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.

I devoured this book! I loved everything about it from the quirky premise to the settings (Ali captured New York and London perfectly). I also loved the cast of supporting characters, which reminded me a bit of my friends’ coop neighbors 😂. The slow burn between Nora and Eli was superb and Eli’s over the top gestures alternatively had me laughing and going “aw”. I saw a lot of myself in Nora so I was rooting for her to finally stand up for herself and take a chance on loved. And the fact that Eli has two floofy white cats made me love him even more as a character.

Fans of rom coms need to add this book to their TBR!

I love Ali Rosen’s writing style. This is the third book of hers I have read and she just reels me in with her strong characters, relatable problems and sweet romance. Nora is a therapist who lives and works in NYC. As a side gig she also writes an advice column for a London’s Sunday Tribune. Nora feels so real to me as she visits her own therapist, tries and fails to have boundaries with her own parents and cares for her grumpy rescue dog. The premise is clever. As the story begins she is realizing that she has developed feelings for her copy editor. They’ve been writing back and forth for seven years without ever meeting. In the meantime her quiet home life is being disrupted by the new tenant who lives below her in her co-op building. Eli has taken over his grandmother’s apartment and is loud and disruptive to her. And he seems to enjoy pushing her buttons.

Of course they are going to become friends as they slowly get to know each other. But her new friendship for him confuses her feelings for her editor. I enjoyed the texting, getting to know you moments, and caring for each other with kindness. When the relationship finally goes to the next level I wish it was more descriptive but that isn’t Rosen’s writing style. I enjoyed this book and it perfectly fits the category of General Adult Fiction with romance.

Our story takes place in New York city where Nora Fischer lives content in her apartment surrounded by her elderly neighbours and because she's a therapist everyone thinks she got her life all figured out. However, that's not true because Nora has her own therapist to help her navigate her feelings and recently that is the biggest thing she's been struggling with. She thinks she's in love with a person whom she never meant in real life.
"J" is Nora's copyeditor who lives in London. They work together on the advice column Nora writes and they've been working for years without ever meeting. However, that might change soon.
On the other side, there is Eli her agitating neighbour, and former patient but for some reason Nora seems attracted to him and what started as a feud between them turned into friendship and something else might be on the horizon.
Nora is stuck between two men. One she never me and the other too complicated to be true and top it all fate has a BIG surprise in store for them.

The best thing about this book is that I didn't expect it to like it that much so the surprise element kept me on my toes enjoying every bit and piece. Nora& Eli's banter was so amusing and I loved her relationship with the neighbours and how they all helped each other. I also loved how the author stressed on the importance of therapy and how it was a major help with Nora even though she's a therapist.
From A to Z it was perfection and I loved every moment.
Thanks so much to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #UnlikelyStory in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, and Ali Rosen for the early access copy of Unlikely Story.

Unlikely Story follows the story of Nora, a relationship therapist who also writes an advice column anonymously, Nora is used to her life the way that it is, she enjoys her space, relishes in her quiet, and naturally is a person who helps others. This can be an issue when family can take advantage of this quality. When Nora realizes she is in love with her editor of her column, who she knows as J. J lives in London where the column is published. J and Nora have also only interacted through writing to each other on her column edits. When he confides that he is recently single, and her boss from London wants her to go for business, she sets in motion that they will finally meet. While all of this is happening, Nora is also at risk of losing her quiet space after her downstairs neighbor Eli moves in, plans a renovation, and hates her. See he is the ex-boyfriend of a patient of Nora's and blames her for the destruction of his relationship. Over time, and forced proximity, Nora starts to see the softer side of Eli.

With complicated feelings Nora is developing for two men, Nora's life will not be the same.

This will be a great fit for those who like forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, and self-growth. Ali Rosen does a great job at character development for both the primary characters and the cast of lovable secondary characters.

I have picked up this book numerous times now and I just cannot get into it. I really liked the premise and the cover, but I am afraid it is just not the right book at the right time for me. I liked the main character's perspective and how she could be so career focused while her personal life was a mess.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This was a cute romance read by Ali Rosen. Unlikely Story follows Nora, therapist and part time column writer. She admits off the bat she is in love with the editor of her column. Queue new grumpy neighbor (British) and the fun begins. Definitely an enemies to lovers troupe followed with love hidden in the margins (quite literally). I like how the author handled topics of grief, mental health, self advocacy, and boundary setting. This is a romance, so readers will get the HEA. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Ali Rosen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️
Unlikely Story was a cute story, although very obvious to me how things are going to play out, I enjoyed it.

This was a slow burn and closed door…that might be why the tension/chemistry was a little lacking for me. I felt they had a connection but the passion was a little mild.

I loved the therapy sessions, honest conversations and text messages. The supporting characters were fun and added something to the story. The real life situations were relatable (people pleasing, weird family dynamics, parental health issues, etc).

I loved the idea of seeing different sides of people and being different people for many people in your life.

Tropes:
Hidden identity
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Closed door
Single POV

Cute entertaining story with likable characters. This was an easy read that picked up towards the middle and I appreciated the author avoided a messy third act breakup. Would recommend this one 3 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Montlake for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie I didn't really like this one. Mainly because it didn't feel believable. I know that it's fiction but even fiction especially Contemporary needs to have a slightly believable plot.

A sweet rom com that's as much about the family we make as it is about Nora, her secret crush on her editor J, and Eli, the man who lives downstairs. Fans of the genre might well figure the twist out early on but it's a genial read that will make you smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This one just didn't hit. Nothing really stood out to me and the repetitive writing was rather annoying. The characters weren't engaging and I didn't feel connected to them or the story. This is my first book by Ali Rosen and I don't think I'll be reading her others. I'm sure that others will enjoy Unlikely Story more than I did but this one just wasn't for me.

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 wish I loved this more than I did. Technically the writing is great, but I was not wowed tbh. I liked Nora and Eli, and their interactions were my favorite thing in this story. The rest of it though - the detailed therapy sessions, the rehashing of the same topic with different people, the complete lack of suspicion from Nora about J/Eli - those were less interesting to me.
This was a pretty mellow story all in all. Good for a slow afternoon of reading.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.