Born into privilege, Isabelle Manning had a charmed childhood. In adulthood all she wants is to be as successful as her author father. When her mother unexpectedly passes, she discovers some shocking truths that threaten to destroy everything she once believed.

About 50% through the book I could NOT put it down. Leigh McMullan Abramson's story is compulsively readable and she does an excellent job of writing nuanced characters who make you want to simultaneously hit and hug them.

An excellent debut, I'm looking forward to Abramson's next book.

This book did not appeal to me as much as I expected. I had anticipated that Isabelle would discover a different secret about her parents and her father’s writing career (which she does learn near the end of the book) and that the story would focus more on how she dealt with that revelation. Also, Isabelle's father and inspiration, Ward Manning, the famous author, is actually a pretty pathetic individual, as demonstrated by a trip to Texas to visit a fan (among other examples).

However, I did like the manuscript excerpts, especially the uncertainty, until relatively late into the book, as to who was the author. The story also has some good surprises. The author describes well the perils and pitfalls of idolizing someone, and what happens when the idol is revealed as fallible and flawed like everyone else.

Ahhh so many thoughts after finishing this book. After I was done I immediately thought this would make a good book for a book club read, there’s a lot to discuss.

This book is told from four points of view of the main characters, Isabelle, Brian, Ward and Claire. As well as excerpts of what we learn is Claire’s novel, written in secret, eventually published by her daughter Isabelle, who published it as her own after her mother’s death.

Ward, a famous author, only famous and critically acclaimed because, as we eventually learn, of Claire. Which no one knows, and ya’ll everyone was walking all over Claire in this book. She is the talent, the genius, the editor, the writer, the mother, and Ward is a complete asshole and Isabelle is also the worst, and Claire hates Ward and just stays with him becauseeeee 🤷🏻‍♀️.

And Brian is obsessed with Isabelle and their friendship is toxic because she takes advantage of him constantly.

And then Isabelle can’t publish her own writing and you’re like maybe she’s just not that great, but then you learn what actually happens. And by the end you dislike Ward, and you dislike Isabelle, and you’re like Brian is an idiot, and Claire deserved better, and then there’s the godmother who also isn’t great.

Despite how bad these people all treat each other, in the end, it’s all just a lot of “oh sorry” and then everything just sort of works out for them. The apologies don’t seem genuine. Like good for them I guess? I don’t know, I suppose it’s very reflective of what happens in the real world, celebrities do terrible things and they’re quiet for awhile and then they come back in the next big movie like nothing happened. Or they’re given another book deal. Or another TV show. It’s frustrating, which is why this book feels frustrating at times.

Also, I don’t know that we needed the excerpts from Claire’s book. That it parallels what was happening outside of the novel was strange, and I don’t think it was necessary that we had to read a similar plot twice with slightly different characters.

It’s an interesting read, like I said, frustrating at times, but I think it would lead to a really great book discussion.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

An interesting debut novel, however, at times I had a hard time following the storyline. The novel also has Isabelle writing her novel which appears as she's writing it and this made the story somewhat hard to follow.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters that were created. It makes you think as some authors seem to hit the stratosphere while others never emerge from the shadows. How much is it truly one person's work in the end.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Isabelle's in her mid-30's and adrift. She grew up in upper class NYC as the only child of a famous writer (Ward Manning) and his wife (Claire). His books, and marriage to Claire, have brought him great financial and social success, and Isabelle has clearly benefited from this. While Ward was off being his famous writer self, Isabelle was the center of Claire's life. But, what happens to Isabelle and Ward when the unthinkable takes place?
It's always a challenge for me, as a reader, when the main characters are unlikable and this was the case in A Likely Story. Through most of the book, I wanted to shake Isabelle and tell her to grow up. And, I really just gave up on Ward almost from the beginning when he used his 7 year old as a prop during a book launch.
I loved Ms. Abramson's sharp and descriptive writing style, especially her biting social commentary: "She smelled of WASP, a stale churchy mix of booze and Wheat Thins." A Likely Story is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Abramson's work.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read A Likely Story in exchange for an honest review.

A page turner and a thoroughly modern story of family mistakes and redemption. Isabella Manning is the only child of an iconic American novelist. Her mother passes away and she can’t find true love. Isabelle is struggling to write a book. She discovers secrets about Dad. She discovers a manuscript that her mother had written and she passes if off as her own. Her godmother forces Isabelle to come clean. This book was really good.

A Likely Story is cleverly written, between alternating point-of-views, timelines and a story within a story. At times it could be a bit much to follow, as far as what happened last but if you kept it straight it kept the story moving with the unfolding of the secrets, the background story and understanding the characters. The main characters however, Ward the best selling author and father, and his daughter, struggling writer Isabelle, are more unlikeable than likable though. Which, can of course add authenticity true to life, as most people are not perfect or always charming. Ward for sure was a narcissist, assuming his books should be flying off shelves and forgetting his daughter's age or to call on her birthday, an ego larger than deserved. His wife was more likable, but she still married Ward and supported him as a his socialite wife. Even with how they meet and his personality when dating, I was still unsure what she found to love.

As a writer I appreciated the struggling writer references, all too relate-able. I appreciated the insight on plagiarism as well.

The gift Claire leaves after her passing added depth to the childhood Isabelle assumed she knew and a plot to drive the story. The story within a story seems suspiciously familiar and makes us question if the plot of it based on real life. It was a clever literary device to propel the narrative forward.

The biggest takeaway of this one was the flawed characters. Usually, I don’t mind reading about unlikeable characters. However, they lacked interest. I wasn't invested in them. The people were not the reason to keep reading, but the unfolding of the plot and the themes the book covers. The revelations made the slow start worth it.

for me, this book was just fine. nothing particularly stood out, but i did feel like it was well written. i think there are a lot of interesting threads we had, like conversations about familial roles, parental expectations, and family secrets, but it felt like we were just scratching the surface of what could've been a really interesting exploration. i was left a bit unsatisfied with how it ends as well.

*thank you atria & netgalley for the eARC!

Multiple lives connect - woven in a story within a story - and exploration of what it means to be family.

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