There was so much promise with this story but it fell flat for me. I liked the beginning and then it felt repetitive and the characters got annoying. The dad was a total dirt bag and then the ending felt like trying to save the story but, again, it didn't work for me.

I just finished reading Leigh McMullan Abramson’s first novel, A Likely Story, recently published by Atria Books. Prior to its publication, Ms. Abramson not only worked as an attorney but also as a journalist, her stories having appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and others. I was given an advanced reader’s copy of the novel from NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly, 100%, enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I found the title to be most clever and apt after reading the first several chapters. The book is written in the third person but alternates among many different characters’ perspectives, most notably Isabelle, her parents Ward and Claire, and her best friend Brian. It also skips back and forth in time over the course of Isabelle’s 35 year life and her parents’ relationship.

Despite the varying timelines and skipping between different characters’ points of view, the story is easy to follow and understand. It doesn’t rely on complicated language or pretentious vocabulary; instead, it’s a very down to earth manuscript. This doesn’t mean, however, that the book lacks depth or doesn’t evoke strong feelings, because it evoked many strongly felt feelings in me. Although it contains several sad and awkward moments with which I empathized and sometimes made me squirm, I found myself smiling for much of my reading. I like the conceit and found it to be quite clever. It’s basically a story of art imitating life and life imitating art. I recommend reading this as a casual beach read or to read on vacation.

Isabelle Manning is the only child of a celebrated novelist. He's so famous and full of his fame.....he is the sun and they just orbit around him. Isabelle struggles with her own identity so much so that she both wants to be a writer like her father and has no idea who or what she is aside from her father's daughter. I loved the look at the characters' backstories and found myself frustrated with many of the decisions made. Worth reading.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I absolutely loved this book and was sad to finish it. This had everything I love in a book. I found myself crying, laughing and loved and hated the characters all at the same time. Do yourself a big favor and read this asap!

3⭐️ Didn't enjoyed it as much as I thought I would.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

I did want to like this book but it took too long to get into the plot. I did not finish this book but do not put it against the author. There are times when I think a book will be perfect for me, but it turns out not to be the case. That said, I always give authors another chance, so I'll look forward to her next work.

A Likely Story, by Leigh McMullan Abramson is the story of a young woman, born to two famous parents. She grows up NYC, during the nineties and lives a life of privilege. She wants to be just like her author father.. if she could just write that amazing book. Her mother protected her over the years and her father was often absent..She can’t seem to find her place in the world and the place in her family. Her mother suddenly passes away and Isabella spirals. She is more confused and more desperate to get her life straightened. During her breakdown.. she finds out secrets of her parents she never should have known. She can’t make heads nor tails of what she learns but she will get back on her feet and she is determined to write the story of her lifetime. Can she do it? Can she get out of her own way? Can she find peace? This was a good story.. there were parts that were slow but I kept reading. This was a 3 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It is always a pleasure to read and review all types of books and I am glad I got to read it. What were your thoughts? Did you enjoy it?

This sounded very promising, but it was a major letdown. VERY unlikable characters and I just couldn't connect to anyone. The writing was all over the place too.

Great read. A snapshot of human life set in the ego-fueled and cutthroat literary world. This will not end like a fairytale nor will it make you fall in love with any of its characters but the writing is thought-provoking fast-paced and top-notch. The story is hard and sometimes typical but shows you that long-suffering is overrated, imperfectly perfect is okay and that forgiveness and acceptance are earned

This book starts out very strong with Claire as an adoring mother to Isabelle and wife to successful writer Ward Manning. However, after Claire's death, we are left with two very lost souls, both of whom were wholly dependent on Claire in a multitude of ways. Inserted between the chapters of the characters are drafts of a book with a parallel plotline, which was interesting but sometimes difficult to discern from the main plotline. Brian also seems to be a fairly inconsequential character - one that is difficult to feel any strong emotions for.

Maybe I have been reading too many books in the plagiarism trope (i.e. Yellowface and The Plot), and this particular book has more than one instance of taking credit for someone else's work, but this idea seems to be a little overdone.

I've focused a lot on the negatives in this review, but this was an enjoyable and compelling reading experience. This book was well-written, but the characters were so hard to love. I was like watching a slow-moving train wreck, reeking of desperation and insecurity. It didn't stand out to me in the way I look for in my 5-star reads. This book had a lot of potential but the execution felt lacking.

I really enjoyed this book! I was not sure that I would but I totally plowed through it. It reminded me very much of The Wife by Meg Wolitzer, another book that I really really liked. The book within the book plot was intriguing and kept me engaged. The main characters were incredibly unlikeable especially Ward. Ward was one of the most egomaniacal characters I have ever read. There have been a lot of books that I have read about the publishing world - the manipulations, the puppet masters, the misogyny but for some reason this one also really resonated .You would think that we had progressed a little since the days of George Eliot but maybe not.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review

A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson is an intriguing family novel. I loved the setting and the characters— a heroine growing up with a famous author for a father. I found the story fascinating from the start. The plot moved at a steady pace. The book started out strong but later slowed. I look forward to seeing future novels from this author. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A bestselling author and a daughter in his shadow. As she tries to make a name for herself but failing at every turn, Isabelle discovers a secret that can make or break her entire world.

I'm sure we've all been in someone else's shadow as some point in our lives. You have to figure out how to overcome the darkness and bring yourself into the light. This is Isabelle's plight to overcome and with her 35th birthday approaching, she just might be able to do something about it.

Great debut novel! I can't wait to read what's next.

I really tried to get into this one but it's a very slow start. I'm also not someone who likes it when your MC is an unlikeable character. This is definitely for someone who really enjoys contemporary fiction

We have all been around people with magnetic personalities. These people tend to draw you in and make you want to be in their presence.

Other people go beyond magnetic, however. They give off an aura that makes them so captivating that people can't stay away. Sometimes this aura is built on positivity, where the person makes those around them happy. Other times, this aura is far more negative. In either case, interactions with the person tend to be all-consuming and borderline obsessive.

Leigh McMullan Abramson's A Likely Story follows two equally alluring characters but in different ways. Ward Manning was a struggling writer working as a waiter. One night, he served a beautiful, rich woman in the bar in which he worked. Claire was not only gorgeous but kind to those around her. Claire was surprised by Ward's overly forward invitation to meet him but decided on a whim to go for it. Among other things, Ward discussed his writing struggles with Claire that night. They ended up sleeping together. As Claire was slipping out of his house, she edited a few sentences of Ward's writing. The edits caught his attention and caused him to call her up again. Thus, the foundation of their relationship was formed.

Claire could see Ward's talent, but she was also excellent at seeing the faults in his writing. As they continued dating, Ward slipped into a dark, brooding mood as he struggled with the end of his book. One night, Claire reads it and rewrites the ending, seeing the mistakes Ward had made. When Ward finds it the next morning, he immediately proposes. The book is picked up for publication and becomes his first literary success, American Dream. While working on his second book, Urban Idols, Ward's ego gets the better of him, and he refuses to let Claire read any of it. When the publisher rejects the first draft, Claire steps in and works with Ward to rework the book. He often writes in the morning, and she helps him rewrite in the afternoons. This book becomes a success, too. Then, when Ward begins writing his third book, Claire realizes that he has stolen all of the stories that she has told him about her family and has created a thinly-veiled commentary on their privileged lifestyle. Claire is furious but agrees to let him use the story if he gives her a baby. This is how she finds herself nine months pregnant watching him from the sidelines as he gives an important interview about his third book, Manifest Destiny. During the interview, Ward takes credit for all of his accomplishments, never once mentioning Claire's contributions. She is furious. As Ward's admirers grow and people fight to be in his aura, Claire becomes more resentful of him. She throws herself into the true love of her life, her daughter, Isabelle.

A Likely Story switches between Claire's early life with Ward and Isabelle's perspective in the present. Claire has just unexpectedly died, and Isabelle and Ward are both struggling to live life without her. Isabelle is in her mid-thirties and is struggling to fulfill her dreams. She has always wanted to be a writer like her father, enjoying the glamour and admiration that comes with being a published author. But, her books have been continually rejected, and she is on the verge of being canceled by her agent. As her despair grows, she begins to push out the only person who is truly there for her-- her best friend, Brian. Brian is a rising star in the U.S. attorney's office, but you would not know it from the way Isabelle and the people in her life treat him. Glenda, Isabelle's obnoxiously pretentious godmother who was best friends with Claire, refers to him as a "corn-fed midwesterner" and thus not worthy of her time. Ward doesn't acknowledge Brian's presence, either. Only Claire sees his value and tries to encourage Isabelle to think of him as more than a friend.

Unfortunately, Isabelle unloads all of her problems on Brian, but she never reciprocates by considering his feelings. He is the security blanket that she deploys when she needs him. The problem is that Brian is utterly consumed by Isabelle in the same way that Ward's obsessive fans pursue him. After years of putting his life on hold in hopes that she will one day want to be more than friends, Brian realizes that she is toxic to his future happiness. He spends most of the book trying to cut her out of his life, not that Isabelle has even noticed.

Just when Isabelle feels like her life has hit rock bottom, she receives instructions from Claire to go to her parents' house in Sag Harbor, NY and look through her dresser. Claire's note explains that this must be done in secret because she does not trust Ward with the contents of the drawer. Isabelle finally brings herself to go look and finds a manuscript. It turns out that Claire was a brilliant author in her own right, but she never finished her book. Isabelle takes the manuscript, edits it, and writes the last third of the book. The fictional work, Underpaintings, is picked up by a publisher and catapults Isabelle to fame. As the press for the book begins, Isabelle fails to give Claire credit for the book. There's one problem, though: Unbeknownst to her, Claire had let Glenda read the manuscript years ago. Glenda isn't about to let Isabelle take credit from Claire as Ward had done so many years ago.

A Likely Story is an interesting tale of egotism, self-absorption, plagiarism, and the different paths love can take. It is filled with unlikeable characters, but you can't help but feel sorry for each one at different points in the book. Abramson has done a remarkable job of showing that even the strongest, most self-assured people are crying out for acceptance and love on the inside. We all struggle with self-worth-- some of us are just better at hiding it.

I absolutely love what Abramson did with the characters of Claire and Brian. Both are lovable figures that are also counter-stereotypical. Claire grew up with extreme privilege, yet she was the most loving, down-to-earth person in the book. She exuded love for her daughter and fought for her happiness. She could have been petty and out-of-touch like Glenda, but instead, she felt approachable and gracious.
Before I talk about Brian, I want to note that there are some very strong opinions about this book. I was shocked that it was not rated higher than it was, so I took some time flipping through the negative reviews. There were several common themes in these reviews: First, many people felt like it had excessive political messaging. I only came across one overtly political line, so this critique confused me at first (especially since I am usually hyperaware of political messaging). Then, I read one review where the reviewer also expressed confusion, saying he felt like he was reading a different book than the other reviewers. He wondered if some of the political messaging had been cut in the final stages of publishing. Honestly, this is the only explanation that makes sense to me. It was not a book high in political commentary, so do not let these reviews scare you aware from reading A Likely Story.

The other common theme in the negative reviews concerned the character of Brian. Many people took offense to the fact that he was portrayed as a "corn-fed Midwesterner." The other characters of the book did look down on him in disdain for his upbringing, and I can see why that caused other reviewers to rate the book lower. I had the exact opposite reaction, however-- instead of seeing the way Brian was portrayed as a judgment on the Midwest, I saw it as a scathing commentary on how people living on the coasts treat Midwesterners. I am from Oklahoma, but I have spent most of my adult life living in various large cities on the east coast. I cannot begin to describe some of the spiteful things that people have said to my face when they find out that I am from "flyover country." There are a lot of false perceptions of what life is like in the middle of the United States. These billow into stereotypes that are simply not true. When I was working in Boston, I had a coworker describe how they bypassed a more-qualified job candidate from the Midwest in favor of a less-qualified candidate from an east coast school because they thought that the east coast person was "obviously smarter." Yet, many of these same people have never been to the places from which they are judging. Most of my friends from Oklahoma have been to a large, coastal city, but I can't say that many of my friends raised in larger cities have been to a smaller, midwestern city or town. Thus, I loved that Brian's character was not only portrayed as kind and compassionate, qualities that are often stereotypical of midwestern characters but also as smart and accomplished. He may not have come from generational wealth, but he was a driven, successful individual.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about A Likely Story. Abramson nailed the multi-dimensional nature of each character and made them feel realistic and vulnerable, even when they weren't likable. It was a great reminder about how many of our actions are rooted in insecurities. Some of the most magnetic, successful people are driven by the fear of failure. The key is to make sure that these insecurities do not become toxic for the people around them.

DNF @ 24%
I just cannot get into this one and haven’t reached to read it in awhile. The characters are unlikable and it’s extremely slow paced. It’s hard for me to like a character driven story, and this one fell flat for me.

Calling all fans of literary mysteries, this one's for you!

A Likely Story is a debut (!!!!) novel that explores the fallout of secrets among a family of literary elite in New York City in the wake of the matriarch’s death.

This isn’t a page-turner in a traditional sense but I found myself captivated by the family drama surrounding Isabel and her father and was pleasantly surprised as the mystery and suspense elements emerged. The ending was a bit predictable, but the story was so well-written that I didn’t mind that at all.

I think this would be a good fit for fans of The Goldfinch, The Plot, or The Latecomer as it perfectly captures New York high society and art culture.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my favorite books of 2023 so far. Love the complicated characters and the terrible decisions they made that impacted their relationships in turn. Will be recommending this as a great summer read.

I had a REALLY difficult time getting into this book. The characters were absolutely insufferable that it made it tempting to not finish - the only saving grace was Brian, who I could really empathize with, his loyalty almost to a fault, his work ethic, and his endearing manner. I was completely disappointed when they got together at the end, simply because he deserves better and generational trauma and wealth that befell Isabelle can't be unlearned or changed and effort isn't enough for him. And Ward? Ward is just really messed up. It seems that this book has received divisive reviews so I thought it was worth attempting but it took everything in me to finish.

One thing of note is that I felt that this book was poorly researched, especially in terms of the setting. I live in Texas and it was clear to me by the description of the airport, the jumping between Dallas and Fort Worth, and the description of the landscape had me convinced that the author hasn't ever actually been to Texas. It lacked authenticity and care, a must when considering your audience is international.

Overall, I had high hopes for this one and it really fell flat for me!

Honestly it's hard to tell whether I was indifferent to this book itself or merely unmotivated by every character in it. I really appreciate the opportunity to read it! but am left a little confused by the hype