An Unlikely Story

A must visit for kids. Great book selections in all genres. Autographed Wimpy Kids books! A small but nice selection of adult books. Great gift sections for kids and adults with cool uncommon things. Only negative for me was a large selection of the overpriced JelkyCat plush toys throughout the store. I will definitely be back even if just looking for a little gift or cute cards.

I recently took my 3 year old daughter to An Unlikely Story for our first time on a Friday night. It was so magical!! The book selection, the gifts, the cafe treats- this store has it all!! Julien and Erin who work there went above and beyond from where we arrived (and it wasn’t so busy) up until we left and the store was full of people and buzzing! They kept the same patience and enthusiasm to help us while they continued to become more busy. We left with everything we needed, and the biggest smiles on our faces!! I can’t recommend An Unlikely Story enough!!

This bookshop and cafe is inviting right upon walking through the doors. Their displays draw you in and it feels like time just slows down as you look through all of the different section. They have games, puzzles, coasters, bookmarks and other eye catching accoutrements. The cafe staff could have been friendlier but the cashier's at the book counter were amazing.

What a cute bookstore. Even the bathrooms were matching the theme! You'll find a cafe on the main floor with coffee and food options along with seating. There is even more seating on the second floor upstairs (standard wooden chairs and tables). There are a couple of cozy plush armchairs throughout the first floor to relax and peruse any selections. The shelves themselves are well organized and easy to differentiate genres. While not nearly as extensive a collection as a big box store (looking at you, b&n), it seemed to be a well curated collection. The staff recommended picks were generally all rated 4 stars and up on Goodreads. I would come here to browse and find something new rather than if I was searching for a specific book. There was also a large area devoted to gifts/games/knickknacks for all ages. All of the staff were welcoming and friendly! They do have a free rewards program and a regular newsletter with upcoming events for those who live in the area! There is a huge parking lot (free) across the street if the normal one behind the actual bookstore fills up.

A book lover’s dream for readers both old and young! The atmosphere in here is so cozy and inviting, with fun details all over (the book “birds” on the ceiling! All the old signs!). There’s a cafe with yummy food and great coffee- my Graham cracker latte matched any fancy coffee shop in quality. The second floor has a big seating area if you want to tuck away and read your new books. There’s also tons of great gifts and trinkets throughout the store. Overall it’s a beautiful store with lots of attention to detail and great staff!

Stunning bookstore, well worth a special trip. We shopped, had a drink in the cafe, and saw a show upstairs. My entire book club is now planning a field trip. Can’t wait to come back!

The staff is super friendly and helpful! The bookstore is very organized and very clean. We went for a book signing and the store was packed, but we weren't rushed and had a really great time! I can't wait to go back soon! BTW, we met the owner, Jeff Kinney and he's amazing!

An Unlikely Story is my happy place! This adorable bookstore always has the best events going on, fantastic staff.. oh and really great cafe options! Check out their socials for the best recommendations too! (My husband may have banned me from One Minute with Bill videos 🤣🤣)

I always drive past this place on my way home from the Wrentham Outlets. I finally got around to going inside. My friend and I went on a weekday night, about 2 hours before closing so it was pretty quiet. I initially thought the bookstore was only on the first floor of the building but turns out it's a multi-story experience. There is a parking lot at the back where I parked and I was able to enter through the back door (not sure if this is the main entrance). On the first floor, they have some books, bathrooms, a check out desk, nick nacks (hats, stationery, puzzles, etc.), and most importantly, a coffee shop. The coffee shop was closing up around the time we got there so plan accordingly and do some research on their hours. as they are not the same as the bookstore. The books are clearly labeled by genre. After taking a stroll, we decided to check out the second floor which was supposed to have a little market, a stage where they host events, and some very comfortable couches along with tables and chairs. I mostly came to see if a book spoke to me, but also to get some reading in from the book I brought along with me. The lighting is good, although I sometimes prefer to have a dimmer setting for a cozier feel. We spent about 1.25 hours here, but we could have easily spent a longer time if it weren't so close to closing.

Great little bookstore that has great events. Always a cool place to visit when we're in town.

It was a cool bookstore, cafe and gift shop. Tons of cool different products for that one of a kind gift ideas. The books something for everybody. Cafe I didn't try so I will have to hit it up next time. Very cool vibe. Check it out.

A book lover's dream for readers both old and young! The atmosphere in here is so cozy and inviting, with fun details all over (the book "birds" on the ceiling! All the old signs!). There's a cafe with yummy food and great coffee- my Graham cracker latte matched any fancy coffee shop in quality. The second floor has a big seating area if you want to tuck away and read your new books. There's also tons of great gifts and trinkets throughout the store. Overall it's a beautiful store with lots of attention to detail and great staff!

I love visiting here when I come to town, there's something for everyone and the staff is always so helpful

I think I died and went to book heaven! So happy I finally stopped in. I have driven by a few times and finally today decided to stop in as I had some time to kill and I couldn't be happier that I did. The cutest book, cafe and gift store. Something for every age of books and gifts to get. The cafe was a perfect spot to get something to eat and just relax and enjoy a good book. Can't wait to go back and bring my family.

Wow this bookstore made me so sad I don't live nearby. I've wanted to stop for years when driving by because of their eye catching posters across the street & just never did until now. Maybe that's a good thing though because I sure would be poorer if I was a regular here. The ambiance is exactly what I want from a busy bookstore. There's a buzz of everyone sharing their cool finds with each other. But it's not loud or overwhelming. Large children's section, plenty of fun knick knacks, a great looking cafe & plenty of books in every genre. My haul included some pens, a book mark & even a signed copy from a local romance author. Can't wait to visit again!

Amazing place! Quaint! Relaxing. My son who is autistic found this place, by the Author. He always wants to go and do a meet and greet. He's 30. Grew up on the books!

Perfect bookstore for book lovers, and also so many cute gadgets! The chickpea sandwich was good too and it's a great place to go when you want to relax.

This is the best bookstore and we are so fortunate to have it in the area. Guest authors, wonderful gift shopping, amazing book selection and a great cafe. We love going here. There is something for all ages. Their Christmas shop upstairs is open and has a huge selection of unique gifts. Give it a go. You will love it there!

Oh my goodness! Jeff Kinney (the author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid) built this cute bookstore and cafe in Massachusetts! If you're anything like me, your childhood was built by those books! I still remember getting them at the scholastic book fair when I was a kiddo. Today I checked them out on my day off with a close friend and enjoyed the bookstore as well as the cafe. My friend and I missed the cut off for the kitchen (3pm) so we didn't get to try any food, but we were able to get coffee! I got a toasted marshmallow latte with cold foam and would rate it a solid 8/10. My friend got the hot chocolate and rated it a 10/10. For a snack I picked out a bag of chips and she was able to grab a tollhouse cookie. The atmosphere is everything here! It's a wonder I have never heard of this place because I LOVE books and I'm in a lot of book communities. Dare I say it may be a hidden gem. They also had an amazing jellycat selection. I was thoroughly impressed! I can't recommend it enough.

This is such a cute book place with a cafe!! Their chickpea sandwich and grilled cheese were yum and crispy! I spend a few hours working at this place, was nice and cozy and not too loud either!

Great coffee and bookstore combination. The book store is so inviting and has a magical feeling The displays as decor are great and make you want to explore the whole shop. Loved the books hanging from the ceiling. We use to love to read the "Diary of a wimpy kid "books so it was fun to be here. The furniture inside and out is unusual and appealing. The coffee was excellent very good quality. I tried the turmeric tea latte which was good but I tried the ice coffee and it was far superior . I do wish they had had liquid sugar for the ice coffee that would have really been good. They offer non dairy creamer at no additional cost . Loved the seating options upstairs and think attending an event here would be really fun. Lots of additional parking across the street.

Fantastic reuse of an old brick warehouse building, with a wide assortment of books, gifts, gadgets, gizmos, gardening gear, and goodies. Excellent cafe with a few tables within the bookstore, as well as a second level with several tables and a couple more on a balcony outside. Friendly staff, outstanding industrial chic accents and ambiance. Off-street parking. An Unlikely Store is absolutely anything but plain in Plainville.

I recently visited for Independent Bookstore Day, which is always a good time. Sadly, we missed seeing Lyle Lyle Crocodile because it took place during nap time. But we were able to get a couple children's picture books & a Jellycat plush Cat for my daughter (which we found out afterwards, it's retired online!) And I even got an ARC of an adult fiction book included in my purchase. The gift section is always fun to peruse and the bookstore itself is stunning. The decorations are so fun. The staff is friendly and helpful. I haven't tried their food at the cafe yet but I was intrigued by the grilled Sun butter & banana sandwich on the kid's menu. I did have an iced coffee which was yummy. In previous visits, I've attended many author events on the Second Story. It's a lovely space and they get a wonderful selection of authors! They have great parking. A few years ago they redid their parking behind the store and it has a much better flow. And there's overflow parking across the street which is handy for event nights. I've never had a bad experience visiting this store. It's definitely one of my favorite indie bookstores!

Very cute bookstore. Glad I tried it. There are 2 floors, with the upstairs divided into a quiet reading area where you can eat the cafe food and a room for book readings. The downstairs has lots of different book themed decorations, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter. I also like how they had a section highlighting Lunar New Year. This seems like a place that would be inclusive of marginalized holidays. The food was good. And they were very patient with me when I changed my order after I saw something else. The sandwiches are limited and their menu is not extensive, but the food is good. Definitely sign up for their rewards plan if you're in the area. It works on both the cafe and the bookstore.

Super cute place, great book choices! Staff are really nice and the cafe area has delicious items !! Love stopping in for a coffee and a new read! The store raises the bar for our sweet town, " a need to stop in".

Oh my goodness! What a great place. My son's family goes here often. My 10 year old has read the owners Diary of a Wimpy kids entire series! The owner of this shop is the author! It's in a beautiful renovated mill and is much more than a bookshop. It is a gift shop and cafe as well. Highly recommend to kids and adults. Their upstairs opens for holidays with special items. Looking forward to checking that out

So glad I found this place as a nice spot for two friends meeting up between Boston and Providence! We got delicious coffee and sandwiches, and could've spent hours in the bookstore if our schedules didn't dictate otherwise. It is a lovely and welcoming space, and they have such a fun selection of non-book merchandise. I absolutely plan to return!

This awesome little place is definitely not just a shrine to Jeff Kinney's works, so if you're a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fan, be warned! Of course, there is a section in the middle dedicated to the series, complete with a statue of Greg Heffley surrounded by DIAWK merch, so don't worry, there's something for everyone! Pro tip: Sometimes, Jeff Kinney himself will be working the counter of the café or even upstairs drawing in the studio space!

This is an excellent independent book store. Albeit smaller than I imagined from the outside looking in, they have an ample amount of selections, as well as a cafe/coffee shop and cool little extras you can buy. I bought what was purported to be the world's softest socks and a daddy joke book for my daughter's upcoming birthday. I'm not sure if they will be the softest, but they may very well be the cutest! They have lots of parking too...what a gem to have in Plainville!

Awesome coffee shop and bookstore! Stopped here on the way to the Wrentham Outlets for some coffee. Their iced mocha is delicious! The bookstore is huge and they have lots of selections. I didnt try the other food at the cafe but definitely enjoyed my coffee.

It's a really cute bookstore with a very small cafe. The coffee is really good, as is the lemon poppy seed muffin. There a a few tables & chairs, the chairs are super uncomfortable though.

Such a great place. Great selection of books. I love it there. Highly recommend. I hope to go back soon

Nice small cute store and cafe Neat place Easy location Easy parking Small gifts too Small books

Always pre-customer service. The people here is super friendly you going with a list or just a couple of lines from a book that you're pretty sure you know the title of and with you know it or not they're able to find that book.. They also have a great offense face upstairs we can rent to have gatherings or they sometimes have poetry readings classes in health, author, books, signings, etc..

I love this place; they have an excellent selection of books, gifts, and other fun things. The staff is pleasant, and the prices are reasonable. Plus, the shop is very well-decorated!

Smaller selection than expected, but still a super cute place! They had fun little gifts as well!

A cool place with a cool statue I enjoyed it but showed up too late I must return I wish it were closer to me :/

this book store was a gem! cool spot to stop at on your road trip. plus there's a coffee shop inside!

Amaaaaaaaazing Indie bookstore with superb selection and extraordinary customer service. Soooooo elated to have found our way to you.... Grazie mille.

I have always wanted to take a trip to "An Unlikely Story" and finally visited before heading to the outlets one day. There is a vast selection of books to choose from, whether it be mysteries, romance, or even a book about different types of mushrooms. I decided to purchase the Midnight Library and Unlikely Animals. I also like how the shelves have Staff Pick recommendations. The staff was also very friendly, both in the store and at the cafe as well. There is also a second floor which I have to visit next time I go. I think it was worth the trip and would return with a friend.

First off, I like Barnes and Noble, but I absolutely love An Unlikely Story. Great coffee, perhaps the best ham and cheese panini ever, various homemade cookies all inside a cozy book store. Perfect!!

Love this place. There's always something fun going on. I've been here for book signings. I took ukulele lessons here last summer. I love the local feeling here. The cafe is a nice place to stop by, but the hits and seating is limited. Teacher discount on the store portion. The regular membership gets you $10 off every time you spend $200, including the cafe. The upstairs looks like a wonderful place to have an event.

Very cute, independent bookstore. Fun non-book items and a great cafe! Had a yummy caprese sandwich and a good chickpea salad sandwich, too. Worth the stop if you're close by, worth a short drive if you're not.

You're probably asking how can a bookstore be 5 stars? Well here is the situation: 1. Clean 2. Friendly staff! 3. Offer tours and events 4. Harry Potter brooks hanging from the ceiling 5. Small cafe 6. Organized Displays 7. If you have a kids or are shopping for one the store is easily designed for different age levels My 8 year old daughter spent 1.5 hrs choosing what books we would be taking home! she was like a kid in a candy store in 2020 in a bookstore! I loved watching her. I signed up for their newsletter. I heard about the tours and patiently waited for them to advertise their next tour. I signed up with ease. Arrived early but honestly the tour actually started at 11:02 am (since I heard them discussing not everyone who signed up was there yet so they gave them a few extra minutes.) The counter help at the book area and the cafe were very nice! Helpful and were happy to be here. Our tour guide was really informative, even excited to share information with us and great with kids! The tour started with information on the actual building and I got a little worries asking will this bore my child? But one we left the bookstore area and hit floor two we entered the conference room and got a little hands on (I won't ruin it for you) and then the third floor was a Diary of a Wimpy Kid mecca! The architecture was thoughtful and playful. This is where my daughter became really interested. I was interested (I did read the first 5 books with my daughter so I am invested) but it was a cool, free thing to do. I look forward to attending some events here in the future along with some rainy weekend hours getting a drink and reading on site. (Note to adults: not a large adult book area)

Whimsical, artsy, and eclectic. Great for gifts. And nice coffee bar/sandwiches. A bit out of the way but worth the extra 5 minutes from Wrentham Outlets. And way better gift-buying!

Nice Barnes and noble type bookshop but independent. Owned by the guy who wrote 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'. It's very liberal so might not be for you if you like conservative literature but what do you expect from the guy who wrote diary of a wimpy kid? It's not diary of the brave strong kid. There's a coffee shop there as well but the coffee is quite sour. Staff were happy and helpful to me.

Great atmosphere and selection of Wimpy Kids books. The second floor is also impressive. We spent a day driving here and it was worth it.

Super cute book and gift shop. Great coffee bar inside. It was my first time here and I will definitely be back.

It's a great book store, so much fun to browse around, the staff is very friendly and helpful. It's for all ages, from baby to grandparents!! The cafe part is a little less nice, the food was good, but the menu is very limited, I'm sure it's the remnants of the pandemic and in time will grow more diverse again. What this man is doing for plainville is remarkable!

I remember going to this building when it was Faulk's Market. I remember the guy who owned it- this little elderly man who was so sweet and cute. My mom would go there and buy eggs. I think he would be very happy to know how his place has become such a beautiful lively spot with people of all ages enjoying it. I wish I had more time to go there, but the few times I've been able to go it was like going into a cute downtown providence shop and felt really special. Plainville needs all the help it can get, I'm glad that this made it through Covid.

Great experience at an unlikely story! Great selection of books and you can even get a snack there!

Hooray for independent and local! What a great find! Beautiful bookstore chock full of interesting reads. There is a small cafe inside that serves beer, wine, and coffee drinks. They also hold several events and book signings in the upstairs space. Throughout the store the are notecards giving you recommendations for the books as well as a very knowledgeable staff to assist in any way. Great place to just hang out and enjoy. The also have a loyalty club that you can sign up for. Each $200 gets you a $10 off voucher.

This is the cutest little bookshop. They have a decent sized book collection, along with gifts and stationery. The café is the perfect spot to enjoy a coffee (you can even dabble in a spiked drink) while reading a book or magazine. The decor is always fresh and welcoming. This is the perfect stop after a day of shopping at Wrentham. Definitely worth a stop here!

We love coming here to peruse the books enjoy the fun atmosphere. Everyone is always friendly and helpful and makes for a great local bookshop that we love to support.

I love the atmosphere In this bookstore. I frequently come to purchase books or random trinkets that they sell. It's so warm and cozy. Always a great music selection playing and I appreciate their reviews from the staff written on cards on shelves, quite a few times I've purchased a recommended book. Cafe is also really yummy! Recommend the hot chocolate, it's so good! Kitchen closes at 3pm which is a downer because I frequent after work. They should offer snacks and warm soups into the night time. They serve alcohol here so I think that only adds to the fact that the food should be offered later. All in all this is a great place to spend some time alone or with friends. They always have events which are fun. They also had a tree at Christmas time where you buy books for a kid and I really liked that.

Terrific! Thanks Great selection of books and what a fun time walking around the store!

Subpar in both quality and cleanliness. I will not be returning also why does he feel he needs to own every corner of plainville center