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.

In “A Likely Story”, Leigh Abramson weaves a tale of stolen fame and a woman’s quest to reclaim it against a backdrop of ‘90’s New York City and framed around a young woman, Isabelle, an aspiring writer, and her novelist father Ward. Abramson plays with our notions of good and bad, deftly illustrating that no one is either one or the other, but a spot on a continuum depending on the circumstances, the point in time, and the people who surround us. There also a "story within a story" that adds to the overall enjoyment of the novel. Isabelle’s journey in particular is layered and relatable and in fact, the strength of the novel lies in its authentic voice. This is Abramson’s debut and her flawed characters and multiple POV’s seem channeled through her real life experienced. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read and she’s definitely an author to watch.

A Likely Story is a really good read concerning a family of writers, their ambitions, struggles, and secrets. I often tire of writers writing about struggling writers — as well as stories of rich people acting badly. But this book is well plotted with some interesting twists that kept me turning the pages. So did the characters, who, both likeable and unlikeable, are well developed and realistic. I liked the dual timeline, and the multiple points of view allows readers get to know each of the characters pretty well. There’s a novel within the novel, too — something I don’t always warm to — but, in this case, the excerpts from it are brief and really keep us guessing (for a while) about who the author is. And this story-within-the-story becomes an important part of the overall plot in more ways than one. Engaging and clever. Love the title, too!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader copy.

I loved "A Likely Story", by Leigh McMullan Abramson! A juicy family drama about being authors, the struggles, as well as the dishonesty for the sake of fame. Excellent characters and wonderful plot. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the early reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was definitely an interesting book. Isabelle has always hoped or felt destined to be a best selling author like her father Ward. Ward was emotionally unavailable to Isabelle throughout her life so she was determined to make him proud and she knew this was the only way to do it. Both Ward and Isabelle are self centred, unlikeable, and polarizing characters. With both of these characters being authors it was fascinating to learn more about the publishing world and what an author goes through to write and publish a book. Then there are the further expectations if that book is a best seller. I love a great family drama story and this is definitely that. As all the family secrets are uncovered the book really takes shape. I was impressed with Isabelle’s personal growth and even Ward had some! The ending tied things up nicely. Overall a great debut book from this author.

Isabelle Manning is the only child of well-known American author, Ward Manning, and she had a good life growing up in NYC in the 1990s. Isabelle has always wanted to be a successful writer like her father, and now at 35, she is feeling the pressure.

Claire has always been a supportive, doting mom to Isabelle, making public appearances for Ward’s career, and spearheading philanthropic activities in NYC. When Claire dies, Isabelle’s life is upended. Secrets about her mom and her family are revealed, forcing Isabelle to re-examine her life, and for her and Ward to confront their reality.

I didn’t find Isabelle or Ward especially likable, yet they felt realistic. This is a book about books, about family, and ambition. I stayed interested to see what happened in the story.

Isabelle Manning is the privileged daughter of famed American novelist Ward Manning (think Philip Roth with a wider audience and more fame). Ward came from nothing, but basks in his fame and is somewhat insufferable. Isabelle only sees her dad as the best — someone she is forever hoping to please and impress. Unfortunately, Isabelle can’t seem to get her own book published and is living paycheck to paycheck.

When her mother dies (reliable, but not as beloved to her as Ward), Isabelle finds some clues that will upend the family story that she knows and loves. It will change everything.

My Thoughts: I have thought a lot about this book since reading it. There were times that I thought — “this seems like X book,” or “I know where this is going,” but I was never fully right. This book, with its twists and turns, is its own story and is compulsively readable. I loved the 90s New York setting and the theme of a daughter trying to be like her father — but does she really know who her father is? Ward was such a pompous ass, but such an interesting character that I wanted to read more..

Multiple point of views, dual timeline, lovable and hatable characters, a book within a book sub plot - A Likely Story had it all making it one of the more interesting books I've read in a while. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read with very real characters with believable flaws. Despite not loving parts of it, particularly any scene with Ward, I still give this book 5 stars. It left me feeling emotional and reflective long after I read the last page. I look forward to reading Leigh McMullan Abramson's next book!

A Likely Story follows Isabelle Manning, the only child of the famous bestselling author Ward Manning. Isabelle’s childhood is portrayed as upscale growing up in NYC, and her parents disagree on how to raise their child in their admittedly privileged life. After Isabelle’s mother’s death, Isabelle struggles with an unsuccessful writing career and dissolving relationships.

I rounded up to 4 stars, though this was probably closer to 3.5/3.75. The second half of the story picked up, and I enjoyed seeing the plot play out. The first half took more effort to get through, as it just seemed a little slow. Isabelle and her father, Ward, are both incredibly selfish characters, so it is hard to feel too much empathy for their situation. I really enjoyed Claire’s character and her role as Isabelle’s mother. Glenda, Isabelle’s godmother, is quite spunky and adds a little extra fun to the narrative.

If this has been on your TBR, give it a shot and stick with it. The second half is worth it!

I’m excited to hear from the author next month! I love hearing authors speak about their inspiration and writing process.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced copy.