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Off Script
You're invited... to a weekend of magic and book themed revelry. A fantasy ball beyond your wildest dreams. A book convention with some of today's hottest new authors, and now YOU...
An epic fantasy adventure through the wild streets of Portland Oregon, OFF SCRIPT follows Sadie Hawthorne, a lonely, 30-year-old fantasy author, who was invited to a fantasy ball for a magical weekend of beautiful dresses and wonderful stories. She gets more magic than she bargained for when Inez, a very real warrior from Sadie's very made-up kingdom of Sherbrooke, shows up demanding her help. Unfortunately for the girls, Inez isn't the only one who made it out of Sadie's story... When their worlds collide and a villain emerges bent on their destruction, will they be able to come together in time to save both Portland and Sherbrooke?
Get your books, gowns, and crowns ready for a weekend you won't forget.
An epic fantasy adventure through the wild streets of Portland Oregon, OFF SCRIPT follows Sadie Hawthorne, a lonely, 30-year-old fantasy author, who was invited to a fantasy ball for a magical weekend of beautiful dresses and wonderful stories. She gets more magic than she bargained for when Inez, a very real warrior from Sadie's very made-up kingdom of Sherbrooke, shows up demanding her help. Unfortunately for the girls, Inez isn't the only one who made it out of Sadie's story... When their worlds collide and a villain emerges bent on their destruction, will they be able to come together in time to save both Portland and Sherbrooke?
Get your books, gowns, and crowns ready for a weekend you won't forget.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2023
18 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Zane
13 books64 followersSarah Zane is an author of happy endings for traumatized queers. As a bisexual, it should be shocking to no one that she has more than one genre she loves and writes. She writes across genres but guarantees that a Sarah Zane book will always be queer and always have a happy ending eventually. She has a particular fondness for writing sapphic pairings since they tend to be underrepresented in books. She lives in New England with her 2 black cats named Gatsby and Mr. Darcy. When she isn't writing, she can be usually be found taking forest walks, visiting castles, planning exotic trips she can't afford, or cuddled up with one of her cats crying over fictional characters or yelling at them about how badly they need therapy.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 5, 2025
When indie author Sadie Hawthorne scraps the original happy ending draft of the final novel in her trilogy, the last thing she expects is for characters from the series to appear in her real life, follow her to a bookish convention, and demand she sets their stories straight. And Sadie does want to help--the trouble is, she has no idea how. With her book's villain stalking her every move, Sadie will have to team up with other convention attendees to save both the imaginary world of her trilogy and her own.
What a great concept for a book! It was really fun to watch Sadie meet and bond with Inez, and I enjoyed the new friendships Sadie made with convention attendees. The plot twist the night of the ball was clever, and I'm glad everyone (including various side characters) got their happy endings (as promised by the author's bio!).
However, I would really have liked to see Sadie develop more agency throughout the book. The plot twist that saves them all from Damien was something Sadie's friend came up with and carried out completely on her own--Sadie didn't even know what was happening until it was over. It often felt like various other characters would've made better main characters because they were far less passive over the course of the story. I also think we could've leaned into Sadie's sexuality a bit more, rather than just talking/thinking about it. For instance, being demisexual could've been why Damien's seduction powers didn't work on her. I would've liked more explanation about the magic system and how it was functioning in the real world, too. Finally, in many of his POV chapters, Damien attempts to magically enthrall a woman, and then pretty much always has a little internal debate over whether or not he should r*pe them. This seemed really out of place for what was otherwise a fairly light-hearted book, and a bridge too far for me personally (I don't do dubcon or noncon of any kind, and especially not without trigger warnings). It also made it totally unbelievable when Sadie then describes him as "not that bad, really," and someone who is just desperate to get his beloved spouse back from kidnappers. I think there were four instances of this (two with Serena, at least one with Sadie, and one with Naomi), but thankfully, they were all briefly lived and Damien never actually acted on the thoughts.
The Damien thing aside, overall, I enjoyed the book, and rate it 3.65 stars, rounded up to 4.
What a great concept for a book! It was really fun to watch Sadie meet and bond with Inez, and I enjoyed the new friendships Sadie made with convention attendees. The plot twist the night of the ball was clever, and I'm glad everyone (including various side characters) got their happy endings (as promised by the author's bio!).
However, I would really have liked to see Sadie develop more agency throughout the book. The plot twist that saves them all from Damien was something Sadie's friend came up with and carried out completely on her own--Sadie didn't even know what was happening until it was over. It often felt like various other characters would've made better main characters because they were far less passive over the course of the story. I also think we could've leaned into Sadie's sexuality a bit more, rather than just talking/thinking about it. For instance, being demisexual could've been why Damien's seduction powers didn't work on her. I would've liked more explanation about the magic system and how it was functioning in the real world, too. Finally, in many of his POV chapters, Damien attempts to magically enthrall a woman, and then pretty much always has a little internal debate over whether or not he should r*pe them. This seemed really out of place for what was otherwise a fairly light-hearted book, and a bridge too far for me personally (I don't do dubcon or noncon of any kind, and especially not without trigger warnings). It also made it totally unbelievable when Sadie then describes him as "not that bad, really," and someone who is just desperate to get his beloved spouse back from kidnappers. I think there were four instances of this (two with Serena, at least one with Sadie, and one with Naomi), but thankfully, they were all briefly lived and Damien never actually acted on the thoughts.
The Damien thing aside, overall, I enjoyed the book, and rate it 3.65 stars, rounded up to 4.
June 15, 2023
2.5 Stars Rounded up
OFF SCRIPT follows Sadie Hawthorne, a lonely, 30-year-old fantasy author, who was invited to a fantasy ball themed book convention, and is eager to use this chance to reach out and connect with others . She gets more magic than she bargained for when characters from her novel show up in her everyday life. As they romp through the streets of Portland, Sadie is forced to take a look at her characters and re-evaluate if the (unpublished) end to their story is really the one they deserve.
I wanted to like this book so very badly, but in the end I just really didn’t vibe with it. It’s nice to see bisexual and demisexual representation, and I think the author shows promise. Also, I’m pretty sure this is an indie published book, which in of itself is no small feat so major props to the author. However, the characters were hard to relate to. The villian would lamenting over how his husband isn’t there in one paragraph and then openly lusting after a woman in the next because ‘well my husband wouldn’t want me to be sad’.
The characters thoughts and emotions for the simplest things are over explained even for something small that doesn’t matter to the story. The narrative pauses to describe things such as a character standing there thinking about a couch or something for a full page. Then, since we are so contained in the characters head, when references are made to the things going on around them it is confusing and unclear. I feel this is something that could be resolved by a solid editor or a beta reader pointing out what areas might not track for the general audience, but it felt like there was a lot of the character telling what happened rather than the narrative showing it.
Things just conveniently work out a lot. For example, at one point a character is kidnapped and escapes by just walking out the door because… the villian was too shocked she would dare do that to stop her? Plot points would be resolved and it would be mentioned off hand later that oh it’s because such and such character did this thing behind the scenes. Which made everything fall a little flat to me.
This might be a novel for you if you like more focus on the characters and their inner thoughts and emotions more than an action driven plot, the tone overall is more a feel good found family l vibe that I feel others might relate to, but I like having a more involved plot line than this ended up being. Which is not on the novel, it’s my personal preference.
At it’s heart this is a feel good fantasy that I desperately wanted to love, but came off feeling more like an lightly edited self insert fanfic. I hope others enjoy this more than I did, and like I said the author definitely has promise and there are a lot of good ideas in this, but in the end it is not the book for me.
OFF SCRIPT follows Sadie Hawthorne, a lonely, 30-year-old fantasy author, who was invited to a fantasy ball themed book convention, and is eager to use this chance to reach out and connect with others . She gets more magic than she bargained for when characters from her novel show up in her everyday life. As they romp through the streets of Portland, Sadie is forced to take a look at her characters and re-evaluate if the (unpublished) end to their story is really the one they deserve.
I wanted to like this book so very badly, but in the end I just really didn’t vibe with it. It’s nice to see bisexual and demisexual representation, and I think the author shows promise. Also, I’m pretty sure this is an indie published book, which in of itself is no small feat so major props to the author. However, the characters were hard to relate to. The villian would lamenting over how his husband isn’t there in one paragraph and then openly lusting after a woman in the next because ‘well my husband wouldn’t want me to be sad’.
The characters thoughts and emotions for the simplest things are over explained even for something small that doesn’t matter to the story. The narrative pauses to describe things such as a character standing there thinking about a couch or something for a full page. Then, since we are so contained in the characters head, when references are made to the things going on around them it is confusing and unclear. I feel this is something that could be resolved by a solid editor or a beta reader pointing out what areas might not track for the general audience, but it felt like there was a lot of the character telling what happened rather than the narrative showing it.
Things just conveniently work out a lot. For example, at one point a character is kidnapped and escapes by just walking out the door because… the villian was too shocked she would dare do that to stop her? Plot points would be resolved and it would be mentioned off hand later that oh it’s because such and such character did this thing behind the scenes. Which made everything fall a little flat to me.
This might be a novel for you if you like more focus on the characters and their inner thoughts and emotions more than an action driven plot, the tone overall is more a feel good found family l vibe that I feel others might relate to, but I like having a more involved plot line than this ended up being. Which is not on the novel, it’s my personal preference.
At it’s heart this is a feel good fantasy that I desperately wanted to love, but came off feeling more like an lightly edited self insert fanfic. I hope others enjoy this more than I did, and like I said the author definitely has promise and there are a lot of good ideas in this, but in the end it is not the book for me.
September 10, 2025
2/5
The premise of Off Script by Sarah Zane immediately grabbed me: indie author Sadie Hawthorne scraps the happy ending of her trilogy, only to have her characters appear in real life, follow her to a bookish convention, and demand she set their stories right. It’s a fun, meta concept, and I loved seeing Sadie interact with Inez and form new friendships with fellow convention-goers. The plot twist at the ball was clever, and I was happy that everyone - side characters included - got the happy endings promised in the author’s bio.
That said, the execution didn’t quite land for me. Sadie often felt passive, with other characters driving the plot forward while she reacted from the sidelines. The big twist that saved them from Damien, for example, was entirely conceived and carried out by her friend - Sadie wasn’t even aware of it until it was over. It left me wishing other characters had been the protagonist, since they showed more agency. I also think the book could have leaned more into Sadie’s sexuality; her being demisexual, for instance, could have explained why Damien’s seduction powers failed on her, which would’ve been a satisfying integration of character and plot.
The representation itself - both bisexual and demisexual - is wonderful to see, and I applaud the author for including it. Still, the character work didn’t feel consistent. Damien, for example, went from lamenting his absent husband in one scene to openly lusting after a woman in the next with little nuance. And while the narrative focuses heavily on character emotions and inner thoughts, this often came at the expense of pacing. Pages linger on small details, like a character musing about a couch, while bigger elements of the worldbuilding - such as the rules of the magic system - felt underexplained.
The result is a story that sometimes reads more like a lightly edited self-insert fanfic than a polished novel. That said, there are plenty of readers who might appreciate the slower, introspective style and “found family” vibe more than I did. Personally, I prefer a more plot-driven fantasy, and this one dragged for me.
At its heart, Off Script is a feel-good fantasy with clever ideas, representation, and a lot of promise from the author. I just wish it had been more tightly structured and better balanced between action and reflection.
The premise of Off Script by Sarah Zane immediately grabbed me: indie author Sadie Hawthorne scraps the happy ending of her trilogy, only to have her characters appear in real life, follow her to a bookish convention, and demand she set their stories right. It’s a fun, meta concept, and I loved seeing Sadie interact with Inez and form new friendships with fellow convention-goers. The plot twist at the ball was clever, and I was happy that everyone - side characters included - got the happy endings promised in the author’s bio.
That said, the execution didn’t quite land for me. Sadie often felt passive, with other characters driving the plot forward while she reacted from the sidelines. The big twist that saved them from Damien, for example, was entirely conceived and carried out by her friend - Sadie wasn’t even aware of it until it was over. It left me wishing other characters had been the protagonist, since they showed more agency. I also think the book could have leaned more into Sadie’s sexuality; her being demisexual, for instance, could have explained why Damien’s seduction powers failed on her, which would’ve been a satisfying integration of character and plot.
The representation itself - both bisexual and demisexual - is wonderful to see, and I applaud the author for including it. Still, the character work didn’t feel consistent. Damien, for example, went from lamenting his absent husband in one scene to openly lusting after a woman in the next with little nuance. And while the narrative focuses heavily on character emotions and inner thoughts, this often came at the expense of pacing. Pages linger on small details, like a character musing about a couch, while bigger elements of the worldbuilding - such as the rules of the magic system - felt underexplained.
The result is a story that sometimes reads more like a lightly edited self-insert fanfic than a polished novel. That said, there are plenty of readers who might appreciate the slower, introspective style and “found family” vibe more than I did. Personally, I prefer a more plot-driven fantasy, and this one dragged for me.
At its heart, Off Script is a feel-good fantasy with clever ideas, representation, and a lot of promise from the author. I just wish it had been more tightly structured and better balanced between action and reflection.
June 9, 2023
"Some people lose themselves in books; I found myself in one."⠀⠀
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Sarah Zane ,Off Script ⠀⠀
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Off Script by Sarah Zane was such a fun fantasy where the characters literally leap off the pages! ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
I loved the dual POV and Damien was especially fun to read with his brooding observations that were very much giving 2007's Enchanted vibes. He is tall, dark, and powerful but also has a great backstory and motivation. ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
Sadie is a complicated character but I liked her the more I got to know her. She's smart and curious and I loved how passionate she was about books, the convention, and her newfound friends. I definitely identified with her as an anxious, creative, demisexual with commitment issues.⠀⠀
⠀⠀
I think my favorite part of this book has to be all the found family storylines. From Sadie meeting an amazing, supportive author/idol to the formation of The Saviors of Sherbrooke, this tale had people coming together from all places to become fast friends. There was also a ton of queer representation that showcased both toxic and healthy relationships and I think that they were all done so well. ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
The magical elements of the book were cinematic but also a bit funny at times. Everything worked together to create a cozy fantasy that was easy to read in one sitting. The worldbuilding and cast kept my attention from the first line and I'm so sad I can't attend the Books Gowns and Crowns convention along with everyone! ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, The Princess Bride, or Inkheart this book this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book is perfect for you! ⠀
⠀⠀
Sarah Zane ,Off Script ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
⠀
Off Script by Sarah Zane was such a fun fantasy where the characters literally leap off the pages! ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
I loved the dual POV and Damien was especially fun to read with his brooding observations that were very much giving 2007's Enchanted vibes. He is tall, dark, and powerful but also has a great backstory and motivation. ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
Sadie is a complicated character but I liked her the more I got to know her. She's smart and curious and I loved how passionate she was about books, the convention, and her newfound friends. I definitely identified with her as an anxious, creative, demisexual with commitment issues.⠀⠀
⠀⠀
I think my favorite part of this book has to be all the found family storylines. From Sadie meeting an amazing, supportive author/idol to the formation of The Saviors of Sherbrooke, this tale had people coming together from all places to become fast friends. There was also a ton of queer representation that showcased both toxic and healthy relationships and I think that they were all done so well. ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
The magical elements of the book were cinematic but also a bit funny at times. Everything worked together to create a cozy fantasy that was easy to read in one sitting. The worldbuilding and cast kept my attention from the first line and I'm so sad I can't attend the Books Gowns and Crowns convention along with everyone! ⠀⠀
⠀⠀
If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, The Princess Bride, or Inkheart this book this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book is perfect for you! ⠀
June 18, 2023
Thank you to the author and My Big Gay Book Tours for an eARC. This did not influence my opinion.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this.
The characters were three-dimensional and relatable. They were also very likeable, even the “villain” was easy to understand and you were hoping, he would get one of the things he wanted (phrased like this for spoiler reasons).
I also really liked the premise of the book: book characters coming out of their book to get the author to change their ending. It was really well done as well and the reason for why they came made sense, too.
What I was not as happy with, was the ending. It made sense for the story, but as a reader, I don’t like books like that, sadly and I know it would have ruined the entire series for me, were I a reader of Sadie’s books.
The writing style was easy going most of the time, but the author often started sentences the same way and kept repeating things that had already been said just a few sentences before, which read awkwardly.
Other than that, I really loved the book and can very much recommend it.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this.
The characters were three-dimensional and relatable. They were also very likeable, even the “villain” was easy to understand and you were hoping, he would get one of the things he wanted (phrased like this for spoiler reasons).
I also really liked the premise of the book: book characters coming out of their book to get the author to change their ending. It was really well done as well and the reason for why they came made sense, too.
What I was not as happy with, was the ending. It made sense for the story, but as a reader, I don’t like books like that, sadly and I know it would have ruined the entire series for me, were I a reader of Sadie’s books.
The writing style was easy going most of the time, but the author often started sentences the same way and kept repeating things that had already been said just a few sentences before, which read awkwardly.
Other than that, I really loved the book and can very much recommend it.
June 7, 2023
This was absolutely enchanting and I’m officially obsessed!
I saw a blurb that pitched Off Script as Inkheart meets Enchanted and knew I had to read it right away - and I’m so glad I did because it was fantastic! We follow Sadie Hawthorne as she travels to Portland, OR for Books Gowns and Crowns (a fantasy book convention) for the first time as a author for a weekend of book signings, author events, fancy balls and friendship. The one thing she didn’t account for? The characters from her fantasy novels traveling to our world demanding a rewrite and wreaking havoc on the book convention! Once she realizes what’s going it’s up to Sadie and her fellow booklovers to reign in her characters and save both the city of Portland and their world of Sherbrooke before anyone gets hurt or the rest of the convention realizes what is happening!
Full of all the bookish references, amazing characters, friendship, amazing representation, all the Inkheart/Enchanted vibes, humor, action and adventure - Off Script was such an enjoyable read! I can’t wait to read more stories from this universe snd am so excited to see what Sarah Zane comes up with next!
Thank you to Sarah Zane for the gifted arc!
I saw a blurb that pitched Off Script as Inkheart meets Enchanted and knew I had to read it right away - and I’m so glad I did because it was fantastic! We follow Sadie Hawthorne as she travels to Portland, OR for Books Gowns and Crowns (a fantasy book convention) for the first time as a author for a weekend of book signings, author events, fancy balls and friendship. The one thing she didn’t account for? The characters from her fantasy novels traveling to our world demanding a rewrite and wreaking havoc on the book convention! Once she realizes what’s going it’s up to Sadie and her fellow booklovers to reign in her characters and save both the city of Portland and their world of Sherbrooke before anyone gets hurt or the rest of the convention realizes what is happening!
Full of all the bookish references, amazing characters, friendship, amazing representation, all the Inkheart/Enchanted vibes, humor, action and adventure - Off Script was such an enjoyable read! I can’t wait to read more stories from this universe snd am so excited to see what Sarah Zane comes up with next!
Thank you to Sarah Zane for the gifted arc!
June 10, 2023
Title: Off Script
Author: Sarah Zane
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Page Count: 316
Format: eARC
Start Date: June 6th, 2023
Finish Date: June 9th, 2023
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Before I start talking (gushing) about this book, I want to show excitement over the demisexual and bisexual representation! Now that that’s out of the way, this book is so amazing! There were parts that drove me mad, but I was too invested in the story to mind too much. I fully intend to do research on this author to see the other books she has released. I plan to buy them all. Especially the ones that involve the characters in this book. I also really related to the main character in many ways. Even the insecurities and anxieties. I actually got a glimpse of how others see how I am when I’m “in the anxiety zone”. I also see now that they aren’t mad at me too. But I digress. I really enjoyed this book very much, and I need more from this author!!!
Author: Sarah Zane
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Page Count: 316
Format: eARC
Start Date: June 6th, 2023
Finish Date: June 9th, 2023
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Before I start talking (gushing) about this book, I want to show excitement over the demisexual and bisexual representation! Now that that’s out of the way, this book is so amazing! There were parts that drove me mad, but I was too invested in the story to mind too much. I fully intend to do research on this author to see the other books she has released. I plan to buy them all. Especially the ones that involve the characters in this book. I also really related to the main character in many ways. Even the insecurities and anxieties. I actually got a glimpse of how others see how I am when I’m “in the anxiety zone”. I also see now that they aren’t mad at me too. But I digress. I really enjoyed this book very much, and I need more from this author!!!
July 2, 2023
It's a story within a story with Sadie's characters from her book she's writing coming to invade her real life while at the same time telling the story of how Sadie found herself. Mostly this book is a really fun way to tell a great story about finding confidence in yourself, learning from your past and embracing whatever the future holds. With a great group of girlfriends and an awesome Book Ball meshing seamlessly with fantasy adventure.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 6, 2025
Didn't stick out to me
I like the idea of the book, but I feel like it wasn't executed right. There were parts that dragged on and parts that I feel like were glossed over. I liked that Inez got her HEA.
I like the idea of the book, but I feel like it wasn't executed right. There were parts that dragged on and parts that I feel like were glossed over. I liked that Inez got her HEA.
December 30, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed
This wonderful adventure. I really cared for all of the characters,- spoiler - sad when one left. I didn't want this story to end.
This wonderful adventure. I really cared for all of the characters,- spoiler - sad when one left. I didn't want this story to end.
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January 29, 2025Sadie Hawthorne from Off Script is demisexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
November 9, 2025
I liked the concept of this one, an author’s characters going off script and finding their way to the real world to change their fates… enjoyable enough story 3.5⭐️ rounded up
July 7, 2023
I wanted so badly to love this novel. The plot is there and I think it could be great, but every single sentence is restated until you realize you’re 3 pages in and have taken in 2 paragraphs of information. The main character is also slightly insufferable ? She’s so convinced she’s a crap human I almost started to believe her.
February 1, 2025
An enjoyable adventure story set in Portland, Oregon which makes excellent use of its setting, and tells an uplifting story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews