I really enjoyed this new novel which has characters and a plot line I found appealing, as a fulltime freelance writer for many decades. . The story is about a famous novelist and his ne'er-do-well daughter who is in her mid 30s, trying to figure out her life and try to finish her first book, which seems to have been started ages ago. It is set against the death of her mom, and interwoven we are privy to the draft of a novel (which plays an important role in the character's lives without giving away any spoilers). The description of literary life in NYC and all its trappings and ridiculousness resonated with me, as do the challenges of 30-somethings.

The novel concerns the relationship of the famous writer to his wife and daughter, how the three of them collaborated on various projects, and the perception of the dad towards his family members. That is about all I can say in this review, but it is deliciously wicked, real, and poignant. Being related to the writer and enduring his oversize ego drives many of the plot points along. At one point the daughter feels that "writing was like being on a submarine, where she spent years being submerged, silent and secret, working toward the day where she would have something to show for all her time underwater." The novel is interesting, amusing, and thoughtful and I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, A Likely Story was not for me. I found the characters impossible to connect to and did not enjoy reading about them - the book within a book was confusing at times and ultimately, this was just not the book for me.

I didn't particularly care for this book. The writing is condescending and too many of the sentences are awkwardly structured. The characters aren't very likable, not even Claire. The ending is pat and too happy for all the angst and turmoil inherent in the plot. I was very disappointed as I really wanted to like the story. I read an ARC of this and want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity. #NetGalley#Simon&Schuster#ALikelyStory#LeighMcMullanAbramson

Books set in NYC? A family story? A side story about the publishing industry? Set in the 90s?!?! Sign me up! I really enjoyed this one, and it was exactly what I expected. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories about family, rich people behaving badly, & books with heart and humor.

I enjoyed the idea of a story within a story premise. The characters were complex and it was interesting to read their stories and discover their secrets. I always enjoy a story about complicated family relationships tangled in a mystery. I especially enjoyed reading Claire’s story and the mother daughter relationship between Claire and Isabelle. The excerpts from a book were a nice touch. Thank you to Atria for this advanced copy as part of Thoughts from a Page Patreon early reads program.

A compelling and heartfelt read about family, loss, secrets and life. I enjoyed this book despite not loving the characters. 5 stars!

An enjoyable and well written book. I love the book cover and title! Normally I don't enjoy books with unlikable characters. but this one you want to keep reading. You need to find out what is happening and why they are the way they are. The changing timelines and POV can be confusing at times but does add to the complexity of the book in a positive way. There is a book within a book element, that is also initially a bit confusing but makes sense later on. Overall a good debut novel.

Enjoyed this book. We may. not always not the truth behind our family but upon the death of her mother, Isabelle discovers details she had not been aware of.

Isabelle is the daughter of award-winning and much touted author Ward and his lovely wife Claire. When Claire grows ill and unexpectedly passed away, both Isabelle and Ward’s lives are upended by what they knew and thought they knew about her.
I was on board for this character driven novel. Both Isabelle and Ward are unlikeable and imperfect characters but the way they interact and rebound off one another was fascinating. I loved thinking about the difference between being a writer and being a FAMOUS writer; how does a person define success?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

This engrossing novel combines all my favorite elements into one compulsively readable, literate novel. - the "book with in a book" strand, the who actually wrote the masterpiece strand, the deep dive into the underbelly of the publishing world strand - all wrapped up into a literary family drama with layers upon layers of well-plotted and slowly revealed but oft hinted at secrets. While Leigh McMullen Abramson is not related to my Abramsons, I still wholeheartedly recommend this book to my fellow book lovers. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the privilege of enjoying this ARC - can't wait to share with friends and family when it is published later this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.
I enjoyed this well thought out novel of family dysfunction and relationship exploration. The book within a book concept never grows old for me.
The cover is freaking amazing.

This is a well written story about family- what we know and what we don't, and really should we? I enjoyed the characters and the nuanced writing very much.

#ALikelyStory tells the story of Isabelle Manning and her pursuit to write and publish her first book. It is a journey through time, as the story jumps back and forth in time from the 90s to the current time, moving through family history and self-discovery, always in the shadow of father Ward, a famous author. Isabelle spends the whole book lamenting about her one and only wish to “make it” as an author, just her father, and the pressure she feels from others but especially from herself. Only when some family secrets are discovered and revealed, is this family able to accept and heal.

I found both main characters, Isabelle and Ward, hard to like. Ward lives by the tough-love mantra and is purely concerned for his own success, even at the cost of his own family. The selfishness of them both, whether extremely visible (Ward) and more hidden (Isabelle), really turned me off to the story. The star of the story is mother Claire. I wish the story-line would have focused more on her. As Ward is a famous author, money and privilege are strongly present throughout this book.

While I enjoyed the backdrop of the 90s, I felt that the very purposefully subtle pop culture references, which were fun but felt forced at times, didn’t add a whole lot to the main story line. The idea of a “book within a book” was interesting, but at times I wondered if this was the author writing about herself and her journey towards of her first publication. It was very meta. Overall, I enjoyed the book, a good first debut novel.
Thank you to #NetGalley for a digital copy of this book for my honest review.

This is a story of family dysfunction at its finest. A story within a story (cleaver front cover).
The story is good, I enjoyed Claire but there were some parts I was uncomfortable with.
I do feel that the description of the book was a bit off from the content.

The book is well written and while one may not like all the characters, the author developed them well.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy of this book for my honest review.

Interesting read about a family of writers that features a "book within a book" concept. Most of the characters are unlikeable, especially the father, the Famous Author who his daughter, Isabelle, idolizes. Isabelle strives to be a published author just like her father, but success is not easy for her. It becomes even more difficult after her mother passes away. The family's backstory and secrets are revealed in flashbacks and the present, with the "book within a book" paralleling the current story. Isabelle gets a redemption of sorts. It's up to the reader to decide if she deserves it or not. A LIKELY STORY was a creative, captivating read about family, mothers and daughters, daughters and fathers, and husbands and wives.

Isabelle Manning is a writer or at least wants to be a writer. As the daughter of the famous Ward Manning and his socialite wife, Claire, Isabelle is sure she can match her father’s success. When her mother dies unexpectedly, family secrets emerge that could ruin not only Isabelle’s career, but also her father’s. A compelling read by a debut author.

A New York City and 90s backdrop were an easy sell for me. The characters are highly flawed, but there were some redeeming qualities throughout. Claire, the mother was an absolute gem with an admiration to her daughter, and that shone throughout. I enjoyed seeing some semblance growth of the characters as for awhile, I wasn’t sure if there would be. Even though messy family dynamics are a common plot, the story felt unique to me. Another thread the novel portrayed was the difficulty for an author — to continuously write compelling and relevant stories. The pacing and plot lines kept me engaged to want to return to the book.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson is the kind of debut that is so fantastic it seems impossible that this is the author's first book!!! I am a sucker for "story within a story" books, and this one is definitely one of the best I've ever read. I completely sympathized with Isabelle and absolutely loved Claire and Brian. Ward is a purposely unlikeable character but and enjoyable one to read. The writing was gorgeous and I found the time we spent in each character's head, plus the manuscript snippets sprinkled throughout to be the perfect length. Just enough time to become invested in each, but not too much or too little that we resent getting pulled away when it ends. A Likely Story will definitely make many "Best Of" lists and for good reason. Highly recommend!!!

Thank you to netgallery and the Atria publishing for this copy. 4 stars
I enjoyed this book, and after the first chapter I wanted to continue reading. The following few chapters of the book were a little slow.
The was from multiple character’s point of view, and also a story within a story. My favorite character was Claire. She was still there to guide Isabelle even after she passed away. I think that was how Isabelle was able to feel like her own person in the end instead of trying to be like her father.

Isabelle has only ever wanted to follow in her fathers footsteps and be a published author. Unfortunately for her, her book isn’t selling. And her agent is discussing dropping her. When she finds something her mother left behind, she uses it to finish a new novel, but also opens the door to the secrets her parents have been keeping. We skip between Isabelle’s story, and her book throughout.

Ok so somehow I am reading two books that have books within books this week. I for one am a huge fan of that trend, but it also makes me want to read the entire other book. Isabelle’s father drove me insane, but Isabelle had her moments too. It was very obvious she was desperate for the fame that comes from being a bestselling author. I couldn’t stop reading to find out if the secrets would eventually come out.