Score (2024) is a contemporary romance novel by Kennedy Ryan, a New York Times-bestselling author known for works that blend romance with social commentary. The novel is the second full-length installment in the Hollywood Renaissance series, which is set in the world of filmmaking. The story follows Verity Hill, an acclaimed screenwriter who receives the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s asked to write a biopic about Dessi Blue, a forgotten singer from the Harlem Renaissance. Her excitement turns to dread when she learns the film’s composer is Wright “Monk” Bellamy, the prodigiously talented musician she dated in college over a decade ago. Their reunion forces them to confront their disastrous breakup, which was the result of Verity’s first manic episode—a truth Monk has never known. The novel explores themes such as Art as Historical Reclamation, Honesty as Key to Lasting Love, and Learning to Trust after Trauma.

Ryan has received significant recognition for her writing, including two RITA Awards, the romance genre’s highest honor at the time. She has also been named an ESSENCE and EBONY Power 100 Honoree. Score continues the author’s tradition of creating character-driven narratives that engage with complex issues, in this case focusing on mental health, historical erasure, and the challenges of forgiveness. The novel, like its predecessor Reel, achieved bestseller status on both the New York Times and USA Today lists. Ryan’s Skyland series is currently in development for television at Peacock.

This guide refers to the 2024 Forever edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of racism, ableism, antigay bias, mental illness, suicidal ideation and self-harm, death by suicide, substance use, addiction, cursing, sexual content, illness, and death. 

Plot Summary

In present-day Los Angeles, successful screenwriter Verity Hill is summoned to a lunch meeting with acclaimed director Canon Holt and his producing partner, Evan Bancroft. They offer her the chance to write a biopic about Dessi Blue, a relatively unknown singer from the Harlem Renaissance. Verity, whose academic background includes a focus on this era, is overjoyed and accepts immediately. Her excitement is cut short, however, when Canon reveals the film’s score will be composed by Wright “Monk” Bellamy. 

The name transports Verity back 12 years to her and Monk’s time at Finley College, a Georgia HBCU, where their intense, short-lived romance ended in disaster. The narrative flashes back to their first meeting at a jazz club. Verity, a junior transfer student, is instantly captivated by Monk, a prodigiously talented senior pianist. Verity is in an open relationship with her girlfriend, Petra, who notices the undeniable chemistry and invites Monk to a party at her apartment, making a bet with Verity that he will attend.

Monk, equally intrigued by Verity, shows up at the party. He and Verity find a moment alone on the patio, where they connect over their artistic passions and complicated family histories; Monk’s parents endured a messy divorce following his pastor father’s infidelity, while Verity’s parents died in a house fire when she was a child. Later that night, after the other guests have left, Petra proposes a threesome, and Monk agrees.

Afterward, Monk tells Verity he is unable to share her and leaves. A few weeks later, they run into each other at a campus art exhibit. Verity reveals she and Petra have broken up, and Monk asks her out. Their relationship blossoms quickly, marked by deep emotional and physical intimacy. They commit to monogamy and fall in love. However, as the spring semester begins, the pressure of a major screenwriting project triggers Verity’s first manic episode. She exhibits escalating symptoms, including sleeplessness, boundless energy, and erratic behavior, which a concerned Monk mistakes for stress. Verity is also unsure what is causing her behavioral changes because her bipolar disorder is undiagnosed at this point.

The relationship implodes during the height of Verity’s mania. She behaves provocatively at Monk’s studio session, leading to a heated argument. That evening, she gets drunk at a bar, dances on a table, and is found by Monk in a bathroom stall with another man. A devastated Monk ends their relationship and throws her out of his apartment. In the throes of a full mental health crisis, Verity breaks into the fine arts building, convinced she must destroy a copper sculpture titled Flame. She is found naked and incoherent by campus police, but a professor named Dr. Garrison intervenes, ensuring she receives medical help instead of being arrested. At the hospital, with her Aunts Roz and Grace by her side, Verity is diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder. 

Verity’s psychiatrist reveals that bipolar disorder is usually genetic, which sheds new light on her parents’ deaths. When Verity was 11, her father accused her mother of infidelity and pushed her, causing her to fall and strike her head. After he realized that his wife was dead, he set their home on fire and ran into the flames. In light of her own diagnosis, Verity now believes her father also had bipolar disorder and that he was having a mental health crisis on the night of his death. Terrified that she will hurt the person she loves like her father did, Verity withdraws from Finley and cuts off all contact with Monk.

Returning to the present, Verity has spent the last decade managing her condition with medication and therapy. When Canon is warned by a past producer that Verity is unreliable, she is forced to disclose her diagnosis to him. Impressed by her honesty and talent, Canon keeps her on the film. Verity and Monk’s reunion is fraught with tension, but they agree to a truce for the sake of the project. As they collaborate, their old chemistry reignites. The unresolved hurt between them, however, remains a barrier. 

After several tense encounters, Monk proposes a casual, open sexual relationship, believing Verity is incapable of monogamy. Desperate to have him in her life again, Verity agrees. Their arrangement quickly deepens into something more despite the rules they’ve set for themselves. Monk’s jealousy flares when a crew member, Chris, kisses Verity, and Verity is hurt by Monk’s flirtations with an actress. The situation comes to a head when Monk, believing Verity kissed Chris, humiliates her on set with passive-aggressive comments. In the ensuing confrontation, he admits he cannot handle an open relationship with her and tries to end things. His pain finally pushes Verity to tell him the entire truth about her diagnosis and what really happened at Finley.

Stunned and remorseful for having misjudged her so deeply, Monk declares his love for her and asks for a real, exclusive relationship. Verity is terrified, citing her fears about marriage and having children who might inherit her condition. Monk assures her that he wants her, with or without those things, and that they will navigate her bipolar disorder together. They commit to each other and make their relationship public on set. However, the stress of her career and their rekindled romance begins to trigger another manic episode for Verity. Monk recognizes the warning signs, leading to a fight where she feels smothered and he feels helpless. 

After Monk leaves for a work trip to New York, Verity receives news that her friend Tessa, who also has bipolar disorder, has been hospitalized after an overdose. Verity immediately flies to New York to be with her. Meanwhile, Monk, realizing he cannot leave Verity to face a potential episode alone, cuts his trip short to return to her, only to find her waiting on his New York doorstep. They reconcile completely, with Monk reaffirming his unwavering commitment and Verity finally allowing herself to trust his love.

In the epilogue, set four years later, Verity and Monk’s love has flourished. The film Dessi Blue was a critical and commercial success, and Verity is now the successful showrunner of her own television series, Black Pearl. They are a stable, committed couple, navigating Verity’s condition as a team. They have a baby daughter named Dessi. During a visit to her parents’ graves for the first time since their funeral, Verity makes peace with her past and tells Monk she is ready to marry him.