The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

This latest from bestselling Jewish author Ali Rosen was an anonymous texting coworkers to real life enemies to lovers next door neighbor fade to black romance. It had tons of heart, a great cast of secondary characters, animal sidekicks and messy family drama that all came together in a satisfying end. It was also great on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Unlikely Story was a very cute contemporary romance - a sweet novel great for fans of You've Got Mail too. Therapist and column writer Nora and her editor Eli are a great match in their virtual interactions and have an amazing rapport. But they don't realize that they've also met in person as neighbors in the same NYC apartment building quarreling over renovation plans Eli has for the roof of their building. Nora and Eli, the neighbors, have a fun enemies-to-lovers vibe and great banter and teasing as they slowly become friends and more. They both are dealing with family issues that they help to work through with each other's help, with the added help of Nora's sessions with her own therapist too. The novel was a little slow to start but then I found that I couldn't put it down. The growth and change in both characters was fantastic and heartwarming. Definitely recommend. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I think you have to be in the right mood for this one, otherwise you may end up picking holes in a plot that definitely reflects the title. However, if you’re up for the type of story where the reader realises very early on what’s happening and most of the fun and tension lies in how and when the protagonists will work it out, then I strongly recommend giving this a go. Nora and Eli are both very much products of their upbringings and trying to break long-held habits; their interactions in all forms are full of chemistry and it’s easy to root for them both. For me there was a little too much emphasis on the therapy aspect, but as a Brit I really appreciated the accuracy both of Eli’s word choices, and also the parts set in London. The city descriptions generally were an evocative backdrop to the story, and along with some well-drawn and memorable supporting characters, make for a delightful read.

I absolutely adored Alternate Endings, so I was really looking forward to Unlikely Story. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me—which is a nice way of saying I was bored. I pretty much figured out the entire plot just from the synopsis, which isn’t unusual for romance novels, but this one just didn’t land in the entertainment department. I found myself skimming a lot.

I really liked J, but Eli? Not so much. I definitely experienced the whole love at first write, hate at first sight tagline when it came to that dynamic. But more than that, I just didn’t find anything particularly substantial about the story. There were way too many loose ends: her parents, Eli’s cat while he was gone, and some side characters who added absolutely nothing to the plot.

That said, I did enjoy the sense of community in their apartment building—and of course, George. Can’t leave him behind.

I'm always a sucker for You've Got Mail retellings so I was so excited to read this one. Unfortunately this one is just a 3.5 stars for me. While I liked the two main leads (Eli and Nora), I didn't find myself pulling for them. There was a bit too much internal monologue/thoughts which was okay for a while but then got too much. I do think that though this wasn't the romance for me, others will still enjoy it.

Unlikely Story is the third fiction book by Ali Rosen and I was really looking forward to reading it.
I love books that are set in NYC and in this case the city was a great backdrop especially with all the food description.
I don't like reading blurbs and, in my reviews, I try not to give away too much information about the plot so I will try to keep my review general.
Nora is a relationship therapist and she also writes advice column and it seems that she is in love with her editor J who she never met in person. He lives in London and she lives in NYC but she feels a very strong connection to him.
They've been communicating through a shared file for the last 7 years and when Nora agrees to attend a party in London to meet her new boss she decided to finally meet J in person but she is scared that meeting him will burst the bubble they have and that in real life they won't have such a strong connection.
On top of this Nora has a new neighbor. Eli, that moved directly beneath her and he is planning to use the rooftop of the co-op building and Nora doesn’t like his plans at all!
I loved reading about Nora and all the neighbors in her building. They were quirky and funny and really added to the plot.
I loved seeing how Nora changed through the book, how she is more open with her friends, with Eli and also with J.
Unlikely Story is a great rom – com with plenty of food to make you hungry so have some snacks nearby while reading.

Ali Rosen's novels seem to always take me on an unexpected journey, and this one featured a beautiful exploration of vulnerability, identity, and the ties that bind. New Yorker Nora is a therapist who realizes she may be in love with someone she's never met - the editor of her weekly advice column in the UK - but her feelings get tangled when an irksome man moves into her building. Were there a few too many convenient coincidences? Yes. Did I predict the reveal from the beginning? Also yes. But it didn't really bother me. I enjoyed suspending disbelief for a while and getting lost in this sweet story with lovely characters and a whole lot of heart. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Montlake for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

‘Unlikely Story’ by Ali Rosen is a gorgeous rom-com starring therapist Nora, who is so great at giving advice that she has her own newspaper column, but not as good at asking for help or advice when she needs it… The only person she feels she can really open up to is her elusive copy editor “J”. It’s too bad that J lives a continent away, unlike her annoying new neighbour Eli who resides far too close for comfort!

I really enjoyed:
- The New York setting was an immersive and wonderful backdrop
- The scenes in London were slightly off the beaten tourist track, with one of them set at one of my favourite places ever… Kew Gardens
- The texts between Nora and J were sweet and wholesome
- I adored Nora’s dog George, and the way he helped her interact with her kind and funny neighbours
- Eli’s cats weren’t bad either…

Of course, the book was a little (OK, a lot) predictable, but it was like a warm hug and gets 3.5 stars from me. The recipes at the end were a great bonus and sound delicious!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Montlake via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a great take on the You’ve Got Mail trope where we have a writer and an editor working together virtually who happen to become neighbors in real life. What makes this one work well is that one character doesn’t learn the truth until about 70% in and then does not use the situation to their advantage as so often happens in these types of stories. The reveal to the other character happens pretty quickly after that and I loved how everything resolved. Great group of supporting characters too and I loved the focus on therapy and mental health as well. The Epilogue was great too.

This book started a bit slow but once it really got going, it was difficult to put down. My first Ali Rosen book but certainly not my last.

Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this more than I did- but it is a cute little romance story. It might hit more for some people, but it was just too slow of a build up for me! I felt like the first 40% dragged too much and it lost me. Eli + Nora were sweet and I did end up enjoying their story more the last part of the book but it took too long to get there. I enjoyed the FMC being a therapist and the mental health representation throughout. I also thought some of the NYC scenery and setting was fun! The writing style was a bit blocky and I felt like we jumped around a lot.

The You’ve Got Mail energy is strong in this one!!

Couples therapist Nora has a side-gig writing an anonymous advice column for a British newspaper, and may or may not be in love with her copy editor, man she’s never met but has talked to weekly for seven years. She’s also got some interesting ~vibes~ with new neighbor Eli, a British writer who seems just a touch familiar…and not just because she helped his girlfriend dump him in a therapy session a few months prior! It’s all very complicated, this web of connections surrounding Nora, but what a beautiful web it is!

The highlights for me in this book are truly the characters big and small- Nora and Eli are introspective, caring, and gentle; their geriatric neighbors like Mr. Kwan, Tom, Meryl, and Gladys bring that no-nonsense love and support; and Dane just seems like the coolest best friend a girl could have! As someone that relates to Nora’s people pleasing tendencies, it’s great to see how she acknowledges it and also how those around her try and support her in spite of that!

This was very adorable, written with such gentle love and care, and a perfect cozy read! Thanks so much to Ali Rosen and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely ADORED this book. This was my first Ali Rosen book and I am sold 1000%! This book is about two enemies (Nora and Eli) who develop a friendship. Nora also has feelings for J - the person who edits her advise column. J and Nora have never met but they develop a deep connection through communicating sthrough him editing her advice column. How's a girl to choose?!?! This book has all the makings of a swoony NYC rom com. I would dare say this book is probably one of my top 5 favorite romance books. Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the early copy of this book.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy of Unlikely Story.

Nora is a therapist who has a problem with letting people take advantage of her especially her family. She also writes a column for an editor in London. She corresponds with a man named J at the office and she begins to fall for him even though they have never met. Then she meets her new neighbor Eli and he was the boyfriend of her former patient and they do not get along. They end up trapped on the roof of their building together and start to see that each other is not that bad. But she feels like her attraction to Eli is just physical and that she is meant to be with J. But will she miss out on what is right in front of her.

This story was just a little too cheesy for me and I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. The book was very redundant and I just felt like it dragged on.

This was my first Ali Rosen read, and I really enjoyed it.

I liked Nora so much as a character. She was a therapist who was in therapy, and we got to see all sides of that with her. I’m not a therapist but can absolutely relate to given others advice and still needing to work on applying some of those things to my own life. Kudos to the major therapy-positive message in this book. I also enjoyed her octogenarian neighbors and the bonds she formed with them. I really appreciated her best friend, Dane, as well. I liked the way they all had her back when it came to her parents. Her parents were supremely frustrating, but I understood how stuck she felt in her role within her family.

As for the romance, I loved the push/pull between Nora and Eli. It felt emotionally charged from the beginning, and as they kept finding themselves in situations that forced them to really get to know each other, it was fun to see them navigate the shifts in their feelings. When it came to ‘J’, even though the “twist” to that, waiting to see how it was going to come to light built anticipation to the moment. I enjoyed the way it all played out.

The book was pretty internal monologue heavy and I do wish that had been broken up a little bit more at times. However, I did feel like I really got to know Nora as a result of it and thought she was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nora is a therapist who also writes an advice column. She also needs therapy because yikes, she definitely lets people walk all over her in many ways. Is she too nice? Does she have a hard time setting boundaries in her relationships? You decide. Enter 2 men into her life who in very different ways, turn her life in its ears. Nothing super crazy happens and you figure things out early on (I know I did) but all in all a great story of found family and community. 3.5 stars but rounded up because I needed something lighthearted and quirky.

So, we’ve got Nora, a total people-pleaser and therapist who’s fallen for a guy she’s literally never met in real life. She’s already got a lot going on, but then—because life loves chaos—a former patient moves in downstairs and is basically set on making things way more complicated.

I loved how this book tackled mental health, boundaries (seriously, we all need them), and communication. And don’t even get me started on the romance—so freaking swoony! Overall, this was such a cute and fun read with some unexpected twists. 3.5 stars (round up to 4) from me!

You know that gooey heartwarming feeling you get after you read a romance that just makes you want to hug the book? This is exactly what you'll feel after Unlikely Story!

Therapist Nora assists her clients with their relationships on a daily basis but is yet to meet her own Mr Right. When she is summoned to London for an advice column she writes, she is in for a shock when she finally meets her editor.

I am deliberately keeping the synopsis vague because really this one is best going into blind. I guarantee you'll be smiling throughout as you read it! I can't gush enough about this book - just pick up a copy and thank me after.

This book made me so happy! It was giving "You've Got Mail" vibes but with a bit of a love triangle twist. Nora is dealing with a lot! Between her career as a therapist, her side gig as an "Ask Abbey" type columnist, managing her elderly immature parents, and her new neighbor Eli, who she got off on the wrong foot with, Nora doesn't have time to date. But when she admits to her therapist she might be in love with her remote co-worker in London (J) her therapist nudges her to bridge the gap between coworkers and friends or possibly more. Did I kind of see where this book was going pretty early? Yes, I did. Was I still excited to see what was going to happen and how they were going to react? Heck yes, I did! The gaggle of quirky side characters including the older residence in Nora's building and her friend Dane were such fun additions to the story and kept me actively engaged. When they stand up for her against Nora's parents it just made me so happy she finally had someone in her corner. Overall this was such an enjoyable read and I will continue to pick up Ali Rosen's books in the future.

Read if you like an enemies-to-lovers, found family romance with mental health and Jewish representation. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 3/1!

A hugely enjoyable novel, I loved this story. The characters are well developed and engaging, I loved the settings and the romance.