The Accidental Bestseller

By: Wendy Wax

Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Once upon a time four aspiring authors met at their very first writers' conference. Ten years later they're still friends, survivors of the ultra-competitive New York publishing world. Mallory St. James is a workaholic whose best sellers support a lavish lifestyle. Tanya Mason is a single mother juggling two jobs, two kids, and too many deadlines. Faye Truett is the wife of a famous televangelist and the author of inspirational romances: No one would ever guess her explosive secret.

Kendall Aims' once-promising career is on the skids - and so is her marriage. Her sales are dismal, her new editor detests her work - and her husband is cheating. Barely able to think, let alone meet her final deadline, Kendall holes up in a mountain cabin to confront a blank page and a blanker future.

But her friends won't let her face this trial alone. Together they collaborate on a novel using their own lives as fodder, assuming no one will ever discover the truth behind their words.

No one is more surprised than they are when the book becomes a runaway best seller. But with success comes scrutiny and scandal...as these four best friends suddenly realize how little they've truly known each other.

©2009 Wendy Wax (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Wax sheds insight on the writer/reader relationship and nurtures this invisible bond throughout. Sure to appeal to fans of women's fiction and aspiring writers." ( Library Journal)

Creative and Genuine

I truly enjoyed this book! It was not formula, like so many books out there today. The characters were well written and thought out. It would make a great movie!

Fantastic!

I enjoyed it from start to finish. the narrator was great. the characters were well developed and I was cheering them on!

Great book!

Great book, I really enjoyed it! the author did a good job sharing the different stories of the 4 main characters without confusing the reader.

nuanced and unpredictable

I enjoyed the meta quality of the narrative. the characters are believable and complex. Very enjoyable.

Wendy Wax does not disappoint

Another enjoyable story by Wendy Wax. Strengthens my belief in friendship. Enjoyed the clarity of Khristine Hvam's narration.

WOW

I have read several of her books but this BEST so far!. I will be scrolling through the others to find the next one.

Best story I’ve read this year

Awesome story. Real characters with real lives. So enjoyable I didn’t want it to end.

Awesome read !!

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. sincerely hoping for a sequel ! I would be the first to read !!

If You're A Fan

If you're a fan of writer Wendy Wax then you already know the major components of this story. First we have three women who are very good friends. One of whom lacks financial resources; one of whom has a husband with at least one foot out the door; and finally one who is well-to-do and in a sensitive marital situation. In this case one of the principal characters has a bad case of writer's block and has not only lost her husband but her publishing deal as well. In order to get out her final book for her old publisher her friends decide that they will pitch in and get this one done.
There is unfortunately the small issue that all three of these ladies are under contract to different publishing houses. Then there is the nasty New York rep, determined to ignore whatever book the writer puts out.
So will these ladies overcome the obstacles before them? Well of course they will.
Like a great many of the writers in this genre the inability to come up with a creative plot line is compensated for by the knack for creating three dimensional characters that people can relate to and care about. In addition the narrator is an excellent reader and seems to have found the voice of each character. Though Ms. Wendy doesn't seem too creative when it comes to different story lines, her characters are universally likable and her books leave you feeling happy.

Not my favorite.

I'm typically a Wendy Wax fan but this one is not a favorite. The plot was supposed to be meta - a book about writing a book - but was mostly dry and uninteresting. The conflict seemed unrealistic as did the resolution. I'd skip this one for sure in favor of the Ocean Rd series instead.