it's really cozy. you don't really have to worry about anything or comprehending which I really liked!
- I remember my jaw literally dropped in shock when I read the confession scene in the rain.
you will not regret reading this book!
- this is way better than any romance book on BookTok that has way too much lust way too much 69 way too much everything. I honestly think this was the perfect amount of cutesy and love and romance
- Roman bought a dozen books for her
NOT SO PROS 😔😔😔
- lots of grammar mistakes
- no crazy conflict
IMPROVEMENTS ❤️❤️
I FEEL LIKE THIS BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN. THE ONLY THING THAT'S STOPPING IT FROM ITS FULL POTENTIAL IS IT'S GRAMMAR. I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD PEER EDIT THIS FOR FREE SUCH AS ME, AND A REVISION LIKE EDITION WITH MAYBE LIKE A SLIGHTLY NEW DESIGN THAT WOULD GO SO HARD.
less pressing issues such as rather character, backstories and all. I guess. I wish I would have saw more in this book. because her and Roman in the beginning theyre best friends but they already act like a couple and it doesn't take. it takes like 2 seconds for Roman to be like you know what. I'm going to start calling you sweetheart. from now on I feel like there could have been more yearning and more of that slow burn, especially for this romance novel that's centered around this romance. I feel like it was way too fast for fast paced like I feel like the pacing could have been less fast but still fast paced if that makes sense cuz the sweetheart thing was a bit too quick and I kind of got the ache because there was no chemistry before that.
(I used text to speech so please forgive me if this doesn't make sense LMAO)
I kind of hope that there was an external pressure that kind of forced Athene to put aside this relationship with Roman because the only thing that caused conflict in this like relationship that Roman wanted was Athene herself....
last thing last thing while I was reading it. I really wish that there was some kind of playlist for all the songs that were being quoted so that like readers can go back to them!!!
🌈🌈🌈
CONCLUSION💖💖💖
A THREE-STAR REVIEW FOR ME IS ACTUALLY A REALLY HIGH RATING. it means that the only thing I had a problem with was either how the story ended or just the writing in general. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to read it and to all my friends. thank you so much for providing me a free PDF of this book 💖💖💖🥹🥹🥹
can't wait for your new books to come!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
![Profile Image for Ananya [nameless].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1762615512i/177458909._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
September 28, 2025
ARC Reader Review ✨🌸🤭
Lights.. Camera.. ROMANCE?! In this sweet young adult Hollywood romance, we follow a pair of best friends, Athene Rivers and Roman Reyes, who decide to fake-date to save their school play after a video of them goes viral. But they have one important rule: don’t catch feelings.
Trust me when I say you will be HOOKED from the very first page. You will fall head over heels for flirty, gentlemanly Movie Director Roman Reyes, squeal and giggle over the iconic movie-like moments, find yourself in the relatable and lovable characters, and even shed a couple of tears!
I absolutely adored how in Off Script we see romantic love (duh, I mean it’s a rom-com), but we also see so much platonic love through truly wholesome friendships that had me smiling and laughing to myself throughout the entire novel.
So if you’re looking for a wholesome, cozy romance, don’t walk… RUN to get your copy of Off Script ASAP!!!
A little more info: Young Adult, No Spice, Friends to Lovers, Yearning, Sunshine x Sunshine, RomCom.
Lights.. Camera.. ROMANCE?! In this sweet young adult Hollywood romance, we follow a pair of best friends, Athene Rivers and Roman Reyes, who decide to fake-date to save their school play after a video of them goes viral. But they have one important rule: don’t catch feelings.
Trust me when I say you will be HOOKED from the very first page. You will fall head over heels for flirty, gentlemanly Movie Director Roman Reyes, squeal and giggle over the iconic movie-like moments, find yourself in the relatable and lovable characters, and even shed a couple of tears!
I absolutely adored how in Off Script we see romantic love (duh, I mean it’s a rom-com), but we also see so much platonic love through truly wholesome friendships that had me smiling and laughing to myself throughout the entire novel.
So if you’re looking for a wholesome, cozy romance, don’t walk… RUN to get your copy of Off Script ASAP!!!
A little more info: Young Adult, No Spice, Friends to Lovers, Yearning, Sunshine x Sunshine, RomCom.
October 9, 2025
I liked the idea, the story, the plot; it was just the writing.
DISCLAIMER: This book was phenomenal, the following review is just some critiques I thought could've improved the story and is to be ignored in the long run because this book was great! Please go read it and support a fellow indie author!
There were a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. It was confusing as well. The way it was formatted made it hard to decipher which character was speaking, which made me go back and re-read lines multiple times.
I felt that the start was a bit rushed, and no tension or suspense was built up to the main part of the story.
Now, this isn't to be harsh; the book itself was amazing, which is why I gave it three stars (three stars is a good rating in my book.) I just think the novel could've used a professional editor or more than just 2 drafts because it would've made the story more compelling.
Now Roman and Athene. An amazing couple, they were written so well! Gabby is the sweetest, love the author of this book. It's an amazing debut and isn't a bad book. So, if you--like me--came across her social media page and have been wondering if you should read this book, the answer is yes!
DISCLAIMER: This book was phenomenal, the following review is just some critiques I thought could've improved the story and is to be ignored in the long run because this book was great! Please go read it and support a fellow indie author!
There were a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. It was confusing as well. The way it was formatted made it hard to decipher which character was speaking, which made me go back and re-read lines multiple times.
I felt that the start was a bit rushed, and no tension or suspense was built up to the main part of the story.
Now, this isn't to be harsh; the book itself was amazing, which is why I gave it three stars (three stars is a good rating in my book.) I just think the novel could've used a professional editor or more than just 2 drafts because it would've made the story more compelling.
Now Roman and Athene. An amazing couple, they were written so well! Gabby is the sweetest, love the author of this book. It's an amazing debut and isn't a bad book. So, if you--like me--came across her social media page and have been wondering if you should read this book, the answer is yes!
April 11, 2026
★★★☆☆
3.5!
Off Script by Gabrielle Smuts.
—
“Ready. You?” My shoulders shake as a chuckle runs through me.
“Oh, sweetheart. With you? I'm absolutely unstoppable.”
—
Acting. Drama. Action!
This book was a really easy read that just let you sweep through the pages in minutes. It is adorable and cute, but it also hints at something more, like a raw wound from failed relationships and someone scared of being broken by those they trust. However, it does contain many grammar, spelling, and formatting mistakes. The plot also needs to be adjusted in some details, but despite that, it still works as a whole. Off Script makes up for its errors with its fun reverie and you can really imagine all the effort put into it considering its written by a teen indie author.
It can be a good breather for those in reading slumps or readers alternating from really plot-heavy novels to romance novels. And of course, it's also a really entertaining, cutesy read for the girls ready to feel the love from typed paper. As you navigate through this fun little story, you'll grow to really like our main characters Athene and Roman. They're the types of leads that think of eachother before themselves and keep you waiting for more. You'll find the yearning really sweet and you'll love Roman alot. The writing style is easy and straightforward, although at times things don't make sense and seem illogical. So, I will say again, this book really requires a thorough period of editing overall, but after that, it would be perfect.
Overall, I personally really enjoyed this and think that it would be perfect for fans of Picking Daisies on Sundays and Business Proposal. It has the kind of yearning that gives you butterflies in your stomach. And although I personally enjoy enemies to lover/rivals to lovers more, I still enjoyed this.
3.5!
Off Script by Gabrielle Smuts.
—
“Ready. You?” My shoulders shake as a chuckle runs through me.
“Oh, sweetheart. With you? I'm absolutely unstoppable.”
—
Acting. Drama. Action!
This book was a really easy read that just let you sweep through the pages in minutes. It is adorable and cute, but it also hints at something more, like a raw wound from failed relationships and someone scared of being broken by those they trust. However, it does contain many grammar, spelling, and formatting mistakes. The plot also needs to be adjusted in some details, but despite that, it still works as a whole. Off Script makes up for its errors with its fun reverie and you can really imagine all the effort put into it considering its written by a teen indie author.
It can be a good breather for those in reading slumps or readers alternating from really plot-heavy novels to romance novels. And of course, it's also a really entertaining, cutesy read for the girls ready to feel the love from typed paper. As you navigate through this fun little story, you'll grow to really like our main characters Athene and Roman. They're the types of leads that think of eachother before themselves and keep you waiting for more. You'll find the yearning really sweet and you'll love Roman alot. The writing style is easy and straightforward, although at times things don't make sense and seem illogical. So, I will say again, this book really requires a thorough period of editing overall, but after that, it would be perfect.
Overall, I personally really enjoyed this and think that it would be perfect for fans of Picking Daisies on Sundays and Business Proposal. It has the kind of yearning that gives you butterflies in your stomach. And although I personally enjoy enemies to lover/rivals to lovers more, I still enjoyed this.
August 31, 2025
I was so excited to be able to receive an ARC copy of this book! Trigger Warning: It may be the cutest romance you’ve ever read! Perfect for theater fans, you HAVE to read this book!
August 10, 2025
✨ ARC Review: OFF SCRIPT by Gabby Smuts ✨
"To all the girls who can't wait to fall in love, and to those who are scared to...I wrote this for you."
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Off Script by the wonderfully talented young author Gabby Smuts (@gabbyauthorofficial) — a complete change of genre from Limitless, but one where Gabby sounds more confident and comfortable than ever. This rom-com is filled with her passion and excitement, and it’s utterly charming — the kind of story that makes you smile at your book and hug it to your chest when you’re done.
🖤 What is it about?
Athene and Roman are best friends… until a rehearsal video for the school play goes viral and suddenly they’re “dating.” It’s all for show — to save ticket sales and keep the buzz going — but Roman plays the perfect boyfriend a little too well. And while Athene swears it’s nothing more than an act, one moment changes everything.
📚 What I loved about Off Script
Athene is such a vibe — a little icy, effortlessly cool, with that “black cat” energy that makes you want to know her. Roman? Complete heartthrob material. He’s the perfect mix of boy-next-door and “I’d walk through fire for you” devotion. Their banter and chemistry are so much fun to read, and Gabby delivers exactly what you want from the fake dating trope (and more).
I adored the song lyrics at the start of chapters, the moments of softness between the comedy, and Roman’s heartfelt letters. While this is a very different genre from Limitless, you can see Gabby’s growth as an author — the writing is confident, engaging, and it pulls you in straight away.
⚔️ A few things I wanted more of…
The romance felt a bit rushed — and because I adore fake dating angst, I would have loved a couple more “pretend” moments, lingering almost-kisses, and playful public displays before the feelings fully bloomed. I also wish we’d had more of the play itself, especially the final performance — plus a few extra scenes of other characters reacting to Athene and Roman’s “relationship” with surprise or gossip. And while both Athene and Roman’s exes seemed to play large roles in their pasts, I wish the story had leaned into that even more — exploring how those relationships shaped them, and letting the exes stir up just a little more drama.
🌙 Some of my favourite quotes
“This girl is mesmerising to me. And she has dimples”
“Boy’s don’t just kiss girls when they feel bad. They kiss girls they actually want.”
“I wondered if she knew that I’ll never be able to stand the taste of someone else’s lips on mine, or the feel of anyone else. That she will be the very thing that consumes my thoughts until I die.”
✨ In short: Off Script is a feel-good rom-com full of heart, charm, and characters you’ll want to be friends with. For a 14-year-old author, this is such an impressive piece of writing — proof that Gabby Smuts has huge potential and a bright future ahead. It’s another step forward in her journey, and I can’t wait to see what she creates next.
"To all the girls who can't wait to fall in love, and to those who are scared to...I wrote this for you."
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Off Script by the wonderfully talented young author Gabby Smuts (@gabbyauthorofficial) — a complete change of genre from Limitless, but one where Gabby sounds more confident and comfortable than ever. This rom-com is filled with her passion and excitement, and it’s utterly charming — the kind of story that makes you smile at your book and hug it to your chest when you’re done.
🖤 What is it about?
Athene and Roman are best friends… until a rehearsal video for the school play goes viral and suddenly they’re “dating.” It’s all for show — to save ticket sales and keep the buzz going — but Roman plays the perfect boyfriend a little too well. And while Athene swears it’s nothing more than an act, one moment changes everything.
📚 What I loved about Off Script
Athene is such a vibe — a little icy, effortlessly cool, with that “black cat” energy that makes you want to know her. Roman? Complete heartthrob material. He’s the perfect mix of boy-next-door and “I’d walk through fire for you” devotion. Their banter and chemistry are so much fun to read, and Gabby delivers exactly what you want from the fake dating trope (and more).
I adored the song lyrics at the start of chapters, the moments of softness between the comedy, and Roman’s heartfelt letters. While this is a very different genre from Limitless, you can see Gabby’s growth as an author — the writing is confident, engaging, and it pulls you in straight away.
⚔️ A few things I wanted more of…
The romance felt a bit rushed — and because I adore fake dating angst, I would have loved a couple more “pretend” moments, lingering almost-kisses, and playful public displays before the feelings fully bloomed. I also wish we’d had more of the play itself, especially the final performance — plus a few extra scenes of other characters reacting to Athene and Roman’s “relationship” with surprise or gossip. And while both Athene and Roman’s exes seemed to play large roles in their pasts, I wish the story had leaned into that even more — exploring how those relationships shaped them, and letting the exes stir up just a little more drama.
🌙 Some of my favourite quotes
“This girl is mesmerising to me. And she has dimples”
“Boy’s don’t just kiss girls when they feel bad. They kiss girls they actually want.”
“I wondered if she knew that I’ll never be able to stand the taste of someone else’s lips on mine, or the feel of anyone else. That she will be the very thing that consumes my thoughts until I die.”
✨ In short: Off Script is a feel-good rom-com full of heart, charm, and characters you’ll want to be friends with. For a 14-year-old author, this is such an impressive piece of writing — proof that Gabby Smuts has huge potential and a bright future ahead. It’s another step forward in her journey, and I can’t wait to see what she creates next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2025
Well done to the author!
I thought it was very will written for a debut teen-author! The relationship between Athene and Roman is very cute and had me smiling more often than not. If you are looking for a cozy romance that will have you giggling, smiling and feeling all warm inside then this is the book for you. Well done, Gabby!
I thought it was very will written for a debut teen-author! The relationship between Athene and Roman is very cute and had me smiling more often than not. If you are looking for a cozy romance that will have you giggling, smiling and feeling all warm inside then this is the book for you. Well done, Gabby!
September 5, 2025
Such a cute book loved how it was written. You’re such an amazing writer ❤️❤️❤️ honestly this book was like a something that I made up in my head and it was put to words. The characters were amazing and I like how you portrayed the FMC and I think that you pair the characters personality's so well. Loved reading it and can’t wait to see what you write next.
April 28, 2026
𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ★★★★
💖 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 🌸
❝𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨.❞ 💌
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
📝 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬;
🎶 The song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter were literally perfection.
I highly recommend listening to “Lover” while reading 💗🎧
📖 This book is such a beautiful reminder of why fictional men >>>
Roman is my Roman Empire (no pun intended 😉👀)
🖋️ I’m SO glad I annotated this book the quotes?? absolutely stunning✨
Also, can we talk about the length?
Not too long, not too short… just perfectly in-between 🤌
🚫🌶️ 𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐀 — This book is clean!
No spice whatsoever, which honestly made me feel more connected to the characters 💞
There were a few grammatical/spelling errors, BUT I didn’t deduct points.
Gabby being self-published? Literally an ICON
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
🌷 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰;
I hadn’t started yet, but my expectations are HIGH
The cover?? HELLO?
Pink background and a clapperboard , I'm obsessed!
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
🌟 𝓟𝓸𝓼𝓽-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰;
AAAHHH this book EXCEEDED my expectations 😭💕
Roman = the kind of man every girl yearns for.
And Athene? don’t even get me started 🥹
📌 Definitely add this to your TBR
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
This book is cute, quick, fun, and a little quirky pretty much everything you’d want in a romance 🫶✨
💖 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 🌸
❝𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞
𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨.❞ 💌
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
📝 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬;
🎶 The song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter were literally perfection.
I highly recommend listening to “Lover” while reading 💗🎧
📖 This book is such a beautiful reminder of why fictional men >>>
Roman is my Roman Empire (no pun intended 😉👀)
🖋️ I’m SO glad I annotated this book the quotes?? absolutely stunning✨
Also, can we talk about the length?
Not too long, not too short… just perfectly in-between 🤌
🚫🌶️ 𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐀 — This book is clean!
No spice whatsoever, which honestly made me feel more connected to the characters 💞
There were a few grammatical/spelling errors, BUT I didn’t deduct points.
Gabby being self-published? Literally an ICON
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
🌷 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰;
I hadn’t started yet, but my expectations are HIGH
The cover?? HELLO?
Pink background and a clapperboard , I'm obsessed!
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
🌟 𝓟𝓸𝓼𝓽-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰;
AAAHHH this book EXCEEDED my expectations 😭💕
Roman = the kind of man every girl yearns for.
And Athene? don’t even get me started 🥹
📌 Definitely add this to your TBR
━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━
This book is cute, quick, fun, and a little quirky pretty much everything you’d want in a romance 🫶✨
December 12, 2025
4.5 Stars 🌟
I absolutely adored this book. Roman and Athene were so irresistibly cute that I genuinely found myself kicking my feet and giggling more times than I can count.
The only thing that pulled me out of the story at times was the formatting. There were a few moments where it was difficult to tell who was speaking, and I had to re-read certain lines to make sure I followed the dialogue correctly.
But honestly? Roman and Athene more than made up for it. Their relationship, their dynamic, and the way their story unfolds makes this book absolutely worth the read. I loved it from start to finish.
Will be recommending this book💞
I absolutely adored this book. Roman and Athene were so irresistibly cute that I genuinely found myself kicking my feet and giggling more times than I can count.
The only thing that pulled me out of the story at times was the formatting. There were a few moments where it was difficult to tell who was speaking, and I had to re-read certain lines to make sure I followed the dialogue correctly.
But honestly? Roman and Athene more than made up for it. Their relationship, their dynamic, and the way their story unfolds makes this book absolutely worth the read. I loved it from start to finish.
Will be recommending this book💞
April 6, 2026
O.M.G this book has my heart! This was such an amazing read, and I’m so grateful I got to read this book. Athene & Roman literally have my heart! They are so cute together! Roman is like the ideal boyfriend if you ask me, the way he loved Athene and how he cared deeply for her was adorable! And I loved Athene, although she did get on my nerves from time to time I still love her. I love how she carried herself throughout the book, and how confident she was. Like guys I need her confidence.
And don’t even get me started on the last line of this book! It was literally the perfect way to end it! I definitely loved this book and you would be missing out if you didn’t read it.
And don’t even get me started on the last line of this book! It was literally the perfect way to end it! I definitely loved this book and you would be missing out if you didn’t read it.
April 4, 2026
4 starsss
This book was such a fun read. It was short and fast paced and the absolute perfect palette cleanser for me. I absolutely adore Roman and Athene. I was hooked to book after the first few chapters and I ended up finishing this in two dayss. I just absolutely loved the book and all the characters.
The romance did feel a little rushed at the start but I feel the ending made up for it. The formatting also made it hard for me to tell who said the dialogues.
other than that it was an enjoyable book and I'm glad I got picked to read it!! and I loved the ending dialogue.
This book was such a fun read. It was short and fast paced and the absolute perfect palette cleanser for me. I absolutely adore Roman and Athene. I was hooked to book after the first few chapters and I ended up finishing this in two dayss. I just absolutely loved the book and all the characters.
The romance did feel a little rushed at the start but I feel the ending made up for it. The formatting also made it hard for me to tell who said the dialogues.
other than that it was an enjoyable book and I'm glad I got picked to read it!! and I loved the ending dialogue.
April 18, 2026
4 / 5 ⭐️
THE ENDING WAS PERFECTION 🥹
this was one of the cutest books i've ever read !!!
this book made me laugh, giggle, cry and i just loved it !
i love Athene & Roman sooo much aaahhh 😭
the yearning, the flirting, the cute scenes, the tension...etc - AMAZING ✨️
the love they have for each other is absolutely beautiful 💕
AND he wrote her letters...crying
HOW I LOVE A GOOD CONFESSION SCENE INTO THE POURING RAIN 😩
thank you Gabby Smuts for this sweet romance 🫶🏻
ps : i need my Roman 🙏🏻
THE ENDING WAS PERFECTION 🥹
this was one of the cutest books i've ever read !!!
this book made me laugh, giggle, cry and i just loved it !
i love Athene & Roman sooo much aaahhh 😭
the yearning, the flirting, the cute scenes, the tension...etc - AMAZING ✨️
the love they have for each other is absolutely beautiful 💕
AND he wrote her letters...crying
HOW I LOVE A GOOD CONFESSION SCENE INTO THE POURING RAIN 😩
thank you Gabby Smuts for this sweet romance 🫶🏻
ps : i need my Roman 🙏🏻
February 7, 2026
I am not much a contemporary romance reader, but I'd say 'Off Script' was a good read. The plot moved well, but it could have been elaborated better. The atmosphere of the book seemed... plain. I couldn't quite map out exactly the characters and scenes. Also, a good editor should have been used. Anyways... A good work for a teen debut.
April 4, 2026
i liked this book pretty much. it was really fast paced and short, but i feel like the events went past just too fast. large events came one after another without a break, and i wish it was a bit slower. the grammar annoyed me a little, considering i'm a total nerd, but overall the plot was pretty good!
April 18, 2026
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING OMG
Despite this book not being traditionally published or professionally edited, it still read like a nyt bestselling romance book! A fast-paced cute ya romance was just what I needed rn and it actually ate do hard! Both perspectives were written so well and I’m genuinely in shock of how good this book was! Perfect for fans of Lynn Painter—GO BUY THIS BOOK RN!
Despite this book not being traditionally published or professionally edited, it still read like a nyt bestselling romance book! A fast-paced cute ya romance was just what I needed rn and it actually ate do hard! Both perspectives were written so well and I’m genuinely in shock of how good this book was! Perfect for fans of Lynn Painter—GO BUY THIS BOOK RN!
April 1, 2026
Very cute book! It’s so incredible writing a book that young. ☺️
Just wish the format was different 🩷
Just wish the format was different 🩷
April 3, 2026
It was really good! Athene was a little insufferable at times but besides that I liked it! Roman was really sweet and the ending was really good!
April 22, 2026
Oh how I love theatre kids
Great, fast paced read when you need a cutesy YA romcom! 100% recommend!
Great, fast paced read when you need a cutesy YA romcom! 100% recommend!
May 1, 2026
I luved it smm, it’s a cozy romance and it keeps u hooked more than most books in fact. The funny part is the ending tho, I LAUGHED SO HARD. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!!
April 9, 2026
I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR 3.9 stars!!
September 30, 2025
4.0/5.0 ⭐
Znacie te uczucie, gdy książka wywołuje u was chichotanie, kopanie głowami i pisk na zwykłe zbliżenie między bohaterami? Właśnie tym jest Off Script -- przeuroczą komedią romantyczną z moim ukochanym motywem fake dating!
TikTok mi podsunął tę książkę kilka tygodni temu, sprawiając, że oczekiwałam na premierę z niecierpliwością! I uwierzcie, jako osoba, która obraca się w środowisku, w którym dzieje się akcja książki byłam tak usatysfakcjonowana przedstawionym światem przez Gabby.
Była lekka, niewymagająca i idealna na jesienny wieczór pod kocem, czego zdecydowanie szukałam od dawna w świecie tak wielu premier książkowych.
Znacie te uczucie, gdy książka wywołuje u was chichotanie, kopanie głowami i pisk na zwykłe zbliżenie między bohaterami? Właśnie tym jest Off Script -- przeuroczą komedią romantyczną z moim ukochanym motywem fake dating!
TikTok mi podsunął tę książkę kilka tygodni temu, sprawiając, że oczekiwałam na premierę z niecierpliwością! I uwierzcie, jako osoba, która obraca się w środowisku, w którym dzieje się akcja książki byłam tak usatysfakcjonowana przedstawionym światem przez Gabby.
Była lekka, niewymagająca i idealna na jesienny wieczór pod kocem, czego zdecydowanie szukałam od dawna w świecie tak wielu premier książkowych.
December 14, 2025
Sooooo boring
January 11, 2026
THE ENDING IS SO GOOD I CANT WITH THIS OMFG, ALL I WANT IS THIS TYPE OF ROMANCE IN MY LIFE PLEASE
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