Some Doubt About It

A Novel by Marion McNabb

In this fun, feisty romp, a celebrity life coach collides with her former mentor as both women struggle with the choices they’ve made, the lives they have now, and the legacy they’ll leave behind.

Caroline Beckett is living the dream. A self-help guru with a glamorous clientele and a marriage to a handsome photographer, she’s proof women really can have it all. But one night leaves Caroline reeling, forcing her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about her life—and what (if any) business she has teaching anyone how to live theirs.

Retired professor Devorah Van Buren is spending her time getting herself and her chihuahua, Mary Magdalene, kicked out of local restaurants for causing scenes with tourists. When she learns about Caroline’s rise to success and the personal scandal that’s followed, Devorah has a new purpose: sue her former student for stealing the ideas that made Caroline famous.

Back in her hometown to handle this new problem, Caroline is surprised to find reconnections with not only Devorah but her high school sweetheart too. After the way her life fell apart, Caroline is beginning to wonder if, with Devorah’s help, maybe she can build something better.

Some Doubt About It is included in a group of amazing debut novels at the Friends & Fiction Substack!

Praise for Some Doubt About It

"In a quieter vision of a “Thelma-and-Louse’ tale, Marion McNabb has written a story of second chances that can revive wilted fortunes, with a little help from our friends. Her protagonist, Caroline, watches as her glorious life-coach life is upended by betrayal, and then has to fight her way back to a way of being that might just be more authentic — and even sweeter. Wiser doesn’t have to be sadder in this modern fable.”

–Jacquelyn Mitchard, NY Times Bestselling Author
"McNabb's debut goes beyond empty platitudes to offer some real philosophical depth, and things don’t resolve as neatly as they might, as each woman confronts what really matters. This is a fine summer read with a pleasant Cape Cod backdrop and convincing character development. It will make a nice addition to a public library’s relationship-fiction shelf.”

– Booklist
“A philandering husband, a plagiarism scandal, and an acid-tongued former mentor collide, leaving bestselling author and happiness guru Caroline Beckett to question everything she thinks she knows about success and what it means to live a truly authentic life. Fast-paced, funny, and satisfyingly poignant, Some Doubt About It is a beach read that packs an emotional punch, reminding us that sometimes the second chance we really need is with ourselves.”

―Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books
“Marion McNabb’s Some Doubt About It is a humorous and heartbreaking debut. Two strong and feisty women—a famous life coach and a salty, snarky widow—reunite on Cape Cod when one is accused of stealing the other’s work, which is now a bestselling book. Add in an imploding marriage, a possible second chance with a first love and the beauty of Cape Cod where both women are adrift, unsure how to move forward. A beach read that will make you think about what is really important in a relationship.”

Pamela Kelley USA Today Bestselling author of The Bookshop by the Bay
"In pitch-perfect prose, Marion McNabb draws a portrait of two strong, feisty women—each at a crossroads—who reconnect when one is accused of stealing another’s work. Set against an idyllic and transporting Cape Cod backdrop, this novel is a vacation-in-pages that should be in every beach bag. A warm and witty story of reinvention, second chances, and the ways in which women shape each other’s lives, SOME DOUBT ABOUT IT is a must-read book of summer!"

Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times, Bestselling author of A HAPPIER LIFE

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