When I am granted access to books in exchange for an honest review, I very rarely will DNF them because I believe that even though it wasn’t for me, this book will be someone’s favorite.

This book applies. I understand where this story was going. It’s not a bad a story. It’s a story of perseverance, coping with loss, both physical loss of a person and emotional loss of perceptions.

However, some parts of the book turned me off. Little phrases and descriptions here in there were unnecessary- such as her father watching porn and some comments that bordered on homophobic. I doubt that was the intention but…

Isabelle Manning is an aspiring writer, following in the footsteps of her famous father, writer Ward Manning. Unfortunately, she is about to be 35 and has still not published anything,

After her mother unexpectedly passes away, Isabelle returns to her childhood home. She comes across a letter from her mother referencing something she left for Isabelle to find. Turns out to be a manuscript her mother wrote, which reads like a biography of her mother's early life with her father, Ward. Isabelle has no idea her mother had ever written anything, and the manuscript brings to light some interesting things about her parents relationship. Now Isabelle has to figure out what to do with the manuscript.

This is a very good story about family and how you never really see all the pieces of those closest to you. All the characters are so real and easy to identify with. Highly enjoyable read!

I’m gonna give it to you straight- I am just too much of an impatient person for books like these. this is a case of a book-within-a-book, and it took me getting to almost the halfway mark for it to explain to me why it was even there in the first place. there’s also this tragedy that happened in the past that affects the characters’ behaviours throughout the book, but we don’t find out what that is soon enough for how often it’s mentioned. I’m sure it was meant to be mysterious but it was dangled so many times it just got tiresome and annoying.

next: talk about unreliable narrators! two out of three POVs were despicable— Isabelle, who is so self-centred and doesn’t give af about anyone but herself and her career, who definitely got it from her dad Ward, an author past his prime that’s obsessed with hearing about how great he is. thankfully, two other characters form a part of this story and they give the reader a reprieve from all the BS. Claire, Isabelle’s mom, is a sassy woman with a strong personality full of unconditional love, and Brian, Isabelle’s “best friend🙄” who we don’t see often but gets stronger as a person every time.

I wanted to love this but I just didn’t. I say read it if you like a slow burn and a character-driven story!

⚠️: loss of a parent

This was a well-written story about family relations, especially the dynamic between an attention-craving best selling author and his equally talented but very needy daughter. When the wife and mother of the family dies unexpectedly, the delicate balance of these relations is overturned, and the secrets revealed after her death lead to even greater turmoil.
Despite really enjoying the writing, I found myself put off by all the characters in this narrative. The husband was a self-absorbed narcissist with seemingly no redeeming qualities, the wife, a doormat who lived in service to the talent of her husband, while the daughter was totally warped by the messages she picked up from both parents.
Only towards the end do you realize the author has cleverly engineered this unhealthy dynamic and then just as cleverly shifted the narrative to a healthier path.
The story was slow going until I realized where the author was taking us. I found I couldn’t read too much in a single session before I lost patience with the choices the characters were making. Once I realized I was in good hands, the pace of the story picked up and I inhaled the last few chapters. I give you that little hint, not to spoil the story for you, but to encourage you to keep reading. There are great insights into both the human condition and the writing process which make this a book to be savored.

If you like a story about family secrets this book is for you. I only really liked a couple of the characters in this book, I guess that shows how good the writing was! There is a story within the story and wondered how it was all going to come together and it did. It took me a while to get into this book but it picked up and I am glad I stuck with it. the writing was well done and the characters were people you can relate to and dislike but still care and hope they find their way. Well done!

Thank you to NerGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. I look forward to more books from Leigh McMullan.

I loved the concept of this book but the chapters were too long for me to ever feel like I really got a hold on it. Along with the long chapters, the time jumps didn't help either and I just felt like the story never flowed.

The premise of this book drew me in. A book within a book peaked my interest. A slow steady build, character driven- an engaging family drama that was engaging and thought provoking. An impressive debut novel

A likely story with kinda likable characters? Kinda, sorta, but you still like them enough to enjoy the book. Overall, a good book. The story follows Ward, a famous author who loves only himself, and his wife Claire and daughter, Isabelle. When Isabelle tries to find her footing as an author herself, she realizes how her fathers selfishness and her mother's selflessness will shape her own story.

I'm a sucker for books within a book and this one was great. I loved the slow burn reveal of who the author was and the messy Manning family dynamics. Each uncovered secret added another delicious layer to the story and I couldn't wait to see how it would end. Abramson brilliantly tied everything together in the end and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Thanks so much #netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Isabelle has always wanted to be a famous novelist-not surprising as she is the daughter of the famous novelist Ward Manning. She had a promising beginning, but now is in her mid 30's and still waiting for her novel to be discovered. When her mother dies, she starts to take stock of her life-and her relationship with her father. The story is told through the eyes of Isabelle, her father Ward, her best friend Brian, and also flashbacks with her mother. There is also a novel within the novel, which was a fun device. There was a lot more to this story than I expected, some terrible and unexpected secrets were revealed and it really kept me reading. #alikelystory #leighmcmullanabramson #netgalley #novelaboutanovel #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks

I did not finish this book. I am not in the right place in my life to read it, so I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it. Maybe I will pick it back up later! The concept sounded super interesting, but it’s just not for me at the moment. I know many people who would really enjoy it though!! Happy reading!

A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson is a debut novel that reads like it was written by a more experienced author. As a librarian, I am drawn to books about books, especially the writing of books, which I wish I could do!

The plot features an aspiring author whose father is a famous author and whose mother has just passed away. One may think she would have an easy time getting published by riding on her father's coattails, but he sees that she earns her own place. I will not share more than that, but there is a bit of a mystery as well as a book-within-a-book, which is becoming quite a common trope, but it fits perfectly in this novel. Although the ending was a little too neat and tidy for me, I look forward to reading more from this author.

I will recommend this to readers who like family dramas with a hint of mystery.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a slow burn for me. There really is no plot. The Matriarch of a family passes and the people around her are stuck in a memory induced haze of what used to be, as well as trying to navigate their life without her.
The characters are all pretty self-absorbed and story itself was ok, but not particularly memorable to be honest.

Isabelle Manning, daughter of NY Bestselling author Ward Manning, has one goal - to follow her father's steps and become a celebrated author herself. After losing her mother quite suddenly, it's even more obvious that her mom was the one keeping the family together. While her father is struggling with writing his last book without his wife to take care of him, Isabelle is about to give up on her life long dream herself - but then she finds something that her mom let behind, something that will not only change the way she sees her past but that could also potentially change her future.

Overall, the writing was good but I disliked all the characters .The story was interesting but it felt long at times.

I had such mixed emotions in the first quarter of the book. Do I like these people? Is this going anywhere? Well, it went somewhere and I eventually liked the characters. Technically, Ward is unlikeable. But, he is understandable. He created a version of himself and he stuck with it! While it is a book about books, it is also about family disfunction, finding oneself, and accepting oneself. It takes a while for the characters to truly see themselves and that's what makes the story so good. Once I was about halfway thru, I could barely put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. I didn't realize that the book was already available when I finally got around to reading my ARC.

Isabelle Manning has always adored her father, Ward, a famous best-selling and award-winning author, striving but failing to achieve the same literary success. Her mother Claire, a socialite and philanthropist, has always provided love and support, even through Ward’s long absences, and since college, her best friend Brian has been a stalwart presence.

When Claire dies unexpectedly, both Isabelle and Ward lose the woman who gave them security and comfort and provided a conduit through which they could relate to each other. Ward, on deadline for a book, spirals thinking he may have dementia, and copes by avoiding Isabelle and reading fan mail. Isabelle finds documents from her mother that make her question her understanding not just of her parents relationship but of the mythology of her family.

Through the multiple perspectives and book-within-a-book, A LIKELY STORY raises questions about authorship, identity, and ambition. At the same time, they are dealing with grief. Most of the characters are selfish and outrageously insufferable with questionable ethics. I enjoy seeing such characters get their comeuppance. Here, they each had reckonings but I wondered if they got off too lightly for their transgressions.

The book has some great scenes: in my favorite, Isabelle meets with her godmother for lunch. The godmother, fabulously wealthy, makes gestures of generosity but reveals her to be at best clueless, at worst a miser.

A well-written and cleverly structured novel great for book clubs!

DNF at 10%. This one wasn’t for me - both of the main characters are unlikable and when I put the book down, I just really didn’t want to pick it back up. For me that’s a sign to DNF. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Isabelle Ward wants one thing... to publish a book like her New York Times Best Selling Father. She may be willing to do just about anything to get there. In Isabelle's world, the world revolves around her, and her dad. Claire, her mother, was extremely bright and talented, but hid it all to support her husband and then her daughter. Both Isabelle and Ward's lives turn completely upside down, when crisis strikes their little family. Ward falls apart completely, and Isabelle tries to do what she can to help him... in the only way she knows how... by writing.

I wanted to love this book. As a reader, I love books about other people's success in writing books. I love to cheer on the underdog and see them persevere. So, I thought this book would have it all. It was an extremely creative plot, with a story inside a story, as you got to read pieces from Isabelle's book about a woman trying to gain back the limelight that is actually hers. I found that part of the story to be compelling and interesting. However, I disliked every character in this book, with the exception of Claire. The other characters lacked character to such an extensive degree that I despised them. However, I kept reading the story, as the book was compelling enough, I did want to see it till the end.

Leigh McMullan Abramson is a talented writer, and I will look at some of the other books she wrote. This one, though, was definitely not a slam dunk for this reader.

Thank you to Atria books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful, thought provoking story of how sometimes, not everything really is as it seems.

For Isabelle Manning, her dad has always been her role model but not because he’s a kind and loving father but because he’s an award-winning, best selling author and she’s been wanting to be a published author since she was a young child. And now as she approaches her thirty-fifth birthday, the pressure to publish is building.
For Ward Manning, after his first three books were instant hits, the pressure to continue to release hit books is becoming unbearable.
When the glue that held them together, Claire Manning, passes away, Isabelle and Ward navigate (read stumble) their way through their new relationship.

This book was jam packed with relatable content: personal struggles, dysfunctional family dynamics and secrets that will rock you to your core.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advance copy of this book. I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR!

A great fictional read, told from the perspective of a handful of characters, with a novel draft worked in. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. One storyline led to the next, and I found myself rooting for all the characters in turn.