Unlikely Story is the Jewish Joy Book Club April read and I am so glad about that! I really enjoyed this story. It's heartwarming, humorous, romantic, and an armchair adventure to boot. Add in an enemies-to-lovers trope, some forced proximity, and a swoon-worthy British guy to fuel the flames, and this novel has it made!

This was a sweet story. I loved the banter between the characters, especially Nora and Eli. I also loved the neighbors in the co-op and George the dog (who sounded really cute). The virtual visits to NYC and London were a lot of fun. There was plenty of humor and lightheartedness. It was entertaining and kept me turning the pages.

What was interesting to me was Nora's situation with her parents. They were more like children and she was absorbing their neediness and impulsive behavior, especially from her mother. I felt bad for Nora being put in that situation, especially since her brother was able to extricate himself from it so easily.

I had a few small concerns, but nothing that kept me from enjoying this novel. First, I wish that Nora's Judaism had been more prevalent. I only knew she was Jewish because she mentioned Shabbat dinner one time. Next, I would have liked for there to be more of a surprise factor, but I still enjoyed seeing how everything unfolded. Especially since it gave off the feel of a certain nineties rom-com movie. There's an irony here with Nora always wanting to know the end of a book before she started it, as it was a comfort to her. While I like being surprised, I can't say I blame her for wanting to know where a story is going sometimes. Finally, I felt that more conflict was needed and was hoping things would be a bit more challenging before reaching the rewarding point.
Overall, this was a great novel and a nice distraction from everything going on in real life. (Another reason it's appealing for Nora to want to know what happens at the end of a book.) I hope to read more of Ali Rosen's novels in the future (and get to her earlier novels).

(Trigger warning below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Nora: Victoria Pedretti
Eli: Sean Teale
Ari: Kelly Bishop
Dane: Jeanine Mason
Tina (Nora's mom): Camryn Manheim
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TW: Getting locked out of a building while on the roof. (Not sure about you, but that makes me so anxious.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
Sweet, charming, and packed with bookish love. Ali Rosen offers a lovely take on second chances and the power of fiction to rewrite your real life. The romance feels authentic, the characters are warm, and the story is pure comfort with a clever twist of meta-narrative. A great pick for romance fans and writers alike.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it very much . The book follows a relationship therapist Nora who is in love with someone she has never met . She is in love with J who edits her columns and this is based on their correspondence. But sometimes the greatest love of our lives is right in front on you . Quite interesting and engaging.

What a sweet, cozy romance! I loved spending a few springtime hours reading this book! The closed door aspect makes it super accessible!

LOVE!!!! This is was so fun, unique and SWOONY. I ate it up and finished the book in one day.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy

A story about an introvert who falls in love with someone she's never met in real life. COUNT ME IN!
Nora is the kind of character you want to protect because she's caring, loves books, wants to spend her time in her house baking, and is surrounded by her elderly neighbors. Eli is the guy you want to hate, but once you learn he is a grump cinnamon roll, you can't help but fall in love with him.

I loved their chemistry in and out of their Word documents, and even though I could tell where the plot was going, I was still happy for both of them.

4/5 stars. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Unlikely Story is a unique book with laughs, frustrations and romance. It’s one of my favorite books of the year. I adored the juxtaposition of when we judge others and the opportunities missed when those views hold. It gave me insight into how online relationships; both romantic and not are valid and important. Plus it had a wonderful jewish dynamic that made me feel seen. It’s a delightfully deep romantic book. I might have had so much fun reading that I live reacted in Ali’s messages. There were so many instances that made me laugh. She even has a GDD mention and a nod to Animaniacs. I am saying get the book and tell me what you think.

I’m so grateful to Montlake for the advanced reader copy. I had Carly Robins in my ear performing this story and she can do no wrong.

This is a fun enemies to lovers romance with a twist. I loved the flirtation that Nora has with J, but also the sparks that ignite whenever she's around Eli. Well-written and entertaining this love story will keep you laughing as you wind your way to the happily ever after along with these memorable characters. The audiobook is narrated by Carly Robins and she does an excellent job bringing this novel to life.

I ended up listening to the audio-arc of this book rather than reading the e-arc but I appreciate having both on hand! I liked the idea of this, and I enjoyed the book, but I did feel like the therapist conceit gave way to over intellectualizing feelings rather than letting the characters experience them. I did like how the heroine learned to stand up for herself with her parents, and the romance was an intriguing angle.

The story of Nora, who thinks she is in love with J, a man she has never met, but then she meets Eli, and connects with him too. I loved the other characters such as Dane and the neighbours.

This was well written and an easy read. It’s added to my list of favorites and one I will continue to recommend to friends!

This started way too slow for me and it was hard to come back from that. I loved the idea of the book, but it did not hit the mark for me.

I have loved Ali Rosen’s other books but this did not hit for me. I missed the travel and food aspects of her other novels. This was a very slow burn and I found myself pretty bored.

Come get swept away in a sweet romantic tale full of relatable and unforgettable characters. Can you fall in love with someone you have never met? Can people be different than what they first seem? Find out by reading Eli and Nora’s story in Unlikely Story by the very talented Ali Rosen.

Publication: March 1st, 2025
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Ali Rosen’s Unlikely Story is a charming and heartfelt novel that blends romance, ambition, and second chances. With a relatable protagonist and an engaging storyline, the book explores the ups and downs of chasing dreams while navigating love and self-discovery. The writing is warm and engaging, making it an enjoyable read for fans of contemporary fiction with a touch of romance.



Thank You NetGalley and Montlake

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Relationship therapist Nora finds herself in a dilemma. She's drawn to the copyeditor of her advice column, J, who is in London. She's also growing close to her neighbour Eli, who enjoys pushing her buttons. Who will she choose? The sweetly vulnerable man she's never met, or the closed-off neighbour?

I enjoyed this story from the start. Nora's dilemma had me confused right along with her especially with both Eli and J being such amazing guys. When pieces of the puzzle started coming together, I got excited for her as she merged worlds that were seemingly different.

I loved the side characters who helped her grow and overcome challenges that had her in despair. They livened up the story for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5⭐
Steam level: 2🌶️ Fade to black scenes

I tried to read this a few times but I couldn't get through it. It might be the writing or that the plot didn't grip me.
I probably won't reread this.

Thank you @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
“A swoonworthy romance bursting with wit about a therapist who falls for the wrong man…but perhaps the right one was hiding in the margins all along.”
Unlikely Story is a delightful romance that nods to one of my favourite movies, You’ve Got Mail, with specific details that will be familiar to fans of the movie, but twisted in a different way for the book. Much of the relationship between the main characters develops through texts and emails, meaning for me, the novel needs strong, engaging dialogue to keep me engaged. I enjoyed the dynamic banter between the main characters. The witty exchanges keep the pace brisk and the reader invested.
I loved the community that the main character Nora built for herself in her building of mostly much older residents. They are there for her when her own parents are incapable of supporting her. I did, however, find her parents to be a bit over the top in their complete ignorance of, well, anything to do with real life. But it made the relationships she formed with her neighbours that much sweeter.
I also love that, as in her previous novels, the author sets the story between New York City and a different European location, in this case London, creating a vivid backdrop that adds depth and charm to the unfolding romance. I look forward to seeing where Ali Rosen sets her next book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Main character Nora is a therapist in NYC who perhaps is not quite as good at taking the advice and gives for herself. She also writes an anonymous column for a newspaper in London, and she starts to think she is developing feelings for her equally anonymous editor, solely based on the notes for her column that they exchange. But she also has a new neighbor who starts out her enemy but is also attractive.

This was a cute and sweet rom com. Yes, I guessed a big plot point of the book almost immediately, but yet I didn’t mind. And I also enjoyed that there was more to the story than just the romance, including both Nora’s family issues with her no boundaries parents, and the found family she has made for herself with the mostly elderly neighbors in her apartment building. Plus a sweetly grumpy dog and lots of baking - and since author Ali Rosen is also a cookbook writer, some recipes at the end of the book too. An enjoyable light read that still has depth.

Unlikely Story is a fun comfy read. It give vibes of You've Got Mail making the plot somewhat predictable once you recognize the trope. Yet, there's a certain cozy familiarity in knowing where a story is likely heading, like watching your favorite movie for the hundreth time. The book began a bit slow and took some time to engage me fully. Particularly, the therapy sessions, talk of therapy, and internal monologues etc. Despite being a therapist herself, the FMC seems better at doling out advice than taking it, or even following her own guidance. Also worth mentioning, the romance in the book is closed-door. Overall, Unlikely Story is a satisfying comfort read that I think many will enjoy.